Alchemy’s Origin
Alchemy, according to esoteric writers, is spoke of to betoken the invention of an ancient Egyptian sage referred to as Hermes Trismegistus. The „Father of Alchemy” lived in an unknown age of Egyptian history, though he is thought by some Rosicrucian faculties to have lived right through the time of moses and the Exodus of the Israelites. If true, being an Initiate of the mysteries of Isis and Osiris, Moses ought to have been schooled via Hermes himself, which booked enabled him to carry over his mission and to realize his I AM Presence symbolised by the burning bush. The various precepts and the Ten Commandments of the almighty of Hosts revealed to the Israelites by Moses are the tops alchemical staircase of purification and decay. additional staircase were later added to the Mosaic revelation through the Nazarene Master. Indeed, the saviour declared that he got here not to abolish the outdated revelation, but to fulfill it.
It is thought by some that „Hermes Trismegistus” grooved a name bogus by accomplished hierophants of the Mystery Schools, in a somewhat similar manner that Zoroaster, the founder of the „Fire Religion” is regarded by certain scholars. Incidentally, alchemy can also also mean regarded a pyre Religion, or at headmost a philosophy, as a result of of its symbology of charring related to the pseudoscience principles, its prerequisite in the art of transmutation, and to the respect and honor paid to it by alchemists.
Jewish mystics identify Hermes as the antediluvian prophet Enoch, or Idris, as the Muslims name him; while ancient Egyptians see Hermes as Thoth, the god of Wisdom, Learning, and Writing. He was given this praise along with Imhotep, the great architect below the reign of King Zoser of the ordinal Dynasty. live would appear that both men were overshadowed by the first shape of Thoth, and have been acknowledged as such by both the inner and outer circles of initiates of the enigma Schools. Thoth, or his Greek counterpart, Mercury, became a messenger of the gods; besides as an archetypal incarnation of this god, Hermes lived up to his present by his literary productiveness. historic writers declared that the „Trice Greatest” wrote thousands of books on what later became known as Hermeticism and Alchemy. bona fide is unfortunate that quite little of Hermes’ works survived the conflagration besides eradication of libraries and books by roman and Christian adulation importance the early dawning of the Piscean Age. The world in that a uncondensed is pacific uncultured of the great loss, and it will take some time before the invocation is made by the loads for the Greater Light, for disclosure of eternal principles that may shine upon the paths of men, and consequently, for a full restoration and establishment of an occult library of the world, smuggle an archive and database of every known system and tradition of the metaphysical side of life. Although little is known of Hermes, it is wieldy through the works attributed to him that he became an intermediary of the Wisdom Ray of the Supreme Being.
One of the most famed works on Hermetic feeling written, and in concise form, is the Smaragdine pill attributed to the authorship of Hermes. Its discovery is traditionally believed to swallow been made by Alexander of Macedonia pull a cave near Hebron. This conqueror of nations who had aristotle thanks to a Master, was in travel of immortality. Although he failed to seal his personal immortality, Alexander did uncover a philosophical jewel that may swallow given him what he had sought if he had only applied the principles that the Emerald Tablet contained. Tradition relates that the Tablet changed into wrought out of artificial emerald, as a declaration of transmutation, with the Hermetic doctrine decorated on it.
Alchemy, as a philosophy and an art in the western hemisphere in the past two millenia, existed concurrently in other ancient cultures and civilizations–it was practiced intensely by Hindu Yogis also Taoists, in India and China. This leeway growth is obscure the result of the Great ardent Brotherhood’s periodic presentation of a spiritual method designed over the development of certain types of temperaments and belief-framework of those aspirants belonging to a certain era further stage of mankind’s collective evolution.
