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∴

Regarding the use of Flashing Sounds with the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram

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A couple of months ago I answered a query regarding a method of using tonal sounds with the performance of the Lesser Pentagram Ritual. The system of correspondences between the Hebrew letters and the musical notes is question has been widely distributed thanks to the books of Paul Foster Case, who used sound and colour to elaborate a interesting formula of healing. According to Darcy Kuntz this correspondence system between the Hebrew letters, tonal sounds and colours actually came originally from some notebooks belonging to Allan Bennett, one of the early mentors of Aleister Crowley and a highly regarded Adept of the pre 1900 Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. To his merit Allan Bennett were one of the few London Adepti who sided with S.L. MacGregor Mathers when the Isis-Urania Temple No. 3 schismed with the latter.

Now I haven’t been able to verify myself these highly interesting findings of Mr. Kuntz, which he disclosed to us in his The Golden Dawn Court Cards as drawn by W.W. Westcott, published in 1996 as the fourth volume of The Golden Dawn Study Series. This particular pamphlet from Holmes Publishing Group is one of the most interesting in the series edited by Mr. Kuntz. Besides presenting Westcott’s hand drawn court cards and the intricate system of sub-elemental sigils attached to them, Mr. Kuntz reveals the notebook information from Allan Bennett in an appendix called “On Flashing Sounds”. However, I trust the scholarly integrity of Mr. Kuntz enough to take it for granted that Allan Bennett was the source of these correspondences, even though Paul Foster Case of course doesn’t name his source other than that of his own “Master R.” But as with the rest of Case’s reliance upon the Golden Dawn tradition, he doesn’t give it the credit it actually deserves.

But what complicates matters somewhat is that the official lectures on the correlation between sound and colour in the Golden Dawn Inner Order follows an entirely different correspondence system, which suggests that Allan Bennett developed his own personal system. Thus this “unofficial” system from one Adept became the basis upon which Paul Foster Case built his own teachings on sound and colour used in the Builders of the Adytum or B.O.T.A.

According to Paul Foster Case and Allan Bennett the correspondences between the Hebrew letters, the musical notes and the colours are thus:

So, at can be seen, the actual correlation lies between the sound and the colour. Thus the musical tones are attributed to the 22 Hebrew letters according to the traditional correspondence between the letters and the colours. Paul Foster Case recommended his initiates at the level of Zelator to use this correspondences between the letters and sounds when performing the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. Thus each letter were supposed to be fully vibrated and also according to its designated tonal frequency.

I have personally attended several B.O.T.A. sound and colour sessions in a group setting and both listen to and partaking in this both beautiful and peculiar way of vibrating the words of power contained in the names of the Archangels and Divine names of God. I have also watched an R.R. et A.C. Adept perform a full Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram using Paul Foster Case’s attributions. In my opinion, the ritual takes another life and the musical scale really adds beauty to it. It does resemble something of a Gregorian chant and really lifts the spirit of the listener. However as I haven’t used this system of sound and colour in my own Ceremonial Magic I can but imagine that it is highly effective although quite hard and requires a natural ear for the tones (no room for tone deaf Adepts here).

Now, the original query concerned the difficulty in using the tonal scale when vibrating certain hard consonant letters, for example the letter Peh in Raphael. I tried to help the querent after some ruminations on my own and came up with the following suggestions. I thought I would share this with my readers, so here it is.

First off, I recommend anyone interested in doing practical research into this peculiar system of sound and colour, according to Bennett and Case, to look up the local B.O.T.A. study group. B.O.T.A. regularily has Sound and Colour meditations open for the public. Thus my recommendation is to visit one of these and to partake in a full session, which uses many of the words of power from the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. While being there the opportunity presents iself to also ask the B.O.T.A. folk regarding the intricacies of this matter. However, you won’t see anyone performing a LBRP as Paul Foster Case only taught that to his Zelatores and in Chapter Work. In the particular Pentagram Ritual paper he suggests to use the correspondence between sound and colour, or else to use traditional vibration.

As I said before, I know that it is possible to perform the LBRP using the tonal system as I have seen and heard it myself. But I don’t know today how it was actually done as I heard it almost a decade ago, and I cannot simply access that memory. But I can imagine how it might be done. One of the letters is easy – “B” or Beth – such as in Gabriel. Actually it should be pronounced “Gavriel”. Most often when Beth is transcribed into english it is rendered as “b” when it often should be rendered as a “v”. This correct transcription alone solves the puzzle for most instances.

