LECTURE NOTES

by
MANLY P. HALL
LECTURE #322
ESOTERIC ALCHEMY The
Transmutation of Attitudes
Copyright 1986
THE PHILOSOPHICAL RESEARCH SOCIETY, INC.
3910 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90027
ESOTERIC ALCHEMY
The Transmutation of Attitudes
It was once pointed out by Raymond Luy! one of the "reat eary
achemists! that the tra"edy of the concept of achemy was the transmutation of
metas# $asi %aentine! Mon& of St# $ennett! e'pressed the same thou"ht in
his boo&( )OE TO THE *OL+ MA,ERS# The history of achemy di-ides into two
distinct branches that ha-e descended from anti.uity! possiby ori"inatin" in
E"ypt# The word /Chem/ in both chemistry and achemy is an ancient name for
E"ypt# /A/ is di-ine or sacred and we find it used in the $ibe in such
terms as /Ae-in#/ Of course the +eity of Isam is Aah! The di-ine prefi'
woud indicate that achemy is a spiritua art! a di-ine secret science#
The "reat te'ts of achemy ha-e come principay from the hermetic
bac&"round at the be"innin" of the Christian era and probaby there were
achemica schoos in Ae'andria at that time# There are aso eary records of
achemy in China and in India# It seems that from -ery far bac& there has
descended a doube concept of chemistry( physica chemistry ha-in" to do with
those areas of &nowed"e which are now considered scientific! and spiritua
chemistry which was definitey a sacred art#
In practice! the difference in these two systems was summari0ed rather we
by 1aracesus when he pointed out that the achemica transmutation was
impossibe uness the achemist himsef was in the process of transformation#
Today chemistry is ar"ey dominated by the profit concept! the idea of weath#
A &inds of chemica e'periments are bein" made for -arious reasons! some of
them -ery "ood! some of them -ery dan"erous! but aways with a certain concept
of return in materia weath for the "ood or the e-i that is done# Chemistry
is ar"ey a materia art! dominated by scientific in.uiry and not in any way
in-o-in" any necessary spiritua o-ertones# The chemist does not ha-e to be a
person of "reat faith! does not ha-e to beie-e in metaphysica or mystica
procedures# He is simpy wor&in" with physica tests and physica te'ts#
The achemist! on the other hand! has an entirey different perspecti-e#
Most of the achemists were pious peope! con-inced that their ad-ancement of
science was a spiritua contribution to the we bein" of society and concerned
with the de-eopment of their own inner i-es# 2a&ob $oehme used a number of
achemica terms in his mystica writin"s and these ha-e been confusin" to
modern students of his wor&# Actuay the use "i-en by $oehme in most cases
probaby is the ori"ina intended usa"e! namey! that achemy is a "reat system
of human re"eneration! ha-in" nothin" whatsoe-er to do with the ad-ancement of
wordy "oods or wordy position#
In Europe the achemists were persecuted and in many cases put to the rac&
and tortured to death! because the ruers or a-aricious eaders wanted the
secret of "od ma&in"# The moment the achemist be"an to pubici0e this part
of his beief! he immediatey opened himsef to persecution! so that the "od
ma&in" as a science brou"ht many of the achemists to destruction# Aso! the
manufacture of "od or any other precious substance without contro by the state
coud resut in the ban&ruptcy of the word#
The
question then renins( can f^^Z^TZ tote
prostitution#
the soar system itsef! -iewed as a " ancients beie-ed
tries and achemies of e'istence were ta&in" tface#
ihe

3

th4
that this word in
which we i-e 5
a
6reat theatre of myste 7 secrets of which ha-e ne-er been so-ed
Actuay! the wor 8 compete within itsef! and
perpetuation of itsef# J
hl
\99
n
89
ta&e

o-er
# The ambition of the
natura unti human ambition and a-arice ta&e o-e # weath# There:
a-era"e :dern person is^^^
f
^tS^Sa directy or fore! he immediatey is
usin" &nowed"e
rewards#
! ' u !; rw of the reasons it is e'tremey
)e mi"ht as&( what harm is this< One o= tne r
dan"erous is because the moment we be"i
>atura
of e'istence we are -ery apt to for"et ? @
natura

aws
aws ha-e to be obeyed and we are 8ot intereste8inoc s
but in chan"in" them to fit 8con-eniences# *e 5A constanty
+ ^ PVT^I ni t the uni-erse in which we i-e and as a resu'' w5 5B'
E ffie 2 iTthe same diemma that !u"dened the acnem"st.
Man# #ea"s a$o the"e %as an amateu" achemis& he"e In Los An$ees. He
'Ta"tfu od (e"man
t

=
tJi
S
^!S^r^^
t
^
)
*f+sfo,
+T+ff^t - ""^ s.//^ st"an$e and m0ste"ious M+ fhafLdioend^to him
f"om the^1ast 2efo"e 1as^/ on 3 0ea"s a$o4 he donated most of
hi^^em"ca hoo5s to ou" 1 ^ certain there was an answer but that ne naa noB
enou"h to find it#
that a science coud be made to worB#
his own character ne-er seemed to occur to him#
In the achemy of China and India the symboism mo-es from chemistry
In tne aicnemy@
+at
terns# In China achemy was tied m with
to a &inds of -ibratory 8 n C
an
cient *ree&s
music and the musica s8/8888&nowed"e of cosmo"ony and of the 1ytha"orean
period combined f88DE
a
formua which was
ZeTl7l:t" tS D amost i&e a mantra! a
3.
sacred statement which! if obeyed! coud produce tremendous resuts#
Hermetic phiosophy aso became in-o-ed in achemy# The hermet:icists of
Ae'andria foowed a mysterious bein" &nown to them as Hermes Trisme"istus! or
Hermes the Thrice *reat# )ho he was! when he i-ed! no one seems to &now#
)hether he was a production of symboism or perhaps a "reat achemica adept of
some ancient time! we do not &now! but in hermeticism we be"in to sense the
be"innin" of the transmutation of man as the essentia purpose of the "reat
achemica procedure#
In Europe! in addition to their other probems! it was necessary for the
achemists to be carefu in the promu"ation of some of these beiefs because of
the bitter opposition of the cer"y# The cer"y sensed the fact that in some way
achemy was a rei"ion and they were therefore .uite sure it had to be incuded
amon" the heresies# As a resut! howe-er! of the motion of Arabic &nowed"e into
Europe! the achemica secrets passed into the &eepin" of persons i&e 1aracesus!
,hunrath! and %aentine! and these persons "ained their &nowed"e of the#
achemica processes ar"ey from Constantinope and $a"hdad# This! of course!
meant sti more that the &nowed"e had to be hed in secrecy a"ainst the
persecutions and martyrdoms that were popuar in Europe at that time#
In many parts of the word achemy was reco"ni0ed for what it actuay was(
a series of symbos intended to con-ey a ma6or operation concernin" the
transmutation of man himsef# )ithout this transmutation! none of the "reat "ood
thin"s we dream of can come about# The ei'ir of ife or phiosopher7s stone was
that power by means of which a "ood thin"s coud come to pass! wherein a
errors and forms of i"norance coud be o-ercome and the indi-idua coud "ain
compete contro of not ony his own ife but the aws "o-ernin" it#
Therefore! we come to the particuar .uestion that seems to be -ery much in
the medie-a achemica tradition?that is! is there any proof of transmutation<
Is there any actua e-idence of thin"s bein" competey atered< Has there e-er
been a scientist that coud competey ater anythin"< He coud modify it!
impro-e it to a de"ree! and coud destroy it aways# $ut the process of actua
transformation of a thin" from what it is to somethin" totay different?this has
been a .uestion of concern in achemica researches for a"es# The e-idence for
transmutation is e'traordinariy simpe( the answer ies in the human body
itsef#
The process of di"estion of food re.uires the transformation of eements#
It re.uires an amost instantaneous adaptation of certain principes to specia
usa"es for which they were not ori"inay intended# It is possibe! therefore!
for food which is ta&en in to in some way maintain a ife principe which is not a
food and not in the body otherwise! but is used to nourish the ife or principe
in the human bein"# The bread! butter! -e"etabes! fruit! mi& and other foods
&eep ai-e somethin" that is not any of them! which throu"hout ife wi continue
to cause the heart to beat! to circuate the bood! to nourish the functions of
the human bein" unti the end of ife# Out of what "oes into him comes out of
him arts! sciences! poetry! music! phiosophy! rei"ion! and economics?they a
come out of someone who is nourished by the food! the atmosphere around him!
water! the rays of the panets! and the i"ht of the sun and moon# The symboism
of the weddin" of the sun and moon in achemy is -ery important?not because there
F#
wi be a weddin" in the s&y of the two uminaries! but because of the union of the
principes for which they stand inside of the human body#
Thus there is the ama0in" e-idence of the one ife fowin" behind a forms
and made a-aiabe throu"h nutrition to e-ery creature# Grom the har-ests in the
fieds a word is nourished! and those who absorb these har-ests become proficient
in many forms of acti-ity#
In the Christian doctrine of the Eucharist! the di-ine bood paraes in
achemy the ei'ir of ife# How this di-ine bood operates is not cear to many
peope! but in some mysterious way uni-ersa ife supports the ife of peope!
peope who may ne-er be aware of the source of their own nutrition and in a
mechanistic era such as ours do not care about the source of their nutrition#
Out of this has come a new concept of nutrition! a concept in-o-in" -itamins!
proteins! carbohydrates?an entire system of nutrition based upon the de-eopment of
hi"hy speciai0ed nutrients from the -arious food materias we eat# A these
nutrients ha-e somethin" to do with the maintenance of the -arious structures of the
human body# In this sense there is an acceptance of achemy without any
understandin" of it# Here there is the reai0ation that nutrition does do the wor&!
but how and why it does it and how one "enera type of nutrition can maintain an
infinite di-ersity of creatures is another situation that is difficut to
understand#
The nutrition must be conditioned to the creature which is recei-in" the
nourishment# So we ha-e within our own bodies an e'traordinary aboratory! a
aboratory the mysteries of which we ha-e not be"un to touch# Someone can prescribe
-arious materias for our common nutrition and for specia emer"encies that arise!
but prescribin" them is not creatin" them! and prescribin" them is not understandin"
them# )e ha-e simpy come to &now that certain materias ha-e certain effects and
we depend upon them to maintain the procedures which we hope wi stren"then and
en"then our ife e'pectancies#
