LILA visionary.art
Dossiers / Dossier V
Dossier V · Forthcoming

The Perennial Question

Traditionalism, Universality & Its Discontents

Pieces4
Reading1h 25m
Edited byVisionary Art

Traditionalism and perennialism claimed that the world’s religions preserve a primordial metaphysical truth. This dossier examines their luminaries, influence and enduring insights—alongside the controversies, exclusions and political entanglements that shadow the perennialist vision.

4 pieces

Contents

i

Mundus Imaginalis, or the Imaginary and the Imaginal

A seminal text introducing the terms <strong><em>Imaginal</em></strong> and Mundus Imaginalis, and their distinction from the merely imaginary or utopian.

Essay
Henry Corbin
53 min
ii

Peresvet, Oslyabya, Divine Gloom

The key to understanding the symbolism of the painting's composition is found in the interpretations of the "Mystical Theology" of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite. As you maybe aware, the most Luminous Darkness, of the Divine Gloom is a theological term from the Orthodox Apophatic theology, which is based on the" negative" way of perception on it's way of the search for the Ultimate truth through the denial of everything that which is not It.

Interview
Oleg Korolev
3 min
iii

Remaking Cultural Sense – The Symbolist World of Peladan

Symbolism is a forerunner of contemporary visionary art. It prefigures the transformation from classical and traditional premodern forms into a more dynamic, idiosyncratic personal vision. It is with great pleasure that Era Of Visions can share this original interview with Sasha Chaitow, who generously shared her expertise. Sasha is a contemporary scholar of the Symbolist Movement, who has focussed her research on the enigmatic, influential figure known as Peladan.

Essay
Sasha Chaitow
17 min
iv

The Universality of Sacred Art

It must be borne in mind that a sacred symbol is not merely a conventional sign; it manifests its archetype by virtue of a certain ontological law. As Ananda Coomaraswamy has observed, a sacred symbol is, in a sense, that which it expresses. For this very reason, traditional symbolism is never devoid of beauty.

Essay
Titus Burckhardt
12 min
Plate of the issue · Deep view

Traditionalism, Universality & Its Discontents

Drag to move · hold and scroll to magnify
Traditionalism, Universality & Its Discontents
This issue

Contributors