Commentaries on the Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians

TABULA SMARAGDINA HERMETIS

by Jack Courtis

The above diagram is the best explanation of the Emerald Tablet of Hermes because it stimulates right brain responses. It arouses intuition, imagination and insight. Any verbal explanation is inadequate, but it gives us a starting point. Let us look at the diagram carefully. Around the outside there is a Latin saying. What does it mean? Centuries ago, a student asked his master, Basilius Valentinus, "What is the secret of alchemy?" The master replied, "In VITRIOL is the answer." Observe: Visita Visit Interiora the interior Terrae of the earth; Rectificando in rectifying,

Invenies discover Occultum the hidden Lapidem stone.

What does all that mean? First let us note that there are 7 Latin words in the statement. In alchemy, the Below, there are 7 metals. In astrology, the Above, there are 7 planets. In each of us there are 7 chakras. Taken together, they point to 7 levels of action internalised by us. Secondly, the "stone" is a reference to the Stone of the Philosophers. But beware, this is not the same as the Philosophers' Stone. The rectification is what changes the one into the other. Thirdly, the centre of the earth is a reference to our own being. We must rectify something that is utterly fundamental to our true nature. That should give us a starting point for meditation and visualisation. Next, let us look at the symbols. Overall, there is a circle and it brings to mind unity, wholeness, completeness and perfect Oneness. It is the stone, rectified. Inside the circle at both left and right there is a hand pointing inwards. This indicates polarity and this is the key to the Art. We must unite the duality of our being in the Chymical Marriage. Above the two hands are the 7 planets. The Sun and the Moon are pouring their life substance into a chalice, thus uniting their opposite natures. The chalice is supported by Mercury the hermaphrodite, both male and female. Another union of opposites. We are reminded of the alchemical koan that the Great Work consists of the union of the Sun and the Moon with the aid of Mercury. More material for meditation. To the left are Mars and Saturn and to the right, are Venus and Jupiter. These planets are also arranged in a balanced and polarised fashion. Below them are 3 shields, standing for the 3 alchemical principles of Sulfur (Lion), Salt (7 pointed star) andMercury (Eagle). Note that alchemical Mercury is related to astrological Mercury, but they are not the same. If we change our point of view, we can take the chalice as the element Water, the lion as Fire, the eagle as Air and the star as Earth. Finally, there are 2 spheres (Heaven and Earth) which emphasise the polarity of the Above and the Below, which must also be united. In the very centre is a ring which symbolises the microcosm inside the macrocosmic circle. A reminder of the Above and the Below. Have you noticed the last symbol? Below the ring and above the shield of the star, is the alchemical symbol of VITRIOL. It is on the opposite side of the ring to Mercury. So what? The hidden stone arises out of the conjunction of these two. It emerges in the centre of the empty ring. That is the focus of our meditation. Truly, in VITRIOL is the answer. The entire diagram must be used for meditation and visualisation. That is its primary function and that is how its true value will be revealed. Let us now look at the text of the Emerald Tablet of Hermes. VERBA SECRETORUM HERMETIS. 1. It is true, certain, and without falsehood, that whatever is below is like that which is above; and that which is above is like that which is below: to accomplish the one wonderful work. 2. As all things are derived from the One Only Thing, by the will and by the word of the One Only One who created it in His Mind, so all things owe their existence to this Unity by the order of Nature, and can be improved by Adaptation to that Mind. 3. Its Father is the Sun; its Mother is the Moon; the Wind carries it in its womb; and its nurse is the Earth. 4. This Thing is the Father of all perfect things in the world.

5. Its power is most perfect when it has again been changed into Earth. 6. Separate the Earth from the Fire, the subtle from the gross, but carefully and with great judgement and skill. 7. It ascends from earth to heaven, and descends again, new born, to the earth, taking unto itself thereby the power of the Above and the Below. 8. Thus the splendor of the whole world will be thine, and all darkness shall flee from thee. 9. This is the strongest of all powers, the Force of all forces, for it overcometh all subtle things and can penetrate all that is solid. 10. For thus was the world created, and rare combinations, and wonders of many kinds are wrought. 11. Hence I am called HERMES TRISMEGISTUS, having mastered the three parts of the wisdom of the whole world. 12. What I have to say about the masterpiece of the alchemical art, the Solar Work, is now ended.

Some general observations There are 12 statements. This immediately alerts us to the connection between astrology (which explains the Above) and alchemy (which explains the Below). But what relates the Above to the Below? The magus, who bears within himself the 12 astrological/alchemical body functions and who performs the 12 Disciplines. This is why Hermes is called Thrice Greatest, he is alchemist, magus and astrologer, all in one. He combines the three functions because he (as the divine spark) directs the three vehicles of consciousness: the physical body (as the alchemist), the soul (as the magus) and the spirit (as the astrologer). Let us see these functions together, relating them to the 12 statements of the Emerald Tablet: Emerald Tablet 1 As Above so Below 2 One Thing/Mind 3 Sun/Moon 4 Father 5 Perfect power 6 Separate Earth/Fire 7 Ascends/descends 8 Darkness flees 9 Strongest of powers 10 World created 11 3 parts of wisdom 12 Solar Work Alchemist (Body) Speech Thought Motion Sight Hearing Action Coition Smell Sleep Anger Taste Laughter Magus (Soul) Fasting Study Meditation Prayer Submission Service Solitude Simplicity Worship Guidance Confession Celebration Astrologer (Spirit) Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius Capricorn Aquarius Pisces

The source of the Emerald Tablet is unknown, but the attribution of the astrological/alchemical body functions, is the Sefer Yetzirah. The Disciplines come from Christian tradition and their use is universal. The three paths of alchemist, magus and astrologer, are woven together, because each of us functions in a three-fold manner, through our three vehicles of consciousness. How do we know that we each have as vehicles of consciousness, a body, a soul and a spirit? This is partly explained by the apostle Paul in I Thessalonians 5:23. However if we have vehicles, what is the consciousness? What is the "I"? The Gnostics call it the divine spark. This is our true identity but we do not realise it in full awareness. It is this lack of knowledge of our true nature, which leads us to live as we do, driven by ignorance, fear and desire; the generators of karma. However if we follow a disciplined path of intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual development, we shall change so profoundly, that we shall be completely transformed. This process of self-transformation is called the Great Work. It has four stages that correlate with the four alchemical elements in their macrocosmic form and the four levels of reality of kabala. Here are the stages of the Great Work. First stage: 12 Disciplines Second stage: 7 Reconciliations of the Pairs of Opposites. Third stage: 3 Orientations to God. Fourth stage: Unity with God.

Clearly, the 12 statements of the Emerald Tablet are a partial description of the First stage of the Great Work. There is a great deal more than this in the other stages, but we must begin at the beginning with disciplined action. But what justification do we have for thinking that there is a three-fold function personified as the astrologer (the Above), the alchemist (the Below) and he who reconciles them, the magus? Let us look closely at the text of the Emerald Tablet. There are 3 processes that have a total of 8 steps: First process: from Above to Below - changed into Earth Father/Sun + Mother/Moon + Wind/womb + nurse/Earth Second process: from Below to Above - ascends from earth to heaven Separate Earth from Fire, subtle from gross, great judgement Third process: from Above to Below - descends again to earth Taking the power of the Above and the Below

Let us see this more clearly; 3 processes by 8 steps:

1. 2. 3.

4 step descent by astrologer > Father/Sun + Mother/Moon + Wind/womb + nurse/Earth 3 step ascent by alchemist > (Fire - Earth) + (gross - subtle) + great judgement 1 step re-descent by magus > Power: Above + Below

What does all this mean? The numbers 3 and 8 resonate with the Tree of Life. It has 3 pillars; Mercy, Severity and Grace. At the centre of the Tree is the sefira Tiferet and there are 8 paths that lead to it. Using the sefirot as our point of reference, we note that the path from Keter to Tiferet is attributed to a double letter. We shall return to it. All of the other 7 paths are attributed to single letters. Thus the single paths are qualitatively different from the double path. Let us take the first process of 4 downward steps. Since they go from the Above to the Below, they are the way of the astrologer. They are the paths from, Chakhmah to Tiferet; Binah to Tiferet; Chesed to

Tiferet; Gevurah to Tiferet. These paths are also connected to the function of our vehicle of consciousness, the spirit.

