Medicine and healing in the New Age

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This is a follow-up on my previous critical commentary on the New Age phenomenon. Today I would like to address the issue on healing and medicine in the context of the New Age and what in contrast constitutes traditional Rosicrucian healing. It is probably in this field of alternative medicine that the New Age movement has gained the biggest momentum in recent decades, having the most profound effect upon society, and which I personally find the greatest benefit; it has been helpful in giving way to an alternative paradigm in health care and medicine in place of Western school medicine. The New Age cannot of course take full credit for this new wave of alternative medicine flooding the health care market, but surely it has had a big part in shaping the current open-mindedness of the post-modern society individual. In particular oriental medicine – of the Chinese and Hindu traditions – has become a serious alternative to modern allopathic Western medicine. However, also because of this import of oriental traditions the more occidental forms of alternative medicine has found a never seen renaissance, in particular homeopathy.

Because of its magnitude and importance in the New Age tradition, it is very hard to keep track of all the different forms of alternative medicine and healing techniques that currently are applied by its adherents. I will only address some parts of this subject, which has gained my attention and which probably constitutes the most popular and most heard of. Looking into this mix we will find traditional applications, such as Taoist Chinese medicine, which has been presented in a more or less original format, perhaps because of the relatively large contingent of Chinese immigrants living in the West and who has always practiced these remedies but limitedly confined to their own people. Thanks to the New Age it has shown its benefits also to the indigenous population of the West. But there is also several different types of typical New Age applications of “healing” which is not founded upon older tradition and merits, such as the use of crystals in chakra balancing and aromatherapy, and the likes.

Even if both the use of crystals and aromatics of essential plants have seen its application in remedies since antiquity, the particular application as seen in the New Age is quite a new phenomenon. What is typical of the New Age is also to combine different traditions and applications together to create new and unique forms, such as the above mentioned combination of crystals and the Tantric concept of the chakras. This has absolutely nothing to do with Hermetic or Rosicrucian medicine and healing. However, the concept of the “chakras” alone also has a traditional western standing and application with a slightly different spin, focusing on the concept of the microcosmic Planetary spheres instead of the Elementary as in Tantrism. So the use of energetic spheres in the subtle body has strong ties with both the Rosicrucian and the Alchemical traditions of the occident. This is however a quite well guarded secret amongst initiates and only some traces of this can be found in published literature, such as the works of Johann Georg Gichtel, the pupil of Jacob Boehme. However, the use of crystals in this context has never been heard of prior to the advent of the New Age, and thus may be dismissed by the hermetic initiate.

The interior Planets

While we are on the subject of energetic healing I also must address the issue of the peculiar form of healing called “Reiki”, which has become quite popular amongst New Age followers and occultists alike. It was developed by the Japanese Buddhist monk Mikao Usui in the early 1920’s. It is based on traditional Chinese applications, such as Qi-Gong, even if its particular form was developed by Usui himself after certain revelations while being in a meditative state. But it has a strong oriental foundation that has been somewhat adapted when it became westernised after the Second World War. There are several schools of Reiki but all are based upon an initiatic scheme, the most common based on three degrees. The initiations are mainly energetic and cannot really be compared to traditional Rosicrucian initiation, which has been based upon Freemasonry since its reformation in 1777. Although there is a strong energetic component of healing in all true Rosicrucian initiation, it also places much emphasis on the ritual drama and occult instruction.

In my opinion Reiki is a highly effective formula of energetic healing that I recommend for study to all occultists and initiates of the Western Esoteric Tradition. I know of several initiates that has benefited greatly from being initiated into Reiki. Thus I don’t doubt its efficiency. However, in its second degree the initiate is introduced into the concept of distant healing. This in my opinion has been the source of much misuse when put into the hands of New Age adherents. Today you may get Reiki healing through the telephone or after writing an e-mail order. This latter application has nothing in common with traditional occult healing in the Western Esoteric Tradition, which either has the patient in close proximity to the healer or uses some kind of material medium (called “talisman”). Only in extreme cases is distant and astral techniques applied. But in the hands of New Age practitioners, which often hold an extreme pragmatic view on occult application, this has turned into a preferred mode of working as it gets a fast buck. Unfortunately this “laissez-faire” mentality has also infested the occult movement and most probably laid the foundation to more recent concepts such as “astral initiation” and the likes. And as I have said repeatedly on this blog, the concept of distant astral initiation has absolutely nothing to do with traditional Rosicrucian initiation.

There is also the concept of “Pranic Healing”, quite recently developed by Choa Kok Sui but, as it seems, loosely based upon traditional Hindu Yogic tradition. It seems to aim at energetic healing of the aura and also of the chakras. This goal it has in common with Reiki, and both systems share the concept of distant healing. Thus Reiki has incorporated also the Tantric view on the energy centres or wheels, referred to as “chakras”. This eclectic nature of Reiki has probably been one of the reasons of it being adopted so readily by the New Age movement. It is also interesting to note that Pranic Healing is a quite recent invention from the 1980’s and is referred to by its adherents as “non-traditional”. It seems to be a quite commercialised form of Yoga, which even uses crystals in its healing techniques. Thus it shouldn’t surprise me if New Age finally has started to have something of a feedback effect on the oriental traditions. In my opinion, this is a sad development as it may endanger the purity of the traditional teachings.

Be there as it may, but I have yet to encounter anything that resembles Reiki or Pranic Healing in the Western Esoteric Tradition or the Rosicrucian teachings. Thus neither Reiki nor Pranic Healing can be regarded as a traditional Rosicrucian healing formula; it must be regarded to be a complementary application of energetic healing which may have great benefits in the hands of an occidental initiate, but nevertheless should be learned through existent schools outside of the traditional lodge format. Rebranding the oriental word Qi or Ki (“vital life energy”) with western equivalent designations, such as “pneuma” or “ruach”, doesn’t make energetic healing of this kind more Rosicrucian or Qabalistic than it was before, especially when being sold to the public in the same manner as is commonly found in the New Age market. Hermetic or Rosicrucian principles simply cannot be learned in weekend workshops and certification being handed over only through attendance of a course.

Through my own research I have come to the conclusion that Rosicrucian healing, that is Hermetic medicine, most of all resembles Hindu and in particular Tantric tradition. The goal of any Rosicrucian is to become an Adept, meaning someone who has succeeded in the Great Work of making the Philosopher’s Stone. This is the Universal Medicine which is said to cure all ailments of the body and the soul, and furthermore grant immortality. In Tantric Alchemy transmutation of base metals into silver or gold is only a preliminary stage before the Elixir of Life being used to transmute the body of the Alchemist into the so-called “diamond body”. This last process is referred to as sarirayoga or “transubstantiation”. In this Tantric Alchemy, in Sanskrit referred to as Rasa Shastra or Rasayana, shares a common goal with Adepts of the Western Alchemical Tradition. Thus energetic healing using hand-laying techniques, such as in Reiki or Pranic Healing, isn’t the main focus of Hermetic medicine. Instead, source texts inform us that Alchemical and spagyrical preparations forms the main focus of Rosicrucian healing. Elixirs and tinctures may also be used to remedy local ailments, using spagyrical preparations of plants or minerals.

Indian alchemical apparatus

Thus Paracelsian medicine is much more true to the original Rosicrucian notion of healing, which is also Hermetic in its aims, that was even addressed in the 1614 manifesto Fama Fraternitatis. Homeopathy partly stems from Paracelsian medicine and thus has more in common with traditional Rosicrucian healing than does Reiki or Pranic Healing, or any other concepts of healing in the New Age. The Hindu equivalent of Paracelsian spagyrics is the Ayurveda, another ancient tradition popularised in the New Age and in the process transformed into but a form of dietism. In its original form it constitutes an entire field of medicine, originating from the Rasa Shastra in the same manner as spagery comes from Alchemy, sharing a common goal – that of bodily regeneration and prolongation of life. So, if anything appropriated by the New Age, the closest equivalent to Rosicrucian healing is the Ayurveda.