Immorta ife is one of the beiefs of achemy and there are a number of -ery
.uaint and unusua concepts about this matter# Some of these concepts are
difficut to understand e-en now! but we &new that they definitey beie-ed that
there were in the word a few indi-iduas who had so-ed the mystery of achemy#
The master of a the achemists was Eias Artista! the most ceebrated of a the
hermetic adepts and phiosophers# >o one reay &new him! athou"h we do ha-e two
or three eary boo&s in the ibrary in which achemists described a meetin" with
hir## The symbo of the perfect achemist! Eias Artista had a number of discipes
who came -ery cose to him in achie-in" the ends which he sou"ht# His powers were
such that he woud appear in aboratories where worthy persons had wor&ed -ery hard
for years and "i-e them a hint or a itte ad-ice to ad-ance their researches! ony
to disappear and to ne-er be seen by them a"ain# He appeared in many nations in many
different "uises and spo&e many an"ua"es# He is supposedy an eterna person!
i-in" on and on because there was nothin" in him that coud cause him to dieH death
has to be the resut of causes# Life e'pectancies are increasin" constanty! but
ife e'pectancies to reach a phenomena e'tension of time are now either a phenomena
in themse-es! the resut of -ery serious scientific conditionin"! or constitutiona
abiity to adapt nutrition o-er a on"er period of time than is possibe for most
peope#
The achemists pointed out that the be"innin" of the achemica e'periment was
to remo-e a friction from ife# $y friction is meant wear and tear# >ow what
is wear and tear< To most peope it means doin" the thin"s they ha-e to do and
ha-e no particuar interest in doin"# )ear and tear is aso the resut of the ac&
of contro of the menta! emotiona and physica acti-ities of the indi-idua# A
of these acti-ities use ener"y# A ar"e part of the ener"y we use we waste# )e are
not conser-in" it! not ta&in" care of this mysterious -itaity that comes to us#
)e are aowin" it to be e'pended in a &inds of useess ways# Of course we ha-e
to ma&e physica ad6ustment for empoyment! but it is not the wor& necessariy that
is the "reatest cause of probemsH it is the attitude toward the wor&# It is the
ac& of enthusiasm! the ac& of reco"nition of si"nificance of the thin"s that we do
that depress us# Emotiona reationships out of hand can become a terribe enemy to
-itaity# )orry! fear! an'iety?a of these use up part of this achemica
nutrition that is constanty bein" made within ourse-es# If we waste it we can no
on"er ha-e it# If we use it unwisey it is dissipated# And to maintain
artificia attitudes wi "raduay undermine the necessary functions of the body#
The achemist first of a decared that the master of a arts was *od#
+eity was in a sense the e'tra persona perfect achemist because in +eity a
thin"s continue accordin" to the +i-ine )i# How this )i operates! man does not
&now! but he does reco"ni0e! if he is mysticay incined! that there is a
tremendous bac&"round of eterna wisdom behind the happenin"s in nature# +eity
becomes the perfect force behind "eneration and re"eneration# +eity brin"s forth
the seed! the pant! the fower and the fruit# And then that seed becomes the ne't
"eneration of the same#
Achemica symboism is stran"e and obscure but we worth tryin" to
understand# )e must be"in with what the achemist be"ins with( base metas# )e
must#be"in with thin"s as they are here# )e cannot buid our achemica formuas
from eements or substances not a-aiabe to us# The be"innin" is to reco"ni0e that
the first operation is a transmutation of physica factors! eements! and
propertiesH in other words! purification# If it is mercury! it must be purified#
If It is suphur! it must be purified# If it is sat! it must be purified# And
if it is man! he must be purified# E-erythin" be"ins with the purification or
remo-a of the dross which imits the -aue and sur-i-a of eements! principes!
and substances#
The achemist starts with the concept of a pure materia with which to wor&#
He is "i-en -arious cues and &eys on how to achie-e this pure materia# He mi"ht
assembe it under certain aspects of panets or wait unti the moon shines upon the
water before he uses it in his test tubes# He may do a &inds of thin"s# Girst he
must purify by "atherin" his materias from pure sources as much as he can# Most
of the "reat e'periments of 1aracesus and many others were possibe because of the
pure hi"h atmosphere of the Aps where materias were uncontaminated and "rew to the
funess of themse-es# In their day there was no smo" or con"estion# These pure
materias! ha-in" been found! became the basic eements in which they wor&ed#
The same probem appies to the indi-idua# The achemist must first
purify his own body and his own nature# Anti the body is ceansed! its
-arious processes cannot be refined# )hie a the inte"ration and
or"ani0ation of his abiities and capacities! the
impro-ement of his nature throu"h earnin"! meditation and contempation a ead up
to! contribute to! and ma&e possibe a fina interna iumination! the fina
secret has to come from inside# Therefore! e-erythin" has to be refined unti the
sou of itsef is a-aiabe! and in man it is his own souH unti this is a-aiabe!
he abors in -ain#
Those efforts that ha-e to contribute to this pro"ress must be considered as
discipines or as first steps toward achie-ement# They represent first of a man7s
reco"nition of his responsibiity to the ife principe which e'ists in him and in
which he e'ists# This principe is di-ine! sacred! and the most -auabe and
mysterious thin" in the whoe word# Aness the indi-idua is true to this basic
principe in his own ife and way of i-in" and thin&in"! he cannot hope to ad-ance
in the cause of spiritua achemy# Gor achie-ement he must do e-erythin" possibe
to ma&e his own ife reasonabe and norma#
This does not mean that he has to depart from society or "o into some refu"e
near the top of the Aps! but there must be an estabishment of basic harmony within
himsef# Harmony is the proof of the compatibiity of the eements# Harmony is
