A General Look at Alchemy Part 1

Alchemy’s Origin

Alchemy, according to esoteric writers, is stated to be the discovery of an historic Egyptian sage known as Hermes Trismegistus. The "Father of Alchemy" lived in an unknown age of Egyptian history, even though he’s concept by some Rosicrucian colleges to have lived in the course of the time of Moses and the Exodus of the Israelites. If authentic, being an Initiate of the mysteries of Isis and Osiris, Moses have to had been tutored through Hermes himself, which later enabled him to carry out his project and to understand his I AM Presence symbolised via the burning bush. The diverse precepts and the Ten Commandments of the Lord of Hosts revealed to the Israelites by using Moses are the first alchemical steps of purification and putrefaction. Further steps have been later brought to the Mosaic revelation by way of the Nazarene Master. Indeed, the Christ declared that he came not to abolish the preceding revelation, but to satisfy it.

It is idea via a few that "Hermes Trismegistus" constituted a title assumed by prominent hierophants of the Mystery Schools, in a extremely comparable manner that Zoroaster, the founding father of the "Fire Religion" is regarded by using sure pupils. Incidentally, alchemy will also be taken into consideration a Fire Religion, or at the least a philosophy, because of its symbology of hearth related to the alchemical principles, its prerequisite in the artwork of transmutation, and to the honour and honor paid to it by alchemists.

Jewish mystics become aware of Hermes because the antediluvian prophet Enoch, or Idris, because the Muslims name him; while ancient Egyptians see Hermes as Thoth, the god of Wisdom, Learning, and Writing. He turned into given this apotheosis along side Imhotep, the remarkable architect underneath the reign of King Zoser of the Fourth Dynasty. It might seem that both men have been overshadowed by the archetypal parent of Thoth, and were acknowledged as such via each the internal and outer circles of initiates of the Mystery Schools. Thoth, or his Greek counterpart, Mercury, was a messenger of the gods; and as an archetypal incarnation of this god, Hermes lived as much as his name via his literary productiveness. Ancient writers declared that the "Trice Greatest" wrote hundreds of books on what later have become referred to as Hermeticism and Alchemy. It is unlucky that little or no of Hermes’ works survived the conflagration and destruction of libraries and books by Roman and Christian zeal within the early dawn of the Piscean Age. The world as an entire is still blind to the extraordinary loss, and it will take some time before the invocation is made by way of the masses for the Greater Light, for disclosure of eternal concepts that might shine upon the trails of men, and consequently, for a full healing and established order of an occult library of the sector, with an archive and database of each acknowledged system and subculture of the metaphysical facet of lifestyles. Although little is thought of Hermes, it is obvious thru the works attributed to him that he become an middleman of the Wisdom Ray of the Supreme Being.

One of the most famed works on Hermetic doctrine written, and in concise shape, is the Smaragdine Tablet attributed to the authorship of Hermes. Its discovery is historically believed to had been made by Alexander of Macedonia in a cave near Hebron. This conqueror of countries who had Aristotle for a Master, became in search of immortality. Although he failed to acquire his private immortality, Alexander did find a philosophical jewel that might have given him what he had sought if he had handiest applied the standards that the Emerald Tablet contained. Tradition relates that the Tablet changed into wrought out of synthetic emerald, due to transmutation, with the Hermetic doctrine embossed on it.

Alchemy, as a philosophy and an artwork inside the Western hemisphere inside the past millenia, existed concurrently in other historic cultures and civilizations–it changed into practiced intensely by means of Hindu Yogis and Taoists, in India and China. This parallel boom might be the result of the Great White Brotherhood’s periodic presentation of a non secular method designed for the improvement of sure sorts of temperaments and notion-framework of these aspirants belonging to a certain generation and degree of mankind’s collective evolution.

