The Esoteric Relativity of the Camera Obscura

 The Esoteric Camera Obscura Spiritual Manifestations

Article by: Chris Webster 

Kircher's Steganographic mirror, 1645, Ars Magna Lucis et Umbrae

If you study the occult long enough, you come to understand that mystics, and esoteric ways of thinking aren't necessarily fully descriptive to the ears or in the eyes of the modern vernacular. In any case, the above image is one of the first recorded depicting the process of our invention of the hand-held photographic device, or as known today, a camera.

Before science caught up with philosophy, and philosophy caught up with rationalism, religion and symbolism pervaded the thought of invention, and morality. Even without much conviction personally, anyone of any standing in the public eye would need to appease the institutional authorities of the day to be relieved of any persecution. One of his works was even dedicated to the King of Rome. Though that lens was widening as this was during the time of the Scientific Revolution, as the concept matured toward The Age of Enlightenment, approaching the 18th century. Athanasius Kircher did not invent what was called 'the magic lantern', but his work constituted some of the earlier studies of the principals in play, paving the way for its invention soon after.  The website linked above entails the philosophical idea from an esoteric standpoint of the camera obscura with sometimes entertaining information about Kircher. He is sometimes, falsely credited with the invention of the camera itself which was not until 1839.

"References to the iconography of the magical and strange are widespread in the history of photographic image making. Indeed, even in the pre-history of photography, early experimenters with the camera obscura had used this seemingly esoteric reproduction of the living as a tool of entertainment, illusionism and theatricality. For example, the Jesuit priest, Rosicrucian, and alchemist Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680) documented many types of methods for experimenting with camera obscura phenomena, also effectively developing and describing the uses of a magic lantern (modernly called a projector).

Athanasius Kircher (1680) noted experimentations with a projection (he claimed to have been able to project letters up to five hundred feet) and at night, he projected slogans or figures onto the windows of the houses opposite his own (there were paper windows in Rome then). Athanasius Kircher thought it important for the conversion of unbelievers to project images of the devil, as a warning to them."

What a guy.

frontispiece of Athanasius Kircher's Ars Magna Lucis et Umbrae

Magna Lucis et Umbrae stands for the Great Art of the Light and Shadow. It was works like these that presided over the understanding and wisdom that made the camera possible. Note that even despite being a Jesuit Priest, these images in his works are filled with images of the zodiac, the mystically associated Hebrew formula of Yod He Vau He appearing at the top. The figures which may at first strike one as being Christ, and Mary, are shown with symbolism relating to Mercury or Hermes, the double-headed Eagle, and Diana or Artemis such as the caduceus, the crescent moon, and the owl.

Even artists like Leonardo DaVinci were using camera obscura's in the study of perspective.