I was formerly a technical translator of modern languages in industry in the Benelux and Switzerland. I am now an Independent scholar and translator of esoterica (French, German, Latin and occasionally other languages).
We present a transcription of a newly-discovered text of the early modern German operation of rit... more We present a transcription of a newly-discovered text of the early modern German operation of ritual magic usually known as The Book of Abramelin the Mage. The text appears in a manuscript catalogued as Kl.MS:XII.C.2 dating from the first half of the 18th century to be found in the library of Georg Kloss (Bibliotheca Klossiana), which now forms part of the Grand Lodge Library (The Hague, Netherlands). Our translation and discussion will be found in the Winter 2023 issue of Magic, Ritual and Witchcraft (Penn State)
My translation of Alexandru Pop's interpretation of the Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet) using ... more My translation of Alexandru Pop's interpretation of the Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet) using his own interpretative system known as Nomism (explained in the text).
As far as I am aware this text, attributed to Abbot Odo of Cluny, has never been translated into ... more As far as I am aware this text, attributed to Abbot Odo of Cluny, has never been translated into English (or any other language) even though it is often referenced in works about St. Mary Magdalene, so I thought I would attempt a full translation of it. The printed text can be found in, among other places, Acta Sanctorum, Julii Tomus Quintus, Paris/Rome 1868, pp. 218-221 at, for example, https://tinyurl.com/3wp2up9n All Biblical quotations are from the KJV. I have corrected the original printed text where necessary.
Another brief Life of St. Mary Magdalene sometimes referenced in books and papers about her but n... more Another brief Life of St. Mary Magdalene sometimes referenced in books and papers about her but not, I believe, previously translated out of Latin. Taken from: MONUMENTS INÉDITS SUR L’APOSTOLAT DE SAINTE MARIE -MADELEINE EN PROVENCE, Paris 1848, Tome Second, pp 433-436.
My translation of the article on the violin and violin-making from the Encyclopédie of Diderot an... more My translation of the article on the violin and violin-making from the Encyclopédie of Diderot and D'Alembert plus a short terminology list.
A terminology list I compiled while translating Bettina Hoffmann's Die Viola da Gamba
https://ww... more A terminology list I compiled while translating Bettina Hoffmann's Die Viola da Gamba
Original text and my translation of Meiners' proposals for organising secret societies and for im... more Original text and my translation of Meiners' proposals for organising secret societies and for improving the Bavarian Illuminati, of which he was a member.
My transcription and English translation of this important document from 1761-1776 describing the... more My transcription and English translation of this important document from 1761-1776 describing the degrees and rituals of a Rite d'Adoption (women's freemasonry).
A short but original and challenging approach to the Latin variants of the Emerald Tablet, and es... more A short but original and challenging approach to the Latin variants of the Emerald Tablet, and especially the Gerhard Dorn, using the author's own hermeneutic system
My first draft translation of this Rosicrucian alchemical text.
The Rosicrucian/Templar/Baconian... more My first draft translation of this Rosicrucian alchemical text.
The Rosicrucian/Templar/Baconian treasure-hunters will have to decide for themselves whether this text is relevant to their quest.
Transcription of an alchemical and Rosicrucian text known as the Practice of the Green Lion.
Tra... more Transcription of an alchemical and Rosicrucian text known as the Practice of the Green Lion.
Transcription of an early Rosicrucian work. I have also recently uploaded my translation of this ... more Transcription of an early Rosicrucian work. I have also recently uploaded my translation of this text.
We present a transcription of a newly-discovered text of the early modern German operation of rit... more We present a transcription of a newly-discovered text of the early modern German operation of ritual magic usually known as The Book of Abramelin the Mage. The text appears in a manuscript catalogued as Kl.MS:XII.C.2 dating from the first half of the 18th century to be found in the library of Georg Kloss (Bibliotheca Klossiana), which now forms part of the Grand Lodge Library (The Hague, Netherlands). Our translation and discussion will be found in the Winter 2023 issue of Magic, Ritual and Witchcraft (Penn State)
My translation of Alexandru Pop's interpretation of the Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet) using ... more My translation of Alexandru Pop's interpretation of the Tabula Smaragdina (Emerald Tablet) using his own interpretative system known as Nomism (explained in the text).
As far as I am aware this text, attributed to Abbot Odo of Cluny, has never been translated into ... more As far as I am aware this text, attributed to Abbot Odo of Cluny, has never been translated into English (or any other language) even though it is often referenced in works about St. Mary Magdalene, so I thought I would attempt a full translation of it. The printed text can be found in, among other places, Acta Sanctorum, Julii Tomus Quintus, Paris/Rome 1868, pp. 218-221 at, for example, https://tinyurl.com/3wp2up9n All Biblical quotations are from the KJV. I have corrected the original printed text where necessary.
