FraterUFA

An alternative QBL explanation would be that the angel and man represent Neschamah and Ruach (the intellect, which blindly gropes and never finds truth on its own). UFA

Nice work! The earliest rendition of the Tree of life that I'm aware of was from about a century earlier and it is conceivable that Vaughan was familiar with this. Superimposing the feet of the person on the bottom in Malkuth and his head in Yesod would affirm that he is a newly minted initiate, one who has completed the Conjunctio (another meaning for the serpent grasping his tail) and passed the second gate. The ratios aren't exactly correct and the tree is reversed, but the correspondences of the Tree of Life are fluid and likely to have been different for Vaughan than what would be more common today. Sun, Moon and mountain would comprise the supernal triad (the dragons cannot exist here so we know that these sephiroth must be located above them), while the head of the angel and initiate would be superimposed on Chesed and Geburah and their feet would be in Hod and Netzach. This places the light of nature in Tiphareth, which is a correspondence we would recognize today. The correspondences are compelling. Excellent insight. UFA

The Splendor Solis is one of the more enigmatic alchemical sequences. It depicts what is likely a mineral process and the series may be out of order (very common). The first four plates (http://www.levity.com/alchemy/splensol.html) set the context and indicate a physical (laboratory) process. The next seven describe the preparation of the materials. The following seven (and 11th) appear to depict the evolution of the matter through its final stages. There are three more plates which I believe are out of sequence, but I can't state that with any authority as these images often reflect subtleties which can be discovered only through experience with that particular process. I suspect that these were used to illustrate an oral teaching. It is possible that the process they depict may have been lost to the ages. However, if they are intelligible on a standalone basis, it would likely require an alchemist with advanced skill and experience. This sequence is far beyond my abilities. UFA

Very good conversation! This is lots of input and several different viewpoints, though they are all leaning in the same general direction. The images and literature of this period contain great value in that they tend to convey pure aspects of the artist's experience (both spiritual and laboratory), unadulterated by outside influences and "popular occultism". I have found this to be the case up to around 1700, a period when speculative masonry exploded and brought with it an influx of French esoteric intellectualism and a profusion of theory, degrees, and ceremonial trappings that (for me at least) contain little value. Some of these diagrams are simpler than others. Some are very elaborate or specific to certain methods or processes and most are difficult, if not impossible, to interpret without some requisite degree of alchemical experience. I have found that relatively few diagrams deal solely with "spiritual alchemy", but this is one of them (and a favorite of mine). It is accompanied by Vaughan's text, which gives us a rare glimpse into the inner side of alchemy. One of the things one takes away from this study is that the west has an incredibly rich spiritual current that has been preserved in its texts and images. An extended period of study may put one in contact with the hidden tradition which operates intact to this very day. Pray, Read, Work. UFA