The second process is 3 upward steps, from the Below to the Above. They are the way of the alchemist. These are the paths from, Netzach to Tiferet; Hod to Tiferet; Yesod to Tiferet. They are connected with our vehicle of consciousness, the body. The third process is a re-descent, from the Above to the Below. It is the double path from Keter to Tiferet; the way of the magus. This is a double path because by it, the magus can move in both directions and unite the Above with the Below. It is connected with our vehicle of consciousness, the soul. It is the soul that connects the spirit Above, with the body Below. What does all this mean? First, all 8 paths converge on Tiferet. It is like an electrical powerhouse. The double path from Keter, has the quality of reversing the flow of energy, like an alternating electric current. The other paths are one way flows of energy, like direct electric current, either 'on' or 'off'. Both types of flow are an example of polarity. Secondly, Tiferet is attributed to the Sun and the Emerald Tablet refers to the Solar Work. Thirdly, the 3 processes personified as alchemist, magus and astrologer, are seen in their proper relationship to each other and lead us to understand our 3 vehicles of consciousness. Fourthly, the One Only One, referred to in the text, is a clear reference to the divine spark, that is our true "I". The One is the focus of the 3 processes and the 8 steps of the Emerald Tablet and the 8 paths on the Tree of Life. The Tree is a visual explanation of the Tablet. But what does it all mean? Our general observations are the starting point for the Great Work. We have a lot to do. Let us begin that work with a detailed consideration of the text, noting that this is in itself, a guided visualisation. This is not a left brain exercise in logic and rationalism. The text is a meditative guide to insight. The Emerald Tablet of Hermes It is true, certain, and without falsehood, that whatever is below is like that which is above; and that which is above is like that which is below: to accomplish the one wonderful work.

The fundamental point being made is that truth and reality can only be grasped by analogy. The Above is not the Below; it is like the Below. That is, we can only understand by symbols, metaphors, parables, poems, mandalas and koans. We can only approach reality indirectly to accomplish the Great Work. As all things are derived from the One Only Thing, by the will and by the word of the One Only One who created it in His Mind, so all things owe their existence to this Unity by the order of Nature, and can be improved by Adaptation to that Mind. Unity is the only truth. All else is illusion. And yet, the One becomes the Many and the Many must return to the One. But when they do, they are improved. The secret is adaptation to the one mind. What is this adaptation? Precisely what we are doing by contemplating the diagram and using the text as a guided visualisation. The point is that when we realise our true nature as a divine spark, we shall do so in full awareness and in the complete development of our spirituality. Its Father is the Sun; its Mother is the Moon; the Wind carries it in its womb; and its nurse is the Earth. The One becomes the Many and so, it differentiates into 4 separate steps; Above Below, personified as the astrologer. Heaven sets the pattern for earth. On the Tree of Life, Tiferet is the Sun, Chakhmah is the Zodiac, Binah is Saturn, Chesed is Jupiter and Gevurah is Mars. Again, these are guides for visualisation. It is no use talking about it, we must experience it. This Thing is the Father of all perfect things in the world. The one thing is the Prima Materia. It is connected with the Stone of the Philosophers and with the Philosophers' Stone. What are they? It is for the seeker to discover. Meditate! Its power is most perfect when it has again been changed into Earth. It must descend from the Above to the Below; it must be changed into earth. That is, this truth must be realised by us here and now. Separate the Earth from the Fire, the subtle from the gross, but carefully and with great judgement and skill. This is the alchemical koan: solve et coagula. The Prima Materia must be separated into its constituent parts, rectified and reunited. This is the work of the alchemist, Below Above. It is in 3 steps and on the Tree of Life, Netzach is a lower form of Sulfur, Hod is a lower form of Mercury and Yesod is a lower form of Salt. They all go to Tiferet. Of course it takes great judgement and skill. Do we really understand what it means to separate the One Thing, let alone reunite it? Meditate! It ascends from earth to heaven, and descends again, new born, to the earth, taking unto itself thereby the power of the Above and the Below. After the alchemist ascends to heaven, now comes the magus who descends again to earth via the double path on the Tree, from Keter to Tiferet. New born within the magus is the power of the Above and the Below, rectified and reunited. When we achieve this state, we too shall be thrice great. Thus the splendor of the whole world will be thine, and all darkness shall flee from thee. This state of unified consciousness can only be symbolised by the absence of darkness, that is, light. That is why this state is called "enlightenment".

This is the strongest of all powers, the Force of all forces, for it overcometh all subtle things and can penetrate all that is solid. Consciousness is the only reality. All else is illusion no matter how solid things may appear. But this is the unified consciousness of the divine spark. It is not the increasingly limited awareness that functions through our vehicles of consciousness from spirit, through the soul and into our body. The whole point of the diagram and the text of the Emerald Tablet, is to give us a guide for the work we must do in order to re-unite our fragmented awareness. This is indeed a Great Work. For thus was the world created, and rare combinations, and wonders of many kinds are wrought. Hermes, the personification of our true "I", by 4 steps of descent, 3 steps of ascent and 1 step of redescent, performed the Solar Work. By analogy, like this way but not in this way, we must do the same. Are you confused? Good! That is why the concept of analogy is so important. It is a subtle and sophisticated process that can only be grasped by meditation and visualisation. That is the true work. Hence I am called HERMES TRISMEGISTUS, having mastered the three parts of the wisdom of the whole world. Hermes is the divine spark. He is consciousness, fully self aware, unified and complete in its fullness. Hence he can control his vehicles of consciousness: spirit as the astrologer; soul as the magus; body as the alchemist. Of course he is Thrice Great. So shall we be, when we learn what analogy is, what it does and what it means to say that the Above is like the Below. What I have to say about the masterpiece of the alchemical art, the Solar Work, is now ended. Fundamentally, the Solar Work is alchemical because it is about getting us from Malkhut, on the Tree of Life, to Tiferet. Malkhut is the place of the 4 elements in their microcosmic aspect and Tiferet is the place of the Sun. When we get from the Below to the Sun, we then can continue the Great Work by rising to the Above. But that's another story. Solve et Coagula

TABULA SMARAGDINA HERMETIS

by Jack Courtis

The above diagram is the best explanation of the Emerald Tablet of Hermes because it stimulates right brain responses. It arouses intuition, imagination and insight. Any verbal explanation is inadequate, but it gives us a starting point. Let us look at the diagram carefully. Around the outside there is a Latin saying. What does it mean? Centuries ago, a student asked his master, Basilius Valentinus, "What is the secret of alchemy?" The master replied, "In VITRIOL is the answer." Observe: Visita Visit Interiora the interior Terrae of the earth; Rectificando in rectifying, Invenies discover Occultum the hidden Lapidem stone.

What does all that mean? First let us note that there are 7 Latin words in the statement. In alchemy, the Below, there are 7 metals. In astrology, the Above, there are 7 planets. In each of us there are 7 chakras. Taken together, they point to 7 levels of action internalised by us. Secondly, the "stone" is a reference to the Stone of the Philosophers. But beware, this is not the same as the Philosophers' Stone. The rectification is what changes the one into the other. Thirdly, the centre of the earth is a reference to our

own being. We must rectify something that is utterly fundamental to our true nature. That should give us a starting point for meditation and visualisation. Next, let us look at the symbols. Overall, there is a circle and it brings to mind unity, wholeness, completeness and perfect Oneness. It is the stone, rectified. Inside the circle at both left and right there is a hand pointing inwards. This indicates polarity and this is the key to the Art. We must unite the duality of our being in the Chymical Marriage. Above the two hands are the 7 planets. The Sun and the Moon are pouring their life substance into a chalice, thus uniting their opposite natures. The chalice is supported by Mercury the hermaphrodite, both male and female. Another union of opposites. We are reminded of the alchemical koan that the Great Work consists of the union of the Sun and the Moon with the aid of Mercury. More material for meditation. To the left are Mars and Saturn and to the right, are Venus and Jupiter. These planets are also arranged in a balanced and polarised fashion. Below them are 3 shields, standing for the 3 alchemical principles of Sulfur (Lion), Salt (7 pointed star) andMercury (Eagle). Note that alchemical Mercury is related to astrological Mercury, but they are not the same. If we change our point of view, we can take the chalice as the element Water, the lion as Fire, the eagle as Air and the star as Earth. Finally, there are 2 spheres (Heaven and Earth) which emphasise the polarity of the Above and the Below, which must also be united. In the very centre is a ring which symbolises the microcosm inside the macrocosmic circle. A reminder of the Above and the Below. Have you noticed the last symbol? Below the ring and above the shield of the star, is the alchemical symbol of VITRIOL. It is on the opposite side of the ring to Mercury. So what? The hidden stone arises out of the conjunction of these two. It emerges in the centre of the empty ring. That is the focus of our meditation. Truly, in VITRIOL is the answer. The entire diagram must be used for meditation and visualisation. That is its primary function and that is how its true value will be revealed. Let us now look at the text of the Emerald Tablet of Hermes. VERBA SECRETORUM HERMETIS. 1. It is true, certain, and without falsehood, that whatever is below is like that which is above; and that which is above is like that which is below: to accomplish the one wonderful work. 2. As all things are derived from the One Only Thing, by the will and by the word of the One Only One who created it in His Mind, so all things owe their existence to this Unity by the order of Nature, and can be improved by Adaptation to that Mind. 3. Its Father is the Sun; its Mother is the Moon; the Wind carries it in its womb; and its nurse is the Earth. 4. This Thing is the Father of all perfect things in the world. 5. Its power is most perfect when it has again been changed into Earth. 6. Separate the Earth from the Fire, the subtle from the gross, but carefully and with great judgement and skill. 7. It ascends from earth to heaven, and descends again, new born, to the earth, taking unto itself thereby the power of the Above and the Below. 8. Thus the splendor of the whole world will be thine, and all darkness shall flee from thee.

