Rose Nobles

Edward III Noble

“The only coinage of nobles which has been attributed to alchemy was that made by Edward III in 1344.  The gold used in this coinage is supposed to have been manufactured in the Tower, the adept in question was not Raymond Lully, but the English Ripley.”

- From Lives of Alchemystical Philosophers,  by Arthur Edward Waite (1888)

We know that a good story, told with assurance and a sanguine nod, is an entryway to a complex house. Generations can pass inside, each new teller in turn captivated by the intricacies of  it’s construction.  Whispers of hidden halls draw some deeper, seeking temple foundations beneath a common wood floor.

And then someone passes by and mentions the entire house, history and all, is built with ephemeral and misleading words, oh you thought that was a hallway? You must have misread, or misheard, you’re still standing awkward, awaiting entrance on the porch outside.

There is a story that recounts Raymond Lull’s time minting coins for King Edward in the Tower of London. This story is a perfect example of the houses we are discussing, its construction paid for with 14th century gold coins, minted in the 15th century. Shall we investigate?

The Black Madonna

The Black Madonna phenomenon is a continuing enigma in the study of Medieval Christianity.  They appear in churches from Eastern Europe to Spain, no different than other statues of the Madonna and Child except that they are inexplicably made of black or dark brown material.  In alchemical lore they play a part in the fact that Nicolas Flamel’s definitive pilgrimage found him traveling to a site in Spain where one of the icons of the Black Madonna is venerated.

Theories about the origins of these icons abound, from the mundane idea that these are merely standard depictions of the Madonna having lost their original patina, or that were simply carved from materials that were black and left as is, to a whole host of esoteric explanations regarding secret cults and heterodox visions of the Divine.

I hope that it is apparent to any student of the Mysteries that such explanations are never clear cut, and more than finding some empirical fact that will explain these phenomenon, it is important to meditate on them, and discover how they provide intimate keys to understanding the beauty and complexity of our shared existence.

Jaq White, on her site Stairs of Gold, provides an intriguing mediation on the significance of these figures.  The following is an excerpt from her article, The Cosmic Cycle & the Black Madonna, the whole of which is highly recommended:

“Some believe that these statues of the Black Madonna are not Christian in origin; rather, they are representations of Isis and Horus that when discovered, were wrongly identified as the Virgin Mary and Infant Jesus – if so, this would certainly create the need for explanations as to why the statues were originally hidden. However, there is another possibility; the Black Madonna might never have depicted Isis but might well be an esoteric – possibly medieval – Christian symbol…

This Cosmic Cycle is incorporated in the Christian Holy Trinity; albeit in completely masculine terms, with God as heavenly father, heavenly Holy Spirit and the divine son made of earthly matter. This was enabled through the coupling of the male Holy Spirit and the “living” Virgin Mary. In Egyptian mythology, the living Isis only conceives her son Horus after the death of Osiris. He procreates from the spiritual world, when he becomes God of the Underworld.

This can be explained in alchemical terms, with the masculine Osiris, the black virginal prima materia and fixed male, uniting with the black, volatile, female, spirit of Isis his wife, conceiving and producing the Divine child Horus,  the Earthly representative of his father Osiris. The serpents have devoured one another, the Ouroboros is realised and so the Cycle continues.

The serpent has long been perceived as an enemy of Christians, and the use of serpent symbolism in Christian iconography is generally to portray sinfulness, temptation, and the fall of mankind. The serpent as a symbol of the Divine state of man would not have been acceptable, and is still not acceptable to many Christians. However, in the “Black Madonna” we have the same trinity expressed.

The Black Virgin is, like Osiris, the father and the divine, male essence. The Black Mother is, like Isis, the mother and the divine, female essence, and the product of their union is the Ouroboros, Horus – the Christ.

The Black Madonna could be another representation of the All, the trinity – and an esoteric Christian symbol of the Cosmic Cycle. “

For the entire article click here.

David – Chapters 14-17 (Practical Alchemy)

It’s been quite awhile since the last reflection. As promised The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Alchemy has been much more a journey than a simple reading. My life has been moving in a number of directions this year, so it seems best to reflect as reflection comes rather than forcing anything. Suffice to say that underneath the swell of circumstance, the wisdom gained through Dennis Hauck’s introduction to the alchemical art, and the off roads it points to, has been invaluable.

