Reveals the esoteric mysteries encoded in the order of the alphabet • Explores the secrets hidden in our alphabet and how each letter represented a specific stage on the alchemical path toward enlightenment • Divides our alphabet’s sequence of letters into three distinct parts: the first representing Earth and the natural year, the second the Underworld and the hero’s journey, and the third the Heavens and astronomical cycles • Reveals how the ancient secrets encoded in the numerical order of the alphabet can be found in Mystery Traditions and divination systems throughout the world Our alphabet hides a Mystery older than its magic of turning sound into shapes. Secrets lie in the choice of objects chosen to represent early alphabet letters and their order, a pattern inherited by numerous traditions, an alchemical spell to return the sun from the dark and guide the soul toward enlightenment. Revealing the spell hidden in our alphabet, Judith Dillon explores the importance of the placement of each letter in early alphabets and how each letter represented a specific step on the alchemical path of self-transformation. She investigates the alphabet’s spread around the world, beginning in Egypt and then spreading through Hebrew, Greek, and other ancient systems of writing and divination. These include Germanic Runes, Celtic Oghams, Tarot cards, the I Ching, and the wisdom of Mother Goose. Comparing the mythic attributes of many traditions, the author reveals the commonality of a numerical placement of symbols and how the hidden message was adapted by multiple peoples using objects and shapes from their own traditions. Examining the esoteric wisdom encoded in the alphabet, Dillon divides the numerical sequence of letters into three distinct parts. The first family of letters represents the Earth and describes the cycle of the natural year. The second family represents the Underworld and symbolizes the hero’s journey through judgments and death into the light of day. The third represents the Heavens and its astronomical cycles. Together, our alphabet symbols are a spell of alchemical stages on a path toward the light. Hidden in plain sight, our alphabet represents a transmission of ancient wisdom, the great alchemical Mystery of transforming dark earth into shining gold, of releasing the soul from the bonds of matter into the gold of enlightenment.

Traces the origins of the alphabet beginning with the first pictograms of 5,000 years ago, describing the changes the alphabet has gone through in different countries and cultures.

Letters are tangible language. Joining together in endless combinations to actually show speech, letters convey our messages and tell our stories. While we encounter these tiny shapes hundreds of times a day, we take for granted the long, fascinating history behind one of the most fundamental of human inventions -- the alphabet. The heart of the book is the 26 fact-filled “biographies” of letters A through Z, each one identifying the letter’s particular significance for modern readers, tracing its development from ancient forms, and discussing its noteworthy role in literature and other media. We learn, for example, why the letter X has a sinister and sexual aura, how B came to signify second best, why the word “mother” in many languages starts with M, and what is the story of O. Packed with information and lavishly illustrated, Letter Perfect is not only accessible and entertaining, but essential to the appreciation of our own language.

An extensive study of ancient books of magic and the magical practices preserved in the few surviving grimoires • Includes spells, talisman formulations, and secret magical alphabets reproduced from the author’s private collection of grimoires, with instructions for their use • Explains the basic principles of medieval magic, including the doctrine of names and the laws of sympathy and contagion • Offers an overview of magic in the Western Mystery tradition Grimoires began simply as quick-reference “grammar books” for sorcerers, magicians, and priests before evolving into comprehensive guides to magic, complete with spell-casting rituals, magical alphabets, and instructions to create amulets and talismans. With the advent of the printing press, some grimoires were mass produced, but many of the abbreviations were misinterpreted and magical words misspelled, rendering them ineffective. The most powerful grimoires remained not only secret but also heavily encoded, making them accessible only to the highest initiates of the magical traditions. Drawing on his own private collection of grimoires and magical manuscripts as well as his privileged access to the rare book archives of major European universities, Claude Lecouteux offers an extensive study of ancient books of magic and the ways the knowledge within them was kept secret for centuries through symbols, codes, secret alphabets, and Kabbalistic words. Touching on both white and black magical practices, he explains the basic principles of medieval magic, including the doctrine of names and signatures, mastery of the power of images, and the laws of sympathy and contagion. He gives an overview of magic in the Western Mystery tradition, emphasizing both lesser-known magicians such as Trithemus and Peter of Apono and famous ones like Albertus Magnus and Hermes Trismegistus. Creating a universal grimoire, Lecouteux provides exact reproductions of secret magical alphabets, symbols, and glyphs with instructions for their use as well as an illustrated collection of annotated spells, rituals, and talismans for numerous applications including amorous magic, healing magic, and protection rites. The author also examines the folk magic that resulted when the high magic of the medieval grimoires melded with the preexisting pagan magic of ancient Europe.

Here the alphabetical systems of the West, including Hebrew, Greek, Runic, Celtic, Medieval, and the Renaissance alphabets of the alchemical tradition are examined in depth. Explains the numerological significance of the various alphabets, andprovides exciting evidence for the widespread influence of Runes.

"Letters are tangible language. Joining together in endless combinations to represent actual speech, letters convey messages, tell stories, and create newspapers, advertising, and poetry. While we encounter these tiny shapes hundreds of times a day, we take for granted the long, fascinating history behind one of the most fundamental inventions - the alphabet." "David Sacks has embarked on an excursion into cultural history in Language Visible. Clearly explaining the letters as symbols of precise sounds of speech, the book begins with the earliest known alphabetic inscriptions (circa 1800 B.C.), recently discovered by archaeologists in Egypt, and traces the history of our alphabet through the ancient Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and up through medieval Europe to the present day. But the heart of the book is the twenty-six fact-filled "biographies" of letters A through Z, each one identifying its letter's particular significance for modern readers, tracing its development from ancient forms, and discussing its noteworthy role in literature and other media. We learn, for example, why letter X may have a sinister and sexual aura, how B came to signify second best, why the word "mother" in many languages starts with an M, and what The Story of O is. The book also features clever illustrations for each letter, such as Winston Churchill's "V-for-Victory" World War II hand sign, the trademark "N" from the label of Newman's Own salad dressing, and images from rock music and other pop culture." "Combining facts both odd and essential, Language Visible is cultural history at its most accessible and enjoyable."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved