Zoso: The Mystical and Musical Journey of Jimmy Page
As the architect of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page crafted a sound that defined an era. But beyond the thunderous riffs and virtuosic solos lies a deeper, more enigmatic story. On his 82nd birthday, we delve into the esoteric world of the guitarist, exploring how his lifelong fascination with magick, mythology, and the occult was not merely a theatrical flourish, but the very blueprint for the band’s monumental legacy.
In the pantheon of rock guitar gods, Jimmy Page occupies a space uniquely his own. He is the master of light and shade, the riff-lord, the studio wizard who treated the recording console as an instrument in its own right. Yet, to truly understand the sonic alchemy of Led Zeppelin, one must look beyond the fretboard and into the shadowy realms of esoteric philosophy that captivated its founder. As Page celebrates his 82nd birthday, it provides a timely opportunity to explore how his deep dive into mysticism was not a mere footnote in his career, but a foundational element that shaped the sound, imagery, and enduring mystique of the world’s greatest rock band.
The Seeker and Thelema
The late 1960s were a crucible of cultural and spiritual exploration. While The Beatles journeyed to Rishikesh to study Transcendental Meditation, Page embarked on a more esoteric path, immersing himself in the works of the controversial English occultist, Aleister Crowley. Crowley, a self-proclaimed magus and founder of the religion of Thelema, was a figure of both fascination and notoriety. His central philosophy, encapsulated in the phrase “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law,” was not a call for hedonistic abandon, but a directive for individuals to discover and follow their True Will, their unique purpose in life.
This concept of ultimate artistic and personal freedom resonated deeply with Page. His interest was far from a passing fad; he became one of the world's foremost collectors of Crowley's manuscripts and first-edition books, and for a time in the 1970s, even owned the “Equinox” occult bookshop in London’s Kensington High Street. This dedication to Crowley’s work was a direct rebellion against the creative constraints of the music industry. As Page himself stated regarding the formation of Led Zeppelin, his vision was to create a band where each member could flourish, a “showcase for each of the musicians” to express their unique talents without compromise. Thelema provided a philosophical framework for this radical artistic autonomy.
Boleskine House: A Lair on the Loch
Page’s fascination with Crowley took tangible form in 1973 with his purchase of Boleskine House, a remote manor on the south-eastern shore of Scotland’s Loch Ness. This was no ordinary country home; it was Crowley’s former residence, a place steeped in occult lore where he had reportedly performed intense magickal rituals. The house, which had a dark history long before Crowley’s arrival, was said to be haunted, built on the site of a 13th-century church that burned down with its congregation trapped inside. Page’s ownership of Boleskine only amplified his enigmatic public persona. Myths and legends swirled around his time there, many of which were sensationalised. One persistent rumour claimed that a terrified David Bowie fled a meeting with Page, believing the guitarist was attempting to curse him. Another suggested that Robert Plant was deeply uncomfortable with his bandmate’s esoteric pursuits. While the truth of these tales remains ambiguous, Page’s own words reveal a more grounded, albeit serious, interest. He saw the house not as a haunted relic, but as a place of potent energy, a spiritual retreat connected to a powerful historical figure. He owned the property for nearly two decades, finally selling it in 1992.
The Wordless Tome: Sigils of Led Zeppelin IV
Perhaps the most famous manifestation of Page’s vision came with the 1971 release of Led Zeppelin’s untitled fourth album. Stung by critical indifference to Led Zeppelin III, Page was determined to let the music speak for itself, free from all external branding and hype.
This led to the radical decision to release the album with no title, no band name, and no record company logo on the cover. In their place were four cryptic symbols, one chosen by each member of the band. This act of commercial defiance was a powerful statement, forcing the world to engage with the music on its own terms. The symbols for John Paul Jones (a circle intersecting three vesica pisces, symbolising a confident and competent person) and John Bonham (three interlocking rings, representing the triad of mother,father, and child) were chosen from Rudolph Koch’s The Book of Signs. Robert Plant’s symbol, a feather within a circle, was his own design, representing the feather of Ma’at, the Egyptian goddess of truth and justice.
