THE TOWER OF Alchemy

An Advanced Guide
to the Great Work
David Goddard
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Goddard& David(
The to%er o4 alchemy : an advanced 2uide to the 2reat %ork / David
Goddard(
!( cm(
Include "i"lio2ra!hical re2erence and inde)(
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#( Hermetim( +( Alchemy( I( Title(
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Respectfully dedicated to His Holiness,
Uqyen - Trinley - Llorje,
the Seventeenth Gyalwa - Karapa -
Snow - Lion aon! the Sa!es"
Lovin!ly dedicated to
#atric$ %rancis &oyne,
a pure 'voice' in the
(i!htin!ale)s healin! son!"
TAB>E OB 1O3TE3TS
... >it o4 Fi2ure ............................................................................................... vl##
're4ace ............................................................................................................ )i
Ackno%led2ment ......................................................................................... xv
1ha!ter 1: >ayin2 the Foundation ................................................................. 1
1ha!ter 2: The Furnace and the Bello% ................................................... 17
1ha!ter 3: The Holy Grail ............................................................................ 31
1ha!ter 4: The 1om!anion o4 the >i2ht ................................................... 43
1ha!ter 5: The Holy 'lace o4 -eetin2 ........................................................ 51
1ha!ter 6: Sun and -oon Bo% Do%n Be4ore Him .................................... 63
1ha!ter 7: The 1itadel o4 the Soul .............................................................. 77
1ha!ter : The Flo%erin2 Tree .................................................................... !3
1ha!ter !: The 1o 0 Emer2ent -other ........................................................ 1"7
1ha!ter 1": The 'eacock; Tail ................................................................. 123
1ha!ter 11: The Hidden Immortal ............................................................ 143
1ha!ter 12: In -emory o4 Arthur the Kin2 .............................................. 153
1ha!ter 13: Arouin2 the Dra2on .............................................................. 167
1ha!ter 14: The 1lavicule .......................................................................... 17!
1ha!ter 15: The 1ro%n o4 >i4e ................................................................... 1!7
1ha!ter 16: Sarra ....................................................................................... 211
1ha!ter 17: The Soror -ytica .................................................................. 233
A!!endi) IC 1olor and Key ..................................................................... 247
A!!endi) 11: An Alchemical 'rayer ......................................................... 251
Bi"lio2ra!hy ................................................................................................. +6/
Inde) ............................................................................................................. 257
A"out the Author ....................................................................................... 26!
>IST OF FIG?RES
Fi2ure 1. The !ractitioner; !eronal ie2e. ........................................ 3!
Fi2ure 2 . The Great Hall .......................................................................... 5!
Fi2ure 3 . The caduceu o4 Herme or -ercury. .................................. 7"
Fi2ure 4 . The contruction o4 the Ti"etan chorten ............................ 7!
Fi2ure 5 . The tattvic ym"ol o4 the interior tar ............................. 2
Fi2ure 6 . The >andin2 o4 Da;ath and the 1ham"er o4 Ind%ellin2 ... 1"2
Fi2ure 7 . The catle and it courtyard ......................................... 1"4
Fi2ure . The veica 0 !ici ym"ol ..................................................... 11"
Fi2ure ! . The !lace %here the three lo%er %orld meet ................. 132
Fi2ure 1" . The Se!hirothic cham"er and the Hill o4 'o%er ........... 14
Fi2ure 11 . The 'ath o4 1oncealed Glory ......................................... 1!1
Fi2ure 12 . The 1oncealed 'ath %ith the
t%enty 0 t%o Shinin2 'ath ................................................... 1!2
=I am a ervant o4 the Secret Fire . . ."
0 0 Gandal4& in Lord of the Rin!s,
"y D(R(R( Tolkien
=-other o4 the Eictoriou One o4 the three time&
%e !raie you and !rotrate(
Holdin2 a hooked kni4e& kull cu!
and khatvan2a in your hand . . .
We !rotrate to you %ho "ene4it "ein2( . . .
Eternally "rilliant& utterly em!ty& EaFra Dancer& -other o4 All&
I "o% to you( . . .
From the milk ocean o4 her "lein2 2ood "utter i churned
Which %orthy one receive a 2lory(
-ay everyone eternally enFoy
The lotu 2arden o4 the 1o 0 Emer2ent -other(=
0 'raie o4 DorFe'ha2mo
4rom the *ajra - +o!ini Sadhana,
"y Ran2Fun2 0 DorFe&
the /rd Karma!a
PREFACE
This book is the result of what, in Qabalah, is called a Tzorech G'voah, a !i"her #eed$ As
such, it is written under the %andate of the &asters of 'ervice$ (n these )a"es are "iven the
hidden teachin"s concernin" the 'cience of the 'a"es$ This !i"her #eed is for those s)iritual
as)irants who are kar%icall* +ualified to co%)lete the Great ,ork at this ti%e in histor*$ And to
these individuals, the 'a"es - those who have alread* attained it - are now o)enin" the wa* in
an un)recedented %anner to assist the% in attainin" the Treasure of treasures$ For, in ever*
"eneration, there are alwa*s students .ust on the ver"e of beco%in" one of Those ,ho /now$
At this )resent ti%e, there are %an* who stand u)on the threshold$
This book is a %anual to the science of !er%es, the Thrice Great, and a true "uide to that
'acred and Ro*al Art$ (t )resents the s)ecific teachin"s and "uided )ractices that will enable
the sincere as)irant to attain to the secret of all s)iritual works that can cul%inate in the
co%)letion, the Great ,ork$ For this work is theur"* - 0ivine work - the true Alche%* that is the
)ractical a))lication of the hol* Qabalah$ (t leads to the attain%ent of the Philoso)her's 'tone,
whereb* the )ersonal consciousness and the Pri%ordial consciousness unite as one$ That
'tone - the 1ewel of Eternit* - - overco%es all li%itation, heals all disease, and brin"s an end to
the need for death itself$
These secret teachin"s are the hidden essence of the 'e)her 2etzirah, which was tau"ht to the
)atriarch Abraha% b* &elchizadek after he initiated Abraha% into the heavenl* trans%ission,
the Qabalah$ &elchizadek is that %*sterious bein", who is /in" of Peace and Priest of the &ost
!i"h God - &elchizadek, who is without father or %other, knowin" neither death nor end of
da*s$
The old alche%ists concealed the secrets of their Art in a bewilderin" arra* of s*%bols and
%otifs drawn fro% a wide ran"e of sources3 che%ical )rocesses, astrolo"ical s*%bolis%,
fabulous ani%als and %*thic creatures, !ebrew, Greek, and 4atin letter %eanin"s, %etallur"*,
and "ods fro% the &*ster* )antheons of the classical and !ellenistic worldviews$
5ecause %odern education in the ,est no lon"er "ives the seeker the infor%ation to unlock
these secrets, )ractitioners can s)end a lifeti%e .ust learnin" the coded lan"ua"e of the
alche%ists$ Conse+uentl*, %ode% schools and esoteric students of the 4esser &*steries are,
understandabl*, unable to utilize the )ractical Alche%* whereb* the Goal %a* be achieved in a
sin"le lifeti%e$ (n alche%ical s*%bolis%, the theoretical as)ect of the Art is re)resented b* a
bewilderin" %aze, to si"nif* the intellectual difficulties that the Great ,ork )resents, while the
praxis 6the )ractical i%)le%entation7 is shown as the Tower of the Art8 hence the title of this
book$
'o%e of those fa%iliar with the !er%etic Art %a* ob.ect to the )lain s)eakin" and o)enness of
this %anual of the Great ,ork$ 5ut ( have received a hi"h dis)ensation to trans%it these
teachin"s3 There is nothin" hidden that shall not be revealed 6&atthew 9:3;< and 4uke 9;3;7$
5ecause until ver* recentl*, these teachin"s and techni+ues were onl* i%)arted %outh=to=
ear, fro% teacher to )u)il, onl* dedicated souls were entrusted with these ver* real occult
secrets$ Even within these )a"es, these teachin"s cannot easil* be abused, because onl* those
wo%en and %en with the self - %otivation and self - disci)line to )ersevere will attain the fruits
of the ,ork in their )lenitude$ >nl* dedicated )ractitioners who run the race to the end will
%anifest the si"ns of acco%)lish%ent$
2et the beaut* of alche%ical )ractice is that *ou can actuall* %easure *our )ro"ress8 because
workin" with the 'ecret Fire is not based on faith, it brin"s )h*sical and s)iritual results that are
discernible$ 5ut as the Zohar ri"htl* warns, (t is not fittin" that a co%%oner should set hands
u)on the sce)tre of the /in"$ 'o Alche%*, the Ro*al Art, first )erfects its )ractitioners, then
%akes the% 4ords of the 'ecret of 'aturn, free of the ,heel of 5irth and 0eath$ 5* )racticin"
Alche%* *our s)iritual "rowth is assured$
,ith the knowled"e and )otential e?)erience that this book contains, !er%etic )ractitioners will
hold the essence, the ke*, of the Ro*al Art$ 'hould these )ractitioners refer to the ancient and
obscure alche%ical te?ts, the* will a))ear to be lit fro% within$
( have illustrated certain as)ects of the alche%ical )rocess b* %akin" co%)arisons to the
Tibetan tradition of @a.ra*ana 6the 0ia%ond Path7, which is the esoteric heart of &aha*ana
5uddhis%$ These teachin"s ori"inated fro% the "reat %onastic universit* of #alanda in 5ihar,
(ndia, which flourished fro% the Ath to the 9:th centur* of the co%%on era$ Probabl* the
"reatest adorn%ent of #alanda &onaster* was the 'a"e #a"ar.una, who was an author, a
)hiloso)her, and an alche%ist$ #a"ar.una, the 'er)ent &aster, develo)ed the &adh*a%ika
)hiloso)h* 6teachin" on the @oid or e%)tiness7 and recovered the Pra.na Para%ita 'utra$
Throu"h the )ractice of Alche%*, #a"ar.una %aintained the entire Preface %onastic co%%unit*
of #alanda 6so%e A:: teachers7, develo)ed hi"h tantric teachin"s, and re%ained incarnate for
several centuries$
The @a.ra*ana teachin"s were brou"ht to Tibet in the 99th centur* b* the au"ust and illu%ined
Guru Pad%asa%bhava 6Guru Ri%)oche7, who - like &elchizadek - is without father or %other,
knowin" neither death nor end of da*s, for he has transcended the need for %ortal birth or
death$ The Tibetan teachin"s that es)eciall* relate to Alche%* are The 'i? 2o"as of #aro)a
and those 0zo"chen teachin"s which concern The Rainbow 5od* of Clear 4i"ht$ These
teachin"s are )rinci)all* held b* the /ar"*u linea"e of Tibetan 5uddhis% and are tau"ht b* the
realized la%a - *o"is of that school$
&* )ur)ose in co%)arin" Alche%* and Tibetan 5uddhist 2o"a is twofold$ First, the old
Euro)ean alche%ists refered to their %elancholia, %eanin" the de)ression that besets all
s)iritual )ractitioners fro% ti%e to ti%e$ (n Alche%* this de)ression is )ronounced and co%%on,
because its )ractitioners, %ore often than not, work in isolation and in a nonsu))ortive culture$
Tibetan 5uddhis% on the other hand, has a continuous linea"e of )ractitioners who have
attained si"ns of acco%)lish%ent, thereb* "ivin" assurance to others that the Goal is
attainable$BBB
Tibet also has a culture where the fruits of the s)irit are valued above
all else$
The second reason is to show that, des)ite the differin" outward a))earance
of ,estern and Easternn esoteric traditions, there is one
Planetar* Tradition underl*in" the Great ,ork$ (t has been said that All
%*stics co%e fro% the sa%e land and s)eak the sa%e lan"ua"e$ That
land flows with the %ilk of Cnderstandin" and the hone* of ,isdo%8 it is
&alkuth ha'sha%ai%, the /in"do% of !eaven$ The lan"ua"e the
'a"es s)eak is that of Above, of hi"her consciousness3 conuersatio nostra
in caelis, our s)eech is in heaven$ To"ether, the 'a"es of both East and
,est constitute one "reat co%)an* of the A"eless ,isdo%, variousl*
known as the Great ,hite 4od"e, the true 'an"ha, the !ouse of (srael,
and the Colle"e of the !ol* ')irit$ ,here we stand now - with all our confusion,
)ain, and selfishness - the 'a"es once stood$ &oreover, the* constantl*
assure us that we too %a* co%e to that hei"ht u)on which the*
now stand, for the Eternal 4i"ht beckons and fails not$
(n these ti%es of )rofound )lanetar* transfor%ation, as the war - torn
;:th centur* draws to a close, the %e%bers of both the Eastern and
,estern traditions - the* of the Andes and the* of the Gan"es, to use
the old Rosicrucian descri)tion - are workin" to"ether to )resent hu%anit*
with the liberatin" teachin"s of the undivided A"eless ,isdo%$
xiv Preface
This )erennial ,isdo%, which transcends all cultural and sectarian as)ects
or subdivisions, is a reflection of )ure and )eaceful ,isdo% which,
as the Qabalah calls it, is a )ure influence flowin" fro% the "lor* of the
Al%i"ht*$ (t is the ,a* that heals and )erfects the hu%an condition,
leadin" to the Clear 4i"ht of Pure &ind, which si%ultaneousl* confers the
'u)re%e 5liss, the ulti%ate Eli?ir of 4ife$
AC/#>,4E0G&E#T'
#othin" co%es to birth without assistance$ This )resentation of the 'ecret
,isdo% is the result of centuries of labor and has had %an* coworkers$
!ere, ( a% )riviled"ed to offer honor to so%e of the s)iritual elders and
)rece)tors who, in the ;:th centur*, have, each in their own wa*, )ointed
to the Transcendent 4i"ht of Great 5liss3
The 5a'al - 'he% D'ev ben 'hi%on !alevi, Paul Foster Case, the
9;th Tai - 'itu)a, ,$ Ernest 5utler, Ton* ,illis, Chu.e Akon"
Ri%)ochC, 0ion Fortune, &arian Green, 5rooke &edicine - Ea"le,
4a%a Thubten 2eshe, /alu Ri%)oche, 1oan Grant, /atherine
/urtz, Elizabeth /iibler - Ross, Gareth /ni"ht, &o*ra Caldecott,
and !is !oliness, Tendzin - G*atso, the Fourteenth 0alai 4a%a,
holder of the ,hite 4otus of Co%)assion$
To *ou all be "race and wonder$
And to the @a.ra - 0hara, those enli"htened 'a"es who, havin" traversed
the )ath and beco%e the livin" stones in the Te%)le of the Absolute,
continue to "uide and encoura"e us - the @ictorious >nes, the
,atchers, the !ol* >nes, the 4ords of Co%)assion$
To *ou all be honor and "ratitude$
T!E T>,ER >F
A4C!E&2
(,/2(#C T!E
F>C#0AT(>#
Mystery is to God what privacy is to Man.
- - a)horis%
T!E GREAT ,>R/
Alche%* is the Arabic word for the &atter of E"*)t, derived fro% the
ancient na%e of the land of the #ile valle*, Khem, %eanin" the 5lack 4and$
The use of the noun Alche%* to describe the Ro*al Art first a))eared in
the writin"s of Dosi%os, who worked in Ale?andria in E:: C.E. (n @edic
(ndia, Alche%* was known b* the ter% Nagayuna, Path of the 'er)ent$
(n China the oldest known Alche%ical te?t, Nei - hing !"he #ellow $mperor%s
&oo' of (nternal Medicine), is dated so%ewhere between F,::: and
A,::: 5$c$E$, '> )redatin" both the ( - hing and the "ao re hing.
Alche%* is called the Ro*al Art, for it is the %eans whereb* the divine
)otential within a hu%an bein" is unveiled and %anifested$ Alche%*
is of the 'cience of 'a"es couched in the cultural %otifs of ,estern
civilization, the )ath of the Greater &*steries of the ')irit that leads to
)erfect Enli"hten%ent$ This )rocess is often called the Magnum *pus,
the Great ,ork, because it is the final ascent of the %*stical &ountain of
Attain%ent b* which freedo% fro% the ,heel of 5irth and 0eath is attained$
As a )ath of accelerated evolution, Alche%* holds %an* dan"ers
6as does all %ountain cli%bin"7, and its inner%ost secrets have alwa*s
been concealed to )revent the un)re)ared, the s)irituall* unri)e, fro%
either abusin", or bein" burnt b*, the hi"h - fre+uenc* ener"ies that )racticin"
the Art necessitates$ The co%)letion of the Great ,ork confers
u)on those who attain it e?traordinar* control over )h*sical conditions,
includin" the trans%utation of %atter, the healin" of all diseases, and
tre%endous )rolon"ation of the s)an of hu%an incarnation$
The liberated 'a"es - those %en and wo%en who have co%)leted
the Great ,ork - are s)oken of in all esoteric traditions around the
world$ Three e?a%)les are "iven in the 5ible3 Enoch, he who walked
with God and was not8 Eli.ah, who ascended in a fier* chariot8 and
1esus, who rose fro% the dead$ (n Taois%, which is the Chinese for% of
Alche%*, there are the Ei"ht (%%ortals, hu%an bein"s who, b* treadin"
The ,a* 6Tao7, have been liberated fro% all the restrictions of incarnate
e?istence - - birth, illness, and death$ (n Tibet, such realized 'a"es
are called i%%ortal va.ra - holders$ The %*stical lore of the Russian >rthodo?
Church "ives accounts of her%its whose lives s)an the centuries,
callin" the% the 'taretz of &ethuselah$ Ro%an Catholicis% teaches,
as an article of faith, that &ar*, the %other of 1esus, did not taste
death, bein" )h*sicall* taken u) into the ,orlds Above at her
Assu%)tion$ (n Rosicrucianis%, an esoteric for% of Christian Qabalah, a
full* - realized 'a"e is called an (psissimus, a 4atin word %eanin" he who
is %ost hi% - 'E4Fn 6identical to the !indu conce)t of the +trnan, the 'u)re%e
'elf7$ These %en and wo%en - these hu%an i%%ortals - are
clothed with the !ol* 4ife - 5reath and have beco%e su)er - conscious de)ositories
of the )ower of God$
The esoteric books of 1udais% s)eak of the ,amed - -au, the thirt* - si?
1ust >nes on whose shoulders the world rests, and of the 'even Pillars
of wisdo% and ri"hteousness, seven saints whose successive lives e?tend
over the entire histor* of hu%anit*$ Tradition lists these seven as
Ada%, &ethuselah, 'he%, 1acob, 'erah 6the dau"hter of Asher7, Ahi.ah
of 'hiloh 6who was the Maggid, or (nner Teacher, of the 5a'al 'he% Tov7,
and the )ro)het Eli.ah hi%self$ (n fact, all three Reli"ions of the 5ook,
1udais%, Christianit*, and (sla%, teach the resurrection of the dead,
when all hu%anit*, at the end of da*s, will rise in incorru)tible )h*sical
bodies and rea) the everlastin" harvest of what the* have sown$
The teachin"s of Alche%* were known in (ndia lon" a"o b* the ter%
Nagayuna. 'wa%i @ivekanada writes in his book .a/a #oga0
There was the sect called the Rasa*anas$ Their idea was that idealit*,
knowled"e, s)iritualit* and reli"ion were all ver* ri"ht, but
that the bod* was onl* an instru%ent b* which to attain these$ (f
the bod* broke now and then it would take so %uch %ore ti%e to
attain the "oal$ For instance, a %an wants to )ractice 2o"a, or
wants to beco%e s)iritual$ 5efore he has advanced ver* far he
dies$ Then he takes another bod* and be"ins a"ain, then dies,
and so on, and in this wa* %uch ti%e will be lost in d*in" and
bein" born a"ain$ (f the bod* could be %ade stron" and )erfect
4a*in" the Foundation E
we should have %ore ti%e to beco%e s)iritual$ 'o these Rasa*anas
sa*, first %ake the bod* ver* stron", and the* clai% that
this bod* can be %ade i%%ortal$ Their idea is that if the &ind
GconsciousnessH is %anufacturin" the bod*, and if it be true that
each %ind is onl* one outlet to that (nfinite Ener"*, and that there
is no li%it to each )articular outlet "ettin" an* a%ount of )ower,
wh* is it i%)ossible that we should kee) our bodies all the ti%eI
,e shall have to %anufacture all the bodies we shall ever have$
As soon as this bod* dies we shall have to %anufacture another$
(f we can do that, wh* cannot we do that .ust here and now, without
"ettin" outI The theor* is )erfectl* correct$ (f it is )ossible
that we live after death, and %ake other bodies, wh* is it i%)ossible
that we should have the )ower of %akin" bodies here, without
entirel* dissolvin" this bod*, si%)l* chan"in" it continuall*I
The* also thou"ht that in &ercur* and 'ul)hur was hidden the
%ost wonderful )ower, and that b* certain )re)arations of these
a %an could kee) his bod* as lon" as he like$'
This +uotation is one of the %ost forthri"ht re"ardin" alche%ical theor*
and )ractice ever written$ 5ut alche%ical &ercur* and 'ul)hur are not
)h*sical substances8 the* are states of %ind, as)ects of consciousness$
1a%es Redfield, in "he elestine -ision, %akes this ver* i%)ortant )oint3
Throu"hout histor* the East has )roduced %en who have likewise
)ushed the envelo)e of hu%an abilit* $ $ $ an astoundin"
collection of docu%ented cases of unusual bodil* transfor%ation,
includin" the abilit* to levitate, s)ontaneous chan"es in
for%, and the )erfor%ance of unbelievable feats of stren"th$
&an* thinkers in the Eastern tradition consider these attributes
the o)ti%al result of *o"ic )ractices, still rare )erha)s, but the
e?)ected outco%e of *ears of %editation and %ove%ent )ractices$
$ $ $
The 5ible tells us that 1esus was seen to a))ear and disa))ear
at will, walk on water, and so forth$ $ $ 4ater, the Christian Church
e?)lained these abilities as the %ark of a deit*, and certainl*
nothin" that hu%ans could )ossibl* e%ulate$
2et$ $ $ e?a%)les of transcendent abilit* abound in both ,estern
and Eastern histor*, and the awakenin" ha))enin" toda*
Swami Vivekananda, "Raja #oga1 in -ioe'ananda0 "he #oga and *ther 2or's (New
#or'0 Ra%akrishna - @ivekananda Center, 9JJ<7, )$ <KJ$
3 "ower of +lchemy
includes a revision of what is )ossible not .ust for s)ecial ade)ts
but for *ou and %e as
The alche%ist Tho%as @au"han, )ublished his oelum "errae in 4567, in
which he wrote3
&an - sa* the* Gthe 'a"esH - in his natural state is in the %ean
creation, fro% which he %ust recede to one of two e?tre%eseither
to corru)tion, as co%%onl* all %en do, for the* die and
%older awa* in their "raves8 or else to a s)iritual, "lorified condition,
like Enoch and Eli.ah, who were translated$ And thisthe*
sa* - is a true e?tre%e, for after it there is no alternatiLn$L
Alche%* is therefore the 2o"a of the ,est$ The word *o"a %eans
union8 our word con.u"al co%es fro% the sa%e root$ The ai% of *o"a
and Alche%* is the sa%e3 union with That which is both the source and
the "oal of all that is$ This ulti%ate attain%ent is re)resented in alche%ical
s*%bolis% - the co%)letion of the Great ,ork - b* the ser)ent
swallowin" its own tail, si"nif*in" that the source and "oal are beco%e
one, in the unendin" circle of eternit*$ This co%)letion is also veiled under
the alche%ical ter%, +8oth. This artificial word is a verbal for%ula
for the co%)letion of work of alche%*$ (t consists of the first and last letters
of the !ebrew al)habet !+ for Ale)h and "h for Tav7, the first and
last letters of the Greek al)habet !+ for Al)ha and 0 for >%e"a7, and the
first and last letters of the 4atin al)habet !+ and D73 ( a% Al)ha and
>%e"a, the First and the 4ast$
All )reviousl* )ublished books on alche%* have been written b*
two cate"ories of authors$ The first is co%)rised of alche%ical ade)ts
who have co%%itted their hard - won knowled"e, under the veils of s*%bolis%
and %eta)hor, to )a)er to assist those who follow$ These te?ts,
written b* the 'a"es the%selves, are usuall* full of stran"e and e?otic dia"ra%s
that function as the %andalas of the Art$ The second cate"or* is
%ade u) of those students and scholars who, writin" fro% the outside
lookin" in, atte%)t to )enetrate the secrets of the alche%ical science or
to debunk the whole endeavor as fraudulent$ (n this book, for the first
ti%e in the ,est, the Ro*al Art of Alche%* is )resented fro% the stand -
9ames .edfield, "he elestine -ision !New #or'0 2arner, 4::;), pp.4<= - 4<3.
"homas -aughan !$ugenius Philalethes), 1oelum "errae1 in "he 2or's of "homas
-aughan, +. $. 2aite, ed. !,ondon0 "heosophical Pu>lishing ?ouse, 4:4:), p. @4;.
4a*in" the Foundation A
)oint of the 'a"es the%selves - fro% within the sanctuar*, fro% the inside
lookin" out$
The co%)le?it* of alche%ical dia"ra%s and for%ulae, their chan"in"
a))earance fro% centur* to centur*, is not due to so%e lack of consistenc*
on the )art of the sa"es$ Rather, like the nu%bers of 5uddhist
Tantras in @a.ra*ana that "rew over ti%e, the de)ictions and ter%s for
the alche%ical )rocess %ulti)lied$ This was not due to e%otion and
i%a"ination searchin" for ever - new ob.ects of veneration, but rather to
the tendenc* to re)lace reli"ious s)eculation with )ractical, esoteric e?)erience$
1ust as a new discover* in science not onl* contributes to the
wealth of data and the widenin" of our field of knowled"e, but leads to
further discoveries and to a re - a))raisal of for%er data, .ust so each
new e?)erience of %editation o)ens new horizons and creates new
%ethods of )ractice and realization$ The hu%an %ind cannot sto) at
an* )oint on its wa* toward knowled"e$ 'tandin" still %eans death, ri"idit*,
and deca*$ This is the law of all life and consciousness$ And it is
the law of the ')irit, fro% which life and consciousness flow$
"he Mysteries
The workin" esoteric tradition of the ,est is often referred to as the &*steries$
The ter% %*ster* is used in the theolo"ical sense, where a %*ster*
is a s)iritual realit* that transcends nor%al reasonin"$ The ulti%ate
"oal of the &*steries is divinization3 our co%)lete and utter identification
with the All - That - (s, the >ne Realit*$ (n %an* Eastern traditions, this is
called enli"hten%ent$ (n the ,estern tradition, it is called illu%ination$
,hen we s)eak of )aths here, we are not referrin" to reli"ious
)aths, to that fra%ework b* which an individual chooses to worshi) the
Absolute$ 5* )ath, we %ean the wa*, or the %ethod, b* which we a )
)roach$ (n the esoteric traditions of both East and ,est, there are two
)rinci)al a))roaches3 the direct path 6 or the for%less )ath7 and the indirect
path 6or )ath of for%7$
The direct )ath is so%eti%es called the %*stical )ath$ This, and
the fact that its )ractitioners are often called %*stics, is %isleadin"$
Essentiall*, this a))roach atte%)ts to enter into union with the 'ource
of bein" b* re.ectin" all a))earance of otherness$ (t focuses co%)letel*
u)on the >ne Realit*$ #o visualizations, rituals, or cere%onies are e%)lo*ed
on this )ath$ All a))earances are re"arded as distractions fro%
the Goal$ ,henever attention wanders to an*thin" other than the
Absolute, it is brou"ht back to its focus$ Eventuall*, the real nature of
consciousness, the awareness that transcends all )heno%ena 6so%eti%es
called sa%adhi7, is attained$ E?a%)les of this t*)e of a))roach are
< Tower of Alche%*
Dazen in Den %editation, Tibetan &aha%udra, and the @ia #e"atioa of
Christian %*sticis%$
The (ndirect Path is also called the cere%onial )ath, which is .ust
as %isleadin" as the ter% %*stical because this )ath does not involve
constantl* )erfor%in" cere%on* or even the )erfor%ance of ritual, )er
se$ The )ractitioners of this )ath are often called %a"es 6a ter% )referred
to the strictl* %asculine %a"ician7$ The )ath is called indirect
because its %odus o)erandi is si%ilar to that of )ool or snooker, where
so%e shots are %ade b* bouncin" the ball off the cushioned table ri%,
and so reachin" the "oal indirectl*$ This a))roach be"ins with how
thin"s a))ear$ (t is si%ilar to the %artial arts in that it turns the o))onents'
own stren"th a"ainst the% rather than e%)lo*in" counterforce$
This %ethod uses i%a"es and for%s, hidden %ental )owers, e%otional
drives, and the )h*sical bod* itself$ The indirect )ath skillfull* turns the
table on the ver* a))earances that bind us to the illusion of se)arateness
and transfor%s the% into useful tools for our liberation$
Reflection will show the )otential )itfalls of either of these a))roaches$
#either is hi"her or better than the other$ 0irect doesn't
%ean +uicker, nor does indirect %ean that *ou reach the Goal incidentall*$
(t co%es down, in the end, to )ersonal te%)era%ent and environ%ent$
@er*, ver* few individuals are e?clusivel* suited to one )ath or
the other$ Practitioners walkin" the direct )ath often use litur"ical 6cere%onial7
devotions as )art of their dail* routine$ Practitioners treadin"
the indirect )ath find that states of consciousness, at first attained in
cere%onial settin"s, later no lon"er need a ritual i%)etus to be e?)erienced
and that the* can now en.o* these states b* the direct )ath$
#or should *ou think that *ou are not a %*stic if *ou tread the indirect
)ath, or that *ou are not a %a"e if *ou use the direct a))roach$
These na%es are inaccurate ter%s )ut u)on )ractitioners b* the uninstructed
and the* carr* little wei"ht$ 5ear in %ind that, in both cases,
we are s)eakin" of true )ractitioners, not of individuals who read s)iritual
books and s)eak )iousl* of hi"her thin"s, nor of those who indul"e
in ritual as an alternative to a fulfilled career, entertain%ent, or
relationshi)s$ The Tibetans have a sa*in" about reli"ion that can e+uall*
be a))lied to its esoteric as)ect3 &an* )eo)le )rofess reli"ion, few
)ractice it$ >r, as one of the %asters of the ,estern tradition said3
&an* are called but few are chosen$
Eventuall*, both the direct and indirect )aths are subsu%ed and inte"rated
in the sa"e$ As ,$ E$ 5utler wrote in his )ioneerin" book, The
&a"ician3 ?is Trainin" and ,ork3
4a*in" the Foundation K
For the ade)t - %a"ician, thou"h he %a* use the a"e - old cere%onies,
does not de)end on the%$ The observances which were
the outward, visible s*%bols of inner states of e%otion, %ind
and s)irit, have, throu"h the trainin" he has under"one, been
withdrawn into and %ade co%)onents of his inner consciousness$
Then the Pre)aration of the Place is effected within the
Rin" - Pass - #ot, the li%itin" boundar* of his own aura, the An"el
of the >)eration is invoked therein, and the %*stical te%)le is
built in his %ental s)here$ Then into this te%)le not %ade with
hands, there descends the divine 'hekinah, the Glor* of the
Eternal, and 'he abides over the seat of 1ustice between the
Cherubi% in the !ol* of !olies of the %a"ician's heart$F
(n @a.ra*ana, the indirect )ath is known as the tantric )ath$ (ts )ractitioners
are siddhas, tantric - *o"is, those who actualize the )ractices of the
tantras$ Tantra is not, as %an* ,estern students have been led to believe,
an Eastern s*ste% of se? %a"ic$ This erroneous conce)t was )ut
into circulation b* certain dubious teachers of sorcer* tr*in" to .ustif*
their own se?ual needs, which are often nothin" %ore than the outward
%anifestation of a continued adolescent obsession and rebellion$ ( a%
not conde%nin" se? %a"ic )er se, )rovided that it is )racticed between
consentin" adults$ 5ut let's call it what it is$ Tantra, like alche%*, is re)lete
in se?ual s*%bolis% that leads )ractitioners to ac+uire skill in the
)ractice of subli%ation$ As one *o"i said, ,hat need have ( of an outer
consort who have the Goddess 6/undalini 0evi7 within %eI (n &aha*ana
5uddhis%, there are two classes of scri)tures3 the sutras and the
tantras$ The sutras are the %oral and ethical teachin"s of the 4ord 5uddha
'hak*a - &uni$ The tantras are the written )ractices, %anuals in %editation
and *o"a$ 'o this book is, b* its ver* nature, a ,estern tantra$
(n this book, our %ethod will be that of the indirect )ath, usin" )otent
associative s*%bols fro% the collective unconscious, that will lead
our awareness into direct a))rehension of the Cncreate Realities that
these s*%bols re)resent, so that we can look with the E*e of Ti%e into
the E*e of Eternit*$ For it is vital to realize that s*%bols, of the%selves,
are e%)t* for%s, cu)s awaitin" the wine$ The* are the si"n)osts that indicate
the direction of our .ourne*, but not the .ourne* itself$ A s*%bol
beco%es connected to the s)iritual force it re)resents throu"h stud*
and %editation$ Part of the )ur)ose in the teachin" sections of this book
W. $. Butler, "he Magician0 ?is "raining and 2or' (London: !uarian, "#$%&, '. "().
< "ower of +lchemy
will be to infor% readers about the s*%bols used, their )ur)ose and
function$ This will fulfill the stud* re+uire%ent$ The )ractices "iven in
the book constitute the %editation as)ect, buildin" the s*%bols into the
sub.ective consciousness of the )ractitioner$ And so s)iritual force will
be united with astral for%, and the irradiated s*%bols 6visible si"ns of
inward "race7 will be ca)able of e?altin" consciousness and effectin"
trans%utation and a veritable transubstantiation$ The Conte%)lation
section of each cha)ter hel)s to link )ractitioners with the historical linea"e
of sa"es who have attained$
The Gold
The best - known i%a"e of Alche%* is the trans%utation of lead into "old$
This is both a fact and a s*%bol of so%ethin" "reater$ The abilit* to
trans%ute %etals 6and other as)ects of )h*sicalit*7 is actuall* ac+uired
throu"h the )ractice of the Art$ This abilit*, however, is onl* outwardl*
effective in brin"in" about the co%)letion of the Great ,ork$ The initial
trans%utation is that o)eration )erfor%ed b* )ractitioners u)on their
own bein", where the lead of i"norance is subli%ated into the refined
"old of illu%ination$ 5ut the work does not sto) there$ As in Eastern
teachin"s, Alche%* holds that the )h*sical bod* itself is the )roduct of
consciousness, that &ind is the creator and sustainer of for%$ The )rinci)al
alche%ical o)eration is thus to trans%ute a transient, %ortal, and
"ross bod* into a deathless, )h*sical bod* of )ure Enli"hten%ent$ 'i%ilar
to the transfor%ation the Rasa*anas undertook$
The ,estern teachin"s refer to this subli%e vehicle as the solar
bod* or the resurrection bod* 6since the risen bod* of 1esus after his
crucifi?ion is one of the best - known e?a%)les7$ (n @a.ra*ana, the sa%e
t*)e of bod* is ter%ed the rainbow bod* or the bod* of )ure bliss$ (t
is the 'a%bho"a - ka*a of the 5odhisattvas, the bod* of the hi"hest universal
consciousness, nourished and sustained b* bliss and e?)erienced
onl* in the hi"hest sta"es of %editation, absor)tion, and Enli"hten%ent$
This bod* alone )enetrates all the other vehicles, s)iritual, %ental, e%otional,
and )h*sical$ The 'anskrit ter% used in !indu *o"a, is +nandamaya -
'osa. The solar bod* inte"rates all the levels, and thus also the
or"ans and faculties of the individual, into one co%)lete whole$ (n this
)rocess of alche%ical inte"ration lies the secret of i%%ortalit*$ The solar
bod* e?ists as a seed, in potentia, within the heart chakra, surrounded
b* the rainbow halo of co%)assion$ The seed a))ears as a still, "olden
fla%e$ (n the ,est, it is so%eti%es called the solardro)$ The @a.ra*ana
te?ts call it the indestructible dro)$ (t is variousl* called the At%an, the
Christ - ,ithin, the 5uddha - #ature8 it is the 0ivine (%%anence$
4a*in" the Foundation J
The )h*sical bod* cannot )enetrate the other bodies, as *et, but is
itself )enetrated b* the other bodies$ Thus it beco%es the natural sta"e
for all s)iritual actions and decisions and the startin" )oint for all s)iritual
unfold%ent$ Qabalisticall*, it is in &alkuth that the divine )resence -
'hekinah - is revealed for the healin" of nations$ This is the
esoteric %eanin" of the co%in" of the &essiah, when That which lies
dor%ant in ever* heart beco%es full* %anifested$
"he Mythic Aym>ol hain
The association of i%a"es that we use in the )ractices of this book are
drawn fro% the Arthurian rn*thos of the Grail$ The &atter of 5ritain is
not onl* a racial stor* of the 5lessed (sles 6Great 5ritain7, it is a tale
fro% the i%%e%orial )ast, with links to all Euro)e and to the #ear and
&iddle East$ (t is )resent in the collective unconscious of all )eo)le
whose racial herita"e ste%s fro% Euro)e$ These archaic i%a"es are used
in the ,ork because the* have wei"ht in the collective unconscious
and, %ore i%)ortantl*, in the subconscious %ind of )ractitioners$ The
%odern %ental e+uivalents of archaic i%a"es such as castles or dra"ons
6sk*scra)ers or laser - bea%s7 are too recent to )roduce the chan"es in
consciousness that the old s*%bols do$
This is not )eculiar to Alche%*$ All s)iritual s*ste%s that are able to
deliver the "oods reco"nize the need to utilize ancient s*%bolis%$
@a.ra*ana, for e?a%)le, e%)lo*s s*%bolis% drawn fro% the ancient civilization
of (ndia$ (t is a fact of inner, )s*cholo"ical d*na%ics that, whenever
the %ind builds thou"ht i%a"es to re)resent eternit*, it alwa*s
draws u)on i%a"es of thin"s fro% the far )ast$
(n the Arthurian %*thos, the s*%bolis% of Ca%elot, the castles of
the Grail, Carbonek, the Cit* of 'arras, the fair* woods, the lands of wizardr*,
the s)ellbdund 4and of 4o"res, and the ,astelands, all have resonance
in ,estern culture$ Even %ore i%)ortant, however, each of these
i%a"es is also found within us$ Arthur hi%self - the once and future
kin" - re)resents that i%%ortal )art of us that lies slee)in" in a concealed
and sacred )lace - the heart of hearts$ !e s*%bolizes that soverei"n
)ower, the !i"her 'elf, who will co%e to heal the land and brin" all
into the li"ht of endless da*$ Arthur is the alche%ical %eta)hor for the
)otential of the solar bod*$
0ee)er *et, these i%a"es re)resent the %acrocos%ic ener"ies that
are likewise within us$ Clti%atel*, those forces co%)risin" the %acrocos%,
the universal nature, transcend an* cultural or historical settin"s,
.ust as the ade)ts and 'a"es, who have attained to that level of Realit*,
transcend fa%il*, societ*, race, culture, and e?ternal creeds$
47 "ower of +lchemy
The use of the Arthurian %*thos in this book does not %ean that
would - be )ractitioners %ust beco%e scholars in Arthurian lore and le"end$
(n )ractical work, we onl* use the ke* ele%ents of the %*th, the essential
s*%bols$ 5ut for those who do wish to stud* the entire arra* of
Arthurian le"ends, the writin"s of 1ohn and Caitlin &atthews will be found
invaluable, full of valuable insi"hts and suffused with s)iritual inte"rit*$
"he Magic Mirror
Those readers who are unfa%iliar with esoteric work %a* be bewildered
b* the use of detailed visualization in both the )ractical a))lications
of Alche%* and of @a.ra*ana$ The ancient science of visualization
is forei"n to our %odern %ental structures, *et we use it in fantas* ever*
da*$ !owever, the theor* and )ractice of visualization has been
confir%ed b* research and the discoveries of de)th )s*cholo"*$ (t is a
techni+ue of self - knowled"e and of the re - inte"ration of forces that are
active in our subconscious$ (t is, above all, a direct su))ort for the )rocess
of 4iberation$
'ince all is ulti%atel* consciousness, %ind 6as 5uddhist %eta)h*sics
ter%s consciousness7 is the builder of all and the source of the
illusion of se)arateness$ (t is b* the skillful use of the i%a"e - buildin" facult*
of consciousness 6i%a"ination7 that we fashion the tools for our liberation$
The sub.ectivit* of inner vision does not di%inish its realit*
value$ (t is real on its own level$ 'uch visions are not hallucinations, because
their realit* is that of the hu%an )s*che$ The* are s*%bols in
which the hi"hest knowled"e and the noblest endeavor of the hu%an
%ind are e%bodied$ @isualization is the creative )rocess of s)iritual )ro.ection,
throu"h which inner e?)erience is translated into visible for%,
co%)arable to the creative act of an artist whose sub.ective idea, e%otion,
or vision is transfor%ed into an ob.ective work of art which then
takes on a realit* of its own, inde)endent of the creator$
Alche%ical ade)ts and Tibetan *o"is build u) their s)iritual creation,
)iece b* )iece, to realize their vision$ This is not a %atter of e%otional
ecstas* or unrestrained i%a"ination, but a consciousl* directed
creative )rocess of realization in which nothin" is left to chance, and in
which there is no roo% for va"ue e%otions or confused thinkin"$
God (s and (s Not
(n e?oteric reli"ion, there is an ideolo"ical conflict between reli"ions like
1udais%, Christianit*, and (sla% that )ortra* God as a bein" and reli"ions
like 5uddhis% and Taois% which are God - free, and conceive of
4a*in" the Foundation 99
the 'u)re%e as a state - of - bein"$ This )arado? has led to %uch %isunderstandin"$
Thinkin" of the >ne Realit* as either a )erson or a state can have
)otential drawbacks$ 5ecause all i%a"es are conce)ts based on finite e?)erience,
the* have certain subconscious associations we need to undo
throu"h ri"ht reasonin"$ Conceivin" of the Absolute as a )erson carries
the i%)licit idea, in the subconscious, that so%e thin"s %a* be "iven or
withheld b* that )erson8 that so%e bein"s are favored and others are
not$ >n the other hand, conceivin" of the >ne Realit* as a state can i%)l*
that there is no )ersonal relationshi) and that *ou %ust reach (t, unaided
b* the (neffable, solel* b* *our own efforts$
This )arado? is resolved b* the esoteric core of reli"ion$ 'o%e Christian
%*stics have tau"ht that even the three )ersons of the Trinit* are finall*
absorbed into the Godhead$ The Qabalah teaches that even divinit*
6Atziluth7 is but a "ar%ent worn b* God$ (n other words, an* hu%an%ade
i%a"e of the Absolute is bound to be finite$ Those who know have
assured us that the Absolute is essential, )ure bein"ness 6there is none
other7$ Conse+uentl*, those who reco"nize (t within the%selves and unite
with (t enter into a state of )ure bein"$ The 5uddha hi%self, in the Pali
te?ts, did not refrain fro% callin" the %editative )ractice of the hi"hest
s)iritual +ualities 6love, co%)assion, s*%)athetic .o*, e+uani%at*7 a
dwellin" in God 6brah%auihara7 or the e?)erience of a divine state$ All
true 'a"es and s)iritual &asters have declared, b* word and deed, that the
Eternal is co%)assion itself, an absolute love that ensouls the universe$
Atlantis
This book %akes occasional reference to Atlantis$ (t is irrelevant for our
)ur)oses whether Atlantis had an* kind of +uantifiable e?istence$ Geolo"ical
findin"s show that there have )robabl* been +uite a few Atlantises$
For our )ur)oses, Atlantis is a %eta)hor, a s*%bol of alche%ical Art$
The true Atlantis is inside *ou, as it is inside us all$ (t is a s)iritual %e%or*,
of what the Qabalah calls the 'u)ernal Eden$ Tales of the sunken land
lost beneath the dark sea are stories and %*ths that break u)on the
shores of our surface %inds$ Atlantis is the shadow - )lace, *et also the
birth)lace of civilization$ (t is that fair land in the ,est where "ods
walked with hu%anit*$ (t is now lost to us, but re%ains forever reachable$
Atlantis is the true birth)lace and true "oal$ (t is Ruta, 4*onesse, Avalon,
the 1erusale% on hi"h, and !* - 5rasil$ (t is the sacred %ountain crowned
with the Cit* of the Golden Gates, the birth)lace of the wisdo% teachers,
of !er%es, &elchizadek, >siris, &erlin, and Quetzalcoatl$
12 Tower of Alchemy
Preparation for the 2or'
Readers will notice that, throu"hout this book, those undertakin" the
,ork are referred to as )ractitioners$ This is done to e%)hasize that this
%anual is written for those who have so%e e?)erience of this stud*, or
%ore accuratel*, those who have ac+uired skill in esoteric disci)line$ (t
is not desi"ned for students, newco%ers to the %*stical teachin"s$
'tudents need to know at what sta"e the* are eli"ible to undertake
this ,ork$ (n @a.ra*ana, before atte%)tin" the Tantras, disci)les %ust
first have ac+uired a s)iritual inte"rit*, a %oral u)ri"htness, throu"h followin"
the 'utras, the ethical teachin"s of the 4ord 5uddha that are distilled
in the Ei"ht - fold #oble Path$ (n Alche%*, would - be )ractitioners
should also have achieved a state of inte"rit*$
,estern civilization is based )ri%aril* u)on the %oral code "iven
on &ount 'inai, the Ten Co%%and%ents received b* &oses$ These laws
under)in the conduct of )ractitionerM$M This has been distilled into what
is so%eti%es called the %oralit* of the %asters, stated as a ri"ht relationshi)
to the 'ource of life and ri"ht relationshi)s to the rest of life$
The Ten Co%%and%ents also have inner, or esoteric, i%)lications related
to the Ten 'e)hiroth that are .ust as bindin" u)on those who would
receive the divine wisdo%3
9$ Thou shalt have no other "ods before &e$ /ether3 #o bein" is revered
before the )ri%ac* of the Absolute$ n initiate's dedication is
%ade to the Absolute8 all other bein"s invoked are witnesses to
that offerin"$
). Thou shalt not %ake an* "raven i%a"e$ Chok%ah3 0o not %istake
i%a"es of the %ind or of the tradition for the Transcendent >ne$
*. Thou shalt not take the #a%e of the 4ord th* God in vain$ 5inah3
The 0ivine #a%es or words of )ower shall not be used for acts that
trans"ress the Cniversal Good$
F$ Re%e%ber the 'abbath da*, to kee) it hol*$ Chesed3 'how devotion
to the thin"s of the s)irit$
A$ !onor th* father and th* %other$ Geburah3 Res)ect all bein"s as
%anifestations of the 0ivine, funda%entall* related to one another
b* the universal law of interde)endence$
lt+ou,+ t+e Sixt+ Commandment i- .adl/ tran-lated. 0t i-, in 1a2t, "3+ou -+alt not
murder," meanin, t+e 'remeditated takin, o1 li1e. ll 2reature- +ave t+e ri,+t to
-el1 4 de1en-e.
4a*in" the Foundation 9E
<$ Thou shalt not %urder$ Ti)hareth3 0o not deliberatel* kill another
bein", e?ce)t in self - defense or to )rotect others$ 0o not be a )er%itter
of evil$
K$ Thou shalt not co%%it adulter*$ #etzach3 0o not adulterate the
s)iritual life b* seekin" )ower$
N$ Thou shalt not steal$ !od3 0o not %isuse esoteric knowled"e to
steal unfair advanta"e over others$
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness a"ainst th* nei"hbor$ 2esod3 0o
not delude *ourself or others with false teachin"s or false infor%ation,
or s)eak of sacred thin"s %erel* to a""randize *our 2esodic
e"o, the lower self$
"%. Thou shalt not covet$ &alkuth3 0o not covet 6blindl* lust after7
)ossession of an*thin" in the universe$
5efore co%%encin" the direct a))lication of the )ractices in this book,
would - be )ractitioners need to be versed in the )hiloso)h* and %eta)h*sics
of the hol* Qabalah$ &ost ,estern esoteric schools use the
Qabalah, as 0ion Fortune )ut it, because of its )urit* and co%%onsense$
Alche%* is, in fact, the )ractical as)ect of the Qabalah 6as distinct
fro% the theoretical as)ects7, the %eans b* which Qabalistic
teachin"s are actuall* attained$
Paracelsus wrote, in the second cha)ter of his book, Tincture of the
Philosophers0
(f *ou do not understand the use of the a>alists and the old astrono%ers,
*ou are not born b* God for the ')a"*ric Art, or
chosen b* #ature for the work of @ulcan, or created to o)en
*our %outh concernin" Alche%ical Arts$< G%* italicsH
The e?)onents of Alche%* identified the Qabalah as the sole ke* to their
!er%etic Art b* various )ictorial devices$ The* often )ortra*ed a )air of
crossed ke*s over a tree "rowin" inside the alche%ical vessel, thereb*
si"nif*in" that, unless the Tree of 4ife was seeded and "rew within )ractitioners,
and the Qabalah was understood and actualized b* the alche%ist,
the rest was in error and therefore, useless$ Another s*%bol used to
de)ict this was a full"rown tree with a "old crown around its trunk .ust
above the roots$ The )osition of the crown on the tree coincides with
5ara2el-u-, "3in2ture o1 t+e 5+ilo-o'+er-," in t+e ?ermetic and +lchemical 2ritings
o1 Paracelsus the Great, tran-lated ./ +. E. Waite (Edmond-, W: 6olme- 5u.li-+in,
7rou', "#$8&, '. )).
9F Tower of Alche%*
where the 5uddha sat beneath the ,orld Tree when he attained enli"hten%ent$
Alche%ical treatises s)eak of the arbor )hiloso)hica that "rows
u)side down$ The alche%ist, Canon Geor"e Ri)le* describes this arbor inversu%
6inverted tree7 as havin" the root of its %inerals in the air and its
head in the earth$K To those fa%iliar with the Qabalah, the s*%bol is obvious$
The Tree of 4ife is shown u)side down, rooted in the ,orlds
Above and "rowin" downward into )h*sicalit*$ /ether, %eanin" The
Crown, is the first 'e)hira of the Tree and is therefore the root of the
Tree of 4ife$ 5* drawin" a crown above the roots of the tree, alche%ists
infor%ed viewers which Tree the* %eant$ The Qabalistic Tree of 4ife is
the sa%e as the ,orld - Tree of the 'ha%anic, !indu, E"*)tian, 'u%erian,
Toltec, and #orse traditions, also described in The C)anishads as a
tree eternall* e?istin", its roots aloft, its branches s)readin" below$ The
)ure root of the tree is 5rah%an 6the Absolute7 the (%%ortal, in ,ho%
the three worlds have their bein", ,ho% none can transcend, ,ho is
veril* the 'elf $ $ $ The s)iritual rebirth of the world starts in hu%an consciousness -
in the %ind of the alche%ist$ The Tree of 4ife "rows out of
the alche%ist's own heart, the center of his or her world$ ')readin" into
ever - new infinities, into ever - hi"her and )urer real%s, it beco%es the
Tree of Enli"hten%ent$
The funda%ental Qabalistic teachin"s that should be learned before
co%%encin" the )ractices "iven in this %anual are those re"ardin" the
Qabalistic four worlds 6in the Qabalah, a world i%)lies a )articular
%ode of 0ivine activit*7$ To this end, ( hi"hl* reco%%end the works of
D'ev ben 'hi%on !alevi, es)eciall* A /abbalistic Cniverse, The ,a* of
/abbalah, and The ,ork of the /abbaliLt$TLh e re+uired visualization
skills are those concernin" the twent* - two &a.or Arcana of the tarot$
Practitioners need to be so fa%iliar with the details of these tableau? of
the A"eless ,isdo% that the* can su%%on u) the %ental i%a"e of an*
one of the% at will$ For the )ur)oses of advanced Qabalah and Alche%*
6its secret heart7, 9 can reco%%end the deck desi"ned b* Paul Foster
Case and )ublished b* The 5uilders of the Ad*tL%A$sL a second choice,
the Rider - ,aite deck %a* serve, but it is esotericall* inferior to the Case
deck$ For the )erfor%ance of the Great ,ork, all other tarot decks, whatever
their artistic %erits, are of no use$
7eor,e Ri'le/, "Ri'le/ Revived" in 5+ilalet+e-, l2+emi2al Work-, 2om'iled ./ S.
9errow Broddle (Boulder, C:: Cinna.ar, "##8&.
ll 'u.li-+ed ./ Samuel Wei-er. See .i.lio,ra'+/ 1or 2om'lete 'u.li2ation
in1ormation.
3+e-e de2k- are availa.le 1rom mo-t meta'+/-i2al .ook-tore-. 01 /ou +ave di11i2ult/
1indin, t+em, t+e/ 2an .e ordered t+rou,+ Samuel Wei-er.
4a*in" the Foundation 9A
Throu"hout histor*, seekers for li"ht have %ade lon" .ourne*s,
under"one terrific hardshi)s, e?)ended all their wealth to learn less
than what )ractitioners followin" this book %a* ac+uire$ !erein lies the
%eans to "ain the trans)arent 1ewel of the *o"is, the 'tone of the wise,
which is the Treasure of treasures$
T!E C>#TE&P(OT(># - T!E E&E,0 TA54ET
>F !ER&E' - TR('&EG('T>'
True, without error, certain and %ost true8 that which is above
is as that which is below, and that which is below is as that
which is above, for )erfor%in" the %iracles of the >ne Thin"8
and as all thin"s are fro% one, b* the %ediation of one, so all
thin"s arose fro% this one thin" b* ada)tation8 the father of it is
the 'un, the %other of it is the &oon8 the wind carried it in its
bell*8 the na%e thereof is the Earth$
This is the father of all )erfection, or consu%%ation of the
whole world$ The )ower of it is inte"ral, if it is turned into earth3
Thou shalt se)arate the earth fro% the fire, the subtle fro% the
"ross, "entl*, with %uch sa"acit*8 it ascends fro% Earth to heaven,
and a"ain descends to Earth3 and revives the stren"th of the
su)eriors and of the inferiors$
'o thou hast the "lor* of the whole world8 therefore let all
obscurit* flee before thee$ This is the stron" fortitude of all fortitudes,
overco%in" ever* subtle, and )enetratin" ever* solid,
thin"$ 'o the world was created$ !ence were all wonderful ada)tations
of which this is the %anner$ Therefore a% ( called
Thrice - Great !er%es, havin" the three )arts of the Philoso)h*
of the whole world$ That which ( have written is consu%%ated
concernin" the >)eration of the 'un$l:
l:&an* *ears a"o ( received a co)* of this translation of "he $merald "a>let fro% a
course called Tarot Funda%entals, written b* Paul Foster Case and )ublished b*
the 5uilders of the Ad*tu% in 4os An"eles$ (t was )art of a dia"ra% de)ictin" the
twent* - two tarot ke*s and has been in %* notes ever since$ There have been %an*
translations of "he $merald "a>let over the centuries, but ( have ke)t to this translation
out of res)ect for 0r$ Case's contribution to the Great ,ork in the ;:th centur*$
All other references to "he $merald "a>let in this book co%e fro% this sa%e
source$ A sli"htl* different version of "he $merald "a>let is available in &$A$ Atwood's
!er%etic Philosophy and +lchemy 6#ew 2ork3 1ulian Press, "#;%&, )$ N$
T!E FCR#ACE A#0
T!E 5E44>,'
#ou must 'now, 7 good King, that this Magisterium
is the secret of secrets of the Most ?igh GodB
?e has confided it to ?is prophets, whose souls
?e has placed in Paradise.
- &orien the !er%it9
36E TEAC!(#G
Alche%ical books s)eak of the Great ,ork as co%)risin" two )rinci)al
sta"es, called the ,hite ,orkn and the Red ,ork$ To"ether these cul%inate
in the co%)letion, the alche%ical Gold of Attain%ent$ The ,hite
,ork is undertaken first and is focused u)on the subtle vehicle of the
soul, while the Red ,ork focuses on the )h*sical bod* itself$ 0n actual
)ractice, no work is done directl* u)on the )h*sical bod* - - e?ce)t for
rela?ation, )osture 6asana7, and breath Prana*a%a7 - because direct
concentration on the or"ans of the bod*, )articularl* on the ductless
"lands 6the )h*sical e+uivalents of the chakras in the etheric bod*7, can
easil* lead to an i%balance of the fine electrical and che%ical functions
and result in disease$ These %illions of )h*siolo"ical functions are controlled
b* the subconscious %ind$ (n the actual )ractice of Alche%*, we
use an indirect route 6throu"h the ,hite ,ork7 to %ake the necessar*
chan"es within the astroetheric bod*, so that the subconscious will )roceed
to i%)le%ent those alterations in a )erfectl* nor%al %anner as it
continuall* builds and %aintains the )h*sical bod*$ This is wh* the
%ode of consciousness fi"ured b* the 9Nth tarot ke*, The &oon, is
called the cor)oreal or incarnatin" intelli"ence in the 'e)her
9orien t+e 6ermit re'utedl/ addre--in, t+e :ma//id 2ali'+, <+alid i.n 4 =a>id, $t+
2entur/ C.E
4< "ower of +lchemy
2etzirah$ (t is this )ower of %ind that sustains e%bodi%ent$ (t is throu"h
the constructive and eli%inative functions of the cor)oreal intelli"ence
that the )h*sical bod* is "raduall* transfor%ed into the deathless bod*
of a 'a"e$
The skills needed for all the )ractices which follow - the )reli%inar*
e?ercises - are divided into two cate"ories, )h*sical and %ental$ These
)reli%inar* e?ercises )recede all the other )ractices$ The* are the
"roundwork and the foundation$ Cnless the* are done well, the rest will
be of )oor +ualit* and so *ield )oor results$ !e that hath ears to hear,
let hi% hearQ
T!E PRACT(CE3 T!E RE0 ,>R/
The 4ion that swallows 'ol sa*s, ( a% he who was the "reen
and "olden lion without cares, within %e lie all the %*steries of
the Philoso)hers$
- Alche%ical %editation
The )osture ado)ted for %editation is si%ilar to that of the statues of
the "ods of E"*)t$ 'it )oised on a stool or a strai"ht - back chair, with
*our chin sli"htl* inclined toward *our chest, so that *our neck vertebrae
are strai"ht 6trained dancers and e?)erienced *o"is habituall* carr*
their heads in this %anner7$ /ee) *our thi"hs horizontal, *our le"s
vertical, *our feet 6either bare or wearin" socks7 in line with *our hi)s
and fir%l* )lanted on the floor$ 2our elbows should be at ri"ht an"les
with *our hands, restin" li"htl* on *our thi"hs$ There should be no undue
%uscular strain$ This )osture allows the forces contacted in %editation
to flow freel* throu"hout *our bod* and aura, unitin" !eaven and
Earth$
.elaxation
The abilit* to rela? at will is essential for occult work$ All %editations
should be )receded b* rela?ation$ At first, it %a* take so%e ti%e, but
)ractice will increase *our skill$ Rela?ation %akes *our bod* a clear
channel, trans)arent to the in - flowin" li"ht, and so enablin" ener"* to
flow uni%)eded$ ,hen seated in the %editation )osture, focus first
u)on *our feet$ Tense the %uscles of both feet for about four seconds,
then allow the% to rela?$
#e?t focus on the calves of *our le"s3 tense and rela?$ Continue this
)rocess u)ward throu"h *our entire bod*3 thi"hs, buttocks, abdo%en,
The Furnace and the 5ellows "#
chest, hands, forear%s, u))er ar%s, shoulders, and neck$ Tense *our facial
%uscles and scal) b* )ullin" a face, holdin" it for four seconds,
and then rela?in" the %uscles$ This fle?in" and rela?in" of %uscles frees
)ockets of ener"* that have beco%e tra))ed in *our %uscles b* tension$
C)on co%)letion of a rela?ation e?ercise, *our bod* will feel united and
)oised$
5reath
5reathin" is a vehicle of s)iritual e?)erience, the link between the )h*sical
bod* and the %ind$ (t is the first ste) in the transfor%ation of the
bod* fro% a %ore or less )assive and unconscious functionin" )h*sical
or"an into a vehicle for or tool of a )erfectl* develo)ed and enli"htened
%ind, as de%onstrated b* the )erfection and radiance of the 5uddha's
bod*$
5reathin" is an i%)ortant %eans for absorbin" the radiant ener"*
fro% the universe$ ,e are constantl* breathin"8 it is an auto%atic )rocess
under the control of the subconscious %ind 6as are all bod* )rocesses7,
*et it can be directed fro% the self - conscious level as well$ 5*
inhalation, we absorb )rana, vitalizin" ener"*8 b* e?halation, this ener"*
is distributed throu"hout our )h*sical or"anis% via the bloodstrea%$ To
utilize this ener"* to its fullest, we %ust breathe correctl*$ This does not
%ean that we have to walk around all da* focused u)on our breathin"8
in fact, that would be detri%ental$ (t %eans, that durin" %editation sessions,
we establish "ood breathin"$ >ur subconscious will take it fro%
there$ Another reason wh* we establish the )ractice of dee) breathin"
durin" %editation is to )re)are for advanced work$ 0urin" dee) %editation,
durin" trance work and astral )ro.ection, the bod* has the tendenc*
to breathe shallowl*$ 5* %akin" it a habit to dee)en our breathin"
each ti%e we )re)are to %editate, we build an auto%atic habit that will
stand us in "ood stead$
To obtain the %a?i%u% benefits fro% the air, we need to breathe
fro% the dia)hra"%, a %uscle situated below the rib ca"e in the abdo%inal
%uscles$ Re%e%ber, *ou do not have to )ull in the breath8 at%os)heric
)ressure will take care of that$ 'i%)l* )ush out *our dia)hra"%$
2our rib ca"e will e?)and and air will rush into *our lun"s$ Please do not
%ake the %istake of tr*in" an* forcible e?)ansion of the chest$ This can
cause da%a"e to fine blood vessels in the chest$ 4et the %uscles below
*our ribs do %ost of the work$ (f *ou do this )ro)erl*, *ou will feel an e?)ansion
at the s%all of *our back and at *our sides, as well as in the
front of *our bod*$ Alwa*s tr* to ensure that *ou co%%ence an* c*cle
)% "ower of +lchemy
of dee) breathin" b* first contractin" *our dia)hra"%, in order to e?)el
the old, tired air fro% the botto% of *our lun"s$
The breathin" c*cle for %editation is as follows$ E%)t* *our lun"s,
then inhale dee)l* to a count of four$ !old the breath for a count of two,
then e?hale co%)letel* to a count of four$ Retain the ti"htened dia)hra"%
for two counts, then inhale to a count of four$ This nu%bercount
should be *our own, %atched to *our lun"s' ca)acit*$ >ne
)erson's breath c*cle %a* be +uicker than another's$ 4isten to *our
breath c*cle$ (t should be al%ost inaudible$ (f *our breath c*cle is nois*,
it is not bein" )erfor%ed correctl*$ The re%ed* is to slow the c*cle
down$ >nce *ou are seated for %editation, establish this breath c*cle of
four - two - four$ >nce *ou have consciousl* )erfor%ed it for si? full c*cles
of inhalation and e?halation, then dis%iss it fro% the %ind and %entall*
%ove on to the ne?t )hase of the %editation$
'ince prana, or universal ener"*, and consciousness are linked, )rana
will follow consciousness when "uided b* concentration$ Prana "athers
where the %ind focuses$ Prana - the >ne Radiant Ener"* - is
absorbed directl* b* the heart center and throu"h the alche%ical bellows,
the lun"s$ As the blood )asses throu"h the )h*sical or"an of the
heart, it receives the radiant ener"* 6the )otable "old of Alche%*7 and
so takes it to all )arts of the )h*sical vehicle$
The Ca>alistic ross
All %editation should be )receded b* a sealin" of the sub.ective ')here
of 'ensationw - the aura$ This hel)s *ou to center and focus e?clusivel*
on the work at hand$ (t ali"ns the %editation with the !i"her 'elf$ (n the
,estern &*ster* Tradition, this sealin" is usuall* done b* e%)lo*in"
the for%ula of the Qabalistic Cross$ 4ike all %a"ical techni+ues, this for%ula
has various a))lications and "radations of )ower$ At this )oint, it
is i%)ortant to free *our %ind fro% the su)erstitious belief that esoteric
for%ulae are, in the%selves, %a"ical$ The* are not$ Consciousness itself
is the true %a"ician$ For%ulae are %erel* the tools a trained %ind e%)lo*s$
A ha%%er has no abilit* to affect an*thin" unless taken u) b* a
hu%an hand$ (n the sa%e wa*, a for%ula serves as a focus for the %ind
to achieve a chan"e in consciousness$ >nce that shift in consciousness
is stabilized 6can be entered into at will, and Realization "ained7, the for%ula
%a* beco%e redundant$ This a))lies to all the a))aratus of the
&a"ic of 4i"ht, be the* wands, swords, robes, te%)les, or schools$ (t is
essential that *ou be"in to "ras) this$ The )ur)ose of the &*steries is to
e%)ower *ou to overco%e and transcend ever* for% of li%itation, not
to e?chan"e one set of chains for another$ The Qabalistic Cross follows$
The Furnace and the 5ellows ;9
'tandin" u)ri"ht, visualize an infinite e?)anse of white brilliance
above *our head$ Raise *our ri"ht hand above *our head, and sa*3
0N 36? 6N@S, % 0NEAABLE :NE. $ $
G@isualize the brilliance concentratin" into a s)here that illu%inates the
head$ 5rin" the ri"ht hand down to touch *our forehead, sa*in"3H
GPoint *our ri"ht hand toward *our feet and i%a"ine a line of white li"ht
descendin" fro% the s)here overhead, )assin" throu"h the bod*, and
for%in" a white s)here that enco%)asses *our feet and ankles, sa*in"3H
36E <0N7@:9 $ $ $
GPoint to *our ri"ht shoulder, see the brilliance %ovin" to *our ri"ht
shoulder, and sa*3H
36E 5:WER. $ $
GPoint to *our left shoulder, see the brilliance %ovin" with *our hand
across fro% *our ri"ht shoulder in a line to *our left shoulder, and sa*3H
N@ 36E 7L:R?. $ $
GCu) both hands in front of *our heart, sa*in"3H
A:REVER $ $ $
G@isualize a"ain the s)here of white brilliance above *our head, and conclude
b* sa*in"3H
9EN.
2ou have now brou"ht the ener"* of the li%itless li"ht into the livin"
Tree of all *our sheaths 6the %ental, astral, etheric, and )h*sical bodies7$
Feel *ourself e?)anded in size, with the blazin" Cross of 4i"ht beco%in"
the a?is and e?)anse of *our bein"$ Then rest in that awareness$
,hen the %editation session is co%)leted, use this variation of the
Qabalistic Cross to seal *our aura$ 'tand u)ri"ht and visualize an infinite
;; "ower of +lchemy
e?)anse of white brilliance above *our head$ Raise both hands above
*our head and for% a cu)$ @isualize the cu) as holdin" a Grail of li"ht
above *our head and sa*3
B:VE 9? 6E@ S60NES 36? 7L:R?, % E3ERNL :NE. $ $
G0ro) *our left hand to the left side of *our bod*, kee)in" *our ri"ht
hand raised above *our head, sa*in"3H
N@ 0N 36? 6N@S. $ $
G@isualize the brilliance concentratin" into a s)here that illu%inates
*our head$ 5rin" *our ri"ht hand down to touch *our forehead, sa*in"3H
0S.. $
GPoint *our ri"ht hand toward *our feet and i%a"ine a line of white li"ht
descendin" fro% the s)here overhead, )assin" throu"h *our bod*, and
for%in" a citrine, olive, russet, and indi"o s)here that enco%)asses
*our feet and ankles, sa*in"3H
36E <0N7@:9 $ $ $
GPoint to *our ri"ht shoulder$ 'ee the brilliance %ove to *our ri"ht
shoulder, for%in" a cri%son s)here, and sa*3H
36E 5:WER. $ $
GPoint to *our left shoulder$ 'ee the brilliance %ove with *our hand,
across fro% *our ri"ht shoulder in a line to *our left shoulder where it
for%s a blue s)here, and sa*3H
N@ 36E 7L:R? $ $ $
GCu) both hands in front of *our heart, which is enfolded b* a s)here of
"old radiance, sa*in"3H
The Furnace and the 5ellows )*
A:REVER. $ $
G@isualize a"ain the s)here of white brilliance above *our head, and conclude
b* sa*in"3H
9EN.
G>nce %ore, rest in the 0ivine$H
T!E PRACT(CE3 T!E ,!(TE ,>R/
(f *ou will not clean the i%)ure bod* and %ake it white and "ive
back to it its soul, *ou will have acco%)lished nothin" in this
%a"ister*$
- .osariurn Philosophorum@
5efore co%%encin" the praxis of the Art, would - be alche%ists need to
undertake what the old te?ts call di"nification$ That is, the )re)aration
of oneself with )ra*er and )urification$ The e?ercises which follow are
)ra*er - in - action, and si%ultaneousl* )urif* the subtle ener"ies that u)
hold the )h*sical bod*$ These )reli%inar* e?ercises are "raduated and
increase in intensit*$ The* should be )erfor%ed before all other )ractices,
co%%encin" with the Qabalistic Cross, )osture, rela?ation, and
establishin" the F ? ; ? F breathc*cle$ The basic e?ercise, the &iddle
Pillar as it is known, can be found in several other books8 the best bein"
"he Art of "rue ?ealing= b* (srael Re"ardie$ ,hat follows covers that basic
e?ercise and then "ives the advanced techni+ues, which, as far as (
a% aware, have not been "iven out before$
Atage (
(%a"ine a s)here of dazzlin" white brilliance above *our head$ Then,
with an e?halation of breath, see a bea% of white li"ht descend and for%
another s)here of white li"ht at the throat area$ >n an out - breath, see a
bea% descend fro% the second s)here to establish a third in *our chest
re"ion$ Continue the sa%e )rocess to build a fourth s)here in *our
"Ro-ariurn 5+ilo-o'+orurn," in +lchemy and the +lchemists, Reu.en Swin.irne Cl/mer
(London: 5+ilo-o'+i2al 5u.li-+in, Co., "#%$&, '. "%B.
