Hermet e'Zine - Issue No.03

8/13/2019 Hermet e'Zine - Issue No.03

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Cover art:Cover art:Cover art:Cover art: A portrait ofParacelsus._____________________________

IssueIssueIssueIssue NoNoNoNo 3333(The(The(The(The ParacelsusParacelsusParacelsusParacelsus issueissueissueissue))))

1. Editorial2. A Brief History3. Tria Principalis

4. Spagyrics5. Hermetic Astrology6. The Primium Ens

Paracelsus:

Sorcery has been

called magic; but

magic is wisdom, and

there is no wisdom in

sorcery.


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EditorialWelcome to the third issue of the hermt.

One of the first booksOne of the first booksOne of the first booksOne of the first booksI bought on the subject ofalchemy, in the early daysof my alchemicalapprenticeship, wasA.E.Waites The CompleteAlchemical and Hermetic

Writings of Paracelsus. Ihad not known the bookexisted before my teacherintroduced me to an oldtwo volume hardback

edition she had in her library. She suggestedI make a habit of studying the book wheneverI came to work in her lab on weekends, statingonly that it was an extremely important workand that Paracelsus was a key figure in the

system I was being taught.It was both a large work, as well as a

complex and very serious commentary on


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Hermetism, so I could not really convincemyself to be serious about reading it over theweekends I spent at my teachers lab, anddecided to wait until I could buy my own copy.When my copy duly arrived I coveted it witheager interest, intent on reading the entire

work until I had mastered an understanding ofthe teachings of Paracelsus.

I remember making a number of concertedefforts to read the massive volume from coverto cover, and while I enjoyed it immensely,much of its content baffled me. True to thefashion of European literature of that period(and still today in many cases), the style oflanguage took some getting used to, as well asthe style of writing, which could often berambling, convoluted and cryptic.

Since that time the whole subject of thelife and work of Paracelsus has been aconstant source of fascination for me. But itwasnt really until I came across a number ofbooks on the subject of Paracelsus written bythe well-known Theosophist and esotericauthor Franz Hartmann, that I really startedgetting some insight in to the important role

Paracelsus had played in the early modernalchemical tradition. If we have taken time toreally pay attention to the ongoing evolution


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of the alchemical tradition, especially in the20 and 21st centuries, it will be noticed thatreferences to the fact that modern alchemy isvery Paracelsian, pop up frequently. Foryears I never really understood what, exactly,this theme actually referred to. What exactly

was it about Paracelsus that made him, overand above the many other important alchemicalcharacters, one of the key players, if not thekey player, in the development of what wetoday recognise as modern alchemical thoughtand practice?

It is with the intent of helping answerthis question for those who might be in thesame position I myself was once in, that Ihave chosen the subject of this third editionof the hermtto be that of an explanation ofthat which has placed Paracelsus on thepedestal he so rightly deserves.

I will be looking at two aspects of theParacelsus curiosity. First, a consideration ofjust what it is that is so important about theman and his work, and secondly, a look at howmisunderstood some of his influential ideashave been on the dynamic of modern alchemical

thought, and indeed on the world of modernoccultism in general.


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Article:

A Brief History

Paracelsus was born

and raised in thevillage of Einsiedelnin Switzerland. Hisfather, WilhelmBombast vonHohenheim, was aGerman chemist andphysician; his motherwas Swiss, she presumably died in hischildhood. At the age of 16 he started

studying medicine at the University of Basel,later moving to Vienna. He gained hisdoctorate degree from the University ofFerrara in 1515 or 1516.

Paracelsus journeyed widely throughEurope (Germany, France, Spain, Hungary, theNetherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Russia),Africa and Asia Minor, working as atravelling physician and as a miner. Hebelieved that the medicinal knowledge of his

day was seriously lacking, and that manymedical Doctors were incompetent, and chargedlarge sums of money for a service which


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basically was ineffective. So he embarked onhis tour of Europe, Africa and Asia Minorwith the deliberate intention of findingskilled individuals from whom he could learnserious and reliable knowledge, especially inthe realms of medicine, alchemy, and occultism

(particularly hermetism). In this way helearned from apothecaries, miners, alchemists,astrologers, gypsies, folk medicinepractitioners and occultists of all kinds.

Typical with the learning of his dayParacelsus studied hermetism, and theneoplatonic and Pythagorean philosophies thatwere central to the Renaissance world-view. Itis curious that he rejected the magic theoriesof Agrippa, who was a student of JohannTrithemius, under which Paracelsus himselfstudied. He also rejected the magical views ofthe famous alchemist Nicholas Flamel.

Paracelsus was a pioneer of a form ofmedicine which we today call iatro-chemistry -the use of minerals in medicine. BeforeParacelsus' time this form of medicine (whichis the basis of much modern medicine) wasalmost unheard of.

Paracelsus gained a reputation for beingarrogant, and that arrogance caused manyrespected individuals in his day to become


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very angry with him. In particular Paracelsusspoke out increasingly, and in a very radicalmanner, against the medical establishment,which in its turn vilified him. The kinds ofclaims Paracelsus made about establishedmedical practice, and his views on the proper

form medical science should take, were seen asnot only outrageous, but also a great risk tothe corrupt lifestyles of many physicians.