9. This is the strongest of all powers, the Force of all forces, for it overcometh all subtle things and can penetrate all that is solid. 10. For thus was the world created, and rare combinations, and wonders of many kinds are wrought. 11. Hence I am called HERMES TRISMEGISTUS, having mastered the three parts of the wisdom of the whole world. 12. What I have to say about the masterpiece of the alchemical art, the Solar Work, is now ended.

Some general observations There are 12 statements. This immediately alerts us to the connection between astrology (which explains the Above) and alchemy (which explains the Below). But what relates the Above to the Below? The magus, who bears within himself the 12 astrological/alchemical body functions and who performs the 12 Disciplines. This is why Hermes is called Thrice Greatest, he is alchemist, magus and astrologer, all in one. He combines the three functions because he (as the divine spark) directs the three vehicles of consciousness: the physical body (as the alchemist), the soul (as the magus) and the spirit (as the astrologer). Let us see these functions together, relating them to the 12 statements of the Emerald Tablet: Emerald Tablet 1 As Above so Below 2 One Thing/Mind 3 Sun/Moon 4 Father 5 Perfect power 6 Separate Earth/Fire 7 Ascends/descends 8 Darkness flees 9 Strongest of powers 10 World created 11 3 parts of wisdom 12 Solar Work Alchemist (Body) Speech Thought Motion Sight Hearing Action Coition Smell Sleep Anger Taste Laughter Magus (Soul) Fasting Study Meditation Prayer Submission Service Solitude Simplicity Worship Guidance Confession Celebration Astrologer (Spirit) Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius Capricorn Aquarius Pisces

The source of the Emerald Tablet is unknown, but the attribution of the astrological/alchemical body functions, is the Sefer Yetzirah. The Disciplines come from Christian tradition and their use is universal. The three paths of alchemist, magus and astrologer, are woven together, because each of us functions in a three-fold manner, through our three vehicles of consciousness. How do we know that we each have as vehicles of consciousness, a body, a soul and a spirit? This is partly explained by the apostle Paul in I Thessalonians 5:23. However if we have vehicles, what is the consciousness? What is the "I"? The Gnostics call it the divine spark. This is our true identity but we do not realise it in full awareness. It is this lack of knowledge of our true nature, which leads us to live as we do, driven by ignorance, fear and desire; the generators of karma.

However if we follow a disciplined path of intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual development, we shall change so profoundly, that we shall be completely transformed. This process of self-transformation is called the Great Work. It has four stages that correlate with the four alchemical elements in their macrocosmic form and the four levels of reality of kabala. Here are the stages of the Great Work. First stage: 12 Disciplines Second stage: 7 Reconciliations of the Pairs of Opposites. Third stage: 3 Orientations to God. Fourth stage: Unity with God.

Clearly, the 12 statements of the Emerald Tablet are a partial description of the First stage of the Great Work. There is a great deal more than this in the other stages, but we must begin at the beginning with disciplined action. But what justification do we have for thinking that there is a three-fold function personified as the astrologer (the Above), the alchemist (the Below) and he who reconciles them, the magus? Let us look closely at the text of the Emerald Tablet. There are 3 processes that have a total of 8 steps: First process: from Above to Below - changed into Earth Father/Sun + Mother/Moon + Wind/womb + nurse/Earth Second process: from Below to Above - ascends from earth to heaven Separate Earth from Fire, subtle from gross, great judgement Third process: from Above to Below - descends again to earth Taking the power of the Above and the Below

Let us see this more clearly; 3 processes by 8 steps:

1. 2. 3.

4 step descent by astrologer > Father/Sun + Mother/Moon + Wind/womb + nurse/Earth 3 step ascent by alchemist > (Fire - Earth) + (gross - subtle) + great judgement 1 step re-descent by magus > Power: Above + Below

What does all this mean? The numbers 3 and 8 resonate with the Tree of Life. It has 3 pillars; Mercy, Severity and Grace. At the centre of the Tree is the sefira Tiferet and there are 8 paths that lead to it. Using the sefirot as our point of reference, we note that the path from Keter to Tiferet is attributed to a double letter. We shall return to it. All of the other 7 paths are attributed to single letters. Thus the single paths are qualitatively different from the double path. Let us take the first process of 4 downward steps. Since they go from the Above to the Below, they are the way of the astrologer. They are the paths from, Chakhmah to Tiferet; Binah to Tiferet; Chesed to Tiferet; Gevurah to Tiferet. These paths are also connected to the function of our vehicle of consciousness, the spirit.

The second process is 3 upward steps, from the Below to the Above. They are the way of the alchemist. These are the paths from, Netzach to Tiferet; Hod to Tiferet; Yesod to Tiferet. They are connected with our vehicle of consciousness, the body. The third process is a re-descent, from the Above to the Below. It is the double path from Keter to Tiferet; the way of the magus. This is a double path because by it, the magus can move in both directions and unite the Above with the Below. It is connected with our vehicle of consciousness, the soul. It is the soul that connects the spirit Above, with the body Below. What does all this mean? First, all 8 paths converge on Tiferet. It is like an electrical powerhouse. The double path from Keter, has the quality of reversing the flow of energy, like an alternating electric current. The other paths are one way flows of energy, like direct electric current, either 'on' or 'off'. Both types of flow are an example of polarity. Secondly, Tiferet is attributed to the Sun and the Emerald Tablet refers to the Solar Work. Thirdly, the 3 processes personified as alchemist, magus and astrologer, are seen in their proper relationship to each other and lead us to understand our 3 vehicles of consciousness. Fourthly, the One Only One, referred to in the text, is a clear reference to the divine spark, that is our true "I". The One is the focus of the 3 processes and the 8 steps of the Emerald Tablet and the 8 paths on the Tree of Life. The Tree is a visual explanation of the Tablet. But what does it all mean? Our general observations are the starting point for the Great Work. We have a lot to do. Let us begin that work with a detailed consideration of the text, noting that this is in itself, a guided visualisation. This is not a left brain exercise in logic and rationalism. The text is a meditative guide to insight. The Emerald Tablet of Hermes It is true, certain, and without falsehood, that whatever is below is like that which is above; and that which is above is like that which is below: to accomplish the one wonderful work. The fundamental point being made is that truth and reality can only be grasped by analogy. The Above is not the Below; it is like the Below. That is, we can only understand by symbols, metaphors, parables, poems, mandalas and koans. We can only approach reality indirectly to accomplish the Great Work.

As all things are derived from the One Only Thing, by the will and by the word of the One Only One who created it in His Mind, so all things owe their existence to this Unity by the order of Nature, and can be improved by Adaptation to that Mind. Unity is the only truth. All else is illusion. And yet, the One becomes the Many and the Many must return to the One. But when they do, they are improved. The secret is adaptation to the one mind. What is this adaptation? Precisely what we are doing by contemplating the diagram and using the text as a guided visualisation. The point is that when we realise our true nature as a divine spark, we shall do so in full awareness and in the complete development of our spirituality. Its Father is the Sun; its Mother is the Moon; the Wind carries it in its womb; and its nurse is the Earth. The One becomes the Many and so, it differentiates into 4 separate steps; Above Below, personified as the astrologer. Heaven sets the pattern for earth. On the Tree of Life, Tiferet is the Sun, Chakhmah is the Zodiac, Binah is Saturn, Chesed is Jupiter and Gevurah is Mars. Again, these are guides for visualisation. It is no use talking about it, we must experience it. This Thing is the Father of all perfect things in the world. The one thing is the Prima Materia. It is connected with the Stone of the Philosophers and with the Philosophers' Stone. What are they? It is for the seeker to discover. Meditate! Its power is most perfect when it has again been changed into Earth. It must descend from the Above to the Below; it must be changed into earth. That is, this truth must be realised by us here and now. Separate the Earth from the Fire, the subtle from the gross, but carefully and with great judgement and skill. This is the alchemical koan: solve et coagula. The Prima Materia must be separated into its constituent parts, rectified and reunited. This is the work of the alchemist, Below Above. It is in 3 steps and on the Tree of Life, Netzach is a lower form of Sulfur, Hod is a lower form of Mercury and Yesod is a lower form of Salt. They all go to Tiferet. Of course it takes great judgement and skill. Do we really understand what it means to separate the One Thing, let alone reunite it? Meditate! It ascends from earth to heaven, and descends again, new born, to the earth, taking unto itself thereby the power of the Above and the Below. After the alchemist ascends to heaven, now comes the magus who descends again to earth via the double path on the Tree, from Keter to Tiferet. New born within the magus is the power of the Above and the Below, rectified and reunited. When we achieve this state, we too shall be thrice great. Thus the splendor of the whole world will be thine, and all darkness shall flee from thee. This state of unified consciousness can only be symbolised by the absence of darkness, that is, light. That is why this state is called "enlightenment". This is the strongest of all powers, the Force of all forces, for it overcometh all subtle things and can penetrate all that is solid. Consciousness is the only reality. All else is illusion no matter how solid things may appear. But this is the unified consciousness of the divine spark. It is not the increasingly limited awareness that functions