0-rael Re,ardie, "he +rt of "rue ?ealing (San Ra1ael, C: New World Li.rar/, "##"&.
@3 "ower of +lchemy
"enital re"ion, and finall* a fifth, enco%)assin" *our ankles and feet$ Cse
i%a"ination to build the intensit* of the s)heres8 allow their radiance to
)er%eate *ou$ For the rest of the %editation )eriod, bathe in the influence
of these s)heres of divine li"ht$
5uild the s)heres as before$ Focus on /ether, above *our head, and
intone3
E!E(E!
GThen focus on *our throat center and intone3H
2A!@E! - E4>!(&
G'ee the s)here beco%e )ale "ra* in color$ At the chest center, intone3H
2A!@E! - E4>A! - @E - 0A'AT!
G'ee the s)here beco%e "olden - *ellow in color$ At the "enital center,
intone3H
'!A00A( - E4 - C!A(
G'ee the s)here beco%e violet in hue$ Finall*, at *our feet center, intone3H
A0>#A( - !A - ARETD
G'ee the s)here beco%e citrine, olive, russet, and indi"o in color$ For the
re%ainder of the %editation )eriod, rest in the vitalizin" )ower of the 0ivine
4i"hts of E%anation$ Close with the Qabalistic Cross$H
Atage ;
5uild u) the &iddle Pillar in color as before, startin" with /ether and
)roceedin" down to &alkuth$ (ntone the 0ivine #a%e as *ou build each
se)hira$ This hel)s to establish it throu"h the vibratin" )ower of sound$
(%a"ine the bea% of white li"ht connectin" each of the s)heres in turn3
/ether to 0a'ath, to Ti)hareth, to 2esod, and finall* to &alkuth$
,hen the &iddle Pillar is established, return *our attention to
/ether$ ,ith an e?halation, visualize a strea% of brilliant white li"ht
)assin" down the left side of *our bod* and aura into &alkuth$ 0o this
to a %ental count of four$ For a count of two, re%ain focused at &alkuth$
Then inhale to a count of four and i%a"ine the strea% of brilliant
white li"ht )assin" u) the ri"ht side of *our bod* and aura into /ether,
which crowns *our head$ Re%ain focused in /ether for a count of two$
,ith the ne?t e?halation, re)eat as before3 out"oin" breath 6? F7 -
/ether to &alkuth down the left side8 hold in &alkuth 6? ;78 inco%in"
breath 6? F7 - &alkuth to /ether u) the ri"ht side8 hold in /ether 6? ;7$
Re)eat the c*cle until *ou have )erfor%ed it si? ti%es in all$ (t is i%)ortant
that *ou hold onto the idea that the strea% of white li"ht is
)assin" throu"h *our bod* as well as *our aura$ This will ensure that
The Furnace and the 5ellows ;A
the inco%in" cos%ic ener"* circulates throu"h all of *our bodies, subtle
and )h*sical, enhancin" the% all$
Perfor% the rela?ation and breathin" e?ercises for at least ten F ? ;
? F breath c*cles$ 5uild u) the &iddle Pillar in the colors of the Queen
'cale, intonin" the 0ivine #a%es of the 'e)hiroth$ >nce this is established,
be"in buildin" the 'e)hiroth of the 'ide Pillars$ This %a* be done
in eas* sta"es - /ether on the first da*, Chokrnah on the second da*,
and so on$ 2ou %a* find it a useful %e%or* aid to build /ether on the
first da*8 on the ne?t, /ether and Chok%ah8 the ne?t da*, /ether, Chok%ah,
and 5inah8 and so on$ 0o not add another se)hira until the )revious
ones can be for%ulated with ease$
/ether is a s)here of white incandescence 6like burnin" %a"nesiu%7
which rests on *our head and sli"htl* inter)enetrates the crown of *our
skull$ @isualize Chokrnah in )ale "ra* on the left side of *our head$ 'ee
5inah in dee)est indi"o 6or black7 on the ri"ht$ 0a'ath, colored silver,
should enco%)ass *our throat and face$ Chesed sits b* *our left shoulder
and u))er ar%, in ro*al blue, and Geburah in a corres)ondin" )osition
on the ri"ht - hand side, in scarlet$ Ti)hareth, enco%)assin" *our
heart and solar )le?us, is "olden - *ellow in color$ #etzach, in e%erald
"reen, is at *our left hi), !od, in bri"ht oran"e, on *our ri"ht$ 2esod, colored
violet, is )laced at *our "enitals$ &alkuth enco%)asses *our ankles
and feet within its four - fold coloration of citrine, olive, russet and dark
indi"o 6like 5inah7$
,hen the 'e)hiroth are established and can be called to %ind with
ease, i%a"ine the twent* - two Paths that unite the% in white li"ht$ @isualizin"
the 'e)hiroth and Paths of the Tree of 4ife can be used as a catch
e?ercise for i%)lantin" the s*%bolis% of the Tree in *our %e%or*, callin"
it u) in s)are %o%ents durin" the dail* routine$
Atage E
>nce so%e )roficienc* has been "ained in establishin" the Tree within
the aura, continue with the series of e?ercises known collectivel* as the
E?ercise of the (nterwoven 4i"ht$ These are "raduated e?ercises desi"ned
to set u) certain currents of ener"* in the s)here of sensation
6the bodies, )h*sical and subtle, and the various levels of the aura7 and
to brin" these forces throu"h into the )h*sical levels$ The first sta"e of
the (nterwoven 4i"ht was be"un )reviousl* b* drawin" ener"* fro%
/ether down the left - hand side of *our bod* and aura into &alkuth - all
on a breath e?haled to the count of four$ Then, on the inhaled breath,
@5 "ower of +lchemy
draw the ener"* u) fro% &alkuth, throu"h the ri"ht - hand side of *our
bod* and aura and into /ether$
!avin" established rh*th%ic breathin", the &iddle Pillar, and the
first sta"e of the (nterwoven 4i"ht, )roceed with the ne?t two sta"es$ Focus
on the crown center of /ether$ (%a"ine it as a ra)idl* revolvin",
whirlin" s)here of white brilliance, drawin" ener"* into itself fro% the
universe and transfor%in" it so that it beco%es available for i%%ediate
hu%an use$
,ith an e?halation, direct the white ener"* to &alkuth, down the
front of *our bod* and aura$ Re%ain focused in &alkuth for a count of
two$ Then, with an inhaled breath, let the li"ht ascend throu"h the back
of *our bod* and aura, returnin" into the crown$ Focus in /ether for a
count of two, then reco%%ence the c*cle$ This e?ercise should also be
)erfor%ed for at least si? full c*cles$
0o not be alar%ed when *ou be"in to feel )h*sical sensations like
"oosebu%)s or tin"lin"$ This is %erel* the )h*sical bod* res)ondin" to
the inflow of ener"*$ 2ou will find that this e?ercise has the effect of invi"oratin"
*ou with the vital current of life$
C)on co%)letion, rest in the resultin" sense of cal%ness, vitalit*,
and well - bein"$ Allow the life - force to nourish *ou on all levels$
Atage F
!avin" established rh*th%ic breathin" and the &iddle Pillar as before,
circulate the li"ht fro% /ether to &alkuth, down and u) the sides of
*our s)here of sensation, for at least si? full c*cles$ #e?t, circulate the
ener"* fro% /ether to &alkuth, down the front and u) the back of *our
s)here of sensation, for at least si? full c*cles$ These circulations of ener"*
define the )eri%eters of the alche%ical vessel, the aura$
Focus on &alkuth and visualize white li"ht, in a broad band, ascendin"
in a s)iral$ (%a"ine the s)iral risin" fro% beneath *our ri"ht foot,
)assin" behind *our left calf, around and across *our ri"ht thi"h, and so
on$ This results in a s)iral of white li"ht arisin" in a clockwise direction
fro% &alkuth to /ether$ The s)iral should enfold the entire s)here of
sensation 6aura and bod*7 within its white brilliance$ Cse the lines of
descent and ascent fro% the first two sta"es of the (nterwoven 4i"ht e?ercise
to "ive *ou a sense of the ovoid of the aura, about which the
risin" s)iral coils$ 4et the s)iral rise while inhalin" to a count of four$
Focus in /ether for a count of two, then i%a"ine ener"* strea%in" fro%
/ether directl* to &alkuth, for an e?haled count of four$ Focus u)on
&alkuth for two, then cause the s)iral to ascend to /ether on a count of
The Furnace and the 5ellows ;K
four$ Perfor% this e?ercise for at least si? full c*cles$ ,hen co%)leted,
"entl* dwell in the ovoid of white li"ht, the sub.ective auric s)here of
sensation$
,e now co%e to the core )ractice of the (nterwoven 4i"ht e?ercises,
the Fountain 5reath$ To )erfor% the Fountain 5reath, first co%)lete
the )roceedin" sta"es of the (nterwoven 4i"ht e?ercise, then focus
consciousness on the crown - center of /ether$ ,ith an exhaled breath, to
a count of four, /ether is i%a"ined as a fountain of )ure white brilliance
that out)ours an incandescent torrent throu"h *our entire bod* and
aura, where it )ools in the &alkuth center at *our feet$ The attention is
held focused at &alkuth for a count of two$ Then, with an inhaled
breath, counted as four, a colu%n of white li"ht tin"ed with rainbow ascends
fro% &alkuth, throu"h 2esod, Ti)hareth, 0a'ath, like a colu%n of
li"ht, into /ether the Crown8 where the focus is held for a further count
of two$ ,ith the ne?t e?halation, /ether fountains the white brilliance
a"ain, down into &alkuth, )ause, and with the inhalation the radiant colu%n
a"ain ascends throu"h the &iddle Pillar back to the /ether$ This is
continued 6at this )oint7 for ten c*cles$ (srael Re"ardie sa*s of the ener"*
6which is haiah, the life - ener"* of the 4i%itless 4i"ht7 brou"ht into
us b* this )ractice3 The force of life is infinite8 we are saturated, )er%eated
throu"h and throu"h with this s)iritual force, this ener"*$ (t constitutes
our hi"her self, it is our link with Godhead, it is God within us$
Ever* %olecule of our )h*sical s*ste% is soaked with the d*na%ic ener"*
of this force8 each cell in our bod* contains it in abundance$ $ ."8
Atage A
@isualize the 'e)hiroth of the 'ide Pillars within *our s)here of sensation$
'ee the% as for%ed of brilliant white li"ht$ Cse the i%a"e of a li"htnin"
flash to hel) *ou establish, weavin" the% into the alread*
established s)heres of the &iddle Pillar thus3 /ether, Chok%ah, 5inah,
0a'ath, Chesed, Geburah, Ti)hareth, #etzach, !od, 2esod, and &alkuth$
Each da*, will one of the 'e)hiroth to radiate in the color scale of
5riah 6the Queen 'cale7, intonin" the 0ivine #a%e of the se)hira to tri""er
this chan"e of color3
Chok%ah, 2A!
5inah, E4>!(&
Chesed, E4
(srael Re,ardie, "he +rt of "rue ?ealing, '. 5.
)B "ower of +lchemy
Ceburah, E4>!(& - C(5>R
#etzach, 2A!@E! - TDA5A>T!
!od, E4>!(& - TDA5A>T!
Cse a chart of the Tree of 4ife to assist *ou$
'tart with /ether$ Then work on Chok%ah for two da*s, on 5inah for
two da*s, and so on$ As *ou descend the Tree, ensure that *ou %aintain
the visualization of the )recedin" se)hira in its )ro)er color$ 0o not let
it sli) back into white$ (n this wa*, b* the ti%e *ou reach &alkuth, *ou
will be able to hold the entire Tree in the Queen 'cale$
,hen *ou have acco%)lished this, %ove *our consciousness u)
and down the 4i"htnin" Flash until *ou beco%e fle?ible$ This is a "ood
foundation e?ercise for %ental a"ilit*$
Finish b* visualizin" the entire Tree within *our aura for a while$
Picture the 'e)hiroth in the Queen 'cale and the connectin" Paths in
white li"ht$ This serves as a )owerful i%a"e of inte"rated relationshi)
on all levels of bein"$ Close the session with the Qabalistic Cross$
Atage 5
,hen the )recedin" has been acco%)lished, ascend the Tree of the
5od* u) to /ether and while )erfor%in" the Fountain 5reath, s)eak with
devotion the %ost hi"h and hol* #a%e of the (neffable >ne$ ')eak it as a
%antra - ( a% that ( a%$ As *ou do so, focus on /ether for the first (
a%, on &alkuth for that, and on /ether for the second ( a%$ Gentl*
re)eat this %antra with awareness of ,ho is bein" aware of who%$ Allow
this %antra to aid *ou in "entl* shiftin" consciousness$ ,hen it
feels ri"ht, cease the re)etition and .ust 5E$
,hen *ou e%er"e fro% *our %editative state, re)eat the Fountain
5reath for another si? c*cles$ 'eal *our aura with the Qabalistic Cross
and have a "ood stretch$
Perfor% the (nterwoven 4i"ht e?ercises before all %editation sessions$
Endeavor to realize that the )h*sical bod* is not solid at all, but is
co%)osed, in fact, of trillions of )oints of li"ht 6ato%s7 with vast s)aces
in between the%$ The descendin" and ascendin" li"ht 6in the Fountain
5reath7 thus )ervades and saturates ever*thin" and the )h*sical bod*
offers no resistance to the inco%in" 4i"ht$
Atage ;
(n this sta"e we unite our own sub.ective Tree with the ob.ective &acre
cos%, of which it is a reflection$ 'tartin" fro% &alkuth, ascend the Tree
of the %aterial bod*, buildin" the 'e)hiroth in the Queen 'cale of 5riah$
The Furnace and the 5ellows ;J
Refocusin" on &alkuth, send a s)iralin" vorte? of indi"o - colored ener"*
fro% *our )ersonal &alkuth center downward into the ver* heart of the
)lanet$ (%a"e the vorte? as a cone of s)iralin" ener"*$ The )oint of the
cone is, in all cases, within *our center$ As the cone s)irals, it e?tends in
circu%ference, until it reaches the )lanetar* center and unites with it$
Fro% *our 2esod center, send a s)iralin" vorte? of silver ener"* outward
into the astral level, i%a"ined as a full autu%n &oon in a violet sk*$
Fro% *our Ti)hareth center, send a s)iralin" vorte? of "old ener"*
outward into the %ental level, i%a"ined as a blazin" noonda* 'un in an
oran"e sk*$ Fro% *our crown center, fro% /ether, send a s)iralin" vorte?
of )ure white ener"* u)ward, like an inverted cone, into the hei"hts
of !eaven$ Abide in the resultin" state of awareness$
Perfor% at least ten c*cles of the Fountain 5reath$ #otice the difference
in how *ou feel$ Then, descend the Tree of Assiah and )erfor% the
Qabalistic Cross to close down$
AFTER&AT!
These techni+ues, thou"h the* %a* a))ear si%)le, are the ke* to all
else$ (n fact, the* are the )ractices of the ade)ts$ The* constitute the Alche%ical
Fountain de)icted in so %an* )rints, in which the ,hite
Queen 6the Etheric bod*7 and the Red /in" 6the )h*sical bod*7 bathe
to"ether$ As the alche%ist Arte)hius wrote 6referrin" to the 4i%itless
4i"ht under the na%e of water of life73 This aDua vitae, or water of life
bein" ri"htl* ordered$ $ $ $ (t is the ro*al fountain in which the /in" 6'ol7
and Queen 64una7 bathe the%selves $ $ $ and the ')irit is incor)orated
with the 5od*, and %ade one with it$A The cu%ulative effect of the (nterwoven
4i"ht and Fountain 5reath e?ercises is transfor%ative$ (t is their
ver* si%)licit* that renders the% so )otent$ Res)iration, the act of
breathin", is the )ri%al %otion$ The hol* #a%e of E!E(E!, b* which the
divine is adored in /ether, is the sound of e?halation$ And so that no
reader should be led astra* into thinkin" that the )ithe?ercise is .ust for
be"inners, consider the followin"$ (n the 5ook of Revelation 6that %ost
%isunderstood te?t of the canonical 5ible7 the author describes his vision
in which he sees the twent* - four Elders who enco%)ass the 0ivine
Presence, continuously castin" their crowns down to the "round before
God and then takin" the% u) a"ain$ These Elders are the 4ords of 4i"ht
who constitute the 'u)ernal Table of &elchizadek, the Great Council - on -
rte'+iu-, "3+e Se2ret Book o1 rte'+iu-," ")t+ 2entur/ tran-lation ./ La'idu-,
The 5ritish 4ibrar* Collection$
*% Tower of Alche%*
hi"h$ 5* castin" down, and then resu%in", their crownsw - in the Presence -
these !i"h >nes continuousl* )erfor% the Fountain 5reath, so renewin"
their deathless lives$
The subse+uent )ractices in this book should alwa*s be )refaced b*
)erfor%in" the Qabalistic Cross, rela?ation, dee) and rh*th%ic breathin",
then the circulation of li"ht and c*cles of the Fountain 5reath$ There
is no further need to use the vorte?es described in the seventh sta"e$
E?)erienced )ractitioners will soon be able to tell how %an* c*cles of
the Fountain 5reath are necessar* before co%%encin" a visualization
)ractice$ At the end of a session it is also wise to )erfor% a few circulations
of the Fountain 5reath to inte"rate the ener"ies received in %editation
into the )h*sical bod* and then to !er%eticall* seal the auric
vessel b* concludin" with the Qabalistic Cross$
T!E C>#TE&P4AT(>#
(t will be hel)ful to conte%)late the followin" in the li"ht of the 9Nth
tarot ke*, The &oon, which the 'e)her 2etzirah na%es the cor)oreal, or
incarnatin", intelli"ence$
Ale?ander writes fro% Persia
That a wolf and a do" are in this field,
,hich as the 'a"es sa*,
Are descended fro% the sa%e stock,
5ut the wolf co%es fro% the east,
And the do" fro% the west$
The* are full of .ealous*,
Fur*, ra"e and %adness3
>ne kills the other,
And fro% the% co%es a "reat )oison$
5ut when the* are restored to life,
The* are clearl* shewn to be
The Great and Precious &edicine,
The %ost "lorious Re%ed* u)on earth,
,hich refreshes and restores the 'a"es,
,ho render thanks to God, and do )raise !i%$
"he 5ook of 4a%bs)rin"f
"3+e Book o1 Lam.-'rin," in "he ?ermetic Museum, +. $. Waite, ed. (?ork Bea2+,
9E: Samuel Wei-er, 9JJ97, '. )B8.
T!E !>42 GRA(4
?e is too great to >e called 1God.1? e is hidden, yet o>vious everywhere.
?e is >odiless, yet em>odied in everything.
"here is nothing that ?e is not. ?e has no name, >ecause all names are
?is name. ?e is unity of all things, so we must 'now ?im
>y all names and call everything 1God.1
- !er%es - Tris%e"istosl
T!E TEAC!(#G
The +uest for the !ol* Grail has lon" been a s*%bol of )ro"ressive unfold%ent
u)on the s)iritual )ath$ The attain%ent of the Grail re)resents
the Grail - winner's freedo% fro% death and rebirth 6as, for e?a%)le, Galahad's
translation to the C))er ,orlds7 and ac+uirin" the abilit* to heal
all ills 6as in the healin" of the wounded Fisher - /in" b* Parsifal and 4ancelot7$
5oth of these refer to the co%)letion of the alche%ical Great
,ork, to the Philoso)her's 'tone that confers liberation fro% the "rievous
,heel of 5irth and 0eath$ 6(n so%e ro%ances, the Grail is described
as a stone, not a chalice, and, in 5uddhist %*tholo"*, it is referred to as
the ,ish - Fulfillin" 1ewel, the )earl of "reat )rice sou"ht b* the 0ra"on$7
The* also refer to the )roduction of the medicina catholica, the universal
%edicine that heals all disease$ 5oth the +uest for, and the
winnin" of, the Grail are %eta)hors for the "ras)in" of the Quintessence$
This is the realization of the ori"inal substance of creation, the
Prima Materia, the alche%ical First &atter, which in 'anskrit is called
+'asha, %eanin" the %i?in" bowl of the ele%ents$
?ermes - "rismegistos in "imothy Ere'e and Peter Gandy, "he 2isdom of the Pagan
Philosophers !&oston0 "uttle, 9JJN7, )$ 9N$
*) "ower of +lchemy
Four s*%bols are )rofoundl* linked to the Grail %*ster*3 the lance,
the sword, the cu), and the stone$ The* re)resent, res)ectivel*, the Air
of the ,ise, the Fire of the ,ise, the ,ater of the ,ise, and the Earth of
the ,ise$ The continuous inter)la* of these s*%bols indicates the )resence
of the First &atter - the Quintessence - within and between each of
the four ele%ental %anifestations of s)irit$ And ')irit is the center - the
still, di%ensionless )oint - - of each of the four ele%ents of the ,ise$ The
se+uence is3 Akasha, air8 Akasha, fire8 Akasha, water8 and Akasha, earth$
(n the sa%e wa* in tarot, the Fool card 6assi"ned to the Quintessence7
)recedes, in di"nit*, and se)arates each tarot card, as the %athe%atical
value of zero 6:7 )recedes and se)arates each nu%ber in the se+uence,
6e$"$, :, 9, :, ;, :, E, :, F, :, etc$7$ This is wh* those )h*sical locationswhere
the do%ain of one %anifest ele%ent "ives wa* to another - are
)laces of )ower3 seashores, hills or %ountainto)s, stea%baths and
cere%onial fires$ The* re)resent the inter%ediate state between the two
ele%ents - the Quintessence$ (n the si"n of the )enta"ra%, the four trian"les
of the five - ra*ed star are also assi"ned to the ele%ents while the
a)e? trian"le re)resents the Quintessence, as the rulin" )ower$ The fact
that a )enta"ra% can be drawn without takin" the )en off the )a)er
shows the interde)endence of the four ele%ents, and their utter de)endence
for e?istence u)on the First &atter$ (n the Quintessence alone resides
the true rulershi) of the ele%ents$
The evocative )ower of the Grail +uest has been an ins)iration for
beaut*$ (ts %*ster* has been celebrated in )aintin", scul)ture, and ta)estr*,
in literar* ro%ances, )oe%s, and %usic$ The )ro%ise enshrined in
the Grail s*%bol and its central rede%)tive %otif has ins)ired writers,
bards, and artists throu"hout the centuries to )a* ho%a"e, throu"h
their art, to the Cu) of Cu)s$ (t s)eaks to the dee)est )art of hu%an nature -
an irrational, *et ever - )ersistent lon"in" that "ood shall )revail,
that life is eternal$ As each new reli"ion has arisen, it has sou"ht to re)
resent the Grail in ter%s of its own fra%ework$ 5ut the Grail transcends
the% all, belon"s to the% all, holds the% all$ (t s*%bolizes the realit*
that ')irit nourishes and u)holds ever*thin", that the universe is eternall*
bein" created and sustained$
&acrocos%icall*, the Grail is the "reat s)irit bowl that contains the
totalit* of e?istence$ (t is the universal chalice held in the sacred hands
of the Eternal$ (t is the &irror of Tetra"ra%%aton and the scr*in" - bowl
of creation wherein God beholds God$ 5ut because the Eternal )ervades
all that is and is all that is, the %acrocos%ic Grail is the Neschamah, the
0ivine 'oul attributed to the third 'e)hira, 5inah, s)here of the Great
&other 6hence the recurrent i%a"er* of "oddesses and %aidens bearin"
The !ol* Grail EE
the Grail7$ Thus, the 0ivine's >%ni)resence is also attributed to 5inah$
The @iewer and the vision are not se)arate, but one3 ( declare &*self
b* seein"$ !ere we touch u)on a %*ster*, one of those a))arent )arado?es
that )ervade the teachin"s of the a"eless wisdo%$ The* are
called %*steries because the* seek to e?)ress s)iritual realities that
transcend reason and for% - fettered %entation, *et are li%ited and sub.ect
to %isre)resentation b* our ver* need to use lan"ua"e and i%a"er*
founded on sense - based e?)erience$ The Grail and what it contains are
the sa%e$
(n the %icrocos%, in the hu%an bein", the Grail s*%bolizes the Ruach,
the !i"her 'elf or i%%ortal s)irit, called, in so%e traditions, the hol*
Guardian An"el$ This individuated as)ect of the >ne 4ife "ives rise to our
sense of ( - ness, our individualit*, the useful illusion of se)arateness$ Cntil
we "ain conscious awareness of this as)ect of ourselves, it also "ives
rise to the illusion of se)arateness fro% the All$ >ur s)irit is the "rail for
the 0ivine 'elf of the 'elf, that which alone is trul* real, trul* eternal$ (n
Qabalah, this is called the 2echidah, %eanin" the uni+ue and indivisible,
and assi"ned to /ether$ >n the e?tended Tree of 1acob's 4adder, s)irit is
of the world of 5riah and 2echidah of Atziluth$ 5ut Atziluth inter)enetrates
or indwells the u))er face of 5riah and is held within a s)iritual
sheath$ 5* resonance, ')irit 65riah7 interfaces with 2etzirah, the real% of
the )s*che or soul$ !ere we need to re%ind ourselves that, when dealin"
with %andalas - sacred dia"ra%s - like the Tree of 4ife, above e+uals
within$ 'o when we s)eak of 2echidah bein" at the hi"hest level, in
Atziluth, we also %ean at the %ost interior level of a hu%an bein"$ As
1ose)h Ca%)bell, the well - known %*tho"ra)her, )ut it, At *our dee)est
identit* *ou are one with the Transcendent$R
(n %ost of us, these hi"her as)ects of hu%an unfold%ent, subsist as
latent )otential, like a seed that has *et to co%e into "rowth, flower, and
fruita"e$ This is what the alche%ical student, Tho%as A+uinas, called
latens 0eitas and what the ,estern %*steries ter% the God - ,ithinn or
Adonai (nterna$ The )ur)ose of the Great ,ork is to s)iritualize the
)h*sical bod* so that the !i"her 'elf %a* full* %anifest on Earth$ This is
the awakenin" of a 5uddha or a Christed >ne$ (t is the inner %eanin" of
the Qabalistic )ra*er3 &a* the !ol* >ne be restored unto !is thronewto
hu%anit* in !is fullneLs$L
9oseph amp>ell and the Power of Myth with &ill Moyen mew #or'0 Mystic Eire -ideo,
"#B#&, videocassette.
* +ryeh <a'lan, "he Aepher #et8irah por' &each, M$0 Aamuel 2eiser, 4::=).
*8 Tower of Alche%*
!owever, we work with thin"s as the* are and in %ost of us the 0ivine
is latent )otential$ This state of affairs is )ortra*ed b* the 9Fth tarot
ke*, Te%)erance, which takes its na%e fro% the )rocess of te%)erin"
%etal in fire$ The an"el on the card, Archan"el &ikael 6&ichael7 of Ti)hareth,
is shown en"a"ed in the Great ,ork$ The "e%atria of the na%e
&ikael is 9:9, the sa%e nu%ber as for Aben - Gedulah, %eanin" a
"reat 'tone$ &ikael )ours water u)on the lion of fire and i"nites the ea"le
of water with a burnin" torch$ ,hen the work is near co%)letion, the
lion beco%es the 5lue ')hin?, shown in the tarot ke* 9:, The ,heel of
Fortune, which understands the riddle of hu%an destin*$ The ea"le will
beco%e the fier* )hoeni? that renews its deathless life b* fire$ The Archan"el
has one foot u)on land and one in a )ool of water$ The real% in
which the Archan"el has his )lace is 5riah$ This is indicated b* the "old
sk* overhead, the real% of endless da*$ The )ool si"nifies the water*
world of 2etzirah and the hu%an )s*che, into which the Archan"el has
)laced a toe$ This teaches us )ictoriall* that the !i"her 'elf is )resent in
the heart of the soul, as 5riah inter)enetrates 2etzirah, and is )resent
within it$ The toe of the !i"her 'elf is a )oetic i%a"e for the (%%anence
within our subtle bodies$
,ithin the center of the subtle bodies 6of 2etzirah7, resides what
so%e traditions call the solar dro), )erceived b* so%e as a dro) of
%olten "old and b* others as the stead* ta)erin" Fla%e of a la%) in a
windless )lace$ (n Tibetan *o"a, this is called the indestructible dro)
6&i "shi"s )aK thi" - le7 and, like the seed ato% of theoso)hical literature,
it is that which )ersists fro% incarnation to incarnation, the nucleus
that "rows the vehicles necessar* for incarnation$ This is the (nner
4i"ht, the 0ivine (%%anence$ (t is the "er%, the )otential seed fro%
which "rows the incorru)tible solar bod* that is the "oal of the Great
,ork$ (n Rosicrucian lore, it is referred to as "raniu% in )ectoris 1esu, a
seed in the breast of 1esus, the esoteric realit* behind the i%a"e of the
'acred !eart in Christian icono"ra)h*$ (t is in the central stillness of this
)lace, the cave of the heart, that the @oice of 'ilence 6'habda - 5rah%an,
the son" of the Absolute7 is heard$ And it is the turnin" about of consciousness
to this, the indwellin" God, that constitutes true %*stical
conversion$ (n the s*%bolis% of the Rose - Cross, this li"ht of i%%anence
is de)icted as a sin"le dro) of dew restin" u)on the heart of the rose, refractin"
the li"ht of the ,hite 'un of 'u)re%e Consciousness$
(t is a wellestablished fact that when advanced *o"is and ade)ts die
their vacated )h*sical bodies show no si"n of deco%)osition or deca*
The !ol* Grail EA
for at least three da*s$ The bod* retains its u)ri"ht )osture and the skin
re%ains su))le$ Ri"or %ortis is not )resent, and a war%th is detectable
in the re"ion of the heart$ ,hen this war%th ceases, usuall* after three
da*s, the vacated bod* colla)ses and the usual si"ns of death a))ear$
This 0ivine Presence within the heart, is the true Grail$ The +uest is
the realization and %anifestation of the !ol* Grail$ (t is what is %eant b*
the co%)letion of the Great ,ork of Alche%*, is called in the E%erald
Tablet the ,ork of the 'un$ The "e%atria of 'he%esh, !ebrew for
sun, is <F:, the sa%e as for kos tankhu%i%, the cu) of consolation
6used in the ;Erd Psal% as3 Thou anointest %* head with oil8 %* Cu)
runneth over$ $ $7$
(n the Qabalistic %odel we are usin", the Grail a))ears to be fashioned
fro% different substances in each of the 'e)hiroth of the &iddle Pillar$
5ut, as The E%erald Tablet states3 All thin"s are fro% >ne Thin" all
substances are fashioned fro% the First &atter$ (n &alkuth, the Grail is
for%ed of iron 6not lead, for reasons that will beco%e clear later78 in 2 e
sod, it is fashioned of silver, in Ti)hareth of "old$ (n 0a'ath it is carved of
cr*stal and in /ether, the crown, it is )ure incandescence, for cu) and
content have beco%e indistin"uishable$ (n /undalini 2o"a, the %ost difficult
sta"e is raisin" the ')irit - Fire of the dra"on to the heart center$
!ence, in %ost of the )ractices that follow, we focus u)on the "olden
Grail of Ti)hareth$ Ti)hareth is the i%a"inative intelli"ence$ (n other
words, it is the i%a"e%akin" facult*$ (%a"ination, or the abilit* to create
and )erceive i%a"es, is not confined to e?istence on the )h*sical )lane$ (t
is, in fact, a facult* of the !i"her 'elf, of the indwellin" s)irit$ (%a"ination
is our inheritance, as offs)rin" of that which drea%ed the worlds into
e?istence$ 0evelo)ed to its hi"hest )otential, as it is develo)ed in the indirect
)ath, Alche%* and the tantras - i%a"ination is the tool whereb* we
beco%e cecreators with the eternal$
The Grail a))ears in different for%s in different sacred %*ths$ ,hat
all these %*ths have in co%%on is that the hol* vessel, b* whatever
na%e, is a %eans whereb* ener"* fro% the C))er ,orlds can be held in
Assiah, the world of For% and Action$ (n Celtic lore, the Grail is the 5otto%less
Cauldron, the ,ell of Transfor%ations sacred to the "oddess
Ceriddwen$ (t is the &oon 5owl of lost Atlantis$ (t is the Ark of the Covenant,
the throne of the 'hekinah, ke)t in the &osaic tabernacle and the
"reat te%)le of 'olo%on$ The Grail was the chalice of wine brou"ht b*
&elchizadek, kin" and )riest of the &ost !i"h, who initiated Abraha%
into the Qabalah and who, accordin" to the 'e)her 2etzirah, tau"ht hi%
E< Tower of Alche%*
the ver* sa%e alche%ical )ractice that is bein" offered in this book$ The
Grail was the cu) used b* 1esus at his last su))er 6si%ultaneousl* the
first Eucharist7$ Accordin" to tradition, this cu) was carved fro% the
e%erald of 4ucifer's diade%, which he lost when he was cast out of
heaven for the sin of )ride$
#or is the s*%bolis% of the Grail confined to &iddle - Eastern and
Euro)ean %*sticis%$ The followin" 1ataka 6a le"end of the Tatha"ata7
describes the ori"in of the Chalice of 5uddha3
Then fro% the four lands ca%e the Four Guardians of the ,orld
who offered chalices %ade of sa))hire$ 5ut 5uddha refused
the%$ A"ain the* offered four chalices %ade of black stone
6%u""auanna7 and he, full of co%)assion for the four wise %en,
acce)ted the four chalices$ !e )laced one inside the other and
ordained, '4et the% be oneQ' And the ed"es of the four chalices
beca%e visible as outlines$ All the chalices for%ed one$ The
5uddha acce)ted food in the newl* for%ed Chalice and, havin"
)artaken of the food, he offered thanks$
The 5lessed >ne then sa*s to the Four Guardians who brou"ht the four
cu)s3
Pa* th* res)ects to 5uddha in the na%e of the Chalice, and the
Chalice shalt be to thee as a vessel of knowled"e$
(f thou wilt offer the Chalice to th* )eers, thou will not re%ain,
either in %e%or*, or in .ud"e%ent$
5ut he who offers the Chalice to the 5uddha, wi(( not be for"otten
either in %e%or* or in Lisdo%$L
(n Tibetan @a.ra*ana, the e+uivalent of the Grail is the Tse - bu%, the sacred
vase that contains the eli?ir of life, whose lid is orna%ented with a
fan of )eacock feathers$ (t is held b* the 5uddha A%ita*us 6Tibetan3
Tse)a%+, 4ord of Eternal 4ife$ 5uddha Arnita*us is the tantric as)ect of
the better - known A%itahba, the 5uddha of (nfinite 4i"ht$ 6This correlation
between life and li"ht is vital in alche%ical and *o"ic )ractice$7 (n
%an* tantras, both of these buddhas are assi"ned the An"hata chakra,
the heart center$ (n tantric initiations 6abisheka7, a re)lica of the Tse -
Nicholas .oerich, Erom the ?eart of +sia0 Memoirs hm the ?imalayas !.ochester,
V3: (nner "raditions, "##%&, '. "%B.
The !ol* Grail EK
bu% is used, and the actual act of e%)ower%ent occurs when the "uruinitiator
)laces it u)on the candidate's head, u)on the thousand - )etaled
crown 6'ahasrcira - Pad%a chakra7$ The )lacin" of the Tse - bu% u)on the
to) of the head is hi"hl* si"nificant, because, in the @a.ra*ana cere%onials,
the skull cu), held b* deities in their wrathful as)ect, also contains
the life - "ivin" eli?ir that is the nectar of the Gods, literall*, the
deathless ones$ The cr*stal skulls of &eso - A%erica and elsewhere also
s*%bolize this )articular teachin"$
(n the te%)le of the hu%an bod*, it is the skull that holds the alche%ical
'tone, the .ewel of the *o"is$ ,hen the 'tone has been successfull*
confected 6%anifested in the )h*sical bod*7, it causes the
a%brosia of 5liss 6another ter% for the eli?ir or nectar7 to fill and be"in
to trans%ute the bod*$ For, when hi"her states of consciousness are
attained and stabilized, subtle chan"es occur in the co%)osition of )ractitioners'
bloodstrea%s$ This )heno%enon occurs well before the co%)letion
of the Great ,ork and is one of the si"ns of )roficienc* in
/undalini 2o"a, a fruit of attain%ent fro% arousin" the 0ra"on$
(n the #ew Testa%ent, /undalini is referred to as the Paraclete, the
!ol* ')irit, who is the 4ord, the Giver of 4ife$ The )lanetar* reservoir
of /undalini is ter%ed the 4aborator* of the !ol* ')irit and initiation
as the work of the !ol* ')irit$ !ence, 1esus' +uestion takes on dee)er
i%)ort, /now *e not that *e are te%)les of the !ol* ')irit and that the
Power of the &ost !i"h dwells within *ouI The hu%an bod* is the te%)le,
and the heart is the te%)le's sanctuar* 6literall*, hol* )lace7$ 5ut
the Ad*tu%, the te%)le's !ol* of !olies, is the )ineal "land, the rudi%entar*
third e*e$ The 'tone is confected in the )ineal "land b* the
')irit - Fire of Chok%ah and so the favorite na%e that the old alche%ists
awarded the%selves was )hiloso)hers, the lovers of ,isdo%$
&ount &eru, which crowns the world - a?is in both !indu and 5uddhist
cos%olo"*, is "eo"ra)hicall* &ount /ailas in Tibet$ The rivers
Gan"es and 5rah%a)utra have their source at the foot of this solitar*
)eak$ To !indus, &ount /ailas is sacred to 4ord 'hivO )atron of *o"a
and "od of transfor%ation$ To 5uddhists, &ount /ailas 6Tibetan, /an" -
Ri%)och", The 1ewel of the 'nows7 is the center of the %andala of the
deit* 0e%cho" 6'anskrit, &ahdsukha7, the %editational deit* of hi"hest
bliss, of su)re%e ha))iness$ &ount /ailas is sha)ed like a skull and is
the Ad*tu% of the )lanetar* %icrocos%$
(n the first &a.or Arcana of tarot, the card of The Fool, the fi"ure is
crowned with a laurel wreath 6laurel is sacred to the 'un7 to indicate
s)irit's victor* over all$ This laurel wreath consists of ;; leaves, one for
*B "ower of +(cherny
each of the shinin" Paths on the Tree of 4ife, whose leaves are for the
healin" of the nations$ (n the final &a.or Arcana of tarot, the card of The
,orld, the central fi"ure who s*%bolizes cos%ic consciousness, or the
hi"hest bliss, dances within an elli)se for%ed b* the sa%e laurel wreath$
The enli"htened sa"e is one who has attained cos%ic consciousnesswho
is a fool as the world .ud"es thin"s - and is free fro% the illusion of
se)arateness, liberated fro% all a))earances and li%itations$ !avin" realized
that the >ne (dentit* is both uni+ue and indivisible, the sa"e
dances to 'hi'r - 2ehouah, the unendin" 'on" of the >ne Realit*$
T!E PRACT(CE
All )ractices should be )receded b* )erfor%in" the Qabalistic Cross and
the Partin" of the @eil %udra$ Then, seated in the )osture, co%%ence
*our rela?ation and establish *our breathin" )attern of F?;LF5$ uild u)
the Tree of 4ife in the Queen 'cale of 5riah, i%a"inin" it as )er%eatin"
*our )h*sical bod* and aura$ Then )roceed to the (nterwoven 4i"ht e?ercises,
cul%inatin" in the Fountain 5reath, which should be )erfor%ed
for at least ten full c*cles$ Abide for a little ti%e in the ener"ies, then
)roceed with the )articular sta"e of )ractice bein" undertaken$
Focus u)on *our "olden - *ellow s)here of Ti)hareth, then, inside it,
visualize the Round Table, so%e si? inches in dia%eter$ 'ee it as indi"o
in color, a dee) violet - blue like the color of the sk* at ni"ht$ The surface
of the table is divided into twelve se"%ents, like a horosco)e chart$ The
lines of division u)on the indi"o table are of silver$ (n each se"%ent,
near the ri% of the table, shines a s*%bol of one of the twelve si"ns of
the zodiac$ These zodiacal s*%bols are "old$ The si"ns follow their usual
se+uence, fro% Aries to Pisces, arran"ed counterclockwise around the
table 6see fi"ure 9 )a"e *#&. At the e?act center of the Round Table,
where the silver lines conver"e, shines an ob.ect$ (t is covered with a
"auz* veil of white sa%ite 6silk or satin7$ Throu"h this veil *ou can discern
a chalice of "old$ (t is the !ol* Grail$
,hen *ou feel read*, b* an act of definite - *et "entle - intention,
)ro.ect the table and the Grail out of *our sub.ective Ti)hareth center
until it is so%e si? feet awa* fro% *our )h*sical bod*$ As this co%)osite
i%a"e is )ro.ected it "rows and e?)ands until it is life - sized$ As the i%a"e
stabilizes, twelve carved chairs a))ear before each se"%ent of the
table$ These are the hi"h sie"es of the Table Round$ &entall* a))roach
the table$ 2ou will find that the sie"e nearest *ou is that of *our natal
'un si"n, the si"n of *our s)irit$ 'it on the chair at this se"%ent of the
The !ol* Grail EJ
table, with *our back to *our )h*sical sheath, so%e si? feet behind *ou$
Place both hands - one on either side of the "old zodiacal e%ble% - - on
the table's surface$ As *ou do so, the zodiacal s*%bol will li"ht u)$
Gaze u)on the veiled Grail, bathe in its "olden radiance, and conte%)late
its s*%bolis% in the li"ht of the teachin" that has been i%)arted$
5rin" to %ind the knowled"e that, as a s*%bol of Ti)hareth, the Grail
%ediates "race and blessin" fro% Above$ Ti)hareth is the heart of the
Tree of 4ife8 it receives, har%onizes, and i%)arts the influences of all the
'e)hiroth e?ce)t &alkuth$ Ti)hareth has various titles assi"ned to it3
5en 6'on7, *our !i"her 'elf as a ra* of the divine li"ht of 2echidah8 and
&elekh 6/in"7, *our s)irit is the true and %i"ht* ruler over all %anifestations,
both in *our )ersonalit* and in *our environ%ent$ The Grail's
)resence affir%s that, in truth, *ou are one with all$
(t is this conte%)lation of the Grail as the s*%bol of Ti)hareth that
will %a"netize or e%)ower it for *our future work$ This is the %eans
whereb* the s*%bol's for% is united with the realit* it re)resents$
Fi"ure 9$ The )ractitioner's )ersonal sie"e - that of the natal 'un si"n - is to
the west, facin" east be*ond the Grail$
8% "ower of +lchemy
,hen it feels a))ro)riate, rise fro% *our sie"e and withdraw back
into *our )h*sical bod*$ Then, b* an act of definite - *et "entle - intention,
draw the table and Grail toward *our bod*$ (t shrinks as *ou do so,
until it is about si? inches in dia%eter, and then beco%es a )oint of li"ht$
,ithdraw it back into sub.ectivit*, within the Ti)hareth center of *our
heart$ &ake the Closin" of the @eil %udra to si"nal to *our subconscious
%ind that the levels are now distinct$ A few %ore Fountain 5reaths at
this )oint will hel) to circulate the ener"ies$ Then rise and )erfor% the
Qabalistic Cross once %ore to seal *our aura$ 'ta%) *our feet to assert
*our incarnate )ersonalit* and have a "ood stretch$ This hel)s incor)orate
the influences received in %editation into *our )h*sical bod*$ Then
write *our record before the finer, subtle details fade fro% %e%or*$
AFTER&AT!
'even da*s or so should be sufficient in %ost cases for this )ractice,
but this de)ends on the clarit* of the thou"ht - for%, how real *ou can
%ake the i%a"e of the table and Grail$ 2ou %a* use )art of this )ractice
as a catch e?ercise to develo) the i%a"e's clarit*$ At an* ti%e *ou like,
*ou can +uite safel* focus u)on *our Ti)hareth center and see within it
the i%a"e of the Round Table and the Grail in %iniature$ 2ou can use
this overview - re%e%berin" that, with i%a"ination, it is eas* to %a"nif*
*our view - to build u) the i%a"e and its details$ Endeavor to feel the
table's solidit* and the te?ture of its surface$ The %ore we can utilize
our inner senses, which e+uate to 6and are in fact the ori"inatin" causes
of7 our five )h*sical senses, the clearer and the %ore )otent our work
will be$ (t is the onl* wa* to en"a"e the active )artici)ation of the
subconscious$
T!E C>#TE&P4AT(>#
Therefore the knowled"e and )ower %a"ical $ $ $ slee)s since the
knowled"e of the a))le was eaten8 and so lon" as this knowled"e
6which is of the flesh and blood, "ross and %aterial, belon"in"
to the e?ternal %an and darkness7 flourishes, the %ore
noble %a"ical )ower is l*in" dor%ant$ $ $ $ Therefore we establish
this )oint, vi8. that there is inherent in the soul a certain
%a"ical virtue Gener"*H $ $ $ naturall* )ro)er and belon"in" to
her Gthe soulH, inas%uch as we are his i%a"e and en"rave%ent8
The !ol* Grail F9
and in this res)ect she acts also in a )eculiar %anner $ $ $ and
that %ore )owerfull* than b* an* cor)oreal assistance$ $ $ $
,hich )ower, %an is able, b* the Art of Cabala GQabalahH, to
e?cite in hi%self at his own )leasure, and these, as we have before
said, are called Ade)ts$ $ $ $
GA999 the s)irits, and as it were the essences of all thin"s, lie hid
in us, and are born and brou"ht forth onl* b* the workin", )ower,
and )hantas* Gfantas*, %eanin" the trained i%a"inationH of
the %icrocos%$
5ut the reason wh* e?orcis%s, con.urations, char%s, incantations,
etc$, do so%eti%es fail of their desired effect, is because
the une?cited %ind, or s)irit of the e?orcist, renders the words
dull or ineffectual$
Therefore, no %an can be a ha))* or successful %a"ician, but
hi% who knows how to stir u) the %a"ical virtue of his soul, or
can do it )racticall* without science$
The &a"us
- Francis 5arrettA
Aran2i- Barrett, "he Magus (?ork Bea2+, 9E: Samuel Wei-er, "#$$&, ''. )* 4 )8, )BC
material added in .ra2ket- i- mine.
T!E C>&L(>#L
>F T!E 4(G!T
( a% alwa*s near to those with faith, and even to those
without faith, althou"h the* do not know it$ ( will never
cease to )rotect %* children with %* unendin" co%)assion$
- Pad%asa%bhaval
T!E TEAC!(#G
(n the )revious )ractice the co%)osite s*%bol of the Grail and the
Round Table were )ro.ected fro% the heart center, out of the )ractitioner's
)h*sical bod* and be*ond the aura$ This )ractice, known in older
ti%es as arisin" fro% latenc* to )otenc*, is the root techni+ue of the
,ork of Alche%*$ (t is the %eans whereb* we se)arate the subtle fro%
the "ross$ The i%a"es used are first evoked - called u) - fro% within us,
because, as reflections or holo"ra%s of the universe, we )otentiall* contain
ever*thin" that is$ This is what is %eant b* the state%ent in The
E%erald Tablet3 That which is Above is as That which is 5elow$ $ $ $ The
ter% That is used in so%e Eastern traditions as a title for the Absolute,
e?)ressin" its transcendence over an* conce)t$ (n the ,estern tradition,
the ter% is also )art of the %ost hi"h and hol* na%e of the Absolute3 "0
A% That ( A%$
'*%bolis% is the lan"ua"e of the subconscious %ind, used in drea%
and vision$ ,e have access to the entire store of s*%bols held in the collective
unconscious$ (n Qabalah, this is attributed to the astral real% of
2etzirah on 1acob's 4adder, and to the 'e)hira of 2esod on the si%)le
Tree$ (t is called the treasure house of i%a"es, As conscious bein"s, we
5adma-am.+ava, in 3imot+/ Areke, "he 2isdom of the "i>etan ,amas (Bo-ton:
"uttle, "##B&, '. *;.
FF Tower of Alche%*
are able to retrieve an* of these i%a"es and brin" the% u) to consciousness$
(ndeed, the !ebrew letter of the tarot card assi"ned to %editation,
The 'tar, is Tzaddi, which %eans fish hook$ This is a "ood i%a"e of
what occurs in this t*)e of %editation$ >ur intention for %editatin" is
the bait attached to the fish hook$ ,hen lowered into the de)ths of the
subconscious - fre+uentl* re)resented as a sea, river, or )ool - we "et a
biteQ Then we have the delicate .ob of landin" our catch$
Accessin" the s*%bol is not so difficult8 with a little )ractice, it beco%es
al%ost auto%atic$ The trouble is in ownin" the s*%bol, %akin" it
our own tool that we can utilize in the ,ork$ This is done b* broodin"
over the s*%bol, b* conte%)latin" it in the li"ht of the 'e)hiroth, so
that we invest it with the %eanin" it should have$ This is i%)ortant, because
all s*%bols, bein" of the fluidic 2etziratic level, have associated
shadows, distortions of their ori"inal s)iritual i%)ulses$ The bri"ht Castle
of Ca%elot has its dark counter)art in the sorcerous Citadel of /lin"sor8
the (nner /in"do% of 4o"res 6the Real% of the 'u%%er 'tars7 is
distorted in the i%a"e of the ,asteland$ (n this li"ht, let us now look at
the s*%bol of the Grail$
As the container for the stuff of universal life - the alche%ical First
&atter - the Grail has been the ob.ect of the +uest, for both "ood and ill$
Generall* s)eakin", hu%ans fear death$ 'o a treasure 6alread* the "reed
the%e a))ears7 that enables its )ossessor to overco%e death is hi"hl*
desirable$ There have been those who thou"ht of the Grail as a )h*sical
ob.ect and s)ent their lives and fortunes huntin" for it$ 6(t is of interest
to note here that the sa"es tell us that the First &atter is to be had for a
few )enniesQ7
>thers, hearin" that the First &atter is concentrated in the blood
have followed %ore vile routes in their +uestin"$ These foolish and often
cruel %ethods have included class and caste s*ste%s, eu"enics and
blood sacrifice$ 'ubse+uent beliefs in the so - called )urit* of blood 6in either
a )articular fa%il* or racial "rou)in"7 have cul%inated in beliefs in
su)erior %aster races, leadin" to the evils of t*rann* and "enocide$
#o stran"e breedin" )ro"ra%s, crank diets, or wa* - out asceticis%
ever )roduced the i%%ortal bod* of a 'a"e$ #o one is ever born an
Ade)t$ Eu"enics hel) not at all, for flesh and blood cannot inherit the
earth$ The First &atter is )erceived b* liberated consciousness alone,
b* )ure awareness, nurtured b* bliss and %otivated b* co%)assion$
,e have access to all i%a"es and s*%bols within the collective unconscious,
which is .ust another na%e for the astral )lane$ #ot onl* do
we have access to such i%a"es throu"h recollection, we can also create
i%a"es$ And, in a certain sense, each ti%e we brin" a s*%bol to conThe
Co%)anions of the 4i"ht FA
sciousness and invest it with %ental ener"* throu"h thou"ht, %editation,
or conte%)lation, we further e%)ower that s*%bol$ That is wh*
ancient s*%bols carr* such )ower$ This abilit* - - one we use unconsciousl*
all the ti%e - is the action of our indwellin" s)irit focusin" its
creative ener"* in ti%e and s)ace$ >nce we be"in to realize that this is a
s)iritual ener"* 6fro% 5riah, the world of Creation7, we be"in to walk in
an e?)anded universe$
(n his alche%ical treatise, "he Aalt of Nature .egenerated, Ali)ili
wrote3
!e that hath knowled"e of the &icrocos% cannot lon" be i"norant
of the &acrocos%$ This is that which the E"*)tian industrious
searchers of #ature so often said, and loudl* )roclai%ed
$ $ $ that ever* one should know hi%self$
This s)eech their dull disci)les 6the Greeks7 took in a %oral
sense, and in i"norance affi?ed it to their Te%)les$ 5ut ( ad%onish
thee, whosoever thou art, that desirest to dive into the in%ost
)arts of #ature, if that which thou seekest thou find not
within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee$ (f thou knowest
not the e?cellenc* of thine own house, wh* dost thou seek and
search after the e?cellenc* of other thin"sI The universal >rb of
the world contains not so %an* "reat %*steries and e?cellencies
as a little &an, for%ed b* God in !is own i%a"e$ And he
who desirest the )ri%ac* a%on" the students of #ature will nowhere
find a "reater or better field of stud* than hi%self$
Therefore will ( follow the e?a%)le of the ,ise, and s)eak
fro% %* whole heart, and fro% certain true e?)erience )roved
b* %e, and in the words of the E"*)tians, and with a loud voice,
do now )roclai%3 : &an, know th* 'elf, in thee is hidden the
Treasure of all treasuresw;
The Round Table
(n one version of the Arthurian %*thos, the Round Table was )art of the
dowr* of Guenivere u)on her %arria"e to /in" Arthur$ Accordin" to the
esoteric tradition, the table was built accordin" to the desi"n of the
Arch%a"e &erlin, based u)on a te%)late of one of the wisdo% - te%)les
of Atlantis$ This tradition further states that it was ori"inall* brou"ht
fro% the stars, fro% 'irius, the Tear of Fsis$ This stellar s*%bolis% is
li'ili, "3+e Salt of Nature Re,enerated," in 6er.ert Sil.erer, ?idden Aym>olism of
+lchemy and the *ccult rt- (New ?ork: @over, "#$"&, '. "(*.
8; "ower of +lchemy
reinforced b* the s*%bols of the twelve constellations of the zodiac
u)on the table's ri%$ This is the sa%e s*%bolis% found in the belt worn
b* The Fool in the first tarot card of the %a.or ke*s$ The zodiac re)resents
ti%e and s)ace, which is also the %eanin" of Eden, the "arden in
which Ada% and Eve were )laced$
(n the %*th, the Grail a))ears u)on the Table Round when the kin"
and all his kni"hts are "athered for court on the feast of Pentecost$ Pentecost,
or ,hitsun, as it is also called, occurs fift* da*s after Easter
6Christ's resurrection7 and celebrates the descent of the !ol* ')irit
u)on the disci)les when the* are "athered to"ether, in the sa%e u))er
roo% in which the* had celebrated the 4ast 'u))er with their %aster$
The 0ivine ')irit descends like ton"ues of fire$
'tars are the first condensation of 4i%itless 4i"ht, and it is throu"h
the% that the >ne Radiant Ener"* is radiated throu"hout the )h*sical
universe$ >ur star, the 'un, receives and rela*s the ener"* to the )lanets
within its s*ste%$ Reci)rocall*, but to a lesser de"ree, the ener"* )atterns
that hu%ans create throu"h their thou"hts, words, and actions,
are received b* our 'un and rela*ed out to the cos%os$ This ener"etic
e?chan"e between the %acrocos% and the %icrocos% shows that, althou"h
the %acrocos% affects the %icrocos%, the %icrocos% can, with
dedication and awareness, affect the %acrocos%$
All ener"* and for%s on our )lanet are ada)tations of solar )ower$
>ur da* star is the s*nthesis of all forces that co%)rise a hu%an bein"$
(t is a livin", conscious )ower like unto ourselves$ The ener"* radiated
b* the 'un flows throu"h our bodies and %anifests in our activities$ This
sa%e ener"* flows back to the 'un, )roducin" all the )heno%ena of hu%an
e?)erience$ Thus, there is a continuous circuit$ ,e live in the 'un
and the 'un lives in us$ The secret na%e of hu%anit* is the !eart of the
'un$
(n Qabalah, the si"ns of the zodiac re)resent the twelve s)iritual
t*)es of )erfected hu%anit*, s*%bolized b* the twelve tribes of the ')iritual
(srael and b* the twelve foundations of the celestial cit*, 1erusale%
Above, the &other of us all$ The zodiacal si"ns also relate to the
twelve sta"es of the Great ,ork$ These alche%ical sta"es and their tarot
attributions are3
Aries3 Calcination, the tribe of Gad, The E%)eror
Taurus3 Con"elation, the tribe of 'i%eon, The !iero)hant
Ge%ini3 Fi?ation, the tribe of E)hrai%, The 4overs
Cancer3 'e)aration, the tribe of Debulon, The Chariot
The Co%)anions of the 4i"ht FK
4eo3 0i"estion, the tribe of 1udah, 'tren"th
@ir"o3 0istillation, the tribe of #a)htali, The !er%it
4ibra3 'ubli%ation, the tribe of Asher, 1ustice
'cor)io3 Putrefaction, the tribe of 0an, 0eath
'a"ittarius3 (ncineration, the tribe of 5en.a%in, Te%)erance
Ca)ricorn3 Fer%entation, the tribe of (ssachar, The 0evil
A+uarius3 0issolution, the tribe of &anasseh, The 'tar
Pisces3 &ulti)lication, the tribe of Reuben, The &oon
These twelve sta"es of the Great ,ork are indicators of its )ro"ress, but,
in a certain wa*, the* occur in con.unction rather than se+uentiall*$ This
is wh* the* are re)resented b* the circle of the zodiac rather than as a
linear %odel$
The twelve sie"es, or seats, around the table also relate to the 'tarr*
,isdo%, but after another %anner$ The choir of an"els, assi"ned b*
the Qabalah to 5inah, are the +ralirn, the thrones of .uach - haim, the
5reath of 4ives$ 5* "e%atria, Arali% has the nu%eric value of ;N;$ The
di"its of this nu%ber add u) to 9;$ 5inah, the Great &other, receives the
star - seeds fro% Chok%ah, the All - Father 6s*%bolized b* the i%)re"natin"
letter 2od7 to "ive birth to all for%s$ 5inah 6astrolo"icall*, the )lanet
'aturn7, is the li%itin" or finitizin" a"enc*$ 'he "rows the for%s to receive
the 5reath of 4ives8 but the ver* substance with which the %*riad
for%s are built is also the one radiant ener"* radiatin" fro% the
starr* hosts$ ,ithout the a))ro)riate for%s 6a))aratus7, the hi"her vibrator*
scale of the li"ht could not be received or e?)ressed$ The sie"es
about the table si"nif* that those who will sit in the% have the inherent
ca)acit* to receive and e?)ress the ,isdo% of Chok%ah and the Cnderstandin"
of 5inah$
The Aepher #et8irah states that &alkuth is established u)on the
throne of 5inah$ This inti%ates that the hu%an for%, "rown in &alkuth
b* the finitizin" a"enc* of the Great &other, has the sa%e ca)acit* to
consciousl* receive the hone* of unble%ished ,isdo% and the %ilk
of life eternal$ (n one of the ancient Greek initiation rituals, candidates
are asked what their ancestral linea"e is8 the* re)l*3 ( a% a child of
Earth and !eaven alone but %* race is of the starr* heavenM$M
The Grail, co%bined with the Table Round, constitutes an esoteric
for%ula of "reat s)iritual )otenc*$ &an* occult schools and orders have
"3+e 5etelia 3a.let," in @ion Aortune, 3+e Cir2uit of Aor2e, 7aret+ <ni,+t, ed.
(Lou,+.orou,+, Lei2e-ter-+ire, D<: 3+ot+, "##B&, '. (".
FN Tower of Alche%*
built their cere%onies and %editations around this co%)osite "l*)h$ (t
is the )roto - s*%bol in 5riah that has "iven rise in hu%an histor* to the
as *et unfinished works of de%ocrac*, council circles, and the 4ea"ue of
#ations, which is now the Cnited #ations$ 5ecause these works are as
*et unfinished - in that the* are )resentl* inco%)lete and distorted reflections
of the archet*)e - this co%bined "l*)h of the Grail, with its
altar, the Round Table, is of "reat relevance still, individuall* and collectivel*3
individuall*, because it can be a )owerful )s*chic focus for our
own )ersonal inte"ration8 collectivel*, because hu%anit* is still an unfinished
work$ ,e are still in the )rocess of beco%in" trul* hu%an$
The Table and Grail "l*)h is a foreshadowin" of hu%an destin*, of
the zenith of our s)ecies' evolution$ ,hen the twelve s)iritual t*)es of
hu%anit* - the Co%)an* of 1ust >nes %ade Perfect - sit at the Round
Table of Glor*, the* collectivel* re)resent the totalit* of the 0ivine's
own conce)t of hu%anit*$ At the center of the table s)rin"s the livin" essence
of the Godhead itself, overflowin" a "reat "olden chalice, the !ol*
Grail, fro% which all at the table %a* drink and so attain conscious
union with the livin" God$
T!E PRACT(CE
Co%%ence as usual with rela?ation$ ,hen read*, )erfor% - with awareness -
the Qabalistic Cross, then the Partin" of the @eil %udra$ >nce seated,
establish the rh*th%ic breathin" c*cle$ Ascend the Tree of the 5od*,
of Assiah, and )erfor% the (nterwoven 4i"ht e?ercises$ As before, focus
u)on *our own Ti)hareth center$ Think of the sub.ective Ti)hareth - the
re"ion of *our heart, as a kind of )ro.ector 6i%a"inative intelli"ence7
used to )ro.ect a %ental i%a"e fro% latenc* into )otenc*$ #ow, as before,
b* a "entle but definite act of will, )ro.ect the %iniature table with the
veiled Grail u)on it fro% within to without$ 'ee it e?)and ra)idl* fro% a
)oint of li"ht, until it assu%es its full size so%e si? feet in front of *ou$
#ow, i%a"inativel* rise fro% *our )h*sical sheath and "o to sit at *our
sie"e a%on" the twelve seats of the Table Round$ Place *our hands u)on
the table, one on either side of the s*%bol of *our natal 'un si"n$ As *ou
touch the table's surface, the zodiacal s*%bol before *ou li"hts u)$
'ee hi"h above the Round Table a s%all sun, a solar s)here$ As *ou
"aze at it, a bea% of "olden li"ht strikes down into the Grail at the center
of the table$ - the Grail receives this out)ourin", a dee) sense of s)iritual
)ower enters the at%os)here of *our %editation, a su)er)ersonal
The Co%)anions of the 4i"ht FJ
)ower, but one that is ensouled with co%)assion$ ,hen this occurswith
the corres)ondin" e%otional reaction - *our table is contacted,
that is to sa*, the sub.ective s*%bol is linked to the ob.ective realit*$
The descendin" sunbea% is received b* the veiled chalice, si%ultaneousl*
trans%itted b* it into *our heart chakra, and radiated throu"hout
*our subtle bod*$
Focus a"ain u)on the solar s)here above$ As *ou watch, it e%its
%ore ra*s of li"ht, which ra* down u)on the re%ainin" eleven sie"es
around the table$ ,ithin the radiance, fi"ures for%, one seated on each
sie"e$ At first, the* a))ear as sha)es of li"ht, clear and trans)arent$
'oon, however, their for%s coalesce and "ain densit*, beco%in" distinct$
The* a))ear as hu%ans wearin" silver - hooded robes, with the cowls
raised to conceal their features$ These are the Fellowshi) of the Table
Round8 the* are the Great Co%)anions of the 4i"ht$ As the Co%)anions
take their )laces, the other eleven "old s*%bols of the zodiac on the table's
surface also li"ht u)$
,hen the twelve sie"es are occu)ied and the starr* si"ns are a"low,
this si"nifies that the Co%)anions have .oined *ou at the table, the altar
of fellowshi), and are united with *ou in the li"ht of the Grail$ This is not
.ust so%e )oetic %eta)hor$ This )rocess is a wonderful tele)athic workin"$
There are %an* who will take their )laces with *ou at the Table of
Cnit*$ 'o%e will still be incarnate, others will be dwellers fro% the u))er
worlds$ The* are linked to *ou in various wa*s, but )ri%aril* throu"h
the universal law of (nterde)endence3 all bein"s are %anifestations of
God$ 'o%e will have bonds of affection for *ou, for"ed in other lives and
in other ti%es$ >thers, co%)anions of *our s)irit, *ou %a* never have
consciousl* encountered before$ The* are here - true to their oaths of
service to the 0ivine - to assist *ou in *our unfoldin"$ To a de"ree, *ou
will assist the% in turn$ There is a reci)rocal as)ect to this )ractice$
#ow, "ive thanks to that fro% which all "ood thin"s co%e$ Then rise
fro% *our sie"e and return to *our )h*sical bod*$ 5* a "entle but fir%
intention, di%inish the table to a %iniature a"ain, until it is a )hoton - a
)oint of li"ht$ Reabsorb this into *our heart center$
Perfor% the Closin" of the @eil %udra and the Qabalistic Cross, descend
the Tree of the 5od*, and brin" the %editation session to an end
b* standin" and sta%)in" *our foot to assert *our )resence in %aterial
realit*$ 'tretch to absorb the ener"ies accruin" fro% the %editation into
the cells of *our bod*$ Then record *our %editation before the finer details
are lost$
A: "ower of +lchemy
T!E C>#TE&P4AT(>#
There are two t*)es of death$ >ne which is inevitable and co%%on
to all, and one which is voluntar* and e?)erienced b* the
few$ (t is the second death which the &essen"er of Allah )rescribed
sa*in", 0ie before *ou die$ Those who die this voluntar*
death are resurrected$ All the business of their lives return
to the >neness of God$ The* see God throu"h God$ As the
Pro)het said 6on hi% be "race and )eace7, 2ou will not see
*our 4ord until *ou are dead$ This is because it is throu"h this
death and resurrection that ever*thin" beco%es nothin" and
onl* >ne thin" e?ists - >ne Realit*$ For initiates, whatever will
befall a believer after )h*sical death is )refi"ured in this life$
This return of the %an* for%s of thin"s to Allah and the end of
their beco%in", is onl* a chan"e in )erce)tion not in the Realit*$
For so%eone who dies and attains resurrection, the %an* are
>ne throu"h an essential Cnit*8 and the >ne is %an* throu"h
!is %an* as)ects and their relationshi)s$
+>d +l - Kader
"imothy Ere'e, editor, "he 2isdom of Aufi Aages !&oston0 hales E. "uttle o.,
4:<:) '. 6=.
T!E !>, P4ACE
>F &EET(#G
I will build a Round Table,and around it a Hall,
and about the Hall a Castle.
- /in" Arthur Pendra"on in 1ohn 5oor%an's !caliburl
T!E TEAC!(#G
All bein"s are, to a "reater or lesser e?tent, tele)athic$ The ke* is to beco%e
aware of it$ (n fact, in trainin" %ost students in )s*chic unfold%ent,
the "reatest obstacle lies in overco%in" their )reconceived
notions of what the* think tele)ath* should be like$ Tele)ath* is older
than s)eech and trans%its feelin"s and i%a"es %ore easil* than )recise
words$ Althou"h, with trainin" and )ractice, this can be re%edied$ The
root of tele)ath* is the Pri%al Cnit* of all, the law of interde)endence$ (n
hu%ans, the chakra that "overns tele)ath* is called, b* Alche%*, the
&oon center$ (n Eastern schools, it is called the A"na chakra$ This center -
within the inner vehicles, as are all the chakras - - e+uates to the
)h*sical )ituitar* bod* situated in the brain$ The )roble%, as said, is
beco%in" aware of *our tele)athic facult*$ &ost of us are so bus* havin"
our own interior conversations that our %inds are never still or )lacid
enou"h to notice %ind s)eech fro% others$
The &oon center, the )ituitar* bod*, is situated .ust beneath the )ineal
"land 6the &ercur* center7, which re)resents the Philoso)her's
'tone$ The 'tone is so%eti%es called the 'eed of the 'un and, in sacred
art, is often )ortra*ed as a fla%in" disc$ >n the cere%onial crowns
of certain hi"h la%as, there is often shown the s*%bol of a lunar crescent,
l*in" on its back, holdin" a radiant disc$ This refers to the crownwearer's
realization of the ulti%ate nature of realit* and their abilit* to
$xcali>ur, dir. =o+n Boorman, :rion 5i2ture-, "#B", video2a--ette.
