George R.R. Martin. Author. The World of Ice and Fire. Game of Thrones. by Travis Simpkins

George R.R. Martin. Author. A Song of Ice and Fire. Game of Thrones. House of the Dragon. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

George R.R. Martin

George Richard Raymond Martin

Writer and Television Producer

Author of

A Song of Ice and Fire

HBO adaptations include

Game of Thrones

and House of the Dragon

by Travis Simpkins

George R.R. Martin Q&A

For more info, please visit:

georgerrmartin.com

 

George R.R. Martin. Author. The World of Ice and Fire. Game of Thrones. by Travis Simpkins

Gerald Gardner. Witchcraft. Book of Shadows. Gardnerian Wicca. Ceremonial Magick. by Travis Simpkins

Gerald Gardner. Witchcraft. Book of Shadows. Gardnerian Wicca. Ceremonial Magick. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

Dr. Gerald Brosseau Gardner

(1884 - 1964)

Anthropologist and Archaeologist

“Father of Wicca”

Founder of Gardnerian Wicca

Author of the Gardnerian “Book of Shadows”

“The Meaning of Witchcraft”

and “Witchcraft Today”

Initiated in the New Forest coven

Founder of the Bricket Wood coven

Member of

Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.)

Member of the

Rosicrucian Order Crotona Fellowship

Freemason, Member of

Sphinx Lodge No. 107, Irish Constitution

Colombo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

by Travis Simpkins

Interview with Gerald Gardner

For more info, please visit:

british-wicca.com

Gerald Gardner. Book of Shadows. Gardnerian Wicca. Magick. Witchcraft Today. by Travis Simpkins

James K. Polk. 11th President of the United States of America. Freemason. by Travis Simpkins

James K. Polk. 11th President of the United States. Freemason. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

James Knox Polk

( 1795 - 1849 )

11th President of the

United States of America

Freemason

Initiated on June 5, 1820

Columbia Lodge No. 31

Columbia, Tennessee

by Travis Simpkins

James K. Polk

For more info, please visit:

jameskpolk.com

James K. Polk. 11th President of the United States. Freemason. by Travis Simpkins

 

Henry C. Clausen, 33°. Past Sovereign Grand Commander. Scottish Rite, SJ. by Travis Simpkins

Henry C. Clausen, 33°. Past Sovereign Grand Commander. Scottish Rite, SJ. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

Most Worshipful and Illustrious

Henry Christian Clausen

( 1905 - 1992 )

Past Grand Master

Grand Lodge of California

( 1954 )

Past Sovereign Grand Commander

Supreme Council, 33°, SJ

Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite

Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A.

( 1969 - 1985 )

Former Asst. U.S. Attorney General

Author of the 800-page Clausen Report

for the Army Board's Pearl Harbor Investigation

by Travis Simpkins

 Henry C. Clausen, 33°. Sovereign Grand Commander

Henry C. Clausen, 33° discusses Manly P. Hall, 33°

Henry C. Clausen. Pearl Harbor. Final Judgement. The Clausen Report

 For more info, please visit:

scottishrite.org

Henry C. Clausen, 33°. Supreme Council. Scottish Rite, SJ. Practice and Procedure for the Scottish Rite. by Travis Simpkins

Hank Williams. Country Singer Songwriter. Musician. Grand Ole Opry. by Travis Simpkins

Hank Williams. Country Singer Songwriter. Musician. Grand Ole Opry. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

Hank Williams

Hiram King Williams

( 1923 - 1953 )

Singer-Songwriter

Country Musician

by Travis Simpkins

 Hank Williams - Lovesick Blues

Hank Williams - Cold, Cold Heart

Hank Williams - Hey, Good Lookin'

 For more info, please visit:

hankwilliams.com

Hank Williams. Country Singer Songwriter. Musician. Grand Ole Opry. by Travis Simpkins

Voltaire. French Enlightenment Philosopher. Freemason. by Travis Simpkins

Voltaire. Francois-Marie Arouet. French Enlightenment Philosopher. Freemason. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

Voltaire

Francois-Marie Arouet

( 1694 - 1778 )

French Enlightenment Philosopher

Writer and Historian

Freemason

Initiated in the

Loge des Neuf Soeurs

(Lodge of the Nine Sisters)