Based on this parallel increase of alchemy within the Orient and the regions of the Fertile Crescent counseled to a few Esoteric historians that alchemy may have had a common origin in that sunken continent Atlan, or Atlantis, as it’s far extra commonly regarded. Esoteric Tradition announces that a handful of the Atlantean Root Race survived the submergence of the land and transmigrated to Egypt, China, and the Americas. It is affordable to expect that they brought with them their sciences, art, and culture, which stimulated the inhabitants indigenous to the areas where they settled. This might provide an explanation for the similarities in the traditions and beliefs of native cultures to be determined both East and West.

Principles of Alchemy are the ideas that Nature herself works with, and for this reason alchemy, scientifically, existed inside the internal planes long before it turned into brought all the way down to the earth plane by means of Master instructors. A look at of Nature’s mysteries could monitor to the discerning student that the higher Intelligences, the Elohim, and the Great Architect of the Universe utilized alchemical ideas to precipitate the starry bodies out of Chaos, out of Cosmic Root Substance or "Sunyata," as termed through the Buddhist. Qabalists consider that Adam was taught through the angels in Paradise the art of transmutation, to put together him for his "Fall" and his climb lower back toward his Monad, towards godhood–his involution and evolution from a Divine Consciousness to Divine Self-Consciousness.

There isn’t any popular concurrence amongst pupils as to the starting place of the word "alchemy." The consensus is that the phrase is derived from the phrase "Khem," the ancient call for Egypt, added to the Arabic article "al," meaning "the," consequently forming the phrase "al-Khemy." However, Sir Wallis Budge is of the opinion that alchemy comes from the Egyptian word "khemein," which means the "black powder" or "ore" that is presumed to be an component in alchemy. No rely in which it secured its call, the phrase "alchemy," it’d seem, first came into prominence inside the Mystery Schools in Alexandria.

Purpose of Alchemy

But simply what’s alchemy, and what role does it play within the advertising of the welfare of mankind? If alchemy has any genuine cost, it need to be primarily based upon eternal values, upon the things that support Heaven’s functions; in different phrases, upon God’s plan of humankind’s turning into into the genuine Elohimic picture of the divine. If alchemy surely had a secular objective, masterminds of the Ages would not have involved themselves with it. It would had been taken into consideration as something so trivial, so temporary, as to distract Man from the actual work of extricating himself, particularly, from his bondage to the carnal self, the kama manas, or animal soul; and generally, from samsara. Greed become by no means the impulse that induced the discovery of alchemy. It become, is, and constantly can be Man’s desire for Truth and enlightenment of his authentic nature and estate that motivates him to are searching for thru every channel and street for that sure something that he subconsciously feels he had "lost" and that is his to re-gather–name it "the Lost Word," "the Philosopher’s Stone," or "the Holy Grail," it matters not. Alchemy teaches Man the standards of regeneration and resurrection, legal guidelines of creation and transmutation; legal guidelines that could assist Man to regain his former property lost in "the Fall." This "Fall" from Paradise symbolically represents involution of the human lifestyles wave into physical rely. The manner again to the Throne of God is scientifically known as "evolution," and the acceleration of the latter is the art of the hermetic gnosis. This Path of Return is esoterically and graphically symbolised by way of Jacob’s Ladder, and the paths of the Qaballistic "Tree of Life."

The drama of Jesus’ life is an alchemical allegory of the steps of regeneration and ascension to the I AM Presence within, the "Father who artwork in Heaven." Orthodox Christianity does now not recognize or is blind to this critical truth, and due to the dearth of mystical perception amongst most contributors of its priesthood coupled with the absence of esoteric truths inside the doctrines and dogmas of the Church, the average Christian is ignorant and ignorant of the genuine message of Christianity–of the Light, the Christ substance, and the genuine saving blood that Christ introduced to humankind. Esoteric Christianity is essentially an alchemical science and religion; its promulgator turned into a Master Alchemist–being taught in the initiatory halls of the Mystery Schools. It is associated within the Gospels how the Master transmuted water into wine, improved loaves and fishes, and walked on water–all of which have been manifestations of the applied concepts of alchemy, the Hermetic philosophy–or possibly those activities were all allegories conveying a few non secular coaching.

