Hermetic Science and the Alchemical Process

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Hermetic Science and the Alchemical Process

The Denver Spiritual Community

Home Table of Contents Wisdom of the Ages

A COMPENDIUM OF OCCULT LAWS

Chapter IV

THE HERMETIC SCIENCE and the ALCHEMICAL PROCESS

Topics:

31 The Hermetic Concept

32 Hermetic Science and the Alchemical Process

33 The Philosopher's Stone and the Elixir of Life

34 The Greatest of Victories Is the Victory Gained Over the Carnal Self

35 The "Pearl of Great P rice"

36 Men Sneer at Belief in God and Religion to Hide Their Ignorance

37 Insti l l ing Man W ith the Spirit of Achievement

38 Vice Transmuted In to Virtue

39 The Human Nature of Man40 Know ledge Which Should Serve Man Often Renders Him a Slave

41 The Divine in Man's Nature

42 Through Suffering Often comes Spiritual Enlightenment

43 Man Is the Subject of Hermetic Science

44 Conscious Communication With the Spiritual Hierarchies

45The Fear of the Lord Should Be the Beginning of a Search forWisdom

46 There Is Reason for Secrecy

47 The Philosopher's Contempt for Death

48 Know Thyself

49 Creator and Creation Are One

50 The Law of Nature Should Be the Law of Man

51 God Has Placed His Eternal "Word" in Man

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52 "In Thee Is Hidden the Treasure of Treasures"

53 The Neophyte Possesses Keen Desire for Immortality

54 Arcane Science, the Straight and Narrow Path

55 Man Must Awaken His Soul to Activity

56 Unselfish Love Is the Uplifter

57 The Material Self Is Necessary to Spiritual Development

58 Material Success and Soul-Consciousness

59 The Human Body Is the Hall of Initiation

60 Body and Soul Represent Earth and God

61 The Aim and End of Man on Earth

62 Man's Greatest Foe Is Himself

63 Success in Every Department of Life

Instructions in the full and complete conquest of the mental faculties; thedevelopment of all forces and energies; the emancipation of the w ill, and the

attainment of an absolute individualism.

THE HERMETIC CONCEPT

he Great Work of the Hermetic Art is before all things thEcreation of man himself by means of transmutation that is to say:

First - The full andcomplete conquestof his faculties. Second - The developmentof all his forcesand energies. Third - The perfectemancipations of hisWill. Fourth - The establishmentof manhood and theattainment ofabsoluteIndividualization.

an is not truly man unless he is a FREE man. So long as man is



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hackled by lim itations, whether self-created or by m an-made legislativenactments or by the dom inion of the power usurped by other men, he is not a fan ; therefore, he is a slave to conditions, circumstances and environm ents.

his is in no w ise indicative that man should ignore the statutes created by otheen . On the contrary, it stipulates that the free man is so proud of his inheritancat he w ill not stoop to comm it "sin" - a w rong against himself, other men or

ociety. Having attained such freedom from the domination of his ow n passions,too noble to stoop to any unw orthy act. It w as w ritten of such: "The men best

overned are those least governed," because these govern themselves.

he concept of Hermetic Science and Alchemical Processes is the development oe threefold man: body, mind and Soul; the complete activa tion of all his forces

owers and energies; the attainment ofSoulonsciousness here and now ; and the severing of aan-made shackles that hold him in subjection and interfere w ith his obedience

e Divine Law .Top|

HERMETIC SCIENCE AND THE ALCHEMICAL PROCESS

he aim of Initiation:

"That the children of Darkness

Become the sons of Light!"

he study and mastery of Hermetic Science reveals to man the m ysteries of hisature, the secrets of his organization, the hidden potentialit ies w ith theirossibilities and the means by w hich he may attain happiness, theuccessful achievem ents of his life's purpose and , lastly, a degree of perfection; hort, the AIM and END of his destiny. This is theecret of Init iation and has bes purpose since the first man became conscious of his Soul or

piritual self and inaugurated the Mysteries wherebyl men might , if they so desired, attainpiritual Consciousness.

he "key" to this process is the hidden teachings in all sacred writings; it is theasic foundation of all religious - Spiritual - inculcations.

he older Mysteries w ere dual in their object; that is to say the Masters had twostinct purposes in view - a double doctrine.



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he first object was to emancipate man from his state of barbarity (1) and civil izm, and then take the cultured man and instruct him tow ard perfection. In otheords, to lead man, who was universally believed to be lost or fallen, back to hisrst estate. According to this concept, man must become REgenerated, hispiritual nature brought to the ascendant; and this is onlyossible through a process known as Initiation, the method being Alchemical an

e means transmutatory .------------------------------------------------------------------------) Unfortunately for mankind, just as we had about convinced ourselves that m

ad at last mastered the inhumanity in his nature and had accepted theivine Law to govern his actions toward his fellow men, wre confronted by the outburst of a cruelty heretofore unknown, even in a state tter barbarity, thought foreign to reasoning human beings. No time in the histof man, not even in the conquests of Mexico and South America, was there know be such w anton destruction of undefended property, innocent men, women an

hildren. How far (at least a part of) humanity has retrogressed is readily seenhen we compare the actions of officials of enemy forces during the Revolutionaar to the tactics of present w ars. During the American Revolution, the enemy

fficers would not permit the burning of homes unless it was absolutely essentiar their success or protection; and certainly there is little or no record of thell ing of defenseless men, women and children, or capturing them for purposes avery. Compare this w ith the inhuman destruction of l ife in Russia and manyher countr ies during their revolutions. Many of these nat ions, by so doing, setemselves back by fifty thousand years.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

he second object w as to discover the means whereby gross matterould be raised to its first nature, the secret which w as lost to all but the very feTop|

THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE AND THE ELIXIR OF LIFE

old became the symbol of the first matter and has so remained because gold is

e purest substance know n to man; it is capable of resisting even fire, theniversal cleanser. Fire is to matter w hat the heric Fire is to the Soul;us, Initiation had tw o divisions:

the first division only the propensities were purified; only the "man" w as putrough the crucible. This w as a Spiritual Alchemy, a proce

f transmutation , a human transformation,rcanely known as I nit iat ion.



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he second step in the process dealt w ith the mysterious operations of Nature aas an initiation of the"body," the material.

the one process was contained the search for the Cornerstone of the Philosopemple of Mankind, and w ith ingenious symbolism it taught the Neophyte that aumanity should and could be reunited into one great

old of universalit y, differing in expression, but uniteds to objective - without interfering withach other, harmonizing instead.

the second division, the Neophyte w as taught to search for that which led bac a new Golden Age, the Philosopher's Stone of turning failure into success, ande Elixir of Life, which not only maintains health and w ell-being but also prolone.

he object of all this philosophy and of all Initiation is to obtain the know ledge ae art to make perfect that which either Nature has not yet perfected or that mas degraded by the misuse of his Free W ill; and then to apply this force to theenefit of himself first and then to his fellow man, recognizing the Alchemicalnow ledge that man's first duty is an unselfish one to himself.

ar in the past, when m an's first Spiritual awakeningommenced to reflect on himself, he became aw are that, though know ing andpproving the good, he was strongly inclined to do what w as not to the ultimate

enefit of himself or others; this in itself proved that the strength of his desiresas far greater than his reason. He enjoyed only partly, or in appearance only, hheritance of Free Will. It quick ly became apparent to him that if he util ized hisght of choosing and of determining his actions throughout his l ife, he mustubdue those unruly passions w hich controlled his very being. From thence sprae first idea of the sage to be a free man and master of himself. Every institutio

nd philosophy which has in view the mak ing of Masters and Adepts mustrimarily have in view this self-mastery.Top|

THE GREATEST OF ALL VICTORIES IS THE VICTORYGAINED OVER THE CARNAL SELF

chemical Science had its origin in Arabia and w as closely associated w ithligious rites. Geber is its accredited founder. The Egyptian Priests were initiateto its mysteries, it being part of, and closely associated w ith, the Hermeticcience. Alchemy postulated an orderly universe, but Alchemy was richer in its



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aried details, far more picturesquely embroidered, more prodigal of strangeoncepts to make it interesting than the Initiatory A rt and Science of Egypt. Thechem ist constructed his ordered scheme of nature on the basis of a universalitf l ife. The Alchemist saw life in everything and that l ife w as threefold in its aspee recognized the manifestation of l ife in the form or body of a thing; in its spiritnd in its Soul.