Thanks to both of you for bringing this up. The concept of progression is an important one in alchemical imagery. Many of these emblems display a series of individual icons or themes typically running upward or to the right along the page, indicating a logical or chronological sequence. Alchemical imagery lends itself to personal interpretation though there are some icons which have an almost universal application within the scope of western alchemy. The primary reason why I have asked that there be no reference to Eastern concepts in this thread is because these emblems depict archetypal realities found in the western mind (and this is why Eastern leaning interpretations of western imagery are often far off from the mark). Not to say that all such archetypes are found only in western culture, but I'm having trouble thinking of any universal examples other than gender, age and mother/father. The dragon (or serpent) - and in particular, the dragon eating or grasping his own tail - is one of these. Dragons are frequently considered to be dangerous and poisonous creatures. They do not naturally devour their own tail, thus the symbol implies skill, art and secrets. It refers to the core initiatory secret of western occultism, one hinted at by the fact that both the man on the pile of gold and the angel are bare footed. As mentioned, the dragon in a sense can be considered akin to the Christian concept of Satan, or "man inverted" and bound by his senses. The initiate ceases his life as such a man and with the binding of the serpent, begins his work in reconciling duality. This event brings with it the realization of the relationship between the dragon and the angel, as well as the utter fallibility of the common intellect. So the dragon and the phrase, "Non nisi Parvulis" ("Not unless a child"), suggest that the man sitting on the treasure is no common man, but a newly minted initiate. For him, the dragon is no longer to be feared for his poison has been turned against itself. I have no doubt that Thomas Vaughn was such an initiate, for his work has all of the hallmarks of one who has had this experience. I agree. I suggest that there may be another, much simpler, interpretation. To expand upon that, he certainly spent much time engaged in magical practices and this diagram largely reflects that. But like virtually every notable alchemist of the period he was engaged in physical (laboratory) work as well. He was associated with Edward Bolnest, a well-known working alchemist and Vaughan claimed the he searched for, but never found the Philosopher's Stone. From Lumen de Lumine (emphasis mine): In this quote Thomas' angel, Thalia, tells us that most others have been barred from exploring her mysteries because they sought vain riches but did not love Nature herself. Their intellectual prowess and skill gave them some advantage and could have opened the door had she not turned them away. They subjected her to violence (various lab processes which are still in common use today) and though they held her in plain sight, they knew it not, because hers is a water that does not wet the hands. They resorted to signs, sigils and incantations to no avail. It was the same then as it is now. Thalia was Thomas' inner personification of Nature. She continues: With these words, Thalia bound Thomas with her rope, as all initiates are bound to never divulge her secrets openly, but to sow confusion and to discuss these matters only within certain bounds. She gave Vaughan permission to pursue her mysteries, though that should be distinguished from a guarantee that one might do so successfully. UFA

Thank you for the higher resolution image. That is very helpful. Note the angel and the child both have bare feet. Best, UFA

It may not be completely evident from this one emblem that the dragon is poisonous - though this is a common theme in alchemy - but it is self-evident that the dragon is devouring its own tail (turned upon itself). The dragon (and closely related serpent) symbolism is some of the most misunderstood symbolism in Hermeticism, so it may be more productive to offer your thoughts on what it may mean. It is accurate to say that what is depicted here is so unlikely to be found by chance that I doubt it has ever been done (there have been some claims otherwise but it's unlikely those can be taken at face value). However, sometime even those who are guided to the light of nature fail to see it. That seems doubtful to me. UFA

IMO this is an accurate description. There is continuity between lives, which can be traced, though the temporal aspects of personalities do not seem to persist. This is possible to the extent that the Higher Self permits it, provided the lower personality is prepared to accurately receive the impressions. It is difficult to compare experiences without a shared language so I am not understanding most of what you wrote here. Not that it is wrong, but I don't recognize many of the terms you've used and I probably have a different understanding of those I do recognize. This is classic QBL. I am not really seeing it this way (as far as I understand what you're describing) because it implies a clean cut division between various functions of consciousness that I have not experienced in exactly the same way. My experience with the sphere of Luna is that it is here that we confront the instinctual/habit mind (which includes sexuality). With time and experience, one carries over much of their physical consciousness to this sphere so it's not quite the same as it was in the beginning. I find it useful to suspend theoretical speculation on matters so far removed from our personal experience because it tends to limit understanding. And some people remain there, fully conscious, going about their work. I doubt any of this is the case. Agree 100% with this. We are shown not what necessarily will happen, but what we need to see. There is also the case when one is shown a possible future by the Higher Self so that one can work toward it. UFA

The two are very different, in the sense that grape vines grown in the wild will continue to propagate their lineage but have neither the beauty nor capability of producing great wine that well-tended grape vines do. Digging deep into the origins of the QBL, we find their roots in Sumeria and Egypt. The teachings were passed along and expanded upon endlessly throughout the ages in true Judaic fashion, until they became as distant from the esoteric root as modern theology is from the teachings of Christ. These intellectual trappings are sometimes mistaken for "advanced" teachings. One of the important developments that occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries was that the nonessential growths were pruned away from the QBL, just as the bushy canes are trimmed from the cultivated grape vine, leaving behind a strong and productive trunk. Some of this core teaching was intentionally leaked (I do not believe it was an accident) and found its way into the GD. Whether that is important or not depends on the individual. But in all of these teachings, there are an infinite number of side paths and distractions and very few roads that lead to the center. UFA

