The Ritman Library

BPH Highlight: Rays from the Rose Cross, June 1981 - The Children of Gemini 👯‍♀️

Max Heindel’s (1865–1919) Rosicrucian magazine Rays from the Rose Cross ran from 1913 to 2004, always featuring an astrology section. For decades, the magazine retained the same beautifully engraved header artwork.

This June 1981 edition - pictured with the roses in our garden! - highlights the sign of Gemini, symbolized by the twins and positioned between its fellow air signs, Libra and Aquarius. Belonging to the element of air, those born under the sign of Gemini are believed to be free-spirited, social, and fond of mental stimulation, just like Aquarians and Libras.

Ruled by Mercury, Geminis are thought to be “wonderfully mentally alert and bright”, quick learners who thrive on gathering and sharing interesting facts, ideas, and observations. Friendly and open-minded, they are a friend of the world with very few enemies, often drawn toward travel, writing, journalism, media, and conversation of all kinds.

One thing this sign should watch out for, the author notes, is a tendency toward anxiousness or irritability; active minds can easily become overstimulated, eventually expressing themselves through nervous tension or physical unease. To maintain wellbeing, it is good to remember to come back to earth and seek some grounding once in a while.

Gemini season calls for curiosity, conversation, writing, learning, and exploration, a wonderful time for following interesting ideas wherever they lead.

Enjoy, wander, and let your mind roam freely 🌹

BPH Highlight: Gnosis: A Journal of the Western Inner Traditions🌀

If you read last month’s Codex Hermeticus library newsletter, you’ll know that researcher Corey Andrews of the BPH recently rediscovered a near-complete run of these journals within the collection.

Edited by Jay Kinney and published from 1985 to 1999, Gnosis followed a largely quarterly rhythm, with each issue dedicated to a specific theme, ranging from Gnosticism and magic to secret societies and Western mystical traditions. Across 51 issues, it became a notable meeting point between accessible scholarship and esoteric visual culture.

See four covers here!

Want us to dive deeper into a specific issue next time?📖

Women in the BPH Collection: Anna Maria van Schurman (1607-1678) 📝

Anna Maria van Schurman is one of the faces of our current exhibition, ‘The House with the Heads: A Monument to Free Thinking’, and is known for being the first female university student in Europe.

In 1634, she was invited by Utrecht University to write a poem in Latin for the institution’s opening day due to her distinction in the language. In it, she challenged the exclusion of women from higher education with the line: “But why is your heart so sad? Well, women are not admitted!” Following this, she was granted permission to attend lectures, although she was required to sit hidden behind a curtain so as not to distract the male students.

While studying at university, her artistic talent and intellect soon led to her reputation as the “Star of Utrecht”. With time, Schurman also achieved international fame with her bestselling work Opuscula Hebraea, Graeca, Latina, Gallica, Prosaica et Metrica (1648), a remarkable linguistic achievement demonstrating her mastery of multiple classical and modern languages. The Opuscula includes, among other things, a treatise on women’s right to study. Our collection holds several editions of it (1646, 1650, 1652, and 1749), including a beautiful first edition, which is currently on view in our exhibition.

A polyglot mastering no less than 14 languages, it is no wonder that Schurman had a way with words; she is said to have been a woman possessing extraordinary charisma and powers of persuasion, which came in handy as the “Leidsvrouwe” (front woman) of the Labadist movement in Amsterdam. As a devoted follower of Jean de Labadie (1610-1674), she embraced beliefs that set her apart from her contemporaries, prompting fellow intellectuals to denounce her mind as “darkened, heretical”; a reputation which persisted long after her death.

There is far more to discover about this woman and the barriers she broke. For those who wish to delve deeper, Pieta van Beek has written an in-depth article, available in our new publication, The House with the Heads.

Codex Hermeticus: March Edition🖌️

The Spring Equinox is just around the corner and this month’s Codex is short and sweet, following a red thread of design. We explore the beauty and symbolism of letters, prints, and bindings, from Renaissance theories of the “ideal letter form” to the artistry of early printed books.

Leading the issue, José introduces us to the world of Renaissance letter design through the work of Geoffroy Tory and his remarkable book Champ fleury (1529). The edition continues with a look at the beautifully bound mystical poetry of Arthur Edward Waite, and concludes with the emergence of Hebrew letter printing in the circle of one of its most influential pioneers.

📩 Sign up through the link in our story to receive the Codex Hermeticus March 2026 edition, arriving tonight!