6@ "ower of +lchemy
initiate into all the sta"es of tantra, cul%inatin" in liberation$ The %ost
fa%ous e?a%)les are the 4otus Crown of the )recious Guru Pad%asa%bhava
and the -a/ra - Mu'hut, the 5lack Crown of the /ar%a)a incarnations$
Tele)ath* is ver* often the first siddha 6%a"ical )ower7 to s)ontaneousl*
unfold when a )ractitioner has realized a level of s)iritual awareness$
Alche%ical te?ts refer to it under such verbal veils as the
)ro.ection of the 'tone and also b* the na%e of the twelfth sta"e of the
Great ,ork, &ulti)lication$
Tele)athic induction is vital in the work of Those ,ho /now$ At a
)ersonal level, esoteric teachers, no %atter how skilled, are to a certain
e?tent still )roducts of their %ilieu?$ Their use of words, anecdotes, and
)arables in s)oken teachin" will reflect their cultures, social back"rounds
and life e?)eriences$ Althou"h so%e would - be )u)ils will be able to relate
to this with ease, others will find it an obstruction$ This is even %ore the
case with )ractitioners in the world$ The use of tele)ath* overco%es this$
,e %a* "ive advice out of a )ure %otivation of co%)assion, but because
we do not have a clear )erce)tion of the total situation, the advice %a*
lead others astra*$ ,ith tele)ath* and other )owers of hei"htened awareness,
such )roble%s do not arise, because it is the realit* that is broadcast$
And the reci)ients' own subconscious will )resent what is )ro.ected
in idio%s and lan"ua"e with which the* are co%fortable$ This is wh*
teachers in the East often "ive what is called darshan. 0arshan occurs
when )u)ils sit with their teachers in silence$ #o verbal e?chan"e takes
)lace$ There %a* be )reli%inar* )ra*ers or invocations and a s)oken
blessin" at the conclusion, but the ra))ort and e?chan"e takes )lace at a
su)ersonscious level, in those thin"s which are eternal$
At a )lanetar* level, tele)athic broadcastin" is vital$ Those who
have earned the )rivile"e of bein" consciousl* in the 0ivine Presence
also have the res)onsibilit* to %ediate, throu"h their instru%entalit*,
that awareness to those of us who as)ire, as well as to those in the
world who seek to brin" the /in"do% to Earth, %en and wo%en of all
de"rees who work selflessl* for better%ent of hu%anit* in all areas of
endeavor - individuals who, thou"h not en"a"ed in esoteric work )er se,
ai% at the sa%e "oal$
This is %ore )ronounced in the )olitical arena 6conte%)orar* c*nicis%
aside7 because )olitics affect the fate of %illions$ Throu"hout histor*,
there have been %en and wo%en in )olitics whose ideals and
insi"hts have raised the% fro% the level of )olitician to that of states%an$
Those who have worked near such individuals have beco%e aware
The !ol* Place of &eetin" AE
of a )ositive influence "reater than an* shortco%in"s of the individual
that %i"ht work throu"h the% at ti%es$ ,hen these )eo)le re%ain true
to their ideals, the !ierarch* can work throu"h the%$ ,hen the* turn
fro% the "ood, the beautiful, and the true, others %ust be sou"ht$ This
is one reason wh*, in ti%es of national or )lanetar* crisis, individuals
co%e to the fore with all the +ualities needed to deal with the crisis$ >ften,
when the crisis has )assed, these individuals re)lace their "uidance
with their e"os and the* fall fro% )ro%inence$ &ost are unaware
of the source of their ins)iration8 a few are not$ Tradition sa*s that Abraha%
4incoln was one who was so aware$ (n recent ti%es, it is said that
Anwar 'adat, of E"*)t, and &ikhail Gorbachev, of the for%er C''R, were
as well$ 'o%eti%es it is necessar* for a 'a"e 6a %ahat%a, a "reat soul7
to enter the )olitical arena directl* to e?)ress, b* word and deed, the
s)iritual )rinci)les that will lead to hu%anit*'s abidin" ha))iness$ Then
we see the co%in" of a 1esus, an A)ollonius, a Co%te de 'aint - Ger%ain,
or a Gandhi$
(n rank u)on rank the !ierarch* e?tends throu"h ever* level of e?istence$
(t is co%)osed of hu%ans 6incarnate and discarnate7, an"els
and archan"els, life - for%s unknown to %an*, and those Great >nes
6so%e of who% are of hu%an evolution7 who "aze u)on the li"ht of the
&ost !i"h face to face$ Each in their turn receives fro% above and i%)arts
to below$ And the* s)eak %ind to %ind$
>ne of the )ur)oses for attainin" the 'tone of the ,ise enshrined in
the &ercur* center 6astrolo"icall*, &ercur* rules co%%unication7 is to
)roduce a rece)tor ca)able of receivin" the %ore rarefied s)iritual influences
and an or"anis% ca)able of trans%ittin" the%$ 'elfish salvation
there is none$ (t is for all others, as well as for ourselves, that we undertake
the ,ork$ 4ikewise, in &aha*ana 5uddhis%, all rituals and %editations
end with the dedication that ,hatever benefits are accrued %a*
hel) all bein"s to reach Enli"hten%ent$
"he Ear - -oyaging Apirits of ,ight
Those who sit with us in the sie"es about the Round Table wear
thou"ht - )resences, i%a"inative for%s to which our consciousness can
relate$ After all, in the earl* sta"es of )ractice, dealin" with "lories of
li"ht %i"ht be ro%antic, but it can also be rather disconcertin" and distort
our focus$ These thou"ht - )resences are, at first, clothin"s
)ro.ected fro% our own subconscious wardrobe of i%a"es$ 5ut the
essences, the co%%unicatin" intelli"ences, that wear the clothes are
nonetheless real$
AF "ower of +lchemy
(ntellectuall*, there arises the +uestion3 Are the*, in essence, ob.ectivel*
real, or are the* actuall* sub - )ersonalities fro% %* unconsciousI
And, as with %ost %atters of hi"her and interior levels, the answer is of
course, )arado?icall*, 5othQ
The %acrocos% and %icrocos% are not actuall* se)arate$ This is
where the %odel of a %icrocos%ic %irror reflectin" a %acrocos%ic i%a"e,
like all %odels, falls short$ &acrocos% and %icrocos% si%)l* a))ear
to interact as if this were the case, which is not the sa%e thin"$
And, althou"h )ractitioners of the indirect )ath %ake use of this state of
a))earances, the* should not beco%e attached to it, or the* re%ain like
flies cau"ht in the ,eb of &a*a$ The %icrocos% is a center of e?)ression
for all the forces of the universe, its ver* e?istence brou"ht about
b* those forces conver"in" at that )oint$ (n truth, ever*thin" is fro%
Above8 nothin" ori"inates below$ 'o, the reflection in the %icrocos%ic
%irror is not a two - di%ensional i%a"e, nor is the i%a"e se)arate fro%
that which it reflects$ The co%)lete !er%etic a?io% of wisdo% is3 As
Above so 5elow8 as 2ithin so 2ithout.1
Ever* )ower in the universe, ever* archan"el, ever* "od, ever* archon,
ever* de%on, is both out there, as a cos%ic function and within
us$ Ever* state of consciousness is reflected in us$ >ur drea%s and
ni"ht%ares are the frontiers of heaven and hell$ Conse+uentl*, each and
ever* hu%an bein" has the innate ca)acit* to be a 5uddha or a !itler$
Those Co%)anions who sit with us in the li"ht of the Grail are both
e?terior bein"s who have beco%e e%bodi%ents of certain universal
+ualities and, at the sa%e ti%e, )ro.ections of those +ualities - albeit undevelo)ed -
within our )ersonal totalit*$ 4ike the Round Table itself, this
)ractice evokes the% fro% sub.ectivit* to ob.ectivit*$ 5ut the source of
both the table and its illustrious co%)an* is 0ivine in ori"in$ The distortions
we %ust acknowled"e as our own and, with the hel) of the those
who sit about the table with us, we %ust redee% the% if we are to co%e
into our full )otential$ Co%%unication with the unseen is frau"ht with
)roble%s, as histor* shows in %an* deluded individuals who have distorted
s)iritual i%)ulses to a""randize their own e"os$ 2et all our reli"ions
and )hiloso)hies 6at least, those that deserve the na%e7, indeed,
all that ins)ires civilization, have ori"inated fro% such revelations$ This
all %a* see% to focus on the ne"ative$ 5ut this is not to denounce the
%eans$ Electricit* %a* li"ht a cit* or fr* a livin" bein"$ (n fact, all ( a%
doin" is endeavorin" to forewarn )ractitioners of the )otential )itfalls of
transference, illusion, and resultant hubris$
The !ol* Place of &eetin" AA
This for%ula of the table and the Grail is an a"e - old, tried - and - tested
%eans of co%%unication$ (t has the advanta"e over the better - known
%ethods of seance and channellin" because it is one level re%oved fro%
brain - consciousness, o)eratin", as it does, u)on the subtle )lane, thus
b*)assin" the %ufflin" effects of )ure )h*sicalit*$ (f the "uidelines that
"overn such co%%unications are understood and adhered to, this %a*
be an instru%ent for drawin" back the veil of heaven$
The unwaverin" focus of this for%ula %ust be the !ol* Grail itself,
since we have, throu"h our )revious %editations, endowed it with the
auto%atic association of bein" a livin" s*%bol of our !i"her 'elf and of
the 'e)hira Ti)hareth$ Althou"h to Ti)hareth are assi"ned the +ualities
of har%on*, balance, and their resultant 5eaut*, the )ri%e attribution of
the s)here of the 'un is Truth$ (n the ancient E"*)tian &*steries, Ti)hareth
was s*%bolized b* the "olden scales of &a'at 6"oddess of Truth7,
in which the soul was wei"hed at the end of an incarnation$ And, in
Christian sacred art, the Archan"el of Ti)hareth, Great &ichael, is often
)ortra*ed holdin" a )air of "olden scales to wei"h souls on the da* of
.ud"%ent$ The Grail, receivin" the ra* of li"ht fro% Above, indicates, at a
)rofound level, that the co%%unications received co%e throu"h the %ediation
of our own i%%ortal s)irit and are %ental constructs that serve
as )s*cholo"ical safe"uards a"ainst deceit$
Therefore, all +uestions and answers are directed throu"h and received
fro% the Grail in the center of the Table Round$ ,e do not address
a Co%)anion b* turnin" to one side or another$ The focus of all at
the table is the 0ivine Glor* in the center$ (n fact, if co%%unication is received
as words, the voice will e%anate fro% the Grail itself, rather than
fro% an* seated fi"ure$ An*thin" other than this should be discounted
and i"nored$ There are i%)ortant testin"s that we %a* use to distin"uish
true co%%unication fro% the cla%or of our own )s*che$ The
@oice never flatters$ The @oice never interru)ts$ The @oice never co%%ands$
The @oice s)eaks in ter%s of s)iritual )rinci)les - - of eternal
laws - that %a* be tried and )roven b* their a))lication in our dail* life$
The ulti%ate criterion b* which all received teachin"s are .ud"ed 6and
this a))lies e+uall* to e?terior teachin"s and inner - )lane co%%unications7
is3 0oes this teachin" take %e closer to God or farther awa*I
(ntuition 6literall*, inner teachin"7 is the wa* the Eternal >ne co%%unicates
its own knowled"e of itself to the )ersonal consciousness of a
hu%an bein"$ This knowin" is i%)arted fro% Above, throu"h the i%a"es
i%)ressed u)on the astral real% of 2etzirah$ (ntuition is su)erconscious
65 "ower of +lchemy
in ori"in, but clothes itself in the s*%bolic i%a"es of the collective subconscious$
True intuition never advises what is %erel* e?)edient8 it is alwa*s
clear and concise and its %eanin" is un%istakable$
Co%%unication %a* not necessaril* co%e throu"h s)eech at all$ (t
%a* co%e throu"h i%a"es or be received as stron" i%)ressions - hearin",
seein", or feelin", de)endin" on our )ersonalit* - but the* too will
e%er"e fro% the li"ht of the Grail$ >ver the course of ti%e, co%%unication
will co%e throu"h each and ever* one of these %eans$
The for%s and identities of the Great Co%)anions are at first concealed
b* their hooded silver robes to )revent ine?)erienced )ractitioners
fro% fallin" into the tra) of )ro.ection$ Too %an* channelled
teachin"s are acce)ted as "os)el in %an* esoteric, #ew A"e, and s)iritualistic
circles, si%)l* on the basis of the illustrious identit* of their
source$ Peo)le are flattered if Plotinus, &erlin, or Gabriel co%e and
teach the% in )erson$ The* fall to their knees and swallow it whole, like
an infallible )ronounce%ent "iven ex cathedra. 5asicall*, this reflects
the sa%e e"o - "a%e as celebrit* worshi) and na%e - dro))in" in hi"h societ*,
.ust %oved u) one level$ And, of course, it's all )resented in nice
s)iritual wra))in" )a)er to %ake the hearers feel reall* s)ecial and
evolved$ (t's +uite a%azin" how individuals who, in ordinar* life, can reco"nize
a ro"ue a %ile awa* 6and wouldn't bu* a car fro% hi%Q7 lose )ers)ective
when it co%es to reli"ious andSor esoteric %atters$ The* will
"ive awa* their ho%es, their fa%ilies, their inte"rit*, will ha))il* kill other
)eo)le or the%selves, if onl* so%e hi"hl* - evolved aliens are there
waitin" to bea% the% u) to a )assin" co%et$
&* root teacher once said, (n Qabalah, God is the onl* authorit*, all
else is advice$ ,e do not esca)e the conse+uences of our actions because
so%e authorit* - livin", dead, or fictitious - tells us to do so%ethin"$
( was onl* obe*in" orders is not reco"nized as a %iti"atin"
circu%stance in the universe's Court of A))ealsQ
(n real 'chools of the 'oul 6esoteric "rou)s "ivin" valid trainin" in
the &*steries7, the identities of their inner teachers - for there is an inner
"rou) behind the outer "rou)are not revealed to their a))rentices
in order to avoid this )roble% of )ro.ection and to encoura"e a))rentices
in the &*steries to develo) discri%ination, to assess a teachin" for
the%selves$ (n tarot, this is wh* the card of Reason 6/e* (@ The E%)eror7
co%es before the card of (ntuition 6/e* @ The !iero)hant7$
'o%e teachin"s, it is true, do not %ake sense i%%ediatel*$ These
should be filed awa* for future reference$ The* %a* beco%e clear later$
The !ol* Place of &eetin" AK
(t is i%)ortant that we do not beco%e e%otionall* bound to what is received,
for there is a "la%or in such thin"s$ >ne should be courteous
and "rateful for what has been trans%itted - - an* errors usuall* De on
our side of the fence - then .ud"e it accordin"l*3 0oes this teachin"
take %e closer to God or farther awa*I
Graduall*, over ti%e, the identities of the table's Fellowshi) will
e%er"e$ As with %ost thin"s u)on the inner )lane, this usuall* occurs
when *ou're not e?)ectin" itQ (t doesn't ha))en when *ou're obsessed
with it$ (n fact, it doesn't reall* %atter if it ever ha))ens$ Perha)s, durin"
a )ractice, *ou will find that one of those seated at the table will a))ear
uncloaked$ 'o%eti%es, the fi"ure's identit* co%es as a sur)rise$ (t %a*
relate to so%ethin" fro% *our distant )ast, so%ethin" *ou had for"otten,
an interest *ou once had, a )lace *ou saw, or a book *ou read$ >ther
identities will see% to have no relevance to *our current incarnation
at all, but relate to other e?)eriences of *our s)irit's Great 1ourne*$ And
then, when *ou think it's all clear, one %e%ber of the Fellowshi) %a* be
re)laced b* another$ This onl* ha))ens, however, if *ou are %ovin" forward
and not restin" on *our laurels$ @eiled or revealed, however, the
Great Co%)anions are there to assist *ou$ The* will alwa*s )oint to the
0ivine as the sole )ur)ose of the Great ,ork$ The* are the faces and
for%s b* which the Absolute teaches *ou, in a %anner *ou can bear - at
this ti%e$ The* are !is servants alone$ The* are the %essen"ers, bearers
of the wisdo% and "uidance forever bein" uttered b* the >ne Teacher$
There is, in truth, no other than the >ne Teacher who is also the @oice of
'ilence3 !e who hath ears to hear, let hi% hear 6&atthew "":"( and
&ark 8:#&.
T!E PRACT(CE3 'TAGE 9
Co%%ence with the )reli%inar* e?ercises - rela?ation and rh*th%ical
breath c*cle$ 0o not ne"lect the%$ Ascend the Tree of the Assiah and
)erfor% the Qabalistic Cross and the Partin" of the @eil %udra$
Pro.ect the tab(e and Grail fro% *our Ti)hareth center - fro% sub.ective
latenc* to ob.ective )otenc*$ Take *our seat in *our sie"e$ 4ook
u) at the 'un shinin" hi"h above the Grail$ 'ee it ra* down a bea% of its
influence into the 'acred Cu) and throu"h it$ 4et the "olden li"ht enter
the heart center of *our subtle bod*, irradiatin" *ou with its subli%e
"lor*$ 4a* *our hands on the table, one on either side of the zodiacal
s*%bol incised on its surface, and see it (i"ht u) with "olden li"ht$ ,hen
AN "ower of +lchemy
this ha))ens, the Great Co%)anions will co%e and take u) their )laces
about the Table Round$ Cnite with the%, bein" aware of how *our auras
inter)enetrate$ &entall* send "reetin"s, throu"h the Grail, to those "athered
there with *ou$ Ado)t a confidentl* serene and rece)tive attitude
and observe what co%es to *ou throu"h the Grail, fro% the%$
#ow, beco%e aware of the cha%ber in which the Round Table is situated$
(t is a "reat, s+uare cha%ber of statel* )ro)ortions$ The floor is
)aved with s+uare tiles of whitest %arble, with "old %ortar set between
the )avin" stones$ The hi"h walls, hewn fro% "re* "ranite, rise to a
"roined ceilin", with the 'un s)here - hi"h above the Grail - at its boss$
'et into the walls are wonderful stained - "lass windows$ The* de)ict the
kin"s and )rinces of the Grail - those illustrious ones who have,
throu"hout Earth's histor*, been and still are the custodians of the %*steries
of the Grail$ Parado?icall*, sunli"ht fro% outside shines in throu"h
these windows$ Their rainbow li"ht shines down u)on the white )aved
floor$ This cha%ber, the Great !all, is enco%)assed b* these translucent
i%a"es of the s)iritual ro*alt* of hu%anit*$
5eneath the windows, on the wall to *our ri"ht, han" richl* colored
ta)estries with )articular tarot ke*s as their desi"n$ (n clockwise se+uence
the* show The E%)eror, The !er%it, and 0eath$ The ta)estries
on the wall to *our left 6continuin" in a clockwise direction7 show The
0evil, 1ustice, and The 4overs$
>n the wall directl* o))osite *ou, in )lace of a ta)estr*, han"s a
curtain of cloth - of - "old$ Above the curtain, but beneath the window,
han"s a chivalric shield$ The shield's field is white and its heraldic device
is a "old )hoeni?, issuant fro% a nest of azure - blue fla%es$ This is
the east wall of the hall$ 2our )ersonal sie"e is )laced on the western arc
of the Round Table$
Turnin", the western wall behind *ou is also without a ta)estr*$ (t
has a low archwa* cut throu"h it that is veiled b* a stran"el* +uiescent
%ist$ This %ist s)arkles with rainbow - colored li"ht$ >n the sa%e wall,
above the arched doorwa*, han"s another shield8 but this shield is concealed
fro% view b* a black cloth that han"s over it$
!avin" surve*ed the hall, focus a"ain u)on the Grail and "ive thanks
throu"h it to the Co%)anions$ Return to *our )h*sical sheath and then
draw the table back, fro% ob.ective )otenc* into sub.ective latenc*, into
*our own heart center$ As before, close the veil, )erfor% a few c*cles of
the Fountain 5reath to ali"n the ener"ies, )erfor% the Qabalistic Cross
with 'avannah and descend the Tree of Assiah$ ,rite u) *our %editation
record as soon as )ossible$
The !ol* Place of &eetin"
Fi"ure ;$ The Great !all$ The ro%an nu%erals denote the tarot ta)estries$
AFTER&AT!
(t will take so%e )ractice to build this hall i%a"inativel* and establish it
fir%l*$ Fi"ure ; %a* be useful for %e%orizin" the various details 6see
above7$ 2ou will know *ou have succeeded when the s*%bols s)ontaneousl*
e%it li"ht and radiance within the %editation$ This indicates that
the details are now fi?ed, that the* have been acce)ted b* *our )ersonal
subconscious$ For e?a%)le, *ou %a* find *ourself "azin" with
)leasure at the wa* the twelve silver lines on the table's surface "lea% in
;% "ower of +lchemy
the sunli"ht, or the wa* the rainbow )atches of refracted li"ht "li%%er
on the floor$ This )ractice should be undertaken at least twent* ti%es$
T!E PRACT(CE3 'TAGE ;
Proceed in the sa%e wa* as in the first sta"e3 the )re)arator* )ractices,
the )ro.ection of the table, sittin" thereat, linkin" with the Grail and then
with the table, and the arrival of the Great Co%)anions$ Greet the Co%)anions,
as alwa*s, throu"h the Grail$
#ow rise fro% *our sie"e and walk around the table until *ou co%e
to stand before the "olden curtain on the eastern wall$ Pull back the "old
curtain to reveal a rectan"ular door$ The door is fashioned of cedar and
u)on it is an ena%eled )late de)ictin" a black oval containin" an u)ri"ht
scarlet trian"le$ >)en the door and see a short, narrow )assa"e$ Proceed
alon" the )assa"ewa* to e%er"e into the sanctu%, into the Cha)el of the
Rose - Croi? 6see fi"ure ;, )a"e (#&.
The cha)el, like the hall, is built of s+uared "ra* stones8 but here,
the floor is covered b* a thick, dee)violet ru"$ (n the center of the cha)el,
raised on three ste)s, is a cubical altar$ Risin" fro% the altar is a "old
4atin cross - so%e si? feet in hei"ht - with a red rose of ;; )etals at its
center$ The rose is lit fro% within, like a )resence la%)$ C)on the "olden
heart of the %*stical rose "listens a sin"le dewdro)a dro) of dew
fro% the first dawn$ 4i"ht fro% an unknown source is refracted b* the
dewdro), creatin" a halo of rainbow - colored li"ht about the rub* rose
and illu%inatin" the cross of "old$
>n the altarto), l*in" before the Rose - Cross, is a "reat sword in a
.eweled scabbard$ This is E?calibur, but it has other na%es too - and
%an* uses$ (t is the 'word of 4i"ht and %a* onl* be wielded b* the ri"htful
soverei"n of this )lace$ 5e*ond the altar, in the far wall, is an archwa*
o)enin" onto a )assa"e that runs left and ri"ht, encirclin" the
Cha)el and the Great !all of the Table 6see fi"ure ;, )a"e (#&.
A))roach the altar and, before the "reat s*%bol of universal ho)e,
offer the for% of worshi) that see%s a))ro)riate to *ou as an act of
dedication to the Great ,ork$ Then %ake the Qabalistic Cross u)on
*ourself, observin", on this level, the ener"* )atterns this sets u)$
Return to the Great !all, sit at the table once %ore, and %ake contact
with the Co%)anions, notin" whatever i%a"es or ideas arise$
,hen the co%%unication co%es to an end, "ive thanks for what has
been received and bid the Co%)anions farewell$ Rise fro% the table and
return to the )h*sical level$ Absorb the table and co%)lete the sealin"
)ractice as before$
The !ol* Place of &eetin" <9
AFTER&AT!
The Cha)el of the Rose - Croi? is the secret heart$ (t is the central stillness,
the dee) center, the )lace that loveth silence$ (t is the dwellin"
of the (%%anence - the 0ivine Presence within$ @isit it often, for it is the
)lace of the true !ol* Co%%union, of which all others are but outward
for%s and si"ns$
T!E C>#TE&P&T(>#
(nvocation of God with a certain heavenl* intention, drawn fro%
the de)ths of a sincere heart conscience liberated fro% a%bition,
h*)ocris* and all other vices which are in affinit* with
these includin" arro"ance, lu?ur*, boldness, )etulanc*, o))ression
of the )oor and si%ilar evils$ All of these are to be eradicated
fro% the heart $ $ $ that when a %an desires to )rostrate
hi%self before the Throne of Grace, in order to obtain health$ $ $
his bod* %a* be trans%uted into a !ol* Te%)le of God and
)ur"ed fro% all uncleanness$
"he "riumphal hariot of +ntimony
- 5asil @alentine;
- -
Ba-il Valentine, "he "n%urnphal hariot of +ntimony (Lei'>i,, ";%8C En,li-+ tran-lation,
";;%, 3+e Briti-+ Li.rar/ Collection7$
'C# A#0 &>># 5>,
0>,# 5EF>RE !(&
#erily, I tell you, the world is within this si! foot hi$h body.
- The 5uddha9
T!E TEAC!(#G
(n the )revious )ractice, when buildin" u) the Great !all of the Table,
there is an interior sun - at the hall's ceilin", hi"h above the Grail - and
an e?terior 'un, whose li"ht shines throu"h the stained - "lass windows
into the hall$ This a))arent )arado? results fro% an atte%)t to )ortra* a
dee) s)iritual realit*, e?)ressed b* the alche%ist, 1acob 5oeh%e, in his
tract %e &i$natura Rerum' The outer sun hun"ers for the inner one$;
An altar)iece )ainted in ,est)halia, Ger%an* between "*$% 4 "*B%
shows the twelve disci)les seated around a circular table$ (n the center
of the table is a %iniature 'un s)here fro% which ra*s of li"ht shine into
the %outh of each disci)le$ The* are fed - nourished - b* the inner 'un
for which the outer 'un hun"ers$
reations of the reated
The creation of thou"ht - for%s is one of the skills that )ractitioners %aster
in the 4esser &*steries$ Essentiall*, this consists of fashionin", in
2etzirah, a))ro)riate channels throu"h which the s)iritual ener"ies fro%
5riah can flow$ The sa%e )ur)ose is served in Assiah b* hol* i%a"es3
icons, tankas, statues, sacred art, and architecture$ (f the )h*sical i%a"e
is not connected to the inner realit*, or if worshi))ers %istake the si"n
5uddha, 'a%*utta #ika*a "," in 4a%a Ana"arika Govinda, (sycho ) Cosmic &ymbolism
of the *uddhist &tu+a 65erkele*, CA3 0har%a, 9JK<7, )$ NF$
1acob 5oeh%e, The &i$nature of All Thin$s 64ondon and Ca%brid"e3 Tho%as
Clarke, 9J<J7$
53 "ower of +lchemy
for the "oal, the result is idolatr* and confusion in the lab*rinth of
a))earances$ !ere we can see that the first Co%%and%ent - Thou
shalt have no "ods before &e - is of )ara%ount i%)ortance in esoteric
work, as it is in the %aterial s)here$ >ur beacon, the "uidin" li"ht b*
which we set our course, is the 0ivine$
There are three classes of i%a"er* that occur in our interior states3
%antic, teles%atic, and )hos)horic$ &antic i%a"es are those that arise
clothed in for%s drawn fro% the )ersonal subconscious content$ ,e are
%ost fa%iliar with this t*)e of i%a"e in drea% work and )s*choanal*sis$
For e?a%)le, a )erson who, while out of their )h*sical bod* in slee), encounters
a %inisterin" s)irit, will subconsciousl* clothe the s)irit in a
for% it associates with that ener"*, so that the for% %a* be )erceived as
a %other, a wise friend, or even a beloved do"$ This )erce)tion will be
recalled u)on wakin"$ (n fact, the sa%e thin" occurs with )h*sical si"ht$
4i"ht ra*s strike the retina of the e*e in various )atterns$ These co%e
fro% the surfaces of the ob.ects fro% which the li"ht is reflected$ This
sti%ulus is )assed to the back of the brain, where the si"ht center is situated,
and the subconscious identifies - ri"htl* or wron"l* - what is )erceived$
(n an adult hu%an, whose subconscious store is "reat, this
ha))ens so fast, that it "enerall* "oes unobserved$ (n babies and *oun"
children, it is %ore easil* observed$ 2et, even with adults, there are occasions
when this beco%es a))arent$ The followin" *o"ic )arable illustrates
this - and %uch %ore - since it also holds a teachin" re"ardin"
the )ath of for%$
,hile walkin" in a tro)ical "arden at twili"ht, a %an's foot touched an
ob.ect$ 4ookin" down, he saw a coiled snake$ !e fled$ Returnin" to the "arden
in the %ornin" li"ht, he saw that the ob.ect of his fear was a )iece of
discarded ro)e$ !e lau"hed at his )anic and left$ A *o"i walkin" thru the
sa%e "arden saw the ob.ect, )icked it u), and used it as a "irdle$
This )arable illustrates, a%on" other thin"s, the )roble% with usin"
%antic i%a"es for advanced work$ ,hile the* are useful, as indicators of
subconscious content, for )rocessin" )ast e?)eriences and as si"ns of
interior health and healin", the* are the )roduct of )ersonal e?)erience,
with all the colorful distortions and )re.udices that this entails$ The i%a"es
)er se are untrustworth*$ Two )eo)le drea% of a do"$ >ne was bitten
b* a do" as *oun" child and has ever since had a dislike of the%$
The other had a close relationshi) with a )et do"$ (n both cases, the i%a"e
is the sa%e8 but in each case, the drea% %eans so%ethin" entirel*
different$ This is also the case with %antic i%a"es$ As a result, in the
'un and &oon 5ow 0own 5efore !i% <A
Eastern and ,estern esoteric traditions, the second class of i%a"es are
used for the work of transfor%ation$
Teles%atic i%a"es are i%a"es deliberatel* built throu"h thou"ht$
The* are for%ed b* concentration and visualization, until a se%iautono%ous
state is achieved$ !u%ans do this all the ti%e in their fantasies,
in an atte%)t to %ake their e?istence bearable$ (n )atholo"ical
circu%stances, individuals beco%e obsessed b* those i%a"es$ !ere we
see the ne"ative side of the thou"ht - for% attainin" a se%i - autono%ous
state$ This is one of the reasons, wh* at the co%)letion of each )ractice,
we close the veil and affir% our ob.ective functionalit* u)on the )h*sical
)lane$ ,e are dealin" with a willed disassociation, followed b* a willed
inte"ration - )otentiall* dan"erous tools to be sure, but )owerful$
Teles%atic i%a"es are those thou"ht - for%s built u) over %illennia
b* "enerations of )ractitioners$ As such, the* constitute a safe and tried
wa* throu"h the unseen$ (n @a.ra*ana, we see the thou"ht - buildin" of
%andalas, deities, s)irits, linea"e - trees, and the chakras within the subtle
bod*$ (n alche%*, we see the thou"ht - buildin" of the Tree, deities, an"els,
tarot tableau?, and the interior stars within the subtle bod*$
These i%a"es, drawn fro% the collective unconscious, are su)erior to
)ersonal i%a"es$ The* are undistorted reflections %irrorin" the 5eckonin"
4i"ht$ 5ut the* %ust still be used with care$ Csed unwisel*, the* can
cause eru)tion within the subconscious and even flood the conscious
%ind$ This is wh* Alche%*, like the Tantras, is not for ever*one$ This is
the true reason for the secrec* and discern%ent their teachers insist
u)on$ ,isel* used, the* are the run"s of the ladder, of 1acob's vision at
5eth - El, b* which the an"els descended and ascended the heavens$
A )hos)horic i%a"e, as %entioned in the after%ath of the )revious
)ractice, is a si"n of attain%ent$ (t occurs when a carefull* built telesrnatic
i%a"e, i%bued with ener"* fro% )ractice and conte%)lation, beco%es
connected with the s)iritual realit* for which it is a s*%bol$ The
i%a"e is literall* lit u) fro% within, so%eti%es causin" the inner e*e to
wince at the bri"htness$ (t is be*ond our nor%al ca)acit* to visualize
and sustain$ (t cannot be forced$ >nce this has occurred, it indicates that
the i%a"e has been acce)ted as a %eans of "race$ 'acred art seeks to
)ortra* this b* de)ictin" haloes and, in Tibetan sacred art, auras around
the for%s of deities and enli"htened bein"s$ (n a )hos)horic i%a"e, the
radiance occurs of its own accord and brilliance$ !owever, this does not
%ean that the i%a"e will be lu%inous forever8 once is usuall* enou"h$ (t
is so%ethin" to look for as an indicator of )ro"ress$
<< Tower of +lchemy
2or'ing at the "a>le
The "l*)h of the Round Table %a* be worked in several wa*s to effect
various intentions$ ,e )lace different i%a"es u)on the table, on the zodiacal
si"n in front of our sie"e, to si"nal our intention and to activate
the table accordin"l*$ ,hen we are in need of nurture and vitalit*, we
)lace a s%all silver chalice before us8 the table is now functionin" as the
Table of Refresh%ent$ ,e see "race descendin" into the Grail, the cu) of
consolation, and fro% there flowin" into the silver chalice before us$ ,e
ma/ then drink of the 4ife of worlds, which is also the ,ell of infinite
co%)assion$
(f we are in need of clarification concernin" a )roble% or an issue
that besets us, we %a* )lace a li"hted la%) on the table before us8 the
table will now function as the Table of Counsel$ Gentl* hold the issue in
%ind and )ro)el it toward the Grail until it is swallowed in its li"ht$ 'erenel*
and confidentl* await the res)onse, whatever i%a"es or %essa"es
issue fro% the !ol* Grail$ Alwa*s re%e%ber, however, it is advice that
is "iven8 the decision is *ours$
,hen, after )ra*er and %editation, it beco%es clear that decisive action
%ust be taken - - on whatever )lane of e?istent - )lace a drawn
sword u)on the table, the blade's )oint toward the Grail and its hilt toward
*ou$ 2ou now sit at the Table of Action$ (f a sword is then laid u)on
the table b* each of the Co%)anions - until the Grail is surrounded b*
twelve shinin" swords - this indicates that the )ro)osed action is .ust and
that the ener"ies of the table and its Fellowshi) will flow throu"h *ou$
There are other as)ects of the table as well - fro% the Table of the
!osts of Faerie ri"ht u) to the 'tarr* Table of Great 'halo% - and these
will o)en to receive )ractitioners as the* )ro"ress in the ,ork$
(n a certain %anner, the Tree of 4ife - the ten fruit and the shinin"
)aths - %a* be conceived as a ,ertical cross - section of the aura, while
the Round Table, with its twelve - fold division, can be seen as a hori-ontal
cross - section of the aura$ The Grail u)on the table - coincidin" with
Ti)hareth u)on the Tree - shines in the heart, balancin" Above with 5elow
and ,ithout with ,ithin$
"he aduceus of ?ermes
The 0ivine Cnit* of the world of Atziluth beco%es subdivided into the
creative )owers when the world of 5riah e%anates fro% its heart$ The
Ti)hareth of Atziluth si%ultaneousl* beco%es the /ether of 5riah$ (t is
i%)ortant to note the use of the ter% subdivided$ (t is re)eated over
and over in the cere%onial )resentations of the &*steries, in the al'un
and &oon 5ow 0own 5efore !i% <K
che%ical te?ts, and in the witness of the 'a"es that there is onl* >ne Realit*,
>ne that a))ears under the "uise of the %an*$ Creation is not a result
of %ulti)lication, of for%in" %ore than there was ori"inall*$ (t is an
act of subdivision, the actual revelation of the ine?haustable )otential of
the (nfinite >ne$
(n 5riah, )olar o))osition first a))ears as cos%ic da* and ni"ht, e?)ansion
and contraction, force and for%, and a whole host of o))osin"
*et co%)le%entar* as)ects$ All are necessar* for d*na%ic e?istence, for
%ove%ent, alternation, and )ro"ression$ These )rinci)les e%bod* and e?)ress
the s)iritual laws of rh*th% and )olarit*$
A su)erficial knowled"e of the law of )olarit* has caused %uch %isunderstandin"
in %an* esoteric schools3 conce)ts such as workin"
)artners, soul %ates, one "ender bein" able to do certain occult work
and not another, and even to what level of e?istence *ou %a* ascend if
*ou wear a certain t*)e of )h*sical bod* 6as if it were a s)acesuit7$
These views can be su))orted 6rather ardentl* usuall*7, b* so%e ver*
interestin" theories, ran"in" fro% the co%)le? to the naive$ The* are
shown to be absurd, however, in the li"ht of real )ractice$ The* confound
co%)anionshi) on the Path with e%otional, )s*cholo"ical, and )h*sical
needs$
Essentiall*, )olarit* is alternation$ Therefore, the esoteric use of
)olarit* is the knowled"e of alternation, of the tides of flu? and reflu?,
within and without$ There is onl* now, the )resent %o%ent$ (n the dail*
c*cle, now is constant, but at a certain )hase, da* )redo%inates, and
at another, ni"ht$ ,hen en"a"ed in conversation, *ou %a* be in an active
%ode 6the s)eaker7 at one %o%ent and in a )assive %ode 6the listener7
at another, althou"h, the conversation 6an act of %ental co%%union
throu"h )h*sical instru%entalit*7 is constant, re"ardless of which )artici)ant
is in which )olarit*$
Each hu%an bein" is a co%)lete refection of the universe8 there is
no other outside needed to effect that co%)letion$ A wo%an is not one
half of the Tree awaitin" an e?terior %ale to co%e alon" and co%)lete
it - - or vice versa$ #either does Enli"hten%ent occur in )airs$ All the ten
'e)hiroth, all the worlds, all the )rinci)les and )otencies are )resent in
totalit* within ever* individual$ That's what bein" a %icrocos% %eansQ
(ndividualit* %a* e%)hasize certain as)ects %ore than others, but that
doesn't %ean the +uiescent as)ects are absent$ Each hu%an is an i%a"e
or e?)ression of the divine$
&an* students of occu(tis% confuse what is co%%on )ractice
6thou"h not alwa*s well understood7 in the 4esser &*steries 6which are,
5< "ower of +lchemy
after all, a s)iritual a))renticeshi) for the Great ,ork7 for the 2or' itself0
2et in %an* other s*ste%s of trainin", we see that funda%ental basics
are often tau"ht in classes - "rou)s - and that so%eti%es these classes
will divide into )airs for %ore detailed reflection and feedback$ (t is .ust
the sa%e in esoteric work$
(n the ,ork of Transfor%ation, three "reat channels in the subtle
bod* are of )ara%ount i%)ortance$ The Ahushumna corres)onds )h*sicall*
to the s)inal colu%n and to +'asha, the Quintessence$ Aion" this
central a?is are the seven interior stars, the inner %etals, or chakras$
,eavin" around the colu%n of 'hushu%na, %irrorin" one another, are
the twin currents of (da and Pingala. This is de)icted in ,estern illustrations
as the caduceus of !er%es or &ercur*, the ser)ent - entwined staff
carried b* the %essen"er of the "ods 6see fi"ure E, )a"e K:7$ Accordin"
to Greek %*th, the "od !er%es 6Ro%an, &ercur*7, was "iven a rod b*
his fellow "od, A)ollo$ Travelin" to Arcadia, !er%es ca%e u)on two
snakes en"a"ed in deadl* co%bat$ !e cast his rod down between the%
and the snakes )eacefull* entwined the%selves about the rod$ The rod,
the ser)ent - "irt caduceus, thus beca%e a s*%bol of )eace - - of balance
and e+uilibriu% of two warrin" ener"ies$
(da and Pin"ala are, res)ectivel*, the %icrocos%ic active and )assive
6lunar and solar7 currents of the >ne Force flowin" throu"h the hu%an
bein", on all levels$ The* weave about the central colu%n in a heli?,
si%ilar to the 0#A heli? of which the* are the )re%aterial )rotot*)e$
There is a rabbinic )arable that sa*s that the Creator - blessed be !ewhen
fashionin" the universe took a s)iral of fla%e 6fire7 and a s)iral of
ice 6water7 and wove the% to"ether$
Pin"ala, the solar current, corres)onds to da*, heat, dr*ness8 it is
centrifu"al and electric$ (t is evolutionar* and tends toward conscious
awareness 6since evolution is initiall* a self - conscious activit*7 differentiation,
and ob.ective knowled"e$ (da, the lunar current, corres)onds to
ni"ht, coolness, %oistness8 it is centri)etal and %a"netic$ (da relates to
involution and therefore subconsciousness, since it is b* its a"enc* that
e%bodi%ent occurs$ (t is inte"rative, re"enerative, seekin" to re - unif* all
that has been se)arated b* the intellect$
These two currents are seen in the side 'e)hiroth on the Tree$ ,ater,
the lunar current, is e?)ressed in the s)heres 5inah, Chesed, and
!od$ The solar fire occurs in Chok%ah, Geburah, and #etzach$ This
crossover )revents either side )illar of the Tree fro% beco%in" too ri"id$
The fier* 'e)hira of Geburah, in the center of the Pillar of For% 65inah
and !od both bein" water*7, adds d*na%is% to an otherwise fluidic
'un and &oon 5ow 0own 5efore !i% <J
)ole, while the serene waters of Chesed, in the center of the Pillar of
Force, restrain the fires of Chok%ah and #etzach$ The s)heres of the
Central Pillar - /ether, Ti)hareth, and 2esod - are attributed to air, as a
s*%bol of all - )ervadin" consciousness$
(n esoteric )h*siolo"*, these two currents are seen as havin" two
ter%inals3 one in the ri"ht and left ovaries or testes, the other in the
ri"ht and left nostrils$ >bservation of breath will reveal how one nostril
)redo%inates in breathin" for about ;: %inutes and then, alternatel*,
the other nostril$ There is a short crossover )eriod in which both nostrils
are o)ti%u%, lastin" onl* for a cou)le of %inutes$ (t is %ost i%)ortant
to re%e%ber, however, that these currents, like the chakras
the%selves, are not the )ro)erties or or"ans of the "ross %aterial bod*$
The* belon" to the etheric - - or vital )ranic - bod* fro% which the visible
bod* has e%er"ed$
The solar and lunar currents weave about the central a?is of the s)inal
colu%n$ At certain )oints, the* intersect$ These )oints of .uncture
relate to the )osition of the &iddle Pillar 'e)hiroth on the sub.ective
Tree of 4ife3 /ether, Ti)hareth, and 2esod$ These .unctions are therefore
of critical i%)ortance in the arousin" the 0ra"on, the fier* )ower of
/undalini$ For this reason, the visualizations of the cha%bers of these
s)heres is detailed in our )ractices, in order to "ive us the necessar*
)recision and control$
The ob.ective of 2o"a and Alche%* is two - fold, each )art de)endent
on the other$ First, after satisfactoril* %asterin" the necessar* )reli%inar*
)urifications, is to unite the solar and lunar currents$ Alche%* s*%bolizes
this with i%a"es of %arria"e between the solar kin" and the
lunar +ueen and, later, b* re)resentation of the her%a)hrodite, &ercurius$
(n Tibetan sacred art, it is shown b* #a> - #um, re)resentations of the
buddhas and deities in se?ual union with their consorts$ ,hen )ositive
and ne"ative currents are brou"ht to"ether in an electrical circuit, a bulb
%a* be lit$ ,hen the solar and lunar subtle ener"ies are brou"ht into a
state of balanced union, the hu%an bein" can beco%e illu%ined$
The second ob.ective is to brin" the vital ener"* 6)rana7 into the
Ahushumna channel$ This usuall* onl* ha))ens in slee) or as death a))roaches,
which is wh* trance work )la*s a )art in so%e esoteric )ractices
and wh* the ancient %anuals ac+uired such na%es as the $gyptian
5ook of the Fead and the "i>etan 5ook of the Fead. >nl* b* esoteric )ractice
can the vital ener"* be %ade to enter the 'hushu%na outside of
slee) or death$ ,hen this ha))ens, /undalini is activated and rises$ As it
ascends, dualistic states of %ind are annulled and realization is achieved$
$% "ower of +lchemy
5attle%ents /ether
Turret Roo%
Great !all
#u)tial Cha%ber
The 5ride's !all
39$9
( 'hushu%na lnset T 9 lnset
0a'ath
Ti)hareth
2esod
&alkuth
Ai,ure *. 3+e 2adu2eu- o1 6erme- or 9er2ur/.
'un and &oon 5ow 0own 5efore !i% K9
This is the hidden %eanin" of the si"n of infinit* - s*%bol of the !ol*
')irit - that looks like the nu%ber N l*in" on its side$ (n "e%atria, ei"ht is
the 0o%inica9 nu%ber, the nu%ber of the 4ord$ (t is also the nu%ber of
the 'e)hira !od 6the Perfect intelli"ence7, and therefore of &ercur* and
of Alche%*$ This horizontal N, a))ears onl* twice in tarot$ The two ke*s
in which it is shown both relate to the kundalini as)ect Great ,ork$
The* are The &a"ician and 'tren"th$ >n both fi"ures, the si"n of infinit*
6or )er)etual rh*th%, also associated with !od7 is shown as bein"
above the head$ The &a"ician card )la*s a critical )art in arousin" the
dra"on, as *ou will see later, and 'tren"th is the tarot re)resentation of
kundalini itself, havin" the nu%ber ei"ht assi"ned to it$ The loo)s of the
nu%ber ei"ht re)resent the s)irals of (da and Pin"ala, .oined to"ether at
a sin"le )oint - in other words, within the 'hushu%na channel$ Further%ore,
the )osition of this s*%bol 6over the head7 si"nifies that the Fier*
Power has been raised to the crown, the /ether center .ust above the
head$
'o%e traditions assert that the solar and lunar currents lie outside
the s)inal colu%n, while others hold the* lie within it$ 5ut, as is often
the case, the truth lies so%ewhere between these two views$ (n so%e
s*ste%s of 2o"a and Theur"*, )ractioners use i%a"es that see% to conflict
with those in other s*ste%s$ 5ut we should not be bound b* or fi?ated
on an* s*ste% of %eta)h*sics, sa*in" This is how it is8 all else is
wron"$ The visualizations "iven here are not assertions that )ractitioners
%ust acce)t as ob.ective facts 6e$"$, whether the )olar currents lie
in or outside of the central channel7, but rather directions for the work
of creatin" vivid %ental i%a"es so that the vital currents %a* flow fro%
here to there, thereb* creatin" )s*chic and )h*sical relations and )reconditions
for the flow of the forces of consciousness$
5oth Alche%* and @a.ra*ana teach that it is necessar* for the active
and )assive currents to be brou"ht into the 'hushu%na$ Tibetan 2o"a
calls this brin"in" the 'winds' into the central a?is$ !ere wind is used
to si"nif* different as)ects of %ind or consciousness$ This has the sa%e
si"nificance as the ,estern ter% Air when used as a s*%bol for consciousness$
Consciousness is invisible, subtle, and )ervadin"$ &ercur*
is assi"ned to air8 alche%ical &ercur* is a s*%bol for 'u)erconsciousness
and Enli"hten%ent$ The /ether center is also the &ercur* center
a%on" the interior stars$ (n our )ractice, the unification of the )olar
o))osites of 'un and &oon is achieved throu"h a series of techni+ues
that we will utilize as we )roceed$
;@ "ower of +lchemy
The (da and Pin"ala currents are de)icted on Tibetan tankas 6visualization
aide%e%oires7 b* i%a"es of the 'un and &oon shown in the to)
ri"ht and left corners of the sacred scroll$ (n ,estern esotericis%, these
currents are shown in tarot s*%bolis% b* the )air of kneelin" %inisters in
The !iero)hant, b* Ada% and Eve in The 4overs, b* the s)hin?es in The
Chariot, and b* the hu%an fi"ures in The 0evil, 'un, and 1ud"e%ent cards$
(n all of these ke*s, the third and central fi"ure is the reconciler 6The Archan"el,
The Charioteer, The 'un - disc, etc$7 and a )ictorial i%a"e of 'u)erconsciousness,
of 'hushu%na$ And in /e* UU(, The ,orld, re)resentin"
Cos%ic Consciousness, the dancer at the center of the desi"n holds a s)iral
wand in each hand, re)resentin" the solar and lunar currents$
The central a?is, 'hushu%na, is the channel for the Quintessencethe
concealed Glor*, all - )ervadin" Akasha$ 5ut do not hold too ri"idl*
to the idea that the 'hushu%na is confined to the subtle e+uivalent of
the s)inal colu%n$ 'o%eti%es in %editation, the 'hushu%na can a))ear
as fine as a hair and, at other ti%es, so wide that the entire bod* be
co%es one strea% of force, a fire of hi"hest ins)iration, annihilatin" all
li%its, and "rowin" until it fills the whole universe$
The Chinese sa* A )icture is worth a thousand words$ The followin"
is fro% Arthur Avalon's book, "he 'er)ent Power, in which he records
an e?)erience that a Euro)ean friend of his had$
!e $ $ $ saw the nerves of (da and Pin"ala and the central fire
with a tre%blin" aura of ros* li"ht, and blue or azure li"ht, and a
white fire that rose u) into the brain and fla%ed out in a win"ed
radiance on either side of the head$ Fire was seen flashin" fro%
centre to centre with such ra)idit* that he could see little of the
vision $ $ $ The radiance or aura round (da was seen as %oonlike -
that is, )alest azure - and Pin"ala red, or rather )ale ros*
o)alescence$ /undalini a))eared in vision as of intense "oldenlike
white fire $ $ $ Takin" the centres 'hushu%na, (da and Pin"ala
to be s*%bolised b* the Caduceus of &ercur*, the little ball
at the to) of the rod was identified with the Aahasrara Gcrown
centerH or )ineal "land, and the win"s as the fla%in" of auras on
each side of the centre when the fire strikes it$ >ne ni"ht $ $ $ he
felt the ser)ent uncoil, and it ran u), and he was in a fountain
of fire, and felt, as he said, the fla%es s)readin" win"wise
about %* head and there was a %usical clashin" as of c*%bals,
whilst so%e of these fla%es, like e%anation, see%ed to e?)and
'un and &oon 5ow 0own 5efore !i% KE
and %eet like "athered win"s over %* head$ $ $ $ ( reall* felt
fri"htened, as the Power see%ed so%ethin" which could consu%e
%e$ &* friend wrote %e that in his a"itation he for"ot to
fi? his %ind on the 'u)re%e, and so %issed a divine adLenture$L
36E PRACT(CE
Co%%ence with the )reli%inar* e?ercises 6fountain breath c*cle7, ascend
the Tree of the Assiah, and )erfor% the Qabalistic Cross and the
Partin" of the @eil %udra$ Pro.ect the table fro% *our Ti)hareth center
and take *our seat in *our sie"e$
Go to the cha)el and %ake *our offerin" of self to the 0ivine, then
return to Great !all of the Table$ A))roach the west wall, bearin" the
concealed shield, and )ass throu"h its doorwa* 6curtained with a veil of
rainbow %ist7$ 5e*ond the doorwa*, there is a landin"$ Facin" *ou is a
lar"e stained - "lass re)resentation of tarot ke* ; The !i"h Priestess$ >n
either side of the tarot ke* are two arched doors, each leadin" onto a
s)iral stairwa* that "oes u) to cha%bers above and down to halls below$
As *ou face the doors, the one on the ri"ht has carved above it a
chalice, sur%ounted b* a crescent &oon$ The handrail of the stairwa* is
of stout )ale - blue ro)e attached to the wall at intervals$ The left - hand
doorwa* has carved above it a chalice sur%ounted b* a 'un$ The handrail
of this stairwa* is of scarlet ro)e$
Go throu"h the left - hand doorwa*, beneath the suncu) s*%bol$
This s)iral stairwa* ascends in a deosil 6clockwise7 direction$ 2ou can
feel a war%, dr* breeze blowin" u) this stairwa* - blowin" u) behind
*ou, not un)leasantl*$ (t )la*s with *our hair and the folds of *our robe
as *ou ascend$ ,hile cli%bin" the stairs, *ou can see other doors and
landin"s, but these do not concern *ou in the )resent )ractice$
2ou co%e to the end of the stairs, e%er"in" onto another landin"$
!ere, the to)s of both s)iral stairwa*s are set into the floor 6fro% which
*ou have e%er"ed7$ Turnin" to the East, *ou find a door of )alea%eth*st
cr*stal$ 'et in it is a desi"n of a white crescent %oon, l*in" on
its back, with a s%aller crescent within it$ ,hen *ou touch this desi"n,
the door o)ens and *ou enter a lar"e circular roo%$ This is the Turret
Roo%$ >verhead, there is a round window set in the ceilin"$ This overhead
window shows the 'hield of 0avid 6the si? - ra*ed star of Cnit* and
rt+ur valon, 3+e Ser'ent 5ower (New ?ork: @over, "#$8&, ''. )% 4 )".
$8 "ower of +lchemy
4ove7, bearin" in its center the four letters of the hol* #a%e3 #od - ?eh -
-au - ?eh. The walls of this cha%ber are inset with clear windows,
throu"h which *ou can look out u)on *our inner kin"do%, *our interior
world$ The surroundin" fra%e of the eastern window is )articularl* ornate$
(t de)icts two ser)ents - - one white, the other red - one risin" u)
each side$ The ser)ents %eet, face to face at the ke*stone of the window's
arch$ (n the oval s)ace between the o)en .aws of the two ser)ents,
is the All - 'eein" E*e haloed b* a "olden "lor*$ To the ri"ht of this
eastern window, han"in" fro% the ceilin", there is a )ur)le )ull - ro)e,
endin" in a tassel$
(n the center of the roo% is a table or desk on which is an ea"lesha)ed
bookstand bearin" a lar"e o)en book$ The book is blank$ 5eside
it lies a +uill )en %ade of a white ostrich feather$ 5efore the bookstand,
inset into the table's surface itself, is a dull, black stone tablet$ The tablet
is rectan"ular$ En"raved on it, in fine silver, is the Tree of 4ife$ 5eneath
the Tree desi"n, at the tablet's ed"e, is a row of four s+uare
buttons$ The far - ri"ht button draws *our attention, because it "litters$
4ookin" %ore closel*, *ou see that this button alone is de)ressed$ (t is
carved fro% a flawless dia%ond$
Go to the windows and look out over *our inner kin"do%$ 2ou are
lookin" at the land of 4o"res, the land that is under enchant%ent$ (n this
land, the forces are out of balance and %an* thin"s are ha))enin" which
are a"ainst the divine law$ Giants and o"res, dra"ons and wizards, and
da%sels in distress, are all here$ >ver the whole land broods a %ist* at%os)here
which, however bri"htl* the sun shines, )revents clear observation$
This land also contains hidden s)rin"s of water, hol* wells, and
sacred sites$ &an* who dwell in the kin"do% are in dis"uise, and those
with who% the* dwell do not know that the )ower and authorit* which
these hidden ones serve derives fro% the Round Table$ Re%e%ber that
4o"res is both %acrocos%ic and %icrocos%ic$ (t is the world outside
and around *ou, with all its )roble%s, difficulties, and illusions, and it is
also )art of the inner kin"do% of *ourself$ Re%e%ber, as *ou look at
that land, that there - and nowhere else - are *ou called u)on b* the Fellowshi)
to which *ou now belon" to )la* *our )art and to )ut into )ractice
the trainin" *ou are "iven herein$
&ake *our wa* down the s)iral stairwa* with the blue cord$ As *ou
ste) down onto the stairs, *ou are %et b* a cool, %oist breeze blowin"
u)ward fro% the stairwell$ This breeze "entl* blows on *our face as *ou
descend back down to the landin" and e%er"e fro% the doorwa* sur'un
and &oon 5ow 0own 5efore !i% KA
%ounted with the crest of the chalice and %oon, to the left of the !i"h
Priestess card$ Pass throu"h the Great !all of the Table and return to the
Cha)el of the Rose - Croi?$ There, before the Altar, %ake whatever )led"es
*ou %a* feel %oved to %ake, but re%e%ber that these are not idle
words$ The* are bindin" co%%it%ents$ 5e sure, therefore, that *ou do
not atte%)t %ore than lies within *our )resent )ower$ Those who are
faithful in s%all thin"s can safel* essa* "reater thin"s in due course$
Return to the Great !all and *our sie"e at the Table Round$ There, in
the Circle of Fellowshi) about the Grail, "ive thanks for what has been
received$ #ow withdraw the table back to latenc* as usual, and close
*our )ractice session in the usual %anner$
(t is reco%%ended that this )ractice be undertaken at least twelve
ti%es$
T!E C>#TE&P4AT(>#
The followin" should be %editated u)on fro% the view)oint that what is
described therein refers to a self - arisin" state of consciousness rather
than to a constructed %ental attitude$
(f then *ou do not %ake *ourself e+ual to God, *ou cannot a))rehend
God8 for like is known b* like$ 4ea) clear of all that is
cor)oreal, and %ake *ourself "row to a like e?)anse with that
"reatness which is be*ond all %easure8 rise u) above all ti%e,
and beco%e eternal8 then *ou will a))rehend God$ Think that
for *ou nothin" is i%)ossible8 dee% that *ou too are i%%ortal,
and that *ou are able to "ras) all thin"s in *our thou"ht, to
know ever* craft and ever* science8 find *ourself ho%e in the
haunts of ever* livin" creature8 %ake *ourself hi"her than all
hei"hts, and lower than all de)ths8 brin" to"ether in *ourself all
o))osites of +ualit*3 heat and cold, dr*ness and fluidit*8 think
that *ou are ever*where at once, on land, at sea, in heaven8
think that *ou are not *et be"otten, that *ou are in the wo%b,
that *ou are *oun", that *ou are old, that *ou have died, that
*ou are in the world be*ond the "rave8 "ras) in *our thou"ht all
this at once, all ti%es and )laces, all substances and +ualities
and %a"nitudes to"ether8 then *ou can a))rehend God$ 5ut if
*ou shut u) *our soul in *our bod*, and abase *ourself, and sa*
( know nothin", ( can do nothin", ( a% afraid of earth and sea, 9
;5 "ower of +lchemy
cannot %ount to heaven8 ( do not know what ( was, nor what (
shall ben8 then, what have *ou to do with GodI $ $ $ For it is the
hei"ht of evil not to know God8 but to be ca)able of knowin"
God, and to wish and ho)e to know !i%, is the road which leads
strai"ht to the Good $ $ $ $
orpus ?ermeticum0 ?lii
!er%es - Tris%e"istosF
6erme- 4 3ri-me,i-to-, orpus ?ermeticum, xlii, =o+n Everard tran-lated 1rom
Ai2inoE- Latin, in t+e Briti-+ Li.rar/ Colle2tion, London: ";(%.
T!E C(TA0E4
>F T!E '>CO
The 4ord is not worshi))ed with %aterial thin"s,
but with one's own consciousness$ 0on't wave li"hts and incense, or offer
flowers and food$ ?e is found effortlessl* when worshi))ed throu"h selfrealisation
alone$ The continuous and unbroken
awareness of the indwellin" Presence, the inner li"ht of
consciousness, is the su)re%e %editation and devotion$
T!E TEAC!(#G
(n both alche%* and @a.ra*ana, the e?teriorized subtle bod* is i%a"ed in
the for% of an edifice, a buildin", so that )ractitioners can %ake the delicate
ad.ust%ents to the chakras, re)resented b* the roo%s or cha%bers
in the edifice, that are necessar* to initiate )h*sical transfor%ation$
This )rocedure is co%%on to both oriental and occidental esoteric
)ractice$ (n @a.ra*ana, the visualized edifice i%)rinted on the subtle
bod* is the stu)a 6in Tibetan, chorten7$ >ri"inall*, a stu)a was an Ar*an
%onu%ent raised over the to%bs of the ro*al dead, like the earth
%ounds found in other cultures$ (n all likelihood, it s*%bolized the first
tree 6the Tree of 4ife7 "rowin" u)on the )ri%al %ound or hill$ ,ith the
co%in" of the historical 5uddha, 'hak*a - &uni, the stu)a was invested
with a hi"her si"nificance to re)resent the %anifestation of the enli"htened
%ind 6consciousness7, an architectural re)resentation of the ka*as,
the vehicles of the 5uddha$ 'o%e of the lar"est stu)as are found in
'ri - 4anka$ The "reat stu)a of 5ouddhanath, at /ath%andu in #e)al, is
the center of )il"ri%a"e for )eo)le fro% all over the trans - !i%ala*an re"ion
and the (ndian subcontinent$
&ahara%a*ana, in Ti%oth* Freke, "he 2isdom of the ?indu Gurus 65oston3 Tuttle,
"##B&, )$ EA$
B% "ower of +lchemy
A)as is the ,ater of the ,ise$ (t is shown as a crescent l*in" on its
back, because all its %anifestations for% se%i - lunar waves$ (ts color is
white, with violet as a secondar* tint$ (ts characteristic +ualit* is contraction
and it is the subtle )rinci)le of taste$ A)as is assi"ned to 2esod
6the s)here of the &oon7 on the Tree of 4ife, but also to /ether$ This
teaches an as)ect that %i"ht otherwise esca)e our notice$ (t is throu"h
the %ental activit* of the >ne Realit* that the Tree - the 'e)hiroth and
the )aths - co%e into bein"$ /ether is the )oint at which the wave - like
%otion, vibration, be"ins$ 'o we see that the universe and ever*thin" in
it is the result of the >ne's reflection of its own nature, the strea% of
consciousness$
The last Tattva is Prithivi, the Earth of the ,ise$ (t corres)onds to
Ti)hareth and not to &alkuth u)on the Tree$ (ts +ualit* is cohesion, its
color *ellow, and its for% cubic or rectilinear$ Prithivi is the subtle )rinci)le
of s%ell$
Althou"h the Tattvas are better known in the East, the* are, in fact,
)art of the Pri%ordial or Planetar* Tradition$ The 4ords of &ind %u%anit*'s
first teachers7 used these )ri%e s*%bols 6circle, trian"le, and
s+uare7 to initiate earl* hu%anit* into abstract thou"ht - thou"ht that
was not for% - based$ The 9Kth - centur* %*stical alche%ist, 1acob
5oeh%e, as far as we know, never %et a *o"i or an oriental in the flesh,
*et in the Fifth Te?t of his &*steriu% Panso)hicu%, we read an account
of his own direct )erce)tion of nature's finer forces, wherein he "ives
colors that correlate with those of the Tattvas3
And thus we are able to reco"nise an eternal substantialit* of
#ature, identical with water and fire, which are, as it were,
%i?ed to"ether8 where then this "ives a li"ht - blue colour G@a*uH,
like a flash of fire8 where it hath a for% as of rub* GTe.asH %i?ed
with cr*stal in one substance, or as *ellow GPrithiviH, white
GA)asH, red and blue, %in"led in a dark water GAkashaH8 where it
is as blue in "reen Gthe alche%ical Peacock's Tail, the iridescent
subtones of AkashaH, *et each has its lustre and shines$
And the water checks the fire, so that there is no consu%in"
there, but an eternal essence or substance into %*steries united
one in another, and *et the distinction of two )rinci)les as two
kinds of life$V
=a2o. Boe+me, "9/-terium 5an-o'+i2um," "he Aignature of N "hings 64ondon
and Cam.rid,e: 3+oma- Clarke, "#;#&.
