One starting point might be the use of symbols in alchemy to represent elements, planets corresponding to elements, processes, chemicals etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemical_symbol
http://www.iridius.info/current/info/alchemy-alpha.html

Obviously, these started out with a practical purpose, and became more ’mystical’ as the scientific bits of alchemy split away into chemistry, astronomy, etc. The planetary symbols are still occasionally used in astronomy.

Might look at the work of John Dee.

http://www.esotericarchives.com/dee/sl3188.htm

Oh, and sigils:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigil_(magic)

Maybe worth a look... http://www.alphabetvsgoddess.com/

The Shriner code was made into some nice typefaces.

**

I’ve always had the impression that Adrian Frutiger is something of a mystic.
have you read any of his books?

Not type but letters, namely the Hebrew alphabet, are a part of Jewish mysticism, also known as kabbalah. If you google on kabbalah and letters, gematria, and other related things, you will be led into an endless maze of stuff.

“Twenty-two letters: God drew them, hewed them, combined them, weighed them, interchanged them, and through them produced the whole creation and everything that is destined to come into being” — Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation)

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Personal Art and Design Portal of Ivan Gulkov
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This book on the history of the old printers marks has some nice examples and attempts to decipher the often-esoteric references found in them.
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Personal Art and Design Portal of Ivan Gulkov
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This book deals with kabbalah and other mystical elements, in part:

“Alphabetic Labyrinth: The Letters in History and Imagination” by Johanna Drucker

It is a slog of a read though. It needed an editor bad wicked, and did not get one, nor a good proofreader. there’s some worthwhile stuff in it, though.

powers

^ typical of publishing in this area.

This book has a great selection of alphabets. Bill is a good old friend, so this is a plug.

Not strictly typographic, but if you’re up for a challenge:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voynich_manuscript

Alex:

Personally, I prefer Codex Seraphinianus.
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Personal Art and Design Portal of Ivan Gulkov
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It’s good to hear that I’m not the only one who found “Alphabetic Labyrinth” to be a bit of a drag, the section on Kabbalah is pretty interesting though.

– Andreas Krautwald

Wow, thanks everybody for awesome tips! Truly great!

maybe look into early pictograms like sumerian cuneiform, egyptian heiroglyphics and mayan script which in their own way were a sort of typography as each has a sacred meaning.

bringing it forwards check out the rosetta stone-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_Stone

and maybe the aztec sun stone-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_stone

Oh, and don’t forget the Alphabet of the Magi
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/magi.htm

The Theban Alphabet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theban_alphabet

The Celestial Alphabet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_Alphabet

Transitus Fluvii
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transitus_Fluvii

The Scandinavian Runes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runes

And countless other examples.
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Personal Art and Design Portal of Ivan Gulkov
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Or if you like a big twist of kistch

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavener_Runestone

^love listening to locals discuss this.

“Does anyone know anything written on this subject?”
Typographic mysticism? Yes, there are two books written. They are secret.

Cheers!