Michael Sternbach

Heya! Nice to see you here. Soaring Crane forgot to mention that you are also asked to clean the blackboard after class for a while... Best, Michael

Larxene, Welcome the Tao Bums! Glad that you followed my invitation. You won't regret it! (I believe.) BKA, Thanks for coming back to Agrippa. Stupidly, your link doesn't function from where I am. I get a blank page.

Those of you who have read certain posts of mine know that I like to compare the metaphysical systems of different cultures with each other. Because I observe that the ideas being expressed are not necessarily unique to them but reflect the collective unconscious common to all of humankind. So a synergistic approach can expand one's understanding of a concept. This chapter of the TTC in particular reminds me of the Tarot in several ways. The Death card in Tarot is the thirteenth Trump. The one who comes out into life and goes back into death is The Fool. He's the first and the last in the series of the Trumps, so he is attributed with both the numbers 0 and 22. Cards that share the same checksum are seen as closely related with each other, like Death and The Fool, which can both be reduced to the number 4. The fourth trump is The Emperor which is also interesting in a Taoist context, however, I need to stay on topic. The Fool is the spiritual seeker, the Tarot Bum undertaking the journey of individuation or internal alchemy. He represents our spontaneous nature that we start out and (hopefully) end up with. He is the Taoist sage so prevalent in Lao Tzu's and Chuang Tzu's writings. Ideally, he in fact attains (some kind of) immortality. Source: imarcade.com As we can clearly see here, the tiger indeed cannot hurt The Fool. He is thought of as being protected by his very innocence.

I see what you mean. As we become more integrated ourselves, we have an integrating influence on our environment as well. This equals being good - beyond adhering to a book of "dos" and "don'ts". Very naturally, very daoistically... Excellent explanation!

What is seen as evil by some people can be good or natural to others. The first step towards a true understanding of self is dropping rigid categorization. Actually, this is the position of Daoism which states that postulating the dichotomy of good and evil creates the problem in the first place.

I doubt that you can drop your brain into the LDT - because you have another brain there already! Not only do the intestines resemble the brain windings, modern research even found neurotransmitters in-there. The idea of literally dropping my whole self-awareness into my guts is what scared me off when I first read about the LDT/hara first when I was a teenager. But now I think one mustn't take this so literally. Just try to center yourself there and navigate your breath there. All the rest will follow. http://www.amazon.com/Second-Brain-Groundbreaking-Understanding-Disorders/dp/0060930721/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415346238&sr=8-1&keywords=the+second+brain

Good luck!

What is karma? Some people think it's punishment for our (forgotten!) deeds in past lives, but this is a misunderstanding. It's true that we weren't born as blank pages but with a certain physical and psychological structure which reflects our past lives and what we (from the soul's perspective) came here for to achieve. Thus we will be inclined to think and feel a certain way, therefore attract certain things to ourselves. Can the way we think and feel be altered, as to attract what we truly wish? Yes, any time - even though for many it's not an easy task, practically speaking. It has got to do with developing wisdom - and love. So that is what karma is there for to teach us in the first place.

Hi! Your somewhat smugly remarks to me (throughout your post) actually tell more about yourself than about me. I'm in good company as it has always been common for aspiring Alchemists to dig around for some time. One of the greatest, Nicolas Flamel, was trying to decipher the Alchemical book he had received for 21 years in vain before he met Abraham the Jew who helped him to finally make some progress. Whether this is historically accurate or not, it's quite a typical story. No, written by people who intelligently and intuitively approached this multi-faceted topic from a number of valid angles. Even though they are not all practical alchemists. Which doesn't mean that they have nothing to say on Alchemy's philosophical, psychological and historical aspects. I think before delving into the practical art, it's useful to have a sound understanding of its context. Did I say I am? Would I have started this thread if I were? Nope. I am hoping that at best somebody who knows something valuable about the topic would be kind enough to share it with me. Well, I have quite a lot of experience with Spagyrics (even though I don't manufacture them myself). I also have training in laboratory techniques. The advice to start out by making herbal remedies I have heard before, and it's probably generally a good suggestion. Even though historically speaking, by no means all supposedly successful adepts went about their endeavour this way. I think I have in fact been "sowing the seeds" so far. Translating my ideas to a testable laboratory format, however, seems difficult in light of the gaps. Nevertheless, thanks - I consider this encouragement to be the most useful part of your post. I guess you could call some of the works by Libavius, Tancke and Becher "recipe books". Most of the books, while treating practical Alchemy, at best contain "recipes" encoded in allegorical language. What's wrong with studying master cooks even if you are a beginner? That's is what I'm already quite familiar with as I said. Thus this query. Thanks - no danger that I would hurt myself by your "advice". I hope the same. Anyway, thank you for your thoughts. Michael

I am happy to see that my thread finally got some momentum. I collected and read many books on Alchemy written from different perspectives, including secondary as well as primary literature. However, it is very difficult to arrive at a coherent picture, especially as far as the practical art is concerned, safe for some introductory works into 'Vegetable Alchemy'. Of course, Alchemy has always been notorious for its obscurity and lack of a terminology and symbolism common to most practitioners. Some scholarly efforts have been made by contemporary academics like Lawrence M. Principe and William R. Newman to figure out what the Alchemists of yore were actually doing in their laboratories. While some of their conclusions are illuminating, they still provide only a rather fragmented view, at best. Even how and with what material to start the Great Work is far from unambiguous. However, as far as I figured out so far, there are two major methods employed by a substantial number of advanced practitioners: The Wet Path This starts with manufacturing a somewhat elusive Spirit of Wine and a preparation of lead acetate. The principal text is Johann Seger Weidenfeld's "The Secret of the Adepts". In modern times, it was attempted by Alexander von Bernus. The Dry Path This starts with manufacturing a star regulus of metallic Antimony. It is also called the Flamel way and was followed by such famous Alchemists as Eirenaeus Philalethes and Sir Isaac Newton. The details of the practice of either path still elude me, however. If you have anything to share on them, I invite your comments. Alternatively, feel free to PM me. Thanks. Michael

