Conversations with a Master Alchemist: On the Creation of the Solar Body of Light

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The discussion regarding the Solar Body of Light, in the wake of Master R.C.:s announcements, has sparked some interesting responses which again has provoked the good Master to voice his erudite opinion. The initial response was that these notions wasn’t unique at all, that they may bee found in the writings ranging from Eastern Tantra, both Hindu and Buddhist, to the more modern western writers of Samael Aun Weor and Kenneth Grant!

Now, recently some anonymous detractor claims that there are absolutely no references at all to the creation of a solar body of light in any of the occidental alchemical writings and that the teachings of Master R.C. is simply a modern invention and deception. He holds that the Hermetic tradition doesn’t concern itself with the creation of a solar body of light, but instead the liberation of the Spirit from the physical body and the yoke of its passions, ideas which are quite reminecent of gnosticism rather than hermeticism in my opinion. He furthermore holds that even the Hindu and Tibetan Tantric traditions doesn’t try to create a solar body of light, but instead only to free the consciousness of the cycle of reincarnations and the ignorance resulting from incarnation and its sensual impressions upon the mind. This detractor even states that any belief in an immortality of some individuality is considered as erroneous for the Indian and Tibetan traditions.

The following response from Master R.C. has been faithfully translated and presented by Lux ex Septentrionis (David Griffin), Frater R+AC.

On the Creation of the Solar Body of Light
by Master R.C.

In response to my recent article, I have been forwarded several letters and comments. I am pleased to observe the interest aroused by the present discussion. This is a positive development, as not enough has yet been written about Hermetic alchemy from an initiatic perspective. Clearly, certain points need to be set forth at this juncture, in accordance with what my own Alchemical Master taught and transmitted to me over the course of decades – in the same fashion as initiatic, alchemical knowledge has been transmitted from alchemical Master to Disciple for Millennia.

My words here may displease certain readers, but I will not hold back the truth merely because others may find it distasteful. I ask you to set aside for a moment all of your preconceived ideas and to read these few lines in a state of serenity and peacefulness of soul, aspiring that the light of consciousness may illuminate our discourse.

Many people today delude themselves with the mistaken belief that all knowledge may be found either in books and publications or on the internet. In the case of Hermetic wisdom in general, and of Alchemy in particular, published works include only the most minimal part of the legitimate teachings. These are, I must once again repeat, transmitted only through true initiation or from an authentically realized Master – and not from a mere thinker – as true transmission is energetic, from Soul to Soul, and not verbal.

In regard to recent questions and comments about the Solar body:

Everything within creation – merely by virtue of being manifest – possesses a vehicle through which manifestation is possible. The existence of form and non-form is one single reality, which is the true nature of the universe and of creation.

The transition from form to non-form is instantaneous and we are never conscious of the passage because, these are two sides of the same coin. Thus, even talking about the change from form to non-form is inaccurate and incorrect – as such a notion imposes conditions appropriate for duality, whereas ultimately it is only unity that exists, which is instantaneously both existence and non-existence.

Consider a point in geometry. A point is indivisible and eternal yet non-existent at the same time. The same may be said about the true nature of the Mercury of the Philosophers.

Therefore, it is in reality not strictly correct to speak of the CREATION of the Solar Body because – since all is ONE – it already exists. Thus the real task is to bring to consciousness the ONE that is within us and that IS us. This is the true mission of Alchemy and ancient Hermetic sciences.

In the orient, this same notion is implied in the statement that MAYA is reality and illusion at the same time, and that these are two sides of the same coin. In fact, it is also written in the East that MAYA is the same as MOKSA – absolute freedom – but this mere affirmation does not equal the realization of this truth or the attainment of absolute freedom!

Such intellectual discourse does not even approach the living truth that all is ONE and that all is ipso facto real and unreal. The truth, the reality or unreality of things is created by our mind itself. This is the true meaning of the RAW MERCURY OF THE PHILOSOPHERS. This Mercury is “raw” in the sense that it is unprocessed. When processed by alchemical means, this Raw Mercury may be transmuted first into Silver, then into purest Gold.

I would like to stress that all that is said here about human beings can also be extended to materials of every nature and grade, and thus applies to physical transmutations as well. All of this – of course, observes the fundamental law of UNITY OF MATTER.

Thus we see that the mind, or the eternal capability of matter, has the power to render real or unreal every single thing – even itself. This – in high degree alchemy – is called SULFUR – the generative capacity of the mind – which uniquely and eternally exists.