hings may differ materially in appearance, in size, taste, smell and other outw aroperti es; yet, according to Alchem ical Science, be intimately related becauseey w ere produced from the identical principles and animated by the same

niversal Spirit or activating force. On the other hand, things migsemble one another closely in their appearances outwardly yet differ in their

ssential qualities; because, according to Alchemy, they w ere formed fromfferent elements and in their Spiritual properties were

astly differen t. The transformation of one thing into another, according to thiscience, can only be affected by Spiritual means, acting on

e spirit of the thing, because the true transformation consists essentially inising the substance to the highest perfection whereof it is capable.(2)-------------------------------------------------------------------------

2) Within man there are tw o constantly active fires . Ohis creative energy, while the other is his Divine P rinciple. All men are familiarith their creative energy, how it governs and controls their every action. Becauf lack of control, all the crimes in the catalog are committed daily. It makes aonster out of a w eakling and a demon out of a physical w reck. Under control, ie impetus of the imaginative faculty, and men becom e inventors, artists, sceni

usicians, authors, physicians, masters of science; but still no more than men. Bhen this creative energy, this creative fire is raised up - Moses l ifted up the

erpent in the w ilderness - to its highest perfection, then the meek and low ly maecomes an In itiate, a master, one of the gods, a free man invery sense of the term; and to be truly free , no longer under theominion of any other man or set of men, or any force or circumstance, is theghest that man can attain in this mundane sphere; it is the Odyssey sought by

hilosophers.-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Top|

THE "PEARL OF GREAT PRICE"

ow man may use his forces and express them harmoniously is the secret of thechem ic, Hermetic and Arcane philosophy, and is the "Pearl of Grerice." A deep and earnest study and a steadfast purpose on the part of theeophyte to l ive the life - the concept and the work of the Hermetics - as taught



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e instructions and by the counselors, w il l in due time open his vision to the trund most w onderful meaning of this philosophy. All this philosophy would be oftle value unless actually related to man's moral character and ultimate freedom

he true understanding of this philosophy gives us a natural religion and verifiesur faith; it is the connecting link betw een earth and heaven; between m oral lawnd material law; and between the microcosm and the macrocosm.

orals are the basic statutes of religious and Spiritual culcations, while Spiritua lity is religion itself. God abouts , in our very presence, not somewhere else, is a stronger influence than aneory can be, however elaborate. We must have m ore than a conjectured God.ur own intell igence resides somewhere in some

hing . Which is the substance? Is it the most subtle, homogeneous atimate element of our bodies - and what?

Dissection," says W ill iam Hemstreet, in the text, Mind Is

atter , "has laid open to our eyes the secret channels, battery anaraphernalia of an electric fluidic life. Thus may not the Creative In telligencehere in the universal ether? This is the `image' in w hich we have been created

nd further, "The plant needs actual contact with sunshine, not toossess in itself a `theory' about sunshine nor a `belief' in sunshine. Man is in nef a God(3) with w hom he can actually associate, w ith hispiritual and physical part icles in reality of contact, like throximity of one w e love, not a theory of God, not a belief in a distant God."acking this contact, man w ill continue to be forced to rely on other men like

mself; and the chances are that it w il l be someone w ith lesser enlightenment atelligence than him self, and in consequence the tendency is everownward and away from perfection.(4)------------------------------------------------------------------------

3) Is this concept so difficult to understand and realize? All basic concepts of Gore that He is LOVE. The one, man or woman, who has really experienced lor w ho is IN love, feels himself to be a dual person. That love which iseal to him is as much A PART OF HIM as is his material self.4) This downward tendency, away from individuality and toward universal

erfdom, has been proceeding rapidly w ithin the past decade. Before the firstorld W ar, while kings and emperors sti l l ruled many nations, the universalndency was tow ard freedom and individualism. Mill ions were fighting w ithinemselves to aw aken sufficient courage to risk their ow n life and possessions to

ain freedom from the dominion of others; and we were w ell on the way towardarthly democracy where men would be judged by what they trulyere ; then, came the second World War, ostensibly to bring such freedor all men, but withjust the reverse

esult . Untold mill ions who w ere well on the way toward such



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eedom have completely reversed themselves or permitedhemselves to becomeo weak that they areore completely bound,ody, mind and Soul,han the serfs undervan , the Terrible ; and there is no

ritten history to indicate that there ever was a time when king or emperor in and dared to set himself up as unto God as do the egomaniacs of today, nor didey dare to command and force into obedience the mill ions as is done today inany lands. Even the czars of Russia gave their condemned subjects a chance ofving by sending them to Siberia, whereas now there is wholesale execution of tost cruel, diabolical and unreasoning kind. Within a decade or less, humanity hst the freedom and right of self-determination it has been fighting for sincevil ization began due to inertia, blood pollution and imm oralities that would

hame Babylon.

Top| ------------------------------------------------------------------------

MEN SNEER AT BELIEF IN GOD AND RELIGIONTO HIDE THEIR IGNORANCE AND DEBASEMENT

ermetic Science is upheld by Holy Writ. The men w ho wrote the moral andpiritual precepts of the Scripture had minds and hearts

mbued w ith lofty concepts. For their m oral reasoning, greatpiritual insight and fine intuition, they w ere giantsompared w ith modern money-and-pow er-mad human creatures, encrusted witodern materialism and the lusts of flesh. Based upon mere hum an standards w

hould revere their view s. They taught, as do the Init iate Schools of today, thatrtue, love, hope, graciousness, forgiveness and strength to fight for the right ae Beatitudes of the Soul; Whereas vice, guilt, covetousness and infringement

pon the rights of others are diseases and death to the Soul.

"For to be carnallyminded is death,but to bespiritually m indedis life and peace."__St. Paul

hen w e give our minds earnestly to a study of the mere transitoriness of morta



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fe and affairs and yet can feel how continuous our hopes and loves may e then realize the utter incompatibil ity of the Soul with all that is carnal.

e, then, see and realize that the hum an successes and earthly possessions mayde, literally and surely, like the sunset behind the mountains. All personal

randeur, populari ty, business or politica l success, official station and pow er,roperty and even empires pass aw ay like the clouds. None of them is abiding,

mply because the physical is temporal - of a few days and know n no more. If thody w ere everlasting, if all things did not undergo mundane changes, if the earnd time w ere eternity, then mundane aspirations w ould adapt to physical l ife. Iquires an eternity to fully know the fullness of human love. Our ambitions areore than commensurate w ith earth and time. Is there an answer to the demanf every heart for permanence? We walk, act and build for permanence withcarcely any thought of death, although w e are upon quicksand. Is there one plaat is safe and certain? Yes! As seeds sown in the ground have innate qualities

raw ing them upward unto the air and sunshine, so do we

ave innate qualitiesrawing us upeard to etherealalms, if we give heed to feelings and seek to manifest them. if we give heed toelings and seek to manifest them. One who can contemplate a l i ly or a rose, a

ewborn babe or the devotion of a mother in the sick room and say there isothing higher than mundane life, is simply Soulless and w ithoutpiritual perception. Such a one deserves the serfdom thatecoming the lot of most m en in the present egomaniac age.

hen w e assume with scientific certainty that the mind of man is l inked with aurable vehicle, such as a Spiritual entity, and that this hae boundless ether as its realm of l ife and activity, then we are ready to emergeom our earthworm condition and enter into the sunshine w ith the assurance ofn eternity . Suns and planets may perish, but in the final crash they cannot harme Soul that has dared to search for enlightenment and freedom from

ntanglements that are not of its ow n creation.Top|

INSTILLING MAN W ITH THE SPIRIT OF ACHIEVEMENT

s, one by one, men , co-operating in earnest simplicity w ith the Divine forces ofhich by nature they are the repository, perceive upon a purified mentality clear

maging of the essential union within themselves of each form andrce, and of recovered lost faculties throughout the subtler intricacies of surfac

ense of enacting that biunity, they come to understand the past and future ofeir fate; what has been done and what yet remains for them to do; what was t



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ctual growth that struggled up through the "snow s" of their outer nature; andow much sti l l waits within to develop and come forth. They will face l ife with aew incentive to be active, to overcome and to achieve.

he vices, no less than the virtues which characterize the present generation w ituch marked vigor, are prophetic and initiatory of the rapid and inevitable changat must supervene throughout societarian life, both in its lesser and greater fo

f family, nationality and universality. The vices and weaknesses, the utter servif today, must be transformed into virtue , fair dealing and strength; ore present races, w ith few exceptions of those who inArcane

arlance seek the Path to attain self-mastery, wil l be self-destroyed anst to history; and well this should be, because at no time in the age of man havere been greater opportunities than at the present moment.

nce the time w hen the incorporation ofSpiritualotentials began to create reflection on the qualities of

e desires which were produced within man, he has, in the roughnd-ready fashion of a relative inexperience, solved the mental problem suggesty the phenomena of his moral emotional nature. Men simply announcedemselves to be constituted of elements of opposite kinds, generating forces of

onflicting tendencies. For centuries, a temporary but necessary purpose has beeerved by epitomizing the work of all Nature struggling upward tow ard perfectios the fl ight of a good (constructive and elevating) against the evil or destructivi thin or about man. This view was the only one under pastonditions whereby the battle of l ife could be faced and maintained.

