Ruth Clydesdale (M.A, D.F.Astrol.S.) is the author Secret Wisdom: Occult Societies and Arcane Knowledge through the Ages and the editor of Victorian Tales (Ward Lock Educational, 1982), a collection for children of poetry and prose with mythological themes. She has also published articles in journals in both the UK and the USA on various aspects of art, religion and philosophy. Ruth has lectured on the Renaissance philosopher Marsilio Ficino, as well as running seminars on the philosophy of astrology and the esoteric meanings of the planet Mercury. She teaches further education classes on the history of Renaissance art, and she has also conducted lecture tours of the National Gallery in London, highlighting cosmic symbolism in Renaissance paintings.