However, neither spagery nor its parent Alchemy is all about physical remedies. On the contrary, Alchemy is another form of energetic healing as it directly affects the energetic and subtle bodies, not only the physical. Thus the Stone of the Wise is a Universal Panacea that heals all levels of man, or it wouldn’t be universal. Likewise, as I said previously, initiation is also energetic healing and involves the transmission of energy from the initiator and the initiate. In the traditional Hermetic view on initiation, the concept of the “yeast” is important, meaning the initiator serving as a catalyst in the energetic and spiritual progression of the initiate. Ceremonial Magic also involves energetic healing, for obvious reasons. And in my opinion Ceremonial Magic has lots in common with Taoist formats of internal alchemy, such as Qi-Gong, as it involves the setting in motion of the vital life energy (in the Rosicrucian tradition referred to as the L.V.X.; “light”) through the subtle bodies. But as with the internal alchemical traditions of the Dao and Tantra, as well as Tibetan Buddhism, it is primarily a formula of self-healing.

These energetic formulae of internal alchemy may be used also to heal others, but only after the Adept sufficiently has developed an adequate vehicle for it to be able to transmit truly healing energies. In the common New Age movement, anyone may become initiated into Reiki or Pranic Healing, just like that. In Sweden I have heard some stories of patients experiencing unwanted and sometimes disastrous “side-effects” of wrongly applied energetic healing. This, I am convinced of, is mainly due to the fact that an unprepared healer (having an unbalanced energetic body) with transmit unbalanced forces into the aura of the patient. I strongly believe that even if the true healing agent is transpersonal the person doing the healing and acting as a conduit is still filtering the L.V.X., altering its “frequency”. Healing is not for the dilettant; it should be solely reserved for the Adept. It takes several years of hard study to become a physician, but only a weekend to become a Reiki healer. Thus the thought of such advanced formulae of healing, which requires a high level of responsibility from the therapist, not to mention the possibility of bearing the karmic burden of the patient, simply being taught at weekend workshops is quite barouche. It has absolutely nothing in common with any traditional esoteric teachings of both the occident and orient, and definitely not with anything remotely Rosicrucian or Hermetic.

S∴R∴

The importance of Fire in Alchemy: A case for alchemy and spagery in the vegetable kingdom

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Recently certain strong voices in the occult community, and especially in the Golden Dawn community, has been raised against plant alchemy and spagery. These voices holds that ordinary herbal tinctures are far more effective than spagyrical ones, as the heat used in the latter destroys the healing virtues of the plants. One well known Golden Dawn Adept have for some time claimed that his wife did hundreds of alchemically prepared tinctures with absolutely no effect. He holds that alchemically prepared vegetable tinctures have no effect beyond the placebo. Recently others have followed his suit, both on the fora and in private correspondence.

The process of creation of herbal tinctures, as well as homeopathic ones, is identical with the creation of spagyrical or alchemical tinctures in its first phase of Solve, or separation. This is the so-called maceration process where the plant matter is placed in a vessel filled with alcohol. Well, almost identical, the big difference being that in alchemy one only uses alcohol that comes from wine grapes (having more noble virtues), the so-called “spirit of wine”. Herbal tinctures are often created from (more vulgar) grain alcohols, i.e. vodka.


But here the relative likeness ends, as the material residue is discarded with in the creation of the herbal extract – after the separation through filtering. Contrary to this, in spagery and alchemy this only marks the end of the first or beginning phase. In spagery and alchemy alike the material residue is not discarded with but instead purified through an arduous process of calcinations and leachings, after which it is re-united with the extract in the last phase or Coagula.

According to alchemical theory the extract, which is a compound made of alcohol and essential oils of the plant, constitutes the Mercury and Sulphur respectively. From the material base, which in herbalism and homeopathy is discarded with, is finally extracted the Salt, completing the family of the so-called “three alchemical principles”. Thus the maceration or Solve concerns the separation of the three alchemical principles of Mercury, Sulphur and Salt, or rather the former two from the last principle when it concerns creation of tinctures.


Now, to be honest, I cannot really follow the reasoning behind the critique against alchemy in favour of herbalism, at least not thus far. If the Salt is to be discarded with in the herbal tincture but calcinated, leached and rejoined with the essence in the spagyric, I cannot see how the “sulphur” is destroyed by the heat being used.

The Sulphur (essential oil) and Mercury (alcohol) is exactly the same in both herbal tinctures and in spagery. The only difference being that the Salt is calcinated and leached/evaporated, and finally rejoined with the essence (Mercury & Sulphur). But this process doesn’t affect the essence as it is contained in another flask while the Salt is getting purified by leaching and evaporation to crate salt crystals. These white crystals are later put back into the solution in the digestion phase of Coagula.

Thus nothing is taken away from the spagyrical operation in the way of sulphurous properties; instead something is added. The only thing being subjected to any real heat that could destroy anything from a plant is the Salt, not the Sulphur. But the body needs to be killed for it to be able to resurrect.


Granted, in the second part of Coagula the liquid actually is subjugated to “heat”. But the thing is that in spagyrical tinctures you only use moderate heat, not more than that of normal human body temperature. Thus modern alchemists still base their practices on the old masters, such as Paracelsus, who gave us the old tradition to use moderate heat in the coagula phase, i.e. body heat, or the proper temperature used to hatch chicken eggs, or even to place the flask in a heap of putrefying dung, etc.

Also you may use the rays of the sun to heat the compound during the latter digestion, but for other reasons than the mere heat created. Nevertheless, this moderate heat creates a species of gentle circulation of the matter in the sealed flask; it looks as if the liquid matter is “sweating”. Thus heat is extremely important in the digestion phase, the Coagula, after the three alchemical principles has been rejoined. The gentle heat used here “opens up” the matter and helps re-joining the principles into a new whole. The continuous gentle circulation inside the hermetically sealed flask also sublimates the matter, according to alchemical theory, even to a point where it may create a “stone”.


But what basically boils down to in this critique is the theory that heat supposedly destroys the active healing properties or ingredients in vegetable sulphur, or the essential oils, even at very low temperatures, if it is continued prolonged over a longer time period.

I won’t argue against that straightforward chemical analysis of the process. But in alchemy (and spagery as it uses alchemical theory) we are not talking about strict chemistry, even if there of course is the material aspect to consider as well. There are also etheric and astral components to alchemy. That is why there is such great emphasis laid on synchronicity with the astral currents and with astrology. And furthermore, the process of Solve et Coagula itself, I believe, has this manipulating effect of several levels parallel to the purely material.


Alchemy is basically about building the subtle bodies, at least in Internal Alchemy. I believe this also applies to all bodies, i.e. plants as well as minerals. Thus alchemy, as well as spagery, cannot be compared to herbalism, even if it may be some value in comparing these two disciplines, and a possible learning experience for both.

Cooking is sometimes used as a metaphor. We all know that overcooked food taste bad and that valuable nutrition are effectively killed with too much use of heat. Thus a chemist may know in theory how to apply optimal heat to create food of the finest quality. However, I prefer the food of a chef any time before the food coming from the kitchen of a chemist. Now, what am I saying with this? But isn’t it obvious?


Alchemy, as well as cooking, is an art besides being a science. Likewise the alchemist is an artist as well as an scientist; alchemy belongs to the realms of both Hod (Mercury) and Netzach (Venus). Thus it’s not about having the exact ingredients or following cookbooks to the letter. You will never be a proficient alchemist if you don’t develop fingertip sensitivity. It’s more about feeling and timing. It’s about becoming one with the subject matter. Thus in my opinion, alchemy more properly belongs to hermeneutical science rather than natural science, the latter being based upon distance and the dispassionate attitude towards the subject matter.

Alchemy is about what subjective effect is has on a particular individual (which will vary according to his spiritual stature or status), not whatever effect it will have on a population being given a universal panacea, objectively measuring the level of health or alleviation of sickness. Thus you cannot use the same measuring stick on alchemical tinctures and elixirs as you would with herbal tinctures, or classical medicine for that matter.