The good thing about me not remembering how the Adept in question vibrated the tones is that I cannot give away any secrets. Had I known how then my lips would have been sealed. But today I must rely on my own speculation, and being in a mood of sharing freely, I have decided to divulge my thoughts as being grateful to the querent originally stimulating my creativity.

Often Hebrew words are pronounced with vocals between consonants that are marked out with “dagesh” and “niqqud” points, which solves the rest of the puzzle, at least for the majority of cases. Therefore one should intone the vocal sound following or preceding the consonant. Thus to vibrate and spell out each Hebrew letter in each Word of Power in the LBRP I suggest the following:

IHVH or Yod He Vau He – each full word for each letter in the Tetragrammaton is spelled with the same tone, i.e. the letters “YOD” are vibrated with F Natural, “He” with C Natural, “Vau” with C Sharp, and “Heh” (final) with C Natural.

ADNI is pronounced as A-Do-Na-I – “A” is vibrated with E Natural, “Do” with F Sharp, “Na” with G Natural, and “I” with F Natural.

AHIH is pronounced as E-He-I-eH (the final “H” is silent) – “E” is vibrated with E Natural, “He” with C Natural, “I” with F Natural and “e(H)” with C Natural.

AGLA is pronounced as A-Ge-L-A – “A” is vibrated with E Natural, “Ge” with G Sharp, “L” with F Sharp, and “A” with E Natural.

RPhAL is pronounced as Re-Pha-E-L – “Re” is vibrated with D Natural, “Pha” with C Natural, “E” with E Natural, and “L” with F Sharp.

GBRIAL is pronounced as Ga-V-R-I-E-L – “Ga” is vibrated with G Sharp, “V” with E Natural, “R” with D Natural, “I” with F Natural, “E” with E Natural, and “L” with F Sharp.

MIKAL is pronounced as M-I-Cha-E-L – “M” is vibrated with G Sharp, “I” with F Natural, “K” with A Sharp, “E” with E Natural, and “L” with F Sharp.

AVRIAL is pronounced as A-U-R-I-E-L – “A” is vibrated with E Natural, “U” with C Sharp, “R” with D Natural, “I” with F Natural, “E” with E Natural, and “L” with F Sharp.

If one prefers to also vribrate the Qabalistic Cross may I suggest to follow the usual vibration in one pitch as there are a couple of short consonant letters there which is hard to solve, or one may leave out these letters but vibrate the vocal tones as far as one can, such as the following (letters within brackets are silent):

AThH MLKVTh VGBVRH VGDVLH LOVLM AMN is pronounced as A-Ta-(H) (E Natural & A Natural, as the final H is left out) Ma-L-K-U-T (G Sharp, F Sharp, A Sharp, C Sharp, & A Natural) Ve-Ge-V-U-R-a(H) (C Sharp, G Sharp, E Natural, C Sharp, D Natural, & C Natural) Ve-Ge-D-U-L-a(H) (C Sharp, G Sharp, here I cannot solve the “D” letter so it is left out, C Sharp, F Sharp, & C Natural), Le-O-U-La-M (F Sharp, A Natural, C Sharp, F Sharp, & G Sharp) A-M-eN (E Natural, G Sharp, & G Natural).

S∴R∴

Conversations with a Master Alchemist: On the subject of the Solar Consciousness

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One good thing about heated debates in the Golden Dawn community is that it sometimes draws out the Hermetic Masters from their hideouts in an attempt to set the record straight. Not that I believe that any words of wisdom from a Master will change the hearts of the majority. I’m not that naïve. But I do hope that at least some earnest students of the Royal Art will benefit from the following words – if their minds and hearts be sufficiently open and void of preconceptions.

During the last decade the Chiefs of the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha et Omega has made several revelations as to the nature of the Great Work, as transmitted to them from the Third Order. The purpose has been twofold in this revelation. One has been to provide sincere students of the Hermetics some guidelines against the trappings of the maze or labyrinth which is the Alchemical Tradition. The other purpose has been to provide proof that the Third Order actually does exist and that the Hermetic Alchemical Tradition it teaches likewise is authentic. G.H. Fra. L.e.S. made a summary of these revelations just recently. I will quote it in full albeit in a slightly amended format:

1. The true nature of the Opus Magnum is ENERGETIC EVOLUTION. This is the actual purpose of life on Earth. Human beings are but larval forms of a higher, purely energetic form of life that human beings are evolving towards.
2. The Prima Materia of Internal Alchemy is actually the living matter of the HUMAN BODY.
3. The alchemical transmutation of Lead into Gold is actually an analogy for the transmutation of the Physical Body (Saturn = Lead) into a SOLAR BODY of LIGHT (Sun = Gold).
4. The ROYAL ART of Alchemy is the science of IMMORTALITY – the science of the cultivation of SOUL: a Solar Body of Light that can survive the death of the physical body – and even render us CONSCIOUSLY IMMORTAL.
5. The TRUE PURPOSE of all Hermetic arts, whether GOLDEN DAWN MAGICK, laboratory alchemy, or Hermetic Internal Alchemy is the ACCELERATION of this Energetic Evolution that otherwise would require many incarnations to complete.
6. The THIRD ORDER of the Alpha et Omega teaches HERMETIC INTERNAL ALCHEMY - the highest form of Hermetic Science – in the sense that it is the most powerful operative practice to ACCELERATE Energetic Evolution.
7. Hermetic Internal Alchemy is so powerful that – by using it – you can cultivate a Solar Body of Light in a single lifetime.
8. Hermetic Internal Alchemy uses a SECRET FIRE to “cook” and transmute the physical body into pure energy.
9. The true nature of this Secret Fire is the FIRES of the PHYSICAL BODY itself.
10. The most powerful and creative of these fires of the physical body are LOVE and SEXUALITY.
11. Hermetic Internal Alchemy thus cooks the Physical Body (Saturn = Lead) into a Solar Body of Light (Sun = Gold) by harnessing the fires of Love and Sexuality – and using them to accelerate Energetic Evolution.
12. The processes of Hermetic Internal Alchemy hold the secret keys to the true and correct preparation of the PHILOSOPHER’S STONE.
13. The Philosopher’s Stone is an incredibly powerful ELIXIR of LIFE that can be used, on the one hand, to increase longevity, and on the other hand, to dramatically accelerate the cultivation of a Solar Body of Light.
14. The opening phase of this Opus Magnum of Hermetic Internal Alchemy involves cultivation and separation of the ASTRAL BODY.
15. For the first alchemical SEPERATIO (in order to separate the Astral Body from the physical body) it is necessary to first liberate the Astral Body from the turbulence caused by its constant bombardment with physical sensations, thoughts, emotions, etc., coming from the physical body. This is the true reason why real initiatic traditions universally require initiatic SILENCE.
16. True ASTRAL PROJECTION is only possible AFTER an Adept has first fully cultivated his or her ASTRAL BODY and achieved the FIRST ALCHEMICAL SEPARATIO. (This can only be achieved by first liberating the Astral Body from the domination of the Physical Body as described above).
17. This has nothing to do with the sort of waking visions involved in “Skying in the Spirit Vision” or that is commonly understood as Astral Projection by the New Age community. Such waking, visionary states can only reach as far as the LOWER ASTRAL, the realm of illusion and self-deception.
18. True Astral Projection occurs in a completely DIFFERENT state of consciousness other than any sort of WAKING visionary or trance state. This state is known only to Adepts once they achieve the First Alchemical Separation. Only then, can we pierce through the LOWER ASTRAL with its deceptions and delusions – to achieve the TRUE spiritual vision on the HIGHER ASTRAL plane.
19. PROJECTING IN THE SPIRIT VISION is a higher and superior form of visionary experience available to Adepts of the THIRD ORDER of the Golden Dawn. Skrying in the Spirit Vision, as published by Crowley and Regardie, referred by analogy to this higher, THIRD ORDER technique all along.
20. This HIGHER visionary experience of the HIGHER ASTRAL PLANE opens only to the eyes of the Adept that has:

• Fully cultivated her or his Astral Body – and
• Liberated the Astral Body from the domination of the physical – and
• Achieved the alchemical SEPARATION of the ASTRAL body from the physical body and mastered its PROJECTION – and
• Awakened to full consciousness and awareness on the HIGHER ASTRAL.

In the latest round of discussions, as a response to this declaration, there has been suggested that all of this is either a rehash of old oriental Tantrik and Buddhist teachings, wrapped up in an occidental package, or that it has been extracted almost verbatim from the popular books of Kenneth Grant! It has even been suggested that this obsession with immortality and survival of the second death smells “Left Hand Path”; alchemical formulas of immortality are redundant as our souls all are already immortal anyway. Being obsessed with immortality is nothing but that fear of loosing the ego, according to the dectractors. The bottom line is that the points presented above is nothing new and quite common knowledge, and quite simple to discern after some study of basic occult symbology, and that initiates all over the world already practice the active cultivation of the solar body. Thus there is no need to uphold the mysterious cloak of secrecy and glamour of inaccessibility.