Not many of his writings were publishedwhile he was alive. A large number of bookshave been attributed to him, and those whichare most reliably considered to actually havebeen written by him can be found in A.EWaite's"Complete Alchemical and Hermetic Writings ofParacelsus the Great". He wrote on all mannerof subjects, such as laboratory alchemy,hermetic philosophy, esoteric history, aproto-form of psychology, magic, astrology,folklore, medicine, surgery, anatomy,herbalism, physics and meta-physics. In orderto discuss many of the new, or relativelyunknown, knowledge which came to make up hisoverall philosophy and world view, Paracelsusinvented a lot of new words (often technical

terms), which make reading his works somewhatdifficult.


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He died at the age of 48 of naturalcauses, and his remains were buried accordingto his wishes in the cemetery at the church ofSt Sebastian in Salzburg. His remains are nowlocated in a tomb in the porch of the church.


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Article:

Tria Principalis

One of the key conceptsthat Paracelsus played amajor role in making

popular was the concept ofthe three alchemicalPrincipals1. In fact he iscredited with inventing theidea. I believe, though, that this is notlikely, since the very same concept exists aspart of the Qabala, which is probably at least500 years older than Paracelsus philosophy.What I think Paracelsus did, though, was toadapt that idea from some other system, toalchemical philosophy, and present it in a wayit had never been presented before.

Before Paracelsus, when alchemists talkedabout the discreet units that form the basisof matter, they talked of the four Elements,and of twoPrincipals Sulphur and Mercury.It is assumed that the third Principal, Salt,

1We should note that I do not spell the termprinciple,

as is the convention, but Principal. The differencebeing that the former means ideal and the lattermeans foremost.


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was either not known, not brought in toconsideration, or kept a secret. Practicaltechnique taken in to consideration, the lastoption is probably the most likely, because itwould be very hard to not know that Saltplays a major role. So it was probably the

ancient alchemists choice to keep the roleSalt plays in the process a secret.

When considering how this works we needto be aware that the theory of alchemy isfirmly based on observable facts. This is theone thing that separates alchemy from allother occultism. Hermetic magic, for example,is based on mechanisms and concepts whichcannot be physically observed. With alchemy,though, the theory of the process is somethingthat can be extremely accurately defined, andpassed on as repeatedly reliable knowledge. Inthis way we know that an alchemist whosuccessfully understands a process today andputs it to practice, is witnessing the sameevents that an alchemist 2000 years ago did.So when I work a method for making thePhilosophers Stone that described only twoPrincipals, but in practice I see three

Principals, I know the guy who wrote therecipe I followed saw the same thing I did.


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So what did Paracelsus say about thethree Principals? In the following I willquote from his Paragranum.

"All things (man included) are composedout of three substances, and all things

have their number, their weight, andtheir measure. Health exists when thethree substances constituting a thingpreserve their normal proportion ofquantity and quality; disease results ifthis proportion becomes abnormal. Thesethree substances are called Sulphur,Mercury, and Salt. These three substancesare not seen with the physical eye, but atrue physician should see themnevertheless, and be able to separatethem from each other.

There are four important concepts in theabove passage. (1) That all things are composedof these three Principals. (2) That thesePrincipals have a definite weight and measureinside a living system. (3) That when theirnatural balance (proportion) is disturbed, ill

health arises. (4) That these three Principalsare invisible in living systems.


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This last issue is important - that thethree Principals, Mercury, Sulphur and Salt,are, in their natural state, in a livingsystem, spiritual substances or conditions.They are not physical substances. This isimportant because as we shall see in a moment,

because these substances exist in exactmeasure in a living system, the alchemist isin the peculiar position of being able tocalculate the proportions of these spiritualconditions in any thing. This much should bewell known by an novice who is payingattention to the theory of Hermetism.

"The three substances are held togetherin forms by the power of life. If youtake the three invisible substances andadd to them the power of life, you willhave three invisible substances in avisible form. The three constitute theform, and become separated only after the

power of life desertsthem. They are hidden bylife, and joined togetherby life. Their combined

qualities constitute thequalities of the form,and only when life


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departs their separate qualities becomemanifest.

Now Paracelsus speaks in more depth aboutthese ideas. The three Principals cometogether to compose a living unit (a living

system), when the option for life presentsitself. We need to be careful not to think oflife as a fourth substance. It is, properlyspeaking, a condition or situation that arises,and when that condition exists, the threePrincipals will come together, form a unit,and life is the result. The fourth state hereis the unit that the three come together toform. Once that living system is establishedthe three Principals dwell within it,invisibly, and can only be recognisedexternally as qualities that the systempossesses. Then, of importance here, once theliving system dies, only then do thePrincipals cluster in to three groups, andbecome physically recognisable. To be accurate,we need to insist that the physical substancesthat we call the Principals are not thePrincipals intrinsically, they are their

physical vehicles.


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Man does not see the action of thesethree substances as long as they are heldtogether by life, but he may perceivetheir qualities at the time of thedestruction of their form. The invisiblefire is in the sulphur, the soluble

element in the salt, and the volatileelement in the mercury. The fire burns,the mercury produces smoke, and the saltremains in the ashes; but as long as theform is alive there is neither fire, norashes, nor smoke.

