Occult architecture refers to the practice of incorporating occult or mystical symbolism and principles into the design and construction of buildings. This term covers a wide range of architectural styles and periods, from ancient civilizations to modern times. One of the key aspects of occult architecture is the belief that symbols and geometric patterns have inherent meanings and powers. These symbols are often used to represent spiritual or mystical entities, such as gods, spirits, or cosmic forces. For example, the pentagram, an important symbol in many occult traditions, is often incorporated into architectural elements to invoke protection or spiritual energy. In addition to symbols, occult architecture also emphasizes the use of specific materials and colors.

Occult architecture

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In addition to symbols, occult architecture also emphasizes the use of specific materials and colors. Certain materials, such as stone or metal, are believed to have energetic properties that can enhance the effects of a building. Similarly, colors are chosen based on their association with different aspects of spiritual or occult practices.

Occult Architecture Vol. 1

by Moon Duo

thedropshadowclub It hits the spot for a behind the scenes driving music for creative and social adventures and its part of a two volume set that really captures two energies. so its a great journey. and I can hear other joyous sparks from other bands that I like over my time.

Lee Ricciuti A smoldering ashtray with a beating heart. Exceptional driving music, especially if you've got the CD on repeat. Favorite track: Creepin'.

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Meaning all things magick and supernatural, the root of the word occult is that which is hidden, concealed, beyond the limits of our minds. If this is occult, then the Occult Architecture of Moon Duo’s fourth album - a psychedelic opus in two separate volumes released in 2017 - is an intricately woven hymn to the invisible structures found in the cycle of seasons and the journey of day into night, dark into light.

Offering a cosmic glimpse into the hidden patterning embedded in everything, Occult Architecture reflects the harmonious duality of these light and dark energies through the Chinese theory of Yin and Yang.

In Chinese, Yin means “the shady side of the hill” and is associated with the feminine, darkness, night, earth. Following this logic, Vol. 1 embraces and embodies Moon Duo’s darker qualities — released appropriately on February 3, in the heart of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

According to guitarist Ripley Johnson, “the concept of the dark/light, two-part album came as we were recording and mixing the songs, beginning in the dead of winter and continuing into the rebirth and blossoming of the spring. There’s something really powerful about the changing of the seasons in the Northwest, the physical and psychic impact it has on you, especially after we spent so many years in the seasonal void of California. I became interested in gnostic and hermetic literature around that time, especially the relationship between music and occult qualities and that fed into the whole vibe.”

Adds keyboardist Sanae Yamada, “the two parts are also intended to represent inverted components of a singular entity, like two faces on the same head which stare always in opposite directions but are inextricably driven by the same brain.”

Vol. 1 was mixed in Berlin by the band’s longtime collaborator Jonas Verwijnen.

Le Corbusier and the Occult

When Charles-Édouard Jeanneret reinvented himself as Le Corbusier in Paris, he also carefully reinvented the first thirty years of his life by highlighting some events and hiding others. As he explained in a letter: “Le Corbusier is a pseudonym. Le Corbusier creates architecture recklessly. He pursues disinterested ideas; he does not wish to compromise himself. He is an entity free of the burdens of carnality.” Le Corbusier grew up in La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland, a city described by Karl Marx as “one unified watchmaking industry.” Among the unifying social structures of La Chaux-de-Fonds was the Loge L'Amitié, the Masonic lodge with its francophone moral, social, and philosophical ideas, including the symbolic iconography of the right angle (rectitude) and the compass (exactitude). Le Corbusier would later describe these as “my guide, my choice” and as his “time-honored ideas, ingrained and deep-rooted in the intellect, like entries from a catechism.” Through exhaustive research that challenges long-held beliefs, J. K. Birksted's Le Corbusier and the Occult traces the structure of Le Corbusier's brand of modernist spatial and architectural ideas based on startling new documents in hitherto undiscovered family and local archives. Le Corbusier and the Occult thus answers the conundrum set by Reyner Banham (Birksted's predecessor at the Bartlett School of Architecture) who, fifty years ago, wrote that Le Corbusier's book Towards a New Architecture “was to prove to be one of the most influential, widely read and least understood of all the architectural writings of the twentieth century."

J. K. Birksted teaches at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London.

Birksted performs an important service for the understanding of Le Corbusier. Using sources hitherto ignored, he demonstrates the depth of Le Corbusier's indebtedness to Freemasonry—its configurations, its associations, and its dream of redemption through the arrangement of things and people in space. At a time when modern artists were seeking orientation in Gurdjieff, Ouspensky, Blavatsky, Steiner as well as in myth, alchemy, psychology, technology, and atomic physics, Le Corbusier seems to have acknowledged in Freemasonry a comprehensive metaphor of architecture's role in the culture. Birksted's significant and original research confirms Roger Aujame's belief and helps to account for Kaufmann's intuition of a deep continuity between the architectural aspirations of the 18th and 20th centuries.

Peter Carl, Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge

Reading Le Corbusier and the Occult, I felt the voyeuristic interest and morbid fascination of a spectator during an exhumation. Birksted's disinterment of Le Corbusier revealed that, metaphorically speaking, the remains of one of modernism's greatest saints and heroes had not been incorruptible, and that the corpse of the man born as Charles-Édouard Jeanneret had been accompanied by strange offerings associated with secret societies and mystic traditions. Many of the questions raised by the disclosure of Corbusier's occult inspirations and para-Masonic dreams remain unanswered—but Birksted's brilliant and tenacious investigation into the complex and somewhat murky social foreground and spiritual background of Jeanneret's formative years in La Chaux-de-Fonds has forever changed the ways the Master of the Right Angle will be remembered. A tour de force!