Page, however, designed his own symbol, the one that would become inextricably linked with his identity: Zoso. The true meaning of the sigil remains a closely guarded secret, but its origins have been traced through various esoteric texts. It bears a resemblance to a 16th-century sigil used to represent the planet Saturn, which is the ruling planet of Page’s astrological sign, Capricorn. It also appeared in an 1844 French grimoire, Le Triple Vocabulaire Infernal Manuel du Demonomane. When pressed, Page has remained characteristically cryptic, stating in an interview, “My symbol was about invoking and being invocative. That’s all I’m going to say about it”. This deliberate ambiguity is central to the Zeppelin mystique; it invites the listener to become a participant, to search for meaning rather than having it handed to them.
From Middle-earth to the Atlas Mountains: Myth in the Music
Page’s esoteric interests were woven directly into the musical fabric of Led Zeppelin, creating a rich tapestry of sound and story that drew from a vast well of mythological and literary sources. The band’s acoustic masterpiece, “The Battle of Evermore,” is a prime example. A duet between Robert Plant and Fairport Convention’s Sandy Denny, the song is a vivid narrative steeped in the fantasy world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, with explicit references to “The Ringwraiths ride in black”. This was not a one-off; Tolkien’s influence can be felt across the Zeppelin catalogue, in songs like “Ramble On” and “Misty Mountain Hop.”
As the band’s music grew more complex, so did its mythological scope. The epic “Achilles Last Stand,” the opening track of 1976’s Presence, is a ten-minute tour de force of staggering musical complexity. The lyrics, written by Plant during his recovery from a serious car accident, reflect on the band’s travels and their status as tax exiles. Yet, Page’s galloping, multi-layered guitar orchestration elevates the song into the realm of myth. It references Greek mythology, from the titular hero of the Trojan War to the Titan Atlas holding up the heavens, creating a parallel between the band’s own struggles and the epic trials of gods and heroes.
The Tools of the Alchemist: Page’s Iconic Gear
For a guitarist, the ultimate truth is found in the tone. Page’s esoteric explorations would be a mere curiosity if they hadn’t been channeled through his masterful command of his instruments. His choice of gear was integral to translating his mystical vision into sound.
"The Dragon" - 1959 Fender Telecaster.
A gift from Jeff Beck, Page hand-painted a dragon mural on this guitar. It was his main instrument in the final days of The Yardbirds and on the entirety of Led Zeppelin I. Its bright, biting tone is the sound of the band’s explosive debut. Tragically, it
was ruined when a well-meaning friend stripped the body and repainted it while Page was on tour.
"Number One" - 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard.
Purchased from Joe Walsh in 1969, this became Page’s primary instrument for the rest of Zeppelin’s career. With its slim neck profile and a custom push-pull pot for coil-splitting the bridge pickup, it offered a vast tonal palette. Its powerful, sustaining voice defined the solos of “Heartbreaker,” “Whole Lotta Love,” and the iconic “Stairway to Heaven.”
The Double-Neck - Gibson EDS-1275.
A purely practical choice that became a symbol of rock excess and ambition. Page needed this beast to perform “Stairway to Heaven” live, allowing him to switch seamlessly from the opening
12-string passages to the searing 6-string solo without changing guitars.
The Amp - Supro Coronado 1690T.
While Page is famously associated with Marshall stacks, the secret weapon on the first two Zeppelin albums was a small, modified Supro combo amp. Its unique, raw tone was key to the sound of tracks like “Good Times Bad Times” and the violin-bow solo in “Dazed and Confused”
This carefully selected arsenal allowed Page to conjure an extraordinary range of textures, from the delicate, folk-inspired filigree of his acoustic work to the crushing, elemental power of his heaviest riffs. He was an alchemist, blending the raw materials of blues, folk, and rock into something new and golden, using his guitars and amps as the alembic for his sonic experiments.
Jimmy Page’s legacy is a testament to the power of a singular artistic vision. He was a musician, a producer, a composer, and a mystic, a man who understood that rock and roll at its most potent is a form of modern magick—an act of invocation. By weaving his esoteric interests into the very DNA of Led Zeppelin, he created not just a collection of classic songs, but a self-contained universe of myth and mystery that continues to captivate and inspire new generations of listeners and guitarists. He opened a door to a more mystical, more ambitious, and more powerful form of rock music, and for that, he has earned his place among the immortals.
