The Masonic Magician. The Life and Death of Count Cagliostro and His Egyptian Rite. Philippa Faulks and Robert L.D. Cooper
"The Masonic Magician" by Philippa Faulks and Robert L.D. Cooper is one of the best researched and most entertaining Masonic books I've ever read. It was really hard to put this one down...
"Miracle-worker or man of straw? Count Alessandro Cagliostro was a cult figure of European society in the tumultuous years leading to the French Revolution. An alchemist, healer and Freemason, he inspired both wild devotion and savage ridicule – as well as novels by Alexandre Dumas, a drama by Goethe and Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute. Count Alessandro Cagliostro’s sincere belief in the magical powers, including immortality, conferred by his Egyptian Rite of Freemasonry won him fame, but made him dangerous enemies, too. His celebrated travels through the Middle East and the capitals of Europe ended abruptly in Rome in 1789, where he was arrested by the Inquisition and condemned to death for heresy. The Masonic Magician tells Cagliostro’s extraordinary story, complete with the first English translation of his Egyptian Rite of Freemasonry ever published. The authors examine the case made against him, that he was an impostor as well as a heretic, and find that the Roman Church, and history itself, have done him a terrible injustice. This engaging account, drawing on remarkable new documentary evidence, shows that the man condemned was a genuine visionary and true champion of Freemasonry. His teachings have much to reveal to us today, not just of the secrets of the movement, but of the mysterious hostility it continues to attract."
The Square. Magazine. The Three Graces. Faith, Hope and Charity. Art by Travis Simpkins
In addition to the cover and interview, the current issue of The Square also features my artwork in an article that examines the "Three Graces" - Faith, Hope and Charity. I've received a lot of positive feedback from Europe since the magazine was published in the United Kingdom back in June.
The Square. Lewis Masonic magazine. England. Philippa Lee Faulks. Cover Art and Interview with Travis Simpkins
I'm honored to be the subject of a 4-page interview and to have created the "Three Graces" cover image for the latest issue of The Square, recently published in the United Kingdom. I had previously shared the cover art, but here are some shots of my work within the magazine's pages as well, including portraits of Sovereign Grand Commander David A. Glattly (Scottish Rite NMJ), M.W. Roger B. Quintana (Grand Lodge of New Jersey), M.W. Paul F. Gleason (Grand Lodge of Massachusetts) and British author Graham Hancock. Thanks to editor Philippa Lee and the staff at Lewis Masonic for their work in putting everything together, the whole magazine looks great.
The Square. Masonic magazine. Editor. Philippa Lee Faulks. Art by Travis Simpkins
This is looking to be a great issue:
" ...In this issue we have an array of knowledge to share with you: Our cover
story is that of an artist currently taking the Masonic world by storm –
Travis Simpkins shares his journey through art and Freemasonry on page
7; Historian Ricky Pound takes us on a tour of the ‘Masonic Symbolism in
the Blue Velvet Room at Chiswick House’ (pg. 16); we ‘Meet the Author’
of A Guide for the Masonic Treasurer, Paul Sparks (pg. 12); veteran
Freemason Chris Hodapp shares his powerful blog post on ‘The Decline of
Men…’ (pg. 40) and Craig Weightman’s regular column ‘A Quarterly
Advancement’ is on page 55."
Long misunderstood and mislabeled as a charlatan, Count Alessandro di Cagliostro (also known as Giuseppe or Joseph Balsamo) continues to fascinate historians and stir debate within the academic realms of Freemasonry and the Catholic Church. Arrested, tried and condemned in 1789, with no provable offense beyond being a Freemason, Count Cagliostro's squalid imprisonment and lonely death is just one of the many injustices perpetrated at the hands on the Inquisition.
In The Masonic Magician: The Life and Death of Count Cagliostro and His Egyptian Rite, Philippa Faulks and Robert L.D. Cooper provide a long overdue examination of Cagliostro's Masonic career with an unbiased view not found in earlier volumes. The work began in earnest when Bob Cooper, himself a renowned Freemason and curator of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, had the text of a handwritten copy of Cagliostro's ritual of Egyptian Freemasonry translated from the original French. It is beautiful document, full of ancient Hermetic wisdom and esoteric values. The text, once rightly examined, provided clear evidence of Cagliostro's love and respect for the Craft… and his desire to build upon it's degrees and teachings (through his new Egyptian Rite) for the betterment of mankind. However, it was precisely in this desire to help humanity that he fell afoul of the Church. "Cagliostro was in possession of something the Church wanted to destroy- he offered mankind a chance to reach divine enlightenment without a church, without a priest and without fear." Just as interesting as the printed Egyptian Freemasonry ritual are the biographical elements provided by the authors, giving proper context as to how Cagliostro fit into the Age of Enlightenment. An occultist, he sought to unravel and master the mysteries of the ancients: Alchemy, Astrology and Theurgy. Cagliostro saw the Philosopher's Stone not merely as a means to turn base metals into gold, but as an attempt to achieve "the moral and spiritual birth of mankind." In Freemasonry, Cagliostro found a useful tool in symbolism, believing that "symbols can unlock the hidden connecting door between the microcosm (this world) and the macrocosm (the spiritual world)." Well worth the cover price and the time spent reading it, The Masonic Magician is a concise masterwork in Masonic Education and a well-versed portrait of a misunderstood genius.
Count Alessandro di Cagliostro. Joseph Balsamo: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Count Alessandro di Cagliostro. Joseph Balsamo: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Seal of Count Alessandro di Cagliostro. Joseph Balsamo: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Robert L.D. Cooper: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Philippa Faulks: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Count Alessandro di Cagliostro. Joseph Balsamo: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Giordano Bruno: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Home of Count Alessandro di Cagliostro. Joseph Balsamo: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Count Alessandro di Cagliostro. Joseph Balsamo: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Cagliostro Tarot Deck: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Fortress of San Leo, Urbino: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Count Cagliostro's Cell - Fortress of San Leo, Urbino: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Count Cagliostro's Cell - Fortress of San Leo, Urbino: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Count Cagliostro's Cell - Fortress of San Leo, Urbino: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Count Cagliostro's Cell - Fortress of San Leo, Urbino: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Count Alessandro di Cagliostro. Joseph Balsamo: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
Black Magic or Cagliostro (1949) starring Orson Welles
The Masonic Magician
Count Alessandro di Cagliostro. Joseph Balsamo: The Masonic Magician. Philippa Faulks & Robert LD Cooper
