Kelpius Cave

Long ago, a group of forty German Pietists lived in the beautiful forest of Colonial Philadelphia, along the Wissahickon Creek which flows in a lush, deep valley. The valley was often used by the Native American tribe of the Lenni Lenape for hunting and fishing. The leader of these forty religious men, was Johannes Kelpius. He was born in Transylvania and was highly educated at European colleges and then became a respected religious leader. He referred to the book of Revelations in the Bible, believing the end of days was soon coming by the year of 1700. The Monks traveled to the 'New World' for religious freedom, to pursue occult philosophies and do various strange practices that were not allowed in Europe. Such as alchemy, astrology and even divination to see the future. These pioneering Monks also created lots of incredible music for their worship services, written down in their hymnal books that still exist. Their music was unique and also incorporated the first pipe organ that they brought with them, along with other instruments for musical performances!

They awaited the arrival of this enchanted woman, the angel of God, believing she would guide them into a new reality, in the virgin wilderness of early America. So the mystic Monks thus called themselves, "Society of the Woman in the Wilderness" Their home was a huge log Tabernacle and built it forty foot square in following their belief of sacred numerology. This building included the first obersavtory built in America upon the roof, complete with a telescope to watch the stars at night. They looked for signs of the Woman's eminent arrival, to usher in Armageddon, as written in the Bible. According to the preserved diary of Kelpius, a mysterious apparition of a magical woman actually did appear to them on three separate occasions! However, she quickly vanished leaving the brotherhood confused and disillusioned....

1876 Map showing the Kelpius site....

Mysterious time travel bowl - Sun Dial of Ahaz or Horologium

"Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the Sun Dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down." - Isaiah 38:8

Check out more information about this incredible object via link below or in comments, Thanks!

https://www.middletonbooks.com/witw/witw_horologium.html

This is about the new book, "American Aurora: Environment and Apocalypse in the Life of Johannes Kelpius", where author Timothy Grieve-Carlson, digs into the history of Johannes Kelpius. The mystic Monk was a tremendously influential but comprehensively misunderstood radical Protestant theologian from Transylvania, who settled in what is now Wissahickon Valley Park in 1694. Please check it out, thanks! It was hosted by Friends of the Wissahickon at Valley Green Inn

If you've visited Wisashickon Valley Park, you're probably familiar with the story of Johannes Kelpius, but what you have heard might be more fiction than fact.

Get the real story of the Wissahickon's famed hermit, here at our recent Valley Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emWZ2ERIKbQ

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📷Adam Martin

The type of occult practices that Kelpius & his followers would be creating. Abracadabra...... A spell in your pocket, plus it's truly a very old & mysterious word of power. In Pennsylvania the German settlers practiced folk Magick called Powwow and created this example for a purpose. Even pop stars today utilize this mystic phrase for their own musical endeavors....
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLBBGNBydxl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

In this installment of our series on Alan Keyser’s recently donated manuscripts, we present some of his small but very interesting collection of items relating to Pennsylvania German braucherei. Braucherei or brauche, also known as powwow, is a Pennsylvania German folk practice that grew out of Christian and European pagan traditions and literature in the 17- and 1800s. It consists of a variety of charms and recipes used to protect people and animals against all forms of physical and spiritual maladies and evil spirits or curses (hexe). Braucherei was popular among Pennsylvania Germans until the early 1900s when the introduction of modern medicine and science mostly superceded it. For explanations of these images from the collection, visit https://www.schwenkfelder.org/powwow-documents-in-keyser-collection. #the_schwenkfelder #powwow #braucherei #PAGerman

Johannes Kelpius, Weird as a Wizard,
Transylvania was his birthplace,
Seeker of occult arts & alchemy,
Religious, educated in art & science.
The spiritual leader to 40 German
Monks who created a fellowship,
Fleeing Europe for religious freedom,
America was the unknown frontier.
The end times would come in 1700
They arrived in the wild wilderness.
Philadelphia almost 100 years,
Before the United States existed!

In the beautiful forest of the,
Wissahickon Valley, along the creek,
They waited for the Woman to appear,
The society of religious mystics,
In this 'New World' spreading love.
Building a fascinating community,
With a log Tabernacle for their home.
The brotherhood of magikal workers,
Along with their Christian faith it was
simple, the work they committed
to doing, improved life for everyone,
They were healers, musicians,
it left a positive mark on history,
In Various firsts but also in significant ways.
The mysterious 'Hermits of the Ridge'
Now Live on in legend from long ago!

This image was digitally created
By Nik Stamaps. It is based on the
Original oil painting of the portrait
Of Johann Kelpius, as painted by
Dr. Christopher Witt. Also special
By being the very first oil painting,
Created in North America.
The image of mystic hermit,
At home in his cave sanctuary,
Creating music or deep in prayer....

This a great short video about the fellow religious community that is directly linked to Mystic Kelpius & his 40 followers that originally lived in the Holy log tabernacle they built along the Wissahickon Creek. Kelpius & his hermits would await the end of times, predicted to happen in 1700 in the 'New World'. They waited for the coming of the 'Woman in the Wilderness', to guide them to Salvation...

Later after the death of Kelpius in 1708, a few Monks moved on to live at this new Cloister in Western Pennsylvania. One can assume the original Kelpius community created by the fellow German born Monks, who emigrated to the New World would have built their structures and developed their settlement very much like Ephrata Cloister They also would have practiced many similar rites and followed the same religious customs. So it's good to study this unique Cloister, which is well preserved and thankfully not lost to time like the Kelpius has faded......

It's History! - Ephrata Cloister It's History! - Ephrata Cloister

You can also follow on Instagram to see more.

Channel 6 in Philly Local News Story about the mysterious mystic in the woods.....

Jeannette Reyes goes to the location of the monks of the Wissahickon, hermits who burrowed in the Cave of Kelpius, awaiting the end of the World.

The official Kelpius Cave logo!