the abiity of different chemica eements to wor& to"ether! ony possibe when they
are purified?in their "ross form they wi ne-er be compatibe# Sat and suphur
in the form of the physica eements a-aiabe for purchase can ne-er be compatibe#
It is necessary to ceanse them both! refine them! and remo-e from them those
eements which are the cause of confict# It is not the essence of the suphur or
sat that is the probemH it is the crystai0ation around them which comes into
confict with other simiar crystai0ations# The achemist must put his own house
in orderH he is actuay searchin" for somethin" that is in its substance and
essence competey sacred# Therefore! any other consideration is "oin" to dama"e
his probabiities of "ettin" it#
The achemica procedure most commony &nown is reated to one of two distinct
ends( one the creation of the phiosopher7s stoneH the other the brewin" of the
phiosophica medicine?the ei'ir of ife# The stone in itsef represents the body
of wisdom purifiedH the uni-ersa medicine represents the sou# The medicine of
immortaity must be deri-ed from thin"s that ha-e a birth and death of themse-es#
In other words! the nutrition that is "i-en off may cause the primiti-e eement to
be ost! but its power "oes on# It does not dieH it simpy reincarnates on a
hi"her e-e# )hen we ta&e into ourse-es basic eements they are reborn in us and
therefore pass throu"h a process of e-oution as they are used by the human bein" to
maintain the economy of ife#
The achemist must first find a .uiet pace to wor&H he must ha-e his itte
aboratory# To the ancient achemists the aboratory was a furnace! a firepace
with some bottes and a few od boo&s to "uide his way# The meanin" of the
aboratory for us is actuay a body free from interference and confusion that we
can retire into when we so wi# In other words! the aboratory is our own
interna! that part of ourse-es which is aways capabe of bein" reduced to a
harmonious situation# The persona ife must be basicay harmonious# Many
peope fee that this is not possibe! that there is no answer to a these
"rie-ances and "riefs that beset us and affect us# $ut the achemist says you are
after the most -auabe thin" in the word and if you are hopin" to "et it you must
earn it by ma&in" ad6ustments that wi ne-er be re.uired of anyone e'cept for this
purpose#
7.
To create a .uiet pace within the sef for the contempation of the symbos
of re"eneration is -ery -ita# This does not mean! howe-er! that the person has
to become a constant ceed mon& or mysterious acoyte# He does not ha-e to retire
from ifeH he simpy has to retire from confusion# He has to re6ect the idea of
confusion within himsef# The acceptance of confusion is a form of i"norance#
It is not rea! but we a are sub6ect to it! Confusion aso means waste of
ener"y! waste of time! depetion and inabiity in that state to contact a deeper
and hi"her part of ourse-es#
In the Orienta phiosophies of Yo"a and %edanta the mysteries of the cha&ras
e.uate with the Se-en Seas of Re-eation! and the Se-en Seas of Re-eation e.uate
with the se-en sacred metas of the achemica transmutation#
In the practice of Yo"a it is -ery important first of a to reco"ni0e that
the purpose is not to "ain power in order to dominate someone ese nor to become
free of the responsibiities of i-in"# It is a way ordained by +eity by means of
which the wanderer returns home to the spiritua homeand from which he came# It
is a part of a 6ourney toward reaity! toward the sef! toward the Infinite! which
we are a see&in" to understand#
In achemy the .uietude is the same as that recommended for Yo"a?to find a
.uiet pace# In Tibet there used to be an od monastery where they had an unusua
way of trainin" an acoyte in .uietude# They had him sit under the tempe be
and ran" it a the time unti most peope woud ha-e "one competey cra0y# He
was supposed to sit there and attain peace# He must reach a point where the
can"in" woud mean absoutey nothin" or in which finay he was abe to hear in
this can"in" the -oice of *od# There had to be a compete indifference to
interruption# Indifference did not mean to ne"ect duties but to endure abuses of
a &inds# The achemist aso had to earn to achie-e an absoute .uietude that
was not ne"ati-e# He was not oo&in" for a psychic re-eation but simpy findin"
the peace which is the foundation of "rowth# After a certain amount of time in
this aotted abor! he was abe to .uiet his nature and reease from it certain
basic powers aready a-aiabe to him because he aso had within himsef the se-en
seas of re-eation in the forms of the -ita or"ans! the -arious ductess "ands!
the -arious systems of the body! the composition of the bood! and the orifices of
the heart# It is in this septimate ca-e of the heart that the "reat mysteries are
re-eaed# The heart becomes aso part of the achemica paraphernaia by means of
which the indi-idua recei-es finay the fu support#
The achemists used as the symbo of their achie-ement the amb with the cut
throat and the bood pourin" from it! because of the idea of man bein" sa-ed by the
bood of the amb# The bood of the amb in this case is actuay the eucharistic
-itaity which arises from the absoute sacrifice of a forms of ne"ation and the
purification of the ife that fows throu"h us throu"h the wonderfu possibiities
of the Infinite# The body can be considered achemicay the power of the moon#
The body bein" sub6ect to a &inds of di"esti-e and assimiati-e processes! the
unar ener"ies wor& for the maintenance constanty of the peace of the fesh! and
the indi-idua has to cooperate consciousy with this process if he wishes to
proceed further#
The achemist usuay ma&es a disheartenin" disco-ery! at east at the
be"innin"# It is that! essentiay spea&in"! the body! which is the earth of
the achemica e'periment! did not reay do him -ery much harm
8.
in the fi"st 1ace. It %as not the fesh hut the the fesh that
%as $i#in$ ^^6^^^^^+i++^& !07the am!itious4 se8
ce9eTd"f#eT^ne,Tt^as to dete"mine %hat this d"i#in$ fo"ce %as
cen'e'eu u&,,#c,. ;# n:r:inH:ne# or the emotions!
and that meant "ettin" into the fire principe!
; !# #
o
#
fp