In chapters 14-17 of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Alchemy we are presented with the practical nature of the art. Prior chapters, for as many full and profound revelations they hold, serve merely to massage our world view, preparing us for the reality that, yes, alchemy does involve material preparations, but, no, it is not proto-chemistry.  For within the Art, everything is alive with spirit, from a sliver of silver to a fully realized human being, everything participates in universal Life.

The Arcanum Experiment

“Early alchemists divided their chemicals into major and minor arcana. The major arcana consisted of the four compounds: Vitriol, Natron, Liquor Hepatis, and Pulvis Solaris. Three out of the four consisted of dual ingredients that were easily separable. Vitriol could be broken down into sulfuric acid and iron. Natron appeared as sodium carbonate and sodium nitrate. Pulvis Solaris was made up of the red and black varieties.

Thus, the seven chemicals comprising the minor arcana were: Sulfuric Acid, Iron, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Nitrate, Liquor Hepatis, Red Pulvis Solaris, and Black Pulvis Solaris. The alchemists believed that these secret chemicals could be combined in the Arcanum Experiment, the single laboratory experiment that would demonstrate the archetypal forces and evolution of the universe.

Ideally, such an experiment should succeed on many levels, not only corroborating the deepest philosophical and psychological principles, but also providing concrete evidence of their veracity. The Arcanum Experiment exposed the hidden principles connecting heaven and earth, offering a framework in which to explain both microcosmic and macrocosmic events.”

- from Sorcerer’s Stone: A Beginner’s Guide to Alchemy, by Dennis William Hauck

“”The fifth rubric brings all the reactions together as the single arcanum, the united chemicals of the arcana. You have “obtained the Glory of the whole universe” by understanding the operation of the four elements on all levels: in the experiment, in our own souls, in nature, in the universe. “All Obscurity will be clear to you” points beyond the four elements to knowledge of the arcanum, your perfected soul, and the Quintessence that becomes your Stone.”

- The Emerald Tablet: Alchemy for Personal Transformation,
 By Dennis William Hauck

 

The ancient Egyptian Arcanum Experiment will be performed publicly
for the first time in modern history at the International Alchemy
Conference on September 16, 2011. The highly symbolic chemical
experiment demonstrates all the basic principles of alchemy and
imparts a metaphysical understanding of its operations to those
who witness it. The experiment was part of the Alexandrian
initiation process, and its secrets were encoded into alchemical
engravings, the Emerald Tablet, the Tarot, and other Hermetic
traditions.

In ancient Alexandria, alchemists performed chemical
demonstrations to develop early alchemistic philosophy and
discover the underlying principles in the creation of the universe,
which they believed had to be the basic pattern for all
transformations. Many ingenious experiments were performed to
determine the nature of the First Matter and the proper order of
the appearance of the Elements, but the most important and
impressive experiment was the Arcanum Experiment.

The Arcanum Experiment used seven secret ingredients called the
Arcana: Vitriol (sulfuric acid and iron), Natron (sodium carbonate
and sodium nitrate), Red Pulvis Solaris (a sulfur-mercury compound),
Black Pulvis Solaris (a sulfur-antimony compound), and Liquor
Hepatis (a sulfur-ammonia solution). The dramatic unfolding of the
Arcanum Experiment – from the initial heavy purple cloud to a
flash of light and the final manifestation of a precipitate -
replayed the creation of the universe in a glass retort and was
instrumental in developing alchemical theory. Because of the toxic
fumes generated in the live demonstration, a video recording of
the complete experiment will be featured. Samples of the actual
ingredients will be available to participants.

During this intensive 3-hour workshop, the chemical mythology of
the ancients will be reviewed, and ancient initiatory techniques
will reveal a powerful spiritual technology that is as relevant
today as it was thousands of years ago. By connecting at the
archetypal level with the Arcana through guided visualizations and
meditations on the experimental evidence as well as relevant
alchemical drawings, participants will be given the opportunity to
experience these universal truths firsthand.

All participants receive a sample jar of purified sulfur, the
basic ingredient in the experiment. Also included is a free
70-minute DVD on the operations of alchemy revealed in the Arcanum
Experiment and how they were encoded in the Tarot, the Kabbalah,
Taoist alchemy, and other Hermetic disciplines. A Certificate of
Completion will be issued (2 credits in the Alchemy Study Program
- www.AlchemyStudy.com).