The Citadel of the 'oul N9
The for% - sha)es attributed to the Tattvas are not arbitrar*$ /nowled"e
of the% is the basis of the occult doctrine of si"natures$ Their vibrations
deter%ine the structure and sha)es of cr*stals, and also the
or"anic structures of the ve"etable and ani%al kin"do%s$ 'o the Tattvas
are the actual forces b* which )h*sical for%s, in all nature's real%s, are
)roduced$ The* are the builders of for% and their sha)es can be seen in
all for%s$ 'o%e of the tattvic )atterns are visible to the naked e*e$ 'and
s)rinkled on a )late of "lass will show so%e of the% when a violin bow is
drawn alon" its ed"e$ >thers are brou"ht within our visual ran"e with the
aid of a %icrosco)e$ 5ut to the sa"es, such instru%ents are redundant$
The Tattvas interact with one another - as do the "ross ele%entsand
these )er%utations can be likened to the )lanetar* con.unctions in
astrolo"*$ These double influences are re)resented b* co%bined s*%bols$
For our )ur)oses, certain of these s*%bol co%binations re)resent
the seven inner centers, the chakras$ The tattvic s*%bols act as a )owerful
sti%uli for the chakras, )urif*in" their blocka"es 6kar%ic i%)edi%ents7
and awakenin" the% fro% dor%anc*$ 'o we %a* safel* utilize the
tattvic s*%bols of the interior stars, without da%a"in" the )h*sical or"anis%
throu"h concentration on actual )h*sical locations$ The s*%bols
are shown in ascendin" order in fi"ure A 6see )a"e N;7 and in Table
9 6see below7$
muladhara
svahisthana
manipura
ancihata
uisuddha
a/na
sahasrara - padma
Table 9$ The Tattvic Corres)ondences of the (nterior 'tars$
'aturn center
&ars center
1u)iter center
9 'un center
@enus center
&oon center
&ercur* center
+'asha - +'asha
"e/as - "e/as
-ayu - +pas
+'asha - "e/as
+pas - "e/as
+pas - +pas
Prithivi - Prithivi
C6<R 330lr 7L?56
Two of these s*%bol co%binations *ou have alread* encountered in
*our )ractice3 the +'asha - "e/as s*%bol on the door - )late of the Cha)el
of the Rose - Croi?, denotin" the 'un center, and the A)as - A)as "l*)h on
the door into the Turret Roo%, the &oon chakra$ The others will beco%e
a))arent when we co%)lete the Tower of the Art$
0N3ER0:R 5LNE3
B) "ower of +lchemy
&ercur* Center3
6Quicksilver7
2ellow s+uare char"ed with a
second *ellow s+uare$
&oon Center3 ,hite crescent char"ed with a
6'ilver7 second white crescent$
@enus Center3 ,hite crescent char"ed with a
6Co))er7 red trian"le$
'un Center3 (ndi"o oval char"ed with a red
6Gold7 trian"le$
1u)iter Center3 5lue circle char"ed with a white
6Tin7 crescent$
&ars Center Red trian"le char"ed with a
6(ron7 second red trian"le$
'aturn Center3 (ndi"o oval char"ed with a
64ead7 second indi"o oval$
Fi"ure A$ The tattvic s*%bols of the interior stars$
"he (nner astle
The subtle bod* contains %ore )ower than the )h*sical bod*$ The )h*sical
bod* is not a distinct, self - sufficient entit*$ (t is, in fact, ver* transient$
(t has been likened to a standin" wave, inas%uch as the cells of
which it is co%)rised are constantl* bein" created and e.ected$ #earl*
one third of the )h*sical bod*'s cells are re)laced in a twent* - four hour
)eriod$ This is wh* the bod* of 1esus, after his crucifi?ion, la* in the
to%b for three da*s$ (t is the etheric or subtle bod* that holds the te%)late
of the )h*sical vehicle and )er%eates )h*sical substance, holdin"
it in its a))ointed for%$ (n so%e of the older te?ts, the subtle bod* is
called the real )h*sical bod*, because it is )er%anent 6throu"hout an incarnation,
that is7 and the %erel* )h*sical is ever - chan"in"$ The bod* of
)h*sical %atter has the for% and functions that it has because it is derived
fro% the subtle bod*, which is its seed$ 5ut it is the subtle bod*
that contains divine )ower - /undalini - the for% - buildin" and re"eneraThe
Citadel of the 'oul B*
tive )ower$ >n the Tree of 4ife, the subtle bod* is e+uated to 2esod$ (n
the anthro)o%or)hic i%a"e of Ada% Qad%on, 2esod is the situation of
the "enerative or"ans of the archet*)al hu%an$ Further%ore, 2esod is
the s)here of activit* for the hidden )ower of 2od - 'od - the secret of
2od' - the +abalistic ter% for /undalini 2o"a$
A *o"i or *o"ini of the Tibetan tradition visualizes his or her subtle
bod* as a chorten$ This visualization is actuall* a co - creation, since
the universe is ulti%atel* a %ental creation$ Risin" fro% store* to store*
6each store* bein" a %ore refined level7, )ractioners build within each a
%andala of tantric deities - an ener"* web of the d*na%ics of enli"hten%ent -
to activate the chakras and )enetrate the veil of a))earances to
)erceive Realit*$
'i%ilarl*, )ractitioners of Alche%* build their Tower of the Art$
Passin" fro% cha%ber to cha%ber ali"ns their interior forces and their
corres)ondin" states of awareness with those of the %acrocos%$ Clti%atel*,
the* enter the thrice - radiant 0arkness, the Concealed 4i"ht of
the Absolute$
The thou"ht - for% of an inner castle has been used b* alche%ical
ade)ts for centuries$ (t was )robabl* stron"l* influenced b* the !ekhal -
:th %*sticis% of )ost - te%)le (srael$ There is a tradition within !ekhal -
:th that the 'even Palaces of the !ol* >ne are %irrored in the seven
cha%bers 6chakras7 of the %*stic$ This for% of %*sticis% also a))eared
later in 9<th - centur* ')ain in a Christian for%, when the Car%elite nun,
Teresa of Avila 6herself of 1ewish Converso stock fro% Toledo, the oneti%e
+abalistic ca)ital of Euro)e7 wrote her book of conte%)lative
)ractice, The (nterior Castle$
&ar* &a"dalene, accordin" to so%e Christian Gnostic sects was the
shakti or s)iritual consort of 1esus 6a view that is currentl* en.o*in" a
)o)ular revival7$ &a"dala %eans a stron" tower$ &ar* &a"dalene's
anointin" of her lord's feet with )recious )erfu%e has a certain +abalistic
s*%bolis%, as well as >riental overtones$ There are also resonances of
1esus and &ar* of &a"dala in the Grail le"ends of Parsifal and /undri$
#u%erous alche%ical )rints show the alche%ist, usuall* at )ra*er,
in a fortress or tower$ >ften, u)on the battle%ents of the tower, four an"elic
fi"ures stand as "uardians$ These heavenl* "uardians are standard
in esoteric cere%onies, such as The Ritual of the 4esser 5anishin" Penta"ra%,
where the archan"els Ra)hael, &ichael, Gabriel, and Criel, the
celestial re"ents of the ele%ents, are invited to "uard the cardinal )oints
of the sacred s)ace$ Accordin" to tradition, these four bri"ht s)irits
were the "uardians of the )atriarch Abraha%, who was initiated b*
<3 "ower of +lchemy
&elchizadek$ 'ince then, these four archan"els have been seen as the
)rotectors of those who a))roach the 0ivine throu"h the Qabalah$
(n the >ld Testa%ent, it sa*s in the Prover>s 9N39:, The #a%e 2od -
!e@au - !e is a stron" tower0 the ri"hteous runneth into it, and is safe$
This relates to the Tetra"ra%%aton 62od - !e - @au - !e7 as a s*%bol of the
four winds, and in )articular to the four 'e)hiroth on the %iddle )illar,
that constitutes the a?iscolu%n of the alche%ical Tower of the Art$ The
construction of the tower itself holds an i%)ortant teachin"$ There are
four cha%bers runnin" u) the central a?is of the tower3 the !all of the
5ride in &alkuth8 the #u)tial Cha%ber in 2esod, the Great !all of Ti)hareth,
and the turret - roo% of 0a'ath 6see fi"ure E, )a"e K:7$ /ether itself
is i%a"ed as a Radiant ,hite 'un above, and inde)endent fro% the edifice
of the tower itself$ This inti%ates that the 0ivine (tself is su)erior to,
and above all constructions of the hu%an intellect, be the* theolo"ical,
credal or )hiloso)hical$ The sa%e a))lies to an* i%a"e of the 0ivine,
however )oetic, built b* the hu%an i%a"ination$ The i%%ensit* of the
>ne Realit* transcends all definition$ ,e can onl* co%e nearer to the
Eternal in feelin" and in understandin"$ The wisdo% inherent in the alche%ical
s*%bolis% of the Tower of the Art, is that it does not seek to
)resent an i%a"e that ca)tures the Absolute$ ,hat it endeavours to
achieve b* the tower is a re)resentation b* which the )ractitioner can
ascend u) in "raduated sta"es of consciousness to the 0ivine and brin"
down the "lor* of the 0ivine Radiance into the tower so that it is irradiated
fro% Above, so beco%in" a citadel of 4i"ht in the 4ower ,orlds$
This heretofore closel* - "uarded secret of esoteric )ractice - the e?teriorization -
is also one of the %eanin"s of the Rosicrucian 6Christian -
Qabalah7 )led"e to )erfor% all )ractical work in a )lace concealed and
a)art fro% the "aze of the outer and uninitiated world$ This %eans that
the alche%ical )rocedure is undertaken within the inner bodies, as well,
of course, as in those ob.ective Te%)les of (n"atherin" in the ,orlds
Above$
The tower stands u)on a )ro%ontor* within the inner kin"do%, the
hill of )ower$ Ps*cholo"icall*, this re)resents the %ost develo)ed )ersonalit*
co%)le? !persona, 4atin for %ask7 in the individual$ (t is the
)ersonalit* that under"oes the serious redevelo)%ent, the rebuildin",
that this and an* other s)iritual disci)line involves$ >ne cannot beco%e
an ade)t and re%ain the sa%e$
The first cha%ber we built was the Great !all of the Table Round
with its anne?, the ad.oinin" Cha)el of the Rose - Croi?$ This constitutes
the %icrocos%ic se)hira of Ti)hareth$ 5oth the 1u)iter and 'un centers
The Citadel of the 'oul NA
function in it$ This cha%ber is built first, because it is crucial to the
,ork to follow$ The 'un center, the heart, is )ivotal in the chakra
sche%e$ There are three centers above it 6@enus, &oon, and &ercur*7
and three below it 61u)iter, &ars, and 'aturn7$ As the sub.ective Ti)hareth,
the heart center har%onizes and inte"rates the influences of the
other si? interior stars$ (n arousin" the dra"on, the fier* )ower of /undalini,
the %ost difficult )art is raisin" it fro% the 'aturn center, throu"h
the &ars and 1u)iter centers, and into the heart$ >nce the kundalini irradiates
the 'un center 6the heart "irt with a ser)ent7, the flow throu"h
the u))er centers 6bein" foci for hi"her reaches of consciousness7 is relativel*
s%ooth$
The Turret Roo% is the sub.ective s)here of 0a'ath, the ,ithdrawn
'e)hira, which is our observator* u)on our outer and inner s)heres and
our link with the worlds above$ All the s*%bolis% in this cha%ber relates
to vision and co%%unication$ (n its hi"hest sense, 0a'ath, translated
as knowled"e, %eans to know another in the biblical sense of
se?ual inti%ac*$ (t is a %eta)hor for both the subli%ation of the libido
6borrowin" stren"th fro% the Ea"le, /undalini7 and the ra)ture of
union with the 0ivine in transcendent bliss$ There are two %a.or currents
of ener"* u)on the &iddle Pillar of the Tree of 4ife$ The first is the
/ether - &alkuth current8 the second is the 2esod - 0a'ath current, with all
that entails for ascension and transfi"uration$ 5oth the @enus and &oon
centers 6@isuddha and A.na chakras7 are )resent in this landin"$
As shown )reviousl* in fi"ure E 6see )a"e $%&, the double s)iral
stairwa*s - the channels of the lunar 6(da7 and solar 6Pin"ala7 currents
- - coil about a central colu%n$ This colu%n e?tends fro% the to) to the
botto% of the tower$ (t is the thou"ht - built channel for the 'hushu%na,
the s)inal )illar$ (t is hollow for two reasons3 as a needful re%inder of
the s)atial characteristic of Akasha, and because, once awakened, the fier*
)ower will ascend throu"h it to unite the kin"do% with the crown b*
restorin" the Creator to !is throne$
There are three landin"s that o)en out fro% the central colu%n and
its s)iral stairwa*s$ The first we have traveled, fro% Ti)hareth to 0a'ath$
At the entrance to the stairs fro% that landin", between the two arched
doorwa*s o)enin" onto the s)iral stairwa*s, is a de)iction of /e* 99, The
!i"h Priestess$ This re)resentation of the chief fe%inine elder 6to "ive
its literal translation7 was seen fro% the landin", but it can also be seen
fro% inside the stairwa*s, whenever one is ascendin" or descendin"
the%, so that one knows which landin" one is a))roachin" or )assin" b*$
There are two other landin"s beneath this one$ The first, i%%ediatel*
N< Tower of Alche%*
beneath this landin", is si"n - )osted b* /e* U(@, Te%)erance, and "ives
entrance to the cha%ber e+uatin" to 2esod$ An entrancele?it at the base
of the stairwa*s is %arked b* the /e* UU(, The ,orld$ These three tarot
ke*s are, of course, those desi"natin" the three Paths of the &iddle Pillar
on the Tree, the Paths of the Arrow$
Kether - Mal'uth
The cha%ber that re)resents the interior &alkuth lies dee) within the
hill u)on which the tower is built$ >ne enters it b* descendin" the s)iral
stairwa* with the blue handrail, the lunar current$ 5* )assin" throu"h
the door to the left of The ,orld, one enters a hall of vast )ro)ortions$
(ts floor is rou"h underfoot$ C)on e?a%ination, it is seen to be black basalt
s)ewed b* volcanic eru)tions aeons a"o fro% a volcano that now
slu%bers$ (n the center is a crudel* finished cubic altar for%ed fro% a
sin"le block of stone$ This is the Rou"h Ashlar, which will re+uire the
blows of e?)erience u)on the chisel of disci)line to s%ooth its surface
and the sweat of labor and the tears of sacrifice to )olish it$ C)on this altar
lies the Cross of the Ele%ents 6the e+ual - ar%ed Greek cross7 and a
chalice of dark iron$ (n the hall's ceilin" of livin" rock, directl* over the
altar, there is a )rotuberance - a central boss %arkin" the &iddle Pillar$
This )rotrudin" boss is carved to rese%ble an al%ond blosso%$
(n the eastern wall, there is a curtained doorwa*, leadin" to the
heart of the )lanet Earth, to the laborator* of the !ol* ')irit that is the
center of Planetar* /undalini$ This doorwa* can onl* be )enetrated
once union with the !i"her 'elf has been established and stabilized$
There are two other doorwa*s$ The one on the ri"ht is veiled b* a ta)estr*
de)ictin" /e* UU, 1ud"e%ent 6called the collective intelli"ence in
the 'e)her 2etzirah7$ (t leads to the Cha%ber of the 'acred (bis, the sub.ective
!od$ The left - hand door in the northern wall is covered b* a ta)estr*
of /e* U@(((, The &oon 6the cor)oreal or incarnatin" intelli"ence7$
(t leads to the )assa"ewa* to the sub.ective #etzach, the Cha%ber of the
Green 4ion$ 5ehind, in the western wall, are the twin arched doors to the
s)iral stairwa*s flankin" The ,orld$ 'et within a niche at the foot of the
tarot re)resentation is a "lazed earthenware cu)$
'o there are two vessels in this 5ridal !all, as the cha%ber of
&alkuth is na%ed3 one of "lazed earthenware beneath tarot /e* UU(, The
,orld, and the other of iron standin" u)on the altar$ The earthenware
chalice is the "rail of &alkuth$ As the result of "ood )ractice, %anifested
as noble livin", this cu) will be"in to fill with the ,ine of &erit$
The second chalice is u)on the altar, which si"nifies that the ener"ies of
The Citadel of the 'oul NK
one level are raised to those of a su)erior level, and is of iron, the %etal
of &ars$ This is linked to the interior star of &ars, the Avahisthana
chakra$
Turnin" our attention to the Turret Roo% of 0a'ath, to the ri"ht of
the eastern ser)ent - fra%ed window, there is a )ur)le )ull - ro)e$ (t is used
to lower or raise a tra)door in the ceilin" orna%ented with the Prithioi -
Prithiui s*%bol of the &ercur* center, and fro% it co%es a ladder that
enables one to ascend to the battle%ents of the tower, which corres)ond
to the crown center, the Aahasrara - padma, the thousand - )etaled
4otus$
The )ara)ets of the battle%ents are crenellated and the roof's center
is inset with the window adorned with the 'tar and the 'he%, the
!ol* #a%e$ 0irectl* overhead is a lar"e s)here of blazin" incandescence
6like burnin" %a"nesiu%7, the ,hite 'un of /ether$
Althou"h the view of the inner kin"do% is clearer fro% the battle%ents -
fro% horizon to horizon - than it is fro% within the Turret
Roo%, when standin" u)on the battle%ents, one can be buffeted b*
fierce astral "ales$ These "ales are the )roduct of both interior e%otional
states 6e%otion bein" a ver* real astral force7 and the ob.ective astral
forces swee)in" throu"h the %icrocos% - for we are not se)arate$
The descri)tions of these two cha%bers - the 5ridal !all of &alkuth
and the 5attle%ents of /ether - are "iven here so that )ractitioners can
be"in to beco%e fa%iliar with their detail and s*%bolis% before undertakin"
the followin" )ractice$
T!E PRACT(CE
Perfor% the )reli%inar* e?ercises and then )ro.ect the Table Round$
Take *our )lace at *our sie"e$ >bserve that *ou are clothed in a hooded
robe of dee) blue - violet, the indi"o color of Akasha$ The hood is a s*%bol
of i%)ersonalit*, the necessar* attitude of %ind for this work$ There
are silver sandals, the %a"ical tool of 2esod, u)on *our feet, for *ou are
walkin" the shinin" Paths of the Tree$ This robe and these sandals
should be *our usual inner attire when workin" within the Tower$
Greet the Co%)anions throu"h the Grail$ Then rise and enter the
Cha)el of the Rose - Croi?$ There %ake *our adoration to the Mysterium
Magnum, the one realit*$ Pass back throu"h the Great !all to the rainbow -
%isted doorwa* in the western wall$ #otice that, because it is a low
door, *ou have to bow *our head to )ass throu"h it$ This is a constant
re%inder of the need for hu%ilit* - not a false, "rovelin" abase%ent, but
NN "ower of +lchemy
one rooted, like the word itself, in hu%us, %eanin" of the Earth$ True
hu%ilit* is the necessar* antidote for the vice of Ti)hareth, which is
hubris, overweenin" s)iritual )ride$
Facin" the de)iction of the !i"h Priestess, enter the left - hand s)iral
stairwa*$ Feel the war% breeze blowin" fro% behind and below8 hold onto
the red handrail if need be, and walk u) the clockwise s)iral of stairs until
*ou co%e to stand before the cr*stal door to the Turret Roo%$
There, )lace *our hand u)on the A)as - A)as door)late and )ush the
door o)en$ Go to the ser)ent - fra%ed eastern window$ Pull on the )ur)le
tasseled cord and see the tra)door in the ceilin" o)en$ A "olden ladder
is lowered to the floor$ ,alk u) the seven run"s of the ladder onto the
roof of the battle%ents$ At first, the blazin" li"ht of ,hite 'un is dazzlin",
but *ou ad.ust after a short while$ 4ook out over 4o"res$ To the
west lie the rich forest and "entle hills8 to the north, the wide )lains and
the distant far %ountains8 to the east, the "reat sea$ And to the southI
,hat do *ou seeI Re%e%ber$
0escend the ladder$ 2ank on the )ur)le )ullro)e$ The "olden ladder
slides u) and the tra)door closes$ 4eave the Turret Roo%, closin" the
cr*stal door behind *ou$ (t is vital that the cha%ber doors are alwa*s
o)ened and closed to kee) the ener"ies distinct and unconta%inated$
,alk down the lunar s)iral stairwa* with the )ale - blue cord rail, feelin"
the chill*, %oist breeze in *our face, blowin" u) fro% below$ Continue
down these stairs, )ast the landin" of Ti)hareth indicated b* the !i"h
Priestess, )ast 2esod %arked b* Te%)erance, until *ou co%e to the de)iction
of The ,orld, and e%er"e fro% the left - hand archwa* into the
5ridal !all$
'tandin" with *our back to the tarot ke*, look at the hall and the titanic
forces at )la* within it$ As *ou watch, a "reat strea% of %ulticolored
li"ht "ushes u)ward fro% the alter$ (t is chiefl* white in color, but also has
hi"hli"hts of red, *ellow, and blue$ (t re)resents the inte"rated )ower of all
the ele%ents$ This livin" li"ht i%)acts with tre%endous force u)on the
)rotrudin" al%ond blosso%, the base of the &iddle Pillar$ (t then flows u )
ward throu"h the )assa"es which connect the 5ridal !all with the u))er
levels of the tower$ (t is b* the li"ht of this livin" radiance that we have
found our wa* down here$ >n all levels of the tower, it is this li"ht that fills
the )assa"es and cha%bers$ (t even radiates throu"h the solid walls of the
castle to for% a %antle of livin" li"ht to enco%)ass it$
Gazin" on this fountain of li"ht ener"*, notice that there is a definite
rh*th% to it, it )ulsates like a %i"ht* heart$ C)on closer observation,
see that there is, flowin" down fro% the carved al%ond blosso%, a reThe
Citadel of the 'oul NJ
verse strea% of ener"*$ This reverse current is a )ure white brilliance,
flowin" down u)on the altar and bein" absorbed therein$ This descendin"
current of white li"ht "ives the i%)ression of havin" co%e fro% a
ver* re%ote source$
#ow, )a* close attention to the Cross of the Ele%ents u)on the altar$
,hen the %ulti - colored ener"* arises fro% the cha%ber, throu"h the
altar, and u) throu"h the al%ond blosso%, the cross a))ears in "lowin"
%olten red$ ,hen, in the reverse flow, the white brilliance descends
fro% above into the altar stone, the cross beco%es white - hot$ 5ut durin"
the short )eriods between the alternatin" currents of force, the cross is
shown as refined "oldQ
#ow ascend b* the solar s)iral stairwa*, )ast 2esod 6Te%)erance7,
until The !i"h Priestess ke* indicates that *ou have reached the landin"
leadin" into the Great !all$ Enter the cha%ber, "o strai"ht to the cha)el,
and "ive thanks$ Return to the !all of the Round Table, closin" the
cha)el door and )ullin" closed the "olden curtain$ Resu%e *our )lace in
that blessed fellowshi)$ Re%ain for a while in the har%onizin" li"ht of
the !ol* Grail$ Then draw the table back to latenc* in *our heart center$
Perfor% the closin" e?ercises and write u) *our record$
A3ER936
The reason for visitin" the cha)el first - and for returnin" to it at the end
of a )ractice - is to inte"rate and balance an* of the forces *ou have encountered
in the session b* the %ediation of Ti)hareth$ This is also true
of the Grail, before absorbin" the thou"ht - )ro.ection$
(t will take several )ractice sessions to "et all these details into
)lace, and %ore still before the* achieve se%i - autono%*$ >ne of the
si"ns of acco%)lish%ent, for this sta"e, is the co%in" of the "uardians$
A)art fro% the Great !all and the Turret Roo%, ever* other cha%ber
in the tower has a "uardian and this is a ver* real bein"$ The for% b*
which *ou )erceive a cha%ber's "uardian will de)end on what *our own
subconscious thinks such a bein" should be$ The s)irit "uardians are,
however, inde)endent bein"s8 *ou onl* build the for% the* wear$ 'o%e
of the s)irit "uardians %a* a))ear in the for% of deities$ !owever, one
should not be fascinated b* the "la%or of this$ (t onl* indicates that the
bein" has either worked in the )ast within the %*steries of that deit*, or
is currentl* workin" with the sa%e enli"htenin" ener"* of which the deit*
is also a re)resentation$ (n due ti%e, s)irit "uardians clothed as deities
should unveil the%selves$
90 Tower of Alchemy
The !ail of the Table doesn't have a distinct "uardian because the
Fellowshi) of the Table, as a cor)orate unit*, "uards it$ !owever, the
cha)el has its own "uardian, who% *ou will encounter when *ou have
)ulled back the "old curtain and o)ened the door bearin" the A.asha )
Te"as )late$ (t is re+uired inner - )lane eti+uette and courtes* that *ou
"reet the "uardian when enterin" or leavin" a cha%ber$
T!E C>#TE&P&T(>#
The followin" is fro% the introduction to Eli)has 4evi's book, Transcendental
/a$ic, in which he +uotes in turn fro% a 9<th - centur* %anuscri)t$
4ike %an* of these +uotations offered for conte%)lation, its lan"ua"e is
ti%e - fettered$ !owever, its essential teachin" coincides with the siddhis,
the )owers of the )erfected *o"i, described b* Patan.ali$
!ereinafter follow the )owers and )rivile"es of the %an who
holds in his ri"ht hand the Clavicles of 'olo%on, and in his left
the 5ranch of the 5losso%in" Al%ond3
Ale)h - !e beholds God face to face, without d*in", and converses
fa%iliarl* with the seven "enii who co%%and the entire
celestial ar%*$
5eth - !e is above all "riefs and all fears$
Ghi%el - !e rei"ns with all heaven and is served b* all hell$
0aleth - !e rules his own health and life, and can influence
e+uall* those of others$
!e - !e can neither be sur)rised b* %isfortune nor overwhel%ed
b* disasters, nor can he be con+uered b* his ene%ies$
@au - !e knows the reason of the )ast, )resent and future$
Dain - !e )ossesses the secret of the resurrection of the dead
and the ke* of i%%ortalit*$
'uch are the seven chief )rivile"es, and those which rank ne?t
are these3
Cheth - To find the Philoso)hical 'tone$
Teth - To )ossess the Cniversal &edicine$
(od - To know the laws of )er)etual %otion and to )rove
+uadrature of the Circle$
Ca)h - To chan"e into "old not onl* all %etals but also the
earth itself, and even the refuse of the earth$
The Citadel of the 'oul J9
4a%ed - To subdue the %ost ferocious ani%als and have )ower
to )ronounce those words which )aral*se and char% ser)ents$
&e% - To have the Ars #otaria which "ives the Cniversal 'cience$
#un - To s)eak learnedl* on all sub.ects, without )re)aration
and without stud*$
These, finall*, are the seven least )owers of the &a"us3
'a%ech - To know at a "lance the dee) thin"s of the souls of
%en and the %*steries of the hearts of wo%en$
A*in - To force #ature to %ake hi% free at his )leasure$
Pe - To foresee all future events which do not de)end on a su)erior
free will, or on an undiscernible cause$
Tsade - To "ive at once and to all the %ost efficacious consolations
and the %ost wholeso%e counsels$
/o)h - To triu%)h over adversities$
Resh - To con+uer love and hate$
'hin - To have the secret of wealth, to >e alwa*s its %aster
and never its slave$ To en.o* even )overt* and never beco%e
ab.ect or %iserable$
Tau - 4et us add to these three se)tenaries that the wise %an
rules the ele%ents, stills te%)ests, cures the diseased b* his
touch, and raises the deadQ
5ut certain thin"s have been sealed b* 'olo%on with his tri)le
seal$ (t is enou"h that the initiates know8 as for others, whether
the* deride, doubt or believe, whether the* threaten or fear,
what %atters it to science$ or to
Eli'+a- Lkvi, "ranscendental Magic (?ork Bea2+, M$0 Samuel Wei-er, 9JK;7, ''.
9: - 99$
T!E Fb>,ER(#G TREE
,hen ( ascended into the heavens ( saw the hol* sons of God
%ovin" in fla%es of fire, wearin" white clothes,
whose countenances shone like snow$
- Ethio)ian 5ook of Enochl
36E TEAC!(#G
The !ebrew word for al%ond is 0u-. This is also the ancient na%e for
the town of 5eth - El, where 1acob wrestled with his hol* Guardian An"el,
si"nif*in" the inevitable stru""le between the lower and the hi"her self$
After that )rofound initiation, 1acob received a new na%e, (srael, %eanin"
!e shall rule as God$ !e was then "raced with the vision of the C))er
,orlds, seein" the "reat ladder, with An"els ascendin" and
descendin" thereon to e?ecute the ,ill of The >ne$ Accordin" to 1ewish
folklore, 4uz is the cit* over which the An"el of 0eath has no )ower$
The citizens of 4uz are i%%ortal$ (t is said that if the inhabitants tire of
life, the* have to be )laced outside the cit* walls in order to be enfolded
in the sable win"s of the An"el of 0eath$ (t is further said that *ou can
onl* "ain entr* to the cit* throu"h a secret cave that is concealed b* an
al%ond tree$ 5* )assin" throu"h a hole in the trunk of the al%ond tree,
*ou "ain the cave and, thus, the cit*$
Aaron, the brother of &oses, was chosen to be the first !i"h Priest
because his staff of al%ond wood %iraculousl* flowered when left overni"ht
in the tabernacle$ Those of the other candidates re%ained dor%ant$
Aaron was anointed and arra*ed in the hi"h - )riestl* robes of
"lor* 6re)resentin" the inner vehicles of the C))er ,orlds7 and he
"Et+io'ian Book o1 Eno2+," in FEev .en S+imon 6alevi, Ka>>alah0 "he Fivine Plan
6'an Francisco3 !ar)er'anFrancisco, "##;&, ', "(,
JF Tower of +lchemy
alone of all the !ouse of (srael was )er%itted to enter into the !ol* of
!olies 6the o)ened third e*e of s)iritual vision7 to stand face to face with
the 0ivine Presence$ Aaron's flowerin" al%ond staff was )laced in the
hol* Ark of the Covenant, alon" with the tablets of the Co%%and%ents$
The flowerin" staff also a))ears in the Arthurian %*thos with 1ose)h
of Ari%athea, who brou"ht the !ol* Grail to Albion 6En"land7$ 1ose)h
had been told that, when he saw a hill that rese%bled &ount Tabor
in (srael 6the %ountain of the )ro)hetess 0eborah and of 1esus' transfi"uration7,
he would be "iven a si"n to settle there$ ,hen he ca%e to Glastonbur*
Tor in the @ale of Avalon, he saw that it did indeed rese%ble
&ount Tabor$ That ni"ht, his staff flowered$ (ndeed, its )h*sical descendent,
the !ol* Thorn, still flowers each Christ%as$ 1ose)h re%ained, establishin"
the first church on the twelve hides of land "ifted to hi% b*
the 0ruid )riesthood and initiated the &erlin of 5ritain into the )riesthood
of Christ$
The a))earance of biblical fi"ures and s*%bols within the Arthurian
le"end is not si%)l* a case of %onastic scribes atte%)tin" to clean u)
earlier )a"an le"ends$ ,hen these &iddle Eastern fi"ures a))ear in the
%*th, the* indicate the co%in" of the Qabalah into the indi"enous &atter
of 5ritain - a %eetin" and cross - fertilization between two strea%s of the
)ri%ordial tradition of the A"eless ,isdo%$ (n the sa%e wa*, the Guru
Ri%)ochC, Pad%asa%bhava incor)orated and elevated the indi"enous
5on 'ha%anis% into reli"ious )ractice when he brou"ht the 5uddhist
0har%a to Tibet$ 1ose)h of Ari%athea, the 'hi) of 'olo%on, and the Grail
Cit* of 'arras all re)resent the Qabalistic strea%, while fi"ures such as
2"raine 6Arthur's %other7, the &erlin, &or"an le Fa*, and the Table
Round itself re)resent the Atlantean strea% of the %*steries$ (t was this
cross - fertilization of &iddle - Eastern with Celtic and !*)erborean i%a"er*
that "ave the Arthurian %*thos its abidin" )otenc*, and re%ains e%bedded
dee) within the )s*che of ,estern civilization to this ver* da*$
(n Ara%aic, the &editerranean %ercantile lan"ua"e in the ti%e of
1esus, 4uz %eans nut or bone$ (t refers to the botto% cervical vertabrae
of the s)ine, the cocc*?, where the dor%ant /undalini slee)s as a
coiled ser)ent$ 4uz is thus a Qabalis% for the /uladhara chakra$ Rabbi
1oshua tau"ht the E%)eror !adrian 6who was an initiate of the Graeco -
E"*)tian &*steries7 that the resurrection of the dead be"ins in the
al%ond or nut$ This belief was later taken u) also b* Christian and
(sla%ic theolo"ians, beco%in" an article of faith for all the Peo)le of the
5ook$ (n all likelihood, this teachin" was received in ancient E"*)t,
where the resurrection of the savior - "od, >siris, was si"nified b* the
The Flowerin" Tree JA
raisin" of the 0.ed Pillar, a s*%bol of the backbone of the "od and also
of a ladder for ascension$ The 4uz is the seed of )h*sical re"eneration
and is de)icted in the to) left corner of the 9Eth tarot ke*, 0eath, as a
s*%bol of transfor%ation$ The Rosa Alba, the white rose of 'u)erconsciousness,
is onl* shown in two tarot ke*s3 0eath 6/e* 9E7 and The
Fool 6/e* :7, which was ancientl* na%ed The Alche%istQ
(n the s*ste% of theur"* known as The 'acred &a"ic of Abra%elin
the &a"e, )ractitioners are directed to fashion a rod or wand fro% al%ond
wood$ The )ur)ose of the Abra%elin s*ste% is to achieve knowled"e
and conversation with the !ol* Guardian An"el8 in other words, to
enter into conscious union with the !i"her 'elf$
"he Rod of Power
,ithin the 5ridal !all of &alkuth, the ascendin" )lanetar* kundalini i%)acts
u)on the al%ond 4uz, )assin" throu"h it and then u)ward throu"h
the rest of the tower$ !ere the 4uz, as the ceilin" of the cha%ber of
&alkuth, %er"es with the cha%ber of 2esod as its floor$ 2esod, the
'e)hira of the "enital re"ion, is not the source of /undalini, but the )ersonal
reservoir for it within an individual or"anis%$
(t is the ascendin" fier* strea% of /undalini - the fla%e of the
0ra"on - that, u)on reachin" the )ineal "land, fuses the "rains of brainsand
therein and confects 6)roduces7 the 'tone of the ,ise$ (t is the descendin"
eli?ir fro% the stone - the universal %edicine - that transfor%s
the )h*sical bod*$ /undalini is an inte"ratin" and illu%inatin" )ower$ As
it rises, it draws into itself the )owers of the chakras - the inner %etals)urif*in",
unitin", and subli%atin" the% in its ascent$ (n &alkuth's Cha%ber
we see the risin" ener"* as %ulticolored, suffused with the tattvic
tints of the ele%ents 6but )redo%inatel* white7 because the force ter%ed
/undalini, like all the forces in the universe, is an activit* of the one
conscious radiant ener"*, which is the 4i%itless 4i"ht of the Absolute,
and is, in essence fro% Above$ As the E%erald Tablet re%inds us3 As all
thin"s are fro% >ne, b* the %ediation of >ne, so all thin"s arose fro%
this >ne Thin" b* ada)tation$ The tablet refers to /undalini a"ain when
it sa*s, (t ascends fro% earth to heaven, and a"ain descends to earth3
and revives the stren"th of the su)eriors and of the inferiors$ The
descent is the strea% of )ure white brilliance issuin" fro% a re%ote
'ource, this bein" /ether, the >%ni)otence$ - the )h*sical vehicle .eco%es
%ore and %ore refined, throu"h the inte"ratin" and illu%inatin"
)ower of the ascendin" kundalini, so the descendin" eli?ir, the &ezla,
flowin" throu"h the Crown of 4ife, initiates the work of transfor%ation$
#; "ower of +lchemy
As it sa*s in Proverbs ;F3E, Throu"h ,isdo% Gthe alche%ical 'ul)hur,
the fire of Chok%ahH is the !ouse Gthe re"enerate )h*sical bod*H builded,
b* Cnderstandin" Gthe alche%ical 'alt, 5inah the for%ative )owerH is
it established, and b* /nowled"e G0a'athH are the secret )laces Galso
translated as 'cha%bers'H filled with all )recious and )leasant riches Gthe
treasure of the 'a"esH$ And wh* does this occurI 5ecause, as the 'e)her
2etzirah teaches3 &alkuth causes an influence to e%anate fro% the
Prince of the countenanceM$M And who is the Prince of the CountenancesI
&etatron, the archan"el of /ether8 &etatron, the transfi"ured Enoch8
he who walked with God and tasted not deathQ
'o the rod of )ower, the caduceus of !er%es, is the s)inal colu%n,
entwined b* the solar and lunar currents, whose )recursors are the na"as
of !indu and Tibetan %*tholo"*$ (n 2esod are the 'aturn and &ars
chakras8 in 0a'ath are the &oon and &ercur* centers$ (t is the &ercur*
center 6this is the !er%etic work of &ercur*7, the )ineal "land, which is
confected into the 'tone$ The co%)leted 'tone is referred to in the >ld
Testa%ent as Dion, the %ountain of the 0ivine Presence$ (n alche%ical
te?ts, the third e*e 6the )ineal "land7 is na%ed &ount Abie"nus, the !ill
of @ision, and also the &ountain of Attain%ent whereon The !er%it
stands in the Jth tarot ke*$ Abie"nus %eans )ine cone and refers to
the )ine cone on to) of the thr*sus, the wand carried in the 5acchic
%*steries of 0ion*sos$ 0ion*sos is the Greek "od of into?ication$ (nto?ication
has lon" been a %eta)hor for bliss in the ,estern &*steries$
,ine and into?ication are also si%iles for the bliss of 0ivine union in
'ufis%, the %*stical tradition of (sla%$ The fa%ous Rubai*at of >%ar
/ha*a% is, in fact, a %*stical te?t$ /ha*a% hi%self was a 'ufi teacher
and astrolo"er$ The wine, and its resultant into?ication, is a %eta)hor
for the bliss - i%)artin" eli?ir )reci)itated b* the 'tone, an eli?ir that
overflows the &oon center and fills the bod*, absorbin" the )ractitioner
into the state of 'a%adhi$ #either is it coincidence that &elchizadek
brin"s bread and wine to Abraha% 6Genesis 9F39N7 when he initiates
hi%, in the Rece)tion, into the hol* Qabalah$
5ecause the 'tone is also the o)ened third e*e, we are tau"ht3 (f
therefore thine e*e be sin"le, th* whole bod* shall be full of li"ht
6&atthew <3;;7$ Tibetan sacred art de)icts tantric deities as havin" an
o)en third e*e u)on the forehead$ A"ain, The E*e of 2!@! is u)on
the% who hold !i% in awe$ And, in (saiah AE;E, Th* watch%an shall lift
u) the voice8 with the voice to"ether shall the* sin", for the* shall see
@ion Aortune, "he Mystical Ca>alah (?ork &each, M$0 Samuel Wei-er, "#B8&, '. )B#.
The Flowerin" Tree JK
e*e to e*e when the 4ord shall brin" a"ain Dion$ (t is the e*e, the &ercur*
center, which is the Ad*tu%, the hol* of holies, in the te%)le of the
hu%an bod*$ (n Tibetan sacred art, the 5uddha is shown with a "old,
conical .ewel risin" fro% the )rotuberance on his head$ The )rotuberance
indicates the full* - develo)ed thousand - )etalled lotusn 6the &ercur*
center7 and the "old .ewel is the Philoso)her's 'tone8 >%, the 1ewel
in the 4otus, !u%$ The tilak or %ark u)on his forehead 6and on other
divinities and 'a"es7 also indicates the )resence of the confected 'tone
within the skull$ (t is the )ris%atic nature of the 'tone that )roduces the
radiant halo about the heads of the Enli"htened >nes$ ,hen Tantric deities
are de)icted in their wrathful as)ect 6dra")o7 the* are shown to
have an actual o)en e*e u)on their foreheads$ The ,estern idio% of the
&*steries )resents the sa%e teachin" b* the s*%bol of the )enta"ra%,
when that star is related to the ele%ents and to the hu%an bod*$ (n this
s*%bol, the Ele%ents of the ,ise, Earth, Air, Fire and ,ater are allocated
to the four lower trian"les of the five - fold star and corres)ond to the
ar%s and le"s$ Althou"h the s*%bol for the alche%ical Quintessence is
assi"ned to the trian"le corres)ondin" to the head, it is not to indicate
that the First &atter is in an* wa* restricted to the head re"ion, but to
show that the Quintessence is )erceived throu"h the s)iritualized facult*
of si"ht$ (n 5uddhis% the awoken Third E*e is called the E*e of nondual
,isdo% because the 'a"e who looks with this E*e can actuall* see
that all bein"s live in, and are co%)osed of, the >ne Radiant Ener"* and
are therefore interde)endent$ All creatures and thin"s are seen to be a )
)earances or for%s of the >ne Thin" and see% to be se)aratelike
waves a))ear to have fleetin" se)arateness fro% the ocean - but in fact
are indissolubl* rooted in the Pri%ordial #ature of the Absolute$ (t is the
knowled"e of the underl*in" unit* of all that this direct )erce)tion
brin"s, which i%)els the 'a"es to en"a"e in their ceaseless works of
co%)assion$ For the Golden - E*e confers the !eart - of - 4ove and viceversa$
This is wh* the (llu%ined >nes, throu"hout hu%an histor*, have
)roclai%ed the sa%e %essa"e as the )anacea to all hu%an ills, and as
the %eans to true and abidin" ha))iness$ Their %essa"e is 4ove one
another$ 4et it be known$
Each end of the rod of )ower is orna%ented with a tree's fruit3 the
al%ond nut and the )ine cone$ This, the true wand of )ractitioners of
the Great ,ork, is internal$ (t is described b* Eli)has 4evi in his 'anctu%
Re"nu% and shown in the suit of ,ands in the tarot desi"ned b* Paul
Foster Case as havin" identical cr*stals 6%ore accuratel* dia%onds7,
one bri"ht and one dark, on either end of the rod, .ust as, on the si%)le
JN Tower of Alche%*
Tree of 4ife dia"ra%, the Greater and 4ower Faces are identical in a))earance
and face beholds face in Ti)hareth$ >nce a"ain, we +uote
fro% The E%erald Tablet of !er%es - Tris%e"istos, the father of the
Ro*al Art and the Graeco - E"*)tian for% of &elchizadek3 that which is
above is as that which is below, and that which is below is as that which
is above, for )erfor%in" the %iracles of the >ne Thin"$
"he Nuptial ham>er
(n the tower, the landin" o)enin" u)on the hall of 2esod is %arked b*
tarot /e* U(@, Te%)erance$ The archwa*s to the s)iral stairwa*s on this
level are %arked b* a "riffin 6over the solar stairwa*7 and a unicorn
6over the lunar7$ The* are the %ounts of the 'un and &oon and act as
re%inders that it is the !i"her 'elf, de)icted b* the hol* Guardian An"el
in the tarot ke*, who is actuall* en"a"ed in the alche%ical work of brin"in"
about an e+uilibriu% of the forces$ >))osite Te%)erance is the door
to the hall of 2esod$ (t is of cedar and bears a )late showin" the tattvic
s*%bol co%bination of Akasha - Akasha$ >ver the door han"s a shield3 a
"reen field bearin" a ra%)ant red lion$ This lion, alon" with the "riffin
and unicorn, re%ind us that 2esod is the s)here of the #efesh, the vital
or ani%al soul, so called because hu%anit* shares it with the ani%al
kin"do%, with all life - for%s$
C)on enterin", *ou find *ourself in an e%)t* se%i - circular cha%ber,
which is the vestibule to the )lace of )ower itself$ 0o not be deceived b*
its e%)tiness3 it is onl* the s)acious +ualit* of Akasha$ The "uardian of
this cha%ber - when she or he co%es - will be of critical i%)ortance in
advanced as)ects of the ,ork$ 'et in the eastern wall is a life - sized re)resentation
of tarot /e* (, The &a"ician$ (t is fashioned, like the others
in the central colu%n, of stained "lass, and is lit fro% behind$ The onl*
wa* to enter the #u)tial Cha%ber )ro)er is to beco%e the &a"ician8 to
take on the %ode of consciousness this tarot ke* re)resents$
The 'e)her 2etzirah calls 5eth, the !ebrew letter of this card, the
trans)arent intelli"ence$ (t also teaches that creation was be"un
throu"h the a"enc* of this letter 65arasith, (n the be"innin"7 because it
is also the first letter of the !ebrew word, 5arukah, %eanin" blessin"$
The &a"ician card is assi"ned to the 9;th Path of the Tree of 4ife, which
unites /ether, the 'ource, with 5inah, the wo%b of creation$
5eco%in" The &a"ician %eans to o)en oneself to be a conscious
channel for the downflowin" )ower of /ether, to develo) the awareness
that ever*thin" is fro% above$ #othin" ori"inates at the )ersonalit*
The Flowerin" Tree JJ
level8 onl* reaction and res)onse lie with the wakin" and subconscious
as)ects of %ind$ >f %*self, ( do nothin"$ The trans)arent %ode of consciousness,
)ictured b* The &a"ician, is that of bein" aware, however
fleetin"l*, of ,ho is lookin" out fro% *our e*es, ,ho is e?)eriencin" life
throu"h *our instru%entalit* and, for ,ho% *ou are a livin" e?)ression
in the world$
The 'ta" of the 'oul 6)s*che7 and the Cnicorn of the ')irit 6!i"her - 'elf7$
4a%bs)rin"k3 0e 4a)ide Philoso)hica, fi"urae et e%ble%ata, in &usaeu%
!er%eticu% refor%atu% et a%)lificatu%, Frankfurt, 9<KN$
477 "ower of +lchemy
5* as)irin" to this trans)arenc* of consciousness, *ou are drawn
into the i%a"e of The &a"ician and, for a brief %o%ent, *ou are the %a"ician
in the tarot scene$ The ,hite 5rilliance flows down throu"h *our
u)raised wand, u)lifted as an instru%ent for the Pri%al ,ill to "ood
throu"h *ou$ This is directed, b* *our concentrated attention, into the
soil of the "arden 6Eden7, where the life - "ivin" influence causes roses
and lilies to "row and blosso%$ Cod )laced Ada% in Eden to "row
roses$ About *our head is the white fillet 6the oldest for% of crown7, to
show that *our )ersonal will is cocentered with that of the 0ivine$ And
the horizontal fi"ure ei"ht over *our head - in the )lace of the /ether
center - indicates that the secret force, the /undalini, is o)erative$ &editation
on this the%e and on other as)ects of this tarot ke*, as se)arate
fro% this )ractice, will be of "reat benefit$
!avin" touched the he% of the "ar%ent of the intelli"ence of
trans)arenc*, even for a %o%ent, *ou are drawn into the sacred #u)tial
Cha%ber$ This is the cha%ber where the influence of &alkuth, who is
/allah, the 5ride, will be united with her destined "roo%, &alekh, the
/in" in Ti)hareth$ This is the )lace of the hiero"a%os, the sacred %arria"e
of the alche%ical /in" and Queen, where 'hiva and 'hakti con.oin$
This is the Te%)le of the &*ster* of 2od$
The ceilin", floor, and walls are for%ed of )ure a%eth*st, so that the
entire )lace is lit b* violet li"ht$ An at%os)here of dor%ant )ower )ervades
the cha%ber$ 5ehind, in the western wall, shines the tarot ke*$
And in the eastern wall, there is an alcove in which stands a tall statue,
about twelve feet in hei"ht$ (t is carved in black %arble and de)icts an
enthroned, veiled "oddess, crowned with the 'un and &oon$ (t is the
5lack (sis, the Co - E%er"ent &other$ (n the ver* center of the cha%ber is
a stone font, about three feet hi"h$ A bri"ht li"ht shines fro% within it,
so bri"ht that so%eti%es the stone of the font a))ears al%ost translucent$
At other ti%es, a %ist overflows the font and covers the floor of
the nu)tial cha%ber, the astral %ist that is the breath of the 0ra"on$
This font is an e?tension of the al%ond blosso% carved on the ceilin" of
the cha%ber of &alkuth below$ The font is the 4uz, the )ortal of the
world - %aker and world - devourer in the 'aturn center, the &uladhara
chakra$ Those 'a"es who develo) the skills necessar* to utilize the fier*
)ower dwellin" in this cha%ber are called 4ords of the 'ecret of 'aturn
and 4ords of the 'er)ent and the &other$
ham>er of (ndwelling
,e co%e now to the last cha%ber of the &iddle Pillar in the Tower of the
!er%etic Art$ (t serves as a vestibule to the Turret Roo%, in the sa%e
The Flowerin" Tree 9:9
wa* that the fo*er to the #u)tial Cha%ber does$ At the to) of the solar
and lunar s)iral stairwa*s, *ou face the cr*stal door of the Turret Roo%$
6see fi"ure <, )a"e 9:;7$ 5ehind *ou there is another door, fashioned of
co))er and bearin" an ena%eled )late de)ictin" the tattva co%bination
of +pas - "e/as, the si"il of the @enus center$ Enterin" this roo%, *ou see a
hi"h - backed chair in the center and be*ond it, set in the western wall, a
lar"e oval window that looks out onto the forest and hills of 4o"res and
overlooks the court*ard of the tower$ This roo%, the Cha%ber of (ndwellin",
e+uates to the %edulla oblon"ata of the )h*sical bod*, the "an"lion
of nerves at the back of the neck where the s)inal cord enters the brain$
This is the entrance to the subconscious %ind$ This cha%ber, with the
Turret Roo%, constitutes the sub.ective 'e)hira, 0a'ath, and the @enus
and &oon centers$ The Cha%ber of (ndwellin" is the )ortal b* which
)ractitioners indwell the entire tower with their consciousness$
Finall*, as *ou stand at the to) of the s)iral staircases, on the 0a'ath
landin", facin" the door to the Turret Roo%, *ou see two other doors, one
on either side$ To the left, on the sa%e side of the landin" as the lunar
stairwell, there is an alcove containin" a short fli"ht of three ste)s that
lead u) to a silver - sheathed door e%blazoned with scarlet in the desi"n
of the alche%ical si"il for sul)hur #. To the ri"ht, on the sa%e side as the
solar s)iral, there is another alcove with three ste)s that lead to an ebon*
door bearin" the alche%ical s*%bol for salt % de)icted in silver$ To
reiterate, four doors lead fro% the landin" of 0a'ath3 to the east is the
cr*stal door to the Turret Roo%, set with the +pas - +pas s*%bol8 to the
south, three ste)s lead to an ebon* door with a silver si"n of alche%ical
salt u)on it that o)ens into the hall assi"ned to 5inah, the Cha%ber of the
Queen of Great 5liss8 to the west is a co))er door bearin" the +pas - "e/as
"l*)h that o)ens into the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"8 to the north, three ste)s
lead u) to a silver door bearin" the si"n of sul)hur that o)ens into the
hall assi"ned to Chok%ah, the Cha%ber of the 'tarr* ,isdo%$
Fro% this landin" of 0a'ath - this level of s)iritual knowled"e - *ou
can activate the tower 6or return it to latenc*7 throu"h the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"$
2ou can enter either the Cha%ber of ,isdo% or the Cha%ber of
Cnderstandin"$ 5* enterin" the Turret Roo%, *ou can ascend the hei"hts
to the 5attle%ent of the Crown of 4i"ht$ !ere *ou see, )ictoriall* re)resented,
the crucial role of the ,ithdrawn 'e)hira of 0a'ath$ (t functions
as a control )oint to link one level of the Tree with other di%ensions$ (n
the )ractical Qabalah, 0a'ath is the %eans b* which *ou )enetrate the
four worlds of E?istence$ 2ou can now a))reciate wh*, until this centur*,
teachin"s re"ardin" 0a'ath were withheld b* the custodians of the &*sterie-,
and ,iven onl/ to t+o-e 'roven to .e dedi2ated and twi2e 4 .orn.
6E &oon
'te)s into - Cha%ber of
'tarr* ,isdo% W
0ra"on ,indow
1$
+
@enus Center
>val ,lndow
Fi"ure <$ The 4andin" of 0a'ath and the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"$
- 'te)s into
Cha%ber of
Great 5liss J
The Flowerin" Tree "%*
T!E PRACT(CE
Perfor% the )re)arative e?ercises$ Pro.ect the table and take *our )lace
at *our sie"e, robed in indi"o and wearin" the silver sandals of the
&oon$ After "reetin" the Great Co%)anions, rise and "o throu"h to the
Cha)el of the Rose - Croi?$ There, ask for the )rotection of the All - !ol*
u)on *our .ourne*$
#ow retrace *our ste)s back throu"h the Great !all to the archwa* in
the western wall, beneath the veiled shield$ Pass throu"h the rainbowtinted
%ist to stand before the central colu%n that contains the twin
doors to the stairwa*s, which flank tarot /e* "", The !i"h Priestess$
(n this )ractice, do not enter either of the s)iral stairwa*s, but walk
around the whole central colu%n until *ou co%e to face the "reat door
to the tower itself, a tall double doorwa* of iron - studded oak$ >)en the
door and ste) out into the court*ard of the castle$ The court*ard is enclosed
b* a crennelated wall, with two s%all turrets to *our ri"ht and
left 6see fi"ure K, )a"e 9:F7$ C)on each turret, a fla" "entl* fla)s in the
breeze$ The fla" on the turret to *our ri"ht is red and char"ed with a
white unicorn8 the one on the left flies a white fla" de)ictin" a red sta"$
These creatures are the alche%ical "uardians of the Tree of 4ife and si"nif*
the Red and ,hite sta"es of the Great ,ork$
5eneath the left wall of the castle nestle the stables that house the
steeds that will bear *ou on *our future .ourne*s throu"h *our inner
real%$ There is also a %ountin" block in the court*ard$ A"ainst the ri"ht
wall stand store roo%s and a wash roo% for )urification fro% the stains
of travel$ (%%ediatel* on *our ri"ht and set into the wall itself, a s%all
)ostern "ate leads throu"h an under"round )assa"e$ The )ortcullis "atewa*
and drawbrid"e lie directl* ahead$ The waters of the %oat are not
still or sta"nant, for the* arise fro% a dee), concealed s)rin"$ The* are
fresh and have a current that circulates around the castle edifice$ The
%oat %arks the boundar* of the immediate or etheric, aura$
,alk to the castle "ates and down the "reen &ound of Power$ At the
botto% of the slo)e, a stone brid"e s)ans a s%all river that flows swiftl*
to the distant sea$ Cross this brid"e and walk to the ed"e of the "reat forest
that lies be*ond$ >nce there, turn back and look eastward$ 'ee, for
the first ti%e, the entire edifice$
The citadel rises fro% the e%erald - "reen %ound, which *ou now
know contains the lower cha%bers of &alkuth and 2esod with the hidden
)ower$ (ts rearin" walls )rotect all within, and in ti%e of need, serve
as a sanctuar* for all who dwell in 4o"res$ Two fla"s fl* fro% the ra%)arts$
>ver the walls, *ou can see the u))er )ortion of the %i"ht*
Town of Ca%elol
River
( 9 Path to Forest of 5rolicade and to &enes$
Ai,ure $. 3+e 2a-tle and it- 2ourt/ard
The Flowerin" Tree 9:A
Tower of the Art itself$ Fro% this )ros)ect, the circular shaft of the tower
is featureless, save for the westward - facin", oval window of the Cha%ber
of (ndwellin"$ And, above the tower's battle%ents shines the ,hite
'un of /ether - never - settin", constant, and abidin"$ #o %atter what
ti%e of da* or ni"ht, or what seasonal a))earance %a* i%)ose itself
u)on *our inner kin"do%, the ,hite 'un ever crowns the tower$ (t is the
true beacon b* which we ever navi"ate on the Path of Return$
Take *our ti%e$ Gaze at the enchanted scene before *ou$ 2ou will
%ake %ore )ro"ress b* s)endin" ti%e buildin" and establishin" this scenario
than b* rushin" on to the ne?t )ractice$ (nvest the i%a"es before
*ou with e%otions and with sense i%)ressions$ ,onder at the %i"ht*
castle and the %*steries it contains, so%e so far onl* hinted at$ Allow a
sense of awe to fill *our heart as *ou "aze at the ,hite 'un, with its
)ro%ise of a )er)etual 0ivine Connection$ 'it on the "rass b* the forest's
ed"e$ Feel the breeze, s%ell the )lants and flowers, hear the bird
calls$ 5rin" all of *our interior senses to bear, so that the scene ac+uires
inde)endence$ >nce this has been achieved throu"h )ractice, the castle
and its real% will beco%e a true %irror of *our interior states and )otencies$
#othin" *ou then see in *our inner kin"do% will be without
si"nificance$ A lea)in" sal%on, a dartin" dra"onfl*, a flash of li"htnin",
the white hart "li%)sed runnin" throu"h the forest, or trees bearin"
blosso%s or fruit - all are relevant and )otentiall* wisdo% - bearin" %essa"es$
As it has been said3 'eek first the /in"do% of !eaven, and all
else will be added8 The /in"do% of !eaven is within *ou, and a"ain,
As ,ithin so ,ithout, but after another %anner$
Rise and retrace *our ste)s across the little brid"e, u) the &ound of
Power, and over the %oat via the draw brid"e$ Enter the court*ard$ As
*ou walk toward the tower - the castle's kee) - look u) at the oval window$
'o%ethin" about it beckons *ou$
2ou now co%e to stand before the double oaken door that leads into
the tower$ Above this doorwa*, carved into the "ra* stone, is a full heraldic
achieve%ent, a coat - of - ar%s$ The shield de)icts a fl*in" dra"on soarin"
u) after a fla%in" .ewel$ The shield's su))orters are the sta" and
the unicorn8 the crest u)on the shield is a crown within a "lor*$ The
scroll beneath the shield bears the %otto3 1Morte nunDuam .eget1
60eath shall have no 0o%inion7$
Enter the tower, )ass around the central colu%n, a))roach the low
entrance enshrouded in %ist, and ste) a"ain into the !all of the Round
Table$ Go strai"ht to the cha)el and there "ive thanks before the altar$
Return to the Great !all and sit at the table$ There, in the har%onizin"
475 "ower of +lchemy
and inte"ratin" li"ht e%itted b* the Grail, share *our .ourne* with the
Great Co%)anions and observe an* insi"hts the* %a* share with *ou$
Return *our consciousness into *our )h*sical sheath, then withdraw
the table and close down in the usual %anner$ Record *our notes
)ro%)tl*, before the finer details fade$
AFTER&AT!
2ou should )ersevere with this )ractice until the i%a"es can be called
u) s)ontaneousl* and with ease$
T!E C>#TE&P4AT(>#
And 1esus answered3
'eek not the 4aw in *our scri)tures, for the 4aw is 4ife, whereas
the scri)ture is dead$ ( tell *ou trul*, &oses received not his
laws fro% God in writin", but throu"h the livin" ,ord$ The 4aw
is the livin" ,ord of the 4ivin" God to livin" )ro)hets for livin"
%en$ (n ever*thin" that is 4ife is the 4aw written$ 2ou find it in
the "rass, in the tree, in the river, in the %ountain, in the birds
of heaven, in the fishes of the sea8 but seek it chiefl* in *ourselves$
For ( tell *ou trul*, all livin" thin"s are nearer to God
than the scri)ture which is without 4ife$ God so %ade 4ife and
all livin" thin"s that the* %i"ht b* the ever - livin" ,ord teach
the laws of the true Cod to %an$ God wrote not the laws in the
)a"es of books, but in *our heart and in *our s)irit$ The* are
*our breath, *our blood, *our bone8 in *our flesh, *our bowels,
*our e*es, *our ears, and in ever* little )art of *our bod*$ The*
are )resent in the air, in the water, in the earth, in the )lants, in
the sunbea%s, ir, the de)ths and in the hei"hts$ The* all s)eak
to *ou that *ou %a* understand the ton"ue and the ,ill of the
4ivin" God$ 5ut *ou shut *our e*es that *ou %a* not see, and
*ou shut *our ears that *ou %a* not hear$ ( tell *ou trul*, that
the scri)tures is the work of %an, but 4ife and all its hosts are
the work of our God$
"he Gospel of Peace of 9esus hrist=
Ed%und 'zEkel*, trans$ "he Gospel of Peace of 9esus hrist 6'affron ,alden, Esse?,
C/3 C$ ,$ 0aniels, "#B)&, )$ 9E$
T!E C> - E&ERGE#T
&>T!ER
12lthou$h mind ) created b34 the yo$in, the ,isualised ima$es of s+iritual
bein$s $ $ $ are not to be re$arded by him with indifference. $ $ $
The yo$in $ $ $ should re$ard them with e!alted re$ard, ,eneration and
de,otion, loo.in$ u+on the %e,atiis 5i.e., the ,isualised deities6 as real,
holy and di,ine. They are none the less so because mind ) +roduced, for the
/ind ultimately is That, and its ideas, forms of That.
) 7. 8. ,ans ) 7ent- '
T!E TEAC!(#G
The ,isuali-ations of the ,arious +ractices may seem needlessly com+le!
to the uninstructed. Howe,er, the ,arious details are essentially to
assure that the normally free ) ran$in$ consciousness remains en$a$ed
within the +sychic re$ion under focus for 9re$eneration.9 The details of
the ,isuali-ations are in fact safety nets. Consciousness can flic.er between
two ob"ects, literally, at the s+eed of thou$ht. The mental constructions,
the thou$ht ) forms, we build in our +ractices are li.e the reins
of a chariot drawn by +owerful horses. The reins control, direct, and
harness the moti,e +ower.
It is by the thou$ht ) buildin$ :uality of consciousness that humans
formulate and +ercei,e their own uni:ue world. ach +erce+tion of the
uni,erse is ultimately sub"ecti,e. Althou$h 9consensual reality9 is a
stron$ determinant, there is also an element of 9mass hysteria9 in our reactions
to e!+erience, as well as an element of 9mass hy+nosis9 in our
+erce+tions. 7e, and the worlds we construct, are the 9stuff of dreams,9
as &ha.es+eare +ut it. 7e mold this 9stuffo f dreams9 usin$ our mental
,$ #. Evans - ,entz, Tibetan 8o$a and &ecret %octrines 6#ew 2ork and 4ondon3 >?ford
Cniversit* Press, 9JAN7, )$ FF$
"%B "ower of +lchemy
i%a"e - %akin" abilit*, b* our i%a"ination$ The Eternal e%anates - fro%
eternit* - an i%a"e of (tself 6Creation7, that is sustained b* (ts constant
'elf - reflection, the )ri%ordial strea% of consciousness, in which all
units of consciousness are bathed$ (n this res)ect, we - as offs)rin" of
the Eternal - %irror (t b* cocreatin" our inner and outer worlds within
ti%e and s)ace$
Throu"hout our lon" .ourne* - life after life, incarnation after incarnation - -
our )erce)tions of life, rooted in our interior states, have taken
fir% hold$ ,e have beco%e for% - habituated and sensual creatures, i%%ersed
in the dance of a))earances, en"a"ed in the shadow )la*$ E?ce)t
in rare %o%ents of lucidit*, we are i"norant of ,hose %usic
ani%ates the a))arent dancers, or what 4i"ht casts such "lorious shadows$
>ver %an* incarnations, our e%bodied consciousness beco%es attached
and bound to e?terior thin"s, )eo)le, and states of bein"$ >ur
thou"hts, words, and deeds that occur due to these attach%ents dee)en
their hold and establish kar%ic bonds and debts$ The ancient rabbis likened
this record - holdin" as)ect of consciousness to soft wa?, u)on
which i%)ressions are easil* %ade and re%ain$ This, of course, is a %eta)hor
for the dee) subconscious %ind and our kar%ic store that awaits
dischar"e and e?haustion throu"h enli"htened res)onse, rather than
blind reaction$
>n the ,a* to 4iberation, we use the ver* sa%e +ualities of consciousness
that brou"ht about our ca)tivit* to beco%e the instru%ents
whereb* we attain eternal freedo%$ 5* i%a"in" and then beco%in" attached
to i%a"e, we are ensnared$ 5* i%a"in" and beco%in" vitall* interested
in or attached to a su)erior i%a"e like the castle and its details
6those si"n)osts to freedo%7, we walk the Path of Return$ &ovin" consciousness
level b* level to %ore refined states, "li%)sin" now and then
the )ri%ordial state, bathin" ti%e and a"ain in the sea of bein", until we
see and hold the @eiled 4i"ht, the lu%inous 'elf - ori"inatin" Glor*$ And
holdin" onto (t, stabilizin" (t within ourselves b* %akin" our vehicles
%ore sensitive instru%ents for (ts rece)tion, we are "raduall* transfor%ed
into (ts likeness, nourished u)on (ts bliss, )artici)ate in (ts wisdo%,
radiate (ts co%)assion, and abide in (ts eternal nature$ For it is not
b* su))ression that the Goal is attained, but b* subli%ation$ 5* liftin"
our hu%anit* into the 0ivine, we attain the consu%%ation$
The Path of Return - @a.ra*ana, or Alche%*Bntails accelerated evolution
and, therefore, accelerated kar%ic e?haustion$ 'o it is said that a
certain ri)eness is necessar* before undertakin" the Great ,ork$
The Co - E%er"ent &other 9:J
&editation 6interior work7 has been described in 2o"a as fr*in" the
seeds of kar%a$ (n certain t*)es of cookin", the seeds of various s)ices
are fried in hot oil to seal in their flavor$ A sealed seed cannot s)rout$ This
%eta)hor refers to the d*na%ics of our inner and outer worlds - see%in"l*
distinct, but in fact interfacin" and inter)enetratin", like the "eo%etric
for%ula for drawin" the uesica - piscis, a s*%bol beloved b* alche%ists and
%edieval artists 6see fi"ure N, )a"e 99:7$ (n its truest sense, kar%a refers
to education 6the )rocess of self - knowled"e7 and to the e?haustion of ener"*
tra))ed within )atterns of habitual thou"ht and behavior, often
s)annin" incarnations$ The !ebrew letter, ,amed, assi"ned to /e* U(, 1ustice,
is the tarot de)iction of kar%a$ (t %eans o? - "oad$ The o?, *ou will
re%e%ber, is +leph, The Fool, the hu%an s)irit descendin" into incarnation
to under"o e?)erience and ac+uire the skills that onl* e%bodi%ent
can i%)art$ /ar%a is the "oad that "uides the o? back onto the wa* when
it has stra*ed$ ,henever a bein" wilfull* atte%)ts to di%inish the interde)endence
of all thin"s, actin" in such a wa* as to te%)oraril* obstruct the
unit* of the >ne in all (ts %anifestations, the kar%a "enerated b* those actions,
b* those trans"ressions, co%es into )la* as an educational and corrective
a"ent$ The 0ivine attributes of Ri"or and &erc* are utterl*
de)endant u)on the )osition of the creature, not on arbitrar* %ood
swin"s of the Creator$ Clti%atel*, the law of kar%a is a %anifestation of
the Eternal's boundless co%)assion$ (f there were no undeviatin" law,
there would be no true "uide for ri"ht livin" and conduct, no fi?ed )olestar
on which we could ali"n our co%)asses and so set our sails$
For here, we co%e to one of the "reatest secrets of )ractical %*sticis%$
/ar%a does not care in which world the re)aration or education
occurs$ (f individuals choose to deal with kar%a inside their own
inner worlds, well and "ood$ For there, on the inside, the* can choose to
face their inherited fears, hates, and )ains, their inner de%ons$ Throu"h
%editations of various kinds, the* can resolve these issues and neutralize
the%$ >r individuals %a* choose to i"nore their inner worlds, turnin"
awa* fro% the inherent battle for %aturation and the stru""le for
self - knowled"e, and wait until their kar%a )roduces e?terior circu%stances
and situations that "ive the% o))ortunities to e+ualize the
scales of 0ivine 1ustice$ This choice is )art of hu%an free will$ 'o )ractitioners
en"a"e in interior work usin" a %a) of the forces constitutin"
the %acrocos%, such as the Tree of 4ife, and seek to read.ust their )ersonal
%icrocos% to %atch its undistorted reflection$ An* )ainful reactions
such read.ust%ent entails are dealt with b* brin"in" the% to the
99; Tower of Alche%*
indicates that this force is the )arent of all for%s and - havin" a fe%inine
desi"nation - that it is a )ower at work at the subconscious level of
&ind$ ,hat is %ore, bein" subconscious in %odalit*, a )ractitioner can
skillfull* direct the Fier* >ne throu"h use of the subconsciousness' own
lan"ua"e, na%el* throu"h the use of )recise and clearl* built %ental
i%a"es$ /undalini e?hausts all desire b* fulfill%ent, confers bliss, and
brin"s the )ractitioner into cos%icconsciousness - the non - dual wisdo%
that is the Cnit* of the >ne - the All - Good$
+lexandria0 2here $ast and 2est meet
References to our (sis and our 0iana abound in alche%ical te?ts$
These refer to the ,hite 'ta"e of the ,ork and si%)l* %ean )ro.ectin"
the etheric vehicle 6in Alche%*, in the for% of a tower8 in @a.ra*ana, as
a chorten7 as the focus for the ,ork in that sta"e$ (sis and 0iana are
&oon "oddesses of E"*)t and Ro%e re)ectivel*$ The astro - etheric level
is re)resented b* all the lunar s*%bolis% of 2esod, on the Tree, or
2etzirah, on 1acob's 4adder 6the e?tended Tree7$ The*, therefore, have
)recisel* the sa%e %eanin" in Alche%* as do all the references to the
%etal silver$ (n the lan"ua"e code of the &*steries, the lunar "oddess is
the ,hite (sis, the Queen of !eaven and 'tar of the 'ea$ 'he is the alche%ical
,hite Queen who, after unitin" with the Red /in", "ives
birth to the "olden and i%%ortal >ne$ The Green (sis 6so%eti%es e+uated
to !athor7, is the )ersonification of nature, the &other of thousands$
4ike the "reen 'tone and the "reen lion, she re)resents the
natural condition, the startin" )oint of the ,ork$
Classical scholars and %odern )a"ans are often thorou"hl* confused,
and led astra*, b* the wa* in which alche%ists use the deities of
ancient )antheons in their for%ulae$ This calls for so%e clarification, if
the s*%bolis% of the Ro*al Art is to be understood, owned, and a))lied$
Alche%*, the *o"a of the ,est, was for%ulated in Ale?andria, the ancient
ca)ital of !ellenistic E"*)t$ Ale?andria was )ree%inent a%on" ancient
ca)itals because it had the advanta"es of a su)erb )ort and a
hi"hl* develo)ed trans)ort s*ste% 6the River #ile7, and was the %ercantile
center for the caravans travelin" between the Far East and the ,est$
(n the classical world, E"*)t was known as the bread basket, the
source of wealth$ The #ile flood )roduced two harvests each *ear$ Conse+uentl*,
E"*)tian "rain fed %ost of the &editerranean basin$ The
Ro%an Re)ublic, and later the E%)ire, was sustained b* E"*)tian "rain$
0es)ite 'hakes)eare's ro%antic inter)retation, the war between
Cleo)atra @(( and &ark Anton* on one side, and >ctavian 6later Caesar
The Co - E%er"ent &other 99E
Au"ustus7 on the other, was not about love, but about )olitical )ower
bou"ht and sustained b* E"*)tian wealth$ A %odern analo"* would be
the ke* )osition held b* the oil - )roducin" Arab states in the ;:thcentur*
world econo%*$
Founded on the site of the s%all, ancient E"*)tian town of Rhakotis,
b* Ale?ander the Great after he had liberated /he% fro% Persian occu)ation,
Ale?andria soon beca%e the co%%ercial center of the &editerranean
and be*ond$ Conse+uentl*, the cit* also beca%e a %eetin" )lace
for all the cultures and )hiloso)hies of the known world$ 5ecause of its
wealth, Ale?andria could fund s)lendid institutions$ (ts %ulti - cultural
)o)ulation, valued and encoura"ed education, the ac+uisition and the
e?chan"e of ideas, on an un)recedented scale$ (ts earl* rulers, the )haraohs
of the Ptole%aic d*nast*, were &acedonian in ori"in$ Ptole%* -
'oter ( and Ptole%* - Philadel)hus 99, in )articular, were )atrons of
)hiloso)h*, science, architecture, and the arts$ The &useion 6literall*,
Te%)le of the &uses, fro% which the %odern word %useu% co%es7
contained the Great 4ibrar* and was the first universit* in the %odern
sense$ The architectural "enius of the Pharos li"hthouse has been hailed
throu"hout histor* as the last of the seven wonders of the ancient
world$ (t was the vision of the earl* Ptole%aic )haraohs that %ade Ale?andria
the +ueen a%on" cities$ Their vision was to fulfill the drea%
of Ale?ander the Great, that the cit* would be a )lace where )eo)le fro%
all the nations of the world could live in %utual res)ect$ And, sur)risin"l*,
the* ver* often didQ
Ale?andria was no Cto)ia or 'han"ri - 4a$ 5ut it did e%bod* the hi"hest
flowerin" of culture, )hiloso)h*, %edicine, art, and literature in the
classical world$ The list of teachers at Ale?andria is i%)ressive3 Euclid,
Plotinus, Por)h*r*, (a%blichus, !i))archus, A%%onius 'accas, 5asildes,
and !*)atia, to na%e but a few$ #eo)latonis% was founded in Ale?andria,
and its doctrine of e%anation stron"l* influenced the bod* of teachin"
known to us now as the Qabalah$ There is a le"end that the hol* scri)tures
of the 1ews 6the 'e)tua"int7 were translated into Greek at the co%%and of
Ptole%* "". 'u))osedl*, he ordered sevent* Palestinian translators to
co%e to translate the Torah$ (t is said that these rabbis were "iven se)arate
roo%s and were not )er%itted to talk to each other$ 2et their translations
were e?actl* the sa%e - )roof that the scri)tures were ins)ired b*
God$ Greek )hiloso)h*, (ndian @edanta, 1ewish %*sticis%, Ro%an le"alis%,
and E"*)tian %eta)h*sics all cross - fertilized and blended with one
another here$ Thus Ale?andria was, +uite si%)l*, the fountainhead of
,estern civilization$ Centuries later, its ancient treasures 6thou"ht lost7
99F Tower of Alche%*
were restored to Euro)e throu"h (sla%ic acade%ies and "ave rise to the
Renaissance that lifted the ,est out of its %edieval %orass$
(n such a %ilieu, it is hardl* sur)risin" that Ale?andria received a
celestial %andate, beco%in" the s)iritual fulcru% of the terrestrial
world$ At different ti%es in histor*, various cities or states have beco%e
the center of s)iritual influence for the whole conte%)orar* world$ Chinese
%*stics call it the re%oval of the ca)ital, showin" how the Pivot
of ')irit %oves its location fro% e)och to e)och$ The "reat esoteric
'chool of the 'oul in Ale?andria, so%eti%es called the 'chool of a
Thousand 2ears, lasted fro% a))ro?i%atel* E:A 5$C$E$ to <F; C$E$ This
school was co%)rised of the world's "reatest sa"es, %*stics, and %a"es
of the ti%e, drawn fro% all s)iritual traditions$ (ts work, as with all true
schools, was to facilitate the on"oin" evolution of hu%anit*$
,hen the "reat )a"an )hiloso)hers of the Classical and )articularl*
!ellenistic )eriods s)oke of the "ods, the* did so, not in the su)erstitious
ter%s used b* the ordinar* )eo)le, but as hu%ans written lar"e$
The )hiloso)hers who attended the wanderin" court of Ale?ander the
Great u)on his con+uests encountered cultures fro% all over the known
world8 the* - like Ale?ander hi%self - ca%e to the conclusion that the
forces that the "ods re)resented were a universal hu%an e?)erience8 it
was onl* the for%s and na%es of the "ods that altered fro% culture to
culture$ The alche%ical sa"es also held this o)inion derived fro% the
!ellenistic )hiloso)hers$ The deities of the %*ster* cults were not )erceived
as saints as co%)arable fi"ures were b* 1ews, Christians, and
&usli%s$ For the sa"es, deities were akin to %athe%atical for%ulae, re)
resentin" identifiable ener"ies at work in the universe and in the lives of
its creatures$ Anthro)o%or)hizin" this ener"* 6clothin" it in hu%an
for%7 was sound )s*cholo"*$ >ne can relate to, and identif* with, a bein"
that a))ears to be of *our s)ecies$ 0ion Fortune in her series of articles,
The ircuit of Force, )ut succinctl* the valid reason for the
invocation of deities$ 'he sa*s of the "ods3
A %*thical divine bein" is a )ro.ection of the sub.ective and a
s*%bolization of the ob.ective$ (n the% sub.ective and ob.ective
%eet and unite$ The* are the )ro.ection of our desires and the
re)resentation of the factors in the Cos%ic 4ife of which our desires
are the sub.ective e?)erience$R
0ion Fortune, "he ircuit of Eorce, Gareth Knight, ed. !,ough>orough, ,eicestershire,
GK0 "hoth, l##B&, '. )%$.