Top|

VICE TRANSMUTED INTO VIRTUE

ther the misdirection and inflammation or force called evil -ecause it endangerseedom, harmony andfe - must be suppressed, or the instincts for equable distribution offectional vigors - w hich are called good, for want of a better term , because the

ngender justice, peace and progress - m ust be largely reinforced from the hiddeources of life(5) before a deeper insight can safely be acquired inte secret (hidden) force.---------------------------------------------------------------------

5) These sources of l ife and power have been hidden from the vast hum anityecause the powers in control have decreed it should be so in order that the fewroperly prepared and w ith the necessary moral strength, might successfullyovern the many. All knowledge that had a tendency to give man strength and



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ower to make him free and self governing was forbidden know ledge," and wasnly for the few, and had to be taught sub rosa and in Secretchools.

an's Soul w as in the keeping of k ings and priests and, to tell the truth, wasermitted to be dormant, having no more light or wisdom at death than w hen itas incarnated in human form. Thus the mill ions were as pawns held in the gras

f a few men, and they fully realized that once man awakened to the fact that heossessed Spiritual potentialit ies which would make him areat or even far greater than those who held him in bondage, absolute authoritould be at an end.

dvancement for three hundred years was rapid, and man began to achieve thecme of freedom, only to resell himself , body,ind and Soul; and there is greater danger that the mass w ill be hurled into farreater slavery than ever know n before, for man's dow nfall and degradation are

par w ith the heights he had attained.---------------------------------------------------------------------

vil, in the individual, whatever its nature, cannot be eliminated by forces outsidf himself but from within himself, and only as he recognizes boths w eaknesses and the evils that are present. These w eaknesses and evils are tares" continuall y ment ioned in THE LEGEND OF THE SOWER. They should not bestroyed any more than the w ise farmer does on his land, but are plowed underder that they may become the nourishment for the soil; so in l ike manner, man

ecoming conscious of his "tares," TRANSMUTES THEM, and they become theubstance for his advancement and attainment.

n unknown Initiate, an Alchemist, has interpreted the Legend in this w ise:

"The tares in the field must be perm itted to grow as a protection to thevirgin soil for future service. When the husbandman is ready for theplanting, he w ill turn under these tares that the virtues and potencies -the living elements in them - m ay be transmuted into l ife giving

substances for the seeds or the plants which will replace the tares.Thus, the evils w ithin man, even his degrad ing vices, if thedegeneration has not progressed too far, become the life and theLight of the Soul, and w herewithal upon which all successand attainments are based."

he conception of l ife and force, which outgrows from man's present mentality,uggests to him that w hich his daily l ife and all the universal phenomena verify,at life and force are one. The direction of its currents, however intricate or



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terpretative, all refer to the same series of impulsions: that the w hole range ofcts constituting the suffering and errors of mank ind, are but abnormal

henom ena of this life-force. The ordinary sensitiveness of man to the life-forcereatly varies am ong different individuals, and is generally exceedingly superfics nerves, though markedly more acute than the nerves of men who lived some

ges ago, are sti ll extremely dense and convey to his consciousness no more thaw of the strongest waves of the forces that sustain him. He is able to recognize

e fact that his blood rushes to and fro between surfaces and centers, andoncentrates and disperses forces and energies to his benefit.

he most profoundly and m inutely sensitive depths - even in exceptional naturenless Spiritually or Soulfully developed, which theirror of ex ternal consciousness succeeds in reflecting - afford as yet to man on

uggestions of the imm ensities of the life-forces resident in his being. Similarly tner vision, to the degree man has developed it, affirms the vastness throughoue infinite worlds beyond this one. This suggests that life-force transcends

nalysis, prevents comprehension through norm al faculties and can be understonly by those w ho have opened their Soul-sight by developing theirpiritual nature to the same degree the physical nature haeen developed by time and environments.Top|

THE HUMAN NATURE OF MAN

the present stage of hum an progress, it is as unintell igent as it is cow ardly toew human nature and affirm its weakness and its viciousness, andttribute thereto theecessary prolongatinf suffering on earth. (6)------------------------------------------------------------------

6) Man's viciousness, which is the basic cause of man's inhumanity to man, haseen excused on the ground that it w as "human nature" and, therefore,navoidable. This concept is gradually giving w ay to a better understanding of thality, and the new conception is that v iciousness is not natural - is no part of

ature - except to the criminal, the perverted, the degraded nature in man, and ust be eliminated by the Alchem ical transmutation of the unnatural, i.e., evilherent in the carnal nature. The vicious animal is either confined or destroyed.he viciousness in the individual must l ikew ise be either self-governed (confinedithin the person) or transmuted into the Beatitudes. If the person is not w il l ing

ontrol himself, then it is society's responsibi lity to do so.-------------------------------------------------------------------



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he fatalism of this popular concept is an insult to both God and those men w hoave become God-conscious, and to the w hole accomplished work of theultitudinous form animated by the one and eternal force. Men no longer gape

ghast at the fixed depravity of men; they know better if they will permit the everesent situation of Wisdom to speak. The knowledge one may have of himself, if he will use it, is sufficient know ledge to be the focal poin

now ledges he should have of all the other mill ions. Let man be w ise to register

nd to protect and direct each delicate movement that may thril l every fiber of heep Soul, and he beholds the beginning of W isdom, but only its beginning. He,us, opens to himself the first page or the book of Nature according to his readiazing into the realm of his ow n spontaneity, man comes to realize that among toms of stirring consciousness is something the he cannot create or comm and.

emands conscious, effortful development.

something appears to " float" to him , streams of vast inapprehensiveness, andecomes a part of him within his l ittle domain, impregnating him

ith its essence of individuality. It surcharges all the vessels of his innermosteing until there wil l be an outpouring of power and energy; and it w il l make ofm a m an apart, kindred to both his fellow men and God; yet, free anddependent, related to all; yet, separate from the unworthy and undesirable,

xemplifying the Biblical command: "Be among men but not of (l ike) them."Top|

KNOWLEDGE WHICH SHOULD SERVE MAN OFTEN RENDERS HIM ASLAVE

reedom to be him self is at the basis of man's nature. Protection for his central lemotions and education of the faculties for consciousness in the pure region ofs being are not only necessities for man, but are the conditions w hich cannot baintained w ithout his perfect sanity or balance of mind and Spirita man claims his freedom, demands this protection, seeks this education, heolates himself amidst an impending and irascible mass of view s, opinions andogmas that dictate and coerce throughout every department of l ife - in religionhilosophy, politics, science, art, sociology and even business - by virtue of and iefense of the vested interests and prescriptive rights on w hich their influence aersonal benefits and profit s rest.(7)-------------------------------------------------------------------

7) This is the basic reason why theArcane Initiatory Fraternities ol ages have been maintained in secrecy and have kept the identity of theireophytes shrouded in mystery. It cannot be said that this necessity no longerxist s. There is, in truth, greater need for it s secrecy today than for centuries pathough w e live in a supposedly enlightened age, where freedom of thought is



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pparently guaranteed to all men, nevertheless, the restrictions are greater todaan for a long tim e past. This is true even in dem ocratic nations, while in other

ations fraternal organizations have been generally outlawed.-------------------------------------------------------------------

en w ound themselves with their own "arrow s"; the know ledge that should servem often renders them slaves. They kneel in helpless superstition before the

gods" of their own creation - mental imaginings - a fear-od, self-created . Still the h ighanhood, deeply enveloped in superstitions, waits for an opportunity to grow fo

nd manifest itself. It is this to which all men should turn - NOW - w ithatchfulness, faithful study and application.

