Free Thoughts on God, the Universe, Man, Freemasons, Rosicrucians, and the Philosopher's Stone (1788) - Page 2

A circular emblem or bookplate. A white border contains the inscription "HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY" original: "PHILOSOPHIA HERMETICA" in gold letters. The center consists of a blue oval featuring a white pelican "in her piety"—a traditional symbol of self-sacrifice where the mother bird tears her own breast to feed her three chicks—atop a base. Below the pelican is a square panel showing three red roses with crossed green stems on a white background. Golden rays emanate from a sun at the top of the blue field.

Author: G. F. Elsässer.

(Weller, Places of Publication I, 138)

This citation refers to Emil Weller’s "Die falschen und fingirten Druckorte" (False and Fictitious Places of Publication), a standard 19th-century bibliographic reference used to identify books published under pseudonyms or with intentionally misleading publication details.

Hermetic Philosophy A spiritual and philosophical tradition based on the writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, frequently focusing on alchemy, mysticism, and the pursuit of hidden knowledge.