I'm going to keep it short and sweet this week. I found this book online a few weeks ago and have been going through it in some of my spare time. I'm not quite finished reading it yet but I wanted to go on and pass it along.
The Book of Aquarius is an alchemical manual claiming to reveal the secrets of the Philosopher's Stone. A lofty claim but I suspended my disbelief and prejudice long enough to start reading it. It should be enjoyable to anyone interested in alchemy. Be sure to let me know if you succeed at the process the author gives. I may end up doing a deeper breakdown of the material once I finish the whole thing.
Showing posts with label alchemy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alchemy. Show all posts
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Obfuscation in the Occult and why it's necessary.
Those of you that have had even a passing interest in the occult or magic(k) have probably taken a glimpse through books of spells or maybe even online editions of old Renaissance grimoires. I think something that really stands out in older sources is the extreme effort put into preparation for a magical operation, sometimes starting months before the operation itself is to be performed. The engraving of specific metal plates with specific symbols, paying tributes of specific substances, fasting, and complex ritualistic preparations are all rather common in older books of evocation.
Likewise, alchemy is famous for its complex or confusing language and codes. Substances are called by the names of mythical animals, symbols and ciphers are substituted for ingredients and processes, and allegory is implemented to instruct the seeker in the proper way to do things. To someone that has no knowledge of the symbolism behind these allegories and associations this can all appear rather daunting.
Alchemy and evocation (among other practices) have in common the obfuscation and complication of things for a reason. In the case of evocation, I think that a lot of preparations exist simply to test the resolve of the potential summoner or to turn away those that cannot see through this ruse. Few people are going to go through eighteen months of preparations just to summon one angel. This keeps the unworthy from dabbling in the art. In the case of alchemy, all of the obfuscation exists to keep certain secrets hidden from the uninitiated and to perhaps keep the alchemist safe from factions that might be less than understanding of their art. There are many alchemical products that are dangerous or powerful and understandably cannot be laid bare to all comers in plain language. Depending on the time period and location it might also be unwise for an alchemist to plainly state what they were up to, lest they offend the predominant faith.
Alchemical processes can also be read as more than just physical operations. Some alchemical recipes are written to resemble literal laboratory operations when they are actually instructing the alchemist on something that must take place in the inner laboratory of the mind and soul. For the true alchemists, spiritual transformation was the goal of the art; not the production of precious metals as many think. By writing things in a cryptic way, the master alchemist ensures that the amateur alchemist comes to understand the deeper meanings with time and practice of the art. The knowledge would have little value if it was acquired by any other means.
Cryptic language and double meanings in the occult are not simply dramatic devices to maintain a mysterious air around certain practices. Many people in this day and age may strive to be unnecessarily cryptic or mysterious for show, but when these occult practices were first being developed it was very important to hide meanings and lead the unfit astray. Take this into consideration the next time you pore over a Renaissance grimoire and find yourself unable to follow what's going on. Sometimes you just have to look a little deeper.
Likewise, alchemy is famous for its complex or confusing language and codes. Substances are called by the names of mythical animals, symbols and ciphers are substituted for ingredients and processes, and allegory is implemented to instruct the seeker in the proper way to do things. To someone that has no knowledge of the symbolism behind these allegories and associations this can all appear rather daunting.
Alchemy and evocation (among other practices) have in common the obfuscation and complication of things for a reason. In the case of evocation, I think that a lot of preparations exist simply to test the resolve of the potential summoner or to turn away those that cannot see through this ruse. Few people are going to go through eighteen months of preparations just to summon one angel. This keeps the unworthy from dabbling in the art. In the case of alchemy, all of the obfuscation exists to keep certain secrets hidden from the uninitiated and to perhaps keep the alchemist safe from factions that might be less than understanding of their art. There are many alchemical products that are dangerous or powerful and understandably cannot be laid bare to all comers in plain language. Depending on the time period and location it might also be unwise for an alchemist to plainly state what they were up to, lest they offend the predominant faith.
Alchemical processes can also be read as more than just physical operations. Some alchemical recipes are written to resemble literal laboratory operations when they are actually instructing the alchemist on something that must take place in the inner laboratory of the mind and soul. For the true alchemists, spiritual transformation was the goal of the art; not the production of precious metals as many think. By writing things in a cryptic way, the master alchemist ensures that the amateur alchemist comes to understand the deeper meanings with time and practice of the art. The knowledge would have little value if it was acquired by any other means.