And I would add that these diagrams openly depict alchemical keys... but so very few suspect that, much less appreciate it. UFA

Hi Bindi, The snake represents something else. Kundalini is an Eastern concept. The Tree of Life is a symbol of human consciousness. That is subject to much speculation. I personally believe that these "gods" were beings who had not descended into matter. You may find the Golden Dawn 3=8 and 4=7 altar diagrams to be useful. Best, UFA

It is not that difficult or complex. There is another world which is the counterpart to this one, what some western cultures symbolized by "night". We visit there when we sleep and we live there when we die. We eventually manifest here again to repeat the cycle. I believe that our personalities don't really survive this transition intact, though some of the deeper, more permanent traits we have acquired certainly do. The alchemist finds a way to consciously experience both worlds and by doing so, his personal evolution is greatly accelerated. By day and night, form returns to light. UFA

I agree with everything you've written here. I don't mean transmission in a sense of lineage, but of a spiritual experience which can take place between adept and initiate. The experience itself provides proof of an unbroken chain of transmission which goes back as far as one can imagine. As for titles, lineages, pedigrees... none of that matters (at least not to me). UFA

.

Ah, memories: I spent many nights, two decades ago, studying these texts in front of a fire with a group of like-minded seekers nestled up in the Rocky Mountains. How holy we were, so wise to that world of glamour! Our three hour long Comasonic ceremonies fortunately protected us from all that. Ancient Tibetan masonry FTW. UFA

I intend no disrespect to those with Eastern predispositions, but I find it incredible that anyone believes eastern literature can contribute anything of importance to the canon of western alchemical literature. It shows an ignorance of the breadth and meaning of this collective body of work and I personally find it disrespectful to those great adepts who spent their lives perfecting their Art. I suppose that won't mean much to the "everything means anything" crowd but I will continue on with my Sisyphean task. Needless to say, neither of these are practical western alchemical texts. UFA

Ok, sounds good.

Please note that this is the Esoteric and Occult Discussion forum. I do appreciate that you stated: But given the highly Eastern nature of the quoted text, perhaps this might be a better topic for one of the many Eastern philosophy forums? Just trying to keep us focused. UFA

The only thing that can be lost are the useless mental labels and constructs which lead those who overly rely on them into error. Wisdom is functional, practical and acquired not through study, but through practice and experience. The alchemists did not for the most part utilize Qabalah as far as I can tell. It was certainly more in use in Spain and France, as it was there that it was going through its early stages of modern development. Many of them however did rely on classic mythology for inspiration. But even the writings of the alchemists aren't in agreement on these points. Luna was silver, and she was called Mercury by some. Apollo was Gold and our Sun, our hidden Sulphur and Salt, the son and bridegroom of Nature. The Hermaphodite child of the Sun and Moon was not a reference to the sephiroth, but of a physical product rarely seen on this earth (don't tell that to anyone whose been indoctrinated into the misguided belief that it is Kundalini though). No amount of study will unravel that knot. It is all true, all perfectly descriptive though. Best, UFA

Though our situations are different, I understand completely. Aside from time constraints, I know the feeling of shouting into the void. I do not post for obvious reasons... not to write a book and certainly not for internet fame (edit: I am not implying that this is your motivation either). I believe that wisdom cannot be codified in a book, but is rather a transmission that takes place from one locus of consciousness to another in accordance of the readiness to receive. It is for this reason that I delete most of my old writing. I do learn a lot from your posts, please keep them coming as time permits. Best, UFA