T
he ener"y behind emotion is ma"nificent! it is di-ineH
Emotion is ite! me ener"y :2 I
es
)hen we "et mad!
but the use to which we put it is miserabe in mostcases! -me S
aJira- neurotic# )ith a tnese aiba"iecmcuu rn-!CC
K
B ; oicn
The ne"ati-e emotiona factor which beats the body and uses up a -ery
a"$^f + he ene"$0 the !od0 is ^T^^^l ^
+T++oiTaf 0ea"fo< +++: )e ha#e a%a0s^ =f^
%e"e un1easant %e had a "i$ht to he.
>
%e

Manted

to

!e
%anted to thin5 i of a 1e"son it %as ou" 1&#ae$e. ^
?ut
an$"0 and $o
into %a"fa"e4 that %as aso a "i$
of the emotiona e,cess on the 1e"sona e#e a"e ^ 1
th"
1outin$s and.1s0choses %e mos8 8 th6) %^ ^ ^
$"eat achemica "eto"t this misuse *=
d

ourse-es

K
f
and a t=@^
2
^
f
^ thc&s^nA %e %ant to do
our own conficts! hurt ieelings, o 7
that

dema
nds we accom:
which we &now that we cannot and the ^f^
4Ar

own

attit
udes pish the
incredibe! or be miserabe# )e ha-e to "et ou and our emotions! down where they
are reasonabe#
One of the best uses of emotion is throu"h the arts and music! but
One o :one Besi4 u
b
5
Jh
#
np
#
s

t

is
the .uaities of &indness!
in the ordinary commonpace of
th
6<S
s

'
B 8s increase stron"y there
in d%ein$ on 1ast e#ents. The thin$
?>
^ ^
!ea
utifu4 and
%hich is he1in$ to ma5e us 888f^^++^+"t the0 must he +++T ++.C+^+++?
i +u+^ +/&en the hest emotion $ets into t"ouhe if it hecomes
h0ste"ia.
)hie the emotions sit a"ound @ @
a""o$ant0 stands u1 and ma5es t"^ 6^6+6+fc The mind is
in $"eat hahits4 and these ha!its a"e most0
d;

He:

so

that
the fina !asis *V
a"
<fD
h
C &nd if innin" fo"e#e" to ma5e a miion&
Ee can $et "ich doin$ it/ the ^f . ^J l f ^J ^
is
that it a"$ues and
ai"e out of the !od0 "e$a"dess of %hethe"
debates# If It is not u1 to its nec5 in 1oL ^ s ^
an0 of the candidates a"e %o"th #otin$
does