In the above passage Paracelsus nowexplains what the physical vehicles of thePrincipals look like when we see them, at thedestruction of the living system. When lifeends in a living system, from what is left(physically), the Principal of Fire is in theoil or resin which we call Sulphur. ThePrincipal Salt is everything that is solublein its ashes. Everything which can bedistilled, gently, is the Principal Mercury.

That which burns and appears fiery to

the eye is the Sulphur, it is of avolatile (spiritual) nature; that which isof a material nature is the Salt; and the


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Mercury is that which may be sublimatedby the action of the fire.

There are hundreds of different kinds ofsalt, sulphur, and mercury in theuniverse and in the human system, and

the greatest arcana (potencies) arecontained in them. All things are hiddenin them in the same sense as a pear ishidden in a pear tree and grapes in avine.

When we are in the process of searchingfor the secrets of alchemy, we need to look nofurther than the three Principals. AsParacelsus tells us in the above passage, thegreatest arcana (medicines) are contained inthem. What this tells us is that all of themost important alchemical preparations arefound in the Principals of a living system,alone. Not in something that is brought tothem from outside.


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Article:

Spagyrics

One of the things I

believe is importantabout a serious study

of individuals such

as Paracelsus

involves the

misconceptions that

have arisen around their teachings. Not only

misconceptions, but also deliberate creation

and proliferation of ideas that are, to be

blunt, deliberate fabrications or lies. I amever mindful, when discussing alchemy, of how

hard it can be for relative newcomers to the

subject. They are literally assailed by a

multitude of ideas of which we know accurate

information as well as entirely unreliable

ideas are mixed together. One of the better

methods of dealing with this confusion is to

encourage productive investigation anddiscussion of these problems.


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When considering the evolution of

inaccurate information, in relation to

alchemy, one of the ideas I often talk about is

the relatively recent confusion that has

arisen around the definition of the term

spagyric. This is a simple concept (that is, itis not really a big deal in itself), but it is (I

believe) an excellent example of how error

creeps in to the study of alchemy, and slowly

becomes accepted as reliable tradition and

fact.

The root of this the recent confusion

about this concept is found with an individual

who is well known in the alchemical

community, and is considered something of an

expert in the field of laboratory alchemy.

Because he is seen as an expert many ideas he

has discussed in public spread quickly, and

eventually without reference to their source.

So they become accepted, generally, as

authentic traditional concepts. One of the

ideas he can be credited with spreading, over

the last ten years or so, is a erroneousdefinition of the term spagyric. In his view

the term is used to describe any approach to


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laboratory alchemy, which, while containing

many reliable techniques, is ultimately not

real alchemy because it lacks something that

allows it to provide real alchemical results.

Part of this claim could be said to be true -

that there certainly is a level ofunderstanding of lab alchemy that contains

many accurate alchemical ideas and techniques,

but ultimately does not give real alchemical

results. But the problem with this

individuals definition of this approach to

alchemy is that he insists that the word

spagyrics was coined as a label for this

pseudo-alchemy. It has henceforth become a

common turn of phrase in the last five years

or more to use the word spagyricto refer to

any kind of approach to alchemy that doesnt

produce alchemical results, (or alternatively

to use the term as a definition for plant

alchemy), specifically. So let us have a look

at what Paracelsus, the inventor of the term

spagyrics, himself, said about the word.

It is believed that the word spagyric wasfirst coined the by Paracelsus, and there is a


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footnote in one of his books which gives a

good definition of the term, thus:

Therefore, learn Alchimiam, otherwise called

Spagyria, which teaches you to separate the

false from the true.

For me personally that footnote statement

is enough to convince me that Paracelsus

himself used the words spagyric and alchemy

interchangeably, and meant them both to be

understood as being exactly the same thing.

But let us see if we can find some more

examples to confirm my personal opinion, as

well as looking at a closer dissection of theword itself.

The term spagyric is compounded of two

Greek words: spa, meaning - to draw out, or

to divide; and ageir, to bind, or join. These

two concepts form the foundation of every

genuine alchemical work as Manfred Junius

has assured us. It is likely that Paracelsus

created this word as a means of presenting the

famous alchemical axiom solv et coagula (todissolve and to bind), in a more user friendly


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form. In fact the formula is not quite that

simple. In its fullest form it reminds us to

separate, purify and recombine.

Alchemists employ the spagyric formula

wherever they intend to manipulate something

in an alchemical way - be it in visual art,literature, politics, music or (al)chemistry,

for example. In this way the spagyric formula

is the key formula of alchemy.

The first or separation stage of the

formula tells the alchemist that his subject

(the thing he is manipulating alchemically),

must be carefully separated in to its three

Principal conditions (Mercury, Sulphur and

Salt). The second stage of the work directs the

alchemist to purify these Principal conditions.

By this he understands that he should employ

specific techniques to remove all that is new

expression of itself, on a higher level. The

technical term for the method of doing this is

cohobation. This final stage, where the three

Principals are homogeneously recombined, is

the point where mere chemistry now becomesalchemy. A new state of matter is generated


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from this unification of Principals, that state

of matter which is the key to the art, called

by alchemists the Fifth Element, or

Quintessence (Q-state).