Robert Jan van Pelt, University Professor, School of Architecture, University of Waterloo

Occult Architecture Vol. 1

The latest LP from Moon Duo builds on their psychedelic formula—corroded guitars, kraut rhythms, steely grit—and allows them to indulge their most sinister tendencies.

Four albums deep, Moon Duo have grown somewhat predictable. The collaboration of Wooden Shijps’ guitar-warlock Ripley Johnson and keyboardist Sanae Yamada has always been built on a steady but enjoyable mix of elements: corroded guitars, loopy keyboard lines, krautrock rhythms, and psychedelic strains conjuring both the whirling cosmos and droning abyss. Their new album Occult Architecture Vol. 1 does little to alter the formula, but the key to Moon Duo records has always been the strength of the compositions. And those already onboard with the band won’t be disappointed by the seven tracks here.

Touted as representing the depths and changes of the seasons, Occult Architecture Vol. 1 delves into the bleaker corners of winter and allows Moon Duo to indulge their most sinister tendencies. Like many a great Moon Duo song, opener “The Death Set” is at once swaggering, sexy, and foreboding. Much of their music is low-key cinematic; it’s hard to hear “The Death Set”’s distorted, slow-motion whoosh or its bone-rattling beat and not imagine a character’s dramatic entrance into an unnerving nightclub. Elsewhere, like on “Cold Fear” and “Will of the Devil,” they use queasy electronic textures to flirt with gothier territory.

Well past the lower-fi nature of their earliest work, Moon Duo still don’t operate with a ton of dynamic range. But they use those heart-palpitating rhythms and lacerating keyboard lines to build blown-out, end-times epics littered with subtle twists. Johnson’s death-drive guitars propel “Cult of Moloch” forward unwaveringly, but interjections of synth and a second, spiraling guitar part make the song feel like it’s reaching for spiritual corners of nature. Closer “White Rose”—one long synth ride—has a similar effect, winding down a road into the distance. Moon Duo haven’t gone full-on mystic, however; the new album maintains the steely grit of its predecessor, Shadow of the Sun. Theirs is music still meant for barreling down desert highways in a stolen car, or for the grind and smog of a third-tier industrial city.

That said, Moon Duo isn’t the kind of group to make albums with literal thematic angles. Their style has limits, but discernibility is maybe not the point. Moon Duo’s precise mix of traditions and sounds conjures a nihilistic cool, an image of leather-jacketed outlaws chain-smoking in dark alleyways in seedy cities. Occult Architecture Vol. 1 is a good record that’s at its best when Moon Duo fully give in to these seductive inklings, like on “The Death Set” or “Creepin.’” Sure, we’ve heard the riff from “Creepin'” before, but it’s nice to hear it again.

For example, blue may be used to promote healing and meditation, while red may be used to channel passion and energy. Another important aspect of occult architecture is the concept of sacred geometry. This refers to the belief that certain mathematical ratios and geometric shapes have intrinsic spiritual or mystical qualities. These principles may be used to determine the proportions and layout of a building, creating a harmonious and energetically balanced space. Throughout history, various cultures and civilizations have incorporated occult principles into their architectural designs. Ancient Egyptian and Mayan pyramids, for example, are often seen as manifestations of occult symbolism and spiritual power. Similarly, Gothic cathedrals in Europe are believed to contain hidden messages and symbols related to esoteric practices. In modern times, occult architecture continues to influence the design of buildings. From the secretive Masonic temples to the avant-garde designs of contemporary architects, there are numerous examples of buildings that incorporate occult symbolism and principles. These structures often serve as places of worship, meditation, or spiritual exploration for individuals interested in the occult. Overall, occult architecture is a fascinating and complex field that combines aesthetic design with spiritual and mystical concepts. Whether in ancient civilizations or modern-day constructions, the incorporation of occult symbolism and principles adds a layer of depth and meaning to the built environment..

Reviews for "The Alchemical Symbolism in Occult Building Design"

1. John - 2/5 stars: I found "Occult Architecture" to be a confusing and disjointed album. The songs lacked a cohesive flow and felt like a random collection of experimental sounds rather than a well-thought-out record. The production quality was also questionable, with muddy mixes and unclear vocals. Overall, I was disappointed with this release and would not recommend it to others.

2. Emma - 1/5 stars: "Occult Architecture" was a total letdown for me. The songs felt repetitive and unoriginal, with the band relying on tired psychedelic rock cliches rather than pushing any boundaries. The lyrics were also quite uninspired, lacking substance or depth. I had high hopes for this album, but it ultimately fell flat and failed to engage me.

3. David - 2/5 stars: I was not particularly impressed with "Occult Architecture." The songs lacked memorable hooks or interesting musical arrangements. The vocals were often drowned out by the heavy instrumentation, making it difficult to connect with the lyrics. Overall, it felt like a forgettable and generic psychedelic rock album that didn't offer anything new or exciting.

4. Sarah - 3/5 stars: While "Occult Architecture" had some interesting moments, the overall execution felt lacking. The songs had potential, but they didn't fully develop or explore the ideas presented. The album seemed disjointed, with abrupt transitions and inconsistent pacing. There were glimpses of creativity, but they were overshadowed by a lack of focus and cohesiveness.

5. Michael - 2/5 stars: I found "Occult Architecture" to be a tedious listening experience. The songs dragged on without much variation or excitement. While there were a few moments of atmospheric beauty, they were overshadowed by long stretches of repetitive and monotonous music. I had hoped for a more captivating and engaging album, but it left me feeling uninterested and bored.

Sacred Sites: Exploring the Occult Roots of Ancient Structures