"In the holy depth in man, where God makes sensible the qualities ofpure human desires, is latent all that shouldbe learned. It is the k eynote of the reality of all that makes human life

desirable, enlivening the consciousness of each man at the center of hispersonal emotions. Veritable perception is alone the registry of theseemotions. Honest investigation and estimation of all the phenomenaproduced by other men remain im possible, unless they are based uponthe personal experience of the Soul, from w hich the necessaryhypothesis of the ex istence of human instincts is alone deducible.Silence at the sanctuary of his nature, where the all-holiness which manfails to comprehend deigns to meet in simplest intimacy w ith his frailcapacities of sensational consciousness, makes silence of all harmonies

and their joys throughout the w hole productiveness of every otherfaculty that he puts forth. However, bril l iant or attractive may be themental w ork of teachers who fail, or who refuse to hear these deepvibrations, their influence rests upon the lives of men as w eight and notas l ight; it moves throughout convictions, cooling - never impassioning;it creates in hearts negation rather of veritable sentiment thanaspiration for greater depth of feeling."| Top|

THE DIVINE IN MAN'S NATURE

"The legitimate claim of each person, whether man or woman - a claimmost difficult to exact of social exactions - is to behimself . The universal tendency of today foruniversalregimentation isagainst this, despite the fact that



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individuality is the onlybasis of that perfect altruism w hich alone can retrievesociety. In the sanctuaries of profound emotion, man can only be thatwhich makes him a man ; thatphenomenon of pow er and W ill for perfectness; that machinery forpassionate intention for universal rightness; that form impregnated bythe Divine quality which should govern m an's l ife on earth. Then, and

only then , can he be a w ise ruler of man. Alas! sad man, foolishcreature, bearing withinhis breast this gemof a faculty forevery perfectness,he, nevertheless,l ies down insheeplike w eaknessto be crushed by

the social customsof his own making,the Juggernautsthat he helps toestablish . For the semblances of power that hegains by little increases in science, education, wea lth, politicalinfluence, which comm and a relative obedience and superficialadmiration; for the semblance of pleasure that he can extract a l ittlewhile from portions of his nature by pampering them to abnormal

growth, he misses, for the most part, all the power and well-beingwhich are the essential attributes of his deep, human sense of being.

"The evolution of humanity suggests the proper methods andcontrivances for the general improvement and convenience of man, butevolution cannot use them, not daring yet to seek the consciousness ofthose qualities at its vital heart-centers which are the mainspring ofmaterial and intellectual productiveness and which would dictate themost helpful application of the organizing material provided by science

and invention.

"Among the peoples who have led the progress of the world and amongwhom the sense of manifold experiences, needs and aspirationsincreases hourly, generating the grow th called civil ization, two lines oftendencies are to be marked. These are the tendencies to develophigher and subtler qualities painfully, and to gain experience in therecklessness of pure and noble sentiment. The highest grow thtranscends all pain; the keenest pleasure must be free of all debaseness



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to reach the highest goal. Men m ust grow toward perfection; and theymust l ive w ith joy. Whatever in man is pure, true, human,Divine , is essentially both progressive and sat isfying."| Top|

THROUGH SUFFERING OFTEN COMES SPIRITUALENLIGHTENMENT

The suffering grow th-seekers cling to their brave endeavors, becausethey cannot yet divest themselves entirely of impressions stamped ontheir mentality from w ithout, from social prejudice and injustice, fromreligious formulas and comm ercial skulduggery and all the rest thatoffers to man's minds conditions which they would w ield and dominate,but w hich unfortunately control, l imit and dom inate them. The slowdegradation that corrupts the heartless pleasure seekers results in amalady from the hyperdevelopment to w hich they urge a l imited set offaculties and the absolute atrophy to w hich they leave the larger wealthof those with which, as human beings, they are inherently endowed.

These forms of suffering are signs alike of man's strange ignorance ofthe great powers to which he only is inherent. He w ill be able to escapefrom each if he w ill but turn faithfully toward that gathering-ground ofall essential forcesw ithin his quivering

Soul. Let those whodare, let those whoWill, feel their way slow ly along the shadowy way of l ifetoday and take w hat comes; and dream that they do not change exceptfor the better.

"Those who w onder, those who want, those who suffer, one and all,because of that clear presence of the fine all-l ife that spark les in thebreast of man at this triumphant hour of his labor, w il l find that they

belong to a new race with w hich the world is to begifted after the deluge of Arm ageddon; and that their pain, theirweakness and their folly was due to their ignorance and disobedience.Man and w oman, let loose the powers of nature in you that God mayincarnate. Study the inspired w ritings of the old Masters as herein madeclear, and let the clear voice of the simple instruction ring to youradoration on Mount Sinai to which you rise at every hour of the sweetrepose when life impours. Hurl right and left and far, all thoughts thatserved old time, if they sti l l cl ing to your skirts and burden your ascent.



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"One claim uprears itself in holiest law fulness, inflaming the altar ofyour heart - the w orld's cry for redemption - and lo! the God who meetsyou in the eternal sanctuary of yourself, comes but for that." | Top|

MAN IS THE SUBJECT OF HERMETIC SCIENCE

The subject of Hermetic science is man, while the object is theperfection - the all-round development - of man, and centers in acertain unity with Divine Nature to w hich man is correlated.

The work ofSpiritualtransmutation is accomplished bymeans of a certain method of l ife, plus the development of theSpiritual faculties, including the W ill andImagination, the tw o grand faculties essential to success.

Eliphas Levi, one of the great Master Teachers of the past century,recommends the postulant in the profanos of the Spiritual Temple torise daily at the same hour - an early hour - to bathe summer andw inter before breakfast in cool or cold w ater; never to wear soiledclothing, even if it is necessary to w ash them himself; to exerciseprivations voluntarily that he may be better able to bear the involuntaryones; finally, to impose silence on all desires except that which involvesthe accomplishing of the Great Work of his own

REgeneration. This is simply a prelim inary preparation of the physicaltemple for the greater work to be done which is of another anddifferent character.

Another Mas ter Teacher, Vaughn, describes it as Soul chem istry, anAlchem ical Science, a process of triadic character. This triadic p rocess isthe transmutation of the gross physicalbody by the Spiritual desire within it, the exultation and transfiguration of the Soul, and the Il lumination

and Deification of the Soul by contact w ith theUniversalConsciousness generally known as God.This process accomplishes the REgeneration of the whole man, turninghim into a Spiritual Temple, the true objective oftheAcarne philosophy.| Top|



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CONSCIOUS COMMUNICATION WITH THE SPIRITUALHIERARCHIES

The inculcations of the Hermetic Master Teacher are that w hen thismodification or New Birth has been accomplished, the Initiate is placedin communication with the creative and constructive forces of theUniverse . The avenues ofSpiritual (Soul)perception, which are narrow , difficult and full of barriers to thepsychologist s of the materialistic schools, are open to the sincereNeophyte for unlimited exploration, and the il luminated adept mayproceed to the Invocation of the celestial inte lligences, the Souls ofthose who have fully attained in their SpiritualConsciousness and become members ofthe H ierarchies.

"The depths and heights of his own Immortal nature arealso revealed to him, and from the pinnacle of hisSpiritual center he may soar intoecstatic, yet Conscious, communion w ith theSpiritualHierarchies ."

The Hierophants of old, far less materialist ically and moreSpiritualistically inclined,were familiar with a far deeper understanding ofSpiritual science than w e are today. They couldhave easily laid claim to advances on the Path - wherein weare slowly and painfully traveling - and obtained a permanentpossession of a power and know ledge which was dangerous orimpossible for them to reveal, except to a few chosen ones, and whichthey consequently spoke of in veiled language - the "jargon" of theAlchem ists. They, nevertheless, endeavored to extend this know ledgeto those properly prepared, in order that it m ight be perpetuated, andto this end they invented their symbols and allegories in the hope thateither a Divine Light would i l luminate deserving seekers andenable them to penetrate to their inner perceptions, or that the SecretSchools and Initiate Masters w ould continue to exist and teach andguide will ing Neophytes.

