In August 2022 I visited the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam. I had discovered it accidentally when looking around the city on Google Maps. The name immediately intrigued me and once I discovered that it consists of a museum and library focused on the history of alchemy and other alternative North African and European spiritual schools and freedom of thought I knew I’d be spending some time there.
The Embassy and its invaluable library are the result of the private initiative of a Dutch businessman Joost Ritman who was inspired in his interests in spirituality by the writings of a German mystic and scholar Jacob Böhme. My interviewee Dr Lucinda Martin describes Böhme as the most important thinker that you have never heard of and and by the time Lucinda has outlined his influences across the ages you may be just an incredulous as me that you never heard of him. Lucinda is the Director of the Ritman Research Institute and Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, the core collection of rare books and manuscripts held at the Embassy. Originally from the US, she has worked for over 20 years in European universities and research institutions. Her books and articles focus on religious dissidence, especially the contributions of these thinkers to modern human rights. Lucinda is both eloquent and passionate and offers an excellent introduction to some of the key holdings of the library at the Embassy.
Explore the Embassy of the Free Mind including its library collection and a virtual tour of its displays here: https://embassyofthefreemind.com/nl/
Find out more about Kim McCaul and his work here:
www.multidimensionalevolution.com
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