Paris, France

April 4, 1778

by Travis Simpkins

 Voltaire

 For more info, please visit:

voltaire.ox.ac.uk

Voltaire. French Enlightenment Philosopher. Freemason. by Travis Simpkins

Gary K. Stewart, 33°. Valley of Danville, Illinois. Scottish Rite, NMJ. by Travis Simpkins

Gary K. Stewart, 33°. Valley of Danville, Illinois. Scottish Rite, NMJ. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

Illustrious Brother

Gary K. Stewart

33rd Degree Freemason

Valley of Danville, Illinois

Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite

Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, USA

by Travis Simpkins

For more info, please visit:

aasrdanville.org

Valley of Danville, Illinois. Scottish Rite, NMJ

 

M.W. Quincy G. Gant. Past Grand Master. MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia. by Travis Simpkins

M.W. Quincy G. Gant. Past Grand Master. Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

The Honorable

Quincy G. Gant

Most Worshipful Past Grand Master

Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge

of the District of Columbia

by Travis Simpkins

Who Was Prince Hall?

For more info, please visit:

mwphgldc.com

M.W. Quincy G. Gant. Past Grand Master. Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia. by Travis Simpkins

 

Harry S. Truman. 33rd President of the United States. Freemason. by Travis Simpkins

Harry S. Truman. 33rd President of the United States. Freemason. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

Harry S. Truman

(1884 - 1972)

33rd President of the United States

Past Grand Master

Grand Lodge of Missouri

33rd Degree Freemason

Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite

Southern Jurisdiction, USA

by Travis Simpkins

President Harry S. Truman

For more info, please visit:

trumanlibrary.gov

Harry S. Truman. 33rd President of the United States. Freemason. by Travis Simpkins

Tim Wallace-Murphy. Hidden Wisdom. Secrets of the Western Esoteric Tradition. by Travis Simpkins

Tim Wallace-Murphy. Author. Freemason. Knights Templar Historian. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

Tim Wallace-Murphy

( 1930 - 2019 )
Physician & Psychologist

Author and Educator

Freemason & 

Knights Templar Historian

Holy Grail Scholar

by Travis Simpkins

Tim Wallace-Murphy Lecture - Hidden Wisdom

For more info, please visit:

timwallace-murphy.com

Tim Wallace-Murphy. by Travis Simpkins. Hidden Wisdom. Secrets of the Esoteric Tradition

Rudyard Kipling. Author and Freemason. The Man Who Would Be King. by Travis Simpkins

Rudyard Kipling. British Journalist, Poet, Author and Freemason. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

Joseph Rudyard Kipling

( 1865 - 1936 )

British Journalist, Poet and Novelist

Author of The Jungle Book (1894)

The Man Who Would Be King (1888)

Gunga Din (1890) and other Classics

Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907

Freemason, Member of

Hope and Perseverance Lodge No. 782, E.C.

Lahore, Pakistan

United Grand Lodge of England

Initiated April 5, 1886. Passed May 3, 1886

Raised a Master Mason on December 6, 1886

by Travis Simpkins

 The Man Who Would Be King - Masonic Exchange

Rudyard Kipling

 For more info, please visit:

poetryfoundation.org/rudyard-kipling

Rudyard Kipling. Author and Freemason. The Man Who Would Be King. by Travis Simpkins

David A. Glattly, 33° and M.W. Robert V. Monacelli. Lifetime Achievement Award. Grand Lodge of New Jersey. by Travis Simpkins

David A. Glattly, 33° and M.W. Robert V. Monacelli. Lifetime Achievement Award. Grand Lodge of New Jersey. by Travis Simpkins

Sketch of

David A. Glattly

Being Presented the

Richard Stockton Lifetime Achievement Award

by M.W. Robert V. Monacelli

Grand Master

Grand Lodge of New Jersey

by Travis Simpkins

Ill. David A. Glattly, 33°

For more info, please visit:

newjerseygrandlodge.org

David A. Glattly, 33° and M.W. Robert V. Monacelli. Lifetime Achievement Award. Grand Lodge of New Jersey. by Travis Simpkins 

Cleopatra. 69 - 30 BC. Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. by Travis Simpkins

Cleopatra. 69 - 30 BC. Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. by Travis Simpkins

 Portrait Sketch of

Cleopatra VII Philopater

( 69 - 30 B.C. )

Last Active Ruler of the

Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt

reigned 51 - 30 B.C.