The Co - E%er"ent &other 99A
A "od is a %ask )laced u)on a )ower at work in the Cniverse b*
hu%an i%a"inin" - but, the )ower it %asks is real, indeed, both within
and without$ 'o althou"h the for% of ever* "od does ori"inate fro%
within the hu%an breast 6bein" creations of the created7, the ener"ies
which the "ods s*%bolize are of the &acrocos%$ The invocation of deities
is a dee)l* effective wa* of unitin" 5elow with Above$ And the wisdo%
of this %ethod of )ractice is confir%ed b* the illu%ination so
"ained b* the ade)ts of Alche%* and the *o"is of @a.ra*ana$
5ut there is another )ractical, %*stical reason for anthro)o%or)hization$
(t i%)licitl* teaches that the universal ener"ies are )resent
within the hu%an constitution$ (n the &*steries, it is tau"ht that the
"ods are both without, as ob.ective ener"ies, and within, as archet*)es
and latent )otencies$ As la%blichus tau"ht, the reason for invokin" the
"ods throu"h theur"* was to assist and hasten our own deification,
our a)otheosis$ This is e?actl* the sa%e reasonin" that %otivates 5uddhist
tantric )ractice, in which an acceleration of "rowth leads to %ore
effective service$
Classical initiates did not view the "ods and "oddesses as su)er%en
and su)erwo%en$ Generall* s)eakin", with the e?ce)tion of deified hu%ans,
"oddesses have never been )h*sical hu%an wo%en, and never
will be$ This a))lies e+uall* to "ods$ Gods and "oddesses were rather
classifications of ener"ies, .ust labels$ The deities of the ancient )antheons,
as the* are worked within the &*steries, were individualized
%asks, )ersonae, of the Absolute Cnit*$ The* enabled )ractitioners to focus
on s)ecialized ener"ies, in the sa%e wa* that the 'e)hirotic classifications
of the Tree do$ This is wh* the individual deities of the ancient
)antheons are attributed to various 'e)hiroth$ The* "ive us a face and a
for% to which we can relate, in the earl* sta"es of our .ourne* alon" the
)ath$ 4ater, as illu%ination dawns, the* beco%e redundant$ !ence, after
the 4ord 5uddha's enli"hten%ent, the "ods of the !indu )antheon were
the first bein"s to )etition hi% to teach the 0har%a$
As in tarot, where %ale fi"ures re)resent self - consciousness and fe%ale
i%a"es re)resent the subconscious, so in the &*steries "odn is a
label for active, sti%ulatin" ener"ies 62an", in Taois%7 and "oddess is
a ter% for )assive, for% - buildin" ener"ies 62in, in Taois%7$ The Tree of
4ife re)resents this dualit*, with its co%)li%entar* side )illars of force
and for%, ener"*, and structure$ (n Alche%*, as in 2o"a, this dualit* is
worked with ener"eticall*, and s*nthesized b* the solar and lunar currents
of the >ne Radiant Ener"*$
99< Tower of Alche%*
The %odern )a"an %ove%ent has *et to "ras) this effectivel*$ The
%a.orit* - and we s)eak fro% e?)erience - still view the "ods as si%)l*
an alternative reli"ious a))roach to %onotheis%$ The* worshi) the
"ods in the sa%e %ode as did the la* )eo)le of the ancient world, not as
initiates of the &*steries worshi)ed$
Take, for e?a%)le, the "od Pan$ >ri"inall*, he was an ancient, rustic
"od of the flocks, often at odds with the later, so)histicated "ods of
>l*%)us$ ,hen the initiates of the &*steries used Pan as a label, the*
were not referrin" to this "od of wild creatures$ #or when 0ion Fortune
or Aleister Crowle* co%)osed their invocations to Pan were the* callin"
u)on the deit* of the flocks$ Pan, in Greek, %eans all$ The classical initiates
and their descendants use the ter% Pan as a s*non*% for the
entiret* of creation$ !u%anit* has the sa%e i%)ulses, drives, and instincts
as the ani%als 6hence, the "oat hooves and le"s of Pan7$ (n Qabalah,
this is #efesh$ 5ut hu%anit* also has its own s)ecial +ualities,
re)resented b* the hu%an head and torso of the "od$ !is horns, as were
those of &oses, are s*%bols of divinit*, and the s*rin?, the )an - )i)es, he
)la*s, re)resent the octave, which, in P*tha"orean thou"ht, was the basis
of creation$
The 5lack (sis
,ithin the #u)tial Cha%ber of the secret te%)le of 2od resides an i%a"e
of the 5lack (sis$ 'he is the veiled or concealed one, the Co - E%er"ent
&other of the Alche%ical Qabalah$
!ere we will deal with (sis fro% the )ers)ective of Alche%*, as she
was understood b* the initiated ade)ts of the !ellenistic world, not fro%
the )oint of view of E"*)tolo"*$ Cnder the influence of the Graeco -
E"*)tian 'chool, lsis had absorbed and co%e to re)resent the functions
and attributes of all the other "oddesses of the ancient E"*)tian )antheon$
4ater, in the da*s of the Ro%an E%)ire, as her cult s)read further,
she absorbed the attributes of all the other "oddesses in the E%)ire$ The
na%e of the River Tha%es in 4ondon, for e?a%)le, %eans the broad
(sis and, above the cit* of >?ford, the sa%e river is si%)l* called the
lsis$ >ne of the %ost beautiful invocations to co%e down to us fro%
this )eriod is b* 4ucius A)ulius, a Ro%an )riest of (sis$ (t a))ears in his
book, The Golden +ss, and describes (sis as the onl* one "oddess$
(n Alche%*, (sis is the ,orld 'oul, the universal subconscious reservoir$
'he also re)resents the dee)est stratu% of the )ersonal unconscious
of the individual that holds all the subconscious %e%ories and
kar%ic traces fro% all )revious incarnations$ As %entioned, subconsciousness
is the %a"ical a"ent$ 'o, when alche%ists refer to our (sis,
The Co - E%er"ent &other 99K
the* ,are s)eakin" of this dee) as)ect of %ind that, like (sis in the ancient
E"*)tian %*th, seeks and finds the scattered )arts of the dis%e%bered
>siris 6self - consciousness7 and inte"rates and unites the% - the (sis
who, b* her %a"ic 6the Fier* Power7, raises >siris fro% the dead, fro%
three - di%ensional consciousness, to beco%e the !orus - /in" 6Pharaoh7,
the !awk of Gold, s*%bol of the 'u)erconsciousness state of Enli"hten%ent$
(t is throu"h the subconscious, )ro)erl* instructed b* the selfconsciousness,
that the Great ,ork is achieved$ This savin", healin",
'avioress is called, in the &*steries, the ,hite (sis$ The advanta"e of
usin" a sin"le na%e - (sis - to re)resent these different activities is that
it acts as a constant re%inder that, ulti%atel*, all forces are fro% The
>ne, and in The >ne$
The 5lack (sis is that as)ect of the universe that finitizes, that draws
the freel* - distributed ener"* 6Chok%ah7 and concentrates it into units$
(t is )assive in the sense that it doesn't ori"inate the ener"*, but collects
and holds that ener"* in for%$ Qabalisticall*, this is 5inah and astrolo"icall*,
it is the )lanet 'aturn$ 5lack (sis is veiled because ener"* is veiled
within for%$ Cntil various scientific instru%ents were invented, however,
%ost of hu%anit* didn't know that3 all was ener"*$ Therefore, 5lack
(sis is +ma, the dark, sterile %other of 5inah$ !ere we have a dee) Qabalis%$
5iolo"icall*, *ou cannot have a sterile %other$ Fro% the )oint of
view of eternal ')irit, the children of +ma, of 5lack (sis, are finite and
short - lived because all for%s chan"e$ (sis, in her black as)ect, veils the
li"ht of ')irit$ (t is said of her that #one %a* lift %* veil and live 6ori"inall*
this was attributed to the ancient "oddess, #eith, the weaver7$ (n
other words, no one in who% the sense of dualit* )ersists %a* lift her
veil and live a"ain as the* have before$ For, to see throu"h the veil of (sis
is to see throu"h Maya and natural a))earances and )erceive the First
&atter, Ahunyata, the void$ 'o, 5lack (sis is the )ersonification of 5inah
and therefore, of Akasha, the %other of the Ele%ents of the ,ise$ 5ut
she is %ore than this$
5inah is not actuall* a se)arate )ower that "ras)s and holds the fire
of Chok%ah in structure$ The 'e)hiroth are not actuall* se)arate but are
the ten - fold as)ects of >ne Cnit*$ That fro% which 5inah - 5lack (sis%akes
for%, is the fire of Chok%ah itself, that ori"inall* ca%e throu"h
the hollow crown of /ether fro% Ain$ Force and for% re)resent an illusor*,
but necessar*, dualit* - necessar* for %anifest e?istence$ This inter)la*,
this courtshi), between the All - Father of Chok%ah and the Great
&other of 5inah, continues throu"hout all the four worlds$ Ever* sin"le
life - for% can onl* continue in e?istence, in e%bodi%ent, while it receives
or retains enou"h ener"* to re)lenish its structure$
99N Tower of Alche%*
5lack (sis is si%ilar to the Tibetan %editational deit*, @a.ra - 2o"ini,
the 0ia%ond 'ow$ 5lack (sis is what !indu cos%olo"* calls 'hakti, the
world - for%in" &other of all thin"s$ And so she is /undalini, that essence
of )ower, locked within for%, which, when released, frees us fro% bonda"e
to the ener"* )atterns, the %ira"e, of for%$ (sis' blackness is the
veil for her essential fier* nature$ 5lack and dark colors are assi"ned
to 'aturn and to 5inah in the lower three worlds$ 5ut in Atziluth, the
world of 0ivine )erfection, 5inah is revealed as fier* - scarlet in hue$ 'he
is the divine radiance hidden within all thin"s, concealed with all conceal%ents$
For 5lack (sis is the hidden 'hekinah, the Co - habitin" Glor*,
that b* da* in ordinar* consciousness a))ears as the Pillar of Cloud$
5ut b* ni"ht, in %editation and e?alted states of consciousness, she
shows herself as the Pillar of Fire, risin" within the 'hushu%na s)inal
channel, to be reunited with her lord$ 4ike 'hekinah, 5lack (sis is in
%ournin" for her absent consort 6the Absolute7 and for her children e?iled
in ti%e and s)ace$ Therefore do the wise worshi) the 5lack (sis, for
she is the e%bodi%ent - - or veiled as)ect - - of the First &atter$
4est we fall into the tra) of thinkin" of these )owers as essentiall*
se)arate, we turn a"ain to the Coelu% Terrae, in which Tho%as @au"han
s)eaks of the First &atter 6but note his )la* on the word nothin",
%eanin", in fact, #o - thin", the Ain of the Qabalah, as he illustrates
later7 sa*in"3
This first so%ethin" was a certain kind of cloud or darkness$ $ $ $
,hat was that nothin" out of which the first cloud* chaos $ $ $
was %adeI (t %a* be thou dost think it is a %ere nothin"$ (t is indeed
nihil +uo ad nos - nothin" that we )erfectl* know$ $ $
5ut, b* *our leave, it is the True Thin", of ,ho% we can affir%
nothin"$ (t is that Transcendent Essence ,hose theolo"* is ne"ative$
$ $ $ This is that nothin" of Cornelius A"ri))a, and in this
nothin" when he was tired with hu%an thin"s - ( %ean hu%an
sciences - he did at last rest$ To know nothin" is the ha))iest
life$ True indeed, for to know this nothin" is life eternal$ 4earn
then to understand that %a"ical a?io%, the visible was for%ed
fro% the invisible, for all visibles ca%e out of the invisible God,
for !e is the wells)rin" whence all thin"s flow, and the creation
was a certain stu)endous birth or deliver*$ This fine @ir"in ,ater
or chaos was the 'econd #ature fro% God !i%self$ $ $
The Co - E%er"ent &other 99J
The first e?tre%e was that cloud or darkness whereof we have
s)oken for%erl*$ 'o%e call it the re%ote %atter and the invisible
chaos, but ver* i%)ro)erl*, for it is not invisible$ This is the
1ewish Ain - 'o)h outwardl*, and it is the sa%e with that >r)hic
ni"ht3 : #i"ht, thou black nurse of the "olden stars$ >ut of
this darkness all thin"s that are in this world ca%e, as out of
their fountain or %atriL$L
5efore )assin" on to the )ractice )ro)er, we need, at this sta"e, to dee)en
the )reli%inar* e?ercises$ (t is i%)ortant that, fro% now on, *our
)ractice be done in a )lace where *ou are unlikel* to be interru)ted$ A
sudden interru)tion durin" the willed disassociation now bein" undertaken
could result in an un)leasant shock$
To be"in enter *our %editation s)ace or laborator*, as the old alche%ists
called it, ascend the Tree of Assiah, and )erfor% the Qabalistic
Cross$ #ow invoke the four Archan"els of the Presence3 to the east
Ra)hael8 in the south, &ikael8 to the west, Gabriel8 in the north, Criel$
Think of the% as actuall* "uardin" the circu%ference of *our entire aura
6Ra)hael faces *ou, Gabriel is behind *ou, etc$7$ This area e?tends about
four feet all around *our )h*sical bod*$ (%a"ine the archan"els standin"
on the sa%e level as *our &alkuth center and as about ten feet in hei"ht$
Ra)hael holds a s)here of sa))hire8 &ikael wields a red, ta)erin" ton"ue
of fire8 Gabriel holds a crescent %oon8 Criel bears a cube of alche%ical
Gold$ 2ou %a* use s)oken invocations if this is hel)ful, andSor the lesser
ritual of the Penta"ra%$ Re%e%ber, however, that these banishin"s are
intended to cleanse the various obscurations that are within *our own
s)here of sensation 6aura7$ (f *ou kee) )erfor%in" this )articular cere%on*
within *our )ersonal laborator* or te%)le, focused u)on the
s)ace rather than u)on *ouself, it will fail to build u) an endurin" nu%inous
at%os)here$
The Qabalistic Cross, co%bined with the invocation of the four archan"els,
seals with sanctit* the si? directions3 above, below, east, west,
"homas -aughan !$ugenius Philalethes), 1oelum "errae1 in "he 2or's of "homas
-aughan, +. E$ 2aite, ed. !,ondon0 "heosophical Pu>lishing ?ouse, 9J9J7, pp. ;9E -
;9F$ ;9<$
4@7 "ower of +lchemy
south, and north$ This is a %icrocos%ic reflection of the "reat Cube of
')ace described in the 'e)her 2etzirah and is a for% of s+uarin" the
circle$ The seventh direction is within *ou, the (%%anence, called in
the 'e)her 2etzirah, the Palace of !oliness in the %idst$
#e?t, )erfor% the Partin" of the @eil %udra and be seated$ Perfor%
the (nterwoven 4i"ht and Fountain 5reath e?ercises$ ,hen *ou feel centered,
s)eak the followin" %antra3
5eneath the shadow of Th* ,in"s, : Thou the >ne Realit*, (
rest safe and secure$ #ow do ( sink down into the still waters of
the Pri%ordial8 let there be )eace, within and without$ And arisin"
therefro%, let %e vivif* the Grail - Altar fro% the withdrawn
Te%)le of Ruta8 activatin" it fro% latenc* into the livin", )otent
i%a"e of the /in"'s Round Table$
As *ou s)eak this with intent, see the )oint of li"ht within *our Ti)hareth
center beco%e the s%all eidolon of the Table Round, then )ro.ect
it before *ou as *ou co%e to the end of the %antra$ (t will "row to life
size as *ou do so$ As it ra)idl* )asses fro% *our )h*sical sheath, see
the table within the Great !all of the castle, inside the Tower u)on the
&ound of Power$ (n short, usin" the table as the )ivot, )ro.ect the entire
castle to stand before *ou, as if, *ou were floatin", still in the air before
the castle, at a "reat enou"h distance to afford *ou a total view$ 5uild the
i%a"e u)$ 'ee the castle u)on the "reen hill, "lea%in" beneath the ,hite
'un overhead, its stron" walls, with their flutterin" banners, encircled b*
the "listenin" %oat$
#ow, )ro.ect *our awareness into the tower b* fl*in" into it
throu"h the oval window of the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"$ Pro.ect *ourself
strai"ht into the hi"h - backed chair in the center of that cha%ber$ This
fl*in" should not be i%a"ed as takin" )lace within in an* kind of bod*
or for%$ (t is *our awareness itself, so%eti%es called the star of consciousness,
that is )ro.ected$ The onl* sense is visual$ 2ou .ust see
the i%a"e as *ou draw closer to it$ >nl* when seated in the chair inside
the Cha%ber of (ndwellin" do *ou i%a"e *ourself as bein" within a bod*$
This %eans that *our %indcreated bod*, seated within the Tower of the
Art, is in e?actl* the sa%e )osture as the )h*sical sheath *ou have te%)oraril*
vacated$ This %akes identification with the inner locus easier
to achieve and %ore effective$
The Co - E%er"ent &other 9;9
T!E PRACT(CE
!avin" )erfor%ed the )reli%inar* )ractice as .ust described, rise fro%
the chair in the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"$ >n the ri"ht side of the co))ersheathed
door facin" *ou is a clothes - stand on which han"s a cowled indi"o
robe$ 5eneath it are a )air of silver sandals$ Rise and )ut on the
robe, ste) into the silver sandals, and raise the hood of the robe$ >)en
the door, ste) throu"h it, and close it behind *ou$ This door bears the
ena%eled apas - te/as )late$
0escend b* the lunar stairwa* to the Ti)hareth landin", indicated
b* the !i"h Priestess ke*, and enter throu"h the low doorwa* and its
rainbow %ist into the Great !all$ Take *our )lace at *our sie"e and
"reet the Great Co%)anions throu"h the Grail$
Cse the rest of this session, and as %an* others as *ou need, to totall*
fa%iliarize *ourself with the castle$ ,ander about, usin" the inner
e+uivalents of *our )h*sical senses to ob.ectif* it$ 'ee the si"hts, touch
the surfaces, s%ell the odors - the frankincense that alwa*s see%s to
)ervade the cha)el8 hear the hissin" sound %ade b* the %i"ht* forces
at )la* in the 5ridal !all of &alkuth8 feel the wind u)on *ou on the battle%ents
and the ener"* fro% the shinin" ,hite 'un$ Alwa*s use the correct
s)iral stairs to ascend and descend$
Cse other sessions to e?a%ine the court*ard and the land that lies
i%%ediatel* be*ond$ Take the .ourne* over the brid"e to the ed"e of the
forest$ Fa%iliarize *ourself with it all - it is *our inner kin"do%8 "et to
know it$ Record the details in *our .ournal$ And be sure to %anifest the
castle in so%e wa*$ 0raw or )aint it8 %ake it in )lasticine or cla*8 )erha)s
create a co%)uter "ra)hic i%a"e 6be sure *ou )rint it out so that it
is earthed7$ Cntil so%e for% of %anifestation is %ade, ele%ents of the
subconsciousness will not believe in *our i%a"e$ (f that is the case, it is
all )ointless$
At the end of each session, return to the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"
o)enin" off the 0a'ath landin"$ Close the co))er door behind *ou$ Take
off the indi"o robe and silver sandals, han" the robe on the clothesstand$
'it in the chair in the center of the cha%ber$ Pro.ect *our consciousness
throu"h the window and back into *our )h*sical bod*,
throu"h the forehead$ 'ee the entire castle eidolon before *ou, then
)ull the table back toward *our heart center$ As the tower co%es toward
*ou, it will dwindle in size, then enter and coalesce with *our )h*sical
bod*, the Round Table coincidin" with *our heart center$ 'tand and
4@@ "ower of +lchemy
Close the @eil, then )erfor% the Qabalistic Cross$ Thank the archan"els
and bid the% return to their own )ro)er real%, descend the Tree
of Assiah, sta%) *ou feet to assert *our return to )h*sicalit*, and write
u) *our observations in *our .ournal$
T!E C>#TE&P4AT(>#
(n the )ast, we were %ind - created s)iritual bein"s, nourished b*
.o*$ ,e soared throu"h s)ace, self - lu%inous and in i%)erishable
beaut*$ ,e thus re%ained for lon" )eriods of ti%e$ After the
)assa"e of infinite ti%es the sweet - tastin" earth rose fro% the
waters$ (t had colour, scent and taste$ ,e be"an to for% it into
lu%)s and to eat it$ 5ut while we ate fro% it our lu%inosit* disa))eared$
And when it had disa))eared, sun and %oon, stars
and constellations, da* and ni"ht, weeks and %onths, seasons
and *ears, %ade their a))earance$ ,e en.o*ed the sweet - tastin"
earth, relished it, were nourished b* it8 and thus we lived for a
lon" ti%e$ $ $ $ 5ut when evil, i%%oral custo%s arose a%on" us,
the sweet - tastin" earth disa))eared, and when it had lost its
)leasant taste, outcro))in"s a))eared on the "round, endowed
with scent, colour, and taste$ 0ue to the evil )ractices and further
coarsenin" $ $ $ even these nourishin" outcro))in"s disa))eared,
and other self - ori"inatin" )lants deteriorated to such an
e?tent that finall* nothin" eatable "rew b* itself and food had to
be )roduced b* strenuous work$ Thus the Earth was divided
into fields, and boundaries were %ade, whereb* the idea of (
and %ine, own and other was created, and with it )ossessions,
env*, "reed and enslave%ent to %aterial thin"s$
"he +ggariiia - Autta3
"3+e ,,aiia 4 Sutta o1 t+e @i,+a 4 Nika/a," in Lama na,arika 7ovinda, Eoundations
of "i>etan Mysticism (?ork Bea2+, 9E: Samuel Wei-er, "#;#&, '. $;.
T!E PEAC>C/'' TA((,
Thin. of the &oul as if it were a Castle made of a sin$le diamond. $ $
in which there are many rooms. 0et us ima$ine that this castle $ $ $
contains many mansions, some abo,e, others below, some at each side,
and in the centre $ $ $ is the chiefest, where the most secret thin$s +ass
between ;od and the &oul. 5I6f this Castle is the &oul there can clearly be
no :uestion of enterin$ it, for we oursel,es are the Castle $ $ $
8ou must understand that there are many ways of 9bein$9 in a +lace.
- 't$ Teresa of Avilal
T!E TEAC!(#G
There are two wa*s of workin" with i%a"es3 creation b* visualization,
usin" the constructive )ower of i%a"ination, and evocation, in which
s)ontaneous i%a"es are allowed to rise u) fro% the de)ths of consciousness
onto our %ental screen$$
(%a"es raised b* evocation are h*)no"o"ic i%a"es that are allowed
to arise fro% the subconscious$ Co%)le?es in the )s*che arise full*
clothed with such i%a"es$ &uch of the old %a"ical work usin" the Circle
of 'afet* and the Trian"le of the Art is a for% of )s*choanal*sis$ (n
The &acred /a$ic of Abramelin the /a$e, )ractitioners, after achievin"
stable co%%union between the lower self and the hol* Guardian An"el,
"o on to evoke and %aster the de%ons$ (t is said of the ade)t that he
rei"ns with all heaven and is served b* all hell$
This as)ect of the ,ork is called the rede%)tion of the )ersonalit*,
whereb* the unre"enerate as)ects in the de)ths of our unconscious
are evoked to visible a))earance, brou"ht into the unif*in"
li"ht of consciousness, and thereb* absorbed fro% their state of se)aration
back into the inte"rated )ersonalit*$ 1un"ian )s*cholo"* calls this
St. 3+ere-a o1 vila, "he (nterior astle (London: S+eed and Ward, "#$8&, '. "$).
4@3 "ower of +lchemy
%aturation$ Althou"h the old lan"ua"e calls these co%)le?es de%ons,
it would be foolish of us to assu%e that the* are evil )er se$ 1ust because
so%ethin" is in the shadow does not %ean it is evil$ &ost of the
interior de%ons we encounter are e?)ressions of our fears of sufferin",
death, chan"e, or re.ection, and their for%s %irror these fears$ These
fears are funda%entall* )art of our inheritance fro% the #e)hesh, the vital
soul of 2esod, which we share with all )h*sical creatures$ The* are a
conse+uence of e%bodi%ent, of our herd and survival instincts$ The*
are not evil at all, in essence, but neither should the* be allowed to do%inate
our awareness or color our actions$
Another interior %anifestation is the "uide, who% the %edievalists
also called a de%on 6since it te%)ted the %*stic awa* fro% established
orthodo?*7 and the Greeks called a dae%on, %eanin" a
%essen"er$ Carl 1un" had his dae%on, the Graeco - E"*)tian teacher
Phile%on, as his autobio"ra)h*, Memories, Freams and .eflections, and
his )aintin"s bear witness$ 1un", who, at the ti%e, had the %ost e?tensive
alche%ical librar* in Euro)e, also wrote, under (nner Plane dictation,
"he Aeven Aermons to the Fead, which carried the tellin" subtitle,
written b* 5asilides in Ale?andria, the Cit* where the East toucheth the
,est$ ,e will e?)lore this interior "uide in %ore detail later$
"he itadel
The basic foundation is the Qabalistic Tree of 4ife8 it for%s the backbone
u)on which all else han"s$ ( use the ter% backbone because we are
also dealin" with the sub.ective Tree in each of us$ The &iddle Pillar of
this sub.ective Tree is ali"ned with the s)inal colu%n of the hu%an bod*
and the )ositionin" of the interior stars or chakras in the etheric bod*$
The dra"on 6kundalini7 is awakened and "uided throu"h its )ro)er channels$
An* )ractitioner e%)lo*in" these %ethods need have nothin" to
fear, save fear itself$ 5ut readers who choose to "o outside of the )ara%eters
of this book and e?)eri%ent without knowled"e have onl* the%selves
to bla%e if the* find the%selves in difficulties$
The ke* to the whole %ethod is the use of the )ro.ected castle$ This
ensures that the concentration of %ental ener"ies is focused on the
etheric bod*, which has been built u) b* the involved visualization$ This
)ro.ected etheric vehicle, when withdrawn back into the )h*sical at the
end of the %editation )ractice, continues to work in a )erfectl* safe and
self - re"ulated %anner$
The %ental castle is what, in the East, is called a yantra, or for%
s*%bol$ ,hen a *antra is enclosed in a fra%e - usuall* circu(ar or
The Peacock's Tail 9;A
s+uare - it is called a mandala. 'o our castle is a for% s*%bol built u)
b* the visualizin" and creative i%a"ination$ 5ecause its for% is built u)
on the basis of the A"eless ,isdo%, it is what we %a* ter% a viable
for%, ca)able of bein" a rece)tacle of )ower and ener"* which can
char"e it with %ental li"ht and s)iritual "race$
The eidolon of the castle receives )ower$ (t is also thron"ed b* all
the )resences and intelli"ences, includin" the %asters and inner teachers$
Re%e%ber, however, that, .ust as in 'hakes)eare's "he "empest, all
the wonderful si"hts and scenes of the island were )ro.ections of the
%a"e, Pros)ero, and of his s)irit - servants, so too this castle is called
forth b* *our creative activit* and is a si%ilar )ro.ection of *ourself and
*our ele%ental s)irit - servants who indwell the ver* cells of *our )h*sical
bod*$
To e?teriorize *our inner conditions b* the device of the castle is a
ver* )otent %a"ic, and it %ust be carried out correctl* to obtain the
best results$ #ot onl* %ust *our %ental )owers be e%)lo*ed, but the
whole co%)le? of s)iritual, %ental, e%otional, and etheric ener"ies %ust
be drawn u)on as well$ (n a certain sense, the )ro.ection of the inner,
subtle vehicle in the for% of an edifice, deit*, or bod* is the %issin"
ke* to Alche%*, without which all the alche%ical te?ts are futile$ !owever,
even when *ou know the ke* for what it is, *ou are still far fro% bein"
)roficient in its a))lication$ This )ro.ection has "rades of intensit*$
,hat ( i%)art in this book is knowled"e and tried and tested e?ercises
that can lead *ou to consu%%ate skill$ The )ro.ection, which is, of
course, the se)aration of the subtle fro% the "ross, is so%eti%es referred
to as a second or "reater death$ (n A Auggestive $nDuiry into
the ?ermetic Mystery, &rs$ Atwood observes3
There is a twofold death8 the one indeed universall* known, in
which the bod* is liberated fro% the soul8 but the other )eculiar
to the )hiloso)hers Galche%istsH in which the soul is liberated
fro% the bod*8 nor does one entirel* follow the other$ That
which nature binds, nature also dissolves8 that which the soul
binds, the soul likewise can dissolve8 nature indeed, binds the
bod* to the soul, but the soul binds herself to the bod*$ #ature
therefore liberates the bod* fro% the soul, but the soul %a*
also liberate her self fro% the bod*$ That is to sa*, if she know
how, and have the ri"ht dis)osition awarded, she %a* dissolve
her own conce)tive vehicle, even the )arental bond, and return
consciousl* 6the ele%entar* )rinci)les re%ainin", nor *et
9;< Tower of Alche%*
suffered to de)art7 under the do%inion of another law to life$
That was the wa* to )recious death, s)oken of b* the !ebrews
and Acade%ics, this the ha))* "ate of blackness celebrated
b* the old ade)ts, the head of !er%es' crow, which is
in the be"innin" of the work$;
(t is due to the insistence in alche%ical writin"s of the i%)ortance of e?teriorization,
that %an* co%%entators u)on the !er%etic Art have "one
down a false trail, believin" that the word e?terior %eant that there
was so%ethin" outside the Alche%ist that was necessar* for the co%)letion
of the Great ,ork$ #othin" could be further fro% the truth$ As the
@a.ra*ana te?t, the 'u)re%e #ectar - Eli?ir 0ialo"ueE states3 (n order to attain
the su)re%e Eli?ir $ $ $ the hi"hest )innacle of the Tantric Path$ $ $ $
Cut throu"h to the roots of &ind's (nner Radiance$
This citadel of *our self is %uch older than *our )resent occu)ation
of it, for, bein" archet*)al, it )recedes *our current incarnation$ 5elow
the levels we have been recreatin" there are %uch %ore )ri%itive
roo%s$ 'o%e of these roo%s, far below the surface, retain )risoners
fro% *our re%ote )ast$ >thers contain )risoners fro% %ore recent
ti%es$ Far below this is the chthonic !all of the 5ride$ And above it, in
the #u)tial Cha%ber, is that Fier* Power that, if unleashed, could destro*
the whole edifice as de)icted in /e* U@(, The Tower$
2ou have now constructed the citadel in the finer etheric, astral, and
%ental substances drawn out fro% *our own aura, and so it has a close
)s*chic link with *ou$ As each cha%ber inside this Tower of the Art, corres)onds
to one of the sub.ective 'e)hirothic centers, *ou have thereb*
constructed a re%ote - control device$ The tower is a %eans b* which
*ou can concentrate u)on and direct ener"* to the chakras, without an*
concentration u)on the )h*sical centers at all$ 5* workin" in the a))ro)riate
cha%ber in the castle, *ou can )roduce an effect u)on the inner
levels$ Fro% there, *ou work naturall* throu"h into )h*sical, wakin"
consciousness$ 'o this etheric structure )revents da%a"e to the )h*sical
bod*, but at the sa%e ti%e allows the s)iritual )owers of the etheric
centers to unfold +uite naturall*$ &ost )eo)le incarnate toda* have a
9ar/ . twood, Auggestive $nDuiry into the ?ermetic Mystery (7eneva, (,0 ?o,i,
"#$;&.
Arom an un'u.li-+ed 3i.etan text.
The Peacock's Tail 9;K
fair inner develo)%ent and, if the etheric links are %ade, the* can brin"
throu"h an a))reciable a%ount of astral and hi"her awareness into wakin"
consciousness$
The Golern
The old Qabalists called a thou"htcreated for% that was built s)ecificall*
as a vehicle for consciousness a Gole%$ 'uch a %ental construction is
not the sa%e as the %ore usual %a"ical thou"ht - for%s, which are ensouled
with artificial or ele%ental intelli"ences$ (n a "ole%, we are dealin"
e?clusivel* with the e?teriorized subtle vehicle of the )ractitioner,
which, at the conclusion of a session, is then re - absorbed back into a
condition of subconscious latenc*$
The %ost )o)ular stor* of a "ole% is that of the Gole% of Pra"ue$
0urin" a ti%e of severe )ersecution, to )rotect the 1ewish co%%unit*,
Rabbi 4oew created a "ole%$ !e built the for% of a lar"e %an fro% cla*
and %ud and, usin" secret Qabalistic knowled"e 6drawn fro% the 'e)her
2etzirah7, he ani%ated the fi"ure$ ,hen he inscribed E%eth, the !ebrew
word for truth, u)on the forehead of the i%a"e it ca%e to life and did
the Rabbi's biddin"$ 5ut, as in %ost stories of this kind, eventuall* the
creature "ot out of control and Rabbi 4oew was forced to destro* it$ !e
did this b* erasin" the first letter of E%eth - the letter Ale)h - so that the
re%ainin" letters s)elled the !ebrew word, &eth - dead$ The "ole%
instantl* disinte"rated and cru%bled into )ieces$ 4ocal folklore still
clai%s that the dust of the "ole% is in the attic of the #ew - >ld '*na"o"ue
in Pra"ue$
As with all )ersistent le"ends, there is no s%oke without fire$ The
"ole% is an artificial for% 6a )roduct of the Art7 built fro% astroetheric
%atter$ (t is then ani%ated b* the consciousness of the )ractitioner$ This
is what is reall* %eant b* the letter Ale)h in the le"end$ This letter is
attributed to The Fool, or, as it was called, The Alche%ist$ The esoteric
title of this tarot ke* is The ')irit of the Ether, or the Quintessence$ Ale)h
also re)resents the nu%ber 9, si"nif*in" unit* with God$ This is wh*
all true alche%ical te?ts state une+uivocall* that the )rere+uisite for all
alche%ical work is )ra*er, di"nification, the raisin" of consciousness
into the )resence of the 0ivine$ And this is the )ur)ose of the re)eated
)reli%inaries in the )ractice of ascendin" the Tree of the 5od* and invokin"
the 0ivine #a%es - to center consciousness in the )lace where
the three 4ower ,orlds %eet$ >nl* when the consciousness of the
)ractitioner 6s)irit, the Quintessence7 is )ro.ected into and indwells the
9;N Tower of Alche%*
"ole% does the for% beco%e E%eth, alive in truth$ And when the star of
consciousness is withdrawn, the "ole% beco%es inert, dead, .ust as an
auto%obile is inert without a hu%an inside to turn on the en"ine and to
drive it$
This is si%ilar to a techni+ue in the ,estern &*steries traditionall*
known as the 5od* of 4i"ht$ This na%e can be %isleadin"$ !ere li"ht
refers to the astral li"ht, not to the 4i"ht of ')irit, because when such an
artificial bod* is seen - and the* can be )erceived - it has a lu%inous
a))earance and e%its a silver* radiance, the li"ht that casts no shadow$
Althou"h the for%ulation, indwellin", and re - absor)tion sta"es for
both the "ole% and the 5od* of 4i"ht are al%ost the sa%e, their )ur)oses
are ver* different$ A 5od* of 4i"ht is e?teriorized for the )ur)ose of
travel, of trans)ortin" consciousness to a s)ecific location, )h*sical or
su)ernatural$ The "ole% - the Tower of the Art - is e?teriorized for the
)ur)ose of %akin" ad.ust%ents within the subtle bod*, to )urif* and activate
the various centers 6throu"h the kundalini7, and so to trans%ute
and transfor% the )h*sical bod*$ (n the @a.ra*ana, the 5od* of 4i"ht For%ula
is the second of the 'i? 2o"as of #aro)a, The #oga of the (llusor*
5od*$ (llusor* here %eans %ind - created 6essentiall* as are all the
sheaths of consciousness7 and has the sa%e connotation as the alche%ical
ter% artificial, %eanin" a )roduct of the Art$ A )ractitioner who
has ac+uired e?)erience and skill with the Gole% for%ula can ver* easil*
%aster the 5od* of 4i"ht techni+ue$ !owever, the reverse is not true8
a cardriver is not auto%aticall* a co%)etent %echanic$ (t is the 5od* of
4i"ht that Paracelsus and other %edieval alche%ists ter%ed the ho%unculus8
the* were not referrin" to a little flesh and blood %an, but to a
thou"ht - created bod* fashioned fro% subtle %atter$
After havin" %ade this distinction, the tower can be used )arado?icall*,
to trans)ort consciousness for a ver* s)ecific )ur)ose$ First, let's
be +uite clear that consciousness itself doesn't actuall* re+uire an* vehicle
to be an*where$ Consciousness is o%ni)resent$ 5ut consciousness
does re+uire a vehicle to function, to be effective, u)on an* "iven )lane$
(n ver* advanced )ractice, the tower is %oved within the etheric counter)art
of the Earth, first to the #orth Pole, where our )lanet receives
%ost of the inco%in" cos%ic radiations fro% the stars, and fro% there
to other locations, even to the "reat dia%ond - crowned Tower at the
)rinci)al abode of the i%%ortal 'a"es, that au"ust sanctuar* which is,
as its na%e states, the )lace where the will of God is known$ This is a
hi"h level of )ractice that is onl* undertaken with direct tuition$
The Peacock's Tail 9;J
The creation and use of a "ole% is as old as the Qabalah itself$ The
earliest account is that of the )atriarch Abraha% hi%self$ After initiatin"
Abraha% into the Qabalah, the Priest - /in" &elchizadek re%ained with
the )atriarch and instructed hi% throu"hout his creation of a "ole%$
Rabbi Ar*eh /a)lan, in his translation of and co%%entar* u)on "he
Aepher #etHirahs,aH* s3 'ince Abraha% was the "reatest %*stic and astrolo"er
of his a"e, it is natural to assu%e that he was fa%iliar with all
the &*steries of ancient E"*)t and &eso)ota%ia$ Abraha% was born in
&eso)ota%ia, and he also lived in E"*)t$
Throu"hout esoteric histor*, there have been %an* accounts - both
skillful and clu%s* - of )ractitioners en"a"ed in the creation of the
"ole%$ A"ain, Rabbi Ar*eh /a)lan, in cha)ter ; of his co%%entar* u)on
"he Aepher #et8irah, offers the followin" s)eculation, which indicates
how close he was to understandin" the wa* the "ole% is used in the
)ractical Qabalah, which is Alche%*3
There is also evidence that creatin" a Gole% was )ri%aril* not a
)h*sical )rocedure, but rather, a hi"hl* advanced %editative
techni+ue$ 5* chantin" the a))ro)riate letter - arra*s to"ether
with the letters of the Tetra"ra%%aton, the initiate could for% a
ver* real %ental i%a"e of a hu%an bein", li%b b* li%b$ This
)ossibl* could be used as an astral bod*, throu"h which one
could ascend to the s)iritual real%s$ The for%ation of such a
s)iritual bod*, however, would also result in a tre%endous s)iritual
)otentia4A
!ere the Rabbi's s)eculation is of a "ole% as a 5od* of 4i"ht$ ,hat is
i%)ortant is his reference to the letter - arra*s to"ether with the letters
of the Tetra"ra%%aton$ The old te?ts refer ti%e and a"ain to how )ractitioners
%ust have knowled"e of how to arran"e the letters of the !ebrew
al)habet 6)er%utation7 in order to build the "ole%$ This has been
one of the )rinci)al veils b* which the 'a"es have concealed the )ractical
work of this sta"e of the Art$ And, as with all s)iritual ke*s, it is si%)licit*
itself$ For si%)licit* has been )roven to be the %ost effective
r/e+ <a'lan, "he Aepher #et8irah (?ork Bea2+, M$0 Samuel Wei-er, "##*&. 0ntrodu2tion.
r/e+ <a'lan, "he Aepher #et8irah, '. ")$.
4=7 "ower of +lchemy
conceal%ent of all$ The intellectual, rational, and reasonable adult %ind
is too co%)licated, too )roud, to even consider the si%)le$ >nl* the
subconsciousness or one who has beco%e as a little child )erceives it$
!ence, alche%ists describe their Art as, wo%an's work 6subconscious7
and child's )la*$
The arran"e%ent of the letters is in fact the twent* - two shinin"
Paths of the Tree of 4ife$ (n !ebrew, as with other sacred scri)ts, the letters
are re"arded as bein" alive, because the* re)resent states of consciousness$
(t is an occult %a?i% that, in the C))er ,orlds, Powers
a))ear as )ersonalities$ (n conse+uence, the !ebrew letters and the
tarot ke*s to which the* are attributed are not onl* sacred tableau?,
the* are actuall* bein"s, )ersonifications fro% the ocean of consciousness
for the intelli"ence of will, the eternal and triu%)hant intelli"ence,
etc$ This is wh* - a)art fro% the usual na%es, The &a"ician,
Te%)erance, etc$ - each ke* has its hidden or esoteric na%e, used in advanced
)ractices, which is the title of the s)irit - lord of that Path to
which the tarot ke* and !ebrew letter are assi"ned$ These titles are listed
in A))endi? ($
,hen, in the )reli%inar* e?ercises )recedin" the actual )ractice,
)ractitioners build u) the Tree of 4ife in their aura, the )aths are for%ulated
as a conse+uence, since the* are sub.ective reactions to the ob.ective
)ower of the 'e)hiroth$ The Fountain 5reath e?ercise then unifies
the influences of all the Paths and the 'e)hiroth$ This ha))ens because
there is onl* >ne Power that flows throu"h all the )aths and %anifests
in a ten - fold as)ect as the 'e)hiroth, the out)ourin" of the &ost !ol*
>ne that is &ezla, "race, b* which the worlds are nourished and sustained$
For "race is not so%e abstract )oetic %eta)hor, but an actual
etheric, astral, and s)iritual substance$ Alche%* na%es it the water
that burns and the fire that flows$ (t is the First &atter$
'o when )ractitioners )erfor% the Fountain 5reath, not onl* are the
su% total of the ener"ies of the Tree of the 5od* bein" brou"ht into )la*
and re - inte"rated as >ne force, but %ore ener"* is bein" brou"ht into
the )ractitioners' )ersonal auras, the alche%ical "lass vessels,
throu"h the /ether crown chakra$ This ener"* is etheric, astral, and also
s)iritual in nature, because the /ether of Assiah is si%ultaneousl* the
Ti)hareth of 2etzirah and the &alkuth of 5riah 6see fi"ure J, )a"e 9E;7$
And this is what is %eant b* the letter - arra*s to"ether with the letters
of the Tetra"ra%%aton$ The letters are the Paths and the reference to
the Tetra"ra%%aton %eans the influence of the four worlds brou"ht to
The Peacock's Tail 9E9
bear throu"h the Fountain 5reath$ The reader will now see wh* we have
stressed the i%)ortance of the )reli%inar* e?ercises as an effective
basis for all subse+uent )ractice$ For, when the "ole% is )ro.ected outward -
e?teriorized - it %ust contain substance drawn fro% the etheric,
astral, and s)iritual )lanes$ 'o, unless )ractitioners are )roficient in
these e?ercises, the results will be )oor$
me Robe of Glory
(n this and the )revious cha)ter, reference has been %ade to the 'i? ?o"as
of #aro)a, with the intention of showin" that this 'cience of the
'a"es is the s)iritual herita"e of all hu%anit*, )art of the )ri%ordial
Planetar* Tradition, rather than one belon"in" e?clusivel* to either the
Eastern or ,estern esoteric traditions$ ,e have also inti%ated how a "ole%,
or a bod* of li"ht, was, and is, used b* advanced )ractitioners to
traverse the Earth - - or %ore accuratel*, to travel within the etheric zone
"irdlin" the Earth$ 5ut in the cases of the "reater ade)ts, this has other
ra%ifications$ For the*, havin" inte"rated all their vehicles into a unit*,
the )h*sical bod* attains the )ro)erties of the astral bod* and can so be
tele)orted, not onl* to other )h*sical locations, but also into other
)lanes of e?istence and back a"ain, at will$ And, we are further "iven to
understand that this abilit* %anifests even before the full %aster* - the
cor)us incorru)tibilis - is attained$
For e?a%)le, so%e of 0ion Fortune's )u)ils attest that she )h*sicall*
ste))ed into Faerie 6the Assiah - 2etzirah interface, the 4ower
Eden7 and back a"ain$ ,hile in 9JN:, at his %onaster* in Ru%tek,
'ikkhi%, the 9<th G*alwa - /ar%a)a %anifested the rainbow bod* durin"
a cere%onial e%)ower%ent$ !is transfi"uration was witnessed b*
%an* )eo)le and was cau"ht on ca%era$ Thorou"h )rofessional e?a%ination
of the ne"ative and of a "iant )rint showed that no ordinar* e?)lanation,
such as double - e?)osure, was )ossible for the )heno%enon$
>ri"inall*, a%on" the 'i? 2o"as of #aro)a, there was also a seventh
that so%e Tibetan traditions sa* was lost - althou"h ( a% )ersonall*
)ersuaded that it was )robabl* withdrawn$ The full title of this seventh
*o"a is The 4ord #aro)a's Transcendental 0octrine Called The Great
Chariot for Enterin" u)on the 'ubli%e Path, the Guide to Trans%utation
and Transference$ This sa%e trans%utation and transference is the
esoteric %eanin" behind the title of !er%es - Tris%e"istos, the Thrice
Great, for it refers to one who can ste) throu"h all the three lower
worlds at will$ Also, in the 1ewish tradition, Eli.ah 6the Elias - Artisian of
4=@ "ower of +lchemy
2
E
T
2
(
R
A
!
A
'
'
(
A
!
Ai,ure #. 3+e 'la2e w+ere t+e t+ree lower world- meet 4
3i'+aret+ o1 ?et>ira+, and t+e 9alkut+ o1 Bria+.
')irit -
!i"her - 'elf
'oul -
Ps*che
5od* -
Action
Get+er o1 --ia+,
The Peacock's Tail 9EE
the alche%ists7 can a))ear an*where, in an* "uise, and at an* ti%e,
which is wh* a vacant chair is )laced for hi% at the seder table of Passover$
The sa%e abilit* to ste) throu"h the world at will is told of Guru
Ri%)oche, &elchizadek, 1esus, the bodisattvas, and of %an* others$ (t is
re)orted of the ei"ht* - four Great 'iddhas of &aha*ana 5uddhis% 6who
include #aro)a and Ar*a - #a"ar.una7, that - a)art fro% those few who
have re%ained incarnate to teach others - %ost of the%, after lives
s)annin" between five and seven hundred *ears - were assu%ed >odily
into the Paradise of the 0akinis$ (ndeed, %an* of the &ahasiddhas also
took nu%bers of their )u)ils with the%$
The Gnostics ter%ed the solar, or rainbow bod*, the robe of
"lor*v - robe %eanin" a vesture or sheath for the s)irit$ The )oet
5ardesanes wrote "he ?ymn of the .o>e of Glory, which tells of the
soul's descent into %atter and its ulti%ate re - ascent$ The )earl %entioned
at the end of the )oe%, is the )earl of Great Price, the Philoso)her's
'tone3
( saw it 6a bri"ht robe sent b* his )arents7 %akin" itself read*$
( heard the sound of its tones,
And ( )erceived also in %*self
That %* stature was "rowin" accordin" to his labours$
(t was s)readin" itself out towards %e,
(t hastened that ( %i"ht take it on$
And ( stretched forth and received it,
,ith the beaut* of its colours ( adorned %*self$
And %* to"a of brilliant colours
( cast around %e, in its whole breadth$
( clothed %*self therewith, and ascended
To the &a.est* of %* Father who had sent it to %e$
And ( was with hi% in his kin"do%$
And he )ro%ised %e also that to the "ate
>f the /in" of /in"s ( should s)eed with hi%,
And brin"in" %* "ift and %* )earl
( should a))ear with hi% before our /in"<
7. R. S. 9ead, tran-, $choes h - om the Gnosis, vol. 47 (W+eaton, 0L: 3+eo-o'+i2al
5u.li-+in, So2iet/, "#%B&, ''. *( 4 *$.
1<= Tower of Alchemy
"he Eirst Matter
Alche%ical te?ts contain %an* warnin"s that the Great ,ork cannot be
co%)leted until the First &atter has been "ras)ed or a))rehended$
The* teach that, when it is so "ras)ed the )eacock s)reads its tail of
scintillatin" colors and the end of the Great ,ork is in si"ht$ 'o there are
two as)ects we need to e?)ound directl* here3 first, how the +rima
materia is "ras)ed and second, of what it consists$
Gras)in" the First &atter %eans to actuall* see it$ !ere we are not
usin" an* subtle veilin" of lan"ua"e8 we %ean to literall* see the Quintessence$
#or is this an* for% of astral or s)irit si"ht, althou"h it %a* be
)erceived internall* in the earl* sta"es$ Practitioners cannot be said to
have "ras)ed the First &atter until the* have brou"ht it within the ran"e
of their )h*sical, visual )erce)tion$ &ost )eo)le do not see it - hence
the alche%ists' cr*)tic .okes about the First &atter bein" ever*where,
*et unseen b* the %an* - because the necessar* or"an of )erce)tion is
undevelo)ed in the%$ This or"an is the )h*sical %anifestation of the
&ercur* or crown center, the )ineal "land$ ,hen the 0ra"on's fire, the
kundalini, i%)acts u)on the )ineal "land, it be"ins to alter it b* "raduall*
fusin" the se)arate "rains of brain sand into a s%all cr*stal, "oldena%ber
in color and sha)ed like a cone$ The "radual fusion of the brain
sand constitutes the confection of the 'tone, brou"ht about b* fre+uent
cookin", fre+uent e%)lo*%ent of /undalini 2o"a, and fre+uent
arousin" of the dra"on$ 5ecause of the 'tone's "olden - a%ber color, it is
often called the 'eed of the 'un$ (ts conical sha)e e?)lains wh* %an*
alche%ical te?ts refer to it as the &ount of Attain%ent u)on which the
The !er%it is shown standin" in the Jth tarot ke*$ (n Qabalistic code,
the 'tone is what is %eant b* the ter% Dionn - $ $ $ and the 4ord shall
be seen in Dion$ As in a cr*stal radio, the +uartz cr*stal is ca)able of receivin"
and trans%ittin" otherwise invisible ran"es of ener"*, so the
'tone of the ,ise - which is the third e*e of *o"a - receives and trans%its
the >ne Radiant Ener"* that u)holds creation$ 'o the 'a"es and ade)ts
actuall* see the First &atter, which is the root of all for% and all
substances$ The* see throu"h the veil of a))earances, "azin" u)on the
thrice - radiant 0arkness of the #o - thin"$
At first, the First &atter is )erceived in states of )rofound %editation,
what @a.ra*ana calls states of dee) abidin"$ This advanced %editative
state is called the black of near attain%ent in Tibetan te?ts, so
confir%in" the alche%ical te?ts in their in.unction that the black of the
First &atter has to be reached before attain%ent can be near$ C)on
reachin" this sta"e, sub.ective consciousness fails$ The Tibetan %anuals
call this swoonin"K'8 a conte%)orar* ter% would be to faint$ !owever,
The Peacock's Tail 9EA
none of these ter%s is +uite accurate, because we are dealin" with a
state of consciousness that transcends brain consciousness and that is
.ust the )ointQ 5ecause ordinar* self - consciousness has been swallowed
u) in the cos%ic e%brace of the Absolute, self - consciousness ceases to
function and a new order of awareness unfolds$ Then 9 shall know as (
a% known$
This is wh* 5uddhis% and the ,estern Greater &*steries both
teach that there is no trul* endurin" or inde)endent bein"$ For to "aze
u)on, and so to be i%%ersed in, the First &atter is to abide in the void
of 'hun*ata and to co%e to know that all is a "reat "esture 6&aha%udra7,
transient bubbles u)on the surface of the strea% of consciousness$
This is the reason for our earlier state%ent that %a"ic is )ractical
%*sticis%$ C)on the Tree of 4ife this transition, fro% the levels of for%
to those of the Cncreate Realities, is to cross the ab*ss se)aratin" the
'u)ernal 'e)hiroth fro% the other seven$ >ccult literature and teachers
of the 4esser &*steries often terrif* their audiences with the horrors of
the ab*ss, the void$ The* talk of e?tinction of none?istence$ And it is
true that the ab*ss terrifies those still attached to individualit*$ That is
wh* it is the true function of the &*steries to )re)are the %ind for the
)lun"e into the 0ivine 0e)ths$
The blackness, however, is the si"n of near - attain%ent, not the Goal
itself$ The )eacock is onl* the %ount for the 5uddha of (nfinite 4i"ht and
an adorn%ent u)on the vessel in the hands of Arnita*us, 5uddha of Eternal
4ife$ The radiant blackness "ives wa* to Clear 4i"ht - a 4i"ht that
never shone on %ortal e*es, the efful"ence of the Absolute, the >ne
Realit*$ The candle of se)arateness is blown out, because the 'un has
arisen and the candle has served its )ur)ose$ 5* willfull* losin" the little,
illusor* self, one "ains Eternal 5ein"ness$
5ut what of the nature of the First &atter itselfI 1un" sa*s3 The basis
of the o)us, the )ri%a %ateria, is one of the %ost fa%ous secrets of
alche%*$ This is hardl* sur)risin" since it re)resents the unknown substance
that carries the )ro.ection of the autono%ous )s*chic Lontent$L
(t is, as we stated before, o%ni)resent and the root substance of all
for%s$ >riental te?ts ter% it Akasha8 the alche%ical te?ts of the >ccident
"ive it %an* na%es$ Taois%, the alche%ical )ractice of China, has the
)ri%al intuition that the universe %ust have so%e unborn ori"in 6)ri%a
%ateria7$ This is "iven verbal for% in the Tao Teh Chin", GGV:
' C. 7. =un,, Psychology and +lchemy, vol. 4@ o1 "he ollected 2or's, Bollin,en Serie-
GG, R. A. C. 6ull, tran-. (5rin2eton: 5rin2eton Dniver-it/ 5re--, "#(*, "#;B&.
4=5 "ower of +lchemy
There was 'o%ethin" undefined and *et co%)lete in itself,
5orn before !eaven - and - Earth$
'ilent and boundless,
'tandin" alone without chan"e,
2et )ervadin" all without fail,
(t %a* be re"arded as the &other of the ,Lrld$L
This First &atter is the %ediu% that contains the universall* diffused
Radiant Ener"*$ The Qabalah e+uates it to 5inah - 5eten, the wo%b -
which carries the radiant 2od of Chok%ah$ 2od is shown as a sin"le
fla%e, the sha)e u)on which all other letters of the !ebrew al)habet are
based$ 5ecause the First &atter is dark, it is likened to 5inah 6black bein"
the color on the Queen 'cale for the third 'e)hira78 because it is full
of infinitesi%al )oints of li"ht, it is likened to the iridescence of a raven's
win" or a )eacock's tail$ These )oints of li"ht are the dharmadhatu of
&aha*ana 5uddhist %eta)h*sics and the citta or prana of !induis%$ (n
Qabalah, the* are called haiah, the universal life - force attributed to
Chok%ah, the s)here of the stars$ ,hat is seen is ener"* )assin" into
and out of %anifestation$ Fro% Ain, the #o - Thin", radiant ener"* )asses
throu"h the Crown of Crowns - the /ether of Atziluth - as the radiance
of Atziluth and so into relative e?istence$ Fro% Atziluth, it )asses into
the three lower worlds, for%in" their substance and the life - for%s within
each$ Ener"* is constantl* bein" released b* each world and b* ever*
life - for%$ (t )asses fro% a hi"her world to the one beneath it, for each
world is the su))ort of the worlds below it$ After reachin" the )h*sicalit*
of Assiah and nourishin" the life - for%s there, ener"* )asses out
throu"h the &alkuth of &alkuths 6the sub - ato%ic level7 back into the
#o - thin"ness once %ore$ The all - )ervadin" +ualit* of this Radiant Ener"*
is one %eanin" of the li%itless li"ht, Ain - 'o)h - Aur$ (t is the su))ort of
all life, e?tracted fro% the "reen bodies of ve"etables, the red bodies of
ani%als, and the white 6trans)arent7 bodies of water and air$ The etheric
vehicles re)lenish the%selves u)on it directl* durin" slee)$ The )oints
of radiant li"ht are the )otable "old of Alche%*, for the* constitute the
ver* substance of ever* )ot, ever* bod*, and, b* alche%ical )ractice,
the* can be increased and so transfor% and s)iritualize the bod* into a
finer instru%ent for consciousness$ The ade)t consciousl* increases the
a%ount of )otable "old incor)orated within the te%)le of the bod* b*
%editation and dail* )ractice, b* conscious breathin" and b* eatin" and
4ao Tzu, Tao "eh Chin", 1ohn C$ !$ ,u, trans$ 65oston3 'ha%bhala, "#;"&, )$ *$.
The Peacock's Tail 9EK
drinkin" with awareness of the )rocess of trans%utation that occurs
within the coils of the black dra"on, the intestines$ This is the fi?in" of
the volatile, whereb* freel* dis)ersed ener"* is absorbed and built into
the )h*sical bod*$
These radiant )oints of li"ht that are the First &atter are re)resented
in tarot b* %ulti)lies of the letter 2od fallin" fro% the sk*$ 2od is a
fla%in" )oint of li"ht, like the dhar%a - dhatu 6seeds of realit*7 that
crown the Tibetan chdrten %onu%ents$ Conse+uentl*, the )otable "old
is so%eti%es called the 2od force$ This rain of 2ods occurs in three
cards of the &a.or Arcana, /e*s GV000 and G0G, The &oon and The 'un$
>ur sun 6the %acrocos%ic /ether of our solar s*ste%7, like all other
stars, is a condensation of and a center of radiation for the radiant ener"*$
>ur )lanet's &oon is a %irror for a certain ran"e of the solar )rana$
,e and all other kin"do%s of nature draw their vitalit* fro% the 'un and
&oon, either directl* or indirectl*$ The third card to show the dew of
heaven, as the Qabalah calls the descendin" life - force, has es)ecial reference
to the )ractices in which we are en"a"ed$ (t is /e* GV0 The
Tower$ 4ike the other two cards, it )ictures 2ods rainin" fro% the sk*,
but the* fall on either side of the tower$ The* are not built into its structure$
This tarot ke* is a de)iction of the conse+uences incurred b* foolhard*
e?)eri%ents, not onl* with kundalini, but with all )owerful
s)iritual techni+ues$ Fro% the view)oint of esoteric )s*cholo"*, the
blasted tower shown in this ke* is the ordinar*, untrained )ersonalit*built
u) in a ha)hazard wa*, a )roduct of u)brin"in", environ%ent, education,
and e?)erience, both "ood and bad - that is destro*ed when the
hi"h - tension Fier* Power courses throu"h it$ This )ower is re)resented
in the card b* the li"htnin" flash, for li"htnin" is not onl* a bolt strikin"
fro% the thunder clouds, it is also electricit* bein" dischar"ed fro% the
Earth u)ward$ /undalini arises fro% below 6as The E%erald Tablet
states7 and causes a reci)rocal down)ourin"$ 'o, as with all the )aths
u)on the Tree of 4ife, kundalini is a two - wa* channel$ (f, however, hu%ans
take their souls in hand and rebuild their )ersonalities u)on the
blue)rint of the ')irit, which is the %ost i%)ortant as)ect of our work
with the Tower of the Art, those redee%ed or re"enerate )ersonalities
beco%e "ood conductors for the fire fro% heaven and "ive li"ht to
%an*$ This )otential is e?)ressed b* the na%e "iven to /e* GV0 in so%e
of the old French decks, 4a &aison de 0ieu, the !ouse of God$
4esser ade)ts build thou"ht - for%s of what is needful in the 2etziratic
level - the &a"ical A"ent, as the astral )lane is called$ These
for%s then ac+uire vitalit* and %anifest throu"h nor%al channels,
4=< "ower of +lchemy
althou"h the* can still a))ear %a"ical to the onlooker$ Greater ade)ts
work directl* in the First &atter, the Great &a"ical A"ent, which is the
wo%b in which all )ossibilities e?ist si%ultaneousl*$ There, the* fashion
the ener"* )atterns of what is needful, and their results a))ear %iraculous
to the onlooker$
Powers of the ')irit - siddhi, or %a"ical )owers - that are unfolded
as a conse+uence of alche%ical )ractice )ersist fro% incarnation to
incarnation, althou"h the* usuall* fall into te%)orar* abe*ance durin"
)ubert*$ This has been a%)l* de%onstrated b* nu%erous tulkus, Tibetan
incarnate la%as$ (f the First &atter has been "ras)ed, *et the ,ork re%ains
unfinished b* the end of an incarnation, the )ractitioner will
co%e a"ain, in a bod* alread* e+ui))ed and able to )erceive the Quintessence$
(n the universe, nothin" is ever lost$ All abides forever in the
&ind of The >ne$
T!E PRACT(CE
Co%)lete the )reli%inar* e?ercises, e?teriorize the entire castle, and
)ro.ect *our awareness into it throu"h the window of the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"$
5e seated u)on the chair in the %iddle of that cha%ber and establish
*our )resence in the tower, as *ou %entall* )ronounce the 4atin
word AdLu%$TLh e word reverberates throu"h all the levels of the
tower$ Rise and clothe *ourself in the indi"o robe of Akasha8 )lace the
silver sandals of the &oon u)on *our feet$ 4eave the cha%ber and )roceed
down the lunar s)iral stairwa* to the Great !all$ >nce throu"h the
western door of that cha%ber, hail the Great Co%)anions, throu"h the
Grail, and )ass therefro% into the Cha)el of the Rose - Croi?$
5efore the altar, in the words that s)rin" fro% *our heart, dedicate
*ourself and *our endeavors to the eternal and )etition that the 0ivine
)rotection %a* abide with *ou$ 4eave the cha)el throu"h the archwa* in
the eastern wall, be*ond the altar, turnin" left so that *ou are still within
the (da channel, with the cool breeze of that ener"* blowin" behind *ou$
Thus *ou are walkin" within one of the hidden )assa"es that enco%)ass
the Great !all of the Table$ 2ou co%e to the landin" a"ain, at the central
colu%n$ ,alk around it to the door of the castle - kee) and out into the
court*ard$
(%%ediatel* to *our ri"ht, set into the castle wall, is a s%all closed
door, a )ostern "ate$ ,hen *ou o)en this door, *ou see that there is a
stairwa* leadin" down to a %urk* under"round )assa"e, lit b* burnin"
"0 am 're-ent."
The Peacock's Tail 9EJ
torches in iron sconces set into the walls$ To traverse this )assa"ewa* is
to travel out throu"h the subconscious %ind into the town of Ca%elot$
,alk down the stairs and alon" the )assa"e - it )asses ri"ht under
the %oat and %ound u)on which the castle stands$ At the end of the
)assa"ewa*, there is another fli"ht of ste)s that end with a wooden
door$ ,hen *ou e%er"e fro% this door, *ou find that *ou are in the back
roo% of one of the %erchant sho)s in the town$ The door is set in a
wardrobe a"ainst the wall$ The %erchant "reets *ou8 he is in service to
those who sit with *ou at the table$ !e assures *ou that *ou %a* safel*
use this route an*ti%e *ou need$ Thankin" hi%, *ou )ass out of the
sho) and into the town of Ca%elot$
2our hooded indi"o robe ensures that no one notices *ou, but *ou
can observe all$ The town a))ears as a %edieval cit*, full of stran"e
buildin"s, dark alle*s, and with )oor sanitation$ This town is *our i%%ediate
aura, reflectin" )ersonalit* traits, unreco"nized co%)le?es, and
kar%ic obstructions fro% *our lon" )ast$ 2our function here is to observe
and note the i%a"es that a))ear to *ou as individuals and situations,
and to "ain insi"ht into what the* re)resent$ 5ut first, it is a
fact - findin" %ission$ Travel the town, take in its si"hts and soundsthere
is "ood here as well as bad$ 0o not, at this sta"e, interfere$ 2ou
%a* %ake ad.ust%ents when *ou are lawful soverei"n of this land$ 'o%e
thin"s *ou %a* find un)leasant or distressin"8 it is to be e?)ected$ 5ut
*ou will also find hidden "e%s in une?)ected )laces$
,hen *ou have e?)lored a little, return to the sho) and, biddin" the
%erchant farewell, "o throu"h the wardrobe door and down the stairs,
alon" the )assa"e, and u) into the court*ard, closin" the )ostern "ate
behind *ou$ 5efore enterin" the tower, it is i%)ortant the *ou re%ove
the stains of travel$ 5rin"in" unre"enerate subconscious forces into the
"ole% of the tower is ver* inadvisable$ >n the sa%e side of the court*ard
as the )ostern "ate are the various outbuildin"s$ (n one, *ou will
find a dee) bath of water fed b* a flowin" fountain$ Re%ove *our robe
and sandals and i%%erse *ourself in its )urif*in" waters$ ,hen *ou
e%er"e, *ou find that the robe and sandals have been cleansed as well$
,hen *ou are dressed a"ain, enter the tower, walkin" around the central
colu%n and turnin" ri"ht into the concealed Pin"ala )assa"ewa* that enco%)asses
the Great !all$ The war%, dr* breeze that fills this )assa"e
blows u)on *our face as *ou walk throu"h it$ 2ou e%er"e throu"h the
eastern door of the cha)el, walkin" around to face the altar, and there
offer u) to the Rose - Cross all *ou have e?)erienced in an act of self - surrender
to 0ivine trans%utation$ Go throu"h to the Great !all$
"8% "ower of +lchemy
'it here for a while with the Co%)anions$ 2ou %a*, at this )oint,
seek their counsel about what *ou have seen, or do it in another session$
(t %a* not be i%%ediatel* clear what the various i%a"es *ou have
encountered s*%bolize$ The Co%)anions %a* hel) with this and, %ore
i%)ortantl*, the* %a* indicate which as)ects of the Tree of 4ife should
be reflected u)on to hel) inte"rate these as)ects of *ourself$ For, within
the castle, there are cha%bers for all ten 'e)hiroth that *ou will be able
to use to har%onize and inte"rate *our )ersonalit*$ The castle is a reflection
of the universe$ Re%e%ber, too, that the for%s *ou encounter in
the town are dis"uised )owers, which, althou"h the* %a* at the %o%ent
be i%)erfectl* e?)ressed, are still a )art of *ou$ 2ou can create
%ore a))ro)riate channels for their %anifestation$ #othin" will be
achieved b* re.ectin" the%8 the* %ust be owned because onl* then can
so%ethin" be done to effect chan"e$ To influence our outer environ%ent,
we need first to establish chan"e here in the inner world$
!avin" thanked the Co%)anions, rise fro% the table and return u)
to the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"$ Re%ove the sandals and robe and )ro.ect
*our consciousness back to its )h*sical sheath$ 0raw the castle, b* the
table, back into latenc*$ Perfor% the closin" e?ercises and record *our
observations$
AFTER&AT!
'o%e of the fore"oin" )ractice will stir u) dee) e%otional reactions$
This is the )urification of the %etals, the te%)erin" shown in /e* U(@$
The %ore consistentl* it is under"one, the "reater the )urif*in" that occurs
and the %ore the )rocess co%es to be valued$ Eventuall*, *ou %a*
find *ourself ado)tin" the attitude that it is an adventure of selfdiscover*$
(t can even be a%usin" to watch the )oses and devices the
lower self uses to avoid inte"ration$
There is no reco%%ended nu%ber of ti%es to )erfor% this )ractice,
for it is a disci)line for life$ There are ti%es and seasons for this sort of
cleansin" and we all, fro% ti%e to ti%e, tr* to avoid it$ The universe infor%s
us when it's that ti%e a"ain$ Think of this )ractice as one of the
labors of !ercules, a cleansin" of our )ersonal Au"ean 'tables$ (n truth,
without this )rocess the ,ork is i%)otent$ (t is the refuse fro% our )ersonal
)s*cholo"ical dustbin 6our an"ers, hurts, )oises, %ediocrit* and
fears7 that fuels the (nner Fire8 the %ore fuel we su))l* the bri"hter the
Fire burns$ For onl* a )erfected )ersonalit* can be transcended$
The Peacock's Tail 9F9
T!E C>#TE&P4AT(>#
The Great ,ork is, before all thin"s, the creation of %an b* hi%self,
that is to sa*, the full and entire con+uest of his faculties
and his future8 it is es)eciall* the )erlect e%anci)ation of his
will, assurin" $ $ $ full )ower over the Cniversal &a"ical A"ent$
This A"ent, dis"uised b* the ancient )hiloso)hers under the
na%e of the First &atter, deter%ines the for%s of %odifiable
substance, and we can reall* arrive b* %eans of it at %etallic
trans%utation, and the Cniversal &edicine$ This is not a h*)othesis8
it is a scientific fact alread* established, and ri"orousl*
de%onstrable$
Fiscite rux
- Eli)has 4<vi9:
"HEli'+a- Levi, "ranscendental Magic, +. E. Waite, tran-. (London: Rider, "#;BC ?ork
Bea2+, 9E: Samuel Wei-er, "#$)& '. ""*.
T!E !(00E# (&&>RTR(,
Man as he now is has ceased to >e the +ll.
&ut when he ceases to >e a separate individual,
he raises himself again and permeates the Gniverse.