Hi Stig, That's an interesting demonstration. Thanks. I learned Fa Jin techniques from Erle Montaigue. However, I realized that there are different methods taught in various internal martial arts - in fact even within the same art by different teachers, Some initiate a punch by pushing off the back foot, others by a movement of the arm, for just one example. I attempted a comparative study of power generation methods in different martial styles. Frequently, I ran into the problem that many teachers are not willing or able to describe their particular method in sufficient detail in their books and videos. Of course, personal instruction would be preferable, but my circumstances don't allow me to regularly meet a teacher knowledgeable in this area. May I ask you to describe the precise body mechanics you are using in the reverse punch you are demonstrating? I would really appreciate it. Best, Michael

Excellent summary of the Microcosm/Macrocosm analogy, Zhongyongdaoist. Thanks.

I think you were spot-on, too. There are areas in modern physics that call for non-Euclidean geometries. And it's some of those geometries which at once provide a link to the non-physical or etheric realm. As some anthroposophically oriented mathematicians and physicists demonstrate, in particular. Now give me your 'likes' if you want to look intelligent.

I whole-heartedly agree with the statements and general thrust of your post except that I don't think things are so black and white in all of science, especially in modern physics (but in medicine and other areas, too). There are lots of untested theories in vogue - and there are some good people trying to build a bridge to the metaphysical outlook. And no, they're not Creationists.

I don't expect anything from you except that you chat with me, cyber pal. Rather than just to be. I know what you mean. When on a train, I always wonder why so many people get off their seats and go to the doors long before the train has actually arrived. That sounds like a meaningful goal. I think that by bestowing fun on you, the Tao (or whatever you like to call it) is letting you know that you are on the right track. (Well, for the most part.) Epicurus knew this, too. Well, the happiness is what matters - not the money as such. A survey showed that the people who are happiest (on average) are living in Bangladesh! On the other hand, it's (almost) never too late to go for anything you like (if you like),

She'll find it under the X-mas tree. The trick is to do things without unnecessary tension and effort. (See internal martial arts.) Oh boy! The US government invests so many $$ in all that fancy high-tech army equipment yet you had to do the job in this style? I thought they left the improvisation thing to NASA.

I think you may set your goals as high as you wish - as long as you are able to pursue them in a balanced way, without anxiety.

I will suggest that she reads Chuang Tzu. Hmm... If I wouldn't desire to succeed I wouldn't even bother trying something. I guess the art is to let the idea of success sink into the unconscious, then act without thinking of it any longer. Right; the proper balance is what the art of living is all about. Agreed. But this includes the ability to improvise, doesn't it? A helpful reminder. Thanks. Thanks again!

There are some physicists who are thinking about how mind and spirit fit into the picture, but overall, you are on the mark.

Iain, the German Tesla researcher Konstantin Meyl may have suggested something along these (power) lines. I can't look it up right now as most of my books are inconveniently still packed up in boxes since I have moved.

I studied Tesla coils to some degree and I really like the analogy you are drawing to bioelectricity. I wonder, is the idea all yours or do you have some source on this?

Great! Chuang Tzu my favourite, too. From part 2: "He does not indulge any anxious doubts; he does not lay plans beforehand." Hmm... I'm pretty good at implementing the second part of this sentence. Still working on the first part, though. Brings a lot of questions to my mind. Such as: Is Chuang Tzu really suggesting to never plan ahead for possible future situations? Simply improvise when necessary? Are my (occasional) anxious doubts in this regard the real problem, keeping me from being a complete Chuangist? Do I want my wife to read this post of mine? Thanks for your thoughts!

Western medicine is doing quite well in explaining what is happening on the physical level. It is however pretty much limited to this level, like most modern Western science. TCM and other alternative approaches are complementing the picture by their understanding of the energetic side which acts not in contradiction but in accordance with the cellular processes etc. as understood in Western medicine. People who are followers of the "physical only" sect tend to neglect the psychological and etheric connections, however. It's hard to provide evidence as long as they're not ready to step outside their box.

If you don't know it yet, look into Peter Holmes: The Energetics of Western Herbs: A Materia Medica Integrating Western and Chinese Herbal Therapeutics, Vols. 1 & 2

While I by no means deny that there is something called internal power and that it's applicable in a fight, it does have its foundation in the proper use of physical principles as explained in the Taiji Classics. This is not to say that it doesn't transcend what we currently call physics. What Dillon showed was genuine Taiji principles well translated to a kick-boxing format - not an "anything goes" kind of setting, to be sure, but also not a lovely exercise with a compliant "opponent". I wonder what an accomplished master of the type you mention, NV, could have done so much better in that environment? Send the opponent flying out of the ring? (He'd come back quite as fast.) Drop him in an instant? Make his head burst? Seriously, I'd like to hear your opinion...