Lover of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony

Pastel Painting by

Travis Simpkins

 Cleopatra (1963)

 

Cleopatra (1934)

 

Caesar and Cleopatra (1945)

For more info, please visit:

wikipedia.org/Cleopatra

Cleopatra. 69 - 30 BC. Queen of Ancient Egypt. Caesar and Cleopatra (1945). by Travis Simpkins

Paul Foster Case. Occultist and Freemason. Tarot. Builders of the Adytum. B.O.T.A. by Travis Simpkins

Paul Foster Case. Occultist and Freemason. Tarot. Builders of the Adytum. B.O.T.A. by Travis Simpkins

 Portrait Sketch of

Dr. Paul Foster Case

( 1884 - 1954 )

Occultist and Freemason

Author of "The Tarot" and other works

Founder of

Builders of the Adytum (B.O.T.A.)

Member of

Thoth-Hermes Temple of the Golden Dawn

(Alpha et Omega)

Member of

Fairport Lodge No. 476

Fairport, New York

by Travis Simpkins

Paul Foster Case - The Letter "G"

Paul Foster Case (1884 - 1954). Gravesite. Occultist and Freemason. Builders of the Adytum. B.O.T.A.

For more info, please visit:

www.bota.org

Paul Foster Case. Builders of the Adytum. B.O.T.A. The True and Invisible Rosicrucian Order. by Travis Simpkins

Albert Pike, 33°. Past Sovereign Grand Commander. Scottish Rite, SJ. Morals and Dogma. by Travis Simpkins

Albert Pike, 33°. Past Sovereign Grand Commander. Scottish Rite, SJ. Morals and Dogma. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

Albert Pike

(1809 - 1891)

Author, Poet, Orator and Lawyer

33rd Degree Freemason

Author/Editor of 

Morals & Dogma

Esoterika and other Masonic works

Past Sovereign Grand Commander

Supreme Council, 33°, SJ

Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite 
Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A.

Brigadier General

Confederate States of America (CSA)

by Travis Simpkins

The Masonic Roundtable - The Life of Albert Pike

For more info, please visit:

scottishrite.org

Albert Pike, 33°. Past Sovereign Grand Commander. Scottish Rite, SJ. Morals and Dogma. by Travis Simpkins

 

Tarot. The Library of Esoterica. Jessica Hundley

Tarot. The Library of Esoterica. Jessica Hundley

 I'm enjoying the "Tarot" volume by Jessica Hundley from the Library of Esoterica.

 

To explore the Tarot is to explore ourselves, to be reminded of the universality of our longing for meaning, for purpose and for a connection to the divine. This 600-year-old tradition reflects not only a history of seekers, but our journey of artistic expression and the ways we communicate our collective human story.

For many in the West, Tarot exists in the shadow place of our cultural consciousness, a metaphysical tradition assigned to the dusty glass cabinets of the arcane. Its history, long and obscure, has been passed down through secret writing, oral tradition, and the scholarly tomes of philosophers and sages. Hundreds of years and hundreds of creative hands—mystics and artists often working in collaboration—have transformed what was essentially a parlor game into a source of divination and system of self-exploration, as each new generation has sought to evolve the form and reinterpret the medium.

Author Jessica Hundley traces this fascinating history in Tarot, the debut volume in TASCHEN’s Library of Esoterica series. The book explores the symbolic meaning behind more than 500 cards and works of original art, two thirds of which have never been published outside of the decks themselves. It's the first ever visual compendium of its kind, spanning from Medieval to modern, and artfully arranged according to the sequencing of the 78 cards of the Major and Minor Arcana. It explores the powerful influence of Tarot as muse to artists like Salvador Dalí and Niki de Saint Phalle and includes the decks of nearly 100 diverse contemporary artists from around the world, all of whom have embraced the medium for its capacity to push cultural identity forward. Rounding out the volume are excerpts from thinkers such as Éliphas Lévi, Carl Jung, and Joseph Campbell; a foreword by artist Penny Slinger; a guide to reading the cards by Johannes Fiebig; and an essay on oracle decks by Marcella Kroll.