- Plotinus9
36E TEAC!(#G
The Tower is an i%a"e of the Tree of 4ife, )ortra*ed in the for% of an edifice$
This enables the )ractitioner to stud* and e?)erience in detail the
various interweavin" influences that constitute a hu%an bein"$ (n the
)resent )ractice, the castle is bein" worked in the level of Atziluth, the
Qabalistic world of 0ivine unit* and of e%anation$ This %a* see% an
odd state%ent to %ake at first, but there is "ood reason for it$
(n &erkabah %*sticis% - the ,ork of the Chariotw - it is said that to
ascend into the heavens is si%ultaneousl* to descend into oneself$ (n
)ractical %*sticis%, above e+uals within$ Thus we see so%e dia"ra%s
in which the ten 'e)hiroth are )ortra*ed as concentric circles,
&alkuth bein" the outer%ost and /ether the center, re)resentin" the
i%%anence within all$ This is also )ortra*ed in the Qabalistic dia"ra% of
the Cube of ')ace, in which Ale)h, The Fool, is that as)ect of consciousness
that s)ans - and so unites - utter%ost de)th and transcendent
hei"ht$ (t is also funda%ental in theur"* 6sacred %a"ic7 to co%%ence
an* s)iritual )ractice or cere%onial workin" b* as)irin" to the 'ource,
to affir% b* invocation our union with the (ndivisible >ne$
(n this work, we take our co%%ence%ent sta"e as Atziluth, and as
we work the "ole% down throu"h the four worlds - si"nified b* the
letters of the Tetra"ra%%aton - we co%e to direct e?)erience and "ain
Plotinus, in "imothy Ere'e and Peter Gandy, "he 2isdom of the Pagan Philosophers
!&oston0 "uttle, 9JJN7, '. *$.
1== Tower of Alchemy
knowled"e of our s)irit, soul, and )h*sicalit*, those vehicles that are the
%icrocos%ic %anifestations of the four worlds$ (n this book, all the
)ractices "iven are those )ertainin" to the level attributed to Atziluth$
Practitioners will then be able to follow the directions for o)eratin" in
the three lower worlds$ The work in the real%s of 2etzirah and Assiah,
however, is best worked under direct su)ervision fro% one e?)erienced
in the ,ork, althou"h )ractitioners need not be a))rehensive of bein"
left un"uided$ (f the ,ork is done well at this sta"e, those who oversee
will ensure that a suitable teacher a))ears - it is said $ $ $ and God shall
send thee a %aster$ This is another reason wh* a written record of each
)ractice needs to be ke)t, so that a co%)etent teacher can see what has
been achieved and which areas re+uire %ore focus$
"he +nointed
(n Qabalah, the )lace of the &essiah is the )lace where the three C))er
,orlds %eet$ (t is the /ether of 2etzirah 6full )s*cholo"ical inte"ration7,
the Ti)hareth of 5riah 6s)iritual %aturation7, and the &alkuth of 5riah
6the Presence of the 0ivine7 which is the 'hekinah, the Co - habitin"
Glor*$ &essiah is !ebrew for the AnointedK'8 the Greek noun is Christos,
for one u)on who% all Grace rests$ The role of the &essiah is a function
in the universe and in evolution, not a )ersonalit*$ The role is filled
at various ti%es b* different (llu%ined >nes, in the sa%e wa* that the office
of the ruler of a &asonic lod"e is filled b* different brethren over the
course of ti%e$ An* of the 'a"es who have filled this role )rovide a valid
%eans of contact with this s)iritual level, since, ulti%atel*, the* are but
livin" s*%bols of the realit* itself$ That realit* is the attain%ent of the
state of consciousness e?)ressed as ( and %* Father are >ne$ Alche%ical
)rints and tales deli"ht in the stor* of the 'on and the Father, se)arated
and then re - united into one bein"$ The !ebrew na%e for the
Philoso)hers' 'tone is Aben, a word that co%bines the words Ab, father
6Chok%ah7, with *en, son 6Ti)hareth7$ Ab and *en are also the
hidden na%es of Atziluth and Assiah$ This is an inti%ation that the
Great ,ork, willed b* the Absolute, is the %anifestation of a )h*sical
bod* that is ca)able of %anifestin" the 0ivine Glor*, a solar bod* that is
the alche%ical Gold and the rainbow bod* that is a )ris% for the Clear
4i"ht$
Ar"u%ents and dis)utes about the various incu%bents of this office
of &essiah - the sectarian intolerance that has )la"ued hu%ankind for
so lon" - have no )lace in the Ro*al Art$ The* indicate a s)iritual i%%aturit*
that reveals an unfitness for the ,ork of Cnification$
The !idden (%%ortal 9FA
(n !induis%, individuals who dis)la* this t*)e of s)iritual i%%aturit* -
an unwillin"ness to "ive honor to an*one's "ods but their ownare
called Pashu 6fro% the root pash, %eanin" bound7$ 'uch )eo)le are
i"norant of the lar"er realit*, the all - enco%)assin" unit* of the Absolute$
The* have a tendenc* towards obscurantis% and actuall* )ractice a
t*)e of idolatr* towards what is ulti%atel* .ust for% and na%e$ The*
can easil* be identified as the* tend to s)eak conte%)tuousl* of reli"ious
faiths and )ractices other than their own$ 'u)erior to the Pashus
are the -iras 6heroes7, those individuals who acknowled"e that s)iritual
realization, however attained, is the result of interior identification,
the union of ( and Thou$ This %*stical truth underlies all s*%bols
and is the "oal of ever* true esoteric cere%on*$
For Christian alche%ists, 1esus, as the Christ, is seen as one of the
%aster alche%ists who has alread* achieved the Great ,ork$ This is
shown b* the accounts, "iven in the "os)els, of his healin" %iracles, his
%aster* over the forces of nature, his transfi"uration u)on &ount Tabor,
his resurrection fro% the dead, and his ascension$ !is esoteric teachin"s,
stron"l* denied b* orthodo?*, are recorded in the "os)els, and are
clear for an* instructed in the lan"ua"e of the &*steries$
1esus is seen as the e%bodi%ent of the corpus glorificatum, the "lorious
solar bod*$ (n his re%e%brance feast, the Eucharist 6identical to
those of &elchizadek, >siris, and A%ita*us7, he "ives of the red and
white substances, alche%icall* chan"ed 6transubstantiation7 into channels
for his universal consciousness$ The theur"ic cere%on* of the
&ass, as 1un" held, is the "reat alche%ical rite of the ,est$ (n it, Christ
feeds others u)on hi%self, until the* are stron" enou"h to walk the ,a*
for the%selves$ Then, after bein" %ade like unto hi%, the* enter into
the )resence of the Father's "lor*$
Alche%ists who are not Christians do not den* the attain%ents of
1esus$ !is alche%ical achieve%ents are a%on" the best - known in the
world$ 'adl*, however, the* are )erceived as a "reat e?ce)tion rather
than, what the* are in fact, a "reat e?a%)le, a call to the hei"hts$
The Re"ent
C)on the inner levels, )rinci)les assu%e )ersonalit*$ (n this wa*, contact
%a* be "ained with a livin" bein" in who% a s)iritual force is )ersonified
and thereb* brou"ht within our hu%an "ras)$ ,hen we are
)resent at the Round Table, a tele)athic contact is %ade with the Co%)anions
that enables us to relate to and enter into actual, livin" contact
with bein"s of %an* "rades of evolution$ 'o%e belon" to our own
435 "ower of +lchemy
hu%an s)ecies, others are %e%bers of different evolutions$ (n both cases,
so%e have attained, far back in the de)ths of ti%e, to that identification
with The >ne that is the consu%%ation of the hu%an .ourne*$
>thers are but a little re%oved fro% our ordinar* levels$
At the Round Table, the Co%)anion who sits in the sie"e directl*
o))osite *ou is the Re"ent of the castle$ A re"ent is one who wields authorit*
and rulershi) over a kin"do% until the ri"htful soverei"n co%es
of a"e$ (n the inner kin"do%, the Re"ent is the )rinci)le of s)iritual enli"hten%ent
that e?ists within the )ractitioners in potential. The Re"ent
acts as a te%)orar* 2etziratic /ether, the )s*cholo"ical crown$ (n 'anskrit,
the sacred lan"ua"e of !induis% and &aha*ana 5uddhis%, this
)rinci)le of enli"hten%ent is called AattvaB in Alche%* it is called &ercur*,
the universal solvent, which )erfects the 'tone$
&ercur* is the alche%ical s*%bol for consciousness because the
%etal %ercur*, +uicksilver, is used to coat "lass to %ake %irrors$ The
%irror, in both Eastern and ,estern traditions, is often used as a %eta)hor
for the inherentl* )ure and trans)arent nature of %ind, )ure awareness,
the li"ht of Pri%ordial Consciousness$ (t is in the %irror of
hu%an consciousness that God beholds God$
The Re"ent rules over the inner kin"do% until )ractitioners achieve
a certain level of unfold%ent in which the* are able to take res)onsibilit*
for the%selves on all levels$ Conse+uentl*, the Re"ent is of "reat i%)ortance$
At the table, the Re"ent sits in the sie"e of the 'un si"n,
directl* o))osite *ou because, astrolo"icall*, the zodiacal si"n directl*
o))osite *our own natal sun, re)resents those lessons to be learned and
assi%ilated in this incarnation$ Rulin" *our inner kin"do% and learnin"
the lessons of *our star )attern, *our horosco)e, are two wa*s of sa*in"
the sa%e thin", for both hold the secrets of the uni+ue e?)ression *ou
are of the >ne, ( A%$ The advanta"e of usin" the inner kin"do% as a
route to self - knowled"e is that the i%a"es and scenes used s)eak directl*
and )owerfull* to the dee) subconscious, which holds the )ower of
renewal and re"eneration$
The Re"ent invariabl* a))ears in %ale "uise, robed in white, and
wearin" a silver circlet u)on his head en"raved with the astrolo"ical
s*%bol of &ercur* /.
The 2ithdrawn >ne
>f the %an* fi"ures who thron" the interior real% of 4o"res, the wise
!er%it who lives in the enchanted Forest of 5rolicade is an i%)ortant
one$ Ps*cholo"icall*, of course, this is the 1un"ian archet*)e of the
The !idden l%%ortal 9FK
,ise >ne$ !e is %ore, however, in the esoteric )s*cholo"* of the &*steries$
This solitar* fi"ure is a )ersonification of the ,isdo% of Chok%ah,
e?)ressed thou"h the Co%)assion of Chesed, infor%in" the
divine child in Ti)hareth$ Tarot /e* 0G, The !er%it, is attributed to
the ;:th )ath on the Tree, unitin" Chesed and Ti)hareth$ 5ut this ke*
also re)resents the /ether within, the 'E4F of the 'elf$ #a%ed #echidah
in !ebrew, %eanin" the uni+ue and indivisible, this is the 0ivine
s)ark$ The !er%it functions, within 4o"res, as the &a""id, the inner
teacher of Qabalistic tradition and is the e%issar* and a%bassador of
the worlds above$ !e is na%ed &enes8 he is the 0weller u)on the
'u%%it and Guardian of the @ir"in's %ilk, he who co%es in the &erc*
and the Power of the 4i"ht$
The e?)ression 0ivine s)ark can be %isleadin", as can an* %eta)h*sical
ter% taken too literall*$ The word s)ark "ives an i%a"e of a fier*
)article thrown awa* fro% a central fire$ 'o%e have taken this
literall*, seein" hu%anit* as s)arks that ori"inated in the 4i"ht, but
which have flown out and awa* fro% the 'ource$ This view is contrar*
to the witness of the 'a"es and the teachin"s of the &*steries$ The ter%
0ivine s)ark refers to the (%%anence of God within each heart$ 5ut
the (nfinite >ne is not a )ie that can be cut into slices$ ,here the (ndivisible
>ne is, at an* sin"le )oint 6or s)ark7 there the All - !ol* abides in the
fullness Qlero%a7 of ,isdo% and 4ove and in the )lenitude of 0ivine
Power$ For there is within *ou now T!AT which sur)asses the attain%ents
of even the "reatest %aster$ And this is what is re)resented under
the "uise of the !er%it &enes3 the Ancient of 0a*s within the inner%ost
de)ths of each hu%an soul$
T!E PRACT(CE
!avin" co%)leted the )reli%inar* e?ercises - rela?ation, rh*th%ic
breathin", ascendin" the Tree of Assiah, the (nterwoven 4i"ht and Fountain
5reath, the %antra and e?teriorization of the castle "ole% - )ro.ect
*our awareness and indwell it$ 5e seated u)on the chair in the %iddle of
the Cha%ber of (ndwellin" and affir% *our )resence in this vehicle with
the word Adsu%$ !avin" vested, )roceed down to the Great !all via
the lunar s)iral stairwa*$ 'it at the table and salute the Co%)anions,
throu"h the Grail$ As the "olden i%a"e of the hol* cu) shines before
*ou, *ou see be*ond it the features of the Re"ent of the kin"do%$ 2ou
acknowled"e hi%, knowin" now what he re)resents, and fro% the Grail,
his voice co%es to *ou3
43< "ower of +lchemy
!eir to the /in"do%, *ou know that this land of 4o"res has fallen
under an evil "la%or$ There are %an* thin"s to be )ut ri"ht
and %an* evil bein"s who %ust be restrained and )revented
fro% doin" further har%$ 5ut know too that, dwellin" herein,
there are also %an* who are true servers of the 4i"ht$ And there
are also sacred sites - )ools, wells, and fountains, "roves, isles,
and hills of )ower - where ')irit %a* be contacted for the healin"
of the land$ ( advise *ou now to leave the castle and to .ourne*
throu"h this land that is *our herita"e$ This is necessar*,
for how otherwise will *ou co%e to understand the )roble%s of
the inhabitants *ou are destined to ruleI
Thankin" *our Re"ent, *ou rise fro% the table and )ass on into the
Cha)el of the Rose - Croi?$ There, u)on the altar ste)s, lie the si%)le
robes of a wa*farer, stout sandals, and a stron" hawthorn staff$ 0ivest
*ourself of the indi"o robe and the silver sandals and )ut on these
clothes$ Gazin" u)on the Rosecross, )lace *ourself under the )rotection
of the Eternal$ Then, staff in hand, "o throu"h the Great !all, around
the central colu%n entwined b* the s)iral stairwa*s, and out the kee)
door into the court*ard$
Go throu"h the )ortcullis, over the drawbrid"e, over the %oat, and
down the castle %ound8 cross the brid"e that s)ans the dee) and swiftl*
runnin" river$ Ahead of *ou lies the "reat Forest of 5rolicade$ 2our )ath
winds throu"h it for %an* %iles$ Take note of what *ou "li%)se alon"
the wa*$ #othin" is without i%)ort in 4o"res$
At last, *ou "li%)se shinin" water throu"h the trees ahead, and
co%e to the shores of a "reat lake, set like a shinin" cr*stal in the e%erald
heart of the forest$ (n the center of the lake is a s%all island$ 2ou are
wonderin" how to cross to it when a "entle voice s)eaks3
There is a bronze bell han"in" fro% *onder tree, rin" it and the
bar+ue will co%e fro% the &*stic (sle and "ive *ou safe
)assa"e$
4ookin" to the s)eaker, *ou see an elf of li"ht$ 'he is beautiful be*ond
%ortalit*, violete*ed, with silver hair fallin" )ast her knees$ A coronet of
cri%son roses and "olden wheat is set u)on her head8 she wears a "reen
brocade robe, orna%ented with seed )earls, and a trailin" cloak of willow
leaves$ ,ith the courtes* that all wa*farers in the inner worlds %ust
observe, *ou address her3 (n the >ne's #a%e ( "ive *ou "reetin"$ !er
The !idden (%%ortal 9FJ
flower - crowned head bows at the %ention of the Eternal, and she s%iles$
Protocol - and safe"uards - observed, the ethereal faerie wo%an introduces
herself b* st*le and rank$
( be 4ad* of the Green ,ood, and hold court as Queen in that
hollow hill that is the Elf - !a%e of the Evenin"'s 'tar$ And *ou
be - >h ( know, the trees whis)ered it - the one who is to
co%e, that )ro%ised soverei"n who will heal the land and restore
it to the !eart of all 5ri"htness$
5ut *ou have not co%e to tarr* with %e, for we will %eet
a"ain in the Red 4ion's Cha%ber$ ( a% here to tell *ou of he,
u)on *onder isle, who is to be *our %entor to )re)are *ou for
rulershi)$ 5ut know, his %ethods of instruction are different
fro% those used in *our outer world$
Go to hi% alwa*s with a +uestion held in *our %ind$ Ever*
.ourne* %ust have a )ur)ose$ ,hen before hi%, hold *our
+uestion "entl*, then reach out in %ind and s)irit to hi%, the
0weller on the &ountain, &enes, the !er%it, the &a"us of Power$
E?)and *our aura to enco%)ass hi% and he will e%brace
*ou within his$ Then, as *our %ental conce)t is )ut forth in this
wa*, *ou will find that it is bein" ad.usted and altered to another
)attern, as the %ind of &enes infor%s it, until there wells u)
in *our own %ind the knowled"e of what %ust be done b* *ou
in order to brin" this teachin" into actual use and )ower$ (t is a
hi"h tele)athic co%%union, %ind to %ind, whose effects will
work out in whatever )roble%s *ou %a* have )laced before the
!er%it, the )ersonification of the 0ivine ,ill$
The for% of &enes is a thou"ht )resence$ Princi)les are )ersonified
here in these inner worlds, so that, u)on this level, it is
a )erson of )ower and wisdo% who is instructin" *ou, the
teacher - within$ 5ut re%e%ber, u)on *our return to the earth
bod*, record all that *ou have received in this hi"h tele)athic
union as soon as )ossible, for its details and flavor will soon
fade, and it is the sorrow of hu%ans that the* for"et$
2ou thank the Elven +ueen and "o to the bell that han"s fro% the lowest
bou"h of a "reat oak tree$ As *ou )ull the ro)e, the bell rin"s out$ Fro%
the island in the lake a vessel co%es8 as it a))roaches the shore *ou see
it is a low - sided bar+ue with a dra"on )row$ 'oon it rests b* the shoreline
and *ou ste) in and sit u)on the cri%son cushions$
467 "ower of +lchemy
As the bar+ue sails back over the %irror - like waters, *ou turn about
to wave farewell to the 4ad* of the ,oods$ 'he is still standin" u)on the
lake's ed"e$ 'he s)reads her ar%s and sha)e - shifts into the for% of a
white falcon, flies u) into the sk*, circles once, then vanishes into the
forest cano)*$ As the bar+ue sails across the lake, *ou %editate on what
*ou wish to ask the !ennit$ Fro% the words of the Elven +ueen *ou
know that the +uestion %ust be related to the ,ork and to s)iritual
)ro"ress, for this is a hi"h contact, consulted onl* in trans)ersonal issues$
The bar+ue "entl* bu%)s a"ainst the shore, rousin" *ou fro% *our
%editation, and *ou ste) out onto the "reen "rass$ The isle is an orchard
of a))le trees that are si%ultaneousl* in blosso% and in fruit, the "olden
a))les and )ink - white blosso%s bri"ht in the sunli"ht$ The rich scent of
war% earth and the hu% of harvestin" bees %akes the island a haven of
deli"ht$ 2ou walk ha))il* throu"h the a))le trees until *ou co%e to a
hut in the island's center$ (t is round, with a thatched conical roof$ The
hut's white walls are orna%ented with s)iral %otifs8 a%%onite fossils
adorn the door fra%e, over which han"s a black and white bull's hide$
Throu"h the door e%er"es the fi"ure of a %an with a lon" white
beard, robed and hooded in "re*$ The Elder s%iles in welco%e and beckons
for *ou to a))roach$ As *ou co%e u) to hi%, *ou see his features
clearl*$ (t is the %ost re%arkable face *ou've ever seen - a countenance
before who% civilizations have risen and fallen8 )iercin" e*es that out"aze
a sun, *et for all this, are ensouled with the war% li"ht of co%)assion$
Re%e%berin" )rotocol, *ou "reet hi%3 (n the >ne's #a%e ( "ive
*ou "reetin"$ !e inclines his venerable head, then s)eaks %elodiousl*3
Fro% those who see the 4i"ht of the &ost !i"h, face unto face, ( "ive
"reetin"s$ 5e welco%e, %* child, and enter in )eace$
2ou follow the !er%it into the round hut$ (n the center of the floor is
a fire )it in which burns a s%okeless fire$ The walls of the hut are dra)ed
with blue han"in"s8 one is e%broidered in "old thread with the Tree of
4ife$ 5efore this are two co%fortable chairs and a s%all table holdin" a
"oblet of wine and a )latter of wheat bread s)read with hone*$ &enes
%otions *ou to one chair, althou"h *ou don't sit until he does$ 'ittin" before
hi%, *ou watch +uietl* as &enes blesses the bread and cu)$ Then,
breakin" the bread, he shares it with *ou$ !e offers *ou the "oblet of red
wine, *ou drink and "ive it back to hi%8 he drinks in his turn$ A sense of
dee) )eace )ervades the at%os)here and *ou feel as if *ou have alwa*s
known this )lace and the Elder so%ewhere dee) in *our far )ast$ #ow,
face to face, *ou e?)and *our aura to enco%)ass the !er%it and sense
that &enes does likewise$ #ot onl* do the two s)heres of sensation
The !idden (%%ortal 9A9
overla* one another, the* inter)enetrate$ >nce *ou have ad.usted to this
level of ener"etic workin", *ou %entall* )resent *our +uestion and wait
in +uiet antici)ation for what is "iven$ This is the real %eanin" of Qabalah -
the Rece)tion - receivin" fro% one who knows, fro% one of the Elder
5rethren$
,hen the co%%union is over and the two identities re - established,
&enes rises to indicate that it is ti%e to "o$ 2ou kneel and ask his blessin"
and, for a %o%ent, outside of ti%e, *ou e?)erience a foretaste of su)ernal
bliss$ The !er%it co%es to the door of the hut with *ou, )ullin"
back the tanned hide, and to"ether *ou ste) out in to the war% sunli"ht$
This isle, he sa*s, is an e)i)han* of the !ol* >rchard, the real% of
Atziluth8 it is a )lace of refu"e for the refresh%ent of *our soul$ And the
still waters of this lake have )rofound healin" )ro)erties$ Cse both wisel*,
%* child, and fare *ou well$ ( shall visit *ou in the castle$ !e reenters
the hut and *ou walk throu"h the sacred "rove back to the waitin"
bar+ue$
The vessel bears *ou swiftl* across the healin" lake, the still waters
shinin" silver in the late afternoon sun$ Awaitin" *ou on the shore is a
s+uire fro% the castle, with a )on* and a handso%el* ca)arisoned
horse$ The 4ord Re"ent bade %e brin" *ou this steed, he tells *ou$ 2ou
%ount the horse and, with the s+uire followin" on his )on*, *ou ride
throu"h the Forest of 5rolicade$ 5* horse, the .ourne* is soon over and,
as sunset a))roaches, *ou are ridin" back into the court*ard of the Castle
of Ca%elot$ 2ou dis%ount b* the %ountin" - block near the stables, "o
throu"h the tower kee) and enter the Great !all$ Passin" throu"h to the
cha)el, *ou find the Re"ent awaitin"$ After thankin" hi% for the horse,
he assists *ou out of the wa*farer's "ear$ 2ou reach for the indi"o robe,
but the Re"ent )resents *ou with a white robe of linen, sa*in"3
This is the (nner Robe of Glor*, to be worn beneath the indi"o
>uter Robe of Conceal%ent$ (t will re%ind *ou henceforth of
*our essential nature8 which is und*in" 4i"ht$
0ee)l* %oved, *ou )ut on the white robe, ad%irin" its fineness, then the
silver sandals of the &oon$ The Re"ent then )laces the hooded indi"o
robe over *our head$ Takin" the hawthorn staff, *ou reverentl* la* it on
the to) altar ste), "ivin" thanks to the &*steriu% &a"nu% who has "uided
*ou on the )ath$
,ithdraw fro% the Cha)el of the Rose - Croi?, "o throu"h the !all of
the Round Table, reverencin" the Grail before "oin" u) the solar s)iral
46@ "ower of +lchemy
stairwa* and into the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"$ There, re%ove the sandals
and indi"o robe, but retain the white linen vest%ent$ Fro% now on,
whenever *ou e?teriorize *our subtle bodies, *ou will auto%aticall* be
clad in the white robe$ Return to )h*sicalit*, absorb the "ole% into sub.ective
latenc*, and )erfor% the closin" e?ercises$ Record the i%)ressions
of *our encounter with &enes i%%ediatel*$
,ork this )ractice until its details are fa%iliar and *ou co%e to the consciousness -
shift that %entall* unitin" with the her%it )rovokes$ >nce
the details are fi?ed, use this .ourne* whenever *ou have need$
T!E C>#TE&P,T(>#
5* the Penta"ra% is also %easured the e?act )ro)ortions of the
"reat and uni+ue Athanor necessar* to the confection of the
Philoso)hical 'tone and the acco%)lish%ent of the Great ,ork$
The %ost )erfect ale%bic in which the Quintessence can be
elaborated is confor%able to this fi"ure, and the Quintessence
itself is re)resented b* the 'i"n of the Penta"ra%$
"runscendentuf Magic
- Eli)has 4Cvi;
Eli'+a- Levi, "ranscendental Magic, . $. Waite, tran-. (London: Rider, "#;BC ?ork
Bea2+, 9E: Samuel Wei-er, "#$)&, '. $%.
(# &E&>R2 >F
ART!CR T!E /(#G
In this &tone there lieth hidden, whatsoe,er Cod and the etemity,
also hea,en, the stars, and elements contain, and are able to do.
There ne,er was from etemity anythin$ better or more
+recious than this, and it is offered by Cod, and bestowed u+on man>
e,ery one may ha,e it that doth desire it, it is in a sim+le form,
and hath the +ower of the whole %eity in it.
36E 3EC60N7
Readers familiar with the Arthurian le$ends, may wonder why none of
the +ractices $i,en in this boo., enact the famous scene of Arthur drawin$
the sword from out of the stone. The reason for this is that, as soon
as you commence to +erform the +ractices you ha,e, in effect, drawn
the 9sword of s+iritual will9 from out of the 9stone of material inertia.9
?urthermore, each time you sit with the intention of +erformin$ the
7or., the royal sword is freed from the stone and you a$ain +ro,e your
unalienable ri$ht to rule your inner .in$dom.
&ol,e et Coa$ula, the motto of Alchemy, is re+eated in te!t after te!t.
9%issol,e and con$eal9 is the literal translation, but 9solidify9 is a better
translation of coa$ula. (sycholo$ical commentators u+on the Art ha,e
ta.en sol,e to refer to the releasin$ of +sychic ener$y held within emotional
com+le!es in the subconscious. This is ,alid, as far as it $oes, but
' =a2o. Boe+me, "hreefold ,ife of Man (Lie'>i,, ";)%, En,li-+ tran-lation ";(%C
London: =. S'arrowC re'rinted London: Watkin-, "#%#C Sloane Colle2tion o1 t+e Briti-+
Li.rar/&, text taken 1rom t+e 0nternet.
9AF Tower of Alche%*
the Children of !er%es 6the alche%ists7 %eant %ore than this8 the*
%eant a certain, secret techni+uLnteh at )ractitioners followin" this
book have been %asterin", na%el*, the se)aration of the subtle bod*
6solve7 fro% the "ross bod*, and its reinte"ration with the host )h*sical
bod* 6coa"ula7$ The e?teriorization and reinte"ration of the "ole%, the
inner citadel of the soul$
The )ur)ose of this is to enable alche%ical )ractitioners to safel*
)erfor% the ,ork in both its ,hite and Red sta"es$ The )rinci)al as)ect
of the work is the cookin" or distillation, which is the rousin" of the
0ra"on of /undalini$ Eli)has 4Cvi defined the Great ,ork as before all
thin"s, the creation of %an b* hi%Lelf$TLh is %eans that the Fier* Power
of /undalini %ust be the creative )ower, and so it is$ (n 2o"a, /undalini
is the shakti 6bride, )artner, or consort7 of 5rah%a, the creator - "od of
the !indu )antheon$ (n Qabalah, /undalini is 'hekinah 6the bride of
Adonai7, the inferior nature, the %ediu% throu"h which the su)erior
)ower, transcendence, o)erates$ 'o, /undalini is the )ower of the Creator
concealed within hu%an for%$ (ts re)eated arousal 6cookin"7 results
in the transfi"uration and s)iritualization of the )h*sical bod*$
'o%e alche%ical te?ts use blinds, based on "e%atria, to indicate how
%an* ti%es this distillation 6cookin" or heatin"8 all three ter%s are used
interchan"eabl* in alche%ical works7 )rocess should be undertaken$ A
co%%on blind is ;K$ The su% of ; and K is J$ The Jth tarot ke*, 'tren"th
6the secret of all s)iritual works7, is the )ictorial re)resentation of /undalini
in its sta"e of arousal - the Red 4ion$ The cookin" is re)eated ti%e
and a"ain until the si"ns of attain%ent - fruita"e - are obtained$ The
ti%e s)an will var* fro% )ractitioner to )ractitioner, because the sta"e
of s)iritual unfold%ent when co%%encin" the ,ork varies, as do the
kar%ic obscurations that re+uire )urification$
(t is ri"htl* said that, the @ase of the Art is the 'oul 62etzirah78 the
Fire of the Art is ')irit 65riah7 and the Furnace of the Art is the 5od*
6Assiah7$ (n his book, An Alche%ical Treatise on the Great Art, Antoine -
1ose)h Pe%et*, a 5enedictine abbot and the librarian to Frederick the
Great of Prussia, re)eats the in.unction of earlier alche%ists, when he
hints that the @ase of the Art %ust be of "lass and oval in for%$E
Glass here refers to the translucent a))earance of the aura and its
flickerin" colors$ >val refers to the sha)e of the auric e""$ The vase
Eli)has LCvi, "ranscendental Magic, +. $. Waite, tran-. (London: Rider, 9J<N8 ?ork
Bea2+, &E3 Samuel Wei-er, 9JK;7, '. 99E$
ntoine 4 =o-e'+ 5ernet/, An +lchemical "reatise on the Great +rt (?ork Bea2+, M$0
Samuel Wei-er, 9JJA7, '. 9AJ$
(n &e%or* of Arthur the /in" "((
is the subtle bod* and no other$ The firen of the Art is the radiant ener"*
of Atziluth 6the &ezla7, %ediated throu"h the a"enc* of the !i"her
'elf 65riah, the s)iritual world7, the true Alche%ist$ This is inti%ated*et
veiled - in /e* U(@, Te%)erance, where the an"el holds a burnin"
torch in one hand and an urn of water in the other$ The conceal%ent lies
in the )ictorial se)aration of the fier* and fluid +ualities of the one s)iritual
influence$ Co%bined, the torch and urn would reveal the water that
burns and the fire that flowsw - the +uintessential First &atter$
The alche%ical furnace, the )h*sical hu%an bod*, is ter%ed the
Athanor$ 4ike %an* alche%ical ter%s, it is of Chaldean ori"in and co%es
to us throu"h the !ebrew, eth ha nour, %eanin" the essence of fire$
The ter% athanor is thus an analo"* for how the )h*sical bod* e?tracts
the Radiant Ener"*$ 4ike a furnace, the bod* burns fuel 6food7, e?tractin"
the 4ife - Force throu"h di"estion and releasin" the inherent ener"*$ (n
Alche%*, faeces )assed fro% the bod* are called the ash$ Paracelsus
once )ro%ised to show a "rou) of intelli"entsia the First &atter and, to
their dis"ust, uncovered a bo? of faeces$ ,hat he was showin" the% was
what was left of the athanor's fuel after the Quintessence had been e?tracted$
The black )oisonous dra"on referred to in so%e alche%ical
te?ts, is the intestinal tract, which )roduces acid and bile$ The burnin"
action of the furnace of the )h*sical bod* is au"%ented b* the action of
the alche%ical bellows 6the lun"s7, which fan the fire to "reater heat$
The i%a"er* of the bellows has two a))lications$ The first is the nor%al
act of res)iration which e?tracts )rana, the radiant ener"*, fro% the
solarchar"ed at%os)here and )asses it into the bloodstrea%$ The second
is the conscious use of breath %ade b* the )ractitioners of Alche%*
and 2o"a, in which breathin", brou"ht to conscious awareness, actuall*
sti%ulates the fier* )ower causin" it to increase - fro% "reen to
redw - and to ascend$ As in the Eastern disci)line of Prana*a%a, the
)h*sical bod* is %ade conscious throu"h the s)iritualizin" sti%ulus of
)rana in its %ost accessible for%, the )rocess of breathin"$
9 kee) stressin" that ( refer here to the )h*sical hu%an bod* because
that is the onl* or"anis% on this )lanet that can increase the
a%ount of ener"* it receives at will$ (t is for the sa%e reason that 5uddhist
scri)tures assert that a hu%an bod* is a necessar* re+uire%ent
for Enli"hten%ent, s)eakin" of it as a )recious o))ortunit* not to be
wasted$ Further%ore, we are told that, even those (nner Plane ade)ts
6discarnate hu%ans7 who have reached a sta"e of advanced s)iritual unfold%ent,
but who have not, as *et, achieved the "olden solar bod* that
is the fruit of the Great ,ork, have to reincarnate a"ain in order to attain
that deathless vehicle$
465 "ower of +lchemy
The Fross
The onl* alche%ical book in !ebrew is called the leansing Eire. (n an*
heatin" )rocess, i%)urities are brou"ht to the surface which then have
to be ski%%ed off$ The dross and scu% of Alche%* are the kar%ic
obscurations and %ental %isconce)tions we all have ac+uired while i%)risoned
b* the illusion of se)arateness$ The ski%%in" )rocess is interior
reflection, resultin" in ad.ust%ent - shiftin" consciousness in order
to res)ond to life rather than .ust react to it fro% the ani%al level$ &editation
increases the a%ount of dross to be assi%ilated, but /undalini
2o"a 6in both the Tantras of @a.ra*ana and in the !er%etic Art of Alche%*7
throws u) %ore of the dross than an* other known )rocess$ This is
e?actl* what accelerated evolution %eans$ This is what Te%)erance
6/e* GN& %eans - the )urif*in" of the inner %etals in the fire of ')irit$
(f, therefore, the Fier* Ener"* is to be allowed to )la* throu"h our
)ersonalities, it will be necessar* to first look at the channels throu"h
which that )ower will flow and see that no blocka"es or diversions e?ist$
>therwise, the )ower %i"ht be deflected, with dreadful conse+uence$
For kundalini i%)arts illu%ination to the wise, but bonda"e to those
who )rofane its unif*in" sanctit*$
This is the )ur)ose of the )ractice "iven in cha)ter 99, to cleanse as
%uch dross fro% the )s*che as )ossible at an* one ti%e$ The %ost i%)ortant
)art of this )rocess is not the reco"nition of the dross 6vital
thou"h this %a* be, %an* )eo)le sta* fi?ated at this sta"e of reco"nition7,
but its transfor%ation, its rede%)tion 6Qabalisticall* called a
Tikkun7, throu"h the restoration of the i%)risoned ener"* into the overall
d*na%ic of the )s*che$ And to that end, in Qabalah, we use the Tree
of 4ife in 2etzirah as a %a) of the )s*che$ 0iscover* of the essential irn)ulse,
of which a %anifestation 6in thou"ht or action7 is a distortion, enables
us to redirect the ener"* back to the a))ro)riate 'e)hira of the
Tree, and then to build a %ore a))ro)riate channel that will serve us
well$ To aid in this reco"nition, the counsel of the Great Co%)anions at
the Table of the Grail often )roves invaluable$ (n cases of "reat difficult*
6)rovided the )ractitioner can retain a trans)ersonal %ental - e%otional
stance7, an issue %a* be taken to &enes u)on the hol* isle$
The %a.or issue is the desire - nature$ To clear the decks, let us first
declare, with the 'a"es, that desire itself is not a s)iritual i%)edi%ent$
0esire arises in /ether, as the 0ivine i%)ulse to %anifest$ /ether is will
or consciousness - in - action 6in !ebrew, will and deli"ht have the
sa%e %eanin"7$ Consciousness itself is ineffable, indefinable, and hidden
within +in, the Absolute$ To will so%ethin", however, is for the li"ht
(n &e%or* of Arthur the /in" "($
of consciousness to be focused into a concentrated bea% of )ure intention$
This is one %eanin" of /ether's title of #e+uidah, the Pri%ordial
Point, si"nif*in" the bea% of the Pri%al ,ill, fro% which all other wills
e%anate$
>n the Tree of 4ife, &alkuth, the tenth 'e)hira, is the result of this
0ivine desire, hence the /ether - &alkuth relationshi)$ ,ithout &alkuth,
the other nine 'e)hiroth are %eanin"less and, in a certain wa*, i%)otent$
For, althou"h &alkuth is the fra"ile, transient blosso% of the Tree
of 4ife, it is the full %anifestation of that which is intended b* the Pri%al
,ill to Good, in /ether$ To use the analo"* of a )h*sical tree, no %atter
how stron" the root, trunk, and branches of a tree %a* be, if the tree
fails to blosso%, it re%ains infertile, will not )roduce fruit or seed, or re)roduce
its kind$ (t re%ains, in fact, uncreative$
0esire is not the s)iritual i%)edi%ent here, but rather attach%ent$
These are not the sa%e thin" at all$ Attach%ent binds and fetters, while
it is the inherent nature of desire to seek ever new and %ore )erfect e?)ressions$
(n a certain sense, the %*stical +uest itself is the result of a
soul tirin" of the transient %anifestations within creation, resultin" in a
)rofound sense of dissatisfaction with )heno%ena - a divine discontent,
as it is so%eti%es called - and a search for That which alone endures,
which ulti%atel* satisfies, the >ne Realit*$ This discontent is
usuall* the result of %an* )revious incarnations in which acco%)lish%ents
u)on the )h*sical level have been attained$ (t arises in a soul that
has drained the cu) of earthl* )leasure to its dre"s *et is unsatisfied$
The sa*in" (t takes a "reat sinner to %ake a "reat saint co%es fro% the
)erce)tion that, to achieve an*thin" - s)iritual )ro"ress includedre+uires
a stron" desire$ The hun"er for thin"s which are eternal is ulti%atel*
the "reatest safe"uard of the &*steries$ 'ouls who have, in the
)ast, tasted of the wine of adulation, triu%)h, and rulershi) and have
e?)erienced the% for the frauds the* are, are not te%)ted when others
offer these baubles, in the ho)e of bu*in" the s)iritual treasures
held b* the 'a"es$ !ence, to undertake the co%)letion of the Great ,ork
in a sin"le lifeti%e re+uires a certain ri)eness of the soul itself8 "reen
a))les on the Tree of 4ife are, as *et, too *oun" and ine?)erienced to
undertake it$
Alche%* teaches this subli%ation of desire under the %eta)hor of
coins, %etal %onetar* discs$ The coin is a blind for the Pentacle, the
%a"ical tool re)resentin" the Earth of the wise and the world of Assiah$
The Pentacle a))ears on the table of The &a"ician in /e* ( and is the
last suit of cards in the &inor Arcana$ The Pentacle is the s*%bol of
46< "ower of +lchemy
%anifestation, of a force bein" brou"ht throu"h in earth, as cere%onial
workin"s call it$ (n so%e of the old te?ts, the Pentacle is na%ed the
'hekel of 'olo%on, which, with Rod of Aaron, the 'word of 0avid,
and the Cu) of &oses holdin" %anna are the four ele%ental tools$ The
writer of the "ur>a Philosophorum says0
( will "ive *ou a funda%ental a?io%, that unless *ou turn the
aforesaid co))er into white and %ake visible coins, and then afterwards
a"ain turn it into redness, until a Tincture results, veril*,
*e acco%)lish nothin"$ 5urn therefore the co))er, break it
u), de)rive it of its blackness b* cookin", i%buin", and washin",
until the sa%e beco%e white$ Then rule it$F
The %etal co))er, the rose flower, and the color "reen are all e%)iricall*
assi"ned to the )lanet @enus, which is the %undane chakra 6the %acrocos%ic
%anifestation7 of #etzach$ ,ithin the )ersonalit*, #etzach is the
seat of the desire - nature$ Green, in Alche%*, alwa*s re)resents the %anifestation
of a )ower as it a))ears in nature as bein" inco%)lete, since
the 'a"es hold that creation is still in )rocess, that it is, as *et, an unfinished
work$ 'o the co))er coins s)oken of in the "ur>a are the %anifestations
6coins7 of our desires 6co))er7$
All desire, whatever its )h*sical %anifestation, ori"inates at the
0ivine level$ !ence, it is written3 ( a% the 4ord of "ood and evil alike
6(saiah FA3A - <7$ This is a hard teachin" and re+uires %uch conte%)lation$
4ove, affection, and nurturin" inti%ac* are %anifestations of the 0ivine
Cnit*$ The drive to lose oneself in another is a %anifestation of the
sa%e desire that, in its hi"hest e?)ression, is the hun"er of the soul to
return to its source$ For, ulti%atel*, it is That which *ou are seekin"
which causes *ou to seek$ &anifestations such as blind lust and selfish
"ratification, however, arise e+uall* fro% the sa%e 0ivine i%)ulse
toward unit*$ All the 'e)hiroth, with the e?ce)tion of /ether and Chok%ah,
have their shadow side - the vice of the 'e)hira, as it is traditionall*
called$
5inah - avarice and aloofness
Chesed - bi"otr*, h*)ocris*, "lutton*, and t*rann*
Geburah - - cruelt*, sadis%, and wanton destruction
. E. Waite, tran-., "ur>a Philosophorurn 'ork Bea2+, M$0 Samuel Wei-er, "#$%&, '.
)B 4 )#
(n &e%or* of Arthur the /in" "(#
Ti)hareth - hubris, s)iritual )ride
#etzach - lust and shallownes
!od - falsehood and dishonest*
2esod - the e"os's usur)ation of the ri"htful role of Ti)hareth
&alkuth - inertia, i"norance, and co%)lacence
'o the %anifestations, the hu%an - built channels of thou"ht and action,
are often evil, even thou"h the ori"inatin" i%)ulse and ener"* is divine
in ori"in$ This is a conse+uence of hu%an free will$ This is wh* the
Qabalah holds the difficult, and easil* %isunderstood and abused,
teachin" that, within the heart of ever* evil there is concealed a s)ark of
the 0ivine$ !ow could it be otherwise, since there is onl* >ne Realit*,
one 4ife - PowerI
5ecause this is a difficult teachin" - stron" %eat, as o))osed to
%ilk for babesw - and a )itfall that %a* lead readers into the blind alle*
of a self - ri"hteous and %oral .ud"%ent, let us further i%)art here that
there is no evil action - seen on television news or read in the news)a)er -
that an* of us has not )erfor%ed in so%e incarnation, in our round
of lives$ Each and ever* hu%an bein" has the innate )otential to beco%e
either a !itler or a 5uddha$ &oreover, even the soul that once incarnated
as Adol)h !itler in the ;:th centur* will one da* beco%e a realized
5uddha, for ulti%ate )erfection is assured$ >%ni)otence cannot fail and
God shall be all in all$
This difficult teachin" should not be taken as license to e?)erience
or tolerate evil, as so%e %odern sorcerers have advocated$ The vocation
of the initiate is to resist evil in all its %anifestations, within and
without$ The )ur)ose of this teachin" is to )ro%ote in us co%)assion
for all hu%an conditions, whereb* we learn to hate the sin, but love the
sinner$
,esterners are still in recover* fro% )uritan influences in their histor*,
so we %ust be accurate in our understandin" that se?ual or"as% is
a fleetin" foretaste of 0ivine 5liss$ The ecstatic sensation e?)erienced
durin" or"as% is not an* different fro% the )er)etual 5liss en.o*ed b*
the 'a"es$ Althou"h the 'a"e %a* a))ear as a fool to the world, in fact,
he or she does not e?chan"e the .o*s of the world for so%ethin" less,
but for so%ethin" %ore - for those abidin" realties of which the te%)oral
%anifestations are onl* e)he%eral co)ies$
To return to the +uote fro% Turba Philoso)horu%, to turn the aforesaid
co))er into white %eans to discover the 0ivine i%)ulse behind
the %anifestation - the color white is a reference to /ether, the Pri%al
9<: Tower of Alche%*
,ill$ 5* takin" an individualized desire back to its 0ivine i%)ulse, an*
ina))ro)riate %anifestation can be undone$ - the Turba )uts it3 5urn
therefore the co))er, de)rive it of its blackness $ $ $ until the sa%e beco%e
Lhite$5Lut that is onl* half of the work, for desire will alwa*s
%anifest so%ehow, so%ewhere$ Cnsatisfied desire lies at the root of
%uch )s*cholo"ical neurosis and )h*sical disease$ Thus it is necessar*
to %ake an a))ro)riate channel for the ener"*, a visible coin, based on
the %acrocos% 6in the Qabalah, %a))ed b* the Tree of 4ife7 and tin"ed
with the redness in the +uote fro% the "ur>a. Red is the color assi"ned
to Geburah in the Queen 'cale 6the color chart of s)irit7 and Geburah is
the seat of volition and of %acrocos%ic /undalini$ To %ake an a))ro)riate
channel of e?)ression that reflects the 0ivine desire without distortion
is to rule it$ This is wh* The &a"ician in /e* 9 wears a red
overrobe, which he can take off or )ut on at will$ The &a"ician, throu"h
his trans)arent rece)tivit* to the 4i%itless 4i"ht, cultivates roses 6fra"rant
desires7 in the "arden of Eden, within ti%e and s)ace$ As a Qabalistic
%editation )uts it3 God )laced Ada% in Eden to "row roses$
The co%)letion of this )rocess of rede%)tion is shown in the "l*)h
of the Rose - Cross, where the rose of @enus 6#etzach7 bloo%s rub* - red
6Geburah7 at the center of the "old cross of subli%ation 6Ti)hareth7 and
within the flower "listens the dewdro) which is the distilled white brilliance
of /ether, the &ezla$ The hu%an bein" who has beco%e a livin"
e?)ression of this "l*)h is one in who% the )ersonal desire - nature has
beco%e co - centred with desire of the 0ivine$ The 'a"es "ive us to understand
that this liberation fro% attach%ent does not )revent us fro% still
en.o*in" the )leasures of the senses$ /nowin" the Essence we can still
en.o* the a))earance, but know it for what it is$ (t is like bein" fluent in
two lan"ua"es$ And be*ond this attain%ent is that of the full* illu%ined
'a"e - a Golden Rosicrucian'' - - one in who% all sense of )ersonal ori"ination
has )assed awa* in the co%)lete realization and subse+uent
actualization that ever*thin" is ')irit$ (n this discover*, in this enli"hten%ent,
the 'E4F of the 'elf is discovered, for3
Then shall the @ision of th* 4ord be "ranted unto thee,
And seein" !i% shalt thou behold
The 'hinin" >ne
,ho is thine own true 'elf$ $ $ $
. $. Waite, trans., "ur>a Philosophorum, '. @:.
(n &e%or* of Arthur the /in" ";"
And all th* habitations shall be blest
5* the ,hite 5rilliance
,hich descendeth fro% the Crown$
"he Meditation on Aame'h
T!E PRACT(CE
After the )re)arator* e?ercises, e?teriorize the eidolon of the castle and
)ro.ect *our consciousness into the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"$ For the first
ti%e, as *ou %anifest there, *ou are clothed in the white robe$ Put over
it the hooded indi"o robe and )ut on the silver sandals$ >nce robed, descend
via the lunar s)iral stairwa* and enter the Great !all$ Pass
throu"h the hall and into the Cha)el of the Rose - Croi?$ There, as *ou
)re)are to %ake *our adoration, *ou notice that the 'word of Power is
%issin" fro% the altar$ Continue with *our offerin" of self, then return to
the Great !all and take *our )lace in *our sie"e at the Table Round$
&entall* reach out in welco%e to the Great Co%)anions and feel
their res)onse as a livin" force, shinin" back to *ou fro% the Grail$ 'uddenl*,
the veil over the Grail is swe)t u)ward b* an unknown wind and
burnt to nothin"ness b* the inner sun above, revealin" the sacred Cu)
in its naked "lor*$
As if this were a si"nal that so%e obstacle within *ou has been re%oved,
the tele)athic %ind - waves of the Co%)anions i%)act u)on *ou
with "reater force and d*na%is%$ (n res)onse to this new level of concerted
consciousness, *our aura flares, then e?)ands to e%brace and inter)enetrate
the aura - fields of the two Co%)anions who flank *ou$ Their
auras, in turn, enco%)ass and inter)enetrate *ou$ Then the three, e%brace
the si?, who e%brace the twelve, until all seated at the table enter
into an ener"etic unit* of at - one - %ent$
2ou feel *our consciousness soar to levels undrea%ed, held within
the united "rou)%ind of the table$ 2ou feel winds fro% %i"ht* win"s
and "li%)se bein"s of dazzlin" li"ht, sin"in" to one another across i%%ense
distances$ All around the ascendin" s)here of consciousness that
is the Fellowshi) of the Table a))ear the stars of heaven, "ala?* u)on
"ala?*, tiered in cos%ic s)lendor one u)on another$ 4ines of radiance
a))ear, linkin" star to star, until the dee) darkness of interstellar s)ace
is crisscrossed b* a shi%%erin" net of li"ht$ The radiance increases and
intensifies until all is enfolded in a blaze of 'u)ernal 4i"ht and *ou are
1"he Meditation on Aame'h,1 in Paul Eoster ase, "he &oo' of "o'ens !,os n,eles3
5uilders of the Ad*tu%, 9JNJ7$ ))$ "8% 4 "8".
45@ "ower of +lchemy
lifted into an ocean of "lor* and unconditional love, where *ou are
known utterl*$
4ike sound ascendin" a %usical scale, the radiance increases, )assin"
even be*ond the fre+uenc* visible to s)irit, until all is absolute
blackness, *et )ervaded with the iridescence of a raven's )lu%a"e$ !ere,
within the thrice - radiant 0arkness of Ain, *ou are alone with the Alone,
the All - >ne$
After an eternit*, which is *et a %icrosecond, *ou si%)l* o)en *our
e*es to find *ourself seated at the Round Table, with the Co%)anions, in
the Great !all$ 5ut in the center of the table, the )oint of its blade )oised
above the Grail and the rub* of its )o%%el catchin" the li"ht of the sun
above, "lea%s the 'word of Power, E?calibur$ As *ou watch, a fluid substance
rese%blin" a "olden oil runs fro% the .ewel - )o%%el down the
len"th of the blade to dri) slowl* into the sacred vessel, as if the li"ht of
the inner sun were converted into a fluid b* the )o%%el - stone, thence
to flow down and be collected b* the Grail$
Graduall*, the 'word of ')irit sinks down into the Grail, sheathin"
its entire len"th, in a wa* i%)ossible u)on the outer )lane, into the Cu)$
For a brief %o%ent, the )o%%el, "ri), and hilt shines above the Cu), a
radiant s*%bol of the Crucified >ne - then this too sinks into the bowl
of the Grail and is "one fro% si"ht$
2ou look around in wonder and see that the Co%)anions have
vacated the sie"es and are now standin" to the east of the table, facin"
each other in two rows that for% an avenue to the "old curtain across
the door to the cha)el be*ond$ The Re"ent beckons *ou to a))roach$
2ou do so, and feel the shudderin" res)onse fro% *our lower self that
so often indicates that a hi"her ran"e of ener"* is co%in" in, that
so%ethin" bi" is afoot$ Risin" fro% the table, *ou walk clockwise
around it to the east$ As *ou walk between the twin rows of Co%)anions,
to the waitin" Re"ent, here and there *ou receive a "entle s%ile of
encoura"e%ent$
The Re"ent draws back the "old cloth and, )lacin" his hand u)on the
a'asha - te/as s*%bol on the door, he )ushes it o)en$ As he )recedes *ou
alon" the short )assa"ewa*, *ou beco%e aware that the Co%)anions
have fallen in behind and are followin" *ou inside$ Thus, the entire Fellowshi)
of the Table Round )rocesses into the Cha)el of the Rose - Croi?$
Followin" the Re"ent, *ou can see that the interior of the a))roachin"
cha)el is bri"hter than on )revious occasions$ >nce inside the sanctuar*,
the Re"ent ste)s aside and *ou see, standin" ato) the altar ste)s,
a fi"ure that fills *ou with awe$
(n &e%or* of Arthur the /in" ";*
(t is &enes, the !er%it, but chan"ed, transfi"ured al%ost be*ond
reco"nition$ Gone is the shabb* robe and his "entle e?)ression$ !is face
is suffused with a s)iritual %a.est*$ !ere stands &enes uncloaked and
revealed as a heavenl* hiero)hant, a !i"h Priest of the Great &*ster*
that %en call Cod$
!e is robed in the sacerdotal robes of "lor*3 the )ure white of 0ivinit*,
the blue surcoat of ')irit, the violet and scarlet of For% and Action$
C)on his breast "litters the koshen, the breast)late of twelve .ewels
which indicates that, in hi%, the twelve s)iritual t*)es, the twelve sie"es,
have been inte"rated and fulfilled8 the Earth has no %ore to teach
hi%$ !e is crowned with a white %itre, u)on which letters of fire shine,
declarin"3 !ol* unto the 4ord$
&enes stands with his hands restin" u)on the +uillons of E?calibur,
the )oint of its blade restin" li"htl* before his feet u)on the to) altar
ste)$ This is &enes the >ros, the 0weller u)on the su%%it of the &ountain
of Attain%ent, a 4ord of 4i"ht$
The cha)el has e?)anded to acco%%odate all the Great Co%)anions
who encircle *ou and the altar$ Above and be*ond the% float si?
"lorious an"els, three on each side, each bearin" a tall, "olden candlestick
holdin" a burnin" ta)er$ And shinin" above all, like the i%%ovable
a?is of the universe, stands the Rose - Cross$ The alche%ical "old of the
cross reflects the candle fla%es and the radiance of the an"els who hold
the%$ The Rose of Rub* e%its a s)here of rainbow li"ht and the dewdro)
within the flower burns with an incandescence like the heart of a
star$ (nto this scene of inner beaut* and )ower *ou have co%e, to stand
now at the ver* center$ 'ilence falls u)on all thin"s$
The Re"ent takes *our forear% and "uides *ou u) the altar ste)s,
then "entl* )laces a hand on *our shoulder to indicate that *ou should
kneel$ 2ou do so$ 2our e*es are level with the knees of the &enes8 *ou
can see E?calibur's bri"ht blade inscribed with arcane characters and,
be*ond, the tin* bells on the blue tunic's he%$ (n a voice that reverberates
with )ower throu"h the levels of e?istence, &enes declares3
Cnder the authorit* of Those who see the 4i"ht of the &ost !i"h, face
unto face $ $ $
!e raises E?calibur and )roclai%s3
And b* the virtue of this token of sacred soverei"nt*, ( receive *ou into
the noble Co%)an* of the Grail Quest and si"n *ou with the 'eal of Fire$
453 "ower of +lchemy
Touchin" *ou thrice with the flat of the sword's blade, he intones the
chivalric for%ula of dubbin"3
C)on the head3 1(n Nomine Fei,
C)on the ri"ht shoulder3 1(n potentia Aancti Michaeli +rchangeli,
And u)on the left shoulder3 1$t in memoria +rthuri .egis. A%en, 'elah,
A%en$
Thus sealed, *ou close *our e*es and bow *our head$
,hen *ou look u) a"ain, the cha)el is e%)t*$ 'o%ewhat dazed, *ou rise
and "ive thanks to the Eternal$ 2ou see E?calibur, sheathed once %ore in
its .eweled scabbard, back in its accusto%ed )lace u)on the altar$ Turn
to descend the altar ste)s$ 5* the entrance to the )assa"e to the Great
!all, the Re"ent awaits *ou8 b* his side stands a fi"ure$ (ts for% is of
one of the le"endar* kni"hts or ladies of the Round Table$ 5* an uns)oken
co%%unication fro% the Re"ent, the knowled"e flowers within *ou
that this bein" is the s)irit - "uardian of the cha)el in *our castle$ 2ou acknowled"e
the "uardian3 (n God's na%e, be welco%e in this )lace and
%a* the blessin" of the 0ivine be u)on *ou for this service$ - the relationshi)
between the two of *ou develo)s, this )articular "uardian will
beco%e a s)ecial co%rade and "uide$
2ou return to the Great !all8 the Co%)anions have resu%ed their
sie"es$ Their faces e?)ress )ure deli"ht at *our acce)tance b* above$
The* re.oice in *our achieve%ent and *ou share *our .o* with the%
throu"h the unveiled Grail before biddin" the% farewell$
Returnin" u) the solar s)iral stairs, *ou enter the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"
and divest *ourself of the indi"o robe$ - *ou )lace the robe u)on its
stand, *ou see that, u)on the breast 6over the heart, when worn7 there
has a))eared a s%all "old 4atin cross with a rub* at its center$
A rosebud, s)eaks a voice fro% an unknown source and there is a
sense of 0ivine %irth in the air$
,onderin", *ou return to Assiah, absorb the eidolon, and close
down, to record *our sub.ective reactions in *our .ournal$
AFTER&AT!
>nce the identit* of *our cha)el's s)irit - "uardian is known to *ou
6which kni"ht or lad* fro% the Arthurian %*thos7, it is su""ested that
"0n t+e Name o1 7od, in t+e 'ower o1 +ol/ 9i2+ael t+e r2+an,el and in memor/ o1
rt+ur t+e <in,. men, Sela+, men."
(n &e%or* of Arthur the /in" ";(
*ou %ake a s%all shield and )aint it with the "uardian's ar%s$ A s%all
a%ount of research will enable *ou to find this out$ Place the shield in
*our sacred s)ace, as a link to and focus for the "uardian, for it %a* act
as a brid"e between the worlds$
T!E C>#TE&P4AT(>#
Fro% the forehead of each 4ord of the 'un a narrow bea% of
brilliant li"ht )ro.ected, and where the* %et in the center of the
circle was a vision so %a"nificent none of the% Gthe candidatesH
would ever be able to for"et it, nor would the* ever be able to
describe it$ (t was as thou"h the* saw in one %arvelous %o%ent
the beaut* and the har%on* of the whole of e?istence re)resented
in a kind of livin", vibrant Tree of s)heres that was "rowin"
at once u)ward and downward, rooted in real%s so hi"h no
one had ever )enetrated their %*steries, its trunks bearin"
branches shi%%erin" with life, reachin" down till the* brushed
the earth$ $ $ $ while si%ultaneousl* it was rooted in earth and
reachin" u) throu"h all the "reen and "rowin" s)heres to the
hi"h real%s of the 'hinin" ')irits and be*ond$ There was a continual
flow throu"h trunk and branch and leaf and root$ #o )art
was left without chan"e and %ove%ent and %eanin" - fro% the
"i"antic stars on their %a.estic and ordered courses to the %inutest
co%)onent of the tiniest %ost )ri%itive cell$ Each had its
)lace and )ur)ose$ Each contributed and was essential to the
,hole$
The* felt faint with awe$ This was theirs$ All this was theirsQ
The* as hu%an bein"s had the "ift of consciousness be*ond all
others in the earth - real% to "li%)se such realit*$ The* could no
lon"er .ustif* an* action the* %i"ht take that did not take this
vision into account$
The* bowed their heads, and as the* did so the* felt the !i"h
Priest's fin"er u)on their forehead and knew that the vision had
been sealed in$
The Ailver -ortex
- &o*ra CaldecottN
9o/ra Calde2ott, "he Ailver -ortex (London: rrow Book-, "#B$&, ''. "8) 4 "8*.
AR>C'(#G T!E 0RAG>#
To give ,ight to them that sit in dar'ness and in the shadow of death $ $ $
- 4uke ":$#
36E TEAC!(#G
As +uoted before, the Aepher #et8irah describes kundalini as the 'ecret
of all ')iritual ,orks$ #otice that it sa*s all s)iritual works, because
even if a soul a))roaches the 0ivine throu"h the lon" route 6in contradistinction
to that of accelerated evolution7, the "radual s)iritualization
of the )h*sical bod* will still occur throu"h the a"enc* of kundalini$
(t cannot be otherwise, since kundalini builds, "rows, and %aintains all
bodies in all worlds$ The word works in the +uotation also has the
%eanin" of wa"es, )a*%ent for "ood work$ For it is the deli"ht 6in
!ebrew, deli"ht and willn are one and the sa%e7 of the &ost !ol* >ne
to brin" its self - realized life e?)ressions 6evolved hu%ans7 to freedo%
fro% the wheel of death and rebirth, conferrin" u)on the% deathless
bodies which are ca)able of %aintainin" Cos%ic Consciousness without
fluctuation$ This is wh* God alone is called the >%ni)otent &aster of
the Art, Feus *mnipotens Magister +rtis. The )h*sical alche%ist does
not, in fact, co%)lete the Great ,ork$ (t is the 0ivine (%%anence within
the alche%ist who )erfects the ,ork in the twinklin" of an e*e 6e*e,
%eanin" stone7$
The 'anskrit noun kundalini literall* %eans the coiled one$ This
refers to the reservoir of the Fier* Power coiled at the base of the s)ine,
and also to the s)iral %ove%ent of the one radiant ener"*$ The Qabalah
teaches that the ori"inal kundalini center is in &alkuth 6the laborator*
of the !ol* ')irit7 and that the 2esod center is a storehouse for that ener"*$
/undalini is also called the 'er)ent Power, because when the ancients
observed the ser)ent castin" its skin, the snake was taken to
45< "ower of +lchemy
re)resent reincarnation, re"eneration, and i%%ortalit*$ The Tibetan
na%e for /undalini is "igle and in theoso)hical writin"s, it is called
Eohat, a ter% borrowed fro% Chinese alche%*, which is Taois%$
This Fier* Power is ver* real$ (t is cos%ic electricit*, and an* unwise
blockin" of the channels throu"h which it %a* e%er"e into the conscious
self is frau"ht with dan"er$ 'elf - )urification is i%)erative before
co%%encin" this arousal sta"e$ 'o the )ractices "iven in the cha)ters
)recedin" this one are vital$ ( do not acce)t an* res)onsibilit* for readers
who atte%)t to awaken this )ower without observin" the "uidelines
for )ractice "iven, %uch less for those who )ick fro% here or there and
)la* with it$ 'o%e !indu te?ts refer to /undalini 2o"a as clas)in" the
tail of the ti"erQ This book teaches how to train the ti"er, but, if so%eone
chooses to lea) into the ca"e of an untrained "reat cat, well$ $ $ $ Two
novels written b* !$ Rider - !a""ard 6who was associated with the !er%etic
>rder of the Golden 0awn7 )resent a )rofound stud* of the effects
of /undalini u)on the )ersonalit*$ The first, Ahe, shows the effects of the
fier* )ower u)on an unre"enerate )ersonalit*$ (ts se+uel, +yesha0 "he
.eturn of Ahe, tells of subse+uent rede%)tion and of the "reat )ains e?)iation
entails$ An*one en"a"ed in )ractical )s*cholo"ical work will
have co%e across e?a%)les of what can ha))en if such an invasion
fro% the unconscious takes )lace$ The wrathful and fierce as)ects of
the tantric deities in the Tibetan 5uddhist )antheon are enhaloed b*
fla%es of hi"h ener"*$ The* are )er%eated and enco%)assed b* the Fier*
Power that consu%es %ortalit*$
/undalini is cos%ic electricit*, the universal life - )rinci)le, the
conscious ener"* that takes for% as all thin"s and builds ever*thin"
fro% within$ The control of this ener"* in its subhu%an for%s, b* %ental
%eans, is the )ri%ar* secret of the Great ,ork$ This cos%ic electricit*
is called haiah in Qabalah and is attributed to Chok%ah$ (t is the radiant
2od - force held within the %ediu% of the First &atter, the wo%b of
5inah$
(n the (talian Renaissance te?t, "he Ka>>ala Gnveiled, Chaiah is described
as the hi"hest for% fro% Atziluth, $ $ $ therefore the intan"ible,
illi%itable, indefinable idea in the 'oul of the Great Absolute (nco%)rehensible
God$' Chok%ah is the s)here of the stars and stars and suns
are the first )h*sical %anifestations of the li%itless li"ht )ourin" throu"h
the crown of /ether$ uhe 4akota #ative - A%ericans call the stars the
S. L. 9a27re,or 9at+er-, tran-. "he Ka>>alah Gnveiled (?ork Bea2+, 9E: Samuel
Wei-er, "#B*&, '. *8.
Arousin" the 0ra"on 9<J
breath of ,akan - Tanka, the Great &*ster*$7 This %anifestation is the
result of a condensin", a concentration of an otherwise free - flowin" ener"*$
(n one sense, Chok%ah - the All - Father - is the ori"inatin" )oint fro%
which co%%ences the %anifestation of the %*ster* of our selves$ (n one
!ellenistic initiation cere%on*, the candidate declares, ( a% a child of
Earth, but %* race is of the starr* heavens$V For ever* )oint u)on a
s)here is not %erel* )art of that s)here, it is the s)here itself %anifestin"
at one )oint$ A )oint has an inherent sense of selfhood$
'o both the Fier* Power 65inah7 and the 4ife - Force 6Chok%ah7 are
not se)arate thin"s, but two, co%)le%entar* %anifestations of the >ne
6/ether7$ 5ecause of the distortin" veil of illusion - the belief in se)arateness -
we )erceive the% as se)arate thin"s$ Alwa*s affir%, however,
that the )ri%al condition of all as)ects of life and all %anifestations of
consciousness are, in realit*, an indivisible unit*$ An* )hiloso)h*,
school, or teacher that leads students awa* fro% this )ri%al unit*, confounds
the nature of the Absolute and leads the% into even dee)er
bonda"e to the illusion of se)arateness, beco%in" subtl* and *et %ore
dee)l* i%)risoned within the veils of &a*a - within the @a.ra - hells as
the* are ter%ed in the Tibetan Tantras$
me 2inged Aerpent
The ser)ent is the s*%bol used b* the wise when the* wish to co%)ress
all their knowled"e of the Great &a"ical A"ent 6the Quintessence7 into
one re)resentation$ The Quintessence - the First &atter - is that "lor*
veiled with all conceal%ents, as the Dohar sa*s, the Fier* Power of
/undalini hidden within ever* for%$ The )rinci)al reservoir of this ener"*
in the subtle bod* is at the - base of the 'hushu%na channel, corres)ondin"
to the se?ual or"ans$ >n the Tree of 4ife, this re"ion is the
'e)hira 2esod - the Foundation of all 4ife$ Astrolo"icall*, it co%es under
the rulershi) of the zodiacal si"n of 'cor)io, the scor)ion$ 'cor)io is
ruled b* &ars, the )lanetar* %anifestation of Geburah, which, as %entioned
before, is the focus for %acrocos%ic /undalini$ Further, the archan"el
of 2esod is Gabriel, the &i"ht* >ne of Cod, whose na%e has the
sa%e root as the noun, Geburah$ 'o 2esod - the interior %etal lead and
the &uladhara chakra - is the re)ositor* for the individual reserve of
/undalini$ This is housed, in the "ole% of the Tower of the Art, in the lu-
within the #u)tial Cha%ber$
"3+e 5etelia 3a.let," in @ion Aortune, "he ircuit o1 Aor2e, 7aret+ <ni,+t, ed.
(Lou,+.orou,+, Lei2e-ter-+ire, D<: 3+ot+, "##B&, '. (".