Cryptic language and double meanings in the occult are not simply dramatic devices to maintain a mysterious air around certain practices. Many people in this day and age may strive to be unnecessarily cryptic or mysterious for show, but when these occult practices were first being developed it was very important to hide meanings and lead the unfit astray. Take this into consideration the next time you pore over a Renaissance grimoire and find yourself unable to follow what's going on. Sometimes you just have to look a little deeper.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The Occult Origin of Modern Science
This may come as a surprise to some, but what we know as modern science began as studies into magic and the occult. One might not recognize this if one were to look at the current view of magic and the occult in the mainstream. To illustrate what I'm talking about I would like to call attention to the fact that natural magic (the study of astrology, alchemy, herbology, etc.) evolved to become the natural sciences. Allow me to explain.
Astronomy as a science owes everything to the practice of astrology. Astrology had us looking to the heavens to discover more about ourselves. We tracked the movements of the stars and planets, some cultures with more precision than others, and we were able to predict what celestial body was going to do what next and perhaps what that meant for us. When the telescope was invented astronomy really came into its own and the "superstitions" of astrology were divorced from the new science.
From the study of herbs and their magical and medicinal effects we arrived at pharmacology. Mankind has known since the dawn of time that certain plants are capable of doing certain things. Some are foods, some are medicines, and some are deadly poisons. Through the study of correspondences and the spirit of the plant we determined what it was capable of, both magically and medicinally. This knowledge of plant medicines led the way to modern pharmaceuticals. Many powerful medicines are still extracted from plants.
Alchemy is many things to many people, but the quest for the power of transformation ultimately led to the birth of chemistry. Over time, alchemy became less about transforming the self and more about transforming metals. From this we began to experiment and observe more closely how substances interacted with one another. New theories emerged and the symbolism of the reactions was forgotten. Thus chemistry was born.
Something else that may come as a surprise to the modern reader is that Isaac Newton was a bit of an occultist. That's right, the man behind universal gravity, calculus, and so much more was an occultist. More specifically, Newton was an alchemist. On top of his more accepted scientific pursuits, Newton had great interest in the Philosopher's Stone. Newton also worked with antimony and it has been said that the star pattern formed by antimony alloys inspired his ideas of light and gravitation.
There is a lesson in all of this. "Occult" simply means "hidden" and we should not run from what is hidden. Some of the greatest things that mankind has discovered have come from the study of the hidden aspects of reality. As such, some might do well not to hastily badmouth occult and magical pursuits. If the natural sciences emerged from natural magic then what mysteries might await us in the study of ceremonial magics like theurgy and goety? How about survival studies? Extra-sensory perception and psychokinesis? Astral projection and out-of-body experience? Instead of shunning modern occult or paranormal pursuits, shouldn't we perhaps be looking to them as a means to gain even more knowledge of our reality?
Wikipedia on natural magic.
More on Isaac Newton's occult studies.
Astronomy as a science owes everything to the practice of astrology. Astrology had us looking to the heavens to discover more about ourselves. We tracked the movements of the stars and planets, some cultures with more precision than others, and we were able to predict what celestial body was going to do what next and perhaps what that meant for us. When the telescope was invented astronomy really came into its own and the "superstitions" of astrology were divorced from the new science.
From the study of herbs and their magical and medicinal effects we arrived at pharmacology. Mankind has known since the dawn of time that certain plants are capable of doing certain things. Some are foods, some are medicines, and some are deadly poisons. Through the study of correspondences and the spirit of the plant we determined what it was capable of, both magically and medicinally. This knowledge of plant medicines led the way to modern pharmaceuticals. Many powerful medicines are still extracted from plants.
Alchemy is many things to many people, but the quest for the power of transformation ultimately led to the birth of chemistry. Over time, alchemy became less about transforming the self and more about transforming metals. From this we began to experiment and observe more closely how substances interacted with one another. New theories emerged and the symbolism of the reactions was forgotten. Thus chemistry was born.
Something else that may come as a surprise to the modern reader is that Isaac Newton was a bit of an occultist. That's right, the man behind universal gravity, calculus, and so much more was an occultist. More specifically, Newton was an alchemist. On top of his more accepted scientific pursuits, Newton had great interest in the Philosopher's Stone. Newton also worked with antimony and it has been said that the star pattern formed by antimony alloys inspired his ideas of light and gravitation.
There is a lesson in all of this. "Occult" simply means "hidden" and we should not run from what is hidden. Some of the greatest things that mankind has discovered have come from the study of the hidden aspects of reality. As such, some might do well not to hastily badmouth occult and magical pursuits. If the natural sciences emerged from natural magic then what mysteries might await us in the study of ceremonial magics like theurgy and goety? How about survival studies? Extra-sensory perception and psychokinesis? Astral projection and out-of-body experience? Instead of shunning modern occult or paranormal pursuits, shouldn't we perhaps be looking to them as a means to gain even more knowledge of our reality?
Wikipedia on natural magic.
More on Isaac Newton's occult studies.
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