The etymological roots of alchemy are found in both the Arabic and Greek languages, and refer to the process of transmutation that leads to a complete reunion with the original divine form. However, the esoteric practice of alchemy stretches all the way to India and China and has been practiced since at least the fourth century.During the Middle Ages, alchemy attracted many of the most prominent scholars of the time. Strongly influenced by the classical theory of the elements, the alchemists based their hypotheses on Aristotle's idea that everything can be created through different proportions of the four elements. From the 19th century onwards, alchemy has been wrongly reduced to a primitive pseudoscience with the sole aim of transmuting base metals into gold. However, this narrow interpretation ignores the true complexity of alchemy and ignores its deep philosophical and religious aspects, as well as its crucial contribution to the development of chemistry.This richly illustrated anthology presents a diversity of perspectives on how reciprocity, metaphysical connections, and the relationship between macrocosm and microcosm form the core of the philosophy of alchemy. Some of the world's most prominent researchers and academics gather to analyze the alchemical worldview and explore how esoteric currents of thought have shaped culture, society and science.

Death is the basic condition of man, the fixed point of our fears and the prerequisite for our aspirations. Ideas about death characterize all cultures and have given rise to both world religions and local myths. In secular environments, however, the existence of death is more obscure. Life-prolonging measures have replaced the idea of death as meaningful in itself or a passage into the unknown. This volume covers the full spectrum of the forms of death with a global span and historical depth; from some of the earliest recorded poetic texts via religious source writings and shamanistic practices to prevailing philosophical and scientific perspectives. In twenty-four essays, Swedish and international experts explore different ways of approaching death. Contributions include Egyptian and Sumerian realms, the ethics of major religions, ancient and modern theories of the soul and consciousness, and artistic and literary representations. At the centre of this richly illustrated anthology is the question of what history can teach us about our own dealings with death and the dead. The book is also available in a Swedish edition.

The Arts & Crafts movement began as a backlash against industrialism and the prevailing stylistic ideals in mid-19th century Britain. The basic ideas of its followers, including the art critic John Ruskin and the artist William Morris, developed into a global movement, spreading through craft colonies and influencing professionals in several fields, from design and architecture to ornamentation and cultivation. The movement reached Sweden a few decades later and expressed itself as a romanticization of the simple life, tied to the home. One of the leading figures of the movement in Sweden is Carl Larsson, whose colorful paintings are known for depicting the simplicity of everyday life.In this book, twelve authors focus on the home environments, art schools, museums and other organizations where the ideals and visions were created, interpreted and developed. We get to read about the movement's continued relevance for our time; not only as a beloved pattern treasure that inspires and forms the basis of new styles, but also our relationship to creation, sustainability thinking and lifestyle.

During the latter part of the nineteenth century, so-called esoteric movements became increasingly popular in cultural and intellectual circles in Europe, not least in Sweden. Secret teachings, rituals and practices in alchemy, astrology, occultism and theosophy were predominant, with a belief in correspondences in the cosmos, living nature and transmutations.But esotericism goes back much further in time in Swedish history. Although such esoteric ideas were long considered heresy by the Church and thus driven underground, they have had a significant impact on Swedish culture. In this anthology, we bring together some of Sweden’s foremost experts on the subject to explore the history of esotericism in Sweden and how its rituals, practices and traditions came to influence writers and artists such as August Strindberg, Selma Lagerlöf, Viktor Rydberg, Hilma af Klint, Tyra Kleen and Carl Milles.

Sweden was perceived for a long time as a society characterized by equality, social cohesion and an ambitious welfare policy. With its independent foreign policy, it stood outside the great power conflicts. In recent years, gang crime and shootings have received a lot of attention in the media, a right-wing populist party has become part of the government and we have ended 200 years of non-alignment by becoming members of NATO. How has it changed the image of our country and ourselves?In this anthology, a number of writers discuss the image of Sweden past and present, both within and outside the country's borders. Svante Nordin writes about Sweden and Luther, Elisabeth Braw about the importance of Swedes living abroad, Mikael Wiberg about the technological wonder, Fraser Nelson about gang crime and Sofia Bard about Sweden's soft power. Per Enerud, Anna von Bayern and Nathan Shachar address the image of Sweden in Russia, Germany and Spain and Richard Swartz criticizes the decline of the Swedish language.