About the series

The Library of Esoterica explores how centuries of artists have given form to mysticism, translating the arcane and the obscure into enduring, visionary works of art. Each subject is showcased through both modern and archival imagery culled from private collectors, libraries, and museums around the globe. The result forms an inclusive visual history, a study of our primal pull to dream and nightmare, and the creative ways we strive to connect to the divine.

https://amzn.to/3Nj7Bey 

 

Buffalo Bill Cody. William F. Cody. Army Scout. Wild West Showman. by Travis Simpkins

Buffalo Bill Cody. William F. Cody. Freemason and Wild West Showman. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

Colonel William F. Cody

better known as

Buffalo Bill Cody

( 1846 - 1917 )

Army Scout, Wild West Showman and Freemason

Masonic Knight Templar

32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason

Member of

Platte Valley Lodge No. 32 - North Platte, Nebraska

by Travis Simpkins

Buffalo Bill Cody: Beyond the Legend

For more info, please visit:

buffalobill.org

Buffalo Bill. Army Scout. Wild West Showman. Buffalo Bill's Wild West. by Travis Simpkins

M.W. Robert G. Davis. Past Grand Master. Grand Lodge of Oklahoma. by Travis Simpkins

M.W. Robert G. Davis. Past Grand Master. Grand Lodge of Oklahoma. by Travis Simpkins 

Portrait Sketch of

Most Worshipful

Robert G. Davis

Past Grand Master

Grand Lodge of Oklahoma

33° Scottish Rite Freemason

Grand Cross of Honour

Past Executive Secretary of the

Guthrie Oklahoma Scottish Rite

by Travis Simpkins

Robert Davis: Scottish Rite Temple. Guthrie, Oklahoma

For more info, please visit:

gloklahoma.com

and

guthriescottishrite.org

Robert G. Davis. Past Grand Master. Grand Lodge of Oklahoma. by Travis Simpkins 

Enchanter's Endgame. Book Five. The Belgariad. David Eddings. Fantasy

Enchanter's Endgame. Book Five. The Belgariad. David Eddings. Fantasy

 I'm enjoying "Enchanter's Edgame" Book Five of The Belgariad by David Eddings.

 

 The fifth and final novel of The Belgariad. The ancient Mrin Codex foretold the battle between of the heir to the Rivan throne and the evil God Torak, which will decide the fate of the world. Garion, the Rivan heir, is far from ready to face Torak, who is awakening from a long, enforced sleep. Garion, Belgarath and their wily friend Silk slip out of the castle without telling anyone to travel to where this final confrontation will take place. A story of endurance, valor, loyalty and love by one of the most popular fantasy writers of all time. "Eddings' BELGARIAD is exactly the kind of fantasy I like. It has magic, adventure, humor, mystery, and a certain delightful human insight." - Piers Anthony on PAWN OF PROPHECY "Absorbing. Touches all the right Fantasy bases. Warring gods, political intrigues, supernatural creatures, and appealingly human magicians." - Publishers Weekly on QUEEN OF SORCERY "A graceful, fluid style of storytelling rare in fantasy writing.” - Publishers Weekly about the author: David Eddings published his first novel, HIGH HUNT, in 1973, before turning to the field of fantasy with The Belgariad, which hit the New York Times bestseller lists, as did his Malloreon series, The Elenium and The Tamuli series. Born in Spokane, Washington, he served in the United States Army and taught college English. His wife Leigh Eddings collaborated with her husband for more than a dozen years on numerous bestsellers.

https://amzn.to/49ns1M3 

 

M.W. Daniel Bartlett. Past Grand Master. Grand Lodge of Maine. by Travis Simpkins

M.W. Daniel Bartlett. Past Grand Master. Grand Lodge of Maine. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

Most Worshipful

Daniel Bartlett

Past Grand Master

Grand Lodge of Maine

by Travis Simpkins

Grand Lodge of Maine

For more info, please visit:

mainemason.org

 

M.W. Daniel Bartlett. Past Grand Master. Grand Lodge of Maine. by Travis Simpkins