Furthermore this critique against the use of heat goes contrary to old alchemical philosophy backed up by millennia of teachings and operative laboratory practice. This long standing tradition states that heat actually is the actual agent behind the transmutation process.

This is aptly resumed in the alchemical interpretation of the letters I.N.R.I., or the Key-Word as it is called in the Golden Dawn tradition. According to the alchemical masters it is rendered as Ignis Natura Renovatur Integra, which translates into “Through fire nature is reborn whole” or “All of nature is renewed by fire”. All of nature, human, animal and mineral, as well as vegetable. Thus alchemy is the Path of Fire.


Alchemy in all forms, both dry and humid, both internal and external, lay great emphasis on Fire or Heat. So to properly transmute the matter it must be subjugated to heat. In spagery or plant alchemy this heat is relatively moderate, as has already been stated, compared to the mineral work as an example; the fire in the former is used sparingly. But it must nevertheless by necessity be applied also to the vegetable realm. As above, so below. Thus from an alchemical perspective Fire or Heat is crucial to the process.

The most common method in creating alchemical and spagyrical tinctures and elixirs is to use moderate heat, normally not exceeding 40° Celsius. When creating a “magistry” the heat is increased as the matter is subjugated to a distillation. But on the other hand, the process of distillation subliminates the matter even further. But even in these cases the temperature is kept relatively moderate, normally not up to a violent heat and intense boiling; the traditional way is to create steam without to much boiling of the liquid.


Only in calcinations of the Salt is “violent” heat to be applied, but even here it doesn’t take as high levels as in the dry way of Antimony, for example. In calcinations of the Salt fire is never taken to the fullest potential – but on the other hand it is prolonged for many hours, even days. It is also here that the herbal critique against alchemy may have some actual merit.

Furthermore, in herbalism the matter is discarded with as it is seen as useless as a healing ingredient after it being leached dry from its essence. Granted, it’s true when only considering just after separation and filtering. In this raw state it contains the Caput Mortum or “dead head”; the parts which is not soluble. Hence the Salt is subjugated to heat and calcinated to ash, and in this process taken through the three (or four) stages; nigredo, albedo, citrinas and rubedo. After which it is purified further with water and leaching, which is then evaporated.


In this last process again moderate heat is used, usually the flask being put upon a radiator, mantle piece, or something similar. Now it must become crystallized and optimally should transform into a white salt crystal. So there is no ash being used in the liquid but actually real Salt being produced. In this the Caput Mortum is separated, or the fine from the gross.

This latter process of purification of the Salt with leaching in water and evaporation to create Salt crystals has been a guarded secret of the Alchemists for very long. I was taught it orally from one of my earliest alchemical teachers. Even Frater Albertus refrained from revealing it in his modern classic Alchemist’s Handbook, even if he is very open with the rest of the process. Thus the purification of the Salt is perhaps the most crucial aspect of the work. But after Frater Albertus publication it has been openly laid out by later authors such as Manfred M. Junius in his Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy. Later also Jean Dubuis revealed this method in his Spagery correspondence course; even if it was limited for members of the Philosophers of Nature that course is now widely spread all over the internet.


Thus I decided a while ago to reveal it also on my blog in the essay Spagyrics – The Alchemy of Plants, as it is no longer a secret. Besides, I believe that the Salt is crucial to the alchemical property of the tincture or elixir. This directly translates to the body as being the primary subject of the Great Work. Salt is the material base which grounds the subtle forces in play. But to be able to do this the Salt or body must first be transmuted – the subtle must be separated from the gross (Caput Mortum).

Compared to herbal tinctures spagyrical and alchemically prepared tinctures attracts the subtle forces better. They become as “magnets”, so to speak. This is because of the universal principle of Solve et Coagula and of Fire. Thus alchemically prepared products affects the etherical and astral as well as the physical. This is contrary to herbal products. Although foods or nutrition internalised affects the subtle in a greater or lesser degree, this is supposed to be perfected in alchemically prepared products.


I hold that alchemy primarily works upon the subtle bodies through a material base, much like talismans do in thaumaturgy. Thus alchemy is primarily a spiritual science and art, more properly akin to thaumaturgy than to chemistry. Moreover, alchemical or spagyrical tinctures and elixirs are supposed to be taken primarily for initiatory purposes, not to simply heal an ailment of the physical body. The goal is to transmute the energetic or etheric body, and even more exalted bodies beyond that.

But my guess is that spagyrical and alchemical vegetable tinctures mostly reach the etherical in their effect and that the effect on the higher or subtler bodies is more limited as compared to mineral elixirs. The so-called “Plant Stone” certainly is limited in its effect compared to the Mineral Philosopher’s Stone. But it does clearly affect the etheric body, or energy body, or aura as well as the physical.

On the other hand I speculate that the etherical properties of ordinary herbal tinctures are much more limited because of the fact that the process of separation and reintegration (solve et coagula) and the use of heat is absent, as well as astrological considerations disregarded. The alchemical process on the other hand opens up the plant to these higher levels of existence because of this difference of perspective and the particular modus operandi. This is the actual essence of transmutation. Thus only a truly transmuted matter may affect a subtle body.


Now some state that alchemical and spagyrical products have no effect, other than placebo. But what some call placebo others call energetic manipulation. It is sad to see that such materialistic notions has crept in into the hermetic teachings, or rather a few modern hermetic teachers.

If we would only limit ourselves to the criteria of strict evidence, as it is normally defined in natural science, then we also can discard ordinary herbal tinctures as there is no conclusive evidence in today’s scientific research that it has any remedial effects at all other than that of placebo. This may also be said regarding homeopathics. But personally I don’t believe the word of this “scientifical” research.

Now, I’m not actually that driven to upholding conspiracy theories. But on the other hand I’m also not native. It is a well-known fact that the actual forces pulling the strings in all kinds of modern medicinal research are non other than the pharma companies. They hate herbalism and all other kinds of alternative healing methods, such as homeopathy, as it makes their steady income threatened. It’s that simple. So get rid of that notion once and for all that science is neutral or unbiased.


Thus you may prove anything with “research” if you have the money to fund the work of the scientists. But to be just, the question must be raised of how much comparative study that actually has been done in a controlled environment, between herbal tinctures on one hand and spagyrical or alchemical on the other? People simple base their judgement from what normally occurs in physical matter with essential oils if subjugated to heat, not at all considering what alchemical processes actually may do to the whole person.

I wonder what opinions these occult teachers criticising spagery and plant alchemy have regarding homeopathy? It is a well-known fact that many homeopathic medicines has been potencified to the level of taking away the last molecule of the original plant’s extract. Thus there is only water left and using strict natural scientific criteria, there shouldn’t be any remedial effects beyond that of placebo. Still, homeopathy is much more popular compared to herbalism, at least in Europe. People really feel helped by it where no other help can be found in classical medicine.


I wonder if the potencification of homeopathic extracts actually may gain etheric effects not previously known to alchemists? I know that some of them potencify their tinctures and elixirs using homeopathic principles, especially when using toxic matters. But using the same line of thinking as that against spagery there shouldn’t be any other effect other than that of placebo.

Again, it is sad to se how materialistic instead of holistic ideologies has crept in through the back door of occultism. Instead of looking at matter from the spiritual perspective, suddenly even occultists that I truly respect start to view spirit from the perspective of matter. This is the reversed pentagram formula and the principles behind the 15th Key of Tarot, the Devil.

© Tomas Stacewicz

Contrary to this attitude or onlook on life the occultist and aspiring alchemist should nurture the philosophy which is behind the principle of that Tarot Key which precedes the previous one, the Temperance Card. If one watches these two symbols together it will become obvious that they are closely related but at the same time express diametrically different ideologies.

In the 14th Key the angelic figure is also the alchemist performing an alchemical operation. He holds in his hands Water and Fire, representing the principles of the Lion (Sulphur) and Eagle (Mercury) respectively, which he unites together (Water is poured upon the Sulphurous Lion and Fire upon the Mercurial Eagle). This is symbolical of the principle of Solve et Coagula, the separation and unification of the contrary elements. In the background we see the true agent behind this uniting principle in the form of an erupting volcano, i.e. the Fire of the Athanor. However here the symbolism has been veiled and taken the form of a radiant Crown; in the esoteric version it should be depicted as a volcano.