Every student alchemist who is being

trained properly by an expert alchemist istaught how to apply this mechanism in therealm of (al)chemistry, first with plantmaterials then later with minerals and metals.


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Here follows a couple of other quotes,from the works of Paracelsus, which containallusions to the definition of the temspagyric:

I praise the spagyric physicians (thealchemists), for they do not go about idlingand putting on airs, being dressed in velvetsand silks, having golden rings on theirfingers and their hands in white gloves ; butthey are daily and nightly patiently engagedin their work with the fire and seeking theirpastime within their own laboratory (themind). They do not talk much or praise theirmedicines; for they know that the work mustpraise the master, and not the master thework" (De Separat. Ber.).

He who wants to separate the Primum,Ens from its Corpus (vehicle) must have agreat deal of experience in the spagyric art.If he is not a good alchemist his labour willbe in vain" De Separat. Rer.).


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Article:

Hermetic Astrology(An excerpt from The Hermes Paradigm, Book II ByRubaphilos)

A situation exists within the

alchemical tradition, where theaverage student of alchemybelieves he is part of theesoteric school, unaware thatthe system he studies islargely only a parody of thereal, hidden school of Adeptalchemists whose task it is topreserve and teach the realnature of the Hermetic mystery.The fact that Hermetism is a mystery, andthat an inner school is required to preservethe truth from the kind of corruption itnaturally is subjected to on the outer,reminds us that it is often necessary forstudents of the art to be willing to changetheir attitude towards knowledge they havereceived in good faith as being accurate, butwhich in fact is not. A perfect example of

this reality is found in the subject ofastrology, which has degenerated greatly over


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the 2000 years since it was first stripped ofits accurate theory and practice.

Once we have a safe place, and plan, forwork and have the required lab equipment, weare ready to begin the first work, the plantprima. This process usually begins with the

choosing of a medicinal plant we desire toexperiment with. As the subject of our work,and alchemists most often refer to thissubstance as our or the crude matter. Themistake is often made in believing that thetechnical term for this crude substance is the... Prima Materia (first earth or first matter).This misunderstanding arises from a commonturn of phrase in alchemical literature thatgoes something to the tune of ...

The artist cannot begin the work until hehas found the prima materia.

The starting material, the crude matter,is not the prima materia. The prima materia isa condition of matter that is the foundationof the crude matter (alchemically speaking). Itcannot be readily found in nature in its pure

state, but instead must be prepared (orextracted) by the alchemist. So the primamateria is that which we might call, in more


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modern language, a primogenial state ofmatter. In the alchemical view of the worldevery species or class of substances in naturehas its own specific proto-state, a proto-condition of matter from which it isgenerated. So what we have, in technical

terminology, when we select the herb that wehave chosen to start the alchemical plantwork on, is our crude matter. This crudematter is the thing that grew out of theprimogenial state, or prima materia, of thatherb. The old alchemists said that our work(the alchemical laboratory process) cannotbegin until we find the prima materia becauseonce we have our crude substance in hand, thefirst thing we must do to it is retrograde it

back to its primal state its prima materia thestate from which the plant,and our work, has itsbeginning.

Once we have chosen theplant we want to work withwe must harvest it fresh.When practicing the

alchemical plant process, inorder to learn to carry outthe physical lab techniques


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properly, we can use previously harvestedplant substances. But when we attempt to carryout the plant work properly, taking in toconsideration all necessary esoteric aspects ofthe work, we must use fresh plant, or plantthat is snap frozen. There is no argument

here. In previously harvested plant matterimportant alchemical properties of the plantare missing or seriously depleted, propertiesthat are only found in fresh and snap frozenplants. At the same time we need the entireplant roots, stems, leaf, and any flowers orseeds. The entire plant as it exists at thetime of harvest. The only exception here isfruit and seed which, esoterically speaking,are a complete microcosm of the plant entityin themselves, but they must be fully ripe.There is a school of thought within thealchemical community which holds the beliefthat certain alchemical operations need to besynchronised with particular kinds ofastrological events, in order for them to beeffective. In consideration of the first workthe question of whether this view should betaken in to consideration, or not, first arises

when we come to harvesting the plant chosenas the basis for our work. It is aphysiological fact that harvesting fresh


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plants is best done in the morning, beforesunrise. This is because once the sun rises itsheat speeds up the plants metabolism andcontributes to the loss of a portion of theessential oils and other volatile componentsof the plant. Therefore we can say, without

too much argument, that to some degree simpleand practical astrological considerations arehelpful. A more strict view of the applicationof astrology to alchemical operations wouldinsist, though,that we shouldcalculate a natalchart to predictthe absoluteoptimum time toharvest ourplant. This wouldbe based on theplanetaryattribute assignedto the plant inquestion, by traditional herbal lore. The mainargument supporting this view is that themedicinal properties we hope to concentre in

our alchemical plant remedy might not bepresent, or will be at low ebb, if the plants


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planetary considerations are not in goodastrological aspect.