Another brief Life of St. Mary Magdalene sometimes referenced in books and papers about her but n... more Another brief Life of St. Mary Magdalene sometimes referenced in books and papers about her but not, I believe, previously translated out of Latin. Taken from: MONUMENTS INÉDITS SUR L’APOSTOLAT DE SAINTE MARIE -MADELEINE EN PROVENCE, Paris 1848, Tome Second, pp 433-436.
My translation of the article on the violin and violin-making from the Encyclopédie of Diderot an... more My translation of the article on the violin and violin-making from the Encyclopédie of Diderot and D'Alembert plus a short terminology list.
A terminology list I compiled while translating Bettina Hoffmann's Die Viola da Gamba
https://ww... more A terminology list I compiled while translating Bettina Hoffmann's Die Viola da Gamba
Original text and my translation of Meiners' proposals for organising secret societies and for im... more Original text and my translation of Meiners' proposals for organising secret societies and for improving the Bavarian Illuminati, of which he was a member.
My transcription and English translation of this important document from 1761-1776 describing the... more My transcription and English translation of this important document from 1761-1776 describing the degrees and rituals of a Rite d'Adoption (women's freemasonry).
A short but original and challenging approach to the Latin variants of the Emerald Tablet, and es... more A short but original and challenging approach to the Latin variants of the Emerald Tablet, and especially the Gerhard Dorn, using the author's own hermeneutic system
My first draft translation of this Rosicrucian alchemical text.
The Rosicrucian/Templar/Baconian... more My first draft translation of this Rosicrucian alchemical text.
The Rosicrucian/Templar/Baconian treasure-hunters will have to decide for themselves whether this text is relevant to their quest.
Transcription of an alchemical and Rosicrucian text known as the Practice of the Green Lion.
Tra... more Transcription of an alchemical and Rosicrucian text known as the Practice of the Green Lion.
Transcription of an early Rosicrucian work. I have also recently uploaded my translation of this ... more Transcription of an early Rosicrucian work. I have also recently uploaded my translation of this text.
Cover of new publication, the first of a projected series on the Art of Memory.
Translated by Pa... more Cover of new publication, the first of a projected series on the Art of Memory.
Translated by Paul Ferguson and Introduced by Martin Faulks Including both the original Latin and translations of the works with extensive explanatory footnotes During the intellectual swirl of the mystic Renaissance, the phrase Art of Memory referred to a specific set of memory disciplines and techniques that had evolved from classical Greek mnemonics. This was a method whereby one would create a memory palace in the mind. This could be based on a real or imagined place which, using intensive imagination, one would build up in the memory to the degree that it could be visited with ease. This memory palace could then be used as a kind of memory storehouse. By placing items in different locations in the palace one could recall them with ease when the palace was next visited. In order to make the images memorable the characters, figures or items used were often dramatic and could sometimes be quite striking to contemporary sensibilities. This meditative art was commonly accepted to be a very good method for memorising speeches, but also a great form of moral training. However, some practitioners took it further, believing that this art had far more potential. They believed that if practised correctly, this art could lead to an expansion of awareness and mental ability. This inner transformation would not only lead to perfect memory, but would gift the practitioner with higher awareness and total mastery of self. Masters of this more mystical art of memory were believed to be the holders of a secret tradition from Ancient Egypt that would gift them with clairvoyant perception of and control over higher forces. The most famous of these figures was that of Giordano Bruno who taught his mystic art of memory throughout Europe. His works taught a magical memory system veiled in encoded language and parable and were greatly sort after in his day. They remain a mystery to many to this very day. But few are aware of Bruno's apprentice, Alexander Dicsone, mystical memory master and member of the court of then James VI of Scotland. His amazing abilities led to great fame in the British Isles with many authors referring to the more magical side of memory as "Dicsone's Art". Renowned historians have speculated as to the possible influences these hidden practices could have had on the development of Freemasonry due to Discone's close proximity to William Schaw. Schaw first drew up the constitutions for Scottish stonemasons in which the Masonic ritual seems to be referred to as the art of memory. Now for the first time, two of Dicsone's own works on the art of memory have been translated into English by an expert in Renaissance Latin. Accompanied by extensive footnotes and an explanatory introductory chapter by Hermeticist Martin Faulks, Dicsone's beautifully inspiring works are less guarded than those of his teacher and offer a unique opportunity to grasp the art and discover its full potential.