Alchemy is described as an art of transmutation and precipitation–the changing of base metals into gold. The paintings of alchemical transmutation is special as "the Labor of the Sun." This "Eye of Ra" symbolically represents the perfection with which Nature is step by step unfolding in her creations. At the bodily stage the Sun of Perfection is represented with the aid of gold. Alchemy is the technological know-how and artwork which hasten the creations of Nature to achieve perfection at their personal respective level. Gold is the perfection achieve by using metals and minerals. Minerals, however, are also following some other line of perfection–that of its potential to sustain existence and awareness. And Man, the acme of natural life, is evolving to the country wherein he acquires perfection in Divine Self-Awareness.

From the above it can be summarized that alchemy is the art of elevating vibrations of an object with the intention to hasten its development or evolution right into a higher expression or state. The result is perfection of the item of the transmutation.

Alchemy’s Transmission to Christendom

Alexandria became the philosophical capital of Egypt, and perhaps of the complete civilized worlds inside the early centuries of Christianity. Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Alchemy and Hermeticism flowered abundantly; these philosophies are intrinsically associated, and to realise the Royal Art completely, the pupil of alchemy is suggested by means of Master teachers to be familiar with their doctrines. Alexandria’s Golden Age of occult philosophy did now not ultimate lengthy, for the reptilian thoughts of the fallen angels had seized manipulate of the growing new faith of Christianity (no offence to our Christian brothers and sisters). The philosophical little children of Hermes have been persecuted and murdered brutally by way of Christian fundamentalists and enthusiasts. Fear and hatred were aroused the various hundreds and the ousting of the so-known as pagan religions from the land ensued. One unhappy event become the merciless assassination of Hypathia, an illustrious daughter of the Mysteries–the Widow Isis, and propounder of Neoplatonism. She infrequently had a philosophical same throughout her day, and this induced the envy and jealousy of a sure priest who contrived her homicide.

During the decline of the Roman Empire, the Secret Doctrine, or the Ancient Wisdom were surpassed directly to the guardianship of the Arabian and Persian mystics. The tenets of occult information were later integrated into the Muslim religion with its better aspects promulgated secretly within the traditional oral manner in sure sects, Orders, and mystical corporations inclusive of the Sufi and Dervish Orders, and some of the community of Druzes in Lebanon and Syria.

In the 8th to the eleventh centuries A.D., within the era of the golden duration of alchemic-Islamic culture, we pay attention of eminent names within the discipline of the Royal Art, inclusive of al-Farabi, Rhazes, Geber and Avicenna. These men studied the mystery teachings and occult wisdom of the Egyptian and Greek schools. They had been most considerably encouraged by Hermetic, Alchemic and Neoplatonic thoughts, and the know-how that they acquired become synthesized with Islamic and Sufic doctrines. The Sufi adepts produced one of the most lovely symbols of religious unfoldment and progression: the rose. Its symbolism is comparable to the lotus followed by Hindu mystics.

The Knights Templer changed into an critical hyperlink between each East and West, between Islamic way of life and the arena of Christendom. The alchemical doctrine changed into passed on by the Sufi adepts to those "Knights of the Holy Sepulchre," because the Templers had been originally known as. Even the mythical Christian Rosencruez of Rosicrucianism is stated to have acquired his occult know-how from the Sufi Masters and adepts in Arabia.

After the times of the disbandment of the Templer Order by means of Philip the Fair of France, and the dying-sentence in their last Grand Master, Jacques de Molay in 1314, the surviving Knights sought refuge in numerous countries; and in England some of them founded an alchemical Order which later became called the "Elder Brothers of the Rose Cross." It is stated that this Order comprised 33 members and that this group exists even to this very day in our laptop age.