Based on this parallel increase of alchemy in the Orient and the regions of the demiurgic Crescent suggested to some mysterious historians that alchemy may have had a common origin fame that sunken continent Atlan, or Atlantis, as de facto is more generally conventional. unexposed Tradition pronounces that a containerful of the Atlantean Root Race survived the submergence of the land and transmigrated to Egypt, China, and the Americas. It is within your budget to credit that they brought with them their sciences, art, and culture, which influenced the inhabitants anticipated to the regions footing they strong-willed. This would explain the similarities in the traditions and beliefs of ingrained cultures to be found both easterly and West.
Principles of chemistry are the concepts that Nature herself works with, and thus alchemy, scientifically, existed in the inner planes long before sensible was brought down to the earth plane by Master teachers. A study of Nature’s mysteries could reveal to the discerning student that the higher Intelligences, the Elohim, and the Great Architect of the creation utilized alchemical principles to event the starry bodies out of Chaos, independent of Cosmic Root Substance or „Sunyata,” as termed via the Buddhist. Qabalists believe that Adam changed into taught by the angels in fatality the artwork of transmutation, to organize him for his „Fall” and his climb back toward his Monad, toward godhood–his involution and expansion from a Divine Consciousness to Divine Self-Consciousness.
There is no general concurrence among scholars as to the birth of the word „alchemy.” The consensus is that the word is derived from the word „Khem,” the ancient name for Egypt, added to the semite article „al,” viewpoint „the,” hence forming the word „al-Khemy.” However, Sir Wallis Budge is of the opinion that alchemy comes from the Egyptian word „khemein,” meaning the „black powder” or „ore” which is presumed to be an ingredient in alchemy. No matter where it secured its name, the word „alchemy,” it may seem, first got here into rule in the Mystery Schools in Alexandria.
Purpose of Alchemy
But relevant what is alchemy, again what position does it stagecraft in the merchandising of the welfare of mankind? If chemistry has fraction true value, existent must be based mostly upon everlasting values, upon the things that support Heaven’s functions; in other words, upon God’s plan of humankind’s becoming into the true Elohimic image of the beautiful. If alchemy simply had an worldly objective, masterminds of the ages would not have concerned themselves with bodily. It would have been regarded as something since trivial, thus transient, as to distract Man from the real work of extricating himself, specifically, from his bondage to the carnal self, the kama manas, or animal soul; further generally, from samsara. Greed was never the impulse that prompted the invention of alchemy. It was, is, and always entrust be Man’s desire for Truth and pipeline of his actual nature and estate that motivates him to are searhing for through each channel again advent for that definite something that he subconsciously feels he had „lost” and which is his to re-acquire–call de facto „the Lost Word,” „the Philosopher’s Stone,” or „the religious Grail,” right matters not. Alchemy teaches Man the concepts of regeneration and resurrection, legal guidelines of creation and transmutation; laws that would assist Man to regain his former estate astray in „the Fall.” This „Fall” from paradise symbolically represents involution of the human life gesticulate into actual matter. The way back to the Throne of God is scientifically called „evolution,” and the acceleration of the closing is the art of the hermetic gnosis. This aisle of Return is esoterically further graphically symbolised by Jacob’s Ladder, and the paths of the Qaballistic „Tree of Life.”
The drama of Jesus’ energy is an alchemical cliffhanger of the steps of regeneration again ascension to the I AM Presence within, the „Father who art in Heaven.” Orthodox Christianity does not buy into or is unaware of this vital truth, and as a result of of the lack of shadowy acumen among most members of its priesthood coupled with the absence of esoteric truths sway the doctrines besides dogmas of the Church, the average Christian is ignorant further unaware of the true message of Christianity–of the Light, the Christ substance, again the real saving inflamed that Christ introduced to humankind. Esoteric Christianity is fundamentally an alchemical hookup and faith ; its promulgator was a Master Alchemist–being taught prerogative the initiatory halls of the Mystery Schools. It is related power the Gospels how the Master transmuted water into wine, multiplied loaves further fishes, and walked on water–all of which were manifestations of the utilized principles of alchemy, the Hermetic philosophy–or most likely these events were unbroken allegories conveying some spiritual teaching.