not

5n?
E
tein$ othe" f^^^^SU comes to the concusion that + ^o"f%e:
accumuaterfhe happier %e are! %hen e#e"0 da0 this is 1"o#in$ to be an
absoute fasehood#
9.
The mind needs to be brou"ht down to where it was intended to be( a sort of
psychoo"ica boo&&eeper# The mind is not the master of ife! athou"h we ha-e
aowed it to become such# The mind is simpy a -ery usefu secretary! abe to &eep
the ed"ers baanced# )hie we are "i-in" a the minds courses in computeri0ation!
it is "oin" to be a on" time before we can use these computers to find out what is
wron" with ourse-es# )e may sometime?it may be someday that we wi ha-e to fi"ht it
out with the computers because they may be more ri"ht than we are# In any e-ent!
the mind is a constant cause of a"itation# Its ambitions and appetites &now no
bounds and -ery often it forms a difficut and unfortunate partnership with the
emotions# )hen the emotions 6ustify an unfortunate attitude! there is definitey a
bad situation# )hen the emotions tire the mind! that is one troubeH when the mind
rationai0es the emotions! that can be another# The soution of these probems is the
"radua reco"nition of the ascent of the bein" throu"h these conditions#
The stories in the "reat system of the ancient mysteries( the rites of
Eeusis and +ionysus! the rites of Horus and Isis! the rites of $uddha in India!
China! and 2apan?these were aways arran"ed in three basic steps! and these three
basic steps represent the three "reat e-es of the personaity! that part of
ourse-es of which we ha-e some in&in" but -ery itte understandin"# They wi
aso become the basic buwar& de"rees of Gree Masonry! and many fraterna orders ha-e
this same trichotomy of rituas and symbos# The three to"ether constitute what
mi"ht be termed the -isua or tan"ibe tempes#
In the body these three powers are the "rand masters of ife?the ones upon
which neary e-eryone depends for sur-i-a! continuance! and the fufiment of
purposes# )hen somethin" cannot be so-ed physicay! we try to so-e it
emotionay# If that fais! we try to e'pain it or rationai0e it mentay# If
a of these fai! we are at a &ind of wit7s end# )e simpy drop bac&#sometimes!
feein" there is no answer! and turn to the more famiiar thin"s# Those of an
ideaistic nature oo& beyond and see abo-e these three steps somethin" ese! perhaps
*od! reai0in" there is somethin" they sti ha-e to transcend more than they assumed
necessary# $ut for our personaity and for the e'periments of sat! suphur and
mercury! there is the threefod body and the auric or ma"netic fied in which it
functions#
The ma"netic fied is -ery curious because it is aso a mass of chemica
factors?a constanty chan"in" compound of interacti-e ener"ies# The ma"netic fied
is i&e a botte that is bein" -ioenty sha&en after a whoe "roup of materias ha-e
been put into it# Loo&in" at these situations symboicay! the ma"netic fied is a
botte containin" the three parts of our ower nature! each one of which has a
ma"netic o-ertone# )hen we be"in to reai0e this we be"in to see that we ha-e
interactions here as we as in the body# )e ha-e to e'pain! for instance! why a
temper fit can cause a headache! or why indi"estion can resut in serious emotiona
compe'es# The answer is that the troubes arise in the difficuties in the auric
or ma"netic fied! due to intemperance of attitudes# If an indi-idua is an"ry! the
ma"netic fied ba0es up and reay practicay burns out most of the other -aues!
for the moment at east# If the indi-idua is depressed! the ma"netic fied fades
down to a shadow# If an indi-idua is in the presence of conta"ion and is heathy!
the ma"netic fied can protect him from infection# If! howe-er! he is depeted and
in the presence of conta"ion! he may catch the aiment#
10.
The ma"netic fied is in constant motion! made up of emotion forms! thou"ht
forms! and bodiy essences# If there is any deceit or faseness in the
personaity! it wi show in the ma"netic fied! athou"h the indi-idua may try to
ta& himsef out of the probem# A temper fit can ony be 6ustified if it does not
resut in troube in the ma"netic fied# The ma"netic fied is not interested in
e'cuses or e'panations! but in the chemica interaction of -aues# )hen a -aue
is per-erted or misused! the ma"netic fied bears witness# The moment it bears
witness its resources are depeted and the indi-idua does not fee so we#
Litte by itte! abuse of the -arious emotions! thou"hts! and bodiy
functions wi resut in the e'haustion of the ma"netic fied# )hen that
e'haustion is compete! the indi-idua simpy ea-es this word# He cannot
function if the ener"y fieds do not sustain him# Thus it is -ery important to
maintain harmony# One of the "reat principes of 1ytha"oras was that the word had
to be maintained as a musica instrument! that it had to be in harmony aways# And
the indi-idua in his persona ife is aso a musica instrument# He is the -ina
of Si-a! the mysterious instrument that pays the ma6estic music of ife# If he
mista&es his destiny or misuses his power! he is in troube#
>ow most of the achemists "ot about to the point where they were be"innin" to
sense some of these -aues# Ha-in" "one as far as the mind coud ta&e them! they
found themse-es at the entrance to a promised and which they coud not enter into#
They did not &now how to hande that which ay beyond# They had istened carefuy
and! as Gaust in his ibrary! had read a the "reat boo&s# They had studied a
the mysteries! but there at ast they stood with a their ore! foos no wiser than
before# The "reat search ended in frustration! not in the "reat reward for which
they had hoped# The ony answer to this was to do what Luy! %aentine! and
,hunrath and many others did?chec& o-er what had happened# )hat did happen< )hy
this sudden boc& that is impossibe for most peope to "et throu"h< 7 The fina
reai0ation was that this boc& was the absence of a facuty hi"her than the mind#
The mind coud "o ony a certain distance# E-en the most beautifuy trained mind
coud not fufi the utimate# There had to be somethin" hi"her than the mind!
without which the "reat e'periment coud not be performed#
)hen Eias Artista -isited the achemists he sometimes "a-e them a sma
amount of transmutin" powder# He put it in his rin" or he made a tiny -ia which
was worn around the nec&! and one "rain of this powder coud transmute a thousand
times its own wei"ht into soid "od# There was a ot of ta& about that and the
"rains were few! but it was &nown that in some cases they e'isted# It is beie-ed
