FraterUFA

Surprising that I never saw the original post. It's a good question. It depends on the individual. If you are on an animal-survival path (a downward spiral, so to speak) then money will amplify your imbalances and accelerate your downward progress. If you are on the path of individuation, then wealth will likely diminish your survival needs and aid in focusing on positive traits. Both are positive outcomes. For me, acquisition of large sums of money was a key contributor to my escape velocity. To put it differently, money is fairly irrelevant in my life. It frees up time and offers me more options to aid others. Beyond that, not much use. You can't take it with you. This will be an unpopular viewpoint but my experience has been that advanced individuals are often wealthy. Why inconvenience yourself unnecessarily if you have the power to alter reality in your favor?

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I am starting this topic for the intelligent discussion of classic alchemical imagery. In order to keep the conversation focused and constructive, I am setting out the following rules for the thread: Please limit discussion to western alchemical emblems dating between 1100 and 1750 No references to eastern religious or mystical concepts (eg: No Hinduism, Yoga, Taoism, Buddhism). References to modern alchemical thought or sources aren't prohibited but should be limited. I thought hard about this one and in the end decided that modern books and authors tend to rely too heavily on the 19th century occult revival for their sources (Atwood, Hitchcock, Levi, etc). However, there are some reputable modern sources, such as Waite and Becker, so this won't be a hard and fast rule. Speculation is fine but all the finer if it is accompanied by historical context. Contrary to popular belief, there is no "grand unified theory" of alchemy and different authors understood their art in unique ways. A good understanding of historical context can help us assess when we may be dealing with contradictory symbolism. I'll start with this image that noonespecial recently posted, taken from Thomas Vaughn's, Lumen de Lumine, London, 1651 (coloring courtesy of Adam McLean). I feel that this is one of the more important emblems in the western alchemical canon. Our first theme depicts a winged dragon devouring his own tail. Within, an alchemist (presumably) sits upon a golden treasure and above him reads a Latin caption which translates to "Not unless an infant/child". The dragon is clearly a reference a poisonous force which has been turned upon itself. Through his work, the alchemist attains a child-like attitude of curiosity, wonder and clear vision (note: this doesn't imply innocence). The treasure can be interpreted allegorically, though I suggest that a literal meaning is more likely. However, the alchemist is not working for material wealth (even if it is one of the things which may result from his work). Another hint as to its meaning is the phrase, "Thesaurus Incantatus" which could be translated as "Enchanted Treasure". The dragon represents a wild force which divides through the power of illusion. This dragon is responsible for thwarting the ambitions of virtually every would-be alchemist and is vastly more powerful than can be imagined. The dragon is the reason why science (and most men, for that matter) cannot - and likely never will - understand alchemy or its aims. In the center of the diagram we find an angel bearing a fiery sword (and something in the left hand which I cannot recognize), an altar with a candle surrounded by the phrase, "The light of nature", and a man walking blindly away from the alter towards a dark circle marked, "Regio Phantastico" (A non-literal but accurate translation would be "region of illusion" or "region of fantasy"). The man on the right is our seeker after alchemy. He is blind, though he does not know it, and walks away from the tiny light of nature. The angel guards Nature's altar with a fiery sword, should the man get too close... but he will never do so because he is blinded with a cloth that looks suspiciously like a serpent. The region of illusion is populated by 12 baby dragons. These don't seem quite so powerful as our main dragon shown in the lower circle, but they are adept in achieving their purpose: to keep all men blinded from the truth. In the top of the diagram we find a mountain marked by the phrase, "Mountain of the Invisible Masters" (consider this in connection with the slightly more recent phrase, "The Invisible College"). On the top of the mountain are depicted several bunches of grapes, a subtle sign of the hidden school of Adepts. There are many theories and legends about these so-called Adepts. Chief among these is that idea that these men and women do not exist and may not have ever existed. This idea is bolstered by the fact that there were few (no?) references to them until the early 17th century, when the publication of the Fama Fraternitatis allegedly announced their presence. This mythos was kept alive by the formation of speculative Freemasonry, which in turn lead to the creation of many different occult groups. The groups went quiet at the end of the 18th century (the last surviving one of the period being the Gold und Rosenkreuz), until the idea was reignited in the popular mind by Blavatsky, Levi and the Golden Dawn. Another theory - closer to the truth - is that the members of this invisible college went on to form the Royal Society. There were in fact many interesting connections between the founders of the Royal Society and a number of them were alchemists (the same individuals were responsible for the shift from Operative to Speculative Freemasonry). Yet it would not be correct to say that the Royal Society and the Invisible College were one and the same. Curiously, this mountain is not found in the center of the emblem, but in the Regio Phantastico... an allusion that these alleged Adepts are hiding in plain sight, though hidden from the eyes of ordinary men by the very same dragons they have tamed. Finally, the diagram portrays the Sun and Moon, our two great lights, which the Adept learns to unite in his work. Like the mountain, the means of their reconciliation is hidden from the profane and protected by the great servant and friend of mankind, the dragon.

