ReviewA fascinating examination of a period long before the Common Era where they find "legendary Egyptian sage" Hermes Trismegistus and the beginnings of Hermeticism. (_Publishers Weekly_ ) Product DescriptionWere the first scientists hermetic philosophers? What do these occult origins of modern science tell us about the universe today? The Forbidden Universe reveals the secret brotherhood that defined the world, and perhaps discovered the mind of God. All the pioneers of science, from Copernicus to Newton via Galileo, were inspired by Hermeticism. Men such as Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Leibniz, Bacon, Kepler, Tycho Brahe – even Shakespeare – owed much of their achievements to basically occult beliefs – the hermetica. In this fascinating study, Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince go in search of the Hermetic origins of modern science and prove that not everything is as it seems and that over the past 400 years there has been a secret agenda behind our search for truth. From the age of Leonardo da Vinci, the influence of hermetic thinking upon the greatest minds in history has been hidden, a secret held by a forbidden brotherhood in search of the mind of God. Yet this search does not end in history but can be found in the present day – in the contemporary debates of leading evolutionists and thinkers. The significance of this hidden school can hardly be over-emphasised. Not only did it provide a spiritual and philosophical background to the rise of modern science, but its worldview is also relevant to those hungry for all sorts of knowledge even in the twenty-first century. And it may even show the way to reconciling the apparently irreconcilable divide between the scientific and the spiritual. Picknett and Prince go in search of this true foundation of modern rational thought and reveal a story that overturns 400 years of received wisdom.

From Publishers WeeklyThough dense with research, readers interested in religious conspiracies, particularly those for which Christianity is held responsible, will find Picknett's redemption of Lucifer as "Light-bringer" and "enlightener" fascinating. Picknett, author of many conspiracy-oriented books about topics like the Turin shroud, the Templars and most recently Mary Magdalene, sets out to correct misconceptions about Lucifer, who she claims is not synonymous with the devil or Satan. Lucifer, she writes, "is emphatically not the Evil One, but the spirit of human progress, the fight to learn and grow, to be independent and proud." Divided into two parts, the first is dedicated to Lucifer's relationship with the feminine and his subsequent "fall" from morning star to bringer of hell as a result of his feminization, while the second traces Lucifer's emergence in history as Satan. Filled with ironic undertones, Picknett's exploration of Lucifer's association with womanhood is the more interesting of the two sections, offering well-researched interpretations of the Judeo-Christian creation myth, ancient goddess traditions, and pagan rituals. Picknett's depth and range of knowledge is impressive and if readers can forgive the annoying and repeated self-references to her many other works, they will encounter a thick, interesting and alternative view of an intriguing topic. *(Aug.) * Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review"'A thought-provoking book that considers many issues, not least the role and image of women in Christianity.' Good Book Guide 'Lynn Picknett... presents the Magdalene in a fresh and disconcerting way.' Washington Post Book World 'Picknett's book... puts Mary Magdalene back on top of her pedestal.' Nexus"