through our vehicles of consciousness from spirit, through the soul and into our body. The whole point of the diagram and the text of the Emerald Tablet, is to give us a guide for the work we must do in order to re-unite our fragmented awareness. This is indeed a Great Work. For thus was the world created, and rare combinations, and wonders of many kinds are wrought. Hermes, the personification of our true "I", by 4 steps of descent, 3 steps of ascent and 1 step of redescent, performed the Solar Work. By analogy, like this way but not in this way, we must do the same. Are you confused? Good! That is why the concept of analogy is so important. It is a subtle and sophisticated process that can only be grasped by meditation and visualisation. That is the true work. Hence I am called HERMES TRISMEGISTUS, having mastered the three parts of the wisdom of the whole world. Hermes is the divine spark. He is consciousness, fully self aware, unified and complete in its fullness. Hence he can control his vehicles of consciousness: spirit as the astrologer; soul as the magus; body as the alchemist. Of course he is Thrice Great. So shall we be, when we learn what analogy is, what it does and what it means to say that the Above is like the Below. What I have to say about the masterpiece of the alchemical art, the Solar Work, is now ended. Fundamentally, the Solar Work is alchemical because it is about getting us from Malkhut, on the Tree of Life, to Tiferet. Malkhut is the place of the 4 elements in their microcosmic aspect and Tiferet is the place of the Sun. When we get from the Below to the Sun, we then can continue the Great Work by rising to the Above. But that's another story. Solve et Coagula

MONS PHILOSOPHORUM
by Jack Courtis (This is the traditional commentary. Jack Courtis' commentary appears below as the Mountain of Initiation. Both commentaries should be read and then become the guide for understanding the diagram. The true teaching is in the diagram but it will never be understood by reading, only by meditation on the images and symbols.) Enlargement (123 KB )

The soul of men everywhere was lost through a fall, and the health of the body suffered through a fall, Salvation came to the human soul through IEHOVA, Jesus Christ. The bodily health is brought back through a thing not good to look at. It is hidden in this painting, the highest treasure in this world, in which is the highest medicine and the greatest parts of the riches of nature, given to us by the Lord IEHOVA. It is called Pator Metallorum, well known to the philosopher sitting in front of the mountain-cave, easy to obtain for anybody. But the sophists in their sophistic garb, tapping on the walls, recognize him not. At the right is to be seen Lepus, representing the art of chemistry, marvelously white, the secrets of which with fire's heat are being explored. To the left one can see freely what the right Clavis artis is; one cannot be too subtle with it, like a hen hatching a chicken. In the midst of the mountain, before the door stands a courageous Lion in all its pride, whose noble blood the monster-dragon is going to shed; throwing him

into a deep grave, out of it comes forth a black raven, then called Ianua artis, out of that comes Aquila alba. Even the crystal refined in the furnace will quickly show you on inspection Servum fugitivum, a wonder-child to many artists. The one effecting this all is Principium laboris. On the right hand in the barrel are Sol and Luna, the intelligence of the firmament. The Senior plants in it Rad. Rubeam and albam. Now you proceed with constancy and Arbor artis appears to you, with its blossoms it announces now Lapidem Philosophorum. Over all, the crown of the glory, ruling over all treasures. Be diligent, peaceful, constant and pious, pray that God may help thee. And if thou attain, never forget the poor. Then thou wilt praise God with the legion of the angels, now and forever.

The Mountain of Initiation Each of us has to climb the various stages of this mountain, so let us start from the bottom. The first thing we notice, is the date 1604. According to the Fama Fraternitatis, this is the date of the opening of the Tomb of Christian Rosenkreutz. Thus the opening of the Tomb, the Below, is like the beginning of the climb up the mountain, the Above. The Tomb and the mountain are polar opposites and we must not neglect the Below just because we are focused on the Above. However, since the Below is like the Above, whatever we know about the Tomb, will help us with the climb up the mountain. There are 7 stages up the mountain and there are 7 sides of the Tomb. This means that both are symbols of a differentiated unity. All parts are important, all steps must be taken. To get into the Tomb, we have to break down a stone wall in order to find a hidden door. At its base, the mountain is surrounded by a stone wall. There is an open gate, but we must get past the gate keeper. Let us pause here and consider our position. In this regard, we are like the three figures outside the gate. We all come here with different motives but we must all pass the same tests. Why three figures? We have three vehicles of consciousness: body, soul and spirit. They must work together. Have you noticed the rabbit? It is a symbol of sexuality and fertility that lives in a womb-like burrow. What does all this mean? The clue is the number 7. The seventh sefira on the Tree of Life is attributed to Venus, the goddess of sexuality and fertility. Venus is the astrological planet from the Above and is attributed to the alchemical copper from the Below. What reconciles this polarity? It is the throat chakra. This is the entrance to the Tomb and the beginning of the climb up the mountain. That is why there are 7 stages of the climb. The 7 chakras must be activated and we now know which one to start with. Let us approach the gate keeper. Above his head there is an arch. The headstone reminds us of the stone rejected by the builders which became the head of the corner. This is the Stone of the Philosophers. It is not yet the Philosophers' Stone. How do we enter the gate? There is a polarity that we must reconcile; on the left a quick, active rabbit and on the right, a patient brooding hen. The gate keeper is the Guardian of the Threshold and to get past him, we must have mental speed and agility, as well the love and care of a fully developed emotional nature. These are the two ways of alchemy and both must be developed. Beware, the old man is only the first Guardian. Getting past him, is only the first stage up the mountain. We now pass through the tunnel into the darkness of the heart of the mountain. This reminds us of the meaning of VITRIOL and its admonition to go to the centre of the earth and rectify the hidden stone. We emerge from our darkness only to be confronted by the second Guardian, the dragon. This is the Terror on the Threshold. What does this mean? On the ceiling of the Tomb of Christian Rosenkreutz, its 7-fold structure is symbolised by the 7 planets connected in this order: Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus

There are 7 planets, but they form an octave. If we look carefully at the mountain, we shall find another octave. But let us go back to the dragon. His effect upon us corresponds to the influence of Saturn. In turn, Saturn corresponds to the base chakra. So this is the second stage of our climb. Now let us proceed to the third stage, where we find the third Guardian, the lion. Astrologically, he is the Sun and is correctly placed in this position according to the attribution on the ceiling of the Tomb. The Sun corresponds to the heart chakra. Let us pause on our journey and ask why there are three Guardians? Are they connected to the three seekers outside the gate? Are the Guardians the Above and the seekers the Below? Is all of this related to the rectified hidden stone? Are the Guardians the rectified seekers? On to the fourth stage. We now come to the door of a tower and another polarity; a black crow and a white eagle. Then we see the third polarity; to the left a washing tub with the Sun and Moon; to the right a distillery. Washing is outer purification and distillation is inner purification. This stage corresponds to the Moon in the order of planets on the ceiling of the Tomb and therefore is linked to the brow chakra. Having passed through the door we proceed to the fifth stage by going up to the man planting a tree in the wash tub below. Through its roots, the tree absorbs the essence of the Sun and Moon and converts it to its fruit, a 7 pointed star. Note yet a further polarity on the opposite side where another tree has 3 stars as its fruit (Salt, Sulfur, Mercury), nourished by the essence rising from the distillery. What tree do we know that has the numbers 7 and 3? The Tree of Life has 10 sefirot: 10 = 7 + 3. In the order of planets on the ceiling of the Tomb, this is Mars and the sacral chakra. We move up the mountain to the sixth stage and enter the house of the holy spirit. We are immediately reminded of the house Sancti Spiritus, mentioned in the Fama Fraternitatis. All R+C bretheren go to this house at a particular stage of their journey. In the order of the planets this is Mercury and therefore the crown chakra. Finally we arrive at the seventh stage, the top of the mountain. Here we have the symbol of VITRIOL, the 7-lettered word which is itself an anagram for 7 words. They in turn give us the alchemical formula for rectifying the hidden stone. Now at last, we have transformed the Stone of the Philosophers into the Philosophers' Stone. This is Jupiter in the planetary order of the Tomb below and the navel chakra. But wait, there is a crown above the mountain. This, with the 7 stages, is the other octave of which we spoke. And note something else, we have seen 4 polarities (rabbit/hen; crow/eagle; wash tub/distillery; tree of 7 fruits/tree of 3 fruits). We also have 4 statements around the diagram. They correspond with the 4 alchemical elements. Finally there are 3 Guardians/seekers. Put together we have: 4 + 3 = 7. So what? We know about our 7 chakras, but perhaps 4 are related to the elements (Air, Fire, Water, Earth) and 3 are related to the principles (Salt, Sulfur, Mercury). This is the clue for the interaction between the elements and the principles within our being. As Above so Below. The climb up the mountain, is the activation of our chakras, but this must be done in a particular order. This is the principal message of the diagram. The key is the number 7 and this links the Mountain of Initiation to the Emerald tablet of Hermes in this way; the key number of the Tablet is 12, whereas the key number of the Mountain, is 7. In the First Stage of the Great Work, there are 12 steps and in the Second Stage of the Great Work, there are 7 steps. Thus the Tablet comes first in our consideration, followed by the Mountain. There are 3 steps in the Third Stage of the Great Work, so let us proceed on our inner journey of discovery and find those steps.