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Though probably not an Egyptian temple per se, I saw this phenomena first hand during a trip to the cathedral of Notre Dame located in Chartres. There is a statue of the Black Madonna there, reportedly an adaptation of Isis. This is also the alleged location of an ancient well of the druids, which I had the good fortune to see. There are many reports of magical energies flowing strongly in this location and based upon my experience, I believe this to be true. UFA

The motivation is to gratify the single core desire which lies behind all others within every human being. It is the desire to fulfill the potential inherent within us... to grasp our inheritance, one might say.

I guess I would add that different traditions or teachers may define the word "adept" differently. One definition of an alchemical adept is that it is one who has made the philosopher's stone. Some magical orders define an adept as one who has attained the experience of Tiphareth. Some yogic traditions define it as one who has attained a state of samadhi upon any object. Regardless, as incredibly rare as all of these attainments are, they are all considered to be just a starting point.

Quite good. I would add that an adept - as I know it - is skilled at turning negative, dysfunctional situations into positive, functional ones. His intentions are constructive and conscious. He is always learning and getting better, and has no internal friction holding him back from his aims. UFA

I'm not sure what you mean...? PFC's spiritual experiences were hardly unique, even for that time.

That depends on what you mean by the phrase "pop stream". Some of the well known schools might fall within that definition, though they are technically outer orders so their concern lies with the preparation of candidates. But... I can assure you that Case and Davies were both adepts (BOTA). Several adepts (that I know of and one of those personally) came through AMORC. But ultimately, adeptship comes through one own efforts, almost always aided by others. UFA

You may be interested in this thread: http://www.thedaobums.com/topic/38495-builders-of-the-adytum/?hl=bota The FLO is the spiritual successor to the BOTA, but my present thinking is that Paul Foster Case left the seeds of his method behind in his writings (and particularly, the correspondence lessons) that can be extrapolated back into a complete system. It is clearly detailed in the final seven major Arcana. The only thing that is missing is the initiator/teacher, though that person will come along at the right time for one who is ready. UFA

Very nice suggestion, EP. This is not a work that I am as familiar with so I welcome the opportunity to get more acquainted with it. As Michael pointed out, the diagram depicts a "wake up call" for man. The angels are descending from the subtle realms and making an effort to rouse us from our slumber. We ordinarily come closest to spiritual consciousness when we dream... but even then, we are usually capable of exercising no personal volition and merely experience the internalized forms of our physical consciousness. The image depicts not one, but two angels, and thus implies cooperation... a chain of beings extending their hands from sublime heights down almost to our level. The angels have no ability to wake a man who does not wish to be woken from the mechanical routine of everyday life. Michael summed up the diagram nicely so there isn't much to add from a purely internal perspective. However, I will add that each internal interpretation has a corresponding outer (lab) interpretation as well. For instance, the Biblical quotes about dew and grain are enigmatic to an extreme, yet they are clear from a lab perspective. The next image offers one of at least two possible interpretations, the first being that of the alchemical "dew": In the upper half is shown the alchemical dew held by two angels. Above it, we find the Sun, emblem of fire. Within it, we find the Sun and the Moon under the arms of Neptune (water). The corresponding lab work is shown in the bottom half of the image ("As above, so below"). We encounter a typical difficulty of emblematic descriptions of the work, that of determining the exact process is being depicted (there are at least three possibilities that I can see). In this first possible interpretation, the dew is contained within a digestion furnace. Below that is a funnel, symbolizing purification. And below that is a small flame, the alchemist's first degree of heat. Tending to the operation are the classic alchemical embodiments of man's physical consciousness: Ruach and Nephesch, corresponding to the divine consciousness of Neschamah and Chiah shown above. Note that Nephesch is nearly touching Neschamah's foot, while there is a greater division depicted between Ruach and Chiah. Now there is another interpretation, perhaps a more obvious one. Instead of dew, we are being shown a special type of Hermetically sealed flask with the three principles contained within it. If this is the case, then it represents the latter half of the work. It is not uncommon in these old texts for the plates to be intentionally placed out of order, so this is a possibility. Perhaps we will find out which as we continue to investigate the remaining images. Right now, I am leaning towards the first interpretation due to a couple of curious details as well as the quotes which Michael shared previously. There could be other interpretations I haven't considered as well. I rather enjoy this image as it masterfully depicts both physical and spiritual processes occurring simultaneously. The author of this work did not experience the same division between inner and outer that we are indoctrinated into as moderns. UFA