Mystery of the Cross (1791) - Page 2

LUCIEN BODIN, BOOKSELLER

5, Christine Street, PARIS (6th arrondissement)

OCCULT AND

PHILOSOPHICAL SCIENCES

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Lucien Bodin was a prominent Parisian bookseller who specialized in esoteric and occult literature during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

A black and white woodcut style illustration shows a narwhal leaping above white capped waves. The creature has a long, straight, spiral patterned horn pointing towards the upper left. The sky behind is rendered with dense, horizontal wavy lines.

FRIEND OF THE SEA

original: "ΦΙΛΟΣ ΠΟΝΤΟΥ" (Philos Pontou). This Greek phrase serves as a motto for the book's owner, perhaps playing on the name of the narwhal depicted above it.

J. DE ANDRADA 1917.
This signature and date likely identify a former owner of the manuscript.

A circular emblem is centered on a vertical rectangle. In the center, an oval vignette depicts a pelican in its piety. This traditional symbol shows the bird standing over a nest and feeding its young from a wound in its breast, representing self-sacrifice. Below the nest is a cube featuring three roses arranged in a triangle. Above the pelican, a radiant sun shines with distinct rays of light. The vignette is bordered by a gold lettered inscription in a circle.

HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY

original: "PHILOSOPHIA · HERMETICA." Hermeticism is a philosophical and religious tradition based on writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. It heavily influenced alchemy and Western occultism.