Novices often ask about this view ofalchemy, how important it is and how onewould go about learning the correctastrological technique. Some controversy

surrounds this subject. So I believe, firstly,that it is important to be aware that suchcontroversy exists. That is, the astrologicalschool of thought in alchemical work is not auniversally accepted rule. A quantity ofstudents of alchemy are taught that natal andhorary astrology is indispensable to properlaboratory practice, without ever questioningwhether this might be true, and just what thefacts might be concerning this belief. So Ithink it is a good idea to discuss the pros andcons of this idea, here, before we go anyfurther. More importantly, it is necessary totake a closer look at what traditional, earlierauthorities on the subject have to say aboutHermetic view of astrology. A good manythings are said and believed about this aspectof Hermetism, today, that are not accurate totraditional Hermetic philosophy, theory and

experience.The concept we are considering is a soundHermetic principle that sidereal influences


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have an effect on earthly (physical)conditions. What is not properly understood isjust what is meant by the term siderealinfluences. Hermetists, from the classic andancient periods, talked about physicalastronomical space and its contents (the stars,

planets, moons, etc.), most often using thesefive terms: (1) sidereal space, (2) astronomy, (3)astrology, (4) the astral and (5) the firmament.Each of these terms refers to the same idea.Astrology, astronomy, and the astral all arederived from the Latin word astrum, whichtranslates roughly as of the stars.Astronomy today usually deals strictly withthe physical bodies that we recognise asinhabiting physical cosmic space. But theterms sidereal, astrology, astral andfirmament all have a twofold meaning inHermetic use. They are all used to describeboth the physical (cosmic) space, (also oftenincluding the bodies which inhabit it), butthey also refer to inner space ... the mind,and the intelligences which inhabit it. Bothreferences have over time become confuseduntil the original definitions have almost

been completely blurred together, or lost.Today the inner space concept is almostentirely unheard of, except where the term


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astral is commonly used by occultists todescribe what they call the spiritual level ofexistence (sic: the astral plane). But very fewoccultists accept the idea (or even know itexists) that besides its reference to physicalcosmic space, that which the ancients called

the astral, common language today refers to asthe mind, or psyche (both in people or animalsand in cosmic or divine terms). Rarely dooccultists use the term astral (nowadays) torefer to cosmic (physical) interplanetaryspace.

It is important to grasp the nature ofthis muddled situation, because without

realising the probleminvolved in the use of thisterminology, it is difficultto understand, when discussingthe sidereal universe, or theastral plane, or astrology,how these concepts formed akey facet of the ancientHermetic paradigm . This factis clearly evident if we read

Paracelsus' descriptions of astrology, which

are some of the most important explanationsof the subject, as viewed by the ancients,which have survived to our own time.


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The ancient philosophers, who knew thatwe have both a body and a mind, and thattogether they make up a complete person, sawthe universe itself as having a body and mindtoo . Thus we have the concept of themacrocosm and microcosm ... that humanity is a

smaller version of the universe, and that thetwo levels interact in a fashion that isbarely grasped by modern science (or, to behonest, by most modern occultists).

Once this basic fact is recognised, we needto be aware that in modern times mostastrologers have come to believe that'astrological influences' have something to dowith the physical bodies of the planets, starsand moons. Modern astrologers (and occultistsin general) are almost completely unawarethat the ancients, (who it should beremembered invented astrology), never sawthings that way themselves. The ancients knewthat all living systems, from cells, to plants,to bodily organs and animals all had withinthem intelligences that have a somewhatsimilar function to the role software plays incomputers, governing the functioning of their

living systems . This includes the celestialbodies too. In other words, the ancientHermetists knew that stars, planets and moons


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had minds (intelligences) of their own, and wesee remnants of this doctrine clearly presentin the teaching of qabala and Hermetic magic,where tables of planetary intelligences areoften provided in both ancient and modernworks on the subject. If we stop to think about

it, how many students of qabala or Magicconsider that the intelligence of the planetmars (for example), actually refers to thepsyche of that planet?

The ancients saw this myriad ofintelligences, in man, in mineral, plant andanimal kingdoms, and in the cosmos, existingas part of a natural hierarchy of intelligentbeings. In this way the greater intelligencesin the cosmos, such as those of stars, had apowerful influence over the lesser, such asthose of the planets and the beings living onthem. Therefore, when an ancient astrologercast a natal astrological chart (for example),he was attempting to calculate the influencethat the mind of certain celestial bodies washaving over the minds of living systems incertain terrestrial locations ... at any giventime . This is an extremely important concept

to grasp ... that the locations of physicalcelestial bodies, relative to each other, and toterrestrial locations, according to the lore of


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hermetic astrology, indicates the nature ofthe mental influences emanating from theintelligences of those bodies at certain times,through the greater mind of the cosmos notthrough physical space. The astral plane(plane of stars) referred to the mind, and its

stars are the intelligences in that mind.I understand that this whole idea will be

quickly rejected by some individuals, and willbe a new and confusing concept for many more.But a great deal of confusing information inWestern Hermetism can be reconciled andunderstood rationally by recourse to thedetails and practical reality of what may seemsomewhat controversial here . I might add thatin all my years studying laboratory alchemyas well as the inner work, and discussing thelatter with other occultists, the generalaversion to the idea that mind plays such animportant role in Hermetism comes from both alack of knowledge of psychology (especiallyesoteric psychology), as well as a discomfortwith the idea that something as (assumedly)common and boring as the mind might haveesoteric significance. At the same time many

occultists seem to have a fascination forarchaic occult terminology, and prefer toreject the notion that a word as mysterious as


