Karl von Eckartshausen
Karl von Eckartshausen | |
|---|---|
 Karl von Eckartshausen | |
| Born | 28 June 1752 Haimhausen, Electorate of Bavaria |
| Died | 12 May 1803 (aged 50) Munich, Electorate of Bavaria |
| Occupation | essayist, philosopher |
| Nationality | German |
| Subject | Religion, mysticism, magic, alchemy |
Karl von Eckartshausen (German: [ˈkaʁl fɔn ˈʔɛkaʁtsˌhaʊzn̩]; 28 June 1752 – 12 May 1803) was a German Catholic mystic, writer, and philosopher.
Early life and education
[edit]Karl von Eckartshausen was born in Haimhausen, Bavaria. Eckartshausen studied philosophy and Bavarian civil law in Munich and Ingolstadt.[citation needed]
Career
[edit]Von Eckartshausen was the author of The Cloud upon the Sanctuary, a work of Christian mysticism which was later taken up by occultists. It was translated into English by Isabelle de Steiger.
He joined[when?] the order of the Illuminati founded by Adam Weishaupt, but "withdrew his membership soon after discovering that this order only recognized enlightenment through human reason."[1]
Von Eckartshausen was acquainted with Johann Georg Schröpfer, an early pioneer of phantasmagoria, and himself experimented with the use of magic lanterns to create "ghost projections" in front of an audience of four or five people. He died in Munich at the age of 50.
Influence
[edit]The Cloud upon the Sanctuary was given a high status in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, particularly by Arthur Edward Waite. It is known to have attracted English author and the founder of Thelema, Aleister Crowley, to the Order.[2]
Publications
[edit]- — (1790). Aufschlüsse über Magie [Explanations Concerning Magic] (in German). Munich.[3]
- — (1792). Aufschlüsse zur Magie aus geprüften Erfahrungen über verborgene philosophische Wissenschaften und verdeckte Geheimnisse der Natur [Insights into magic from verified experiences about hidden philosophical sciences and hidden secrets of nature] (in German). Munich. 4 vols.
- — (1796). Die wichtigsten Hieroglyphen fürs Menschen-Herz (in German). Leipzig.
- —. Die Wolke über dem Heiligtum [The Cloud upon the Sanctuary] (in German).
- — (1791). Gott ist die reinste Liebe [God is pure love] (in German). Munich.
- — (1989). Hanswille, Gerhard; Brumlich, Deborah (eds.). Magic: the principles of higher knowledge. Scarborough, Ontario: Merkur Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-9693820-1-0. OCLC 24215790. Translation of Aufschlüsse zur Magie.
References
[edit]- ^ Harmsen 2005.
- ^ Booth 2001, p. 59.
- ^ The work was translated into Czech by Josef Vratislav Monse in 1792 under the name Odkryté Tagnosti Cžarodegnjckých Kunsstů k Weystraze a Wyvčowánj obecnjho Lidu o Powěrách a sskodliwých Bludech Sepsané w německé Ržeči od Pána z Eckartshausen
Works cited
[edit]- Booth, Martin (2001) [2000]. A Magick Life: A Biography of Aleister Crowley (trade paperback) (Coronet ed.). London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-71806-4.
- Harmsen, Theodor (24 October 2005). "Karl von Eckartshausen. Concept of the Inner Church". Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica. Amsterdam: J. R. Ritman Library. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
Further reading
[edit]- Knowles, George (2005). "Karl von Eckartshausen". Controverscial.com. Retrieved 15 June 2006.
External links
[edit]- Aufschlüsse zur Magie aus geprüften Erfahrungen über verborgene philosophische Wissenschaften und verdeckte Geheimnisse der Natur via the Library of Congress
- Wolke vor dem Heiligthume via the Library of Congress
- Verschiedenes zum Unterricht und zur Unterhaltung für Liebhaber der Gauckeltasche, des Magnetismus, und anderer Seltenheiten via the Library of Congress