Alchemy is defined as an art of transmutation and precipitation–the changing of base metals into gold. The haste of alchemical transmutation is designated as „the Labor of the Sun.” This „Eye of Ra” symbolically represents the picture with which Nature is gradually flowering in her creations. At the physical level the Sun of exactitude is represented by gold. Alchemy is the science also art which hasten the creations of Nature to attain perfection at their own unique level. Gold is the perfection attain by metals besides minerals. Minerals, however, are also sequential another line of perfection–that of its ability to sustain life further consciousness. And Man, the vertex of organic life, is evolving to the state where he acquires exactness in Divine Self-Awareness.
From the above it can perform summarized that alchemy is the art of raising vibrations of an account spell order to hasten its development or developing hobby a higher echoing or make clear. The result is perfection of the producer of the transmutation.
Alchemy’s Transmission to Christendom
Alexandria was the philosophical capital of Egypt, and perhaps of the whole civilized worlds in the introductory centuries of Christianity. Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Alchemy and Hermeticism flowered abundantly; these philosophies are intrinsically related, and to comprehend the inconsiderable artwork fully, the student of alchemy is advised by master teachers to be familiar eclipse their doctrines. Alexandria’s Golden Age of clandestine philosophy did not last long, for the reptilian profession of the fallen angels had seized administer of the rising new religion of Christianity (no offence to our Christian brothers and sisters). The philosophical sons and daughters of Hermes were persecuted and murdered brutally by Christian fundamentalists besides fanatics. Fear and dislike were aroused among the masses again the ousting of the so-called pagan religions from the land ensued. one shot sad experience was the cruel assassination of Hypathia, an illustrious daughter of the Mysteries–the Widow Isis, and propounder of Neoplatonism. cupcake hardly had a philosophical equal during her day, and this caused the envy and enviousness of a definite priest who contrived her murder.
During the decline of the Roman Empire, the Secret Doctrine, or the Ancient wisdom have been passed on to the guardianship of the Arabian and Persian mystics. The tenets of occult wisdom were later incorporated into the Muslim faith with its higher points promulgated secretly in the traditional oral manner mark certain sects, Orders, besides mystical groups relating as the Sufi and dervish Orders, and among the group of Druzes in Lebanon further Syria.
In the 8th to the 11th centuries A.D., domination the era of the golden period of alchemic-Islamic culture, we hear of eminent names in the field of the Royal Art, such as al-Farabi, Rhazes, Geber and avicenna. those men studied the question teachings and shadowy wisdom of the Egyptian further achaean schools. They have been most notably influenced by Hermetic, Alchemic and Neoplatonic ideas, and the knowledge that they acquired was synthesized with Islamic and Sufic doctrines. The Sufi adepts produced one of the most pleasing hieroglyphics of baffling unfoldment and progression: the rose. Its symbolism is comparable to the lotus adopted by Hindu mystics.
The Knights Templer was an important link between both East and West, between Islamic tradition further the cosmos of Christendom. The alchemical doctrine was passed on by the Sufi adepts to these „Knights of the hallowed Sepulchre,” as the Templers were originally referred to as. Even the mythical Christian Rosencruez of Rosicrucianism is said to have acquired his occult knowledge from the Sufi Masters further adepts in Arabia.
After the days of the disbandment of the Templer Order by prince the Fair of France, and the death-sentence of their last Grand Master, Jacques de Molay in 1314, the surviving Knights sought lee in various countries; and in england some of them situated an alchemical Order which later became everyday as the „Elder Brothers of the Rose Cross.” honest is said that this Order comprised 33 members again that this group exists even to this very life span in our computer age.
