Find this Book

Precisely as the confident sun was crossed by a thick, scudding, cloud, the atmosphere in Mysteries was electrified by morbid anxiety verging on panic. To lose the book would be an unmitigated disaster, of this there could be no doubt. There were only seven known-of copies left on the planet, the other two having been lost in the midst of time while three updated versions were yet to be recalled and translated from the Akashic records[i].

A well-preserved copy was with the Dalai Lama, while the elder Rabbi – who had denied its existence no less than 28 times because of his pathological obsession with total secrecy – kept the most pristine version within a hidden compartment in his personal library.

An Indian sage called Mahavatar Babaji had also received a Pros Theon scroll that he subsequently left with his disciples, while a famously un-heard of Sufi Magician inherited the fifth from his grandfather.

This highly revered leader of a largely forgotten tribe of nomads had escaped persecution by retreating to a hidden network of mountain caves above the plains of ancient Babylon. From this increasingly imperilled retreat, he and his devoted disciples kept alive a love-fuelled tradition that transported them all to a revolutionary state of pure ecstasy on a well-timed basis.

The Catholic Church had the remaining extant copies of Pros Theon. The first was mostly in fragments and frequently misinterpreted due to the high number of puzzling gaps in crucial places, while a second had been retrieved by the Knights Templar from a vault below the Church of the Sepulchre in Jerusalem, shortly before mad caliph al-Hakim came to power in the dark ages.

Sealed in a ruby and amethyst-encrusted casket that was locked with a golden key bearing three perfect emeralds and a set of alchemical sigils that were barely understood by anyone alive, this particular copy of Pros Theon had not been opened for almost 1,000 years and nor would it ever be again.

The Master felt a sudden chill. Was it possible that the only freely available text had been lost or – it hardly bore contemplating – stolen? Oh, the horrors if that were true! The very thought brought about cold sweats and a search that was renewed with marked zelatory.

Holy Krishna, Moses and Mary, Christ the everlasting Lord, please don’t let Pros Theon fall into the wrong hands. Forgive me for so carelessly misplacing it, I beg of you to let me find The Book



[i] Derived from the Sanskrit word akasha, which means ‘sky’ or ‘ether’, ‘akashic record’ is a phrase used in theosophy and anthroposophy to define a body of mystical knowledge – a hall of records – accessible only via non-physical planes of existence or dimensions.  This is where the ‘books of life’ are thought to be written and stored, along with the secret history of the world. The records are seen as equivalent to the mind of God, although the concept originated with the dualistic and atheistic Hindu Samkhya philosophy that recognizes only that there are two distinct realms of being, the one material, the other of consciousness.

 

The Golden Key

Golden Key

He gave my self a golden key

Upon it fixed were rubies three.

I raised it to my lips to kiss

Then thanked the One and swallowed it.

The key was safely in my centre;

Through the doorway I did enter,

Past the guardian of the threshold;

Quetzalcoatl’s face was threefold.

Later in the night I wakened –

Half an owl and half a wizard –

Stood before my sleeping station.

Dawn brought hope; a sweet sensation.

Free at last, we dared to open

Wide the way to dew-lit flowers,

Where we walked as soul survivors

Through the sun-kissed April showers.

Ana De Costa’s Mystical Tarot

 
 

Ana De Costa
Ana De Costa yellow gold and tsavorite earrings

However brief a person’s encounter is in your life they leave a carbon imprint on your soul

Mystical Tarot is Ana De Costa’s first fine jewellery collection since she received high acclaim for ‘Cusp’, her St Martins graduation collection in 2005.  Her ‘Mystical Tarot’, collection was inspired by a rare and special deck of tarot cards, introducing a design concept given Ana by a dear friend, who has been an inspiration to many key creative minds in the fashion industry.

Ana’s latest designs form a narrative, following the story of the characters from the Art Noveau tarot deck translated directly to the jewellery. Hand-picked for their visual poignancy and spiritual meaning, these Art Noveau images were designed by Antonella Castelli, an illustrious 1920’s illustrator, from a luxurious and decadent period which continues to provide the main aesthetic for Ana’s designs. 

The collection includes twelve elegant pieces including pendants, dress earrings, a bracelet and cocktail rings, one which draws inspiration from the form of a papal design.  The intricate design taken from the artwork of the cards forms the detail, sculpted in 18-carat rose, white and yellow gold.

Ana De Costa necklace
Ana De Costa tsavorite and onyx pendant

The design of a crescent moon forms a stunning monocle pendant, set in white gold with black pave set diamonds to look like the night sky. A dramatic sweeping drop earring, designed to be worn with a simple stud, shows an example of Ana’s quirky approach to fine jewellery, and her innate sense of style.

A combination of stones including tsavorites, fire opals, rose quartz, rubies and fancy coloured diamonds, demonstrates Ana’s playful use of colour, and reflects her freethinking, bohemian spirit.  Her delicate fine jewellery collection, with gothic undertones, offers impactful statement pieces which feel just at home with a pair of jeans as a piece of couture. 

Ana De Costa has also produced a stunning ‘Rising Gems’ collection in conjunction with The World Land Trust and Liberty.