The idea of light and darkness is one of the central ideas of the Symbolist movement, since this is a movement of contrasts. It encompasses the major themes of Symbolism, such as good and evil, beauty and ugliness, the visible and the invisible, and the divine and the earthly. This volume brings together a range of studies in order to understand the notion of light and darkness and a variety of its Symbolist interpretations. It also stresses the interdisciplinary nature of the concepts of light and darkness in Symbolism, as well as the cohabitation and symbiosis of both, which are together or separately at the core of this movement.

Surveys the history of the mosque lamp and its numerous variants and the deep significance of light and the lamp in religion.

The Symbolism of Freemasons is a book about the teachings and practices of the secret fraternal order of Free and Accepted Masons, the largest worldwide secret society. Freemasonry evolved from the guilds of stonemasons and cathedral builders of the Middle Ages which regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities and clients. The author traces the origins of Freemasonry and presents an adequate information and excellent foundation to understanding of how Freemasonry became what it is. The book mainly deals with signs and symbols of Freemasonry, illustrating and explaining its science and philosophy, and its legends and myths, providing a good background for many of the basics of modern day ritual and procedures.

This book centers on the revolutionary French symbolist movement of the last part of the 19th century, translated by Emmett Parker. Peyre gets to the heart of the subject, through provocative lines.