Primum Mobile
by Jack Courtis Enlargement (107 kb)

This diagram has 3 circles and therefore the ultimate issue is THREENESS. There are: 3 pillars on the Tree of Life; Mercy, Severity and Grace. 3 vehicles of human consciousness; body, soul and spirit. 3 vehicles of Gods manifestation; Jesus, Christ and Logos. 3 orientations to God in the Great Work; knowledge, love and sacrificial action. 3 persons of God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 3 principles of alchemy; Mercury, Sulfur and Salt. 3 Mother Letters of kabala; Alef, Mem and Shin.

No doubt, other trinities can be identified. For the moment, let us tabulate what we have in order to grasp the underlying pattern and then relate it to the diagram: Tree of Life Severity Mercy Grace Human vehicles Body Soul Spirit Gods vehicles Jesus Christ Logos Orientations Persons of God Sacrifice To Love To Know Son Father H. Spirit Alchemy Salt Sulfur Mercury Kabala Mem Shin Alef

It is now clear enough that in terms of the Great Work, this diagram is fundamentally about the way in which we orient ourselves to God. This is apparent from the stages of the Great Work:

1. 2. 3. 4.

At the level of Action, in our body, we perform the 12 Disciplines. At the level of Formation, through our soul, we reconcile the 7 Pairs of Opposites. At the level of Creation, by our spirit, we align to God by 3 Orientations. At the level of Emanation, our Divine spark unites with God.

When we function consciously in our vehicle of manifestation the spirit, we orientate to God either through knowledge, love or sacrificial action. We can only do this if we have first performed the Disciplines and reconciled the Opposites. However before we can successfully complete the first two stages of the Work, we need to understand the third stage in order to see everything in its proper context. Is this paradoxical? Good, that means we are making progress. Let us therefore begin at the level of Creation, with THREENESS and consider the diagram. We see 3 circles and if we look closely, we realise that one interpenetrates the other, from the Above to the Below. It goes like this: Behind the top circle However before we consider the top circle, we must look behind it. What hide there, are principles so difficult to grasp, that they cannot be drawn as a diagram, they can only be named. We are dealing with theUncreated Eternity and the Unfathomable Primum Mobile. What does it mean to say that eternity is uncreated? This is essentially a concept to do with time. ThePrimum Mobile is Latin and means the "first swirlings". To say it is unfathomable, is to make a comment about space. Fundamentally, we are dealing with an ontological "time and space", before the time and space that we perceive, was created. Interestingly, we are dealing with exactly the same concept as the Big Bang of quantum physics. According to physics, before the Big Bang, there was neither time nor space as we know them. There was only the quantum vacuum. An ontologically different "time" and "space". The time and space that we actually perceive, are a product of the Big Bang. Thus if we understand the 3 circles as interpenetrating each other, the centre of the top circle emerges as a Big Bang from the Uncreated and the Unfathomable, alternate ways of naming the quantum vacuum. Kabalistically, this is the level of reality Emanation. Its principle is unity with God. In human terms this is our Divine spark in fully conscious self-realisation of that unity. Our spark is not a vehicle of consciousness; it isconsciousness. Top circle

This is the smallest in size and the least complex in form. In human terms it is the vehicle of consciousness we know as spirit and in Gods terms it is his vehicle of manifestation the Holy Spirit. How do we know? In the centre is a small circle with the tetragrammaton in Hebrew, Gods Name, IHVH. This is the equivalent of our Divine spark. From the Name there is an outpouring of light with the Latin word fiat, which is a clear reference to Gods command fiat lux ("let there be light"). The 3 Persons appear in this outpouring as Father, Son and Holy Ghost. So the unity at the level of Emanation, begins its differentiation at the level of Creation into the THREENESS that is fundamental to this level. In his true being, God is symbolised by the number 1. However the fullness of his being, as understood by us, is symbolised by the number 10. Around the perimeter of the circle are nine winged cherubs with a tenth that opens up in order to manifest its nature. There are 10 cherubs because they are not just pretty decorations; they point to the One who is, 10 = 1 + 0 = 1. In human terms, our vehicle of consciousness the spirit, emerges out of unity with a three-fold nature. Please refer to the above table to see the correlations with the number 3. For our purposes the important point is that when we function with full awareness at the level of spirit, we are actively orienting ourselves to God. There are 3 Orientations: To God via the left pillar of Severity on the Tree of Life; the way of knowledge. This is best understood by the Greek word gnosis, which refers to much more than left brain intellect. It means a direct grasping of truth which the Buddhists call the "suchness" of things and which Plato would have called truth "in itself". It takes the 12 Disciplines and the 7 Reconciliation of the Pairs of Opposites, before we can have this kind of knowledge. How else can we know God? To God via the right pillar of Mercy on the Tree of Life; the way of love. How little we understand this. Again the Greek will guide us, with the word agape. This is a deep spiritual love that is far beyond the shallow sentimentality that we experience in our ordinary lives. Is this hard to grasp? It should be. We can only understand this kind of love when we experience the dark night of the soul. To God via the middle pillar of Grace on the Tree of Life; the way of sacrificial action. This is the hardest of all to grasp precisely because we think we understand it the best. Not so. Consider Christ. With full knowledge of what he was doing and with deep love, he acted by offering himself for crucifixion as a living sacrifice. To get a full appreciation of what he did, he sacrificed:

- His vehicle of manifestation we call Jesus; corresponding to our body. - His vehicle of manifestation we call Christ; corresponding to our soul. - His vehicle of manifestation we call Logos; corresponding to our spirit. Who was He who did this? In truth it was God in manifestation. Do we even now understand his sacrificial action? Is this paradoxical and mysterious? It should be.

Virgin Sophia
by Jack Courtis Enlargement (167 KB)

We are immediately struck by the title, as well as by the form of this diagram. Naturally, we associate virginity with sexual ignorance, but this troubles us because we intuitively know that there is more to this. But what? To understand virginity, we must understand sofia. This is a Greek word and is the female personification of wisdom. It is also an important gnostic concept. Therefore, let us begin our inner journey by considering the gnostic scripture, Thunder-Perfect Mind. In this document the speaker refers to herself amongst other things, as "virgin" and "wisdom". In fact, she refers to herself as a series of pairs of opposites, including masculine and feminine. The paradoxical and contradictory nature of the description indicates that virginity is a concept that relates to a spiritual integrity that is beyond our ability to comprehend, let alone describe. This point is confirmed by the gnostic scripture, The Secret Book According to John, where the light of the "first power" is described as the image of the "perfect invisible virgin spirit". From this virgin spirit comes the "self-originate" and subsequently, "wisdom". Hence the sexual connotation of virginity is our imperfect attempt to grasp the metaphysical concept of selforigination. Truly this has to do with wisdom and not with ignorance.