9K: Tower of Alche%*
The ,ork3 on the lower left 6!od7, the waters of the intellect are )anned$
>n the lower ri"ht 6#etzah7, the desires are cooked and ski%%ed$ The center
shows the !i"her - 'elf An"el 6Ti)hereth7 holdin" the e%br*onic solar
bod*$ >n the su%%it, the Alche%ist is with God 6cu% 0eo7, in su)erconsciouness$
Theo)hilus 'chwei"hart, ')eculu% so)hicu% Rhodostauroticu%,
9<:F$
Arousin" the 0ra"on 9K9
The kundalini force, because it builds new bodies and destro*s outworn
ones, is called the the "iver of life and the brin"er - in of death,
which is wh* the scor)ion of death is assi"ned to it$ 5ut because this is
the ver* sa%e force subli%ated, or raised, b* both Alche%* and 2o"a, it
has various s*%bols, )ictorial and al)habetical, to re)resent its sta"es
of ascent$
The Fier* Power is i%a"ined as the scor)ion of death that beco%es
the ser)ent of wisdo%, then the ea"le of as)iration$ This
trans%utes itself into the )hoeni? of rebirth, and the entire )rocess
cul%inates in the dra"on 6the win"ed - ser)ent7 of i%%ortalit*$ Alche%*
calls the act of raisin" kundalini borrowin" stren"th fro% the ea"le$
This is wh* The Fool's wreath of victor* is crowned with a scarlet 6fier*7
win" - feather of an ea"le$ Further%ore, (saiah teaches3 The* who trust in
the 4ord shall renew their stren"th, the* shall %ount u) with win"s as
ea"les 6(saiah F:3E97$
The healin" 6reinte"ratin"7 and transfi"urin" )ower of kundalini is
shown, in E?odus, b* &oses raisin" u) the brazen ser)ent 6!ebrew, Nachash7
which re%oves the )oison fro% the children of (srael$ Cntil the
ti%e of /in" !ezekiah, the ori"inal standard of the brazen ser)ent raised
u)on the Tau cross 6Tau bein" the !ebrew letter - code for the &uladhara
chakra7 was ke)t and venerated in the ad*tu% of both the &osaic Tabernacle
and the Te%)le of 'olo%on$
5* "e%atria, the nu%ber EAN is that of the ser)ent of te%)tation in
Eden and also of the &essiah, the Anointed >ne$ This reveals that the
ser)ent is the te%)ter$ /undalini is the source of the illusion of a))arent
se)arateness, and so is the father of lies$ 2et, when overco%e
6trans%uted7, kundalini beco%es the ver* instru%ent of our salvation
6literall*, a safe )assa"e ho%e7$ That b* which we fall is also that b*
which we can rise a"ain$
The "reat alche%ical s*%bol for the co%)letion of the Great ,ork is
that of the ser)ent swallowin" its own tail$ This re)resents that >ri"in
and Goal are one, that the be"innin" and the end - Ale)h and Tau, Al)ha
and >%e"a 6Azoth7 - - are subsu%ed in eternit*$ 'o, The &a"ician in tarot
/e* ( wears it as his "irdle, under the red overrobe of desire$ The ser)ent
bitin" its own tail %eans that the ser)ent )ower feeds u)on itself8 it
is self - sustainin"$ 'cientificall*, this is correct8 the su% total of universal
conscious ener"* re%ains ever the sa%e$ (t enters into various for%s of
e?)ression, and these feed on one another$ !ence the ser)ents on the
caduceus of !er%es re)resent the law of endless transfor%ation and
a
4;@ "ower of +lchemy
conversion$ The 'e)her 2etzirah assi"ns the )h*sical sense of taste and
the biolo"ical function of di"estion to Teth, the !ebrew letter of
stren"th, the tarot )icture of kundalini$ 0i"estion literall* %eans feedin",
and this refers to the e?traction of )rana fro% the fuel )ut into the
Athanor$ This is also wh* the !ebrew letter of the )lanet &ars 6%acrocos%ic
ener"*7 is Peh, %eanin" %outh, because it is throu"h the
%outh that fuel is )ut in the furnace to feed the fire$
The al)habetical s*%bolis% of the Fier* Power in its sta"es of
arousal are the three !ebrew letters, Teth, 4a%ed, and 'a%ekh$ These
are assi"ned to the tarot ke*s 'tren"th, 1ustice, and Te%)erance, res)ectivel*$
(t is the sha)e of these letters that denote these sta"es$ Teth 6P7,
shows the dor%ant ser)ent, the three lines of the letter re)resentin" the
three coilin"s of the slee)in", but drea%in", Fier* Power$ 4a%ed 6E7, the
letter of 1ustice, is rooted in the sa*in" E+uilibriu% is the basis of the
Great ,ork$ This has two %eanin"s3 that kar%ic obscurations %ust - be
dealt with durin" the entire )rocess, and that the arousal %ust be acco%)lished
b* a balanced %ethod and inte"rated in a balanced wa*,
without e?cess$ The sha)e of 4a%ed de)icts the ser)ent rearin", ascendin"
the s)inal colu%n$ 'a%ekh 6>7, the letter of Te%)erance, the !i"her
'elf, shows the ser)ent swallowin" its own tail, si"nif*in" the co%)letion
sta"e of the ,ork, when the thrice - refined alche%ical "old is re%oved
fro% the furnace$
The 5ible refers to /undalini under the veil of the )ri%ordial dra"on,
4eviathan, a %*th )robabl* borrowed fro% the Tia%at le"end of
'u%eria and 5ab*lon$ Accordin" to the Midrash, 4eviathan ca%e into bein"
on the fifth da* of creation - five, the Quintessence$ 4e"end sa*s that
4eviathan "ives out "reat heat, es)eciall* fro% his %outh, that causes
water to boil$ !is e*es )ossess "reat illu%inatin" )ower$ The na%e 4eviathan
co%es fro% the !ebrew root to coil or to twist and is another
reference to the s)iral %otion of the >ne Thin"$ Further%ore the
Midrash "oes on to sa* of 4eviathan that !e is first Gor chiefH of the
wa*s of God$ (t is said that, at the end of ti%e, at the advent of the &essiah,
4eviathan shall be hunted down and slain$ Archan"el Gabriel, will
lead this hunt, referrin" to the 2esod center$ Fro% the shi%%erin" hide
of the dra"on, 4eviathan, God shall fashion tents 6habitations, dwellin"s7,
"irdles 6the first tarot ke*7, and adorn%ents for the ri"hteous$ The
rest of the hide will be hun" u)on the walls of the heavenl* 1erusale%,
to li"ht the cit*$ The 'e)her 2etzirah identifies 4eviathan as the celestial
dra"on, the constellation of 0raco$ As in Chinese le"end, this is the
Arousin" the 0ra"on 9KE
heavenl* dra"on that flies u) to "ras) the radiant )earl of wisdo% in its
.aws$ &acrocos%icall*, this )earl is the a?is of heaven, the northern
)ole star8 %icrocos%icall* the )earl - the )earl of "reat )rice - is the
'tone of the ,ise$
(n ,estern le"ends, it is the ne"ative as)ects of the dra"on - the
brin"er - in of death - that are e%)hasized$ 2et, even in the tales of 't$
Geor"e or 't$ &ichael sla*in" the dra"on with a s)ear, are veiled the
teachin" of the )ower of the ta%ed 6slain7 'er)ent Power ascendin"
throu"h the s)inal channel re)resented b* the s)ear$
(n the inner worlds, accordin" to ancient E"*)tian beliefs, before enterin"
the kin"do% of the "ods, a soul had to be devoured b* the %ost
ancient of creatures, a "reat win"ed ser)ent with four le"s 6a dra"on7
wearin" the fier* Red Crown of 4ower E"*)t$
5ut it is in the >rient, where the A"eless ,isdo% has not suffered
)ersecution to the sa%e de"ree as in Euro)e and A%erica, that the le"ends
which stress the holiness of the 'er)ent Power )ersist$ The blood
of the dra"on for%s a%ber 6tree resin, referrin" to the >ne Tree78 its
saliva is violet and was used as ink b* the earl* e%)erors of China to
write u)on tablets of "old$ (n Taois% and @a.ra*ana, there are references
to 'a"es beco%in" dra"ons$ The boat in which the Ei"ht (%%ortals of
Taois% sail, has the )row of a dra"on's head with the fier* )earl clas)ed
in its .aws, to s*%bolize their attain%ent$
This "reat attain%ent is also hinted at in the Arthurian %*thos$ For
Arthur, the once and future kin" - the und*in" crowned one, who ruled
between the sunshine and the rain, in the ro*al da*s of the seven wonders -
was entitled the Pendra"on, the chief dra"onQ
T!E 5RC30CE
Perfor% the )reli%inar* e?ercises, the %antra invocation, )ro.ect the
"ole% of the castle to ob.ectivit* and transfer *our consciousness into it
b* the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"$ Robe and descend to the Great !all$ 'eated
at the Table Round, "reet the Co%)anions, then enter the cha)el$
There, dedicate *our work to the "reater "lor* of God$ Re%e%berin"
that the ')irit of the !i"hest dwells within *ou, )roceed$
Pass back throu"h the !all of the Table and throu"h the western
archwa*, to stand on the landin" of Ti)hareth before the i%a"e of /e* 99$
0escend the lunar s)iral stairwa* down to &alkuth, the !all of the
5ride$ There, "reet the s)irit - "uardian$ Then, at the altar, offer *ourself
"$; "ower of +lchemy
AFTER&AT!
Each ti%e the fore"oin" )ractice is )erfor%ed, the followin" )ractice
should be )erfor%ed$ This is a +uiescent )ractice, in which *ou si%)l*
sit at the table, with its fellowshi), bathin" in the har%onizin" li"ht flowin"
fro% the Grail$ 5* so alternatin" a session of arousin" the dra"on
with a session in which *ou rest in Ti)hareth, *ou will balance and inte"rate
the effects of the released ener"*$ 0o not %ake the assu%)tion
that the two Co%)anions who assisted *ou in the #u)tial Cha%ber will
alwa*s be the sa%e two, the* %a* or %a* not be$ This %editation
should be )erfor%ed a))ro?i%atel* thirt* ti%es before %ovin" on to
the one "iven in the followin" cha)ter$ The ideal ti%es of da* for )erfor%in"
this )ractice are .ust before dawn or at dusk, for these are the
ti%es when the Akasha Tattva bathes the Earth$ Also when undertakin"
intense kundalini work, *ou should avoid sun - bathin" as e?cessive prana
can overload the )h*sical s*ste%$
>nce *ou have absorbed the castle at the end of a )ractice session,
after arousin" the Fier* Power, do not allow *ourself to re)la* the
scenes in fantas* durin" the da*$ This will be a tendenc* at first and
%ust be fir%l* resisted$ (f it occurs, turn *our %ind to so%ethin" else b*
a short, shar) act of will$ (f this )roves insufficient, do so%e )h*sical activit*,
"ivin" it *our full attention$ The arousal %ust be co%)letel*
handed over to the subconscious for i%)le%entation$ The role of the
self - conscious was fulfilled b* doin" the )ractice itself$ The i%)le%entation
cannot occur if the self - conscious %ind, throu"h idle fantas*, kee)s
di""in" u) the )lanted seed to see if it has s)routed *et$
Eventuall* the alche%ical )rocess of the 0ra"on's arousal %ust be
worked downward throu"h the three lower worlds of 5riah, 2etzirah, and
Assiah$ For each world will awaken the Fier* Power in accordance with
its own nature, and without an* unnatural forcin"$ Forcin" is the usual
cause of trouble for dabblers in the Art$ The Fier* Power burns %ore
bri"htl* as it )er%eates each sheath corres)ondin" to one of the four
worlds and certain )h*sical and )s*chic si"ns %a* %anifest$ These are
never +uite identical for each )ractitioner but there are so%e that occur
in %an* cases$ The )h*sical bod* %a* be"in to tre%ble before the arousal,
the %outh %a* fill with saliva, the anus contract and the e*es roll u)
wards$ (nner sounds %a* occur, the sound of a bell or a waterfall or the
hu%%in" of bees8 these indicate an increase of basic vibration and the
unfoldrnent of clairaudience$ There can be a sense of bein" a witness in
the bod*, of floatin", feelin" vast or %inute or a sense of headlessness$
2ou %a* see dots of li"ht, a shi%%erin" like heat - haze, "eo%etric sha)es
Arousin" the 0ra"on 9KK
or *ou %a* see )h*sical ob.ects even with the e*elids closed$ #ot all
)ractitioners will e?)erience %ost or even an* of these s*%)to%s$ The
Fier* Power - illu%inatin" and inte"rative in nature - - )roduces whatever
e?)eriences are necessar* for a )ractitioner's s)iritual )ro"ress, accordin"
to the individual's habit - )atterns, kar%a, and %erit$
>nce the )ower of %ental visualization beco%es e%)owered b* the
Fier* Power, the whole science of the %ental creation and ener"izin" of
thou"ht - for%s falls into )lace$ Practitioners will find their thou"hts beco%in"
)owerful - for "ood or evil$ This trul* %a"ical abilit*, once develo)ed,
will have to be used8 there is no neutral course$ Even when, b*
the nor%al %eans, the inner consciousness and the fier* )ower beco%e
dor%ant - as the* %ust in the stressful bustle of ,estern life - it will *et
be found that the sensitized i%a"ination is a far %ore focused and effective
tool$ For this is the natural result of develo)in" an* facult* or skill8
it cannot be develo)ed in isolation$ This is wh* all is offered to The >ne,
for in fulfillin" !is will alone lies )erfect )eace$
T!E C>#TE&P4AT(>#
A sava"e dra"on lives in the forest,
&ost veno%ous he is, *et lackin" nothin"3
,hen he sees the ra*s of the 'un and its bri"ht fire,
!e scatters abroad his )oison,
And flies u)wards so fiercel*
That no livin" creature can stand before hi%,
#or is even the 5asilisk e+ual to hi%$
!e who hath skill to sla* hi% wisel*,
!ath esca)ed fro% all dan"ers$
2et all veno%, and colours, are %ulti)lied
(n the hour of his death$
!is veno% beco%es the Great &edicine$
!e +uickl* consu%es his veno%,
For he devours his )oisonous tail$
And this is )erfor%ed on his own 5od*,
Fro% which flows forth "lorious 5al%,
,ith all its %iraculous virtues$
!ereat all the 'a"es do loudl* re.oice$
The 5ook of La%bs)rin"L
"3+e Book o1 Lam.-'rin," in "he ?ermetic Museum, +. $. Waite, ed. (?ork Bea2+,
9E: Samuel Wei-er, "##"&, '. )B;.
T!E C(,A@(CC(,E
The +ath to immortality is hard, and only a few find it. The rest await the
;reat %ay when the wheels of the uni,erse shall be sto++ed and the
immortal s+ar.s shall esca+e from the sheaths of substance. 7oe unto
those who wait, for they must return a$ain, unconscious and un.nowin$,
to the seed ) $round of the stars, and await a new be$innin$.
- !er%es - Tris%e"istosl
T!E 3EC60N7
The "ole% of the castle edifice and its surroundin" kin"do% is a thou"htfor%
built and established u)on the inner levels of e?istence$ These inner
levels are the s)iritual and %ental )lanes, or 5riah, and the astral and
etheric levels, which are 2etzirah and, %ost i%)ortantl*, the world of
Assiah where it interfaces with 2etzirah$ Each and ever* ti%e the "ole%
is e?teriorized, it is built u) *et %ore stron"l*$ And when it is )ro.ected, it
is, like all thou"ht - for%s, visible to the dwellers u)on the inner levels and
to incarnate seers, )h*sical hu%ans with clairvo*ant si"ht$
The reabsor)tion of the castle at the end of each )ractice withdraws
the thou"ht - for% fro% ob.ective view, because the withdrawal causes the
thou"ht - for% to enter back into a condition of sub.ective latenc*$ This
does not %ean at all that the "ole% is lost or destro*ed, but rather withdrawn,
as a hu%an bein" would be in slee) and drea%in"$
,ithin the Anahata chakra, at the )oint in the etheric heart center
where the 4i"ht of the (%%anence ever burns as an infinitesi%al )oint of
brilliance, the castle, with all its indwellin" bein"s and )owers, rests in
latenc* until, at the ne?t )ractice, it is once %ore e?teriorized into ob.ective
e?istence in the subtle real%s$
6erme- 4 3ri-me,i-to-, "3+e @ivine 5/mander," in =erem/ Catto, +lchemy0 the +rt o1
Knowing (London: !uarian 5re--, "##8&, '. ($.
4<7 "ower of +lchemy
Cnder the i%a"e of the castle and the town of Ca%elot - that fleetin"
wis) of "lor* - we have been focusin" u)on the se)arate levels of consciousness
in an incarnate hu%an bein", and, at the sa%e ti%e, %arr*in"
u) these s*%bols to the %andala of the Tree of 4ife$ The "ole% is a re%ote -
control %echanis% that acts u)on the etheric and )h*sical centers
in our )h*sical bodies without the dan"ers which arise fro% direct concentration
of thou"ht u)on those centers$ Concentration u)on an* )art
of the )h*sical bod* causes an increase in the blood flow to that area$
'uch concentration, when undul* )rolon"ed, can result in a disturbance
of the %illions of co%)le? )rocesses necessar* to kee) a bod* in nor%al
health$ These )rocesses are usuall* under the direction of the subconscious
%ind$ 'o it is the withdrawal of the "ole% back into latenc* that
actuall* instructs the subconscious to %ake the ad.ust%ents necessar*
to build the new bod* of alche%ical ade)tshi)$ Therefore, this ha))ens
in a natural wa* beneath the threshold of nor%al awareness$ The subconscious
%ind - the sub.ective (sis of the Art - will not res)ond to %ental
violence 6enforced concentration7, but will onl* consent if wooed b*
%acrocos%ic s*%bols, the flowers of the 0ivine #ature$ Therefore, understand
clearl* that, the techni+ue of the "ole%'s withdrawal back into
latenc* is one of the %ost i%)ortant )oints in Alche%*$ (t is the coa"ula,
the %akin" of the coin that will %ulti)l*, throu"h fre+uent )ractice, to
beco%e the "olden treasure hoard "uarded b* the 0ra"on$
5* undertakin" the alche%ical )ractices "iven in this %anualwhich
are %editations with far - reachin" conse+uences - the )ro.ected
"ole% is )ro"ra%%ed, set to certain ener"* )atterns$ ,hen it is later
withdrawn back into the )h*sical vehicle, it continues to work safel*
and silentl* u)on the interior stars, the chakras$ This is done at the subconscious
level, b* the e%bod*in" as)ects of consciousness$ There, the
fire of the 0ra"on, known in the East as kundalini, be"ins the hol* work
of transfor%ation and transfi"uration$
#aturall* - since we are unfinished bein"s, still in )rocess - as the
inte"rative ener"* of the 0ra"on's fire be"ins to rise, it does co%e u)
a"ainst an* )s*choetheric obstructions that %a* be )resent$ This %a*
lead to %inor s*%)to%s in the )h*sical vehicle 6hence alche%ists s)eak
of their sufferin"KLC$ nless these s*%)to%s beco%e alar%in"l* )owerful
and )ersistent, the* are no cause for worr*$ The* will )ass as the
)h*sical vehicle beco%es %ore accusto%ed to the %ore intense fre+uencies
of Fier* Power$ (f the instructions are carefull* followed, )ractitioners
will be able to e?tricate the%selves fro% an* difficulties with a
little )atience and co%%on sense$ (n all t*)es of develo)%entThe
Calvicule 9N9
)h*sical, e%otional, %ental, or s)iritual - there are )oints where so%e
disturbance of the )revious condition shows itself$ These )oints are
"rowin" )ains and will not adversel* affect )ractitioners unless the
%ind is filled with all kinds of su)erstitions, ne"ative thou"hts, or feelin"s
concernin" the %atter$ (f s*%)to%s such as intense )h*sical shakin",
skin rashes, sensations of burnin", chronic diarrhea or consti)ation
)ersistentl* occur, it indicates that the 'ubtle Fire has not entered the
central colu%n, but has instead sti%ulated the bod*'s own )h*sical
heat$ To correct this, sus)end the arousal )ractice and s)end %ore ti%e
traversin" the s)iral stairwa*s and for%ulatin" the landin"s of the Tower,
buildin" the central colu%n %ore effectivel*$ Cnless these s*%)to%s
beco%e alar%in"l* )owerful and )ersistent the* are no cause for worr*,
the* will )ass as the )h*sical vehicle beco%es %ore accusto%ed to the
%ore intense fre+uencies of the 0ra"on's Fire$
(n ver* e?tre%e cases - where the s*%)to%s )ersistentl* occur
even while )erfor%in" the )reli%inar* Fountain 5reath e?ercise - then,
"o to the #u)tial Cha%ber and re)lace the i%a"e of The &a"ician with
that of tarot /e* @((, The Chariot$ The zodiacal si"n of Cancer is re)re
sented b* The Chariot, and the &ars force is at its weakest e?)ression in
this )articular si"n$ Csin" The Chariot instead of The &a"ician has the
effect of da%)enin"down the Fier* Power to an acce)table level$ ,hile
usin" /e* @(( for a while, the )h*sical bod* can %ake ad.ust%ents to enable
it to channel the /undalini in its )ristine state and then the )ractitioner
can revert to usin" /e* 9 in the #u)tial Cha%ber$
The Aapphires
(nner - )lane te%)les within the C))er ,orlds, since the* are not confined
b* the laws which "overn %atter in the three - di%ensional world,
are ca)able of bein" %uch lar"er on the inside than on the outside 6like
the tardis in the 55C television series, 0r$ ,ho7$ The* can also contain
%ore cha%bers than an* edifice built in )h*sical %atter$ The onl* restrictions
the* a))ear to have are those li%itations i%)osed b* the
%ind of the hu%an visitor$ The sa%e %a* be trueif we will it to be
so - of thou"ht - built edifices constructed b* )ractitioners of the Art$
And since the castle "ole% is to beco%e a true reflection of the %acrocos% -
so that the individualized %icrocos% %a* be refashioned in its
likeness - - our eidolon, or thou"ht - for%, will contain additional cha%bers
we have not *et entered$
These are, of course, the cha%bers of the 'e)hiroth u)on the side
)illars of force and for% on the Tree, i$e$, Chok%ah, 5inah, Chesed,
9N; Tower of Alche%*
Geburah, #etzach, and !od$ The entrances to the halls of Chok%ah and
5inah - the Cha%ber of 'tarr* ,isdo% and the Cha%ber of Great 5liss,
res)ectivel* - have alread* been indicated b* short fli"hts of stairs leadin"
u) fro% either end of the 0a'ath landin" that also leads to the Turret
Roo% and the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"$ 5oth of these doors bear an
alche%ical s*%bol - Chok%ah, that of sul)hur W and 5inah, that of salt
J - because the su)ernal triad is the root or hi"hest source 6called
"unas in 'anskrit7 for those e?)ressions of consciousness )resent, in
var*in" de"rees, in all incarnate life$ 5inah, the subconscious as)ect of
)ure %ind, is the root of salt that, arrestive or cr*stallizin", bindin" and
for% - buildin", is called ta%as in 2o"a$ Chok%ah, the self - conscious as)ect
of )ure %ind, is the root of sul)hur 6ra.as in 'anskrit7 and is fier*
and )assionate, for it is the diffused 2od - )ower which is also the )otable
"old of the Art$ ,hile /ether, the 'u)erconscious or Enli"htened as)ect
of )ure %ind, is the root of &ercur* 6without which the Great ,ork
cannot be started or co%)leted7 which is the sa%e as the "una of
'attva$ The alche%ical &ercur* and the 'attva of 2o"a are both described
as bein" illu%inative or li"ht - trans%ittin", vital and reflective in
+ualit*$ The %etal %ercur* is li+uid and flowin" 6therefore out)ourin"
fro% above to below is inti%ated7 and the surface of each "lobule of this
%etal is a %irror reflectin" its environ%ent, as the dewdro) restin" in
the heart of the rose reflects the white brilliance$
Each of the 'e)hirothic cha%bers in the castle is also a sub.ective
te%)le for the influence of that s)here$ The* all follow a "eneral la*out,
althou"h certain details )eculiar to each cha%ber will unveil the%selves,
a))earin" to )ractitioners as e?)erience is ac+uired and subse+uent
unfold%ent occurs$
All of these cha%bers have floors tiled with alternatin" s+uares of
a))ro)riate colors$ There is an altar in the center of each hall bearin" a
burnin" la%) re)resentin" the 0ivine Presence e?)ressed throu"h that
)articular 'e)hira$ (n the east, there is a hi"h - backed ritual throne8 the
incu%bent is the hall's cha%berlain, who owes fealt* to the castle's
soverei"n 6or, at this sta"e, answerable to the Re"ent7$ The cha%berlain
of the hall %a* or %a* not be one of the Great Co%)anions, or a new
contact entirel*$ Each hall also has a s)irit - "uardian who "uards the
threshold$ >n the walls of each cha%ber are ta)estries de)ictin" the relevant
tarot ke*s which o)en the wa*s to the other 'e)hiroth$
To travel a )articular )athwa*, "o to the startin" hall, via the Cha%ber
of (ndwellin" and the Great !all of Ti)hareth, and there reverence the
divine 6s*%bolized b* the altar's la%)7 b* the a))ro)riate title within
The Calvicule 9NE
that 'e)hira$ Then a))roach the ta)estr* of the tarot ke* to the )ath,
"aze at the ke*, and intone the !ebrew letter of the )ath and its ke*$ The
ta)estr* beco%es a "lowin" three - di%ensional re)resentation of the
tarot ke*$ 'te))in" throu"h the ke*, *ou find *ourself within a rotatin"
tunnel of vibratin" li"ht$ The color of the tunnel is that of the )ath on the
Tree of 4ife 6e$"$, 0aleth, e%erald "reen8 Qo)h, red - violet, etc$ The color
attributions are listed in A))endi? (, for those unfa%iliar with the%$7R
The indi"o robe will also chan"e color as *ou walk the )ath, chan"in"
to a color identical with the tunnel$ ,hen *ou e%er"e, it resu%es its
indi"o color$ Akasha contains all the color variations of which %anifest
li"ht fre+uencies are ca)able$ 'o%e schools have needlessl* co%)licated
the )ath - color attributions b* attributin" four colors to each )ath,
one for each of the four worlds$ This has been shown to be totall* arbitrar*
and as havin" no )ractical use$ The color scale for the )aths is the
sa%e in all four worlds$ ,hat does chan"e is the li"ht intensit* of the
)aths - fro% clear 6not %urk*7 color shades in Assiah, increasin" in radiance,
u) to a colored incandescence in the world of Atziluth which rese%bles
frozen fire - works$
At the end of the tunnel, *ou e%er"e fro% a ta)estr*, bearin" the
sa%e tarot i%a"e, into the hall of the 'e)hira at the other end of the connectin"
)ath$ (f the )ath is not bein" used on the return .ourne*, for
whatever reason, it should be sealed b* intonin" the !ebrew letter once
a"ain$ The act of attention directed at the tarot ke*, co%bined with intonin"
the related !ebrew letter, acts both to o)en the )ath and to lock
it closed$ The cha%bers of the 'e)hiroth of the &iddle Pillar of the
Tree - &alkuth, 2esod, Ti)hareth, 0a'ath, and /ether - are accessed b*
ascendin" and descendin" the s)iral stairwa*s of (da and Pin"ala which
are entwined around the central colu%n in the Tower$ The tarot /e*s,
GG0, U(@, and 0" indicate the )osition of these 'e)hiroth on the colu%n$
>nce the 'e)hirothic cha%bers have been described 6see fi"ure 9:,
)a"e 9NF7, we will return to the )aths and the wa*s of travelin" the% in
detail, for the* are the routes b* which *ou will travel into the unseen$
The !all of 'tarr* ,isdo% - Chok%ah - has an altar of thrice - refined
"old$ Two "reat )illars - - one of silver, the other of obsidian - u)hold the
3+e onl/ 2olor -+ade t+at i- a ".lind" i- t+at attri.uted to t+e letter ?od and 3+e
6ermitC u-uall/ de-2ri.ed a- /ellow 4 ,reen. 0n a2tual 'ra2ti2e, t+i- ener,/ a''ear-
a- vivid ,reen (like t+at o1 @alet+& .ut -u11u-ed t+rou,+out wit+ ,olden mote-t+e
"'ota.le ,old" o1 ?od.
"B8 "ower of +lchemy
,hite
Ai,ure "%. 3+e -e'+irot+i2 2+am.er- and t+e 6ill o1 5ower.
The Calvicule 9NA
dark do%ed roof, which is set with dia%onds in the star )atterns of the
constellations$ The floor is tiled in alternatin" s+uares of red and silver$
The throne in the east is fashioned of sa))hire$ The tarot ta)estries that
adorn this hall are those of /e*s :,999, 0V, and V.
The !all of Great 5liss contains an altar of .et$ The walls and floor
are of darkest indi"o, su))ortin" a faceted cr*stal do%e that refracts the
white brilliance fro% the ,hite 'un over the battle%ents$ There are
three )illars, two black and one of scarlet %arble$ The eastern throne is
of )urest alabaster$ The tarot ta)estries which han" in the cha%ber are
those of /e*s 9,999, @( and @(($
5eneath the Cha%ber of 'tarr* ,isdo% is the !all of the 0esirous
Quest 6Chesed7$ (t has an a%eth*st altar and four )illars, two of la)is
and two of cr*stal$ The walls are of translucent sa))hire, the roof a
white do%e$ The eastern throne is of "ra* "ranite8 the floor s+uares are
white and blue8 within it are hun" ta)estries of the tarot /e*s, @, @(((, =G,
and U$
5eneath the Cha%ber of Great 5liss - 5inah - is the !all of the !ol*
Fire 6Geburah7$ (t has an altar of rub* and five )illars, two of .et, two of
carnelian, and one of e%erald$ The walls of cri%son %arble are sur%ounted
b* a black cu)ola$ The throne is of obsidian and the floor tiles
of alternatin" black and scarlet$ The ta)estries are @((, @(((, U(, and U(($
5eneath the Cha%ber of the 0esirous Quest is the !all of the Red
4ion, corres)ondin" to #etzach$ (t has an e%erald altar, walls of .ade,
and a floor of %alachite and co))er tiles$ 'even )illars, three of "reen
%arble, three of a%ber and one of scarlet, su))ort the .ade do%e that is
carved with leaves to rese%ble a forest cano)*$ The throne in the east is
of coral$ The tarot ta)estries are U, U(((, U@(, U@((, and U@((($ The cha%berlain
of this hall is usuall* connected with the 4ordl* >nes, the Elven
folk fro% under the hollow hills - )erha)s even the elfin +ueen fro% the
enchanted forest of 5rolicade$
Finall*, set beneath the !all of the !ol* Fire, is the !all of the 'acred
(bis, the sub.ective 'e)hira of !od$ The altar is an unflawed cr*stal$ The
a%ber walls are to))ed b* a do%ed ceilin" of sa))hire$ The floor is of
alternatin" tiles of ivor* and "old$ Ei"ht )illars line the cha%ber, four of
dee) blue and four of %ilk* %arble, and the throne is of .as)er$ The tarot
ta)estries are those of /e*s G00, U@, U@(, U(U, and GG.
#ote that in fi"ure 9:, the 'e)hirothic cha%bers are in reversed )osition
to that usuall* shown on the Tree of 4ife$ This is because the "ole%
of the Tower is )ro.ected fro% the )h*sical bod*, where 5inah,
"B; "ower of +lchemy
Geburah, and !od are on the ri"ht - hand side, and Chok%ah, Chesed,
and #etzach u)on the left - hand side$ This beco%es clearer if *ou re%e%ber
that the turret - roo% corres)onds to the face, the Cha%ber of
(ndwellin" to the na)e of the neck, and the s)iral stairwa*s to the s)inal
colu%n$ >nce, however, the )ractitioner attains the east, and is enthroned
as the ri"htful soverei"n of the (nner /in"do%, the 'e)hiroth
will then be in their usual confi"uration, for the conversion will have
taken )lace$
"he ,eaves of the "ree
(t is written in the last book of the 5ible, the A)ocal*)se of 't$ 1ohn the
0ivine, that the leaves of the Tree are for the healin" of the nations$
These leaves are the shinin" )aths of the Tree of 4ife, which are thirt*two
in nu%ber$ (n 'cottish Rite Free%asonr*, the "rade of Prince of the
Ro*al 'ecret is the thirt* - second de"ree of that rite$ The first ten Paths
are the hol* 'e)hiroth the%selves$ The re%ainin" twent* - two are those
Paths which unite the 'e)hiroth, and to which are assi"ned the twent*two
letters of the !ebrew al)habet 6the 'cri)t of Fla%e7 and the twent*two
tarot ke*s of the &a.or Arcana$ The 'e)hiroth are ob.ective b*
nature - althou"h our various and chan"eful reactions are not - while
the Paths the%selves are distinctl* sub.ective$ Pathworkin", as travelin"
these )aths is ter%ed, is a vo*a"e of self - discover*, dia"nosis, and
dee), interior self - healin"$ #o )ractitioner has a s%ooth ride on all the
)aths$ Thinkin" t*)es encounter )roble%s on those )aths on the freeflowin"
force side of the Tree8 doers have trouble with the structured
for% side of the Tree8 and feelers tend to react )oorl*, at first, to either
of the two e?tre%e )oles$ Each )ath is a two - wa* conduit 6the old !ebrew
word actuall* %eans a canal7 for the ener"ies of both the 'e)hiroth
it unites$ The tarot cards of the &a.or Arcana are called the ke*s,
because the* o)en the )aths8 the* are )ictorial re)resentations of the
ideal consciousness of that )articular )athwa*$ 5ut the* are also %uch
%ore than this$ Each ke* is the s)irit lord of the )ath assi"ned to it$
t first, the )aths are walked on the sub.ective, %icrocos%ic level$
!ere *ou e?)lore *our own inner d*na%ics$ 5ut a ti%e co%es, when the
)aths o)en u) onto their ob.ective, %acrocos%ic, e+uivalents$ Then *ou
are in full )ro.ection u)on the actual inner )lanes of E?istence$ ,e need
to e?)lore these two %odes of )athworkin" to avoid unnecessar* )itfalls
and tra)s, for travel in an* world - as )h*sical cit* - dwellers knowcan
be a hazardous if certain rules are i"nored$
The Calvicule 9NK
(n the 2orlds +>ove
At first, *ou walk the sub.ective Paths within *our aura, usin" the castle
or a %ore conventional Tree of 4ife dia"ra%$ Then *ou )ass out, onto
ob.ective or %acrocos%ic )athwa*s of the inner worlds$ As ti%e )asses
and *ou a"ain e?)erience, beco%in" fa%iliar with the sub.ective astral
wa*s, *ou will at ti%es esca)e fro% the sub.ective within to awareness
and function u)on the ob.ective inner real%s$ This direct )erce)tion of
the astral realities is ver* unsettlin" at first8 it often causes )ractitioners
to fl* in terror back to the fa%iliar s*%bols$ 5ut re%e%ber, as with all
s*%bol s*ste%s, we are seein" as in a "lass, darkl*, usin" si"n)osts
rather than actual e?)erience of the destinations the si"n)osts indicate$
>nce the direct )erce)tion of the true astral levels has been "ained
and the hold of the sensor* %echanis% weakened, *ou %a* be"in to e?)lore
the levels directl*, for *ou are now the &aster of the (%a"es 6a
5a'al ha - 0a'ath7 and are no lon"er controlled b* the%$
'o far, we have )roceeded as if *ou were alone u)on the Pathsa)art
fro% the s*%bolic flora and fauna that act as indicators of the
forces and bein"s around *ou$ (t is now necessar* to s)eak of the definite
"uidance which, even thou"h *ou %a* )reviousl* have been unaware
of it, is constantl* bein" e?ercised over *ou b* unseen "uardians$
Fro% the first tentative efforts that *ou %ake, *ou are alwa*s under the
close and benevolent observation and "uidance of a bein" who is ver*
closel* connected with *ou, one who belon"s to the sa%e inner )lane
"rou) or order$ This "uardian is known in so%e traditions as *our su)ervisor$
This t*)e of surveillance is often the first dut* of so%eone
who has co%)arativel* recentl* beco%e a free and acce)ted %e%ber of
the inner "rou)$ (n case of need, the "uardian can call i%%ediatel* u)on
the )ower of the order$ Guardians %a* also, if necessar*, s)eak as the
e?)ression of the totalit* of the %inds of all %e%bers on the inner levels$
These %e%bers, b* )oolin" their tele)athic facult*, can unite in
sendin" out a concentrated bea% which is received b* the "uardian$ 'o
the* s)eak throu"h the "uardian as a unit*, a voice for the "rou) %ind
of the entire order$ ,hen one inner entit* beco%es the %ediatin" channel
throu"h which an entire "rou) co%%unicates, the results are %ost
interestin" and re%arkable$ 6(n the an"elic evolution, a si%ilar %anifestation
is known, when one %e%ber of an an"elic host s)eaks with the
cor)orate authorit* of the entire choir - - e$"$, one an"el of 2esod s)eaks
as the totalit* of the !ost of the Cherubi% and as the direct a%bassador
or envo* of the Archan"el Gabriel$7 5ut under ordinar* circu%stances,
4<< "ower of +lchemy
the "uardian onl* channels the )ower of the "rou), and this )ower is
ever at *our dis)osal, should *ou need it$
At a certain )oint in sub.ective )athworkin", *ou will beco%e aware
of *our "uardian$ This contact enables *ou to )ass fro% the sub.ective
to the ob.ective Paths, into the real% of li"ht which casts no shadow, the
astral li"ht wherein is held, a%on" other thin"s, the collective unconscious
of 1un"ian )s*cholo"*$
Eventuall* *ou are led to the inner haven *ou seek - the celestial
#eshiva 6colle"e7 of the inner order of which *ou are a constituent )art$
Throu"h that order, *ou %a* be brou"ht into the lar"er )lanetar* "rou)
of all %en and wo%en consciousl* servin" the 0ivine ,ill$ This )lanetar*
"rou) is variousl* called the Great ,hite 4od"e, The ,ithdrawn >rder,
the Colle"e of the !ol* ')irit, the !ouse of (srael, and b* other
na%es$
2ou will also beco%e aware of other bein"s, the s)irit lords of the
Paths bein" walked$ (t is vitall* necessar* that *ou work on all the Paths
of the Tree, ne"lectin" none, for all - around develo)%ent is vital$ (ndeed,
it is said3 E+uilibriu% is the basis of the ,ork$ Each )ath has its own
s)irit lord, because each )ath is an e?)ression of certain factors in the
%akeu) of the universe, seen and unseen$ The s)irit lords are those
bri"ht s)irits who, b* their own essential natures, are livin" e?)ressions
of those universal factors$ ,hen *ou walk a )articular Path, *ou auto%aticall*
co%e into the influence of the s)irit lord of the Path, who ad%inisters
under the authorit* of the !alls of 1ustice$
Cnswervin" devotion to truth on *our )art is *our Ariadne's thread
throu"h the %aze of the astral )lanes of 2etzirah$ (t is b* that devotion
to truth that *ou contact the )ath's s)irit lord$ As Plotinus wrote3 There
is no reli"ion hi"her than Truth$ 'hould *ou fail in this devotion to
truth, *ou auto%aticall* co%e into o))osition with the )ath's s)irit lord
and the resultin" reaction will close the astral wa*s to *ou$ (f, however,
*ou re%ain devoted to the understandin" of truth, then the )ower of the
s)irit lord of the )ath flows and is %ade available to stren"then *ou in
the sacred Art$ The na%es of these s)irit lords of the shinin" )aths are
the esoteric titles of the ;; tarot ke*s, and are listed at the end of this
book, in A))endi? ($
!owever, not ever*thin" that a))ears as a bein" of li"ht is one$ Also,
a for% %a* be a wish - fulfill%ent )ro.ected fro% - and clothed b*the
store of i%a"es contained within *our own subconscious %ind$ To
test when the for% of an a))arent bein" a))ears - to deter%ine
whether it is indeed )roduced b* an ob.ective bein", or whether it is a
The Calvicule "B#
)ro.ected )art of *our subconscious co%)le?es - - a ,ord or #a%e is
used which re)resents for *ou the 0ivine$ The ,ord and #a%e have to
be %editated u)on over lon" )eriods, and )ictured b* a s*%bol as well$
2ou %ust )ractice - - and this is ver* i%)ortant - until the ,ord auto%aticall*
and i%%ediatle* calls u) the si"n$ Then, if a bein" a))ears and the
use of the ,ord and 'i"n causes the a))earance to vanish, it will be fairl*
certain that such an a))earance was nothin" %ore than the )ersonification
of a co%)le? in the de)ths of *our subconscious$ (n esoteric
schools that utilize cere%onial initiations, the ,ord and 'i"n of the
Grade held are used$ 'o%e #ative A%erican nations use the i%a"e and
,ord of the Children's Fire8 other )ractitioners use the #a%e and (%a"e
b* which the* reverence the 0ivine, the 5uddha, or the Christ, etc$
At the sa%e ti%e, an* false a))aritions should be noted$ At a later
date, these %a* be deliberatel* evoked into a))earance$ (n fact, if there
is a subconscious co%)le? that is )owerful enou"h to )ro.ect itself in
this wa*, the sooner it is dealt with, the better$ 4et it be evoked to i%a"inative
visible a))earance, for i%a"ination is the %a"ic %irror$ An* i%a"es
that co%e with it and an* sub.ective e%otions which arise in its
co%)an* should be carefull* noted and %ade the sub.ect of careful
%editation$ This will often "ive a clue to the ori"in of the fi"ure and, at
the sa%e ti%e, %a* dissi)ate the for% and return the ener"* )reviousl*
tra))ed within the co%)le? it re)resents into the "eneral store of )s*chic
ener"*$ This for% of %a"ical aute)s*choanal*sis is a ver* effective
%ethod if carefull* carried out$ (t is a valid tikkun$
"he ?idden Paths
>nl* after the Paths have been walked do )ractitioners co%e to those
secret )aths of the Tree that have, until now, been veiled in secrec*$
These are the Paths of Concealed Glor*, so%eti%es called the (nvisible
Paths$ The* are so called because, until )ractitioners have "ras)ed the
First &atter, the* are difficult to )erceive$ These so - called 'ecret Paths
of the Tree are the %ultitudinous nadis or etheric channels that )er%eate
the subtle bodies anato%*, described in *o"a$ The sa%e conce)t is
found in the %eridians of acu)uncture$ &acrocos%icall*, the* are the
le* lines that unite centers of ener"* u)on our )lanet and the bea%s of
ener"* that .oin each star to ever* other star in e?istence$ The secret
)aths are the threads, of the ,eb of 5ein"$
5ecause de)ictions of the secret )aths of the Tree of 4ife are ver*
rare, ( show the% here 6see fi"ures "" and "), )a"es "#", "#)&. 'tud* of
this dia"ra% shows how the Concealed Paths unite all 'e)hiroth which
"#% "ower of +lchemy
are not alread* .oined b* a visible Path$ ,hat this teaches is that all
the 'e)hiroth - the ten - fold as)ects of >ne &a.est* - are in fact united
and therefore influence one another$ Thus an* sin"le 'e)hira contains
within itself the influences of all the other nine 'e)hiroth$ This is one
%eanin" of the %uch - +uoted, but little understood, Qabalis%3 A Tree in
ever* 'e)hira$ These 'ecret Paths indicate that &ezla - the one substance,
the +uintessential First &atter of Alche%* - touches, )er%eates,
and unites ever*thin"$ And this is also wh* dia"ra%s of the Tree of 4ife
are usuall* drawn on a black surface, to conve* that the First &atter
6the %anifestation of Ain7 surrounds the Tree 6e?istence7 and utterl*
)ervades it$ The First &atter is, as said, the water which burns, the
fire which flows8 but it is also the celestial %anna, the sustenance of all
thin"s, the heavenl* dew that is the Glor* flowin" fro% the face of God$
T!E PRACT(CE3 'TAGE 0
The ustodianship
!avin" )erfor%ed the )reli%inar* works and indwelt the "ole% with
*our consciousness, descend fro% the Cha%ber of (ndwellin" to enter
the Great !all$ >nce there, be seated at *our sie"e at the table$ #otice
that the sie"e on the left of the Re"ent is e%)t*$ (t is the 'ie"e Perilous,
the e%)t* seat that will, accordin" to )ro)hec*, be filled b* the one who
will achieve the Grail - Quest and thereb* heal the land of 4o"res$ (t is the
)lace of the ruler - elect of the castle and its lands$ The !ol* Grail now
%oves to that se"%ent of the Round Table before the Re"ent$ The Re"ent
reverentl* lifts the Grail and, in )rocession with all the Fellowshi)
of the Table Round, enters the Cha)el of the Rose - Croi?$
At the altar, the Re"ent fills the Grail with wine and elevates it into
the 0ivine 4i"ht for consecration$ A white dove, bearin" a white wafer in
its beak, swoo)s down fro% the li"ht, dro)s the heavenl* %anna into
the u)raised Grail and vanishes into the dewdro) within the %*stical
rose$
Turnin" about, the Re"ent calls each in turn to drink fro% the sacred
Cu) of Cu)s$ 2ou are called last of all$ !avin" drunk, re%ain standin"
beside the Re"ent u)on the altar ste)s$
Each Co%)anion of the Table Round a"ain co%es to the altar and,
)lacin" one hand u)on the Grail and the other between *our .oined
)al%s, swears fealt* to the castle and to *ou, its true soverei"n$ ,hen
the cere%on* is co%)lete, the Co%)an* recesses back into the Great
!all$
3+e Calvi2ule "#"
Ai,ure "". 3+e 5at+- o1 Con2ealed 7lor/, t+e -o 4 2alled "0nvi-i.le 5at+-," are
+idden 1rom t+o-e w+o +ave not /et -een t+e Dnit/, revealed ./ t+e omni're-en2e
o1 t+e Air-t 9atter.
9J; Tower of Alche%*
Fi"ure 9;$ This dia"ra% shows the Concealed Paths as well as the usual
twent* - two 'hinin" Paths, dia"ra%%aticall* teachin" that each sin"le
'e)hira is united to all the other 'e)hiroth of the Tree$ The 'e)hiroth are
not ten se)arate thin"s, but ten interde)endent as)ects of the >ne &a.est*,
ten facets of the lu%inous 1ewel of Eternit*$
The Calvicule 9JE
#ow, follow the Re"ent u) to the Turret Roo% of 0a'ath$ >nce within
the cha%ber, *ou see, l*in" u)on the black control stone, over the incised
s*%bol of the Tree of 4ife, a silver cru? anasta, the ankh which is
the ancient E"*)tian si"n of eternal life$ This is the clavicule, the ke* to
all cha%bers and )athwa*s in the entire castle co%)le?$ Takin" u) the
ke*, the Re"ent raises his e*es to the ,hite 'un shinin" throu"h the
roof - window of the Turret Roo%$ Then, havin" drawn that influence
down into hi%self, he declares The 'overei"n - to - be is co%e and now
stands before Cs$ Receive thou this Clavicule to the )ortals of the 'tarr*
,a*s$ !e )asses *ou the ke*, thereb* entrustin" the clavicule into *our
kee)in"$
To"ether, *ou both return to the Great !all and back into the cha)el$
>n the altar, b* the 'word of Power, rests a s%all cushion$ The Re"ent
tells *ou that this is the a))ro)riate )lace for the clavicule to be ke)t
and re%inds *ou to co%e to the Cha)el of the Rose - Croi?, there to invoke
the blessin" of the Eternal u)on an* .ourne* *ou %a* undertake
within, or without, the Tower of the Art$
2ou both return to the Round Table and, assisted b* one of the Co%)anions,
the Re"ent sole%nl* installs *ou in the 'ie"e Perilous at his left
hand$ >nce seated, take so%e ti%e to view the Great !all fro% this different
)ers)ective$ Thank *our Co%)anions of the ')irit, the Grail brethren,
in the #a%e of the All - !ol* >ne$ Ascend back to the Cha%ber of
(ndwellin" and withdraw all back into latenc*$
Alwa*s undertake .ourne*s throu"hout the castle in the co%)an* of the
Re"ent, for his advice will be invaluable$ @isit each 'e)hirothic te%)le
cha%ber and "reet the cha%berlain and the hall's s)irit - "uardian$ ,alk
each of the twent* - two visible Paths$ The )ur)ose of all this is to brin" to
consciousness all the subtle centers and channels$ ')endin" ti%e in the
cha%bers and .ourne*in" each of the Paths clears an* obstructions or
distortions$ ,hen all this has been successfull* acco%)lished, arouse
the dra"on$ 2ou will find the difference %ost effective and interestin"$
T!E PRACT(CE3 'TAGE ;
The @i"il
Pro.ect into the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"$ ,hen *ou )ass throu"h the co)
)er door, *ou discover that the whole castle is dark, silent, and deserted$
"#8 "ower of +lchemy
0escend to the cha)el$ The onl* li"ht is the dewdro) that "lea%s in
the heart of the Rub* Rose$ C)on the altar lies the ro*al sword, the silver
clavicule, and, between the%, a circlet of alche%ical "old adorned
with the head of a dra"on$ And at the base of the Rose - Cross is a lit
la%), s*%bol of the (%%anence that indwells *ou forever$ This is the
ni"ht of sole%n vi"il$ #o one a))roaches *ou, for, on this ni"ht, *ou
%ust be alone$ This is a ti%e for intros)ective reflection - the wei"hin"
of the heart$ 4ook dee)l* within, search out an* doubts or fears, brin"
the% into the li"ht of the Rose - Cross for e?a%ination, and then absorb
the%$
4ook to the future$ 2ou will soon be the anointed and crowned soverei"n
of *our own inner kin"do%, the land of 4o"res, which, fro% the
%o%ent of *our coronation, will co%e into blossonl once %ore, after
%an*, %an* *ears of bein" a wasteland$ To *ou, the soverei"n, all in the
castle, cit*, and land will look for .ustice and wise "uidance$ 2ou have
free will in all thin"s$ ,hat will the future na%e *ouI An Arthur, a Parsifal,
a 'olo%onI >r a &ordred, a /lin"sor, a 1udasI
&editate on all this$ 5ut re%e%ber that this is *our 0ivine herita"e,
willed for *ou before ti%e be"an b* the 0ivine 'ource$ ,hen *ou feel it
a))ro)riate, ascend the altar ste)s, elevate the la%) so that its fla%e
and the Rose's dewdro) coincide and beco%e one, and offer the ancient
invocation of the )riest - kin"s, a )ra*er that was old when Atlantis sank3
!ol* art Thou, 4ord of the Cniverse8
!ol* art Thou, ,ho% nature hath not for%ed8
!ol* art Thou, the @ast and the &i"ht* >ne,
4ord of the 4i"ht and of the 0arkness$
!ere " stand and offer unto Thee, : Adonai, %* s)irit, %* soul
and %* bodies8 to be a hol* and continual sacrifice unto Thee
and to Th* Great ,ork$
Fro% the heart of the Cod - nourished silence that follows, *ou hear a
@oice s)eak3 4et the ,hite 5rilliance descendQ
,hen what then ha))ens has ha))ened, return to the Cha%ber of
(ndwellin" and withdraw$
'ra/er 1rom t+e ":ral 3radition," tran-mitted to initiate- o1 t+e Ia.ala+ mout+toear,
1rom tea2+er to -tudent.
The Calvicule 9JA
Re)eat the @i"il )ractice for as lon" as is necessar*$
T!E C>#TE&PllAT(>#
There is above the Celestial 4i"hts an (ncorru)tible Fla%e alwa*s
s)arklin"8 the s)rin" of life, the for%ation of all bein"s, the
ori"inal of all thin"s$ This Fla%e )roduceth all thin"s, and nothin"
)erisheth b* what it consu%eth$ (t %aketh itself known b*
itself $ $ $ (t enco%)asseth the heavens$
The heart should not fear to a))roach this adorable Fire, or
to be touched b* it8 it will never be consu%ed b* this sweet
Fire, whose %ild and tran+uil heat %aketh the bindin", the har%on*,
and the duration of the world$ #othin" subsisteth but b*
this Fire, which is God !i%self$ All is full of God, and God is in
all$
The Chaldean >raclesF
"3+e C+aldean :ra2le-," in G. R. S. 9ead, tran-, E2+oe- from t+e Cno-i-, vol. B
(W+eaton, 0L: 3+eo-o'+i2al 5u.li-+in, So2iet/, "#%B&.
T!E CR>,# >F 4(FE
>nl* those who do the ,ork for its own sake are initiated$
>nl* the individual who wants to %ake %anifest what
/abbalah reveals can be an initiate$
- D9ev ben 'hi%on !alevil
36E TEAC!(#G
(t will now have beco%e clear wh* the old alche%ical te?ts refer to our
&ercur*, our Gold, and our 'ul)her8 for the Great ,ork is an internal
)rocess and all the vessels of the Art are interior8 bein" in so%e cases
the )h*sical bod*, and in others the astro - etheric vehicle of the
Practitioner$ The entire hu%an bein" is the laborator* of the Great ,ork$
There are %an* instances of this "iven in the tales of the &ahasiddhas,
where the* urinate the eli?ir of life8 Ar*adeva for e?a%)le$ 5ut within
e+uals without$ >ur )ersonal world, in all its rich diversit*, is a %anifestation
of our interior consciousness$ This is wh* an initiated %a"e,
the alche%ist, effects chan"es in the outer world b* %akin" chan"es
within$ !ence, /e* V, The !iero)hant, is assi"ned to the inner world as
the inner teacher who infor%s all else and The E%)eror re)resents the
sa%e bein"lforce o)erative in the outer world$ The E%)eror is a ruler, a
soverei"n$ (f the outer world is inhar%onious, it is because the inner
world is as well$ !owever, these two worlds - inner and outer - inter)enetrate
as in the "eo%etric construction of the vesica - )iscis 6see fi"ure N,
)a"e 99:7$ The* are, in fact, united, since the* are both the )roduct of
consciousness, of %ind$ (n truth, ever*thin" is %ental in ori"in, arisin"
fro% the 0ivine &ind or the Pri%ordial 'trea% of Consciousness$ (t is
FEev .en S+imon 6alevi, "he Work o1 the Ka>>alist (?ork Bea2+, M$0 Samuel Wei-er,
"#B(&, 1rom t+e 're1a2e.
9JN Tower of +lchemy
re)orted that when "ivin" a )ublic lecture 'wa%i @ivekananda said to
his listeners3 (n fort* *ears of livin" ( have seen nothin" but God, and
neither have *ou$
The Ruler of the (nner /in"do%$ #ote the use of the 0ra"on 6/undalini7 as
the 'overei"n's footstool$ 4a%bs)rink3 0e4a)ide Philoso)hica fi"ure et e%ble%ata,
in &usaeu% !er%eticu% retor%atu% et a%)lificatu%, Frankfurt,
9<KN$
!owever, there is a ti%e - dela* )heno%enon between causes bein"
set in %otion in the inner world and their effects a))earin", full* %anifest,
in the outer world$ This needs to be taken into account so that *ou
do not beco%e disheartened or fall )re* to %elancholia, as the old alche%ical
books ter% it$ 4a%a Ana"arika Govinda e?)lains this dela* between
causation and result in his book, Foundations of Tibetan &*sticis%3
The Crown of 4ife 9JJ
The cor)oreal for% %a* be co%)ared to a heav* )endulu%
which, even after the ori"inal i%)ulse has ceased, "oes on
swin"in" for a lon" ti%e$ The lon"er and heavier the )endulu%,
the slower the rate of oscillation$ ,hen the %ind has alread*
reached a state of )eace and har%on* b* havin" balanced or
counteracted throu"h a chan"e of attitude the after - effects of
)revious actions, the kar%ic effect 6vi)Gka7 cr*stallized in the
bodil* for% can still oscillate for a lon" ti%e before co%)lete
har%onization has been achieved in the for% of bodil* )erfection$
This can onl* be hastened b* a conscious )enetration,
s)iritualization and transfi"uration of the bod*, as it is re)orted
of certain 'iddhas and, above all, of the 5uddha, whose bod* is
said to have been of such unearthl* beaut* and radiance, that
even the "olden robes which were offered to hi%, lost their
luLter$L
The %eans b* which the conscious )enetration, s)iritualization and
transfi"uration of the bod* occurs, is the willed arousal of /undalini,
the for% - %akin" )ower, which tri""ers off the descent of the nectar or
eli?ir fro% the interior &ercur* center of /ether throu"hout the )h*sical
bod*$ This occurs as the result of the dee) absor)tion 6dh*ani7 into
Cos%ic Consciousness$ The indication of the down - flowin" of the
alche%ical eli?ir 62o"a ter%s it nectar7 is a feelin" of transcendent
bliss that "raduall* fills the bod*, resultin" in 'a%adhi, shown as /e*
U((, The !an"ed &an$ The Eli?ir of 4ife is &ezla, for the bloodstrea%
6the blood of the Red 4ion7 is the %icrocos%ic as)ect of &ezla$ (t is
known that certain states of consciousness - )s*chic and %*sticalcause
%inute +uantities of che%icals to be released into the bloodstrea%$
These che%icals are released b* certain "lands that are the
)h*sical e?)ressions of the u))er chakras$ The )rinci)al one is the
)ineal "land, the site of the )otential 'tone$ The )ineal "land has a )ivotal
function in the for%ation of the )h*sical bod*$ ,hen an ovu% has
been fertilized, the )ineal "land for%s three and one - half da*s after conce)tion,
and is directl* res)onsible for the for%ation of the subse+uent
foetus$ As it is with the for%ation of the natural bod*, so it is with that
of the su)ernatural bod*$ The )ro)ortions of the che%icals released
into the bloodstrea% are %inute and cannot be "au"ed fro% the self -
Lama na,arika 7ovinda, Aoundation- of 3i.etan Mysticism (?ork Bea2+, 9E:
Samuel Wei-er, 9J<J7$ )$ <J$
@77 "ower of +lchemy
conscious level, but are re"ulated b* the subconscious, as the cor)oreal
or incarnatin" intelli"ence, /e* U@(((, The &oon$ 'o The Dohar calls
Gabriel 6Archan"el of 2esod, the &oon, our 'ilver7 the dis)enser of the
%edicine of God$ (n other words, the Red ,ork is effected throu"h the
a"enc* of the ,hite ,ork beneath the threshold of self - awareness$ (t is
for this reason that use of recreational dru"s is ina))ro)riate for the
,ork and wh* it is forbidden b* esoteric schools$
The s)iritualizin" effect of the eli?ir is "radual and cu%ulative$ (t
needs to be )ersisted in 6*o"a ter%s this )ersistence %ilkin" the heavenl*
cow7 throu"h the sta"es of accli%atization and )er%eation, until
eventuall*, co%)lete saturation is attained$ The 5uddha 'hak*a - &uni
tau"ht that the bod* of a %editator who attained the state of dee) absor)tion
!dhyani), would be co%)letel* filled with bliss 6like 1etsun -
&ilare)a7$ This is because in the inter%ediate level of )ractice /undalini
is confined to the s)inal colu%n, but in su)ervised, advanced )ractice,
the Fier* Power )er%eates and saturates the entire or"anis%, even
down to the toes, to &alkuth$
The deathless bod* is re)resented b* two i%a"es, which var* accordin"
to cultural settin"$ (n the &*ster* strea%s of Atlantis and E"*)t,
the new bod* is i%a"ed as a boat or shi), a vessel for the s)irit$ (n both
locations, a river is the )rinci)al %eans of trans)ort - the River #aradek,
in Atlantis, and the #ile, in E"*)t$ 'o the invocations of those traditions
s)eak of creatin" a new bar+ue for the soul's .ourne* to 4i"ht, 4ife, and
4ove$ (n Qabalah and in the 2o"a of (ndia and Tibet, the new vehicle is
ter%ed a chariot, )rinci)all* because this was a co%%on %eans of
trans)ortation, but also because ori"inall*, chariots were used b* ro*alt*
alone$ The s*%bolis% of tarot /e* V00, The Chariot, is re)lete with this
teachin"3 the rider is the !i"her - 'elf 6/rishna as the charioteer in the
5ha"avad - Gita78 the car of the chariot is the )h*sical bod* 6it is cubic in
sha)e to show that the 'tone is actuall* found in )h*sicalit*78 the four
colu%ns holdin" u) the starr* cano)* indicate the ele%ents8 and the
two s)hin?es drawin" the chariot are both as)ects of the 4ower 'elf, the
incarnate soul, and the )h*sical senses throu"h which it interacts with
the %aterial )lane$ The best - known use of this i%a"e is that of Eli.ah ascendin"
to heaven in a chariot of fire - fire here bein" an i%a"e of the
Radiant Ener"*$ (t is tau"ht that Eli.ah, not havin" tasted death, a))ears
fro% ti%e to ti%e to hel) (srael in her need$ Also, several advanced Qabalists
have been )ersonall* instructed b* Eli.ah, the )ro)het actin" as
their &a""id, their inner teacher$ (n Alche%*, the final sta"es of the Great
,ork occur when the %*sterious Elias - Artisan co%es$ This na%eElias -
Artisan - is si%)l* 4atin for the "reat teacher of the Art, Eli.ah$
The Crown of 4ife ;:9
4ike the old ro*al chariots, the chariot of the solar bod* has four
wheels$ ,heel is the root %eanin" of the 'anskrit word, cha'ra, used
because of the chakras' rotatin" %otion$ The four chakras that are the
wheels of the fier* chariot of the s)irit are the &ercur* and @enus centers
to the front and the 'un and &ars centers to the back$ This is the
Mer'a>ah which was seen in Ezekial's vision in the @alle* of 5ones, the
o%ni)resent throne of Ada% - Qad%on$ The na%e &erkabah is also "iven
to the 1ewish %*stical s*ste% of the )ost - Te%)le )eriod$
"he Golden -ehicle
(n Qabalistic )hiloso)h*, all %anifestation is re"arded as the livin", lu%inous
"ar%ent of God$ 'o too, in the %icrocos%, that s)ark, that
)oint of eternal li"ht is )resent and active in every ato% of our bodies
on all levels$
&odern science, b* the use of %echanical and electrical laws, has
brou"ht hu%anit* into a )osition where it has indeed .oined the ranks of
the forces behind evolution, but this is onl* half of what %a* *et be
done$ For, as the nu%ber of those who %aster the alche%ical Art "rows,
%ore and %ore %en and wo%en will find the%selves beco%in" channels
of those hidden )owers which are the creative ener"ies of the universe$
'uch )eo)le will directl* )erceive and work with these livin" forces, dis)ensin"
with an* %aterial, %echanical, or electrical aid$ Governin" the
ethereal ener"ies of the )lanet, the* will, b* the catal*tic action of certain
)rocesses within their own or"anis%s, %odif* and transfor% the
%aterial real% around the%$ This chan"e will not be effected in the crucible
and the retort of the %aterial scientist, but in the athanor and the
crucible of the true alche%ists' own inner or"anis%s$ ,orkin" u)on the
raw %aterial of the 'oul of the ,orld 6the anima mundi), the* will )roduce
those %aterial effects which are toda* re"arded as the fine flowerin"
of %aterialistic science$
The etheric sha)es of all )ast for%s lie latent in the astral li"ht of
the universe, and with that astral li"ht we are inse)arabl* connected$
This astral li"ht was ancientl* called the coils of the celestial 0ra"on$
,hen the Fier* Power of the inner self is aroused, the )h*sical bod*
%a* be rebuilt fro% ruin and restored to )erfect health because of the
inner healin" abilit* 6the universal %edicine'I, which de)ends u)on
this innate knowled"e fro% the i%%e%orial )ast$ Cnder certain conditions,
this innate knowled"e can de%aterialize and re - %aterialize the
)h*sical bod* and refor% it with new and health* )atterns$ &oreover,
this sa%e %aster* over the "ross %atter of the )h*sical bod* can e?tend
to a si%ilar %aster* over e?ternal nature$
;:; "ower of +lchemy
The universal %edicine is an actual )h*sical substance, )roduced
b* alche%ical 'a"es fro% their own )h*sical bodies$ !i"h ade)ts %a*
entrust the eli?ir to students, but, of course, the students cannot re)roduce
it$ (n a))earance, the universal %edicine looks like red )owder, often
referred to as the red tincture, since it )er%eates all it touches$ (
had the )rivile"e of "uardin" the tincture for a )eriod of ti%e$ (t was )roduced
b* a "reat alche%ical Ade)t of the ;:th centur*$
There is nothin" which is )ast - no for% of beaut* or of "racewhich
does not still e?ist in the de)ths of the astral li"ht$ ,hen those
who are re%ade in the )attern of the new hu%an, the 'a"es, choose to
use their creative )ower, whatever in the )ast was of "oodness, beaut*,
or truth %a* be brou"ht once %ore into %aterial %anifestation$ 'uch
%aster* over nature is )redicated in the Resurrection bod* b* 1ewish,
Christian, and (sla%ic theolo"*$ These sa%e )owers are the characteristics
of that bod* of clear li"ht, built b* the )ower Kryasha'ti s)oke of in
the Eastern esoteric schools$ Co%)letion of the ,ork - Enli"hten%entis
not e?tinction or a )assin" fro% 4ife$ (t is life in its fullness, in its
)lenitude$ ,e hu%ans, as a s)ecies, have as *et onl* a fra"%entar* )erce)tion
of what universal life is$ The 'a"es have not )assed out of life,
but the* are freed fro% the need for birth and death$ (t is fro% the ,heel
of 5irths and 0eaths, 6co%%onl* called the ',heel of 4ife b* the uninstructed7
that the 'a"e is freed$ This liberation is the result of the 'a"e
havin" )assed to the center of the wheel - the still )oint, the zero, the
Ale)h$ (n !ebrew, the words for ( and #o - Thin" 6Ain7 are s)elled with
the sa%e letters !(%K), onl* the )honetic )ointin" varies$
(t was the )erfectin" of the deathless solar bod*, whose e%br*o is
the solar dro) within the heart center, that "ave rise to the ancient
E"*)tian custo% of e%bal%in" the dead and coverin" the% with "old$
The E"*)tians described %u%%ification as bein" sealed in s)lendor$
The Tibetans also )ractice a for% of %u%%ification in the case of the
)h*sical re%ains of ver* hi"hl* - realized la%as$ 'uch %u%%ies are
called mardong. The bod* is e%bal%ed with salt and lac+uer and covered
with "oldleaf, then robed and enshrined within a chorten %ade of
)recious %etals$ The bod* of 1e - Tson" - /ha)a 69EAK - 9F9J c$E$7, founder
of the Gelu")a tradition, was so )reserved and venerated at Ganden
&onaster*, near 4hasa, until it was desecrated b* the Chinese invaders,
althou"h relics have been )reserved and taken to 5odh"a*a in (ndia$
The late senior tutor of the )resent 0alai 4a%a, /*ab - .e 4in" Rin)ochC,
was the first la%a to have been accorded this "reat honor in e?ile, after
the Chinese ra)e of the 4and of 'nows and the subse+uent Tibetan
The Crown of 4ife ;:E
0ias)ora$ (n fact, all e?oteric reli"ious beliefs concernin" i%%ortalit* are
rooted in the innate knowled"e 6within the collective unconscious7 of
the solar bod* as a )otential for all hu%anit*$
$ffect in the *uter 2orld
The stud* of esoteric science, if carried out effectivel*, has the end result
of alterin" the )ersonalities of )ractitioners so that the* beco%e
centers of radiation, their thou"hts and e%otions )owerfull* affectin"
other )eo)le throu"h tele)athic radiation$ Those who% this knowled"e
and )ractice %a* hel) are unconsciousl* drawn into closer contact with
these )ractitioners$ 'o%eti%es, a chain of circu%stances brin"s so%eone
who is read* for the knowled"e - often a total stran"er - into contact
with the )ractitioner$ The directin" intelli"ences who deter%ine
these %atters %a* be livin" %en and wo%en of the senior "rades of the
s)iritual !ierarch*, or the* %a* be e?carnate bein"s of si%ilar "rades of
unfold%ent$
There are those who have trod the Path and accelerated their evolution
in accordance with the ,ill of the Eternal$ These illu%ined 'a"es
have learned the lessons of Earth$ The* have so advanced their latent
ca)abilities, that the* are &asters of 4ife, free of the kinder"arten of
Earth$ The* are now #eo)h*tes of the &*steries of the Cos%os$ These
%asters then turn their attention to the stru""lin" race of hu%anit*, with
who% the* are still linked$ (t is the 'a"es who, throu"h their )u)ils, or"anize
fro% behind the scenes the various esoteric "rou)s and or"anizations$
Those who tr*, with )urit* of %otive, to hasten their evolution are
hel)ed b* these %asters and their )u)ils throu"h the various esoteric
schools$
As we develo) relationshi)s with co%)anions in the inner worlds,
we also are "iven )oints of %eetin" therein$ (n dee) slee), in trance, and
at death, we unite with our co%)anions as the* co%e to"ether in the
Great ,hite 4od"e and, in our de"ree, we take our )laces in the Great
Council which, under the eternal, for%s the invisible "overn%ent of the
world$ 5ut re%e%ber3 indwellin" each of *ou, is that s)ark of the 0ivine
which %akes *ou, in *our own 'elf, a Child of the Eternal and so united
to all these Great >nes$
Althou"h the hi"her levels of that council and "rades of that 4od"e
of the hol* s)irits of the Face are convened in real%s be*ond an*thin"
that our i%a"e - %akin" %inds %a* build 6be*ond the worlds of for%3
Assiah and 2etzirah7, *et in the dee) astral )lanethe interface between
5riah and 2etzirah - there are "reat edifices built u) in the %atter of that
;:F Tower of Alche%*
real%, and it is in these invisible lod"es, the te%)les built without
hands, that we "ather with our co%)anions before ascendin" hi"her$
5ecause all is a unit* - the >ne - in - All that is also the All - in - >nethese
Great >nes, the 4ords of Co%)assion, are as %uch within us, in
)otential, as the* e?ist within the ob.ective %acrocos% of Cos%ic 4ife$
(n his book, The Philoso)her's 'tone, (srael Re"ardie wrote3
(n these secret )s*cholo"ical or s)iritual de)ths there e?ist, so (
contend, the archet*)es of all the saints that ever lived, the 0ivine
i%a"es of their attain%ents$ !er%es, 5asil @alentine, 'endivo"ius,
'*nsius, /hunrath, Eudo?us, and all other bein"s we
consider "reat not onl* in Alche%* but also in %*sticis% and
reli"ion - these bein"s have left indelible traces in the dee)er
)arts of our own souls$ $ $ $
'ince these bein"s were illu%inated, and abundantl* blessed
and 0ivinel* "ifted, it is evident that we too are alread*, here
and now, likewise illu%inated$ ,e also are si%ilarl* 0ivinel*
blessed and 0ivinel* "uided, if onl* we would realize it$ ,e can
realize it$ The* realized it$ The* were but %en even as we are
now$ The* achieved and acco%)lished the su)re%e trans%utation$
,e also can achieve$ That trans%utation alread* e?ists in
us now - at this ver* %o%ent of s)ace and ti%e$ All we %ust do
is so%ehow to realize it$ Then the trans%utation is %ade %anifest
and clear$ As we co%e to understand that 1esus and 5uddha,
!er%es and all the other ade)ts and saints of all ti%e
alread* e?ist dee) within us, then b* reflection u)on their lives
and their words we %ake %anifest what hitherto had been
concealed$ ,e evoke the% fro% within, and beco%e conse+uentl*
that which we have invoked$ $ $ $ The Philoso)her's
'tone of 0ivine understandin" and knowled"e will then have
been conLocted$L
This is the true esoteric teachin" that lies behind the e?oteric do"%a of
the Co%%union of 'aints$
+ rown of ,ife 2ill ( Give Gnto "hee
(n the abishekas, the tantric e%)ower%ents of the @a.ra*ana, the reci)ients
are invested with ro*al re"alia to si"nif* their inheritance as sons
0-rael Re,ardie, The (hiloso+her1s &tone (London: Rider, no date&, ''. )%*, )%8.