The Alchemical Initiates lay claim to the possession of tremendoussecrets, to invincible pow er over certain forces; above all else, all theirenergies were directed toward one goal - the gaining of Wisdom and



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the power that comes w ith knowledge.| Top|

THE FEAR OF THE LORD SHOULD BE THE BEGINNINGOF A SEARCH FOR WISDOM

"Happy is the man that findeth W isdom and the man that gettethunderstanding."For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, andthe gain thereof than fine gold."She [the Divine Sophia] is more precious than rubies, and all thethings thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her."Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches andhonor.(8)"Her w ays are of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. "She is the"Tree of Life" to them that lay hold upon her [in the Spirit ofrighteousness]: and happy is every one that retaineth her."Get w isdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from thewords of her mouth."Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee; love her, and she shallkeep thee."Keep thy heart w ith all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."____Proverbs 3:13-18 ; 4:5, 6, 23----------------------------------------------------------------------(8) Refer to frontispiece in the text, EULIS.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

These sayings are perfectly congenial w ith the teachings of A lchemicalScience and in perfect harmony w ith the subject and the object of itswork.

Know ledge and Wisdom w ere not synonymous in the Ancient Schools.Sandivogius told his readers:

"There is an abundance of know ledge, yet, but l ittle truth know n. Thegenerality of our know ledge is but as castles in the air or groundlessfancies. I know of but two w ays that are ordained for getting Wisdom;viz., the Book of God (the Soul) and the Book of Nature (the body); andthese only as they are studied w ith reason and confirmed byexperience. Many look upon the former as something belonging to themor as something w ithout existence; upon the latter, as a ground foratheism and, therefore, they neglect both. It is my judgment that as to

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search the Scriptures is most necessary, so w ithout reason it isimpossible to understand them. Faith w ithout reason is but implicity. IfI cannot understand by reason how a thing is, yet, I w il l see that athing is so before I w il l believe it to be so. I w il l ground my believing ofthe Scriptures upon reason; I w il l improve my reason by philosophy.

"When God made man after His own Im age, how was that? Was it not

by mak ing him a rational creature? Men, therefore, who lay asidereason in the reading of the mysteries do but unman themselves and become further involved in a labyrinth of errors. Hence, it is that forma lreligion is w isdomless and degenerated into irrational notions. It m aygovern or control but it is unable to enlighten."

All Initiates w ould have the follow ers of Alchemical Science test allteachings by what they call "the possibil ity of Nature," or itsapplicabil ity to man's physical and Spiritual

needs. Hence, the test of philosophy is not a w ritten record w ith them;and consistent w ith this principle, no Initiate urges his opinion uponauthority,(9) but alw ays in the style of : "Dear Neophyte, l isten to mywords, apply them and thereby prove them ," orhe might say with Stl Paul , one of the mostzealous, bold and independent reformers the world ever know , "Proveall things, hold fast to that w hich is good."----------------------------------------------------------------------(9) This is one of the "landmark s" of the Ancient Fraternity, and for this

reason neither the authentic Order nor any of its Neophytes ormembers may urge the acceptance of its teachings upon the profane,nor may they urge them to associate themselves w ith theArcane Schools. Adver tising, proselyt ing and high-pressure salesmanship such as we are cognizant of today, all of themare expressly forbidden by the Organic Law of the Secret Schools.| Top|

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THERE IS REASON FOR SECRECY

Notw ithstanding St. Paul's dictum, he who accepts truth only because itmay be proved, or demonstrated to be advantageous to body, mind andSoul, or all three, and disregards mere authority , is still stigmat ized asother than a desirable associate.

The Initiates, therefore, who stood upon this ground, would have been



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persecuted had they published their opinions openly, for they lived forthe most part at a period when it was agreed by those in authority thatcoercion, violence of proscription, should be legitimately employed toforce men into the established faith(10); and the imagined enemies,besides being held up to public abhorrence, were often burned at thestake.----------------------------------------------------------------------

(10) W ith the ending of the I nquisition, men breathed m ore freely; andit was confidently expected that, having passed through the Dark Ages,man w ould nevermore be enslaved or bound to opinions unacceptableto his reason. No man could foresee, as civilizations supposed lyadvanced, that the mass w ould be come so weak and servile as topermit the establishment of any system which would be more brutalthan the older regimes had ever dared to be. Yet it has come to passthat in numerous countries fraternal organizations have been forced todisband; they are express ly forbidden; citizens of other than the

accepted faith are maliciously m istreated, scattered and their propertyconfiscated; detention camps are fi l led w ith political dissenters andtreated in a manner such as animal herds never experienced; andpurges are the rule, not the exception. Even in the dark day of theInquisition no man, however debased, could conceive of a time w henmass murder would become possible and continue in defiance of allhuman reason, understanding and sense of right.

Even Americans no longer have any positive assurance of safety,

because the agents of the anti-Christ countries and others w ithdegrading ideologies are active w ithin our country, and practice andproselyte w ithout interference or molestation.----------------------------------------------------------------------

One author thus affirms:

"Believe ye that I conceal these things out of envy? No,surely, for I protest to thee that I grieve from the very

bottom of my Soul that w e are driven, as it were likeoutcasts from the face of the Lord throughout the world. Weare of many nations,(11) l ike vagabonds, and dare not takeupon ourselves the care of a family; neither do we possessany fixed habitation. And although w e possess all things, yetwe can use but few. What, therefore, are w e happy in,excepting speculation and meditation only, wherein wemeet w ith great satisfaction of mind?



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"Many do believe that, if they could enjoy them, they woulddo such and such things; so also even we did formerlybelieve, but being more w ary, by the hazard w e have run,we have chosen amore secretmethod . For whosoever hath once escapedimminent peril of his l ife wil l (believe me) become more

w ise for the time to come."

----------------------------------------------------------------------(11) This has no reference to any nationality.----------------------------------------------------------------------

The practice of secrecy(12) w as never discontinued, and those w hohave continued in authority in theArcane Schools weremost w ise in this, as time has so w ell vindicated them and their age-old

system. ----------------------------------------------------------------------(12) For its authenticity refer to the tex t: MASTERSHIP; THE DIVINE

LAW.

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THE PHILOSOPHER'S CONTEMPT FOR DEATH

"THE LAW," said Apollonius of Tyana, "obliges us to die for liberty, andNature ordains that w e should die for our parents, our friends and ourchildren. All men are bound by these duties. But a HIGHER duty is laidupon the sage; he must bew ill ing to die forhis principles andthe truth he holdsdearer than life .(13) I t is notthe Law that lays this choice upon us, it is Nature; it is

strength andcourage of our ownSouls . Though fire or sw ord threaten man, it w il l notovercome his resolution, or force from him the slightest falsehood; buthe w ill guard the secrets of others and all that has been entrusted to hishonor as religiously as the secrets of his Initiation. And I know morethan other men, for I know that of all that I know , I know some thingsare for the good, some for the w ise, some for m yself, some for the godsbut naught for

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tyrants .----------------------------------------------------------------------(13) In the early days men gave no thought as to w hether theacceptance of a Spiritual concept might endangertheir l ives.----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Again, I think that a w ise man does nothing alone byhimself, no thought of his is secret but that he has himselfas w itness to it. And whether the famous saying, `Knowthyself," be from Apollo or from some sage who learned toknow himself and proclaimed it as a good for all, I think thew ise man, who knows himself and has his ownSpirit in constant comradeship at his righthand to fight, wil l neither cringe at w hat the vulgar fear, nordare to do what m ost men do w ithout the slightest shame."

In these statements w e have the true philosopher's contempt for death;and also the calm know ledge of the Initiate, the comforter and adviserof others to w hom the secrets of their l ives have been confessed; andno torture can unseal his lips. Here, too, we have the full concept ofwhat is Consciousness (of theimpossibil ity of hiding evil in the INNER w orld), and also the conceptionof the dazzling b ril l iance of the higher ethics.| Top|

KNOW THYSELF

To the Occult, Alchem ic andArcane Init iates, the ancientinjunction, Know Thyself , as inscribed uponthe Temple of Apollo, attributed by some to Pythagoras, by others tothe Greeks, and yet by others to the Egyptians, was the sum andsubstance of all Wisdom. In this know ledge of self was found, theybelieved, the know ledge of God; theknow ledge that Godlies in the natureof man .