Let us look at the figure in the diagram. She is crowned with 12 stars and her face shines like the sun. She is also pregnant. We are reminded of the woman and child in the Apocalypse of John, ch 12 v 1,2. In the diagram, around her neck, is a pendant of 12 circles polarized as two groups of 6. Above the crown, are the symbols of mercury and the sun. These are balanced by the symbol of vitriol just beneath the virgins pendant and breasts. Normally, the sun is attributed to the Heart chakra and mercury is attributed to the Crown chakra. However in this diagram the sun and mercury are conjoined and vitriol is at the centre, where the sun should be. What does this mean? In Latin vitriol is an acronym that reads: Visita Interiora TerraeRectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem; "visit the interior of the earth, in rectifying, discover the hidden stone". In the diagram, vitriol is at the spiritual center of the virgin and we can infer that the hidden stone has been rectified because the sun and mercury are conjoined. We shall see more of the stone later. Moreover, the symbol of vitriol is just above her womb, her biological center, where she bears the Christ child. She is the virgin who gives birth by self-origination. This is wisdom about the virgin that cannot be grasped by left brain intellect. How do we know the virgin bears the Christ child? On her right arm is written: "out of Eternity comes the [cruci]fied". In the gnostic scheme, the kosmic Christ comes from the Aeons. This is a Greek word and means "Eternities". We can infer that Christ is crucified on the 4 elemental cross of Nature; that is, the cross of Fire, Air, Water and Earth. How do we know this? Both the child and the world are nourished by the virgins milk. This divides into 4 streams: water, blood, white, red. In turn these 4 streams are associated with the 4 elements. Note the polarities of water/blood and white/red. In alchemy, these are the white and red tinctures and refer to the silver/gold of the Below and the moon/sun of the Above. Thus by his crucifixion, Christ unites the Above and Below. In the center of the 4 streams and the 4 elements is a large circle with Latin inscriptions that mean "Divine Instrument" and "Let there be Nature". This is the Christ nature acting as the Quintessence for both the Above and the Below. It is also a transformation line between the Virgin of Wisdom above and Mother Nature below. The virgin is also the mother giving birth by self-origination. Thus the 4 streams are the potential and the 4 elements are the actual. This is wisdom indeed. Below this point are 3 concentric circles culminating in a central chaos. Into this center pour the 4 streams of virgins milk in their transformed nature of the 4 elements. The Above finds expression in the Below. Counting the central chaos, there are 4 concentric circles with 12, 8, 4 and 1 sphere, from the outside into the middle. What can this mean? First, from kabala we know that in the beginning, God withdrew from Himself and left a spiritual vacuum. Secondly, He projected a spark of Himself into the void. Thirdly, there appeared the Tree of Life and 4 levels of reality. We can infer that the 4 concentric circles are the 4 levels of reality and that the symbols within them, give us the clue to their nature. Let us begin with the Divine Instrument of Nature and all the spheres directly beneath it. The first one is the sun with a Latin inscription that reads, "masculine seed, form of father". Immediately below is the moon described as "matter of mother". Around her are tiny suns and moons that we might infer are her children, because of the inscription uniting her and the sun that tells us she is pregnant. These are kosmic forces that are pictured in the next sphere below as a sun surrounded by the 4 elements and described as, "mechanism of world". Between the "mother" and the "mechanism", are references to the "Golden River of Paradise" that is the "Philosophers Fountain". From the Fountain come "four main waters growing from one root". These are the 4 rivers that flow out of Paradise. Immediately below is the central chaos with the 4 elements arranged as the cross of matter, the same cross upon which the kosmic Christ is crucified. What does all this mean? The vertical spheres culminating in the central chaos, are the 4 levels of reality, the Above, reflected in us, the Below. If we can establish this internal structure as a dynamic and balanced relationship between the masculine and feminine, then we can control the 4 elemental forces that constitute our being. If we control the elements, we have free will. If we do not, then we are subject to these forces which we know as karma. We are subject to the Wheel of the Law. Is that what the concentric circles symbolize?

We looked at the 4 vertical spheres as a unit because they are all connected by the lines of relationship emanating from the 4 elemental streams above them. What about the other spheres? Let us take each circle in turn and look at the spheres that comprise it. There is an interesting left/right and top/bottom polarity in all of the circles. The outer circle of 12, is structured as 4 x 3, like this: Masculine seed of world; First matter; Ultimate matter. Closed door; Raising the dead; Gold of philosophers. Way and key; Deaths head; Silver of philosophers. Theory; Practice; Stone.

These 4 groups form a cross. Properly activated, they cause integration and healing. The symbols within each individual sphere are the subject of meditation and produce right brain insight.

The first group of 3 introduces the stone in a cryptic manner. The "masculine seed" is connected to "first" and "ultimate" matter. The seed is the proto-stone and the first and ultimate matter are the Stone of the Philosophers and the Philosophers Stone, respectively. This is the hidden stone that is rectified in the center of the earth, or Virgin Sophia as Mother Nature. This reminds us of the alchemical koan that "Nature is rectified by Art". The second group of 3 tells us that we must open the "closed door..raise the dead [and find] the gold". We must open up our consciousness by spiritual discipline and raise it by transmuting it into the golden Tiferet consciousness of the Tree of Life. This is the masculine polarity.

The third group of 3 shows us that the "way and the key..[of the opposite 3 is] the deaths head.. [that leads to the] silver" consciousness of Yesod on the Tree of Life. This is the feminine consciousness. Gold is the sun and silver is the moon. Their union is the Chymical Marriage. The focus of that marriage is the fourth group of 3 that produces the Stone. This comes through the "theory of the Philosopher [and] the practice of the Magus". The Stone is also the Tincture and the Elixir of the Philosophers. The second circle of 8, is structured as 4 x 2, like this:

The opposing pairs are the subject of deep meditation. We should particularly consider the symbols in the individual spheres as alchemical principles. Note the pairs of opposites and the cross they form: Matter of mother/ash of philosophers Philosophical sulfur/philosophical mercury White sulfur/red sulfur Philosophical salt/rod of philosophers

Why all the emphasis on philosophers and philosophical principles? We shall come to this again. Now for the inner circle of 4 and its structure of 2 x 2:

One more cross is formed by this pair of opposites. The philosophical fountain pours out vitriol. This should alert us to something else. What about the green/black pair? And why this obsessive focus on philosophers? What is a philosopher? The meaning comes from a Greek word that means, "lover of wisdom". We already know that wisdom is the Virgin Sophia. Therefore, a philosopher "loves" her. How? Sexually? There is considerable innuendo based upon sexuality, but here is the key not physical sex.

The Virgin of Wisdom must be loved in a way that is sexual but not in the way we understand. Consider what sexuality does; it unites the opposites in a symbiotic relationship, thus forming a higher synthesis. We should go back to the diagram and consider the concentric circles again. The outer circle shows the 12 spiritual principles behind alchemy. The middle circle explains the 8 operations. The inner circle shows the 4 end results of the work. But have you noticed the 4 sevens? 7 Eagles 7 Lions 7 Ravens 7 Spheres The Eagles correspond to Air, the lions to Fire, the ravens to Earth and the Spheres to Water. These 4 x 7, transcend the entire scheme and indicate that the operation must be repeated 7 times through each of the 4 elements. No amount of left brain explanation is going to help. This is something that must be experienced as a guided visualization. There is no alternative to hard work. Finally, there is a great deal of text around the diagram. Reading it will not help. It requires intense meditation with the help of the symbols. Let us end on one point only. Have you noticed the reference to the Rosicrucian Philosophers? How do they "love" the Virgin of Wisdom?

Figura Divina
by Jack Courtis Enlargement (150 KB)

This diagram shows the Rosicrucian concept of the Creation. This is a process that continually evolves. It is not a static thing that is forever fixed and unchangeable. The process is dynamic because creation has never stopped, it continues now and forever. This has subtle implications for our ordinary understanding of evolution. It also has immense implications for our understanding of God. Why? Does God evolve? Is this the real reason that we evolve, because we are the mechanism of Gods evolution? As each of us gains liberation and merges in full self-consciousness with God, does He gain from this? Is this why our true spiritual nature is to be Divine Sparks, fragments of the Divine Fire? Some of the answers are in the diagram. It has a structure of 4 parts; the top circle emanates the first star, it emanates the three circles that encompass the second star, they emanate the third star. This structure is consistent with the 4 kabalistic levels of reality, from the top: Emanation, Creation, Formation, Action. They correspond to the divine principle within its three vehicles of consciousness: Divine Spark, spirit, soul, body. Even God manifests this way: Divine Fire, Logos, Christ, Jesus. Vehicles of consciousness are required by us, but God only requires vehicles of manifestation. God is completely conscious throughout His Creation, we are not. However God needs vehicles in order to manifest because he needs to contain His power so as not to destroy what He has created. This table summarizes these issues:

Figura Divina Top circle First star Second star Third star

Kabala Emanation Creation Formation Action

Man Divine Spark Spirit Soul Body

God Divine Fire Logos Christ Jesus

Top Circle - Emanation

Now let us look at this scheme in detail. The top circle is itself comprised of 5 concentric circles. Why 5 and not 3? After all isnt the Holy Trinity the ultimate expression of truth? Look closely. The Trinity is mentioned in the next level down as part of the first star. Whats going on? If you look very closely at the bottom level, at the third star, you will see 5 groups each of 3 related circles. There are 5 concentric circles Above and 5 groups of circles Below. The Above and the Below are the great polarity and this is the mechanism of Gods work. Since we are made in Gods image and likeness, we as the Below are like the Above. We share in Gods attributes. What we do affects Him. As we evolve, He evolves. We do so by re-uniting the Above and the Below by the Chymical Marriage. The center circle has inscribed in it, Eternal Nature not Created. As best as we can understand, this is Gods true nature. The next three circles are the seeds of the Trinit y. The second circle out is the Eternal Quintessence. This is the aspect of the Holy Spirit. The third circle out is the Prima Materia of God. This is the aspect of the Father. The fourth circle out is the Tria Principia Divina Persona Essentia. This is the aspect of the Son. The fifth circle out is Gods Spirit, Gods Life, Gods Light, Divine Fire, all of which find expression in Humanity. Now we understand the concept of the Divine Fire and the Divine Spark. When we evolve to self-conscious union with God, the Divine Spark will merge with the Divine Fire. Then we shall discover we were never apart. In the fifth circle out there are 3 little diagrams each of 4 principles configured in different ways. These are the seeds of the elements plus the fixed, mutable and cardinal qualities of the zodiac that will emerge fully formed in the level of Action. This is where we live in our ordinary consciousness and the zodiac is the primary mechanism for our evolution. No wonder the seeds already exist in the level of Emanation. As Above, so Below.

