Best books on esotericism from an art historical perspective?
Hi yall, I'm an artist who who pulls from alot of different religious and spiritual motifs, visuals and archetypes - and I was wondering if anyone had recommendations on books that would be good references for a sorta "visual history" of the occult / western esotericism. I've been recently interested in the visual language used in old alchemical manuscripts, different types of symbols, tarot, ect as a source or visual inspiration. I read alot about religion, but am not actively someone who practices any religion.
I recently bought the Taschen "Alchemy and Mysticism" book as a reference for the sorta thing I'm looking for. Something with lots of nice clear images.
Thanks!
Posted Dec 7, 2025, 11:48 PM UTC
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