The workshop will be conducted by author and practicing alchemist
Dennis William Hauck. The experiment was performed at his
laboratory in Sacramento, California. Hauck was initiated into
alchemy while in graduate school in Vienna and has since translated
a number of important manuscripts and published seven books on the
subject. His bestselling The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Alchemy
(Penguin Alpha 2008) is considered the best introduction to alchemy
available today, and his The Emerald Tablet: Alchemy for Personal
Transformation (Penguin 1999) presents his original research about
the mysterious artifact that inspired alchemists for centuries.
His other books include Sorcerer’s Stone: A Beginner’s Guide to
Alchemy, Alchemical Guide to Food and Herbs, Secret of the Emerald
 Tablet: The Arcanum Experiment. His website is www.DWHauck.com.

The Arcanum Experiment Workshop is Friday, September 16, 2011,
2:30-6:00 PM at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA.
Space is limited, so register early. $55.  You can reserve a spot at
www.AlchemyConference.com/?amigosid=5

International Alchemy Guild, P.O. Box 22309 , Sacramento, CA 95822, United State

Et Habebis Magisterium – Alchemical Medicine for the 21st Century

“The acceptance of the essential unity of the universe and the cousinhood of all things in nature opened up an experience of the world that was very different from technical prescriptions. Alchemical work became an immersion in a sacramental activity, and it was termed the Great Work in which prayer and contemplation played an essential part.”

-   from Alchemical Medicine for the 21st Century, Clare Goodrick-Clarke

“The vast field of spagyrics presents itself rather like a mosaic that is only slowly completed by the collaboration of the reader.”

- from Spagyrics, Manfred Junius

Study which centers on the very essence of truth finds it’s most valuable expression in a fully engaged life of practice. In Alchemical Medicine for the 21st Century, Clare Goodrick-Clarke brings us a vital exploration of the humble, yet profound, art of spagyrics, the Paracelsean alchemical approach to discovering the quintessence of the vegetable kingdom.

As she explains in the introduction “The word spagyric (German spagyrik) comes from two Greek verbs: spao (to separate) and agyro (to unite), in accordance with the alchemical maxim solve et coagula, et habebis magisterium—“dissolve and bind, and you will have the magistery.” As the two Greek verbs suggest, the process of separating and combining imply a synthesis in which the finished whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Spagyrics formed the core of Paracelsus’ practical medicinal work, and draws benefits from his synthesis of folk herbalism, academic theory, esoteric philosophy and practical experience.

While many are familiar with herbalism, and the use of natural remedies, as alternatives to pharmaceuticals or invasive medical treatments, these are not the sole means of participating in the beneficial medicinal aspects of plant life. .

“We stand at the threshold of a new era of medicine and at a point where it may be useful to engage with what has been known in the past about the importance of phytomedicines in all their various forms.”

-   from Alchemical Medicine for the 21st Century, Clare Goodrick-Clarke

Goodrick-Clarke clearly demonstrates the expansion of contemporary medical practices possible through the application of Alchemical insights. Offering no illusory cure all, she shows that it is in our relationship with the whole that we become healthy. This is medicine for living, and a living medicine, whose preparation, application and influence works to ground us in the very life of the world around us.

Erika – Chapters 11-13

David – Chapters 11- 13 (Three Phases in the Alchemical Process)

Three Phases in the Alchemical Process -

Alchemy, like any true Science operates in sequential steps. As Dennis illuminates in Chapters 11-13 of his Complete Idiot’s Guide to Alchemy, the most common division of these steps in the Western tradition is Nigredo, Albedo and Rubedo, the blackening, whitening and reddening stages.

These specific steps seem to have been codified from the Paracelsian Alchemical tradition carried forward by esoteric Masonry during the 18th and 19th century which has produced the most visible efforts in the Art and has provided the basis for so much of what we know today in practice. As with any Traditional exposition the divisions themselves are valuable more for their symbolic resonance than any hard line rule. Other models add additional levels to the process of Transmutation, but such additions usually only explore additional insights into the process which add detail, but do little to change the overall focus of the Great Work.

