Kabbalistic and Alchemical Cartographer David Chaim Smith has published some background on the theory and practice behind his work. It begins:
There is a peculiar kind of visionary outcast who is compelled to explore and record their journeys into uncharted territories. This impulse is what I call esoteric cartography, and it is a most rare endeavor. Esoteric cartography is not a byproduct of random exploration. It arises within a highly disciplined practice rooted in systematic inquiry. In this sense, those who aspire to the practice must be serious spiritual practitioners of some kind. This is the consequence of a whole life dedicated to the great mystery of phenomena. This kind of life cannot withstand any concessions to cultural, aesthetic, or religious criteria. Esoteric cartography dwells within its own unique category and abides as a radical departure from any other field. As a result, the activity must be addressed exclusively on its own terms.
Esoteric cartography has been an undercurrent in human civilization for millennia. Generally, societies do not support this type of exploration, and it is usually ignored. With very few exceptions, the practice is reserved for eccentrics at the margins of society. A true outsider rejects the values of the culture so that their work can flourish beyond its influence. Such a person lives in a universe of their own creation and answers to no one. The esoteric cartographer strives to live in a continual state of innovation founded upon mystical inquiry. Therefore, the cartographer must be a dedicated practitioner of the mystical variety. If the mystical impulse does not reign in the personal psyche the visions will merely be products of the imagination, intellect, and emotions. The esoteric cartographer is not an artist or a religious person in the sense that mainstream society would define these things. They are not bound by personal or collective psychology. They live to serve the unknowable. This service and its context pose something that academia will always misinterpret as it strives to reduce the practice to fit within the general humanities.
read the whole magilla:
https://www.thethirtytwokeys.com/testament.