that Ro"er $acon offered to finance the Crusades for En"and as the resut of the
abiity to transmute base meta into "od suitabe to be minted# The e"ends and
fabes continue! but the main story seems to be that Eias Artista! or one i&e him!
appeared at the proper moment to "i-e some type of instruction! somethin" more than
the achemist aone had achie-ed# Eias ne-er appeared uness the discipe was in
e-ery way worthy# He woud ne-er hep any achemist out of his own mista&es! but
he woud hep him to pro"ress beyond a sincere effort to a "reater de"ree of
accompishment#
In the achemica tradition there were se-en sta"es of adepts and masters
reatin" to the science# It was a on" 6ourney at best! but a 6ourney where e-ery
step brou"ht with it a "reater sense of inner security and sincerity# )ith the
be"innin" of the fourth step! under the eadership
11.
of a "uide or by means of the mysterious tincture! the achemist recei-ed his
first e-idence that he was utimatey "oin" to succeed# He recei-ed the inner
messa"e that the abor was not in -ain# It was from a hope in the first three
to a &ind of mysterious! mystica certainty in the fourth e-e that made it
possibe for him to "o on#
On this fourth e-e of achemy we find the ife of Christ is an achemica
formua# )e aso find! accordin" to the cabaists! that the SO>* OG SOLOMO> is aso
purey a chemica formua in dis"uise# $ut the Christian formua of the Christ
mystery paces Christ as the fina achie-ement of the uni-ersa medicine# In the
achemica symbos! pictures of Christ and saints appear in the bottes to indicate
that this was the intention of the story! athou"h most peope did not reai0e its
import#
In the fourth step is the be"innin" of an inte"rated mystica e'perience# In
other words! the fourth step was the awareness of the sou# It was what in Indian
phiosophy is the $uddhic state# It is the state of the indi-idua suddeny
becomin" rationa inside himsef! achie-in" a sense of reaity superior to thou"ht!
and aso becomin" for the first time capabe of directin" his own efforts by the -ery
+i-ine 1ower within him which he was see&in" to reease into manifestation# In the
ancient hermetic mysteries the sou was the symbo of the Eias Artista! the adept#
It was the one power in man capabe of becomin" the interna instructor! capabe of
becomin" the source of inner eni"htenment that cannot fai#
In achemy! the cuti-ation of this sou power is perhaps most ceary defined
in the writin"s of $oehme! the *erman theoo"ian mystica shoema&er who was one of
the "reatest mystics of the 1rotestant word# $oehme was the one who finay
reai0ed that within himsef was the adept# The adept was not someone wanderin"
around outside! but the adept sef! more or ess in the same spirit of the eadership
that we find in the psychoo"y of Car 2un" where the inner teacher becomes the
symbo of the master achemist#
At this particuar phase! i"ht be"ins to shine from within and carify# The
eye be"ins to see throu"h the bind spot in its center# The word becomes more and
more transucent! the eements more and more understandabe# Instead of seein"
nothin" but bodies! the intuiti-e mind "raduay earns to concentrate on .uaities#
The intuitiona mystica e'perience is one in which the indi-idua sees thin"s as
they are and not as he has thou"ht them to be# He sees not with morta eyes but
from an inner -ision which pro6ects a hi"her e-e of si"ht# To ma&e it a itte
cearer! a thin"s that e'ist ha-e not ony the -isibe forms of their e'istence!
but in-isibe forms# Each roc& and pebbe! each twi" and fower! is not ony a
physica thin" but a metaphysica thin"# )ith the mind! emotion! and body we see
the physica thin"# )ith the psychic power of the sou we see the psychic bodies of
these thin"s! the ma"netic fieds of them! and become aware of their de"ree of "rowth
in the de-eopment of their potentia# )e aso become abe to watch ceary the
resut of combinin" them# )e see the compatibiities and incompatibiities# )e
see the eements that wor& to"ether and the wor&s that cannot be reconcied#
As we wor& with the sou eye we sowy become aware of the uni-ersa sou#
Gor the first time we are capabe of seein" the .uaity of ife# This is we noted
in some of the eary -isions of the 1atonic writers and many other mystics who were
abe to behod the in-isibe shapes of thin"s! and in seein" their shapes behod
their natures# )hie the
12.
physica /body cannot chan"e "reaty! the psychic centers within the body are in
constant motion and a"itation# It is then aso possibe for the achemist to
disco-er somethin" that perhaps he had ne-er fuy reai0ed before# He may ha-e
beie-ed it! but beie-in" and &nowin" are two different thin"s# He now &nows
that no matter what he sees or e'amines! there is nothin" in the entire uni-erse
that is not ai-e# E-en the "rain of sand is a i-in" mystery# E-erythin" is
ai-e! and in the "reat ai-eness of thin"s the ma"netic fieds of a these
different forms "ather in the ma"netic atmosphere of the uni-erse# It is a -ery
"reat and important sub6ect for carefu study#
)ith the be"innin" of this dimension of -aue! the achemist be"ins to
disco-er how to accompish the mutations which are necessary to his art# He &nows
the principe of subimation# He &nows the cyces of recapituation that ha-e to
be used because "raduay he sees that achemy is ony a symboic representation of
the entire process of uni-ersa acti-ity# E-erythin" is part of the same "reat
pattern! and this pattern unfods as we become capabe of understandin" it# The
pattern is ne-er more nor ess! but our reation to it is fore-er chan"in" as a
resut of persona "rowth#
Ginay the indi-idua throu"h an intuiti-e process forms a reunion wtith the
di-ine part of himsef# Ha-in" formed this union with the di-ine part of himsef!
he then "oes on to the further steps of the "reat transmutations! findin" himsef
"raduay ifted up into the hierarchies of ife but ne-er! howe-er! for persona
"ain! ne-er for "ory! ne-er for weath! and ne-er to escape pain# The pains and
sufferin"s we ha-e are the impairments which by our own poicy we &now no better#
They are processes of "rowth which >ature has presented to us for contempation and
which we must face! whether they are happy or not#
In time we find the part of achemy in the "reat uni-ersa pan of thin"s#
)e find the panet itsef is in a state of constant achemica transformation# )e
&now that the soar system is mo-in" from one e-e of e-oution to another and the
whoe cosmos is coinin" more and more into perfect harmony with its own rues#
