The idea of stages in the journey of our conscious development is not new. Greek philosopher Plato brought forth his own ideas re: the journey (circa. 400BCE) in his famous Cave Allegory. (above) http://kainani.hpu.edu/hwood/HawPacFilm/Ploto%20Allegory%20cave.pdf Both Plato’s Allegory and the 21 woodcuts of the 16th century Rosarium Philosophorum offer open-ended teachings. Like perennial philosophy itself, open-mindedness is one of the primary attributes for followers of the journey in remembering our innate wisdom.
Like other depictions of the Rosarium woodcuts, this version (below) includes the 20 sequential woodcuts inserted in the 1550 Latin text. But for this research, an additional woodcut is added to the sequence. Included and placed at the sequence end is the woodcut found on the Rosarium's title page. In following the archetypal storyline it has been discovered that the title page woodcut is integral and belongs as the storyline’s final image.
Each of the Rosarium’s three tiers addresses a specific arena of our conscious development. It can be argued the upper-most tier holds the key re: freedom from the body's demands. Likewise, the middle tier focuses on the development and then surrender of the mind's demands. The bottom tier can be interpreted as centering the seeker's attention on the mystical realm - taking spirit to great heights and depths.
Rosarium Philosophorum Woodcuts Representing Evolution
of Human Consciousness
*original posting 5/19/12
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