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astral (on one level), might simply mean themind. This point is worth paying attention to,because a good deal of confusion has arisen inthe realm of alchemy (and magic) due to a lackof healthy treatment of the crossfertilisation of modern terminology and ideas

and more traditional terminology and concepts.So while astrological calculations focus ondefining the geometric and trigonometricrelationships between physical celestialbodies, the real issue in astrology, just as itis in this area of alchemy, is one ofintelligences. This subject deserves a book ofits own, but alas there is by no means enoughroom to cover it here sufficiently.The concept of astrology as described thusfaris solid Hermetic theory, and scientific proofof this fact is not difficult for a real Adeptto provide. The real problems which accompanythe astrologers view begin when we start toconsider the methods used to calculate thenature of these influences. The act ofcalculation ... the calculation of anastrological chart, is a complex, very confusedand highly questionable craft today,

especially in the tropical astrological systemmostly used in the West.


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The difficulties with this aspect ofastrology begin when we learn that thefundamental rules upon which it is based wereestablished by Claudius Ptolemy (a later Greekking of Egypt). Ptolemy, at one point, claimedto be chronicling the astrological secrets of

the ancients, but it has been known for a longtime that in the second chapter of the thirdbook of his Quadripartitum, he gives up theancient (archaios) method of astrologicalprediction as too confusing . So to a certaindegree he fudged his preferred view. At thesame time we know that the Greeks inheritedmuch of their understanding of ancient sciencefrom the Egyptian Priesthood, and that theEgyptian Priests were particularly pro-activein maintaining their science as a secret fromthe Greeks, even under threat of death. Thenlater in history, on the basis of the widelyaccepted erroneous Ptolemaic system, otherastrologers tweaked his teaching even further.A good example of how messy the entireastrological system has become by the 21stcentury, after all of this tweaking, can berecognised in the fact that today there are

upwards of a dozen different methods ofcalculating the cusps of astrological houses.Systems such as the equal house method, Koch


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houses, Placidus houses, Campanus houses, etc.,are used on the basis of personal bias bydifferent astrologers, without anyconsideration of the underlying theory andphilosophy of Hermetic astrology.

Such factors affect the ability to

accurately Caste and interpret an astrologicalchart to a greater orlesser degree.Therefore, when webegin to look at thequestion as to whetheralchemical operations,in the laboratory, needto be timed by theobservation ofastrologicalcalculations, the firstissue we must consideris ... exactly howaccurate is astrology itself? The only saneanswer that we can arrive at, after a serious,reasonable, unbiased and lengthy study ofastrology is that it is very inaccurate as atool for calculating the relationship between

the cosmic influence of sidereal intelligencesand the dynamics of physical (earthly)conditions in living systems.


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Then, when asking the question ... how isastrology actually used by alchemists? wefirst must realise that not all alchemistsagree with or believe in the concept that thetiming of laboratory operations must beastrologically calculated. In fact the division

between the two camps is probably near equal(50/50). If alchemical transmutation does exist,and if several individuals in the last 3000years have achieved that goal, then we shouldask ourselves, did they all get there becauseastrological calculation of lab processes madeit possible? I personally do not believe thereis any strong evidence in historicalalchemical literature to support a belief thatnatal or horary astrology was a factor in anysuccess that might have been gained in labalchemy.

At the same time, if what astrologicalcalculation is attempting to do is determinethe condition of the relationships betweenvarious intelligences, then using astrology tocalculate lab operations is simply not logical.A distillation does not have a mind, andneither does calcination (for example). So

there is no connection between laboratoryprocesses and natal or horary astrologicalcalculation.


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The next idea we must be aware of is thatthe use of actual (complete) astrologicalinterpretation is increasingly beingundermined in alchemical teaching today.Because astrology is a complex system tolearn, many teachers of alchemy have chosen

to teach their students 'simple' methods ofmaking more general calculations (such assolar based astrological prediction), which, ofcourse, are of an even greater disadvantagewhere accuracy is concerned. Amongst theselesser questionable systems are things likethe use of planetary hour tables, planetarycycles (based on the later Gregorian calendar)and the use of geomancy.

Again, the reason I have taken a quicklook at this matter here is because the firstoperation we need to attend to, in making ouralchemical plant preparation, is to choose theright plant for the work and the best timeand method for harvesting it. Modernconvention in mainstream alchemical practiceencourages the novice to produce seventinctures (alchemical plant preparations),which are often called the seven simples.

Traditional herbal lore tells us that allplants are ruled by planetary forces, thus oneeach of the seven simples must be ruled by


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one each of the ancient planets. If weapproach the harvest of each plant accordingto the theory of the astrological view ofalchemical practice, then the time andconditions of harvest should be astrologicallycalculated.