This of course provoked the good Alchemical Master, which my readers already have been thoroughly acquainted with here on my blog, to produce yet another statement to dispel all erroneous notions or strange suggestions once and for all. Thus what follows is “the words of alchemical Master, R.C., faithfully translated and transmitted by Lux ex Septentrionis, Frater R+AC.”

I certainly do not wish to deprive you of your cherished illusions. The actual creation of the Solar Body of Light, however, has never been published anywhere or at any time. In reality, the creation of the Solar Body of Light is the most carefully guarded secret of all the great initiatic traditions of the world, from the Pythagorean and Hermetic traditions in the West to the Taoist tradition in China, and the Tantric traditions in both India and Tibet. There do exist, however, documents where you might find vague indications, and in rare instances, perhaps even a pseudo instruction in the training of the Solar Body of Light.

But know this. All of the great traditions teach that the true creation of the Solar Body of Light CAN NOT even BE communicated in writing. In fact, the TRUE secret can’t even be communicated as oral tradition, but rather only energetically, from the Master having already achieved this development to the Disciple who receives this most sacred of initiations.

This transmission can only occur from SOUL to SOUL, and certainly not from a written page to a person. Read and study carefully the instructions that Christ gives to his disciples. Like Buddha, all true alchemical Masters have said over and over that you must have a particular YEAST to awaken gold, and that this yeast may be possessed only by one who has formed it by Divine grace or has received it from another son of Hermes. The former is extremely rare as we shall see.

This is because this formation can only be accomplished through a certain union of Souls and spiritual power passed to the Disciple from an alchemical Master who in turn received it from his own Master, etc. This, however, is TRUE initiation, and not that as understood today in this period of spiritual decadence wherein so many do not even understand the spiritual value of silence, puffing themselves up instead by pretending to publish secrets in books, on the internet, etc.

The true mystery can only be obtained from one who has it. The same is true for initiation. To open a book and consider yourself an initiate merely because you read dead words on paper made from dead wood is a dead end that leads only to delusion and spiritual bankruptcy. This is also the true meaning of initiatic lineage. As it is written that: “None may become Priests and Priestesses of the Eternal unless consecrated by the Eternal itself.”

Only the rarest of human beings, having received their mission on Earth from on high, have received that rare gift of a fully formed Solar Body of Light or the ability to cultivate it in a single lifetime on their own - the great Avatars like Christ, Buddha, Krisna, etc. All others must raise their Solar Bodies with the sacred YEAST - that only another who possesses it - a Solar Master - may transmit.

Can you not see and understand that those who seek, awaken precisely when they come into contact with someone who has precisely this YEAST for their spiritual awakening? Think for a moment. Investigate for yourself, but do not allow yourself to be misled by a delusion of simplicity of something that I can assure you is not a simple matter at all. Do not allow yourself, through mere vanity, to be misled by dead words written on dead wood made into paper.

I repeat: This is the most occulted SECRET of humanity, carefully concealed in all of the religions and alchemical traditions of the world.

However, if you truly believe that to cultivate a Solar Body of Light on your own is such a simple matter, requiring only time and discipline (very laudable as they are) as you each claim, I invite you to prove this to us.

I will then, together with countless others, bow before the first among you who accomplishes this “simple” task - recognizing you as our new teacher and Master at the level of another Christ or Buddha.

With respect,
Master R.C.

And regarding the accusations of “Left Hand Path” practices and “obsession with immortality”, and the futility of it all, Master R.C. has the following to say:

The Hermetic tradition does not say, nor has the Alpha et Omega ever said that the soul is NOT immortal. According to the Hermetic tradition, the natural state of the soul is, of course, immortality, at least in the sense that the energy of the Soul survives death. But do the memories, etc. of the incarnation?

Even the Judaic tradition, in its esoteric aspect, teaches even if the Soul is immortal, however, it requires a vast amount of time until the evolution of the individual, following the normal course of nature, is such that the individual is fully conscious and aware within this immortality.

The Hermetic tradition teaches that everything in nature is evolving towards perfection. Alchemy merely shortens the interval required to achieve attain perfection.