The Initiates were not acquainted w ith the later theory of our supposeddescent from apes. They possibly did not realize the sign ificance inNature of the law which regulates the survival of the fittest andbest prepared . They did not need



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science to teach them that the weakest w ere always the prey of thevicious unless they were protected by the strong. They, however, wereacquainted with the capacity for improvement in all substances and inall the departments of Nature.

They believed, as we today, in the existence of undeveloped potenciesin every k ingdom of being. They studied the mysteries of

correspondence and the great Law of conditional improvement. Theyinvestigated the operations of energy and force in the direction ofdevelopments.

They did what we fail mostly to do; their aim w as to teach men tocomprehend and fulfi l l the laws of Nature to become reasoning,intell igent human beings in order to correct defectiveness and refinecoarseness. They believed, as we teach, that a change could be affectedin all substances; and they sought to w ork up to the archetypal idea

which dominated each department of Nature. In other w ords, theyendeavored to realize the Ideal to produce perfection in any or everysubstance.

In this manner the material Alchemist elaborated the potencies ofmetals in order to obtain gold while the Spiritual Alchem ist, the Init iate, sought to produce, by development andSpiritualization , the archetype,and to realize the ideal humanity. We find throughout the Alchemists'

w ritings and processes a clear proof of their acquaintance with the LawofSpiritual Evolution which is discernible by arigorous analogy with that of the physical world. Modern science,regrettably, concerns itself but l ittle w ith the possible future ofhumanity. Conversely, underly ing all Alchemical Science there is theconsciousness of a grand future for bothSpiritual and physical transfigura tion; perfection,beauty and visible i l lumination - things outward being an index ofthings inward - are possible, perhaps inevitable, for man; and this

future can at any rate be achievedby the elect , those who refuse to darken- veil - the v ision of the Soul.

As conducted at present, our modern experiments are devoid ofpractical results except that they animalize and brutalize man anddecrease his humaneness, while they increase his mass consciousnesstoward nihil ism. The lines of investigation reach a certain point andthen fade into chaos or nothingness insofar as man's consciousness is



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concerned.| Top|

CREATOR AND CREATION ARE ONE

In their instructions, the Hermetic Initiates protect their know ledge

and secret teachings from the profane by m eans of allegoricallanguage, legends and the use of symbols, leaving their veritablemeaning to be divined by the really sincere student w ith the help of aninsight imparted from the developedSubconsciousnesswithin . They likew ise perpetuate their secrets by meansof the I nitiation of fully prepared disciples of unquestioned discretion,to w hom they liberally lay open the great treasures of theiraccumulated know ledge.

Perceiving that the Creator of all beings, before ever they w ere broughtforth, created the same in His "m ind" - even the little w orld, man themicrocosm, as well as the greater world, the macrocosm, according tothe sacred writings - must not the w orld which is the greater and theworld which is the lesser (that is, man) have their Creator as theirorigin and beginning within , so that neither the Creatornor His creatures are actually separated from each other? Realizing,then, that it cannot be said that perfection is attained before the endhas reached its beginning and the beginning united itself w ith the endin sequence to a new berth, the question is whether both the greaterand the lesser w orlds, in order to reach perfection, must not in all theirworkings aim at this, that they may return to their beginning to beunited with them? Cryptic? Yes. It is theArcanum , theSpiritual concealed.

All the creatures of God, for their melioration and His glorification ,stand in an endless evolution on the Path toward perfectionand must become know n and comprehended. A thing cannot be know nexcept by it s end and operation or ou twork ing, i.e., man ifestation, as atree is know n by its fruits. The lesser world is the end and comprisal ofall creatures and works of god and consequently an outbirth of thegreat world or macrocosm wherein all other creatures are comprised.The question, then, is can there be any other way by w hich man mayattain a correct know ledge of the great world w ith, and in, all its partsthan in and out ofhimself Man in the end is an abridgement of all things,



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the beginning has manifested itself, for the end is nothing but thebeginning wrought out and thebeginning ofsomething sti l lgreater ; that is, displaying into act and manifesting, sothat the end is hidden in the beginning as the beginning is manifestedin the end. As a consequence of this, both the worlds, the greater and

the lesser, have a great affinity for each other, and a perfect likeness;yea, and a unity, onew ith the other ; they must bew rought out w ith one another and thereby reach their highestperfection. Admittedl y, this is the "jargon" of the Alchem ists. and onlythe attainment ofSpiritualConsciousness has the key to its solution.

There is no denial that many of those w ho become interested in

Alchem ical Science did so in expectancy for material gain, but it isclearly indicated that their labors were overshadowed by the portentsof a higher achievement and that even their w orks read obviously intwo w ays, literally and transliterally; also, their operations had twoobjects, and both of these objects w ere pursued from the verybeginning of the science, and this is both just and right. Material gainmay be our vocation while Spiritual developmentis our avocation; there is nothing inimical in this if the intent is as itshould be.

| Top|

THE LAW OF NATURE SHOULD BE THE LAW OF MAN

The Spiritual interpretation was not anafterthought nor was the Spiritual search. Thesecrets of the ancient Sanctuaries and of the Holy Assemblies, as theHoly of Holies of the Initiates was know n, embraced both the physicaland the transcendental. It w as know n that one law, variously applied,

obtained in all departments of Nature in regards to the development ofboth species, the potentialenergies in allthings.

Their acquaintance with the Law enabled the Alchemists to develop thelatent possibil it ies of the mineral w orld, possibil it ies that resided not inthe different species bit in the common elements; and so chemistry w as



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born. Their acquaintance with the identical law also enabled them toelaborate the transcendental potencies in man. Thus Initiation andSoul Consciousness becamepossible. In the vulgar parlance, they could transmute metals, and theycould l ikewise transmute or transfigure humanity.| Top|

GOD HAS PLACED HIS ETERNAL "WORD" IN MAN

Hermetic Science in its l iterature enshrined both processes, whichaccounts for its composite character, l ike a skein of silk in w hich twocolors - distinct, though almost inex tricable - are entw ined intoharmony. The evolutionary Doctrine of Alchemy is scarcely a subject forformal quotation from the sequence of Alchemical l iterature, for it is thefoundation and sum total of that lit erature. There is, of course, thehackneyed max im ofttimes cited by the champions of the "spoliatedpast" w hich puts tersely, after the manner of the W isdom of old, thewhole story of the development of the species into a nutshell: "Thestone becomes a plant, the plant an animal, the animal a man, and mana god." This is fundamen tally and scientifically true: rock ground intodust becomes food or fertilizer for plant life, plant life feeds theanimals, animals becomes food for man, and man, then, has theopportunity to develophimself into a god .However, this is not the evolution but the changing of one thing into

another. We are not here concerned with the mode in the manifestationof the Law w hich differentiated species but rather with a fundamentalprinciple, and a philosophical reason for the principle which Occult andAlchem ical Science applied in practice.

Thus, we return to our beginnings and accept the dictum that thehighest Wisdom consists in this: "man, know thyself," becausein man God has placed His Eternal "Word" - part of Himself. By HisEternal "Word" all things were made and upheld to be man'sLight and life, and by w hich he becomes capable of know ingall things, both in time and eternit y. Therefore, let the sincere inquirerand delver into the deeper mysteries of Nature learn first to know w hatthere is within himself; and by the Divine pow erwithin , let him "heal" him self, i.e., make himself w hole bytransmuting the dross into Spiritual substances;then let him seek to unravel the mysteries and wonders of God in allnatural things.



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| Top|

"IN THEE IS HIDDEN THE TREASURE OF TREASURES"

"He w ho possesses the know ledge of the microcosm cannot long beignorant of the know ledge of the macrocosm. This is that which theInitiated of the past so loudly proclaimed - that everyone should KNOWhimself. But I admonish thee, whosoever thou art that desirest to delveinto the innermost parts of Nature, if that wh ich thou seekest, thoufindest not WI THIN thee, thou w ilt never find it w ithout: As w ithin, sow ithout.' If thou know est not the excellency of thine own house, whydost thou seek and search after the excellency of thine neighbor'shouse? The universal orb of the w orld contains no greater mysteriesand ex cellence than a littleman, formed by Godin His own image . Even thoughthere were no God, then man would be greatest, and all the mysterieswould reside with him awaitingrevealment.