First Star - Creation

Kabalistically, this is the level of Creation. At the center of the star we are told that Eternity produces Natures Time. This is a different kind of time from our present consciousness. It demonstrates that time differs on each level of reality and is therefore fundamental to reality. Around the outside of the star is inscribed, Nothing else is, nothing else was, nothing else will ever be, in eternity and in time. Eternity is a kind of time and it is a long time, but it is not timelessness. In the top circle, there is timelessness. In the first star, there is eternity. Time as such is lower still. This is a mystery for deep contemplation. This central time is the hidden 7 point in the midst of the 6 points of the star. Here we see Gods vehicle of manifestation the Logos. This is Greek and is translated as "Word". The star contains a trinity of Word, Spirit and God, which is contrasted with another trinity, of Son, Father and Holy Ghost. Word corresponds to Son, Spirit corresponds to Father and God corresponds to Holy Ghost. We have a polarity of trinities. Is this because God manifests through 3 vehicles and we have 3 vehicles of consciousness?
th

Within the star is inscribed the Latin word Fiat that means "let there be". Now we understand why this is the level of Creation. In Genesis ch 1 we are told that God said "let there be" and Creation came into existence. The star is also arranged as two triangles one with its point up and the other with its point down. The fundamental polarity of the Above and the Below yet again. Why? Because God creates by th polarity. There are 6 points of the star with God as the hidden 7 point and there are 6 Days of Creation th with the 7 Day of Rest. God is the point of "rest" within the star. But what do we mean by saying that God creates by polarity? Let us look at the Days of Creation in Genesis ch 1: First Day: Light divided from darkness. Second Day: Waters divided from waters. Third Day: Dry land divided from seas. Fourth Day: Day divided from night. Fifth Day: Birds of the air and creatures of the waters created. Sixth Day: Man created as male and female. Seventh Day: God rests. Thus the 6 pointed star with the eternal, "resting" center point, is crucial to understanding the process of th creation. The 7 point at the center of the star is the like the still center of a hurricane. It is the dynamic stillness from which comes power, force and energy.

Second Star - Formation

In accordance with Genesis ch 1, Ruah Elohim, the Spirit of God, hovers above the waters in order to create form. This is the level of Formation. Look closely at the diagram and you will see a significant increase in complexity. The second star is in the center of 4 circles, three large and one small. These circles are the key to understanding the process of formation. The large circles are in the form of a triangle around the second star. The first circle emanates from the first star and then separates into the left and right circles. This is like the Tao separating into yin and yang. Polarity again. The second star emerges from the creative tension between the two side circles as they strive to establish a symbiotic relationship between their yin/yang natures. It is important to note that we normally think of polarity as antagonistic. That is yin opposed to yang. This causes destruction. However polarity is constructive when yin and yang enter into relationship with each other. In this case their relationship generates the second star which in turn, forms that which is below it. Note that on the level of Creation, God creates the polarities that at the level of Formation enter into relationship with each other. The level of Formation is more complex than the level of Creation and requires more detailed consideration. The first circle comprises of 5 concentric circles and thereby mirrors the top circle at the level of Emanation. In the center is the word Hyle. It is Greek and means "substance" or "essence". This is what creates "form". On the outside concentric circle is the Latin word Natura. Thus the myriad forms of nature, have the same essence and are of one substance. Outside this circle are the 4 principles we have already seen as seeds at the level of Emanation; One Spirit, One Life, One Light, One Fire. Also outside, is inscribed the declaration: O Nature! thou art truly a created image and likeness of thy God. Nature is the image of God and we are the image of nature. Thus we are the image of the image. What then is reality? The answer to that question comes in contemplating the separation of the top circle into the left and right circles around the second star. In the left circle there is a sun surrounded by the word Hyle. It is of one substance with the sun at the center of the right circle. There are 3 concentric circles each containing 4 signs of the zodiac, thus emphasizing the 3 qualities of cardinal, mutable, fixed. However, the signs are in a peculiar order and so are the qualities. This is an indication that we are to meditate on this circle. It is named "Philosophy" and is the masculine yang aspect. From this masculine circle come the 4 seeds: human, animal, vegetable, mineral. Notice the higher aspects of those seeds:Prima materia, Natura, Elementa, Essentia. The right

circle has the declaration Ethereal Form, Material Form, inscribed on the outer of the 3 concentric circles. The metals, elements and alchemical principles are contained in them. This circle is named "Chemistry" and is the feminine yin aspect. The right circle receives the seeds from the left circle and brings them into form. The two circles are related in that the left explains the Above and the right explains the Below. The second star between them, is a form of the "Chymical Marriage". It explains their relationship. The result of the union of the two circles, is the second star that lies between them in the diagram. It is 6 pointed and mirrors the first star. Around its points there is inscribed, Natura because Nature is the creator of form. At its center is Chaos surrounded by the 4 elements. As a consequence of chaos mathematics, we now understand that this Chaos is not a disordered jumble with random effects. In fact, this is the source of law and order. We know that because of the Latin inscription in the form of a cross around the center: Unus substantia, tria principia (one substance, three principles). That is; One God, Three Persons. The second star is the "child" produced by theChymical Marriage. In its turn, the second star now emanates the Philosophical Mercury of the small fourth circle that is immediately beneath it. This small circle is the connecting link between the level of Formation and the level beneath it, the level of Action.

Third Star Action

Can you see the third star? Look closely. It is a 6 pointed star that is made of 5 groups of 3 circles plus the polarity of Anima (soul) and Spiritus (spirit). These are two of the vehicles of consciousness of the Divine Spark. Where is the third vehicle, the body? It is the bottom of the 5 groups of 3 circles. What then of the other groups? Patience. And where is the Divine Spark? That is the Mercury group.

The arrangement of the 5 groups of circles is the work that we have to do here and now. First let us observe that the groups are arranged in 2 interlaced triangles; one with point up and the other with point down. Secondly, the 5 groups are the Below in relation to the 5 concentric circles of the top circle, the Above. In this manner we have polarity emphasized again. Thirdly let us analyze the structure of the third star. That will lead us to the Chymical Marriage. Upward pointing triangle: Group 1: Philosophical Mercury, Philosophical Sulfur, Philosophical Salt. These are the 3 alchemical principles and are the basis of the Great Work. They correspond to our 3 vehicles of consciousness spirit, soul and body. They are the Below aspect of the 3 persons of God in the top circle of Emanation, which is the Above. This is a further polarity we must reconcile through the Chymical Marriage. Each principle "opens up" to full expression in each of the next 3 groups: Mercury is the Man/ Woman/ Moon Child triangle; Sulfur is the Death/Corruption/Solution triangle; Salt is the Green Lion/ Calcination-Sublimation/Distillation-Circulation triangle. The Chymical Marriage is the union of the two interlaced triangles by the processes begun through the 3 alchemical principles.

Group 2: Death/ Corruption/ Solution. This is the beginning of the Great Work and Death is its first step death of the ego. If we are not prepared to do that, we cannot proceed. It is a choice and an act of will. We must each do it for our self. "Corruption of one", say the Wise, "is the generation of another". Everything must be reduced to its prima materia so that it can be regenerated. In the putrefaction of dung, is the Stone. It is the reversal of the creation process. By Solution the Stone is separated into its 4 elements so that by Art, the Wise may proceed with the Great Work to transmute the Stone of the Philosophers into the Philosophers Stone. This is the first part of the injunction: solve et coagula. The Death group is not only the opening up of the principle of Sulfur, it is also related to the vehicle of consciousness Soul, on the inverted triangle. Can the soul die? Can it be separated?

Group 3: Green Lion/ Calcination-Sublimation/ Distilation-Circulation. The Green Lion swallows the sun and transforms the prima materia into liquid gold. Is that clear enough? By Calcination, the substance is heated in a furnace and reduced to fine powder with a change in its composition. What is the furnace? What is the heat? Try the effect of prayer upon the body. According to the Wise, "Our Sublimation is nothing but the exaltation of the body, that is, its transformation into spirit, which cannot be without a gentle fire." This group is clearly related to the vehicle of consciousness Spirit, but what is the gentle fire? What about meditation? By Distillation, the 4 elements are reconstituted in a pure form and by Circulation descend either as fiery drops of blood, or as drops of the Virgins milk, or as the dew of heaven, to transform the contents of the vessel. Thats easy enough isnt it? No? Think of that which is distilled and circulated as the Chi moving through the acupuncture meridians. The alchemical vessel is the vehicle of consciousness, the body. That which is circulating within it, is clearly not physical.