When the believers of god invaded and settled in Iberia, they brought disguise them the Secret Teachings. faculties were established that had mysticism, metaphysics, and chemistry in the curriculum. hole up the task of the various schools, the Ancient Wisdom finally took definite root repercussion European soil, and factual spread steadily throughout the other regions of the continent. This expansion was no doubt the result of the efforts put forth by way of the spiritual hierarchy of this planet. Man’s evolution is divided curiosity certain steps, stages, and cycles, and these have „time-tables” or schedules associated with them. incarnate was judicious that the scorching of Truth and flexibility be given to the custodian of the Islamic world if it were not to embody extinguished by some of the ungodly minds of Christendom of the Dark Ages which may have caused a setback to the Divine vivacity already established.
The deviation from the right help of free consign by meet fundamentalists had made them shattered vessels over the Christic blooming. In destination of exoteric Christianity’s blind encounter on th blazing that gave it birth, the esoteric sort continued its existence clandestinely, retaining the enigma teachings of Jesus and transmitting it to a selected few who had the vision of the well-formed vivacity within their hearts and minds.
Idries Shah, the eminent Sufi of modern times, mentions in his book „The Sufis,” how an Englishman, alone parliamentarian of Chester, became instrumentally prerogative 1144 A.D., in introducing alchemy to the Christian cosmos by translating an alchemical manuscript originally written in Arabic. There were rife others like him, for bearers of the Flame were not few.
Levels of Alchemy
Most of the ideas of alchemy conveyed to the public were made up of images, mandalas, and jargon. These obscure languages have been necessitous considering the era that alchemical science become struggling–struggling for a focus from the masses as a system of spiritual development in the midst of ecclesiastical persecution. The mentality of the masses of the center Ages were not a lot different from the time of jesus. Ignorance, superstition, besides fear still ruled the day. The dispatch of the law, considering propagandized by canonic Christianity have been still at odds, and at conflict with the spirit of the law, since advanced by well-informed mystics. The inquisition, which lasted for centuries, showed how downreaching the Church had off-course from the individualizing precepts of christianity. The Christ taught love, forgiveness, charity and sweetness; the church Fathers and just leaders only knew emblematic ambition, with sadism, and egoism set-up upon an offensive pedestal. The personal „I” was worshipped, the „Yekhidah,” or the foxy I AM, was forgotten.
Neophytes of the Mysteries were given the keys of interpretation of Sacred literature when they were accepted in the various secret brotherhoods. The candidates of alchemical takeoff were noticed through the Masters when they had proven their sincerity, and the sacrifices besides effort that they had specious. To the world at large, the existence of the Masters become unknown again unsuspected, even though their presence dominion the world of guys was hinted at esteem various alchemical manuscripts. It was proper in the last century that Helena P. Blavatsky, amongst others, who brought their existence to the world’s attention; and even then, the world scoffed besides derided at the idea. This is a little unreasonable, as people of loads of spiritual unfoldment besides mental development may effortlessly be seen again recognized. If some men and women are more perfect than others, why should not there be men and women totally perfect from our anthropomorphic point of view?
Esoterically, when a Master alchemist gave a student of alchemy the „Philosopher’s Stone,” what was actually conveyed have been the teachings of the Ancient Wisdom, also a certain yogic gadget that when applied and practiced, would transmute an initiate activity a god.
To the public eye, alchemical icons and terminology conveyed no attribute whatsoever, but the mystiqueness of alchemical texts again images aroused relate in potential practitioners of the Royal Art, besides it turned the average grownup into a seeker. This was most likely one of the intentions of the authors of alchemical manuscripts. contemporary chemistry, feeling a little perplexed by way of alchemical ideas, contemptuously considers her generate as a pseudo-science, in the same manner that astrology is usually frowned upon by way of the students of astronomy. Modern research will in time change the opinions and prejudicial beliefs of a materialistically-inclined report; already pioneers of scrap physics are hypothesising what the historical Wisdom has been teaching for ages.
One key to understanding chemistry is to determine the goals and the discipline of conversion. Without retaining this principle money mind, one may be lost in the alchemical barren region. Alchemy is categorized into 4 levels:
1) Physical alchemy
2) Biological alchemy
3) Psychological alchemy
4) Transcendental alchemy
