The Magus of Freemasonry

Ashmole was one of the leading intellectual luminaries of his time: a founding member of the Royal Society, a fellowship and later academy of natural philosophers and scientists; an alchemist; astrological advisor to the king; and the creator of the world's first public museum. While Isaac Newton re [...]
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Ashmole was one of the leading intellectual luminaries of his time: a founding member of the Royal Society, a fellowship and later academy of natural philosophers and scientists; an alchemist; astrological advisor to the king; and the creator of the world's first public museum. While Isaac Newton regarded him as an inspiration, Ashmole has been ignored by many conventional historians. Esotericist Churton's portrait of Ashmole offers a perfect illustration of the true Renaissance figure--the magus. As opposed to the alienated position of his post-Cartesian successors, the magus occupied a place at the heart of Renaissance spiritual, intellectual, and scientific life. Churton shows Ashmole to be part of the ferment of the birth of modern science, a missinglink between operative and symbolic Freemasonry, and a vital transmitter of esoteric thought when the laws of science were first taking hold.--From publisher description.