Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/

That special place

  • 19-05-2007 09:18AM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,427 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    I am an avid collector of old, second-hand and antique books when it comes to occult/paranormal/ritual literature. I am also collecting ethnographica (tribal art) related to ritual and funeral customs as well as art (Memento mori/Vanitas).

    I was lucky enough to successfully persuade my fiancee to have one room transformed into a book/reading room where I keep most of my books on the subject (mostly in English and German but also some in Latin) as well as some curios (Tribal art and some other things) I collected over the years.

    As space is scarce I have more books in boxes in the attic and the paintings/prints are all over the house.

    I was wondering if you have have something similar? Do you have a special place in your house/appartment and what does it look like? Thanks in advance for your replies.

    EDIT: Here are some pictures of my book-room:

    bookroom1.jpg
    bookroom2.jpg
    bookroom3.jpg
    bookroom4.jpg
    bookroom5.jpg

    Best,
    P.


Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 343 ✭✭karynp


    Wow, what a wonderful room,so full of character,love the fireplace,its a very interesting room and i can almost see myself sitting in your chair wading through all your books,in my house i dont have a spare room so i only have a book case with all my books and stuff on it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 497 ✭✭Aisling&M


    I do actually, it's a recent thing. I turned my spare room into a spiritual space when I hold a group and do readings and treat clients.
    I feel SO lucky to have it.
    I'd love to share a picture if you can tell me how to put it in here.
    :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,427 ✭✭✭Dr Strange


    Hi karynp & aisling&m,

    yes, I thought that maybe I would have a meeting sometime with interested people just to have little reading sessions and talks. There are lots of books on ghost stories as well as I like to collect these, too.
    The room is not finished yet, I am waiting for a painting from Germany to take the place above the mantlepiece and I need some nice thick curtains as well. The fireplace was installed when I moved in as there was an ugly (just my opinion) 50's tiled fireplace. The tiles I chose for this fireplace are called "Nocturnal Slumber", I thought quite appropriate. ;)

    As for pictures, you can always try uploading them from your desktop (when you reply to a post or open a new topic there should be a "Manage attachments" button in "Additional options" under your text. Or use a picture hosting site like photobucket (I use it because it is simple and allows you to upload pictures in any format and it will be automatically transformed into a jpeg ready to insert into your text with all the necessary codes, tags etc) or imageshack. They are free and you can create albums and sub-albums for your pictures and can use them in forums, blogs, etc.

    Here is the photobucket link: www.photobucket.com

    Best,
    P.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,688 Mod ✭✭✭✭stevenmu


    Wow, love the room Preusse.

    Don't have anything like it myself, but it's certainly giving me ideas. :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,427 ✭✭✭Dr Strange


    stevenmu wrote:
    Wow, love the room Preusse.

    Don't have anything like it myself, but it's certainly giving me ideas. :)

    Hi stevenmu,

    thanks, yes, that was my thought when I put up this thread: to get impressions of other posters' special places/spiritual places, etc. and maybe use some of the ideas.

    I was always intrigued by old houses and particularly the library/book rooms. One of my favourite poems has probably something to do with it (The Raven by Poe) as well as reading H. P. Lovecraft in my teens. I became a mad collector ;) I am also collecting WWII militaria but that is a completely different thing.

    Anyone saw Daziel and Pascoe the last two weekends? Two part series about some occult group doing some ritual magic. One of the guys had a fantastic house with lots of books and statues etc. I think the writer for that particular episode threw all kinds of occult and paranormal things into one big kettle and out came this episode (utilizing rituals, hypnotherapy, divination, salon magic, etc.)

    I am diverging a bit but a couple of years ago I saw a mini-series with Christopher Lee as M. R. James (I think it was in 4 parts and each part only lasted half an hour or even an hour, I can't remember) showing him in his study reading ghost stories to a selected group of students. I loved that. Anyone saw this or know about this? I tried to get it on DVD but it was part of a BBC or Channel 4 series and quite new (not the old Christopher Lee stuff from Hammer studios).

    Best,
    P.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 497 ✭✭Aisling&M


    here are a few pics but it's not finished just yet. :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,427 ✭✭✭Dr Strange


    Very nice! Seems like a very relaxed atmosphere there. Is that a massage table at the back?

    Actually, we got the same little angel you have there. We use it at Christmas outside the door. ;)

    Best,
    P.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 994 ✭✭✭kshiel


    Aishling Love the Chakra wall, is it a painting or print and if you dont mind me asking where did you get it / them? Thanks

    Love the room Preusse, could see myself sitting down and reading in there, very interesting atmosphere to it I would say.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 497 ✭✭Aisling&M


    Thanks a mil! I love the energy that is building in the room . That is a massage couch. I use it for Kinesiology.

    I got the angels for Christmas but couldn't bring myself to put them away! lol

    I made the chakra pictures actually, they are oil pastel....here's a few close ups.......not difficult to do .........


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,427 ✭✭✭Dr Strange


    Hi aisling&m,

    yes, we got it at Christmas, too. ;) Nice paintings. I couldn't paint or draw if my life depended on it so I leave it to the people who can do a good job of it.

    Thanks kshiel, I love the room particularly in Autumn with the fire going. I threw the old gas fire out and had the chimney flues reopened and it's solid fuel now.