Let us pause and consider what we seen thus far. Our nature is constituted by a polarity that is here depicted as two inverted triangles. The Mercury group is our Divine Spark, Soul and Spirit are separated out and the Coagulationgroup, is our body. We have to undergo a number of processes to achieve the Chymical Marriage and then produce the Man/ Woman group as the result of the union. Let us proceed with the inverted triangle. Downward pointing Triangle: Soul has already been explained as the second star and Spirit has been explained as the first star. Group 4: Coagulation/ Tincture/ Augmentation-Multiplication. The other half of the alchemical koan solve et coagula, is the process of Coagulation. This normally happens to insoluble substances once they are heated to a certain temperature. Having coagulated, they cannot be dissolved. This process occurs in the distilling vessel (the body) and is the reconstitution of the matter of the Great Work in its final form. The Tincture is both white and red and is the combination of the Virgins milk and the pelicans blood. It is the purified essence of the Great Work in liquid form. Combined, it becomes the Elixir of Life. By Augmentation we project the Tincture into the matter and transmute it into gold. According to the Wise, by Multiplication we "convert (the matter).into the true sun-making and moonmaking (substance)".

The Coagulation group is the result of all the work done in the previous groups and its effect is to transform our body as a vehicle of consciousness, so that it can interact with the other vehicles, soul and spirit, in order that the body can truly become a sun-making and moon-making substance. Why? So that the two triangles can unite in the Chymical Marriage and produce the final group. Group 5: Man/ Woman/ Moon Child. It is simple enough to understand that the polarity of our masculine and feminine natures must unite in symbiotic relationship. Normally, we think that this is the final purpose of the Chymical Marriage. Clearly, it is not. Who is the Moon Child? This is the Divine Spark in full self-conscious realization and complete awareness, here and now at the level of reality, Action. Meditate on this, pray for it to happen in your life. This is the purpose of the Great Work.

What a magnificent scheme of creation, the Rosicrucians have.

Hermetic Philosophy
by Jack Courtis

There is a subtle hint in the alchemical literature that the dew is a chemical secreted by the brain as a consequence of the performance of the Great Work. Thus the body is variously described as the "retort", the "vessel of distillation", the "alembic", etc. At the physical level, the Great Work is performed in the physical body and has physical consequences. This secretion acts upon the 7 glands associated with the 7 chakras. Amongst other things, it bestows good health and hence the expressions "Elixir of Life", "living water", etc. This is not produced by reading books. It is the result of hard work, self-discipline and dedicated effort. No wonder there is very little known about the dew. The diagram is in 4 stages and they correspond to the 4 kabalistic levels of reality, from top to bottom like this:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Emanation; the hand holding the magnet and pouring the dew, coupled with the breath of life. Creation; 5 baby dragons and a sunflower that is called prima materia. Formation; the sun and the moon , the rose and the lily, with the miraculous fountain. Action; the cloud with the 3 alchemical principles, the planets and the metals.

Level 1 Emanation The writing next to this part of the diagram gives us the clue. There is a 2-way process being performed. The "magnet-stone" (a variation of the Philosophers Stone) attracts "iron-hard" men from the Below to the Above. What does "iron-hard" mean? Is this a reference to a ruthless, even a cruel personality? Is this how the spiritual life manifests? Spiritual men are supposed to be gentle and kind, arent they? "Yes" to others and "no" to themselves. At a certain stage on the inner journey, a man must be hard upon himself to the point of self-inflicted pain. Can it be any other way? No! This is the level of reality that brings us closest to God. Complete self-discipline is the minimum standard. But what is this certain stage? How do we recognize it, how do we know when we are there? Look closely at the text. To be "iron-hard" is to function consciously at the sefira on the Tree of Life, called Gevurah. Astrologically this is attributed to Mars and alchemically, it is attributed to iron. It is on the pillar of Severity. By the time we get to this stage on the inner journey, we shall all be "iron-hard". What about the other side of the process, from the Above to the Below? The dew (as the water of life) is poured out in conjunction with the breath of life. Together, they are Gods grace that is given to us freely and without conditions. The water of life and the breath of life are available to us directly, when we activate our Crown chakra, the "Thousand Petalled Lotus", in full self-awareness. This is where the secretion of the chemical is activated in the brain. Level 2 Creation There are 4 baby dragons on the left and one on the right; 5 in all. The 4 elements (air, fire, water, earth) th plus the 5 that is the activating principle, the aether. Why babies? Because they have not yet been brought to maturity and full power by us. The dragons surround a sunflower that has 6 petals plus its th head (the 7 point). This flower is called prima materia by the text. Why a sunflower? Look at the diagram below:

Every sunflower head has 2 spirals that consist of interlaced seeds. One spiral goes clockwise, the other anti-clockwise and they fit each other perfectly. In some species there are 34 clockwise spirals and 55 anti-clockwise spirals, whilst in other species there are 55 and 89, or even 89 and 144. It depends on the species of sunflower, but they are all related numbers. What is the significance? These are consecutive numbers in the Fibonacci sequence: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, etc.. One spiral is feminine and the other is masculine. But there is more. If we take the fraction 34/55 and 0 0 0 multiply it by 360 , we get 222.5 . This is an external angle and hence we subtract 180 and finish up with 0 137.5 . So what? This is the golden angle of Greek sacred mathematics and is related to the golden number , or 0.618034. There is a very close relationship between the Fibonacci sequence and the golden number. It happens that the double spiral only appears if the seeds grow at a divergence 0 angle of 137.5 . The feminine and masculine are united in a very precise way by a mathematical ratio. This is the division of a line into the mean and extreme ratios. In Greek sacred geometry, this was one way of depicting theLogos as the principle of order and harmony. For our purposes it is enough to understand that Plato considered the Logos to be a pure abstraction that could only be understood mathematically. Kabalistically, this is the level of reality at which the Logos is to be found. Why is this important? Because the text calls the sunflower, the prima materia. Now we have a better idea of what this means. The water of life and the breath of life are united by the mathematics of the sunflower head the golden Logos.

Level 3 Formation It is here that we make sense of the alchemical koan: solve et coagula. First, the Logos is separated into the masculine sun and feminine moon. Secondly, the male essence is poured onto the rose and the female essence is poured onto the lily. These two essences are the dew and the breath of life on this level. They have been split up into a polarity again. Thirdly, the sun and the rose are Tiferet on the Tree of Life and the moon and the lily are Yesod on the Tree of Life. Tiferet is attributed to the Heart chakra and Yesod is attributed to the sexual chakra. Fourthly, the two essences are united once more in the downward pointing triangle of the "miraculous fountain". The sexual imagery should be obvious by now. The male and female must reunite their essences in the fountain. The text on the left of the diagram refers to the "fiery water and the watery fire". What can this mean? Read the text carefully. Is this a description of the Chi pouring through the acupuncture meridians? No wonder nothing may live without it and it is close to all things but unknown. It is only in the grasp of the Philosophers, that is, people who are capable of functioning with full self-awareness at this level of reality. Have you noticed the subtle comment? Nothing can live without this fiery water "in time". At the level of Formation our vehicle of consciousness is the soul. But to live "in time", that is in our vehicle of consciousness our body, the fiery water is necessary. The Chi acts as the formative agent at the level of Formation, for our body at the level of Action.

Level 4 Action The dew now pours out of the miraculous fountain as a moisture laden cloud. It brings the 3 alchemical principles of Mercury, Sulfur and Salt. In turn they generate the 7 planets of astrology (the Above) and the 7 metals of alchemy (the Below). This is the mechanism of our functioning in our vehicle of consciousness the body on this level of Action. Have you noticed the number 33 in the cloud? Jesus was 33 when he was crucified and there are 32 + 1 paths associated with the Tree of Life. The 32 paths are well rd understood. The 33 path is the one that transcends the Tree and goes to the Ain Sof Aur. There are 33 degrees in Freemasonary.

The text on the right gives us contradictory instructions. We must catch the moisture to avoid it changing into vapor or fume and then we are told that the 2 vapors or fumes are the "roots of the art". Clearly, the polarity of the water of life and the breath of life is being alluded to again. We must catch it when it leaves the miraculous fountain in a unified form, as it crosses from Formation into Action and then use its dual nature as part of our inner journey. This is the chemical secreted by our brain which then affects the rest of our bodily functions. Enlightenment has a physical basis. The full explanation is given by the text immediately below the diagram.

Text This has to be read very carefully and then meditated upon. Here is the clue; the living stone and living water consist of "a sulfur, a mercury, a salt, hidden deep in nature". Consider the coiled kundalini serpent at your Base chakra. When the serpent uncoils and begins its upward climb, where does it go? Co-located with your physical spine are the 3 channels Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. Remember the 5 baby dragons? The 4 on the left are related to the 4 lower chakras. The 3 higher chakras are related to the 3 alchemical principles. You have all the clues. The rest is now up to you.