The traditional hypothesis is that if wedo not take astrological influences in toconsideration, the end result will not havealchemical properties. The ramifications ofthis hypothesis are far reaching, when thequestion arises where do alchemicalproperties come from? The veiled suggestionposited by the astrological school of alchemybeing that the Magical effects of alchemicalpreparations are rooted in astrological(planetary) forces. So we must ask ourselves,what of the philosophy behind such statementsas the one Jabir made? that: "Our stone isone, one medicine, to which we add nothing,from which we take nothing away, onlyremoving that which is superfluous." Thetheory suggested here is that when searchingfor alchemical results, the crude matter wetake in hand already contains within it

everything the work requires, and that nomagic bullet from outside the matter needs tobe added, or calculated. This is a serious key


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point that needs to be well considered for anumber of reasons.

There is absolutely no doubt that somealchemical works require the harvest ofnatural substances at certain times of theyear and/or day. The astrological

considerations necessary for such timing arenothing more than seasonal or diurnalobservations or the common sense knowledge ofplant metabolism (and physiology). No complexcalculations are necessary for an operationwhich is so simple and well known that evennon-occultists are familiar with the concepts.The planetary attributions of medicinal herbsalso require no calculation. Traditionalherbological literature containscomprehensive lists of both the (alleged)planetary nature of plants, and also theirmedicinal properties. It should be pointed out,though, that any objective authority oftraditional herbalism will admit that thehistory of the planetary attributes, and theirassumed correspondences to organic orpsychological pathology is highly suspect inmany cases . This leaves any student of

alchemy who possesses a conscience whereastrological accuracy is concerned, and a


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belief it is required in lab calculation, in abit of a quandary.

For those who are only interested infollowing popular trends in alchemicalastrological consideration, without carefulresearch, this issue is a moot point, of course.

But for any student of the science who wantsto consider the question of the use ofastrology in timing laboratory events, twochoices are available. Either an extensive anddistracting research of the subject must beentered in to, or the subject must bevirtually ignored, as if it simply was not areasonableargument.

Nevertheless,for our purposeshere, in our firstexperimentationin the productionof alchemicalplantpreparations, andin learning thebasic theory and

laboratorytechniques, noastrological


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consideration is at all necessary.Outside of the question of timing eventsastrologically, it should be understood thatthere are a number of other aspects ofalchemical and Hermetic theory and practicethat require an understanding of the basic

philosophy of astrology. Foremost amongstthese aspects is the fact that a good numberof alchemical and Hermetic concepts arediscussed in alchemical literature usingastrological symbolism and iconography, as aform of cipher. Therefore, while the study ofastrology (at least in theory) is not exactlynecessary, for the student alchemist, itcertainly eventually proves to be helpful to alesser degree.


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Article:

The Primum Ens or First Being(Written and edited by Ouroboros)

From The Book concerning Renovation andRestoration:

"But while we teach concerning simplesand arcana, it must be understood thattheir operations are brought about indifferent ways. For some are found whichviolently purge leprosy by means ofrenovation and restoration,but beyond that touch no

other disease; yetnevertheless, they areperfect in renovation andrestoration. Beyond these, inthe distinctions of thesekinds of diseases, are theQuintessence, the Magistery,and the Element of Antimony, whichpurifies the body from leprosy, noneotherwise than silver and gold liquefied

therein, and in these it leaves no traceof impurity.


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In like manner the element of the sunand its quintessence, as also the oil ofthe same, and arum potabile, take awayleprosy, together with all diseases,renovate and restore. So also thequintessences of hellebore, of chelidony,

of balm, of valerian, of saffron, ofmanna, and of betonia renovate the body,with the exception of those diseaseswhich we have mentioned above, for thesein no wise diminish."

Paracelsus often talked of renovation andrestoration. One of his most well knownpreparations, made famous by the rejuvenativeeffects it possesses and which have beenrecorded through history, is the Primum EnsMelissae.

It is the Ens that causes rejuvenation. Wemust remember that the Ens is an intangiblesubstance, which can be incorporated in somematerial vehicle. Here Rubaphilos tells us abit about rejuvenation:

Paracelsus correctly tells us that

humanity has three ages: youth, middleage and old age. Middle age is that pointwhere the forces that work through the


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body, in order to grow it to maturity andto sustain its health and vigour, havereached their peak. We know exactly whenthat peak is reached, he tells us, becauseit is the point where we start to growgrey hair. At such moment in time we are,

as an individual, at the summit of theexpression of our life force.Rejuvenatives are often referred to asfountains or elixirs of youth, and this issomewhat misleading because ingesting arejuvenative does not return us to somepoint in our early youth. Instead,rejuvenatives return us biologically andenergetically to the point in time whereour life force was at its peak that is,middle age.

Rubaphilos also tells us whatexperimentation has shown to be the effects ofthe Ens Melissae:

The signs to watch for include, firstly,an almost immediate increase in thebodys core temperature. This is the

primary channel through whichrejuvenatives operate the raising ofthe internal fire, thereby increasing the


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entire bodys speed and pitch ofvibration. This bodily warmth is thefirst manifestation of life in warm-blooded organic beings. Light-headednesswill follow during the first fewmornings, with a mild expansion of

awareness (sensitivity) and calmness. Forthe first week little else will beexperienced.