With these concepts in mind it’s interesting to go back and examine works such as Dante’s Divine Comedy. Here we find the Nigredo (descent into Hell), Albedo (journey into purgatory) and Rubedo (ascension into Heaven) laid onto a Christianized (with heavy influence from Greek and Islamic metaphysics) model. This same structure can be seen in the historical evidence from the practices of Mediterranean Mystery cults, Meso-American spiritual traditions, and Eurasian shamanic practices. The descent into the underworld (often via dismemberment or disintegration), purification and return forms a common motif for innumerable initiatory and religious traditions.

As becomes apparent through reading Dennis’ exploration of these phases, the integration of the process on all levels is demonstrated by astrological, chemical, spiritual, material, mythic and natural symbolism to show the reality of these processes at every level of existence.

Erika – Chapters 9 + 10

David – Chapter 8 – 10

I’ve been mixing around trying to get a handle in the world of work which has lead to a slacking in my post frequency, but thankfully the applicability of the Art in all walks of life has been a keen guide. It really is amazing how versatile the implications of the Alchemical Art truly are.

One of the interesting items that Dennis points out in Chapter 8 regarding the Three Essentials is the parallels between the alchemical conception of nature and Einstein’s famous equation E=MC2.  Despite contemporary skepticism in terms of the applicability of ancient traditions the Art remains a fundamental key to fully understanding all realms of science.

A quick glance through the history of scientific paradigms shows that many, if not most, of the truly great scientists have had some acquaintance with Alchemy. There are the obvious examples from the 18th century back, such as Newton, Kepler, and Bacon, but even into the 20th century thinkers as diverse as Arthur Young, who helped develop Bell Helicopters and David Bohm, who helped define quantum physics, were acquainted with Hermeticism and Alchemy in one way or another.

When not directly engaged in Alchemy, the ubiquity of the Art is such that scientists are often either proving or expanding upon alchemical ideas. Dee’s Hieroglypic Monad is a mathematical and symbolic Rosetta Stone that integrates potential relationships and interactions across cosmology, metaphysics, mythology and philosophy. Celestial and earthly secrets are encoded in this simple cruciform glyph:

Beyond it’s potency as a symbol, it also points to how a simple figure can be unpacked to demonstrate an incredibly diverse array of information. Dee’s Monas Hieroglyphica is a preeminent example of the ancient “Ars Memoria,” or art of memory, in which mnemonic devices were constructed to aid in the synthesis of large amounts of knowledge.

Thought of alchemically the process of making the glyph is itself follows the process of the Great Work, from separating the individual elements of an idea, identifying their essence, coalescing these ideas into a single figure, and then exploring the elements in regards to the whole. Meditating on Dee’s process, and the very idea of the Monad, is almost as powerful as the glyph itself.

I also have to note an appreciation for how Dennis has set up the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Alchemy in such a way that each idea presented in the previous chapters is slowly developed, explored and expanded upon as the book progresses. The presentation of the theoretical Art, it’s historical roots, it’s philosophical aspects, and now moving into it’s practical representations, follows a pattern similar to an 18th century model of learning used by the Gold und Rosenkreuz, who, according to Christopher Mckintosh, were instrumental in keeping the alchemical tradition active during the height of the fundamentalist rationalism during the Enlightenment era. The Order proved instrumental in disseminating alchemical ideas throughout Germany, Poland, Sweden and Russia.

The planetary schema detailed in Chapter 10 provides a wonderful tool for integrating mythologically active cosmological principles into the day to day.  This is very helpful for aligning conscious activity to the natural order.  As Franz Hartmann states in his study of the life of Paracelsus:

“Alchemy and Astrology are sciences which are at the present time very little understood, because they deal with spiritual things, which cannot be known to persons who are not in the possession of spirituality. Chemistry deals with physical matter; alchemy deals with their astral principles. Astronomy deals with the physical aspect of the bodies of planets and stars; astrology deals with the omnipresent psychic influences which their souls exert upon each other, and upon the Microcosm of man.

Chemistry is a science that may be learned by any one who has ordinary intellectual capacities, and a certain amount of skill required for its practical application. Astronomy may be studied by any one who is able to comprehend mathematics and possesses logic and physical sight. Alchemy is an art which cannot be understood without spiritual or soul knowledge. Astrology is incomprehensible to those who cannot realise the true character of the stars. The books treating of alchemy and astrology will easily be understood by persons who know the things of which they treat, but to those who are not in possession of such knowledge they will be incomprehensible.“

Erika – Chapter 8