    As for atmosphere it may be a bit too dark or morbid for some particularly with these pictures around:

    Voitek.jpg
    Two original photos of the skull of Saint Voitek in Prague

    vanitas3.jpg
    A Vanitas painting

    vanitas2.jpg
    Another Vanitas

    vanitas1.jpg
    And Vanitas, again

    Miser.jpg
    Death and the Miser

    totengraeber.jpg
    The gravedigger

    parismorgue.jpg
    The City Morgue in Paris

    Vampyr.jpg
    A lady attacked by a vampyre/bat

    phrenology.jpg
    Phrenology



    Sorry for this long post. I saw the thread on haunted paintings but these wouldn't really fit into that category and because it is part of the atmosphere in the house I put them in here. I might also put some pictures up of some of the artifacts (statues, sculptures, etc) that have something to do with the theme.

    Best,
    P.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,427 ✭✭✭Dr Strange


    Some more pictures:

    Mementomori1.jpg
    Memento mori collection

    exorcism.jpg
    Exorcism and martyrdom

    magicnumbers.jpg
    Magical numbers

    masonicdukeleinster.jpg
    Freemason's meeting in Dublin

    masonicball1.jpg
    Freemason's Ball in Dublin

    Diodati.jpg
    Villa Diodati at Lake Geneva (Lord Byron)

    UniJugend.jpg
    German Title: The University City of my youth

    Todportrait.jpg
    A family portrait

    cholera.jpg
    Cholera

    TodReich.jpg
    Triumph over Death


    Best,
    Preusse


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,239 ✭✭✭✭WindSock


    Wow, your pics are fantastic, how did you aquire some of them, you must have some stories ;)
    I like the room also, it is as I pictured in my head when I get my home. I will definately convert a room to be like that. Fireplace is essential. I picture myself sitting there reading in my house coat and slippers smokingh a pipe and swirling brandy.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 994 ✭✭✭kshiel


    I wouldn't of said dark atmoshphere more curious to what exists beyond. wow the pictures etc are amazing would spark the curious side to me anyway. Thanks for sharing them with us.

    Thanks Aishling, I was thinking that just after I posted that it would be great to create them for your self giving the colours more of a personal meaning, they really are beautiful.

    Kim


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 497 ✭✭Aisling&M


    I think a lot of those pictures are very interesting. A little dark for me but very interesting! :) The room has a very Sherlock Holmes feel to it!

    Thanks Kshiel......yeah, oil pastels are great for that type of thing! and you can get decent cheap frames from the pound shop......sorry, E2 shop! :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,427 ✭✭✭Dr Strange


    Thanks,

    yes, boreds, I collected them for the last 15 years. Started throwing my pocket money into collecting this stuff in my teens and still do. Most of these come from German Antique Prints dealers. I used to visit them every so foten on weekends and go through their medical/anatomical prints (as the area I work in is linked to that) and always came across some more curios paintings and prints which attracted me.
    Did anyone see Ken Russel's "Gothic" with Gabriel Byrne as Lord Byron, Julian Sands as Shelley and Natasha Richardson as Mary Shelley? It's great for atmosphere and interior design ideas ;)

    Some paintings I got at auctions and the photographs of the Saint Voitek skull were part of an exhibition in a church in Prague and after the exhibition was over they were given to me.

    Aisling, Sherlock Holmes is a nice series (the one with Jeremy Brett) and I have a book somewhere by Arthur Conan Doyle on Spiritism.


    Some material I got on German flea markets and antique book dealers. There is one in Heidelberg which has a nice stock in occult books. Don't know if he still exists though. One thing I miss are the fleamarkets. There are car boot sales here but I have never seen anything really curios or nice books. Pity.

    Keep the pictures coming! Also, what your ideas are for a room or house.
    Boreds, I agree I love fireplaces, one big plus side here in Ireland that almost all houses have them! Brandy is nice, I also like Port and Sherry :D I don't smoke so that's out but I use some frankincense sometimes.

    Best,
    Preusse


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,239 ✭✭✭✭WindSock


    I don't smoke either, nor do I have a housecoat or slippers, and I don't even drink brandy either :D but if I had a room like that, I'd have to get into character.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,633 ✭✭✭stormkeeper


    Cool pics, and cool room as well. The Gravedigger pic stood out to me a bit, but prolly because it's Dutch and I was in the Netherlands last weekend.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,427 ✭✭✭Dr Strange


    boreds wrote:
    I don't smoke either, nor do I have a housecoat or slippers, and I don't even drink brandy either :D but if I had a room like that, I'd have to get into character.

    Yes, I understand ;) I actually have slippers :D

    @ stormkeeper
    Thanks! Yes, you are quite correct it is in Dutch. I don't understand it much myself but I couldn't find it in German so when I saw it I just had to get it.

    Best,
    P.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,934 ✭✭✭✭Stoner


    Preusse, have you anything by Hieronymus Bosch, Death of the Miser
    http://www.abcgallery.com/B/bosch/bosch20.html
    might fit in there somewhere if you had and wall space left.

    or maybe Hell

    http://www.abcgallery.com/B/bosch/bosch23.html


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,633 ✭✭✭stormkeeper


    Preusse wrote:
    @ stormkeeper
    Thanks! Yes, you are quite correct it is in Dutch. I don't understand it much myself but I couldn't find it in German so when I saw it I just had to get it.

    My Dutch friend said that it was a Tarot card... I'll need to ask him more about it when I see him next... or ask another Dutch friend of mine...


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,427 ✭✭✭Dr Strange


    Hello stoner & stormkeeper,

    sorry for not replying sooner.

    Stoner: yes, I actually have two prints framed showing the Triumph of Death by Bosch. I just didn't take any pictures as they are just prints and not original drawings. They actually do little statuettes from the nightmare visions of Bosch's hell. Quite collectable. Same with some of the Dali statuettes.

    Stormkeeper: a tarot card? That would be interesting. I also have a second version of this picture, it's a mirror image of the one shown and has no colour and a different text.

    Best,
    P.


Advertisement