During the second week an increase inperspiration, the appearance of acne,increased salivation (thick saliva in thethroat early in the morning), andexpectoration of thick phlegm from thelungs by coughing. Stools become darkerand so does the urine. All of theseeffects, which are indicative ofdetoxification, las anywhere from one totwo weeks. Towards the end of this stagewe noticed in a number of cases featuringtwo more extreme effects: (1) the distinctaching in the kidneys and liver, as ifthey were slightly bruised; and (2) theloss of dental fillings from the teeth. Inmy own case I lost seven fillings during

the period of six months after firstbeginning use of the Ens Melissae.Shortly afterwards I heard stories from


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students of the America basedPhilosophers of Nature (PoN) that anumber of cases of the loss of dentalfillings had been reported by individualsingesting this preparation.

After the third week of detoxification

almost every individual we had collectedinformation from spoke of an increase inthe intensity and frequency of dreams. Inindividuals who were studying alchemy,clearly recognisable dreams of analchemical nature were common. Thisphase lasted for approximately one moreweek. By the end of the fourth week, invirtually all cases of people under-40who ingested the Ens, all outward signsof detoxification and affected dream statehad subsided or ceased completely.

The only other effect that we recordedin the more sensitive cases of under-40-year-olds was an increase in psychicsensitivity. In a small number of cases,where experiments of a psychic naturehad been conducted, it was noticed thatindividuals who ingested a dose together

from the same batch at the same timeexperienced some degree of shared psychicexperience.


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In his book on renovation and restoration,Paracelsus includes subsections on the FirstEntities of Minerals, Gems, Herbs and Liquids.The most accessible and least dangerous towork with are herbs, so here is what he says

on the First Entity of herbs:

"The First Entity of Herbs:Take celandine or balm; beat them into apulse, shut them up in a glass vesselhermetically sealed, and place in horsedung to be digested for a month.Afterwards separate the pure from theimpure, pour the pure into a glass vesselwith dissolved salt, and let this, whenclosed, be exposed to the sun for a month.When this period has elapsed, you willfind at the bottom a thick liquid and thesalt floating on the surface. When this isseparated you will have the virtues ofthe balm or of the celandine, as they arein their first entity; and these arecalled, and really are, the first entitiesof the balm or of the celandine."

Most modern practitioners take a slightlydifferent approach stemming from a recipe


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provided by Franz Hartmann in his book on thelife of Paracelsus, quoted below.

"The Primum Ens:The "Primum Ens" of a thing is its

first beginning, its Prima Materia, an

invisible and intangible spiritualsubstance, which can be incorporated insome material vehicle. He who wants toseparate the Primum Ens from its Corpusmust have a great deal of experience inthe spagyric art. If he is not a goodalchemist his labour will be in vain. ThePrimum Ens Melissae is prepared in thefollowing manner:

Take half a pound of pure carbonateof potash and expose it to the air untilit is dissolved. Filter the fluid and putas many fresh leaves of the plant Melissainto it as it will hold, so that the fluidwill cover the leaves.

Let it stand in a well-closed glass,and in a moderately warm place, fortwenty four hours. The fluid may then beremoved from the leaves, and the latter

thrown away. On the top of this fluidabsolute alcohol is poured, so that itwill cover the former to a height of one


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or two inches, and it is left to remainfor one or two days, or until the alcoholbecomes of an intensely green colour.

This alcohol is then to be taken awayand preserved, and fresh alcohol is putupon the alkaline fluid, and the

operation is repeated until all thecoloring matter is absorbed by thealcohol.

This alcoholicfluid is now to bedistilled, and thealcohol evaporateduntil it becomesof the thicknessof syrup, which isthe Primum EnsMelissae, but thealcohol that hasbeen distilledaway and the liquid potash may be usedagain. The liquid potash must be of greatconcentration and the alcohol of greatstrength, else they would become mixed,and the experiment would not succeed."


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The plants mentioned above by Paracelsus,which also have rejuvenative properties, couldmost likely be:

HelleboreHelleboreHelleboreHellebore - Helleborus niger(Hellebore)ChelidonyChelidonyChelidonyChelidony - Stylorphorum diphyllum

(Celandine)BalmBalmBalmBalm - Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm,Melissa)ValerianValerianValerianValerian - Valeriana officinalis(Valerian)SaffronSaffronSaffronSaffron - Crocus sativus(Saffron)MannaMannaMannaManna Fraxinus ornus(Ash, Manna)BetoniaBetoniaBetoniaBetonia - Stachys officinalis (Betony, WoodBetony)

Key to the successful application of thisremedy is that it be ingested over asufficiently long period of time, and that thedose and medium of administration beappropriate as well. Here follows whatRubaphilos says on the subject in his Book 2;

The dose is small: 5 drops of a 1/10,000homeopathic dilution in 100 millilitersof white wine, upon rising in the

morning, and before food.


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Those who are more interested in thepractical preparation of the Primum Ens canfind much more detailed instructions in theBook 2 by Rubaphilos. You will find thatgreat skill and experience in the spagyric artare indeed required.


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