"He who would be great among the students of Nature w il l nowherefind a greater or better field of study than himself .Therefore, w il l I here follow the exam ple of the Egyptians (Initiates)and from my wholeheart and certaintrue experiencesproved by me, speakto my neighbor inthe words of theEgyptians ; in thee is hidden the Treasure ofTreasures."

Alchem ical and Hermet ic Science is the oneand only avenue ofgaining know ledgeconcerning theagsolute of being ; and in th isclaim there is nothing narrow , intolerant or exclusive, for the simplefact is there are no other claimants. It is open to anyone to reject onthe ground that w e cannot know ; it is also the privilege of everyone tobe indifferent about positive truth; but if that truth does ex ist, andthereby a way know n to its attainment, then, Initiation is



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that way . It is the metaphysical foundation ofSpiritual chemistry; it is that art, both ancientand infinite, to which those who seek W isdom must apply themselves.| Top|

THE NEOPHYTE POSSESSES KEEN DESIRE FOR IMM ORTALITY

The search after positive truth applicable to man's m anifolddevelopment can be pursued only in one direction. There is but onecertain system, only one science, which can lay claim to possessthe Way . That system, that philosophy, that science isAlchemical , it is the Herm etic method oftransmutation .

It is not alone a question of the Soul or just men made perfect nor, yet,of establishing correspondence with those exalted Hierarchies ofexistence whose interior development transcends whatsoever can beimagined at the apex of human evolution; it is aquestion of theopening of man'sindividualConsciousness of hisImmortal Soul, ofhis inalienableinterior self-possession in theuniversalConsciousness of God .

To be qualified to become an Initiate, man is not called upon to makeany sacrifice of his reason. He must exercise it to the fullest extent;he must apply it tohis personalimprovement and hisprogressivedevelopment .

He is not required to profess any definite creed. Init iation is concernedw ith the attainment of know ledge, the gaining of Wisdom, not theenunciation of dogma; but it is undeniably required of the Neophytethat he should be possessed ofSpiritual aspirations and, above all, of a keen desire for Immortality w hich is the



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testimony of the interior self to the truth of Imm ortality and isconfirmed by a testimony w ithout, in the external facts ofSpiritual possibilities.

Whosoever is acquainted w ith these facts has a certain and substantialknow ledge on what to base his faith which w ill induce him to greatereffort for self-improvement, and, thus, the science in which he now

operates is transfigured. Even now he may reasonably anticipate in thefuture a solution of many problems to w hich, as yet, he has found nokey.| Top|

ARCANE SCIENCE, THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW PATH

Whether we call it Occult, Alchemical, Hermetic orArcane Science, it offers a key to the future progress of humanity and apractical modus operandi for theevolution of the perfect man. These statements may be reduced w ithineven narrower l imits, and we say that the A lchemical Science orSpiritual Initiation comprises a physicaldemonstration concerning the unseen which is around us; whence it isthe Alchemical intritus inveram atqueinauditam physicam , and aninteriorIl lumination concerning the unseen w hichis within , together w ith a way toGod, or theunderstanding ofthe Law , the end of all human development. Itembodies a system of practical l iving toward the perfect l ife; it is bothphysical and Spiritual , not to mention theultimate in worldly attainment.

These, it is admitted, are sufficient reasons for the dissem ination of itsdoctrines and principles. But we may advance beyond this initial basisof action and affirm that a way to W isdom and a method to the perfectl ife are the essential elements required in that new regime, call itreligion if you wish, toward w hich all higher forces in humanity seem tobe instinctively moving - moving into that new regime which shallrealize the best aspirations and constitute a transfigured synthesis ofall previous creeds. Existing creedal systems are incommensurate to



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existing modern requirements; faith is less than but essential toknow ledge and as know ledge is required by the age, the developmentof humanity has not by any means been perfectly accomplished bysystems that are based purely on faith but that lack accompanyingaction. The statement, "Thy faith hath made thee whole," is acontradiction of the Law , "FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD."

As Hermetic Science is in harmony w ith the conclusions of modernscience and w ith the theorems of modern philosophy, in harmony w iththe best aspirations of all religions and is itself committed to noarbitrary doctrines, it is incumbent on those who receive it to spreadthe know ledge which they possess, to endeavor by personal experienceto increase this know ledge and to undertake, so far as in them lies theabil ity, to begin the education of humanity in the perfection promisedby the Master Teacher and the Secret Schools.| Top|

MAN MUST AWAKEN HIS SOUL TO ACTIVITY

The Spiritual self has the power, when the bodyhas been made free of pollution and carnality and the heart cleansed ofmali ce and offense, to act upon any matter w hatsoever. Therefore, it issaid that all potent ialities are resident in the Sou l. TheGreat Work is to bring the dorm ant, yetdominant pow er of the true, pure, l iving and breathingSpirit into activity.

It is one of the most difficult tasks in the world to take a man in w hat iscalled his natural state - St. Paul's naturalman - after he has for years indulged in all of his passions (having inmind w hat are called the worldly honors and pleasures, and il l-gainedwealth) and make him sensitive to the mere abstract claims of theRight or Spiritual verities and , then,incite him to become w ill ing to relinquish one single passion indeference to the Spiritual verities. When this firststep is accomplished, the Great Work is lessdifficult.

Consider a man ever seeking only what m ay gratify some selfishpassions, a stranger to all praise w orthy impulses, unconscious,perhaps, of their existence, or only regarding thei r manifesta tion inothers as evidence of imbecility and w eakness. How is such a man to be



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brought out of this pathetic state into a more reverent aspectSpiritually? How is he to become even more appreciative of the materialthings that concern his daily l iving?

Generally, it w il l be as the result of suffering, material loss or the needof companionship and know ledge that w il l not fail. Thus, we have thereason why the Divine Law brings about the universal suffering - in

reaction.

Consider the man w hose Soul is corrupted by all types of evil passionsuntil he has become morbidly sensitive to everything that in anymanner interferes w ith his personal comfort; one who is petulant,irritable and morose. How is such a man to be awakened?

We m ight speak of downright sins which breed a class of men who findtheir temporal homes in prison and other institutions or who m ust

expiate their crimes upon the block. How are such men to be halted ontheir career and brought to a sense of responsibility? Unquestionably,the greatest difficulty in all such cases is to bring into action theconscience w hich is dormant w ithin, yet, though buried and inactive, isnot altogether dead. The great aw akener is suffering and sorrow , theactual loss of something beloved; let it be remembered that the basis ofmost sorrow s is the loss of affection or the loss of a dearly belovedperson or thing.| Top|

UNSELFISH LOVE IS THE UPLIFTER

When the W ill is educated and liberated through knowledge from theentanglements of materiality and animality, new and noble v irtues areformed. This is naturally true because man is bound to either virtue orvice, God or the "devil," and w hen one is eliminated, the other takes itsplace. This is the doctrine o f substitution or, in its higher phase,

transmutation , the replacement of onething by another. As such substitution of the lesser by the greater takesplace, the individual becomes a self-conscious center of evolutionaryforces; this, united wi th unselfish love, uplifts all that comes intocontact with it, for it is through such a purified desire and Will thatREgeneration and reconstruction are possible.

Moreover, the Will, through Wisdom and aspiration, brings Il luminationand the know ledge of Divine Truth by w hich man's Consciousness may



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expand and contact the Consciousness of God. It is then that all thepotentialit ies of Nature - all creation - are opened to m an, together w ithan innate realization of the capabil ity of attaining to the utmost alongevery avenue of endeavor.

There is another and m ore common class, those who are distractedbetween contrary passions and desires, such as love of pleasure or of

money or of both; or a love of glory and of ease. What peace can theyfind or how is it possible for them to enjoy tranquil l ity? These requirean almost complete change of character or disposition . So, also, withthose who, under a vague notion of being in the right, have no moresolid foundation for it the self-conceit - who think the w hole world isw rong, and are uneasy and unhappy with everything around them thatdoes not happen to be adjusted to their particular wishes andpredilections, or w ith everyone w ho does not accept their concept ofwhat is right and w rong.