© Tomas Stacewicz

Now these two versions of the Tarot Keys comes from the deck created by Paul Foster Case, once a Adept of the Golden Dawn, and I recommend reading any works by that author regarding these two cards. In the original version of the Golden Dawn, on which these two pictures are based, the symbolism goes even further in its alchemical contents. On the Temperence Card is depicted a cauldron under which burns a fire, representing sublimation or distillation and circulation. This is also the occult principle behind this card and the Hebrew Letter to which it is assigned; Samekh and the 25th Path attributed to Sagittarius the Archer.

On the Temple Floor of a Golden Dawn Temple, which occultly depicts the diagram of the Tree of Life, this is the point of the rendering of the Veil of Paroketh, the transiting principle which sublimates the Soul from the Outer world of the Elements to the Inner Realm of the Planets, or the Astral. This also represents the transition from the Outer Order into the Inner Order, or from being but an Initiate into being a Adept. In this work the interior Fire is essential and here we have to remember that Saggittarius is a Fiery Sign.

In the version as created by Aleister Crowley, another former Golden Dawn Adept, this symbology is even more true to the original Golden Dawn Card. Understanding the alchemical significance of this Key Crowley also renamed it as “Art”, as in the Royal Art, an original term used for alchemy. Thus in the central crowned figure of the Card we see a Royal Artist.


Looking at the card we see behind the Artist the famous alchemical axiom of Basilius Valentinus, “Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem”, which translates into “Visit the Interior Parts of the Earth; by Rectification Thou Shalt Find the Hidden Stone.” From this is made the word V.I.T.R.I.O.L. With “Rectification” is meant a repeated distillation, again alluding to fire and heat. In Crowley’s version the alchemist , in the form of a Hermaphrodite, unites the two Principles together over the cauldron to emphasise the last phase of the Work, the Coagula.

As can be seen, the evidence for the use of the modus operandi of separation and reunification – Solve et Coagula – and that of the transmuting agent of Fire is abundant in the symbolism of occultism and alchemy. The end result of both the Lesser Circulation, or Lesser Work of the plant kingdom, and that of the Greater Circulation (the Great Work) is the creation of the Universal Androgyne or Hermaphrodite. This symbol represents the sucessfull unification of the previously separated principles of the Sun and the Moon, or Sulphur and Mercury respectively, and its subsequent incarnation into the ressurected body or Salt.


Now, I have personal experience of taking alchemically elixirs for at least one decade. Both me and my wife (and Soror Mystica) have taken an alchemical elixir partly using vegetable matter. I know for a fact that the effect goes beyond that of placebo, as it has had a direct detrimental effect when taken in to much dosage (even if it was quite minuscule). After learning to use the proper dosage through experimentation I was instead relieved from sickness for a long period of time, not typical of me.

This is how alchemical and spagyrical tinctures and elixirs primarily should be used; by the alchemist him- or herself. Only seldom is it to be given to others, especially non-initiates. Traditionally in Rosicrucian circles the initiate were forbidden to administrate any alchemical remedies without the expressed permission of the Chiefs. As an typical example, in Sigismund Bacstrom’s Society of the Rosy Cross one swore not to:

encourage wickedness and debauchery, thereby offending God, administer the Medicine for the human body, nor the Aurum Potabile to a patient or patients infected with the venereal disease. [And also] …never [to] give the fermented metallic medicine for transmutation, to any Person living, no not a single grain, unless the person is an initiated and received Member and Brother of the Society of the Rosy Cross.

This may be compared to the Obligation of the Adeptus Minor who promises not to “make any symbol or Talisman in the Flashing Colours for any uninitiated person without a special permission from the Chiefs of the Order”.

Thus elixirs and tinctures are primarily to be used for self-healing and initiation, as stated above, to facilitate the purification, strengthening and development of the subtle bodies, using a outwardly material substance which is highly charged through a process of transmutations, using the principles of Solve et Coagula and that of Fire, to create virtues and healing properties on the levels of the ethereal and beyond.

S∴R∴

Melancholia and initiation

o

Today there is a wide spread opinion amongst both laymen and professionals, such as physicians and psychologists, that depression is the result of bad chemistry in the brain. Or to be more specific, the result of the depletion of serotonin. There has been proven that there is a relation between depression, feelings of aggressiveness, impulsive behaviour, and addiction, etc., and a low serotonin level in the brain. On the contrary, having a high level of the said transmittor substance is supposed to create moods of the opposite end of the spectrum, i.e. feelings of happiness, fulfilment, joy, accomplishment, etc. It is known that a bad diet and reduced sleep has a depleting effect on serotonin. It has also been proposed that it may have a biogenetic origin, which is transmitted genetically.

According to this extreme materialistic attitude or paradigm on the human soul there is simply this biological, either biogenetic or somatic, cause to depression. Therefore there is no significance or meaning at all attached to feelings of melancholy or depression. Therefore there is no point in therapeutic methods of the psychoanalytical or psychodynamic variety that interprets the symptoms. As we are dealing with a medical condition, according to the psychiatrists, it must be remedied with medicine or psychopharmaceuticals. In this case antidepressants.

The latest generation of antidepressant medicine is of the so-called SSRI variety, the most well known being Prozac. SSRI stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. As the name indicates these kinds of medicines inhibits the reuptake of serotonin after it being released in the brain’s synapses. This produces the effect of raising the level of serotonin in the brain, and hence alleviating the depression. Thus in this simplistic view the symptom (the depression) is but a malfunction of the chemical balance in the brain; the chain of causation is thus very short between the cause and effect.

On the other hand, according to Sigmund Freud and his later followers melancholy has its origin in the superego, the aspect of our psyche that accuses us and punishes us, it being the internalisation of the father’s law as an outcome of the Oedipus complex. This means that melancholy is a trait acquired from the interaction with one’s parental figures and the fear of breaking against the morality of society, as represented by the patriarchy.

Later psychoanalysts expanded upon Freud’s thoughts and in my opinion Melanie Klein was the one who took it to its greatest heights. She introduced two major “positions” of the individual, the schizo-paranoid and the depressive, by later authors re-defined as “integrative”. I personally call the second position the depressive-integrative. According to Klein we all are born into the schizo-paranoid position because of the traumas associated with birth and frustrations in the early phases of life.

Basically the child cannot cope with a mother that frustrates it while also providing it with the most gratifying of satisfactions, which the child attributes to evil and good qualities respectively. Thus the child is forced to split up these two aspects of the mother, and of itself, to be able to cope with it, ere it would fall into a total confusion and psychic disintegration. Hence the terms “evil breast” and “good breast”. The child copes with its own “evil” desires, such as gluttony, sadism, etc., by rejecting it through splitting and projection out of its own system. Thus the child within the schizo-paranoid position divides the world into clear-cut aspects of evil and good, within airtight compartments. This also creates an anxiety related to persecution and paranoia, because of the projected evil persona which the child sees in “the others”.

But in due time, as the child matures, it starts to see both evil and goodness inside of the mother, and thus also inside of itself. It starts to see that it itself has had destructive intentions and behaviours, such as fantasies of killing off its mother or its father. This creates a bad conscience or guilt, which in turn leads to depression. Here we see a child who has entered into a state of integration of the opposites and of depression resulting from that integration. This in turn leads to an urge to reparate that which has been damaged; to make amends for the hireto aggressive and destructive behaviour.

The natural outcome of all this is that the symptom (i.e. depression) is but a sign of an internal conflict between the superego and the ego, and between dynamic conflicts residing in the unconscious caused by the early interaction between the child and its parents. Therefore there is always a meaning to a depression as it can lead you to understanding the underlying dynamics of your soul. According to Freud there is no actual chance to psychological processes and phenomena; everything is determined by earlier experiences and therefore has an important meaning. Contrary to this, the bio-chemical paradigm believes in randomness and chance, depleted of any meaning.