When the mind, or Mercury, vibrates, creation IS – yet when it does not vibrate any longer...CREATION VANISHES. This is the power of the MERCURY OF THE PHILOSOPHERS – which can pigment all metals or states of matter.

Thus – when correctly understood – the creation of the Solar Body is the ability to cause your mind (or Mercury) to vibrate in such a way that, by creating waves of form, it generates a state of MATTER-SPIRIT-UNITY that is active in EVERY plane of creation itself. In other words, it is the capability of acting consciously on every gradation of the ONE that is EVERYTHING.

This is the Solar Body that indicates the LIGHT and wisdom of all things simultaneously that is eternal. Hence true Eternity and Immortality is the MIND’S CAPABILITY OF BEING AWARE OF ITSELF AND OF THE TRUE NATURE OF REALITY.

Therefore, every being creates, by its own will, its slavery or freedom. There are those who understand it early and put themselves on the path of wakefulness. There are others, however, who need a lot of time to acknowledge the subtle aspect of creation, in addition to its aspect of form.

Hence we can talk about TRUE IMMORTALITY only when it is CONSCIOUS and AWARE. Otherwise, despite the perpetual eternity of being, we cannot speak of true immortality, when consciousness, not being aware, sinks into the chasm of illusions that are real for us and envelope us by the great power of mind (or Mercury) itself.

Marrying Mercury with Sulphur, creating the double nature, thus may be understood as joining the mind with its own power, thus becoming conscious of who we really are and of our true potentialities. This state we call the creation of the Solar Body and it is represented as a symbol with an OPEN EYE OVER A FOUR STEPPED PYRAMID, which indicates the four states of matter: solid, fluid, subtle, and radiant, which joined together and merged in the state of the mind, that is the QUINTESSENCE or FIFTH ELEMENT, become the Solar Body of Light, which is eternal and indestructible.

The methods to reach this, which on metaphysical basis are in the strictest sense incorrectly called “the creation of the Solar Body of Light,” have never been revealed openly – And even had they been, they would not have been understood by those who are unprepared, living their reality as they want it to be, rather than how it is in truth instead.

I hope I have been clear and that I answered all of your questions and inquiries. All that remains for me to add is that everything I have written and every mental procedure here described may be perfectly reproduced even in a laboratory through alchemy, archemy, or spagery – In other words, by making use of substances that appear – I repeat - that APPEAR – to be outside of us as living beings alone in this actual life on planet Earth.

With love and respect for all living beings,
R.C.

So ends the words of a Master. The interesting thing which emediately pops up in my mind through a initial reading of his words regarding the “Raw Mercury” is that it very much confirms the alchemical teachings of Paul Foster Case in his various courses which he wrote for the Builders of the Adytum. Again I cannot stress enough the significance and importance of reading his works as a Golden Dawn student, which are now being readily available outside of the circles of B.O.T.A. through various publications.

My own thoughts on this matter which the anonymous detractor raises is the following. First of all he is mistaken that there are no references at all to the creation of subtle “bodies” through Internal Alchemy in older alchemical traditions, although they are scarce and highly incomplete; one simply has to look in the right direction. It is variously referred to as the “Secret of Secrets”, such as the “Arcana Arcanorum”, “Secretum Secretorum”, etc. I suggest the reader to look up these references through a search on Google, even on this blog.

Regarding the Eastern Tantric traditions not wanting to create “immortality” and “alchemical bodies”, I suggest the reader too look up David Gordon White’s excellently researched but arduous academic work The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India. This will dissipate any such erroneous notions. I was baffled and amazed by the many similarities between Hermetic Alchemy and the Hindu and Buddhist Tantric traditions, both in the general and particular levels of teachings.

Before reading this book I remember seeing a documentary on the Tantric Buddhist tradition in Tibet, how they projected their consciousness at the moment of death to a so-called “rainbow body”. When I saw this reference I understood that the Ageless Wisdom is truly universal. White’s book gives a solidly researched confirmation of this “body”, variosly referred to as “rainbow”, “diamond”, “sonic”, etc., the differences being only that of language and culture.

The Transfiguration of Christ

Having but learned miniscule portions of Hermetic Alchemy in my personal alchemical work, I have suddenly started so see references to it in all kinds of traditions, lately also in the Gospels and in particular in the Eastern Christian Orthodox Church regarding the doctrine of the transfiguration of Christ. It is easily overlooked if one hasn’t the eyes to spot it. Internal Alchemy, such as taught by Master R.C. and his contemporaries, is truly transformative not only in body but also in mind and the outlook on life and in particular on the different and apparently disparate esoteric and exoteric spiritual traditions.

S∴R∴