Such people often look w ith an evil eye upon Providence -the functioning Law -which, w ithout interruption, proceeds to its general ends in totaldisregard of all incongruous individualities. How are these people to bedealt w ith? To point out their errors plainly is certain to arouse theirenmity, antagonism and opposition. the onlyway is to ignoretheir defects, to

arouse in them adesire for thatwhich is bothpermanent and ofimmediate andfuture value tothem; and to permitthe conversion fromon state to

another to takeplace subconsciouslywithin .

The only sense of peace and well-being there is results from man's deeplove for some truly w orthy object and the application of all one'senergies to the achievement of that desire. The self, then, is forgottenin obeisance in the attempt to achieve; peace quickly comes to thosewho are able to forget themselves.



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| Top|

THE MATERIAL SELF IS NECESSARY TO SPIRITUALDEVELOPMENT

When our inordinate attachment to material things has ceased, when

we are no longer dependent upon things for every sensation andpleasure, we are able to judge them at their true value and appreciatethem for w hat they really are - beautiful and necessary stepping stonestoward a higher attainment. It is an utterly false philosophy or religionthat teaches men to hate all the things of the w orld and classify themas of the devil; for nothing exists w hich has not its proper use andpurpose and is , therefore, invaluable in it s naturalness. The ignorantmisuse of things and pow ers, in themselves pure and useful, causespain and sorrow, which w e foolishly mistake for evil. How ever, weshould accept such sorrows as the means tow ard awakening us to truthand reality.

When w e learn to acknow ledge the importance of the material as abasic part of l ife, we w ill give it its proper place in our environment.Then, too, we w ill grasp the purpose of life - the descent of theSpirit into matter, of the Soul into bodies (housescreated out of the dust). As an Ancient Initia te has well said: "Theangels aspire to become men, because the perfect man, the man w ho

has attained godhood, is even above the angels"; while anotherteacher, St. Paul , has said: "Know ye not that yeshall judge angels." The man who attains SoulConsciousness is far more capable ofserving his fellow m an than are the angels of heaven, for through hiscorrect know ledge and the compassion which is born of his experience,he is equipped above and beyond them in his capacity to uplift andredeem humanity.

Self-sacrifice, when for a noble and practical purpose, is the highestinfluence and the only one w hereby the enlightened Soul may hope toadvance to greater heights. In w ise self-sacrifice lies true greatness; inrenunciation of the unworthy is the only realization of peace. From thiswe can understand why one of the great Souls, theNazarene , who had worked consciously and inharmony w ith the Law , said to his followers: "He that w ould be greatestamong you, let him be the servant of all." He w ho would be Mastermust first be w ill ing to serve that he may learn the duties the Master



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may command.| Top|

MATERIAL SUCCESS AND SOUL-CONSCIOUSNESS

Hermetic Science has, through the experiences of the ages, been ableto demonstrate that the identical principles which work secretly andmysteriously in the Soul of the Neophyte can be applied exteriorly inthe development of the body of man. This science in its highersignificance deals w ith the Soul's development and its potentialit ies,but it also, and conjointly, has in view the universal improvement ofman's physical being. It does not end there; its intermediate service isin mental i l lumination and exaltation, and the achievement of materialsuccess and advancement. It is a double duty and of double benefit,and it is made clear in the comm and: "Render therefore unto Caesar thethings (the material) w hich are Caeser's; and unto God the things (theSpiritual ) that are God's." _____St.Matthew 22:21.

The so-called" salvation of the Soul" m ust be accomplished inconjunction with the redemption of the body and the elimination ofmental and physical slavery. At no time must w e be foolish enough tounderrate the vehicle of interior perfection nor the directing pow er ofthe mind; otherw ise, we are incarnate here to no purpose. Thecombined laws of evolution and development must fulfi l l their course inboth the inward and the outward man.

Through our physical being pulsates the animal, and so long as w eremain on this plane, we w ill be subject to laws of the materialkingdom, both physical and animal. When the mortal has beenawakened to the Consciousness of theHigher Self through which the Spiritual dominates, a plane has been attained where it is possible to control thelower by the higher. At this point it is the God in man w ho assumessovereignty, manifesting the god-like pow ers which are the possessionof those who have overcome.

Through the understanding andapplication of these Hermetic laws, a poweris created w hich is easily capable of controll ing the material self, andman m ay continue in both physical and mental vigor so long as he caresto use the body as a habitation and the locale from w hich to direct his



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Spiritual activities and perform important duties.| Top|

THE HUMAN BODY IS THE HALL OF INITIATION

Man has reached a degree in his physical evolution where he must risein the higher current of vibratory forces and place himself in harmonyw ith it; cast off the old carnal bondage to w hich he has been so longsubjected; govern instead of being governed; be a master , at last,instead of a vassal.

The body of man is the Hall of Initiation w herein man's Soul must beawakened. Within , the Master, the great Initiato r, theTransmuter, takes all of the baser passions and changes them intoSpiritual essence orSpiritual Fire . Here, in this Hall,experience is built into strength, uplifted by virtue; it is by means ofthese virtues, which are often sublimated from the baser passions, thatthe Soul of man - the Light - is developed to the ultimate and attains tothe status of a Hierarch in the White Brotherhood.

The incentive must be a holy intent, drawn from the bottom of a pureand sincere heart and conscience; free from selfish ambition, hypocrisyand all the vices that have an affinity w ith selfishness, such as

arrogance, pride, love of luxury, petulancy, oppression of the w eak.These are to be eradicated from the heart, so that when the Acolyteprostrates himself before the throne of grace to obtain health, strengthand enlightenment, he may do so w ith a conscience free from unholyand degrading feeling. All that is unw orthy is transmuted into a HolyTemple of God, wherein uncleanliness has been purged and weaknessreplaced by strength, ignorance by W isdom and hatred by compassion.

Man commences the Alchemical Process by purifying the desire-nature,

and he takes this low er nature under control to purge it of everythingthat is selfish, selfish in the sense that it w ill benefit the self only andcause loss and sorrow to others. How can he, thus, free himself? Hemay not w ish to destroy, for that which he has gathered together isexperience; and experience has been built into elements, andtransferred into power. He now has need of all the pow ers that he hasbeen gathering during the climb that l ies behind him; he needs tochange these powers into constructive force and energy. He would needmuch less patience and effort to destroy some of these qualities which



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are part of him, and he may feel by destroying them he would be wellrid of them. But it is not by such means that he can enter into theTemple of the Higher self. He must sacrifice them at the Temple,perform the harder task of purification or transmutation, and save theessence of the Spirit thereof to incorporate in his newlife.| Top|

BODY AND SOUL REPRESENT EARTH AND GOD

There are tw o Hermetic operations, the oneSpiritual and the other material, and these twoare as mutuallydependent as are body and Soul. For the rest, allHermetic Science is contained in the doctrine of Hermes w hich is said tohave been orig inally inscribed upon an Emerald Tablet. The first articleshave been expounded, and those that follow are concerned with theoperation of the Great Work .

"Thou shalt separate the earth from the fire, and the subtle from thegross, gently - w ith great industry. It rises from earth to heaven, andagain it descends to earth, and it receives the power to things aboveand of things below (according to the Law of Duality). By this meansshalt thou obtain the glory of the whole world, and all darkness shalldepart from thee. It is the stronger power of every pow er, for it w il lovercome all that is subtle and penetrate all that is solid. Thus w as theworld created."

To separate the subtle from the gross in the first operation, which iswholly INTERIOR, is to set the Soul FREE from prejudice and all vices -both destroyers - and is accomplished by the direction ofWisdom, perdonalskil l and application ; and,finally, by the use ofenergy and the Fireof the awakened Will .By these are we enabled to change into Spiritual gold things w hich are least precious - even the refuse (evil passions andpropensities of human nature).

That which is above is proportional to that w hich is below, and isreciprocal. The word art , when reversed read after the mannerof sacred and prim itive characters from right to left, gives us three



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initials which express the different grades of the GreatWork . "T," signifies triad, theory and trava il; "R ," realization,and "A," adaptation.| Top|

THE AIM AND END OF MAN ON EARTH

When the Masters of Hermetic and Alchemical Science say that but asho

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Hermetic Science and the Alchemical Process

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