As a magician and hermeticist I of course don’t recognize any chance or randomness in any aspect of the existance, neither of the microcosm nor of the macrocosm; that everything is determined by higher causual factors beyond the material, and that everything has a true meaning. So personally, both as a psychotherapist and as a magician, I adhere to the paradigm of psychoanalysis regarding the origins and nature of depression and melancholia. Thus I am strongly against this general view or attitude that the origin of mental “illness”, of whatever kind, solely resides in the brain, in matter. Mental “illness” properly belongs to the realm of spirit but has its effect upon the body in the form of feelings of anxiety and depression.

Sadly enough however, I have recently watched and participated in discussions where occultists are defending the attitude of modern psychiatry and the extreme materialistic view upon “soul” and its “illnesses”, as the by-product of bio-chemical processes in the brain. Contrary to them I adhere to the psychodynamic view that the true origin of mental “illness” resides in the social context of the individual and how each particular individual chooses to deal with the existential facts of life and that unique context experienced by the individual. This especially is relevant for all kinds of depressive or melancholic states, but also holds true of very severe mental “disorders” such as schizophrenia.

Thus depression is not a malfunction of the brain; it is a reaction or a way of coping with existential issues, as are all “mental disorders”. This means that the same may be said about schizophrenia and psychosis. What we undisputedly do observe in the brain (the serotonine level, etc.) and the body is a reaction to these experiences and reactions to trauma. This fully confirms the hermetic axiom of “spirit over matter”.

However I agree with the observations made that some physical (somatic) disorders may change consciousness and the emotional state. But we are not talking about chronic depression (as a psychiatric diagnosis) in these few instances, so it’s not actually relevant to our discussion here. But I do acknowledge the fact that there is no real differentiation between body and spirit. And it is of course correct that the body produces hormones which also are related to emotional states; “as above so below”.

But I want to point out that I don’t actually believe in the concept of mental “illness” (that’s why I have written the word “illness” within quotation marks). Our behaviour and mental attitude, regardless of type, is our personal way of adequately coping with life and our life’s experiences; a survival strategy. Sometimes this strategy can be very hindering indeed. That’s why people seek out therapy. But it has to be remembered that each and everyone’s strategy always is adequate according to the limits of one’s maturity, experience, knowledge and understanding.

I also nurture a spiritual view upon melancholy and depression. In my opinion depression gives a rich opportunity for spiritual progress. How can it be otherwise? How can any soul develop if there are no pains, sufferings or frustrations allowed? How can there be any progression without an urge to better one’s condition and self? I hold that depression is a key to enlightment. There is the term “dark night of the soul” coined by S:t John of the Cross, the renown Carmelite monk, which basically is a depression induced by spiritual practices, such as contemplation, meditation and ritual.

Depression forces you to look into yourself and revalue your life. In this instance taking antidepressants would seriously harm this great opportunity of self-knowledge and spiritual progress. I have seen this at close hand in one of my students so I’m talking out of experience here. So in my opinion you cannot combine antidepressants and other psychopharmaceuticals with initiation. Allow me to develope this further.

Initiation is about “knowing yourself” and I know for a fact that even our modern antidepressants make you more insensitive to your emotional life, as that is the point in taking medication. They effectively put the lid on you subconscious and emotional life, at least in part.

Your doctor will tell you that SSRI medication doesn’t numb you emotionally at all, and that you will feel more and different emotions. I have heard from people taking SSRI medication that instead of feeling just that one constant feeling of depression they now can feel a wider spectrum of emotions that they couldn’t feel before, because of the depression laying its shadow over whole of the soul.

I can appreciate this kind of descriptions and do respect this attitude in a patient, but cannot help thinking that there is a danger spiritually speaking in cutting off the darkest levels of emotion. While it is true that SSRI antidepressants don’t take away your emotional life it does in fact level out your depression. It is also true that one is able to feel other emotions instead of melancholy, but this has not that much to do with emotions being silenced by deep melancholia. Instead it has more to do with the fact that this kind of antidepressants induces other emotions artificially in place of the melancholia.

The wanted effect of SSRI medication is to induce “positive” feelings instead of the “negative” feelings associated with depression, the rationale being that a high level of serotonin gives feelings of comfort and happiness, while depleted or low levels of serotonin induces depression, destructive behaviour, addiction and aggressiveness.

So what SSRI medication basically does is to effectively cut out or inhibit one important aspect of life, and of especial spiritual significance, the dark side of the soul and of existence. It bars away a person from experiencing grief, sorrow and melancholy. I therefore ask how anyone may develop and mature as an individual and spirit if one is made insensitive to respond to the real hardships of life?

From a psychoanalytical or psychodynamic perspective depression gives you the opportunity to descend into your unconscious (or subconscious to use occult nomenclature). I have seen this myself in my own therapeutic process, in my clinical observations and experience, and in the experience of my colleagues; this is a typical trait belonging to these kinds of psychodynamic therapeutic methods.

There is a phase in psychotherapy when the patient experiences depression, the equivalent of a “dark night of the soul” of the mystic, magician or alchemist. But the patient must perservere to be able to reclaim his or her life, as the esoteric student is to experience the new dawn rising within his or her soul. Thus the same may be said of intiation as of psychotherapy.

Massive clinical experience (of the psychodynamic variety) says that SSRI medication actively hinders this necessary therapeutic process of the descent into darkness. Much research points out to the fact that psychodynamic psychotherapy (i.e. which takes the unconscious into account) is more successful if not combined with antidepressants. But this means that one have to accept to suffer from a period of worsened symptoms.

Regarding the numbing effect of SSRI medication I had a talk the other day with a quite well known psychotherapist in Sweden. He confirmed my thesis with his own clinical experience, without me mentioning my position. He litterary said that one of his patients, who happens to be on SSRI medication, cannot sink down into the level of the emotions necessary in trauma therapy. Since taking her medication she cannot work with the process of emotionally dealing with her original trauma; she is only able to work with it on the superstratum or middle level of the unconscious, and levels belonging to higher cognitive functions. This effectively inhibits the therapeutic effect, which needs to process the deeply buried emotional content to be able to release it.

With SSRI medication you effectively make it harder to feel deeper feelings (“deep” as in dark, frustrating and depressive, etc.) but are instead induced to feel higher feelings (“high” as in feelings of happiness, well being, etc.). If you want to work with your self – with your own demons so to speak – you have to be able to sink down into your deeper emotional layers. This applies both to psychotherapy and initiation.

Thus I really have no problems with depressives or melancholics in my Temple. But I expect of the melancholics to be prepared to deal with their emotional issues and surpressed contents. If any melancholic lacks the guts to deal with his emotional issues the G∴D∴ is not for him. And if a candidate has a biological (i.e. materialistic) view upon mental illness, instead of the psycho-dynamic or spiritual, he or she has no place in a G∴D∴ Temple or in any hermetic Lodge for that matter.

And if a applicant cannot be without his antidepressants, even of the relatively gentle SSRI variety and of the lowest dose, I would say that it definitely categorizes someone as emotionally unstable which practically hinders them from being admitted for membership. Thus persons diagnosed with a severe mental illness have no place in the G∴D∴. And in my experience lots of mentally disturbed people seek out the mysteries, for a help of a remedy.

A Temple must bar away mentally and emotionally unstable persons of the severe kind, both for the sake of the Temple’s egregore and for the sake of the applicant. My experience tells me that initiation into the Golden Dawn creates a severe artificial disintegration of the soul, a process which may be likened to the Alchemical phase of Nigredo or putrefaction. This creates quite some hardships and turmoil for the average neurotic and emotionally functional initiate. Imagine what would happen if a person with severe cronical depression or even worse mental states would be admitted for initiation. In my opinion it is unethical to admit such a person as it definitely will lay its karmic burden upon both the initiator and the egregore.

Simply speaking, you cannot substitute initiation for psychotherapy. And if you prefer your medication instead of psychotherapy – i.e. dealing with your problems and getting to know yourself – you have no place in a G∴D∴ Temple.