When the believers of Allah invaded and settled in Iberia, they brought with them the Secret Teachings. Colleges have been established that had mysticism, metaphysics, and alchemy in the curriculum. With the established order of the diverse colleges, the Ancient Wisdom subsequently took definite root in European soil, and it unfold step by step in the course of the other regions of the Continent. This growth became absolute confidence the result of the efforts placed forth by the spiritual hierarchy of this planet. Man’s evolution is split into sure steps, levels, and cycles, and these have "time-tables" or schedules related to them. It changed into expedient that the Flames of Truth and Freedom receive to the custodian of the Islamic world if it have been not to be extinguished through some of the ungodly minds of Christendom of the Dark Ages which might have caused a setback to the Divine Plan already set up.

The deviation from the right use of unfastened will through Christian fundamentalists had made them wrong vessels for the Christic wine. In spite of exoteric Christianity’s blind attack on th Light that gave it start, the esoteric circle persevered its lifestyles clandestinely, keeping the secret teachings of Jesus and transmitting it to a specific few who had the vision of the divine plan inside their hearts and minds.

Idries Shah, the eminent Sufi of modern-day instances, mentions in his e-book "The Sufis," how an Englishman, one Robert of Chester, become instrumentally in 1144 A.D., in introducing alchemy to the Christian global by translating an alchemical manuscript at the start written in Arabic. There were many others like him, for bearers of the Flame had been no longer few.

Levels of Alchemy

Most of the ideas of alchemy conveyed to the public had been made from pix, mandalas, and jargon. These difficult to understand languages had been essential considering the era that alchemical technology was struggling–suffering for a popularity from the hundreds as a machine of non secular development in the midst of ecclesiastical persecution. The mentality of the loads of the Middle Ages have been not lots different from the time of Jesus. Ignorance, superstition, and worry still ruled the day. The letter of the law, as propagandized by way of Orthodox Christianity had been still at odds, and at warfare with the spirit of the regulation, as superior via enlightened mystics. The inquisition, which lasted for hundreds of years, confirmed how far the Church had strayed from the authentic precepts of Christianity. The Christ taught love, forgiveness, charity and kindness; the Church Fathers and Christian leaders handiest knew personal ambition, with sadism, and egoism set-up upon an unholy pedestal. The private "I" was worshipped, the "Yekhidah," or the Divine I AM, became forgotten.

Neophytes of the Mysteries have been given the keys of interpretation of Sacred literature when they have been prevalent in the various mystery brotherhoods. The candidates of alchemical initiation had been observed by way of the Masters after they had validated their sincerity, and the sacrifices and attempt that they’d made. To the world at huge, the lifestyles of the Masters changed into unknown and unsuspected, despite the fact that their presence inside the international of men changed into hinted at in numerous alchemical manuscripts. It was only inside the ultimate century that Helena P. Blavatsky, amongst others, who introduced their life to the world’s interest; and even then, the world scoffed and derided on the idea. This is a touch unreasonable, as human beings of numerous religious unfoldment and intellectual development can also without problems be seen and recognized. If a few women and men are extra best than others, why must no longer there be males and females absolutely ideal from our human point of view?

Esoterically, when a Master alchemist gave a scholar of alchemy the "Philosopher’s Stone," what became without a doubt conveyed were the lessons of the Ancient Wisdom, and a positive yogic system that after carried out and practiced, would transmute an initiate into a god.

To the public eye, alchemical icons and terminology conveyed no feel whatsoever, however the mystiqueness of alchemical texts and photos aroused hobby in ability practitioners of the Royal Art, and it grew to become the common character right into a seeker. This changed into perhaps one of the intentions of the authors of alchemical manuscripts. Modern chemistry, feeling a touch confused by using alchemical thoughts, contemptuously considers her sire as a pseudo-science, within the identical manner that astrology is typically frowned upon by using the scholars of astronomy. Modern studies will in time change the opinions and prejudicial ideals of a materialistically-willing technology; already pioneers of quantum physics are hypothesising what the Ancient Wisdom has been teaching for a long time.

One key to expertise alchemy is to determine the targets and the problem of transmutation. Without preserving this principle in thoughts, one could be lost in the alchemical desert. Alchemy is labeled into four degrees:

1) Physical alchemy

2) Biological alchemy

three) Psychological alchemy

4) Transcendental alchemy

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