Not so much a paper as an appeal for information. What happened to the ship of Sir William Wallac... more Not so much a paper as an appeal for information. What happened to the ship of Sir William Wallace salvaged from the Tay at the end of the 16th century?
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Papers by Paul Ferguson
Taken from: MONUMENTS INÉDITS SUR L’APOSTOLAT DE SAINTE MARIE -MADELEINE EN PROVENCE, Paris 1848, Tome Second, pp 433-436.
This is a pre-print. Final version now available at:
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=did;cc=did;rgn=main;view=text;idno=did2222.0003.844
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1138240230/ref=rdr_ext_tmb
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CBDWSDD/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christoph_Meiners
Tarade was a violinist and minor composer:
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9odore-Jean_Tarade
Initiated August 1750. Master of the Loge Saint Théodore de la Sincérité in Paris from 1761.
Original text at:
https://archive.org/details/ManuscritTheodoreJeanTarade17611776_201707/page/n1
*** Please consider making a donation to archive.org ***
The Rosicrucian/Templar/Baconian treasure-hunters will have to decide for themselves whether this text is relevant to their quest.
Translation available from:
http://www.alchemywebsite.com/bookshop/mohs54.html
Taken from: MONUMENTS INÉDITS SUR L’APOSTOLAT DE SAINTE MARIE -MADELEINE EN PROVENCE, Paris 1848, Tome Second, pp 433-436.
This is a pre-print. Final version now available at:
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=did;cc=did;rgn=main;view=text;idno=did2222.0003.844
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1138240230/ref=rdr_ext_tmb
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CBDWSDD/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christoph_Meiners
Tarade was a violinist and minor composer:
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9odore-Jean_Tarade
Initiated August 1750. Master of the Loge Saint Théodore de la Sincérité in Paris from 1761.
Original text at:
https://archive.org/details/ManuscritTheodoreJeanTarade17611776_201707/page/n1
*** Please consider making a donation to archive.org ***
The Rosicrucian/Templar/Baconian treasure-hunters will have to decide for themselves whether this text is relevant to their quest.
Translation available from:
http://www.alchemywebsite.com/bookshop/mohs54.html
Translated by Paul Ferguson and Introduced by Martin Faulks Including both the original Latin and translations of the works with extensive explanatory footnotes During the intellectual swirl of the mystic Renaissance, the phrase Art of Memory referred to a specific set of memory disciplines and techniques that had evolved from classical Greek mnemonics. This was a method whereby one would create a memory palace in the mind. This could be based on a real or imagined place which, using intensive imagination, one would build up in the memory to the degree that it could be visited with ease. This memory palace could then be used as a kind of memory storehouse. By placing items in different locations in the palace one could recall them with ease when the palace was next visited. In order to make the images memorable the characters, figures or items used were often dramatic and could sometimes be quite striking to contemporary sensibilities. This meditative art was commonly accepted to be a very good method for memorising speeches, but also a great form of moral training. However, some practitioners took it further, believing that this art had far more potential. They believed that if practised correctly, this art could lead to an expansion of awareness and mental ability. This inner transformation would not only lead to perfect memory, but would gift the practitioner with higher awareness and total mastery of self. Masters of this more mystical art of memory were believed to be the holders of a secret tradition from Ancient Egypt that would gift them with clairvoyant perception of and control over higher forces. The most famous of these figures was that of Giordano Bruno who taught his mystic art of memory throughout Europe. His works taught a magical memory system veiled in encoded language and parable and were greatly sort after in his day. They remain a mystery to many to this very day. But few are aware of Bruno's apprentice, Alexander Dicsone, mystical memory master and member of the court of then James VI of Scotland. His amazing abilities led to great fame in the British Isles with many authors referring to the more magical side of memory as "Dicsone's Art". Renowned historians have speculated as to the possible influences these hidden practices could have had on the development of Freemasonry due to Discone's close proximity to William Schaw. Schaw first drew up the constitutions for Scottish stonemasons in which the Masonic ritual seems to be referred to as the art of memory. Now for the first time, two of Dicsone's own works on the art of memory have been translated into English by an expert in Renaissance Latin. Accompanied by extensive footnotes and an explanatory introductory chapter by Hermeticist Martin Faulks, Dicsone's beautifully inspiring works are less guarded than those of his teacher and offer a unique opportunity to grasp the art and discover its full potential.
email: paulus.ferguson@yandex.com