You may find my words severe and harsh. Perhaps they are, but believe me they are said in the best of meaning and interests for all parties involved in an initiatory process, the initiate, the initiating team and the Temple egregore. My words that I have spoken are based upon almost two decades of experience of G∴D∴ initiation and individual initiatory processes. Today I have a quite severe selecting process for my Temple that takes one year, at least. And in my selection I use my professional knowledge of psychotherapy to spot the unprepared.

So, I have no prejudice at all against melancholics. On the contrary I prefer them as they often are of the reflective and aware kind, not to say sensitive, compassionate and emphatic. But if diagnosed with clinical depression and considering initiation they have to choose between their medication (if any) and being initiated. Sometimes taking psychotherapy before initiation is recommended to better prepare a candidate for initiation.

Regarding finding a good therapist many occultists are afraid of prejudice against the occult, afraid of being diagnosed as psychotic or mentally disturbed because of their interest in the esoteric. I don’t know how the situation is in other countries, but in Sweden a psychotherapist isn’t allowed to intervene in their patient’s religious or political convictions, or sexual orientation for that matter. It is unethical, according to the code of professional psychotherapists in my country, to try to “cure” their patients from religious, political and sexual preferences. I guess the situation is the same in other countries.

There is much misconception about psychotherapy. Psychotherapy isn’t about curing “disease”. It’s about broadening your perspective and deepening your understanding of yourself, to emancipate you. The patient defines what the problem is and what should be worked upon. The therapist uses himself and his experience to assist the patient in this process of emancipation and self-knowledge. It can truly be likened to an initiatory process.

But if someone resorts to taking medication as a solution, instead of taking psychotherapy, that’s fine by me. I’m not in a position to judge anyone’s character or choices in life. But when it comes to initiation I have to look at certain criteria, and this particular strategy is not what is to be expected from someone seeking initiation (at least not in my Temple).

Now I expect people to start refute my position and start to defend the bio-chemical-materialistic view upon man and his soul. Sadly enough I even expect this from some of my fellow occultists. This topic is very sensitive and I understand that I may have stepped upon someone’s toes, or evoked the feelings of severe and unjust judgement against their decisions in taking medication. I beg your apology in being so uninhibited in my discussion. I mean no harm. But I have to state my opinion and share my experience, both as a professional therapist and as an initiator into hermetics. And besides this, now you also know what to expect of my Temple if you decide to apply for initiation into it.

Someone will probably bring up the diabetes and insulin analogy. But I don’t particularly like this analogy, nor do I accept it as relevant. I have heard that argument before, especially by people taking antidepressant medication (it more sounds like their doctor speaking). It’s a very easy and comforting way of not dealing with one’s existential issues. And that is not becoming of an aspiring initiate.

Someone will perhaps bring out the question of menopause and estrogen medication. But this is another not particularly relevant analogy. Women applicants should of course be allowed to take estrogen pills. It cannot be compared to taking antidepressant SSRI medication. So it’s no real issue here. Again, estrogen cannot be compared to psychopharmaceuticals proper even if it affects one’s emotional life (but it doesn’t put the lid on it). Meno-pause is a natural state of a woman, and cannot be regarded as a disease as pregnacy cannot be. Therefore I would recommend someone experiencing a menopause not to take estrogen medication and to deal with this natural phase of one’s life, but I definitely wouldn’t bar anyone from initiation resorting to this medication if their symptoms are to severe.

But both of these examples are more attributed to somatic conditions. I am addressing psychiatric diagnosis in this essay, not somatic ones. And my experience tells me that you cannot fully take the advantage of initiation and magic if you are on psychopharmaceuticals or on sedation.

I am also mainly addressing the diagnosis of clinical depression here, not of a bi-polar disorder. I would definitely bar anyone from initiation having this severe psychiatric diagnosis. In psychoanalytical terms the bi-polar or manodepressive disorder is the melancholic’s equivalent of schizofrenia in the schizoid character; i.e. it properly belongs to the range of psychosis.

Besides, psychiatrists use different kinds of medication for these two diagnoses. I don’t know the situation in other countries, but here in Sweden they have started to give bi-polars epilepsy medication, as recent “research” has “discovered” that this kind of medication also has a levelling effect on mood swings.

This is quite a strange move to take in my opinion, but on the grounds of biological inexpertise I’m not in a position to decide what medicine is good and what is not good for any diagnosis, as I am not a doctor nor a pharmaceutic scientist. But I do know what forces are behind this kind of selection processes. I do know who are behind all of these new “therapies” and diagnoses, and who gives the funds for this kind of “research.” In fact I know that it is the pharma companies, who incidentally produces the medicine and earns a lot of money in the process.

You probably won’t believe my following words as it goes against all logic. I know it does, and this makes it even more tragic. Now, normally one identifies a symptom and then tries to find a remedy for it through research; the demand comes prior to the supply. When it comes to the sordid history of the development of the SSRI medicine, the situation was in fact the reverse. Researchers suddenly discovered this new serotonin inhibiting effect through an experiment and afterwards the company started to ponder on what kind of ailments it could be used against; what new markets could be profited upon and exploited.

After resolving to engaging and mobilizing their sponsored doctors a new mental disorder was invented, called “panic anxiety”. Voalá! The company created a new marked with the help of their doctors, which of course got a good compensation in their wallets. And the company’s stockholders laughted all their way to the bank.

This isn’t all. The patent for SSRI medication have just expired a year ago or so. Suddenly other companies in third world countries could produce SSRI medicine very cheaply. Loss of profits for the original company of course resulted. But soon someone discovered that the company could profit more from the fact that the patent for this particular kind of epilepsy medicine had not yet expired. So what new “diagnosis” do you think soon was about to be invented? Bi-polar light of course!

History repeats itself. If you would care to look into the dirty business or abyss of pharma industry you would soon come to fear the dark. And this is not a “conspiracy theory”. It is all well documented and accounted for. But if I am allowed to descend even deeper into the mire of the subject of conspiracies, I wonder what higher motives or forces there is behind these pharmaceutics companies?

If this development is allowed to continue I can foresee (without resorting to my crystal ball) a dystopian society similar to the one pictured in the movie Equilibrium, starring Christian Bale. This is not a particularly good movie but it has a great motif, that of a government and society that resorts to mind control by drugging their population with a sedative that effectively takes away their emotions. This is also the theme of one of my all time favourite movies THX 1138, starring Robert Duvall. In both cases we have a totalitarian system that manages to exhort mind control over their population by controlling (or taking away) people’s ability to feel – to effectively feel alive.

The rationale behind this is that feelings of depression, of frustration, or dissatisfaction, etc. create opposition, revolution or evolution. Take away the deeper and darker feelings in any human, you will take away his incentive for individuation. Thus we will have a society that basically stops evolving, with a working force who doesn’t ask for any major improvements of their working conditions. We will effectively level out the dynamics and conflicts of our society, which lays the basis for development. We will all become one happy family of consumers making the stockholders richer while being depleted of our right to a full existence as living beings. Basically we will create a dead society.

In this context an esoteric lodge or G∴D∴ Temple poses a serious threat to such a system, as its main goal is to emancipate its members. Another category of subversive elements is of course the psychoanalysts and psychotherapists. Today we se a choir of detractors which calls themselves “sceptics”, mainly physicians and scientists sponsored by pharma companies, who runs a campaign which may be likened to a crusade, not only against all forms of alternative medicine and occult theories, but also against well proven and effective psychotherapeutic methods stemming from psychoanalysis. Anyone who doesn’t conform to the new biological gospel runs a serious risk of being branded as a quack and impostor.

In my opinion, what we see here is a serious case of projection. The occult community in general and the G∴D∴ community in particular mustn’t be allowed to compromise anything of their sacred tradition, their hermetic teachings, against these forces. On the contrary the G∴D∴ must stay put and prepare some few good men and women who will become a vanguard to lead our human society towards the new era marked by the age of Aquarius, a reformation, both of divine and humane things.

S∴R∴

Alchemy and the Golden Dawn

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One of the greatest tasks of the Golden Dawn tradition and Order today is the integration of Alchemy and Spagery to its corpus. As I perceive it this almost total absence of Alchemy and Spagery is truly the greatest lack within the traditional Golden Dawn system, as presented in published litterature.