Thank you, Donald. I appreciate that you take the time to pack so much information in your posts. I have been practically begging for someone to step in with some informed thought on this and seeing as someone finally has dared to offer some (you), I will do the same: I see the concept of Mercury - in the classic alchemical sense - demonstrated by analogy in the magic square. Mercury is the animating force of nature, within which can be found all possibility, all that ever was, is or will be. Within it is contained every possible human experience. For instance, every word, sentence or paragraph that I type, or will ever type, can be shown to be found in potentia within the "Mercury of English letters" (and this is something that can be readily demonstrated). That this Mercury contains not only truth, but also every possible lie, is a fact that is overlooked by most occultists and this oversight leads to countless errors, illusions and fantasies... but I digress. An analogous type of potentia is found in numbers. There is an indeterminate numerological Mercury which can be thought of as the principle of counting. Then there is the somewhat determined Mercury which consists in the numbers themselves. Finally, that Mercury congeals into the fully determined form of a particular magic square. So in classic alchemical thought, Mercury is not an intermediary or uniting principle, it is the principle of life (eg: potentia). Without sulphur and salt (energy and form), it cannot manifest in physical space-time. Without mercury, the chemical structures and physical forms of life remain inanimate shells, incapable of manifesting the recognizable signs of life and subject only to decay. The alchemist begins with the form and works his way up the rungs of the ladder of life, slowly developing an understanding of the universal Mercury (along with concrete demonstrations of that understanding, though that is incidental IMO) and as his understanding unfolds, he comes closer and closer to the apprehension of "God". I wonder if something similar is possible in this mathematical realm. We are all familiar with the numerological uses of magic squares which appear throughout texts going back to at least Agrippa and for me at least, that lends them a greater degree of credibility than the inventions which appeared from the 19th century (tainted as they were by fantastical pseudo-occultism). However I am left with some questions: What is the intended use of these squares? What is the basis for their alleged power? I'm impressed (though not surprised) that you recognized where this came from. I learned the basics of magic squares when I was kid, but it wasn't until I studied higher math that I learned the trick of swapping columns and rows. I am not asking you to enter into any great detail, but can you share why you cannot? Interesting... I quoted from their materials in an old thread somewhere. There are some interesting ideas contained in CC Zain's writings. Best, UFA

Here, I whipped up one more for you. It's a 5x5 in which all the diagonals sum to the same number, even if you wrap them around the square. It took three minutes for this one. I had time to spare while waiting for my ride. UFA

We're getting way off the topic at this point, but your reply comes off to me as pretty defensive about something which is so easily verified. Perhaps you are referring to something else. I am using the classic definition of a magic square: Israel Regardie was a therapist, maybe math wasn't his strength. So I decided to make a 7x7 in Excel for you. I timed myself and it took just a bit over four minutes. Here you go: I made another, this one took less than a minute. I could make a bunch more, but surely you still don't think it's that difficult, do you? There are a lot of magic squares of any order and the fact that I produced two of them in a trivial amount of time from my head proves that they aren't difficult to create. I don't dispute that you could place some arbitrary restrictions on them and make it much more difficult. But again I ask, "why?" This seems as pertinent to the topic as Sudoku. Best, UFA

This was a favorite diagram of mine for many years. However, I'm going to point out something which is not obvious from a theoretical perspective but is proven immediately by practical work. The above diagram is inaccurate from a laboratory standpoint: Fire is not volatile, it is fixed. If you follow the implications of this, you will see that it means that Mercury cannot be the intermediary. Best, UFA

Well, what I said was accurate. I told you it's trivial to make a magic square, then I told you that if you swap the rows and columns you can transform it into any other magic square while retaining its core properties. That includes the variants you shared. My point in doing that was to demonstrate that there isn't anything particularly interesting about what Ben Franklin was doing. So I'm still left wondering why you brought up those variants in the first place? They seem arbitrary to me. I assumed there was a point that I wasn't seeing but I guess not. UFA