Jan Kefer
Encyclopedia
Jan Kefer was a notable Czech astrologer, hermeticist and publicist in the age between the two World Wars. He was the chairman of Universalia
, a society of Czech hermeticists.
. He was born sightless due to a congenital defect of his eyes, but this cleared up when he was three years old. In Prague
he studied at the Archbishop Gymnasium in the classroom of famous mystic Jaroslav Ovečka. He became a novice at Strahov Monastery, but later left the order. He graduated from Charles University in Prague
with a degree in arts.
Kefer practised astrology
, kabbalah
, magick
, alchemy
and theurgy
. He wrote many works about astrology and hermetism, and regularly discoursed on these themes in the Universalia Society. He also translated many meaningful books into Czech language
, including Bardo Thödol
or the books of Eliphas Lévi
.
Kefer worked as a librarian of the National Museum in Prague and later as a librarian of Strahov Monastery
and in the library of the Vatican
. He was longtime secretary and later president of the society of Czechoslovakian hermeticists, Universalia, and editor of Logos journal.
Perhaps Kefer's most famous act was performing three magick rituals against Adolf Hitler
, with the aim of killing him. He was arrested June 18, 1941 by the Gestapo
, who offered him a place as Hitler's personal astrologist or participation in his astrological team, but he refused. Jan Kefer died in Flossenbürg
concentration camp on December 3, 1941.
Universalia
Universalia or Univerzalia is a Czech hermetic society.Members of Universalia were the most significant Czech hermeticists, occultist and occult writers.- History :...
, a society of Czech hermeticists.
Biography
Kefer's father was from BavariaBavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. He was born sightless due to a congenital defect of his eyes, but this cleared up when he was three years old. In Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
he studied at the Archbishop Gymnasium in the classroom of famous mystic Jaroslav Ovečka. He became a novice at Strahov Monastery, but later left the order. He graduated from Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
with a degree in arts.
Kefer practised astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
, kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
, magick
Magick
Magick is an Early Modern English spelling for magic, used in works such as the 1651 translation of De Occulta Philosophia, Three Books of Occult Philosophy, or Of Magick...
, alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
and theurgy
Theurgy
Theurgy describes the practice of rituals, sometimes seen as magical in nature, performed with the intention of invoking the action or evoking the presence of one or more gods, especially with the goal of uniting with the divine, achieving henosis, and perfecting oneself.- Definitions :*Proclus...
. He wrote many works about astrology and hermetism, and regularly discoursed on these themes in the Universalia Society. He also translated many meaningful books into Czech language
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
, including Bardo Thödol
Bardo Thodol
The Liberation Through Hearing During The Intermediate State , sometimes translated as Liberation Through Hearing or Bardo Thodol is a funerary text...
or the books of Eliphas Lévi
Eliphas Levi
Eliphas Lévi, born Alphonse Louis Constant , was a French occult author and purported magician."Eliphas Lévi," the name under which he published his books, was his attempt to translate or transliterate his given names "Alphonse Louis" into Hebrew although he was not Jewish.His second wife was...
.
Kefer worked as a librarian of the National Museum in Prague and later as a librarian of Strahov Monastery
Strahov Monastery
Strahov Monastery is a Premonstratensian abbey founded in 1149 by Bishop Jindřich Zdík, Bishop John of Prague, and Prince Vladislav II. It is located in Strahov, Prague, Czech Republic.-The founding of a monastery:...
and in the library of the Vatican
Vatican Library
The Vatican Library is the library of the Holy See, currently located in Vatican City. It is one of the oldest libraries in the world and contains one of the most significant collections of historical texts. Formally established in 1475, though in fact much older, it has 75,000 codices from...
. He was longtime secretary and later president of the society of Czechoslovakian hermeticists, Universalia, and editor of Logos journal.
Perhaps Kefer's most famous act was performing three magick rituals against Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, with the aim of killing him. He was arrested June 18, 1941 by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
, who offered him a place as Hitler's personal astrologist or participation in his astrological team, but he refused. Jan Kefer died in Flossenbürg
Flossenbürg concentration camp
Konzentrationslager Flossenbürg was a Nazi concentration camp built in May 1938 by the Schutzstaffel Economic-Administrative Main Office at Flossenbürg, in the Oberpfalz region of Bavaria, Germany, near the border with Czechoslovakia. Until its liberation in April 1945, more than 96,000 prisoners...
concentration camp on December 3, 1941.