Now some of you may react against this last sentence and say: “Hey mister, wait a moment! There’s lots of references to alchemy throughout the Knowledge Lectures of the Outer Order.” Yes, obviously there is. But it is sadly restricted to a mere theoretical knowledge, and very superficial at that. For example in the Second Knowledge Lecture (pertaining to the 1°=10° Grade) you will find some scarce information about the Three Alchemical Principles, who they are and how to draw their symbol, but almost no information as to their nature.

The only flying roll dedicated to Alchemy from a practical point of view, the very early written Flying Roll No. VII - Alchemy by Dr. W.W. Westcott, is quite interesting in its own right but unfortunately doesn’t delve anywhere beyond the historical, theoretical and speculative. It clearly shows that the author has much knowledge of Alchemy, but very scarce or non laboratory experience.

Then there is the Z – 2 section on Alchemy which shows the only trace of External Alchemical or Spagyrical processing. However this process is very curious and unique and follows a rationale distinct from most other Alchemical processes I have encountered. It is a so-called “Wet Path”, as it concerns moderate heat and uses cucurbits and alembics. However it doesn’t concern the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone but instead is more of a Magico-Spagyrical preparation of a Matter or Subject, creating a magically charged tincture and powder in the process.

The most interesting aspect of this Golden Dawn process of Alchemy as presented in the Z – 2 is its emphasis on the integration of Theurgy (or Magical techniques) and Alchemical processes. This, in my opinion, is the greatest contribution of the Golden Dawn to Alchemy which is unparallel anywhere else, at least to my knowledge. It is the natural or logical outcome of the old Alchemical adage of Ora et Labora – to pray and to work.

The Z – 2 process of Alchemy involves the so-called Trivium Hermeticum, the three hermetical disciplines of Magic, Alchemy and Astrology. The binding link between Alchemy and Magic being Astrology and with its common symbology appealing to both Alchemy and Magic. This multiple use of these disciplines should be spilled over into all other categories of Golden Dawn Alchemy.

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There is also another practice which over time did develop within the Golden Dawn tradition, prominently by Israel Regardie, called the Ritual of the Middle Pillar. This is based upon a practice which is found in the Z – 1 called “the vibratory formula of the middle pillar” which later was developed (presumedly by Dr. Robert Felkin) in the Stella Matutina into the technique referred to as “the formulation of the Tree of Life in the aura”.

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Regardie took this exercise and developed it into the gem it is today, which constitutes perhaps the foundation exercise together with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. He also incorporated a special technique attached to it called “the circulation of the body of light”, reminecent of eastern hatha yogic practices, where basically the magician circulates the light (or L.V.X.) created by the formulation of the Middle Pillar around the aura at the sides and front and back, terminating with a fountain raised through the Middle Pillar. This circulation is partly also reminecent of a technique found in the Z – 1 called “the formula of the Four Revolutions of the Breath”.

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Now how this ritual or exercise of the Middle Pillar is performed today by Golden Dawn students and initiates clearly makes it into a true internal alchemical formula, quite reminecent of those performed by the tantrikas of the Nath Siddha or Rasa Siddha orders of India. And it is my opinion that it should be recognized as such, even though it is based upon the Holy Qabalah and by almost all, including Regardie, is considered to be a magical or Theurgical exercise. The effect it produces upon the energetic body or aura (in the “Ritual Z” referred to as “the sphere of sensation”), the energetic manipulation it creates, is truly a alchemical transmutation of the saturnine body. This also includes the awakening or raising of the Serpent Power, the Kundalini of the yogis, one of the Secret Fires of Internal Alchemy. With this consideration in mind I must conclude that it probably is the most important Alchemical formula existant today in the Golden Dawn community. While in the Stella Matutina it was taught at the level of the Portal of the Vault of the Adepti, i.e. in between the Outer and Inner Orders, it is today taught in the Outer Order in most G∴D∴ style Orders. I teach it already to Neophytes, as I in turn was taught by my Order.

But beyond the Middle Pillar Ritual, the Flying Roll No. VII and Z – 2 there is nothing else in the old Golden Dawn documentation which goes beyond the speculative view upon Alchemy, which is quite common today and usually being referred to as “spiritual alchemy” but unfortunately also to often as “inner alchemy”, creating a confusion of what Inner or Internal Alchemy actually is all about. This is the view that regards magic and initiation as “Alchemy”, and refers to everything occult as “The Great Work”.

In my opinion this almost amounts to nothing when it comes to advanced practical application of Alchemy, as the Z – 2 Alchemical formula probably is the least used of the Formulae of the Magic of Light throughout the history of the R.R. et A.C. and the Middle Pillar Ritual constitutes but a basic exercise. And also there is no Alchemical processes present in the original Golden Dawn documentation that involves the Great Work proper, i.e. as defined by Alchemical Masters of old as opposed to Golden Dawn magicians.

This lack of understanding of Alchemy in the original inauguration of the Golden Dawn is strange considering that the two main currents which were behind it, the German Order Gold und Rosenkretuz and the English Societas Rosae Crucis, were both Rosicrucian organizations with a heavy lean towards operative Alchemy. Remember that Fredrick Hockley, one of the close associates of Kenneth MacKenzie and probably the source from which W.W. Westcott got hold of the Cypher Manuscripts of the Golden Dawn, were a pupil of the teachings of Sigismund Bacstrom, the founder of the Societas Rosae Crucis.

Furthermore, according to most historians on the Golden Dawn the only person seriously involved with Alchemy was the Rev. W.A. Ayton. There is nothing in published sources that hints to any profound erudition or understanding of the actual rationale of Alchemy in either of the founders of the Golden Dawn, W.W. Westcott and S.L. MacGregor Mathers. It have been proposed however that MacGregor Mathers later through his continental Rosicrucian sources, i.e. the Third Order, received some basic instruction on Inner Alchemy which may account for the rather vague references to the Sexual teachings of the Rosicrucian Order of Alpha et Omega.

So, unfortunately I have to conclude that we won’t find anything of value in the original teachings of the Golden Dawn that may shed some light upon the Alchemical Great Work. And sad as I am to say, this tradition of a magical or spiritual understanding of Alchemy has been perpetuated through the modern disseminators of the Golden Dawn tradition yet to this day, leaders and authors alike. One such example is Israel Regardie and his book The Philosopher’s Stone, which basically uses a Jungian interpretation of Alchemy.

Other more recent suggestion has been the effort to attribute the 22 Keys of the Tarot to Alchemical processes corresponding to the Mother (3), Single (7) and Double Letters (12), or even the notion that the 22 plates of the Splendor Solis somehow corresponds to the Major Arcana through this letter association. In fact it was Ithell Colquhoun who first suggested this association in her book The Sword of Wisdom, and that MacGregor Mather supposedly had written such a document associating the Major Arcana of the Tarot with the Splendor Solis. But to date no such document has surfaced for scholarly study.

Many also attribute the initiatory process to the Spagyrical principle of solve et coagula, and to the stages of the Alchemical process of the three (or four) colours of blackening, whitening, (yellowing) and reddening – nigredo, albedo, (citrinitas) and rubedo – and also to that of the Philosopher’s Stone actually being the metaphor for the realization of the True Self within man, the divine spark within.

Now, there is nothing wrong per se with a purely spiritual and psychological interpretation of Alchemy to understand the processes of the human soul and mind. In my opinion there even is certain validity or merit to this level of application of Alchemical symbolism, especially to the initiatory process of the Golden Dawn. Alchemical symbolism is archetypal, and in this instance Jung actually was right. It can be used to describe all manners or level of existence, not mere the material. This is also hinted at in the Cypher Mss. and the Fourth Knowledge Lecture (pertaining to the 3°=8° Grade) when it is stated that Alchemical language may be religious or philosophic or natural (of the Sun), meaning that it may explain spiritual, psychological (psychology being a discipline of philosophy) and material processes alike.