The same is true for the energetic evolution of the human Soul. Initiation within the great alchemical traditions of the Earth, including the Hermetic, is a means of abbreviating the necessary time, or of accelerating this process. In their essence, this is that same function that has yoga, Qabalah, or even the mystical aspect of Buddhism or any other religion. Study the classics of excellent authors like Mircae Eliade and you will be able to follow this ariadne’s thread throughout the spiritual history of mankind.

It is useless to address nonsense you raise about the left hand path, dark path, etc., except to say that such are comments one makes only when they to not know what else to say. I do not wish to be rude, but nor shall I remain silent in the face of nonsense like this, with its taste of Christian Integralism with its obscurantism of human reason and of the human Soul as it has been for Millennia.

Read the discourses of Buddha, of Zoroaster, the Sankara of Hermes Trismegistus, (the collection of hermetic authors called by this name), and other good authors – and you will see that it is not I who affirm these things, but that the tradition has always been on this solid ground. The TRUTH will set you free, not the obscurantism of misleading, sarcastic remarks.

The subject of the energetic evolution of the human Soul is quite complex and certainly can not be fully covered with these few lines. This, however, may be sufficient as a small note to clarify my thinking, which is, I repeat, not based on my own ideas, but reflects the inherited wisdom of Millennia.

Master R.C.

So ends the words of a Master. Personally I believe the issues raised regarding the “Left Hand Path” are quite interesting, but perhaps a bit unexpectedly. I have had a discussion before here on the blog (albeit in Swedish) with a Left Hand Path practitioner of Qlippotic Qabalah, which was quite a learning experience of me. In the wake of that discussion it has dawned upon me that dichotomies such as “Left Hand Path” and “Right Hand Path” are highly misleading. Out of spiritual ignorance I also used to do this separation between them two paths. But nowadays I find it way to limiting for my understanding. In my current opinion most genuine esoteric traditions, such as that of the Golden Dawn, has or should have aspects of both. Thus the Hermetic Tradition is better designated as a “Middle Path”.

Also, what is usually seen today as “Left Hand Path” in the occident (typically labeled as the “Qlippotic Qabalah”, “Chaos Magic”, or “Dark Magick”) isn’t necessarily the same as the “Left Hand Path” in the orient. They share the antinomian character though. But here I must again remind the reader of the quite obvious and strong origins of the Sabbatian Qabalah, through Jacob Frank and the Asiatic Brethren, in the modern Golden Dawn style “Hermetic Qabalah”. Thus in the Letters L.V.X. there is also the notion of Evil amongst the good (“which doth forward the good”), as well as an acknowledgement of a good and evil side of Godhead – Lord of the Universe, Lord of the Light and of the Darkness.

Thus is it fair to compare Kenneth Grant, and whatever Qlippotic that is associated with his teachings and practices, with that of the Nath or Rasa Siddhas? The Tantrik tradition is surely very similar or akin to the Hermetic Tradition, and it does follow a path which is regarded by many profane Hindu devotees as both frightening and rebellious, and blasphemous even to some of the faint hearted disposition. Still it is the path of the alchemical initiate of the orient. In the east “Right Hand Path” has more to do with organized and religious practices of the outer world or the profane, while “Left Hand” is associated with the initiated Tantrikas. Thus “Left Hand” might equally be regarded to be “esoteric” and “Right Hand” exoteric, although there do exist paths of the esoteric Yoga which is more rightly designated as Right Hand Path. At least this very general categorization seems to be useful according to my present limited understanding of the Eastern Tradition.

Furthermore, the Hermetic Masters are not addressing the “litte ego” here when they discuss the immortality of the soul. Instead they refer – to use a Qabalistic term – to the Ruach or the self-conscious mind. Following Golden Dawn qabalistic philosophy the goal is to make the Ruach or Self-consciousness a transparent vehicle for the Higher Self or Neschamah. In this the Ruach must be made to be the king of the Soul, seated firmly on the throne as the New Adam with his Iron Rod. Or, to use a slightly different terminology, to become anointed as the Christos. In my opinion, and obviously also according to the Master R.C., Jesus Christ is a prime example amongst others of one who in fact did attain a Solar Consciousness; it is followed by a illumination and full identification with the “Father” or True and Only Self.

The transfiguration into Solar Consciousness

In Internal Alchemy you aspire to separate the different “bodies” or “layers” in the human being to reunite them again into a new and glorious whole. At least this is how I perceive it reading the words of the Master. The end result is a full Cosmic Consciousness in which the radiant Solar power of the Spirit is transmitted inhibited through both the Soul and the Body. This is the transfiguration of the Christ.

S∴R∴