The different forms of ife ha-e a tendency as time "oes on to be absorbed into
hi"her forms of ife# It is not that sometime our panet wi disappear or "o
fore-er and we wi cease because of it! but that e-oution is a "rowin"! and when
we out"row the e'periences that we are facin" in the twentieth century! we wi no
on"er be sub6ect to the confusion and sorrow of these e'periences#
)e ha-e to so-e probems# The achemist7s probem was to so-e the mystery
of himsef# He had to find ways to out"row his own imitations and -arious
systems ha-e been ad-anced by that# Rei"ion and phiosophy ha-e attempted the
same thin" and science wi someday attempt it because science wi ha-e
instruments by means of which many of the "reat mysteries of anti.uity can be
so-ed# Re"ardess of the moti-e behind it or the methods used! the soution is
the "radua transformation caed transmutation! mutipication! and finay
pro6ection of the "reat wor&#
This is a mar-eous wonder word of forces and -aues which wor& to"ether
with the music of the spheres! as 1ytha"oras caed it! a uni-erse of infinite
inte"rity! infinite beauty! and infinite wonder? a uni-erse which e'ists within
ourse-es as a potentia of a of these
13.
thin"s! for there is nothin" in the uni-erse that is necessary to man that he does
not possess# And it is perfecty possibe to concei-e the utimat unity of man
and the uni-erse?not by his ceasin" to be himsef but by out "rowin" what he has
come to consider himsef! another probem that we a ha-e to face#
)e a thin& of ourse-es as we are# )e oo& around us and we see our
cothin"! friends! associates! and imit ourse-es to the &ind of creature we
seem# On the menta and emotiona e-es of -ision we see the inside the way we
thin& it is# )e oo& inside and we see ourse-es as a more or ess compicated
mass of conficts and contradictions# )e reai0e that we are nothin" to bra"
about! if we want to be reay honest about it# $ut we can aways thin& of
somethin" to bra" about# A these infirmities! wea&nesses! imitations are
ta&en for "rantedH the indi-idua is what he is# He is "oin" to be here a itte
whie and then he is "oin" to ea-e# )here he is "oin"! most peope are not -ery
sure# $ut in any e-ent we ta&e this sefness as it is to be ourse-es# This
sefness is the thin" we ha-e "i-en the name 2ohn +oe to! and whene-er someone
says /2ohn +oe/ we stand up# )e reco"ni0e ourse-es as a separate entity
somewhere in the word of creatures! and it ne-er occurs to the a-era"e person
that there is any rea reason that he shoud be anythin" but what he appears to
be# There is no reason why he shoud "i-e up a his peasures for somethin" he
does not understand# There is no reason to assume that he can e-er be anymore
than he is#
It is from that standpoint we are oc&ed in the owest e-e of achie-ement#
About the ony other answer seems to be to try to ma&e as it is as comfortabe as
possibe# )e do not want to suffer more than we ha-e to# )e do not want to do
anythin" that is "oin" to incon-enience us# )e want to "o aon" as we as we
can unti we ea-e# $ut this! of course! is a ac& of aspiration! and there has to
be some aspiration! or nothin" wor&s# Therefore! it becomes -ery necessary for
the indi-idua to sense that there is somethin" more he can become! or he wi
stay the way he is# >o amount of education can "et him out of it because
education can ony hep the mind! but the mind cannot "et at the facts#
Out of "rowth! friendship! &indness! e'perience particuary! we need to
reease the sou power! the o-ersef of Emerson# )e ha-e to reease this inner
superiority and "i-e the best of ourse-es immediate ruership o-er the rest of
ourse-es# 1ato says that in the phiosophic empire the wisest ead# Those
not so wise are sti wise enou"h to foow honoraby# To the indi-idua! the
best part of himsef must be the eader of the rest! for the moment he rests
eadership upon any contaminated e-e of his own consciousness! he is in troube#
The achemist was a &ind of a bein" apart! a natura mystic! and there were many
mystics who were not achemists but were aso on the same "enera e-e# There
is a sma part of society! unfortunatey sma! that has disco-ered within itsef
the need for "rowth! the need to become more! aware that there are certain na""in"
.uestions that need to be answered in order to i-e we now#
)e need to increase in a these -aues in order to ma&e ife in this word
suitabe to us# )e ha-e to try to find the answers to war and corruption# )e
reai0e that as we are now! e-en thou"h we may ne-er be in a war ourse-es! we are
in a war and confict with our nei"hbors and our famiies and within the
bioo"ica structure of our own bodies#
14.
Somethin" has to be done to arbitrate these thin"s# The way of arbitration is a
sow process of discipine by means of which we ascend the three personaity factors
of our i-es and come into harmony with the fourth e-e# This in the ancient
astronomy was the e-e of the sun! the fourth orbit# The weddin" of the body and the
psyche! or sou! was caed by the achemists the marria"e of the sun and moon#
Achemy is actuay a dedicated effort to find out where we come from! why we
are here! and where we are "oin"# It is aso a science by which a sciences buit
in sefishness can be rededicated to the common "ood of humanity# It is a way of
appyin" a that we &now to a the probems that we must so-e# Step by step! we
become more &nowin"! more usefu! and more hepfu! becomin" better citi0ens here
and! whether we reai0e it or not! better citi0ens of Eternity#
Achemica symboism is a o-ey metaphysics! a "racious and beautifu approach
to one of the "reat probems of daiy e'istence# E-ery indi-idua in his own
persona ife can be an achemist! a wor&er with the di-ine chemistries of i-in"#
He can wor& with the chemistry of ad6ustments with society! he can wor& and
discipine his own nature! he can de-eop inte"rities and &indiness! and "raduay
transmute his ife from a sef:centered effort to succeed into a sou:centered effort
ser-in" the "reat cause of ife#
As these chan"es ta&e pace the indi-idua wi find that he is bein"
transmuted# He is bein" chan"ed from a morta creature to the di-ine bein" which
was aways there! aways within him! but which was oc&ed out# There is a ife
"rowin" up within that has to "row to &now! has to de-eop its own potentias in
order to be abe to earn! and which in one way or another throu"h the probems of
ife wi utimatey be impeed to dedicate itsef to the ser-ice of that which it
needs to &now#
15.