The one also bleeds over into the other, a fact which also is clearly expressed in the above-mentioned Z – 2 manuscript. This means that the prerequisite for material success of the Great Work in the laboratory is a corresponding spiritual maturity within the Alchemist him- or herself. In the hermetic teachings of the former Golden Dawn Adept Paul Foster Case we will also find a very interesting blend of spiritual and material Alchemy, in that he describes the Great Work as involving changes in the physical body of the initiate, for example in the composition of blood and to the extent of creating outgrowths in the brain (however not malignant!)

But the dangers in Jungian psychological and spiritual or mystical alchemy, so popular in today’s Golden Dawn community, is that it may suffer a reduction to Alchemy, nurture a attitude that there is nothing more to Alchemy than being a analogy to spiritual and psychological processes, if it becomes one sided. And there is definitely more to Alchemy than “Theurgy being the Great Work”, etc. So basically Jung is wrong when he reduces the Royal Art to the projection of the archetypes of the Alchemists. This shows that he was no true initiate of hermeticism.

So, in my opinion, the Golden Dawn tradition is sadly lacking in its fundamental understanding of Alchemy. And in this instance students of the hermetics have to turn their attention elsewhere if they desire to learn about true Alchemy. But it is also my firm belief that even the Golden Dawn student should be offered the opportunity to learn actual Alchemical processes, without entering into other and more Alchemy oriented organizations in their search of the Philosopher’s Stone. It is also my firm belief that the teachings of the Golden Dawn should become more Alchemical in nature as the initiate proceeds upon his or her path.

But as one cannot develop something out of nothing, the Golden Dawn tradition needs its nourishment from an outside tradition to complement its arsenal of teachings. However in our search we should retain or restrain our focus upon the Rosicrucian current, of which the Golden Dawn always has been a part, and from which context it emerged. As the Golden Dawn tradition has its distinctive historical end esoteric roots there we must also search for more information in the same line as the original founders, but dig more deeply into the soil of Rosicrucian hermeticism than our forefathers were able to.

I have already mentioned two important sources predating the Golden Dawn in the Gold und Rosenkreutz and Soceitas Rosae Crucis. Whereas the German Order presented lots of different processes and used a plethora of Matters or Subjects, and both the External and Internal Ways, the English Soceitas mainly focused upon one particular process and on the subject matter of Antimony, in the tradition of Nicholas Flamel and Eirenaeus Philalethes. But another important historical source is also Egyptian Freemasonry, especially its highest mysteries comprising the Arcana Arcanorum of Internal Alchemy.

But we may also find good sources in the contemporary works of Frater Albertus and his now defunct organization the Paracelus Research Society, and in the author Manfred M. Junius, as well as in the works of Jean Dubuis and especially in his correspondence courses on Spagyrics and Mineral Alchemy which he wrote for Le Philosophes du Nature (or Philosophers of Nature). Albertus’ and Dubuis’ materials blends particularly well with our tradition as they both have their foundation in the Golden Dawn Qabalah, especially Jean Dubuis who were a student of the Golden Dawn before he created Le Philosophes du Nature.

But there is also a direct reference to the Golden Dawn with Frater Albertus. Many years after he wrote his book The Philosopher’s Stone Israel Regardie met Frater Albertus and took some instruction from him. As a result of this he abandoned his former spiritual and Jungian outlook upon Alchemy and fully embraced the material form, which he apparently practiced until the end of his life span. Unfortunately he suffered a accident while working upon a Alchemical process and inhaled poisonous fumes, which lead to him acquiring asthma. When Regardie died he testamented all his magical regalia and paraphenalia to his only beloved pupil, while he gave away his Alchemical laboratory to someone else, as he feared injury if she took upon her the path of Alchemy.

Finally we have also the important works of Roger Caro and the particular Alchemical Way of the mineral Cinnabar, with its roots in the Eastern Masters and as transmitted to Caro from Kamala Jnana. This comprises the teachings of the Frères Aînés de la Rose Croix (or Elder Brethren of the Rosy Cross), commonly abbreviated to F.A.R+C. Regardless of the quite brief and late existence of the F.A.R+C, at least in the form as presented by Roger Caro, there is great value in this particular path of Alchemy as it uses a more noble and evocative process compared to most other Alchemical traditions.

Now, regarding the integration of Alchemy with the Rosicrucian structure of initiation, according to the Golden Dawn tradition, we mustn’t stare ourselves blindly upon how our elder brethren did things several centuries ago. For example in the Gold und Rosenkreutz Orden advanced alchemy were taught already from the Grade of Practicus. Only after the production of the Philosopher’s stone the Rosicrucian initiate were taught the Magical arts of Theurgy at the very last stage of his initiatory process, i.e. as a Magus. In the Golden Dawn the initiates were, on the other hand, taught Theurgy relatively early, already as Adepti Minori when it came to advanced formulae. But even Neophytes of the Golden Dawn were taught the basic Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram.

As the particular Alchemical perspective of the Golden Dawn always involves a combination of Theurgical techniques, or at least should be, it follows naturally that Theurgy should be taught and practiced alongside with the instruction on Alchemy. I hold that the initiate of the Golden Dawn even should master certain basic magical formulae of invocation of Elements, Planets and Zodiac, prior to him or her venturing upon an advanced Alchemical process, such as the production of a Plant Elixir, as these magical formulae are crucial for the success of Golden Dawn style Alchemy. Therefore I suggest that initiates of the Golden Dawn should begin with the invocation of the basic Elements, Planets and Zodiacal Signs already as Outer Order members from the very first Elemental Grade and onwards.

When it comes to the purely Alchemical work I suggest the following arrangement: For the senior Grades of the Outer order some very basic and introductory alchemical processes which doesn’t require any lab experience nor advanced equipment, such as Alchemical workings with water and the production of spagyrical (vegetable) tinctures using simplified processes and substances.

For the sub-grades of the Adeptus Minor the Golden Dawn style Order should introduce advanced processes of Plant Achemy and Spagery, or Paracelsian medicine, i.e. the Lesser Circulation or Lesser Work, such as the production of the vegetable Alkahest, of tinctures and elixirs, of the Circulatum Minus of Urbigerus, and finally the production of the vegetable stone and the vegetable Aurum Potabile.

For the sub-grades of the Adeptus Major the Mineral Workings according to the Dry and Amalgams Paths of the Black Dragon should be ventured upon, i.e. the Greater Circulation or the Great Work according to Nicholas Flamel, Eirenaeus Philalethes, Basil Valentine, Sigismund Bacstrom and Fulcanelli; the production of the Red Powder or Philospoher’s Stone.

For the sub-grades of the Adeptus Exemptus the Mineral Work according to the Wet or Humid Way of the Red Dragon should be taught, in other words the Greater Circulation or Great Work according to Kamala Jnana and Roger Caro, and the production of the mineral Aurum Potabile, the White Power and the Red Powder, or Philosopher’s Stone.

When it comes to the final and exalted part of the Tree of Life, the Supernals and the Grades of Magister Templi, Magus and Ipsissimus, also referred to as the Magisteria, as well as the preliminary stage of the Babe of the Abyss, we must finally leave the purely external processes and turn our attention towards Internal Alchemy, it constituting the highest arc of the Great Work. Here we must search for our sources on the European continent and amongst the highest arcanas of the hermetic tradition, the Arcana Arcanorum being but one such example, remembering that Inner Alchemy also were practiced amongst the German brethren of the Gold und Rosenkreutz as well as the Masters of the Third Order, which gave MacGregor Mathers all the information necessary to create the Second Order of the Golden Dawn, or the Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis (R.R. et A.C.).

So, in fact when it comes to the actual essence and source of origin of the Golden Dawn, it has everything to do with Hermetic Alchemy! Besides, all true initiation and spiritual practice should result in the energetic evolution of the body of the initiate. In this both Magic and Alchemy serves its purpose. Combine these two hermetic disciplines together, with the aid of Astrology, and you will create a very potent formula of evolution of body and of soul. This, in my opinion, should be the project of today’s Golden Dawn.

S∴R∴