The Crown of 4ife ;:A
and dau"hters of the 5uddhas, and to re)resent the 'a%bho"a - /a*a 6solar
bod*7 of the bodhisattvas, who are re)resented in sacred icono"ra)h*
wearin" .eweled, ro*al orna%ents when in their Diwa, their )eaceful,
as)ects$ (n the ancient cere%onial )resentations of the &*steries, the
candidate is often invested with ro*al re"alia$ 6'ee The Golden Ass, b*
A)ulius, a Ro%an )riest of (Lis$7LT his is true in %odern cere%onials as
well$
Eli)has 4Cvi reco%%ended that %a"es conduct the%selves as
)riests and as %onarchs - ine?ile$ (nvestiture with the re"alia of a soverei"n
trans%its, at a dee)er level than the surface %ind, the knowled"e
that we are the offs)rin" of the o%ni)otent Rulin" Power of the universe
and that, within us, that sa%e Rulin" Power will order all thin"s well - if
we let "o and let God$
Preliminaries
The followin" )ractice should be read several ti%es, as *ou would a theater
scri)t, to beco%e fa%iliar with the details$ Then, havin" chosen an
aus)icious ti%e, undertake this )ractice onl* once, but with )ower and
intention$
36E PRACT(CE
!avin" established warded and sacred s)ace, invoke the four Princes of
!eaven and )erfor% the )reli%inar* e?ercises$ E?teriorize the castle "ole%
and transfer *our awareness into it$ >nce within, assert *our )resence
as the indwellin" consciousness$ Put on the indi"o robe over the
white one and )lace the silver sandals u)on *our feet$ Fro% the Cha%ber
of (ndwellin", "o to the head of the lunar stairwa* and walk down it$
Feel the %oist, cool breeze blowin" in *our face as *ou descend$ Tread
the stairwa* all the wa* down into the 5ridal !all of &alkuth$ There,
%ake *our dedication to the Eternal seekin" to %anifest the 0ivine ,ill
on Earth$
Goin" to the solar s)iral stairwa*, ascend the stairs, feelin" the dr*,
war% breeze blowin" u) behind *ou$ ,alk u) the entire stairwa*, back to
the landin" of 0a'ath$ Fro% there, enter the Turret Roo% and, after )ullin"
the )ur)le cord, walk u) the "olden stairs and onto the battle%ents$
Go to stand u)on the window inset into the floor of the battle%ents$ 2ou
'uliu-, 3+e 7olden +ss, 5. G. Wal-+, tran-. (New ?ork: :x1ord Dniver-it/ 5re--,
"##8&.
@75 "ower of +lchemy
are standin" within the s*%bol of the si? - ra*ed star on either side of *our
feet are two sacred letters of the Tetra"ra%%aton3 K9 K' - 2od - !e - @au - !e
6That which was, is and shall be7, the >ne Realit*, for Th* ,ord is a
li"ht unto %* feet$ 4ookin" to the ,hite 'un above, o)en *ourself to its illu%inatin"
influence$ 4et the li"ht )er%eate and saturate *our entire bein"
until all is li"ht$
2ou have no idea how %uch ti%e has )assed, for a thousand *ears
are as but a %o%ent with Thee$ Gentl*, a )resence %akes itself known,
a tinklin" sound like silver bells$ (t is the elfen +ueen fro% the enchanted
forest$
(n eons )ast, she sa*s, before the current turnin" of the zodiac, in
&u, when even Atlantis was a drea% unborn, there ca%e to the "reen
and sa))hire Earth fro% the s)here of the &ornin" 'tar, Great >nes -
4ords of 4i"ht - to initiate consciousness within e%br*onic hu%anit*$
As she s)eaks, she see%s to be seein" the scenes she describes8
and *ou catch i%a"es of these )ri%ordial ti%es in her violet e*es, as she
reads fro% the i%)erishable record$
After hu%anit* had been established u)on the ,a* of 4ife, %an* of
these '%id - wives' withdrew back be*ond the @eil of Ain - 'o)h - Aur8 but
so%e re%ained to "uide and )rotect, until the end$ >ne of their nu%ber
has been u)on the Earth ever since those far - off da*s$ !e is the !idden
,atcher, the s)iritual /in" of the ,orld, who received the Kalacha'ra
teachin"s of Ti%e, and has trans%itted the% to the 'a"es and their )u)ils$
Fro% this tower, to the east, *ou %a*, one da*, )erceive the dia%ond -
star of his terrestrial abode, the 'Place where the ,ill of God is
known$' #ow co%e sire, *our kin"do% has been bereft for lon" enou"h8
for the land and its ruler are one$
'he takes *our forear% and to"ether *ou %ove to the stairs leadin"
back down to the Turret Roo%$ 2ou notice that the indi"o robe of
conceal%ent has vanished, for *ou are robed in )urest white$
Passin" throu"h the Turret Roo%, *ou see a na%e written in the
o)en book in letters of black fire$ Re%e%ber it, for it is *our awarded
Throne #a%e$ Go now to the s)iral stairwa*s and descend, via the &oon
channel, to the landin" of Ti)hareth$
There, before the arch veiled with rainbow %ists, *our Re"ent
awaits *ou$ !e s%iles at *our a))roach and inclines his head$
Re%e%ber, %* lie"e, he advises, That it is not in )h*sical distance
but in selfish e%otional and %ental vibrations that there lies the
onl* real 'distance' between *ou and the rest of life$ 2ou are indeed, now
and alwa*s, one with all that lives$
The Crown of 4ife ;:K
Then, with the elven +ueen on one side and the Re"ent u)on the
other, )rocess throu"h the rainbow colored %ists and forward to *our
destin*$
The Great !all has e?)anded to acco%%odate the "atherin"$ (t is lit
with burnin" candelabra and hun" with "arlands of %idsu%%er flowers$
The ei"ht tarot ta)estries that adorn its walls "low with threedi%ensiona9
color and it is thron"ed with a "reat asse%bl* of bein"s$ 'o%e *ou
know, but %an*, as *et, *ou do not$ There are re)resentatives of the lifefor%s
with which *ou share *our )lanetar* ho%e a%on" the starsa%bassadors,
in "rade u)on "rade, of innu%erable lives3 ani%al, bird,
re)tile, insect, fish, and the whole of the ve"etable kin"do%, the trees,
flowers, and herbs, as well as those nature s)irits and ele%entals who are
)ersonifications of the livin" ele%ental essence which lies behind all )heno%ena$
There also, in rank u)on rank, are the s)irits of nature, the 'hinin"
>nes, the 4ordl* >nes who dwell in the !ollow !ills, the An"els of
&usic and 'ound, the An"els of !ealin", the %i"ht* ,arriors of the 4i"ht,
who are indeed 'tars of the &ornin", and the Cos%ocratores, the universe -
builders$ And be*ond the% all stands &enes - robed as at *our
dubbin" - re)resentin" that %i"ht*, alle%bracin" consciousness who is
the vicero*, under God, of this )lanet$ There are )resent bein"s fro% all
the kin"do%s of creation, fro% all known evolutions, for this is a dele"ation
of the universal life - e?)ression in which *ou have *our inte"ral and
uni+ue )art to )la*$ 5ut all )resent in this hall do have one thin" in co%%on3
there is .o* u)on ever* face$
The Co%)anions of the Round Table for% an avenue, each one holdin"
a "litterin", u)raised sword, and *ou walk beneath this shinin" arch
of steel to the center of the !all$ The Round Table has sunk into the
floor - to beco%e an indi"o dais on the white - "old floor$ The "old zodiac
si"ns about the ri% %ake of it a )otent circle of cos%ic %a"ic$ (n the
center of the dais is set the "reat statue of the 5lack (sis, raised fro% the
#u)tial Cha%ber$ C)on her la), bathed in a sunbea% fro% above, rests
the sacred Grail, transfor%ed into the eidolon of the hol*, "olden
Child - that Child s)oken of in The Dohar who "ives instruction in the
secrets of !eaven$
2ou "ive reverence to the Co - E%er"ent &other and to the hol* Child
she nurtures$ Then, still escorted b* the Elven Queen and the Re"ent,
*ou follow &enes around the raised dais and, enterin" beneath the
)hoeni? - blazoned shield, )ass into the hallowed )eace of the cha)el$
There, the Re"ent divests *ou of *our sandals and white robe$
Ascendin" the altar ste)s, before the lu%inous Rose - Cross, *ou %ake, in
@7< "ower of +lchemy
the words ')irit "ives *ou, *our )etition, offerin", and oath of fealt* to
the 0ivine$ (nvisible hands lift *ou u) and onto the Cross of Gold, *our
heart chakra co - centered with the Rub* Rose, *our ar%s outstretched
u)on the cross, hands u)turned in 'enosis, in self - e%)t*in"$ ,ith soul
si"ht *ou "aze lon"in"l* u)on the ,hite 'un blazin" above the tower$
Then, the voice of &enes )roclai%s3 Thou with th* hands outreached
u)on the Cross of 'acrifice hast drawn the All - Power unto th* 'elfQ
2ou are brou"ht down as *ou were lifted u)$ Assisted b* the Re"ent,
&enes sanctifies *ou with the oil of consecration, visible s*%bol of the
&ezla$ Then, robed a"ain in white and shod in silver, the* escort *ou
back into the Great !all and the "athered asse%bl*$
The i%a"e of 5lack (sis no lon"er bears the Grail Child$ >nce %ore
in the for% of a cu), the Grail is held now b* an ancient, beautiful wo%an
robed in rainbow vest%ents$ 'he is &aria - Pro)hetissa - a )atroness
of the Art - &iria% the !i"h Priestess of the 'hekinah and sister to
&oses the 4aw"iver$ 2ou stand on the dais before the eidolon of (sis, facin"
those "athered$ The Great Co%)anions a))roach, one b* one, each
holdin" a cushion that bears an ite% of the ro*al re"alia$ &enes, assisted
b* the Re"ent and the s)irit "uardian of the cha)el, invests *ou with the
sacred "ar%ents and orna%ents that )refi"ure s)iritual ener"ies$
>ver the white robe is )laced a blue tunic, which is "irt into )lace
with a silver belt of twelve links, each bearin" a si"n of the zodiac$ To
one side of the silver belt is attached E?calibur, the sword of s)iritual
ro*alt*8 on the other side han"s the Clavicule of ,isdo%, the ke* to this
%*stic citadel and its starr* )aths$ The robe of state, a volu%inous %antle
of dee) indi"o, is )laced about *our shoulders$ (t will serve *ou now
as did the indi"o robe of the )ast$ Finall*, a cr*stal orb sur%ounted b* a
"old cross is )laced in *our left hand$ (t is the Perfection of the Pentacle$
Then the Re"ent and the s)irit "uardian fro% the cha)el )lace *ou
u)on the la) of Great (sis, the enro*alin" throne$ 5* this act *ou are indissolubl*
united to the kin"do%$
2ou sit there, bathed in the li"ht fro% the inner sun, u)on the la) of
the Great &other, *our feet u)on hers, u)held a"ainst the breasts that
are filled with the %ilk of the stars$ &enes a))roaches, holdin" in his
hands the "old circle, the ro*al diade% adorned with the dra"on's head$
!e raises it hi"h above *ou, where it flashes in the sunli"ht$ Then he
lowers it and "entl* but fir%l* )laces it u)on *our head, while he softl*
breathes the utterl* si%)le - *et )otent - invocation, God save the /in"
6or Queen7Q
The Crown of 4ife ;:J
The invocation is taken u) and re)eated b* all asse%bled3 God
save the /in" 6or Queen7Q ,hile heralds )roclai% it fro% the walls of
the castle, %essen"ers ride out to announce it to all the inhabitants of
4o"res and the church bells in the town of Ca%elot rin" out a .o*ous
)eal$
&aria - Pro)hetissa now a))roaches, bearin" the Grail$ 'he holds it
for *ou to drink fro%$ For a %o%ent, *ou are aware that the descendin"
bea% of sunli"ht has transfi"ured into a bein" of "old li"ht, a bein" of
celestial and eternal beaut*$ 2ou are enfolded and overshadowed b* the
!i"her 'elf$ And as the cu) is lowered fro% *our li)s, *ou see that the
veiled shield u)on the hall's western wall is now uncovered and u)on it
"lea%s a s*%bol, *our )ersonal si"n of )ower$ 2ou have now received a
new na%e and a si"n b* which to e?ert authorit* when needful$
#ow, in )rocession, the Great Co%)anions of the Table a))roach
and, as *ou "ive to each one the kiss of )eace, the* are absorbed into
*ou, takin" their )laces within, until onl* the Re"ent re%ains$ !e will re%ain
in the Turret Roo% and %inister to *ou there$
Risin" fro% the throne of the "oddess, *ou )ass back into the cha)el
and there restore the sword, clavicule and ro*al orb to the altar$ 2ou are
about to leave when &enes tells *ou, The 'ce)ter of Power *ou have
not *et received8 it lies within the heart$ ,ith the Re"ent, *ou )ass back
u) to the battle%ents and look out u)on the land$ (t is clear and bri"ht,
the %ias%ic %ists have "one, the trees are in blosso%, the fields ri)e
with wheat, and the rivers, )onds, and strea%s s)arkle )ure and
unconta%inated$
4ovin"l* leavin" the Re"ent in the Turret Roo%, *ou return once
%ore to the Great !all of Ti)hareth$ ,ithin, the asse%bl* is "one, the
Table Round is re - established and all is as it was before *our coronation,
e?ce)t that *our sie"e has been rotated to the east, before the entrance
to the cha)el, and is now the sie"e of the soverei"n$ 2ou take *our )lace,
bathin" once %ore in the har%onizin" li"ht of the Grail$ >ne b* one, the
thou"ht - )resences of the Great Co%)anions a))ear in their sie"es, for
the* are without and within$ All save one )lace - that on *our i%%ediate
ri"ht - is filled$ This vacant )lace is for the various inner teachers who
will in turn co%e to instruct *ou in various as)ects of the ,ork$ 2ou will
know when a new teacher co%es, for the na%e will be inscribed in the
5ook of /nowled"e within the Turret Roo%$ Throu"h the Grail, "ive
thanks to the Eternal and to its %inisters, in whose co%)an* *ou sit at
the Table Round$
;9 : "ower of +lchemy
Return to the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"$ There, divest *ourself of the
re"alia - all save the white robe and Rose - Croi? la%en - and )lace the
dra"on diade% u)on the cushion that awaits it$ Then withdraw consciousness
fro% the "ole% and absorb *our citadel and kin"do% back
into latenc* and seal the cere%on*$ Record, rest, and$ $ $ God save *our
&a.est*$
(n the co%)an* of the Re"ent, "o to each of the 'e)hirothic halls within
the tower, followin" the se+uence of the 4i"htnin" Flash$ ,ithin each
cha%ber, intone the relevant 0ivine #a%e - b* which the Absolute is
adored in that 'e)hira - and kindle an ever - burnin" la%) u)on its altar$
&o%entaril*, be seated in the throne of the hall, then renew the Cha%berlain's
ri"ht to )reside therein on *our behalf$ This )rocedure needs
to be done in all the halls of the s)heres - e?ce)t Ti)hareth - before
)assin" on to the final )ractice$
T!E C>#TE&P,T(>#
5odh"a*a, where the one, who for ;,A:: *ears )eo)le have considered
to be the 'avior, the 4iberator, the Con+ueror of 'ufferin",
%editated here8 stru""led throu"h the battle with hi%self
and triu%)hed$
!ere, after havin" found the Path of 4ife be*ond all lives and
all deaths, Gauta%a - the 5uddha - decided to set the ,heel of
the 0octrine in %otion and to "ive &an the teachin" of the #oble
Truths, which e%bodies the true vision of ,hat ('$ And also
to teach about the Path that leads fro% 0arkness to 4i"ht8 fro%
(llusion to Truth8 fro% 0eath to Eternit*$ $ $ $
!ere, beneath a tree$ $ $ the noble Prince who had "iven u)
the throne $ $ $ and who had beco%e a %onk to free hi%self and
to free other bein"s fro% all )ain and sufferin"$ !ere Gauta%athe
&uni of the 'hak*a clan - on the %ornin", that followed a
ni"ht, that will be blessed forever8 beca%e 5uddha, the Enli"htened
>ne, the Awakened >ne, the Perfect >ne$
Arnaud 0es.ardinsA
"he Message of the "i>etans, 'rodu2ed >y rnaud @e-jardin-, li>e @i11u-ion, "#;*,
video2a--ette.
Eor we are no more strangers and foreignersB >ut fellowciti8ens with
the Aaints, and of the ?ousehold of od. (n 2hom all the >uilding, fitly
framed togetherB groweth into a holy temple in the ,ord. $ $ $ $xcept the
,ord >uild the houseB they la>our in vain that >uild it.%
- The !ol* Eucharist
T!E TEAC!(#G
The E"*)tian school is the fountainhead of the ,estern &*steries, the
&other 4od"e havin" been established there as the abode of the 5ee
/in"$ (n "he Ky>alion - that book of wisdo% written b* three !er%etic
initiates, it sa*s3
(n ancient E"*)t dwelt the "reat Ade)ts and &asters who have
never been sur)assed, and who seldo% have been e+ualled,
durin" the centuries that have taken their )rocessional fli"ht
since the da*s of the Great !er%es$ (n E"*)t was located the
Great 4od"e of 4od"es of the &*stics$ At the doors of her Te%)les
entered the #eo)h*tes who afterwards as !iero)hants, Ade)ts
and &asters, travelled to the four corners of the earth,
carr*in" with the% the )recious knowled"e which the* were
read*, an?ious and willin" to )ass on to those who were read*
to receive the sa%e$ All students of the >ccult reco"nise the
debt that the* owe to these venerable &asters of that ancient
land$R
' Arom t+e "S+orter Aorm o1 t+e 6ol/ Eu2+ari-t," in ,iturgy of the ,i>eral atholic
hurch, (t+ edition, "#B*.
3+ree 0nitiate-, "he Ky>alion (7eneva, 0L: ?o,i 5u.li2ation So2iet/, "#%B&.
) ") "ower of +lchemy
(t was in the cos%o)olitan cit* of Ale?andria that all the best in the
E"*)tian and Grecian &*steries was brou"ht to"ether b* the 'chool of a
Thousand 2ears, and so )assed into the %*stical and esoteric strea%
within the earl* Christian church$ (t was fro% the (nner Te%)le of the
Grail that - in the ti%e foreseen - there ori"inated that %*thic i%)ulse
which, havin" alread* been )lanted in the 5lessed (sles of Albion 65ritain7
in far earlier ti%es, under other na%es and for%s fro% the land now
lost, beca%e the &atter of 5ritain$ 5ein" revivified b* the new i%)ulse,
it s)read fro% 5ritain to Euro)e, beco%in" clothed in the )oe%s and
son"s of the trouvCres, the troubadours, and the &innesin"ers as the
hi"h ro%ance of the !ol* Grail$ This is wh* the Arthurian %*thos is
used in ,estern Alche%*$ The s)iritual influence of the Craeco - E"*)tian
&*steries, that flowered in Ale?andria over two thousand *ears a"o, is
ensouled b* the hi"h s)iritual )ower which ever flows fro% the ,ithdrawn
Te%)le of the Grail, and is )rofoundl* linked with the Arthurian
%*thos$
T!E PRACT(CE
This is a lon", intense, and de%andin" )ractice$ (t will take *ou dee)er
than before and will be of %uch use in ti%es to co%e$ For it is an inte"ration
of the several sta"es of the ,ork and the linkin" of those of us
who labor below with those who oversee, above$ This )ractice %a* be
undertaken in four )arts 6as indicated7, or, u)on s)ecial occasionshi"h
festivals or on retreat fro% the outer world - it %a* be worked entirel*
in one session$ The Co%)anions of the Table Round will indicate
those ti%es when it is aus)icious to do so$
(n alche%ical i%a"er*, when the /in"'s heir as been reunited with the
Father, even the servants of the castle and the sub.ects of the kin"do%
6all of one's vehicles with their constituent )arts7 are enro*aled thereb*$
Atage (3 The 9ourney
After )erfor%in" the )reli%inar* (nterwoven 4i"ht e?ercise, e?teriorize
the castle "ole% with the %antra and )ro.ect *our consciousness into
the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"$ >nce there, robe in the ro*al re"alia3 over
the white robe )lace the blue tunic, don the "irdlebelt of the zodiac and
the silver sandals, and, over all, assu%e the indi"o - )ur)le %antle$ As
*ou )lace the "old dra"on diade% u)on *our head, *ou hear a"ain Cod
save the /in" 6Queen7$ 0escend to the Great !all$ >n enterin", hail the
Co%)anions throu"h the Grail, then )ass on into the cha)el$ Ascend the
'arras ;9E
altar ste)s and %ake adoration to the >ne fro% who% *our soverei"nt*
is derived$ Then attach E?calibur 6b* its scabbard7 and the castle ke* to
*our silver "irdle and take u) the orb$ Return to the !all of the Table$
There, the Great Co%)anions arise fro% their sie"es and, to"ether, *ou
)rocess into the court*ard of the castle$
(t is a))roachin" sunset and alread* the castle walls bear lit fla%beau?
to illu%inate the scene$ Escorted b* the Co%)anions, now bearin"
burnin" torches, *ou )ass throu"h the court*ard, across the
drawbrid"e over the %oat, and down the %ound to the river$ There, b*
the stone brid"e is %oored a stran"e boat$ The vessel is built of cedar
wood fro% far 4ebanon$ Fro% the center of the deck rise three "reat
%asts, each sur%ounted b* an ancient crown$ There is a s)indle of *arn
attached to the %iddle of each )ole8 the *arn on one side is "reen, the
*arn on the center )ole is white, and the *arn on the other side is red$
5eneath this curious tri)le cano)* lies a lar"e bed covered with )ur)le
silk$ C)on the foot of the bed lies a scabbarded sword$ Toward the stern
of the boat is a solitar* %ast with a furled sail$ (n the foredeck is set a
hi"h - backed chair, )laced .ust behind the shi)'s tall )row that bears an
unlit lantern$
Three fi"ures await on the +ua*$ As *ou a))roach, *ou see that the*
are wo%en$ Each one is veiled, but, in the li"ht of the Co%)anion's
torches, *ou es)* a "lea% of .ewels on their heads throu"h the veils$
Their concealed ro*alt* is confir%ed when the* "reet *ou with a sli"ht
inclination of their re"al heads, the custo%ar* courtes* "iven between
%onarchs$ >ne of the +ueenl* fi"ures is robed and veiled in white silk,
and she bears a distaff and %ulberr* branch$ The second is robed in
blood - red brocade and veiled in the sa%e hue8 she bears a naked sword
that e%its a hi"h - )itched note$ The third, the 'enior, is robed and veiled
in %idni"ht - blue velvet8 she carries a fan %ade fro% the win" of a black
swan$ 'he is attended b* a lar"e, heav* - coated cat with tufted ears set
u)on its ruffed head$ The l*n? - the tote% of the inner - )lane sisterhoods
and fraternities - re"ards *ou with to)az e*es and silent interest$ Then,
without a word, these three sisters - for such the* are - )recede *ou u)
the "an")lank onto the deck of the shi)$ There *ou wait$
Fro% the castle co%es the sound of a choir sin"in" so%e celestial
anthe%$ Turnin", *ou see a )rocession e%er"in" fro% the "atewa* and
co%in" down to the brid"e$ 4eadin" is the cha)el's s)irit "uardian, followed
b* si? bri"ht an"els, each bearin" a lit candle$ The* are escortin"
the Re"ent, who is carr*in" so%e ob.ect in his hands$ Althou"h covered
fro% view, wra))ed in red sa%ite, it "ives out a halo of shi%%erin",
;9F Tower of Alche%*
fier* li"ht that outshines the fla%es of candle or torch$ The heavenl*
sin"in" is all around as the Re"ent co%es to the riverbank$ The Co%)anions
bow to what he bears and, as he co%es on board, the three sister+ueens
curtse*$ The Re"ent "oes to the shi)'s )row and beckons *ou to
hi% with his e*es$
2ou stand, he sa*s, aboard the 'hi) of 'olo%on, the %*stic vessel
that carried the teachin"s of the Tree of 5ein" - the hol* Qabalah - to
these lands$ The three )oles hereof are the )illars of that Tree which
"rew fro% the seeds sent fro% Paradise and )lanted in the skull of
Ada%$ Their crowns, %ore ancient than ti%e, are the Dazahot$ And the
s)indle - threads are those of Madim, Gala"aii%, and #o"ah$ Fro% these,
Providence weaves the war) and weft of the Par"od, that curtain which
han"s before the Throne of 0ivine Glor*$
(n this vessel of holiness, and attended b* these ro*al )riestesses,
*ou will travel to ,isdo%'s sacred cit*$ 5ut in so doin", *ou will )ass out
fro% *our own sub.ective inner kin"do% and into the ob.ective inner
levels of the %acrocos%$ And so are *ou acco%)anied and sealed about
with si"ns of )rotection, for the .ourne* is lon" and dee), to that di%ension
wherein the starr* real% beco%es the footstool of creation, wherein
the soul is swallowed b* the cos%os, to find itself a"ain after another
%anner$ Therefore to *ou, the ri"htful soverei"n of this real%, we co%%it
this beacon li"ht to "uide *ou, and *our lawful sub.ects await *our
return and the benediction that it will brin"$
The Re"ent o)ens the lantern ato) the shi)'s )row and, uncoverin"
the ob.ect he has borne fro% out of its rub* cloth, he reveals the !ol*
Grail$ Reverentl*, he )laces it inside the lantern and closes the "lass
door$ ,ithin the la%), the Grail blazes out with unconcealed radiance,
its "olden li"ht castin" a bri"ht )ath u)on the flowin" surface of the river$
'ole%nl*, *ou hand the ro*al orb to the Re"ent to si"nif* that he
rules in *our stead while *ou %ake this )il"ri%a"e$ The kin"do% is in
"ood hands$ The Re"ent dise%barks, the "an")lank is drawn u), the
%oorin" ro)es are released, and the 'hi) of 'olo%on "racefull* sails
downriver$
>n board the sister clad in white stands beneath the sin"le %ast8
the )riestess robed in scarlet takes u) vi"il b* the foot of the "reat bed,
and the dark sister sits u)on the chair at the )row$ 2ou stand at the
stern, watchin" the li"hts of the castle recede as *ou are carried awa*$
After a while, all that is visible is the ,hite 'un ato) the tower$ The craft
sails around a bend in the river, and that too is "one fro% *our si"ht$
2ou look toward the )row where the Grail shines, "olden and serene,
'arras ;9A
and, b* the li"ht cast, *ou can see the river$ !ere and there alon" the
river's banks, *ou see "lea%in"s - firefliesI As *our e*es "row accusto%ed
to the "loo%, *ou )erceive for%s linin" the banks, their e*es
reflectin" the )assin" Grail$ The* are *our sub.ects, the creatures of this
kin"do% and real% - %en, wo%en, and children8 birds and creatures$
There is the white hart and there, the *oun" faun with his friend the centaur -
foal$ All have co%e to +uietl* bid their soverei"n a safe )assa"e$
'o%ethin" is cast fro% the shore to land on the deck$ (t is a )os* of forest
flowers$ 2ou )ick the% u) and wave to show *ou have the%8 a %ultitude
of voices softl* %ur%ur, God s)eed *our %a.est*$
The 'hi) of 'olo%on co%es to the %outh of the river and enters
into the sea$ At first, the breakin" waves cause the shi) to lurch in the
trou"hs and )eaks, but that soon )asses and the vessel sails s%oothl*
u)on the %i"ht* waters$ The shoreline fades fro% view8 the )ro%ontor*
disa))ears$ All that is left is the %ur%ur of dark sea, the Grail li"ht, and
the stars overhead, bri"ht as dia%onds in a dark velvet sk*$
The dark - robed sister co%es to *ou$ ,e .ourne* far, she sa*s$ !er
voice has a rich sound, dee) *et with an otherworldl* +ualit*$ Take
*our rest u)on the bed$ 2ou acce)t the su""estion and stretch out on
the )ur)le bed$ The dark Priestess sister stands re"ardin" *ou for a
while, then, noddin" to her sword - bearin" sister at the bed's foot, she resu%es
her seat in the shi)'s )row$
At first, *ou lie with *our e*es fi?ed u)on the Grail in the lantern$
Then *ou look above at the ni"ht sk*$ The constellations wheel %a.esticall*
in their "ala?* - turnin" dance$ 0irectl* above shines >rion, the
heaven - stridin" "iant, followed b* the "litterin" beaut* of 'irius, the 0o"
'tar$ 5ehold, co%es the dark sister's %ind - s)eak fro% her seat at the
)row, the starr* i%a"e of Ada% - Qad%on, the heavenl* Fool of Ale)h
with the faithful white do" at his heels$ 2ou look and realize that this
celestial Fool faces the o))osite direction fro% that of the tarot ke* with
which *ou are fa%iliar$ The )hrase fro% the E%erald Tablet, As Above
so 5elow, but after another %anner, takes on a de)th of %eanin" here$
Another %anner can also be seen as an i%a"e that, like a %irror, reverses
the i%a"e while reflectin" it$ The %icrocos% reverses the
%acrocos% and %an* of our hu%an foibles are built u)on our %istakin"
the reversed i%a"e for That of which it is a reflection$
The wheel of the zodiac turns above *ou as *ou lie on the bed of
'olo%on the ,ise$ Around the horizon of the vault of the ni"ht sk* - at
ri"ht an"les to one another - "lea% four bri"ht stars3 in the east, For%alhaut,
the 'outhern Fish which lies beneath A+uarius8 to the south,
) "; "ower of +lchemy
Re"ulus, the heart of the lion, in the constellation of 4eo8 westward "litters
Antares of 'cor)io8 and in the northern sk* shines Aldebaran, the
e*e of the bull, in Taurus$ Above, Crsa &a.or na%ed Arthur's chariot in
the ,est and the 'even Rishis in the East$ Rearin" above the% all is,
0raco, the celestial dra"on, fl*in" u) to "ras) Polaris, the i%%ovable
hei"ht of heaven$
As *ou watch the slowl* turnin" suns, a son" steals u)on *our
ears - sun" b* the sister at the foot of the bed on which *ou lie, sun" b*
the sword - bearin", scarlet - veiled one$ The son" was old when the )*ra%ids
of /he% and of 2ucatan were unborn and chanted on the 'acred
&ountain, for which the )*ra%ids were a re%e%brance - the &ountain
of the Cit* of the Golden Gates in the 4ost 4and that now lies drea%in"
beneath the waves$ To the ancient, evocative cadence of the son", *our
e*elids close and *ou drea% a drea% - a vision within a vision$ Re%e%ber
it$ >h, re%e%berQ
GThe )ractice %a* be halted here$ To do so, focus on the ro*al orb and
*ou will find *ourself standin" before it, held in the Re"ent's hands within
the Turret Roo% of the tower$ Pass to the Cha%ber of (ndwellin" and,
fro% there, to *our )h*sical bod*$ Absorb the castle "ole% into latenc*$
,hen *ou wish to continue this )ractice, )ro.ect the castle, and then
)ro.ect *our consciousness into it$ Enter the Turret Roo% to stand before
the Re"ent$ 'ee in the cr*stal orb within his hands the scene in
the )ractice as *ou left it$ 'ee *ourself in that scene, then %entall* ste)
into it and continue$H
Atage ;3 The -ision
2ou wake with the li"ht of dawn u)on *our face$ The first thin" *ou see
is the Grail "lea%in" in the center of the risin" sun, with the three sister+ueens
standin" before it, %akin" the 0awn Adoration u)on the blue
sea$ Turnin" *our head at the sound of a ru%blin" )urr, *ou find the
l*n? l*in" u)on the )illow ne?t to *ou, its )aws folded beneath it, like
so%e livin" s)hin? that "races *ou with an eni"%atic e?)ression$ 2ou
rise fro% the )ur)le bed and walk to the shi)'s stern, in order not to disturb
the ro*al ones in their devotions$ The sail on the sin"le %ast has
been unfurled in the ni"ht and, in the increasin" li"ht, *ou see that it
bears a desi"n of three seated fi"ures$ (n the center is Christ Pantocrator,
one hand raised in benediction, the other holdin" the 5ook of
4ife$ To his side sits >siris, the Risen >ne, wieldin" the crook of the
'arras ;9K
she)herd and the flail of discern%ent$ >n the other side, sits 0ion*sos,
iv* - crowned "od of ecstas*, clad in a )anther's skin and bearin" the
th*rsus - wand$ These three 'aviors face outward fro% the sail$
2ou hear these words3 Ti%e and a"ain the ,a* - 'howers to the )ath
of enli"hten%ent co%e$ (n ever* a"e and cli%e, to all )eo)les, these
%anifestations of Rede%)tion a))ear$ 2ea, and in ever* life too$ For ulti%atel*,
That which redee%s and that which is redee%ed are one - and
this realization is the rede%)tion itself$ 2ou turn to see the dark - veiled
+ueen %ovin" fro% behind *ou to her chair in the stern$
2ou be"in to follow her, but, as *ou )ass the scarlet sister, standin"
once %ore at the foot of the bed, *ou sto), for she is hu%%in" a tunethe
%elod* of the chant she san" last ni"ht$ 2our drea% sur"es u) into
self - awareness and *ou co%%it it to conscious %e%or*$ Then the
scarlet - clad sister )oints to the sword across the bed$ 'he s)eaks3 This
is the sword of /in" 0avid, who slew the "iant of delusive a))earance
with the whirlin" %otion of the 'tone and who danced before the other
Ark, the 'throne' of the 'hekinah, when he brou"ht it into the Place of
Peace$ The scabbard of this sword is the skin of dol)hins, a %e%orial to
the 4ost 4and and the )reservin" Ark of the 'eed - 5earers$
2ou thank the warrior - )riestess for the teachin"s and retrace *our
ste)s to consider what *ou have learned$ 5ut now, beneath the sail%ast,
sits the white - robed +ueen$ 'he is weavin" at a loo% with white
*arn drawn fro% the s)indle u)on the central crowned )ole standin"
a%idshi)s$ After watchin" her deft fin"ers weavin" the .ade shuttle
throu"h the threads for a while, *ou ask her wh* she is so en"a"ed$ For
thee, she re)lies$ Puzzled, *ou ask her what she is %akin"$ A new robe
for thee$ 5eneath the %ulberr* trees, the @ir"ins of the 'un sat and s)un
and wove the robes for the sacred soverei"ns$ ( weave thee a new "ar%ent,
a new vesture$ (t shall be th* robe of inner "lor*$ 2ou watch as
the fine white cloth falls fro% the loo% and, with dee)stirrin" awe, *ou
realize that it is sea%less$
Fro% a%idshi)s co%es a shoutQ A wo%an's voice "ivin" ton"ue, as
when her warriors return in victor*, (A>Q Fro% the )row now it
sounds, "0:J" And for a third ti%e, fro% the stern, it rises, ,Q Rushin"
to the shi)'s )row, *ou see u)on the horizon a white )illar shinin" in
the %ornin" li"ht$ The shi) s)eeds across the waves toward it$ And, as
*ou draw closer, *ou see it clearl*3 a tall li"hthouse, so%e two hundred
feet hi"h, whose %arble - clad walls reflect the 'un$
The Pharos, *ou breathe, %an* thin"s now beco%in" clear$
;9N Tower of Alche%*
Ale?andria, re)lies the dark one$
(n a little while, the 'hi) of 'olo%on sails about the octa"onal base
of the li"hthouse, which has a s%all te%)le to (sis - Pharia nestled at its
foot, and so enters the ro*al harbor$ As the shi) draws to the +ua* - side,
ro)es are thrown and the vessel is %oored$ The dark - veiled sister bids
*ou take the Grail fro% the la%) on the )row$ 2ou do so, carr*in" it
carefull*$ ,ith her and the l*n?, *ou %ount the ste)s u) the +ua*, where
a )art* of linenclad )riests and ar%ored "uards await$ The dark one
takes her )lace in a sedanchair, ei"ht %en carr*in" the )oles at shoulder
hei"ht$ 2ou are escorted into a curtained litter to follow$ At first, it is
stran"e$ #ever before have *ou handled the Grail directl*$ (ts chased
bowl tin"les a"ainst *our )al%s and fin"ers and the "olden radiance
shines strai"ht throu"h *our hands, like ? - ra*s, and suffuses *our bod*
and aura$ 5ut *ou soon ad.ust to the hei"htened vibration and turn *our
attention to look throu"h the "auz* curtains of the litter at the cit*$
The )rocession has )assed b* the &oon Gate and the Cathedral of
't$ &ark, and is now )assin" throu"h the 5rucheu%, the ro*al +uarter$
2ou see the do%e and %arble )illars of the Great '*na"o"ue$ The )rocession
turns ri"ht to )ass b* the Great 4ibrar* set in the co%)le? of the
&useion$ Alon" the wide avenue, flanked b* stalls sellin" thin"s fro% all
over the known world, the bustlin" sho))ers )art and "ive obeisance to
the dark - veiled fi"ure carried in the sedan chair ahead of *our litter$ 2ou
)ass the %onu%ent that is the )h*sical and ideolo"ical center of the
cit*, the 'o%a, the te%)le - to%b of Ale?ander the Great$ The %ornin"
sun's ra*s "litter on the laurel wreath of "old that adorns the buildin"'s
do%e$ Above the )al% trees, in the distance, toward the 'un Gate leadin"
to 4ake &areotis and the (sle of the Thera)eutoi, *ou es)* the Great
'era)eu% that do%inates the cit* fro% ato) its artificial hill$ This, the
Te%)le of the 'he)herd of the 'tars, is a))roached b* a vast fli"ht of
%arble ste)s, one ste) for each da* of the *ear$
The )rocession turns once %ore and, after a little while, *our litter
is )ut down, the curtain drawn back, and *ou are assisted to dise%bark
still bearin" the )recious vessel$ Followin" the dark sister on foot, and
escorted b* the )riests, *ou )resentl* co%e to a )air of tall doors,
sheathed in lead$ C)on the lintel is inscribed the !ebrew letter "au, the
letter which caused the An"el of 0eath to )ass over$ The attendant
)riests bow before the doors and de)art$ Then the l*n? reaches u) with
its fore)aws and )laces the% a"ainst the doors$ The* o)en and, carr*in"
the "lowin" cu), *ou follow the veiled )riestess into the shadows be*ond$
2ou have entered a lar"e, dark cha%ber, its onl* illu%ination
'arras ;9J
bein" the Grail and a faint radiance co%in" fro% a curtained alcove
strai"ht ahead$ The dark one %otions *ou to stand between her and the
l*n? in the center of the cha%ber$
(nto the silence co%es the reverberatin" sound of a "reat "on" bein"
struck three ti%es$ 'lowl*, the curtain before the alcove )arts, the li"ht
fro% be*ond increasin" as it does so, to strea% into the cha%ber$ ,ithin
the alcove, a fi"ure of li"ht is seated on a throne$ To his left, hovers an
an"el for%ed of white li"ht shot with silver s)arkles8 on his ri"ht, floats
a white an"el suffused with "olden %otes$
The throne's incu%bent is robed in white linen with a %antle of
cri%son silk fallin" fro% his shoulders$ !e bears a tall staff sur%ounted
b* the tri)le cross of &elchizadek$ C)on his head rests the ,hite Crown
of C))er E"*)t, encircled b* three "old diade%s$ !is face is as old as
*esterda* and as *oun" as to%orrow$ The %outh is "enerous and war%
and the e*es are dee) and dark8 to look into the% is to see the starr*
wisdo% %irrored therein$
2ou see that, around the walls of the cha%ber, %en and wo%an fro%
all races of hu%anit* are seated, indwellin" red, black, *ellow, or white
bodies for their work$ Each one is clad in a black robe and u)on each
breast shines a "old cross with the Gold Rose of Attain%ent u)on it$
The veiled one beside *ou bows in reverence to the &aster of the
)lace3 ( "ive )raise to the 4i"ht, in the )erson of !er%es - Tris%e"istos8
and to the 4ords of the 'ecret of 'aturn here asse%bled, "ive ( honor
and "reetin"s alsoQ
Greetin", 0au"hter of (sis and 'isterQ co%es the res)onse fro% all
)resent$ Then, addressin" the Thrice - Great directl*, she continues3 4ord
!er%es, ( )resent one who has )ersevered in the a))renticeshi) of the
Art$ 2ou have received re)ort fro% other ,atchers of our co%)an*, and
now, as instructed, ( brin" hi%Sher that *ou %i"ht co%%une directl*$
,ith this, she "entl* )ro)els *ou forward, toward the alcove$ As *ou
a))roach, the two "litterin", white an"els swoo) forward and lift the
Grail fro% *our hands$ The* return to flank the throne, holdin" the Cu)
hi"h above the Thrice - Great >ne$ As *ou instinctivel* kneel before the
&aster, he looks lon" and dee)l* into *our e*es, before he s)eaks$
!ere in this cit* were established the wisdo% - teachin"s of the old
and the new, of the East and the ,est$ !erein, the 'chool of a Thousand
2ears )reserved and instructed worth* ones in that A"eless ,isdo%, to
carr* hence its bal% a%on" the lands and seek to heal the nations$ And
here ca%e a Great >ne to be trained for his %inistr*$ After his sacrin" as
the Priest - /in", as the Anointed >ne for his ti%e, he built b* a %i"ht*
))% "ower of +lchemy
%a"ic the !i"h Te%)le of the 'an"real in the subtle levels over the terrestrial
cit* of Ale?andria$ This, so%e le"ends na%e 'arras, but it has
other na%es too$ For the Grail is necessar* if the Phoeni? is to live
a"ain$ >nce done, he returned to the land of his birth8 and there, d*in"as
others before and since - as a ,illin" 'acrifice, he then showed in
his risin" fro% the dead, that the "rave had lost its )ower and death its
victor*$
5ecause thou hast )ersevered in the 'acred Art of service to the
0ivine, we "rant thee - under the veil of earthl* thin"s - a foretaste of
that which is ordained for all$
The &aster bids *ou return to the center of the Te%)le of the &a"i$
The hidden "on" sounds once %ore, but this ti%e, its reverberations do
not fade awa*8 if an*thin", the* increase$ As *ou watch, the seated co%)an*
be"ins to "low, as if lit fro% within$ Their robes turn to "oldcloth
and their for%s beco%e bri"hter and bri"hter *et$ 'oon the* are )ure incandescence
and, fro% their foreheads, bea%s of li"ht, the horn of the
unicorn, arc u) to so%e location hi"h above the cha%ber's roof$ #ow
the bodies of the &a"i shift into )urest ener"*, the outlines beco%in"
haz*, like %ornin" %ist before the ascendant sun$ The sound of the "on"
scales u) to a note of uni%a"inable )urit*$ Then all, save !er%es, are
"one$
,hither "o the*I *ou wonder$
There, answers Alche%*'s Arch%a"e$ And followin" his )ointin"
fin"er, *ou see, throu"h the roof of this cha%ber, hi"h above in the azure
sk*, a celestial te%)le set a%id the clouds$ (t see%s built of .ewels that
scintillate with an unearthl* s)lendor, which enco%)asses the entire
edifice with a rainbow aura$ (t is sur%ounted b* a "reat sa))hire do%e,
as with a diade% of li"ht, and, crownin" the cu)ola, shines a brilliant red
.ewel whose ra*s )enetrate all the di%ensions, so "uidin" ho%eward the
servants of the Grail$
Co%e, %* *oun" char"e, s)eaks !er%es a"ain, 4et us to the worshi)$
Fro% beneath the "round co%es a roarin" sound, like ca)tive
thunder, drawin" ever closer$ And there e%er"es fro% the floor a "reat
dra"onQ >)alescent scales like )earls, "lea% alon" the sevent* - foot
len"th of its bod*$ The hu"e win"s are folded a"ainst the restrictin"
walls$ A "reat e*e, the color of %olten "old in a crucible, "azes at *ou
fro% the enor%ous horned head that is too lar"e to re"ard *ou with
both e*es at once$ And between the ivor* - toothed .aws, in the %aw of
its throat$ the white radiance of banked /undalini fire shows$ At a word
'arras ;;9
fro% the Thrice - Great, the dra"on sub%issivel* lowers its "reat head to
the "round and the &aster Alche%ist ste)s u)on it, walkin" over to sit
on the dra"on's neck, above the s)inal scales$ The bird of !er%es, *ou
think in awe$ Then, shakin" *ourself, *ou "o to sit, as beckoned, behind
the &aster of the ,ork of the 'un$
The dra"on rears u), and s)reads its vast )inions$ The Earth falls
awa* as *ou are borne u) into the sk*, ascendin" into heaven u)on the
livin" s*nthesis of the ele%entsQ
(n %o%ents, the dra"on - steed a))roaches the celestial te%)le$ (t is
vast, stu)endous, this the !i"h Te%)le of the !ol* Grail$ 'event* - two
octa"onal cha)els surround the do%ed ad*tu% - - one cha)el for each of
the #a%es of God$ (t is sur%ounted b* towers of "old and )recious
stones$ Ato) each tower, restin" u)on a cr*stal cross, "litters an i%a"e
of a fl*in" ea"le$ As the dra"on a))roaches the te%)le, its tall electru%
doors swin" o)en and the win"ed ser)ent co%es to land u)on the on*?
floor of the )ortico$ The 4ord !er%es takes *ou b* the hand and leads
*ou into the !i"h Te%)le$ (t is i%%ense$ The windows are fashioned
fro% thinl* sliced )recious stones3 a%eth*t, ber*l, and a"ate$ Each .ewel -
like stone of the sanctuar* is an an"elic bein"8 and seven titanic archan"els,
their ar%s u)raised as livin" )illars, u)hold the "reat do%e$ The
sa))hire do%e is fashioned of the interwoven win"s of the Four !ol*
Creatures - lion, %an, ea"le, and bull - whose faces a))ear a%idst the
translucent feathers$ C)on the brow of each of these Four "lea%s a letter
written in black fire3 2od, ?eh, -ay and ?eh. And fro% each livin"
letter a radiance is )ro.ected, to %er"e with the other three, at the %iddle
of the do%e and thence to fall below as a strea% of fier* dew into
the incandescent Great Grail set u)on the dia%ond altar$
Encirclin" this ada%antine altar are %e%bers of that illustrious
co%)an* known b* %an* na%es in %an* traditions3 the Co%%union of
'aints, the @a.ra - 'an"ha, the ')iritual (srael, and the Great ,hite 4od"e$
Each one is an i%%ortal 'a"e who has achieved the deathless solar
bod*, the rainbow bod* of clear li"ht3 Enoch is here, and Guru Pad%asa%bhava,
and Eli.ah8 4ao - Tse, 1etsun - &ilare)a, and the 'enior
Dadith8 Ahi.ah of 'hiloh, 2esheTso"*al, Chiin" 4i Ch'uan, and 'erah8
Garab - 0or.e, 1esus of #azareth, and 1ohn the 5eloved8 !an !sian" - TzG,
Ar*a - #a"ar.una, the Co%te de 'aint Ger%ain, and Paul Foster Case8
&ethuselah, Rabbi Abraha% Eleazar and Rechun")a8 #icholas and
Perenelle Fla%%el, !o !sien - /u, 1*an+ub - 0or.e8 and %an* other
hidden ones$
@@@ "ower of +lchemy
As *ou draw closer, the Grail *ou carr* be"ins to sin" and strain
within *our "ras)$ 'uddenl*, it lea)s fro% *our hands strai"ht into the
li"ht of the Great Grail, radiant u)on the altar$ 2ou feel bereft, as if *our
%ost valued treasure has been lost$
,here *our treasure is there will *our heart be also, co%es a
%ind - wave$ As *ou look about the circle of those who have attained, *ou
see that, fro% within the heart center of each one )resent, the Grail
shines out$ There is but one Cu), *et innu%erable %anifestations8 but
one life *et innu%erable lives$ !ere the s*%bol is united to its realit*$
#ow *ou are )lun"ed into sorrow, because the Grail "lows not within
*ou$ (n res)onse to *our brokeness, e?)ressin" as)iration, the Cu)
e%its an intense bea% of li"ht that enters *our 'un center$ And, like a
hooked fish, *ou are drawn ine?orabl* toward the altar$ !orrified *et
fascinated, *ou are drawn ever closer, throu"h the rin" of 'a"es, to the
vessel that receives Grace fro% Above$ #ow *ou are within the s)here of
rainbow li"ht surroundin" the Great Grail and *ou can see the Cu) clearl*$
The foot of the chalice is set with twelve "e%s, and the bowl is
chased with "olden fi"ures delicatel* e?ecuted in fine detail$ Closer still,
*ou can see the "old fi"ures on the bowl clearl* now$ The* are i%a"es of
deities, de)ictin" ever* "od ever worshi))ed, ever* %askn of the Eternal
throu"h which hu%anit* has sou"ht to co%%une with the (ne?)ressible$
And about the Grail's ri%, letters of fire for% and chan"e, tellin" the
will of God$
An efful"ence overflows the chalice, )er%eatin" all with its radiance8
*ou are "entl* lifted u), and then set down as the "lor* recedes$
2ou lie, as a naked bab*, on the botto% of the s%ooth, "olden bowl of
the Great Grail$ 0escendin" u)on *ou is the 4i"ht fro% Above$ Throu"h
the 4i"ht, *our vision sees further, into the vast, dark e?)anse of s)ace$
The scene see%s to recede$ #ow *ou see "ala?* u)on "ala?*, %ovin"
awa* fro% *ou, until *ou see, in childlike wonder, the whole of the %ultiverse,
the entire cos%os$ This too recedes, beco%in" a black circle surrounded
b* white li"ht, that draws back, to beco%e the All - 'eein" E*eQ
The "aze of the 0ivine rests u)on *ou$ Eor in you, now, od >eholds od.
+ tear flows out fro% the efful"ence of the E*e$ (t falls throu"h
s)ace, a"lea% with starli"ht, to fall u)on *ou within the Grail$ 2ou are
bathed in the water of the 'a"es, )ervaded b* the a+ua vitae, the ,ater
of 4ife$ 2ou rest, closin" *our e*es, floatin" as the unborn in the wo%b
of the Pri%ordial Cause of Causes$
GPauseH
'arras ;;E
A "entle feelin" of so%ethin" bein" )ut into *our hands causes *ou
to o)en *ou e*es$ >nce %ore *ou are kneelin" before !er%es - Tris%e"istos,
inside the Te%)le of 'aturn, in Ale?andria$ !er%es is )lacin" the
castle's Grail into *our hands$ Then, fro% his bod*, he )roduces a "reen
stone$ (t "lows like an e%erald$ !e )laces it inside the Cu) and covers
the vessel with a veil of red silk, )atterned with roses$ (n th* (nner /in"do%,
s)eaks the ThriceGreat, ,hich is also th* 'laborator*' for the
Great ,ork, the re"ent shall be th* link with %e$ 5* hi% will ( instruct
thee$ 2ou "ive thanks, and throu"h hi% *ou offer thanks to the >ne
whose "ift is the Art$
2ou are assisted to rise b* the 0ark Priestess of (sis and, with her
and the l*n?, *ou leave the sanctuar* throu"h the lead doors$ The
)riests wait to escort *ou to the curtained litter$ Enterin", *ou sit and
cradle the veiled Grail as *ou are carried back to the s%aller of the two
harbors of Ale?andria$
At the +ua*side, *ou leave the litter and bid farewell to the )riests$
>ne of the% )laces a s%all roll of )a)*rus in *our zodiac belt$ !e tells
*ou it is a )ass)ort to this cit*8 *ou %a* co%e and "o as *ou will$ Thankin"
hi%, *ou descend the ste)s cut in the side of the +ua* and a"ain
enter the fabled 'hi) of 'olo%on, where the Red and ,hite Queens
await *ou and their 0ark 'ister$ ,hile the %oorin" ro)es are bein" cast
off, *ou "o to the lantern at the )row and, unwra))in" the Grail, *ou
)lace it inside where it shines bri"htl* in the evenin" li"ht$
The sail of the three 'avior - "ods is unfurled and the shi) sails like a
swan out of the ro*al harbor, )ast the "reat Pharos li"hthouse, and into
the &editerranean 'ea, bearin" west, toward the Pillars of !ercules$ 2ou
look back$ Fro% the to) of Pharos, the newl* kindled beacon li"ht flashes
out, )ro%isin" a safe harbor to all who would know in order to
serve$
'uddenl* tired, *ou %ake *our wa* to the )ur)ledra)ed bed and
stretch out u)on it$ The Grail "lea%s, the stars shine overhead, the scarlet
)riestess sin"s the ancient son"s, and *ou fall aslee)$ 2ou drea% a
drea% - a vision within a vision$ Re%e%ber$
GThe )ractice %a* halted here$ To do so, focus on the ro*al orb and *ou
will find *ourself standin" before it, held in the Re"ent's hands within
the Turret Roo% of the tower$ Pass to the Cha%ber of (ndwellin" and,
fro% there, to *our )h*sical bod*$ Absorb the castle "ole% into latenc*$
,hen *ou wish to continue this )ractice, )ro.ect the castle, then )ro.ect
*our consciousness into it$ Enter the Turret Roo% to stand before the
))8 "ower of +lchemy
Re"ent$ 'ee in the cr*stal orb within his hands the scene in the )ractice
where *ou left it$ 'ee *ourself in that scene, then %entall* ste) into
it and continue$H
Atage E3 "he Return
2ou awaken in the dawn's "rowin" li"ht$ The sweet sound of the )riestesses
sin"in" the !*%n to the Risin" 'un co%es to *ou fro% the stern of
the shi)$ 2ou watch the% as the sea breeze billows the folds of their
%antles and "ossa%er veils, while their u)lifted hands %ove "racefull*
in the %udras of hailin", of welco%e and of e%brace$ The worshi) done,
the 'isters silentl* "lide to their usual )laces$ The weaver re%ains in the
stern, the ,arrior "uards a%idshi)s, and the ,ise >ne "oes afore, to sit
in the )row b* the Grail lantern$
2ou rise and stretch, breathin" in the salt* air$ 2ou will soon be back
in 4o"res$ 2our thou"hts turn with affection to all those there who% *ou
have co%e to know and love$ There will be %uch fro% this )il"ri%a"e to
share with the Co%)anions around 9erlinE- Table, %uch of hidden i%)ort
*et to be understood$
2ou walk to the stern, where the white - clad +ueen sits b* the e%)t*
loo%$ Th* robe is read* and so art thou to wear it$ 'he indicates the
folded cloth u)on her la)$ 2ou divest *ourself of *our %antle, belt, tunic,
and the white robe, foldin" the% on the cedar deck and finall* )lacin"
the dra"on circlet u)on the )ile$ The )riestess holds u) the new white
robe, woven fro% finest linen drawn fro% the &iddle Pillar of the Tree of
4ife$ #ew vesture, new vehicleI 2ou know that, on the inner )lanes,
robes and re"alia si"nif* interior states$ Then *ou see that there is a
s%all device e%broidered in colored threads u)on the breast of the
robe$ The device is of a white dove bearin" in its beak a wheaten
wafer - the heavenl* %anna, the bread of an"els - - descendin" to a "olden
chalice, all su)eri%)osed u)on a "olden "lor* of twent* - two ra*s$
The voice of the 0ark >ne e?)lains3 5ehold, the seal of .uach ?a -
Codesh, the !ol* ')irit which en"ulfed thee in the Great Grail$ (, &or"an
of the Fe*, sa* unto thee, ',ear this for a )er)etual re%e%brance$' 2ou
turn to face her$ !er dark veil is lifted back, revealin" her lon", raven
hair$ 'he looks at *ou with e%erald, elfin e*es$ Then she s%iles - it's like
%oonbea%s hallowin" a sacred circle - and, la*in" her black - swan fan
u)on *our breast, she sa*s, Persevere in the Art, and ( )ro%ise thee
that in 2etzirah, a '4over for the ,ork' shall co%e to labor with thee$
#ot +uite understandin", *ou bow *our head in "ratitude$ ,hen *ou
raise *our head, her dark veil is lowered once %ore$ Then, takin" the
'arras ;;A
new white vesture fro% her sister, the 0ark >ne )laces it over *our head
and hel)s *ou )ut *our ar%s throu"h the sleeves$ The white sister then
)laces the blue, silken tunic over *ou$ 5ut the seal of the !ol* ')irit
still shines throu"h, lookin" as if it were actuall* u)on the tunic instead$
#o %atter what inner vesture adorns thee, she co%%ents, this seal
shall alwa*s be visible to those of the (nner ,orlds$ (t is a shield for th*
heart, until another and "reater 'i"n shall re)lace it$
The scarlet - robed sister "irds the silver belt of the zodiac about
*our waist, then reverentl* ties the scabbard strin"s of E?calibur to the
belt$ Assisted b* her white - robed sister, she )laces the ro*al %antle of
indi"o about *our shoulders once %ore$ &or"an, the 0ark >ne, a )
)roaches, bearin" the dra"on circlet$ !oldin" the diade% over *ou - her
sisters reachin" u) to "ras) it as well - the three sisters )lace it u)on
*our head, sa*in" as one3 Receive back fro% our hands, this s*%bol of
th* soverei"nt*$ 5* the ')indle, the 'word, and our ')ell - u)on - the - 'ea,
we weave a veil of )rotection about thee to "uard thee fro% arrows of
%alice8 so declare the Elders of the hidden 'isterhoods of Ruta$ And as
,e have s)oken, so shall it beQ
2ou feel the wei"ht of the ro*al circlet as it co%es to rest u)on *our
head once %ore - the )ressure of the dra"on's head a"ainst *our forehead$
The white - robed ,eaver )laces the folds of her veil over *ou8 then
the scarlet sister of the 'word )laces her cri%son veil over the white
and, finall*, the 'enior enco%)asses all within her dark veil, and - the
Akashic shield is setQ
As the dark veil is re%oved, *ou hear a rich contralto chantin", "0:."
Then, as the scarlet veil falls awa*, a )ure so)rano voice sin"s, (A>, and
finall*, the white veil wis)s awa* with the whis)ered word, (A>$ Then
the three in unison3 5ehold th* kin"do%Q 2ou turn to the )row to see,
risin" above the waves, the "reen hills of 4o"res, and in the distance, set
a%on" their e%erald slo)es, a white 'un shines above a walled tower$
'oon the 'hi) of 'olo%on enters the river %outh and sails u)river
in the %ornin" li"ht$ Ea"erl*, *our e*es devour ever* detail of *our
real%$ A feature here, a boulder there8 a "rove of trees, a habitation, a
circle of standin" stones$ The "reat forest a))ears to the starboard as
the vessel turns the bend of the final hill$ And there, ahead, lies Ca%elot
and the Castle of the Table RoundQ
At the .ett* b* the stone brid"e, the Great Co%)anions await *ou$
And be*ond the%, a crowd of *our sub.ects, all in festive dress, wearin"
"arlands of flowers and carr*in" "reen bou"hs$ The shi) is %oored, the
"an")lank lowered$ Goin" to the lantern on the )row, *ou take the Grail
@@5 "ower of +lchemy
fro% inside the la%) and cover it with cri%son silk cloth woven with a
)attern of roses$ The wra))ed Grail shines in *our hands like a "reat
rub*$
2ou dise%bark, to be "reeted, first b* the Re"ent and then the other
Co%)anions$ 2ou turn to invite the three 'ister - Queens to lod"e and
feast with *ou$ 5ut the "an")lank to the boat is alread* withdrawn$ ,ith
the s)eed of a "allo)in" horse, a %ist suddenl* rolls u)river and enfolds
the 'hi) of 'olo%on$ There is a sound of sin"in" and of lau"hter$ A war%
breeze swee)s down fro% the hills, dis)ersin" the %ist to reveal the
e%)t* river s)arklin" in the %ornin" li"ht$
>ne of *our co%)anions sends a %essa"e b* silent voice3 The*
are returned to the 4ad* of the 4ake and the %*stic (sle of Avalon$ ,ill
( see the% a"ainI *ou send$ There is no re)l*$ $ $ but *ou think *ou will$
)rocession for%s8 )a"es co%e forward to carr* a cano)* above
*ou on tall )oles$ Preceded b* the s)irit "uardian of the cha)el, with the
Re"ent on *our ri"ht hand and the Co%)anions as an escort, *ou turn to
face the wa* u) to the castle$ 5ut the )rocession doesn't ascend the
castle %ound$ (t winds its wa* to the left, on the )ath into Ca%elot
Town$ Enterin" the town to cheers of the )eo)le, the )rocession "oes to
the local church and then enters its +uiet sanctuar*, where a sin"le
bo*'s voice sin"s3 1-ivat .ex !or .egina) in aternHrn.15Hef ore the hi"h altar
is set a chair of state and, beside it, &enes awaits, robed in hooded
"ra*$ Goin" u) the altar ste)s, *ou take *our )lace in the chair, flanked
on either side b* &enes and the Re"ent, while *our standard - bearer
stands b* on the far left$
The little church is filled with a silent thron"$ The h*%n finishes$
2ou rise8 &enes unveils the Grail, and *ou lift it on hi"h$ There is a si"h
of awe and lon"in" fro% those asse%bled as the* look u)on the "olden
"lor* of the Cu) for the first ti%e$ As if in res)onse, the Grail's halo e?)ands,
dartin" out ra*s of li"ht that carr* "race to those asse%bled$
2ou resu%e *our seat$ The asse%bled )eo)le for% a line, as, one b*
one, the* co%e forward to kneel, while *ou %o%entaril* )lace the !ol*
Grail u)on their heads in blessin"$ &en, wo%en, children, ani%als,
birds, %*thic creatures, even the dr*ads fro% the forests, the faerie folk,
and the devas of the inner landsca)e$ Each in turn co%es to bow before
the Cu) and receive its benison$
As the line nears its end, whis)ers break out at the back of the
church and there is the sound of %etal dra""in" on stone$ (nto the
"9a/ t+e <in, (Iueen& live 1orever."
'arras ;;K
church, under "uard, are led the %anacled )risoners fro% the castle's
dee) dun"eonsQ !esitantl*, al%ost reluctantl*, the )risoners co%e forward
to .oin the line before *ou$ 2ou are confused, suddenl* an"r*$ $ $ or
is it fearfulI 2ou look to the Re"ent for counsel8 he raises an e*ebrow$
Then to &enes, who "entl* s%iles$ 2ou look back at the a))roachin" line
of )risoners$ 2our "lance locks on the e*es of one )articular )risoner$
Consciousl*, *ou don't even know hi%, and *et, in that %o%ent of truth,
*ou read in his e*es that he e?)ects to be re.ected, rebuffed, denied rede%)tion,
a"ain$ ,orse, he is resi"ned to it$
2ou address hi%, Co%e hither$ $ $ brother$
#ot +uite believin" his ears, but with a nod of encoura"e%ent fro%
&enes, he shuffles forward under the wei"ht of his old, heav* chains,
and dra"s his feet u) the altar ste)s$ For a %o%ent, he stands before
*ou$ An"er flickers in his e*es as an ancient hatred flares, a )ain unresolved,
unacce)ted$ !is dark ener"ies crackle around *ou, seekin" entrance,
)robin" for resonances within *ou that the* can use for their fell
)ur)ose$ 5ut *ou hold the )risoner in the unconditional love of Ti)hareth,
of which *ou are the livin" s*%bol for all in this land$ !e wavers,
new thou"hts buddin" in his %ind, and $ $ $ he kneels$ 2ou elevate the
Grail$ !is e*es follow it with a new, childlike wonder$ 2ou brin" it down
to rest "entl* u)on his head$ (t e%braces hi% within its li"ht$ The radiance
soothes awa* the lines of )ain, of resent%ent and an"er, fro% his
face, like a %other wi)es awa* tears fro% a cr*in" child's cheek$ !o)e is
born in his e*es$ There is the sound of fallin" chains$ 0isbelievin"l*, for
his ho)e is onl* seconds old, he looks down at the %anacles l*in",
broken asunder, u)on the "round$ As he watches, the* dissolve into
nothin"ness$ !e looks u) at *ou and, for the first ti%e in - how lon"I -
*ears, decades, lifeti%es, he si%)l* s%iles$ 2ou lean forward and "ive
hi% the kiss of )eace$
&enes ste)s to raise the freed %an to his feet and takes hi% to one
side, as another chained )risoner ste)s forward to be blessed b* the
savin" Cu)$ And so, one after another, each )risoner is liberated b* the
Grail$ The* will be taken and trained b* &enes, to serve as faithful )a"es
and %essen"ers in the kin"do%$
The benediction over, the )rocession for%s as before, leavin" the
church and the town$ (t turns left u) the &ound of Power, over the %oat,
and so into the castle court*ard at last$
GThe Practice %a* halted here$ To do so, focus on the ro*al orb and *ou
will find *ourself standin" before it, held in the Re"ent's hands within
;;N Tower of Alchemy
the Turret Roo% of the tower$ Pass to the Cha%ber of (ndwellin" and,
fro% there, to *our )h*sical bod*$ Absorb the castle "ole% into latenc*$
,hen *ou wish to continue this )ractice, )ro.ect the castle, and then
)ro.ect *our consciousness into it$ Enter the Turret Roo% to stand before
the Re"ent$ 'ee in the cr*stal orb within his hands, the scene in
the )ractice where *ou left it$ 'ee *ourself in that scene, then %entall*
ste) into it and continue$H
Atage 30 "he +scension
2ou are in the )rocession, *our hands cu))ed about the radiant Grail$
The Co%)anions escort *ou across the court*ard of the castle, and u)
to the doorwa* to the kee)$ 2ou look u) at the coat - of - ar%s carved over
the door3 the dra"on shield sur%ounted b* the crown and flanked b*
the sta" and the unicorn$ The %otto resonates dee)l* within *ou3 0eath
shall have no do%inion$ 2ou enter into the Tower of the Art$
>ne %ore task is left$ Alone, *ou descend to the !all of the 5ride,
the cha%ber of &alkuth, and %o%entaril* )lace the Grail u)on the altar
there, while the titanic force of this cha%ber )la*s throu"h it$ Then, takin"
it u) a"ain, *ou "o to stand before the re)resentation of The ,orld
set between the two doors of the s)iral stairwa*s$
#ow, e?teriorize two fi"ures, a silver - robed wo%an and a "old - robed
%an$ The* are a )rincess and a )rince, *our ro*al offs)rin"$ The Princess
"oes to stand before the entrance to the lunar s)iral stairwa* and
the Prince before that of the solar )assa"e$ At *our co%%and, the* both
cli%b the stairwa*s that weave about the central colu%n$ ,hile *ou,
bearin" the Grail, wra))ed in the ro*al %antle of Akasha and crowned
with the dra"on, ste) throu"h The ,orld window directl* into the central
colu%n of 'hushu%na itself$
2ou are in the shaft of 0ra"on's Fire, )er%eated b* its white incandescence
and scintillatin" "lints of scarlet, blue, and "old$ The fire )enetrates
ever* ato%, burnin" awa* all that is not divine$ Reco"nize the fire
as the hidden "lor* of *our essence and beco%e one with it. 2our e?alted
consciousness is suffused with o%ni)otence and effortlessl* rises u)
the shaft$ As *ou ascend u)on win"s of fla%e, *ou are si%ultaneousl*
aware of the dual windin" ascent of the Princess of 'ilver and the Prince
of Gold$ ,ithin %o%ents, *ou stand ato) the 5attle%ents, u)on the
,indow of the 'he%$ 2our offs)rin" have .oined *ou, the Princess at
*our left and the Prince at *our ri"ht$
The for% of the Princess of 'ilver beco%es insubstantial, an oval of
silver li"ht that su)eri%)oses u)on, %er"es with and inte"rates itself
'arras ;;J
into *our heart center$ Then, the for% of the Prince of Gold likewise
trans%utes into "old ener"* and also beco%es united in the heart - "irtwith -
a - ser)ent$ #ow, as three - in - one, *ou drain the contents of the Grail,
drinkin" it as a lovin" cu)$
Co%)lete now, within the three inte"rated as)ects of consciousness -
salt, sul)hur, and %ercur* - *ou raise the e%)t* Grail u) to the
,hite 'un for continued sustenance$
And the !ei"ht of !eaven res)onds$ A bolt of li"htnin", that dazzles
the e*es and nu%bs the %ind, flashes fro% the ,hite 'un down throu"h
the Grail and into the tower$ ,hen the visual after - i%a"es have cleared,
*ou see that all the stones of the tower are now for%ed of flawless cr*stal,
and, u)on the battle%ents, at the cardinal )oints of the roof, stand
four statues of thrice - refined "old3 in the south, the ,in"ed 4ion, s*%bol
of the 4ords of Fla%e8 to the west, the Ea"le, re)resentin" the 4ords of
&ind8 in the north, the %i"ht* ,in"ed 5ull of the 4ords of For%8 and in
the east, a ,in"ed 'acred !u%an, tote% of the 4ords of !u%anit* - to - be$
4i"ht fro% the ,hite 'un )ours down u)on the cr*stal tower, which,
like a )ris%, trans%its it outward to the land of 4o"res$ As *ou watch,
the %ists of enchant%ent that have alwa*s clun" to the kin"do% are
burnt awa*$ The trees )ut forth blosso%8 the rivers, lakes, and strea%s
s)arkle8 the fields )ros)er and all the inhabitants of *our kin"do% are
blessed with )eace$
The tra)door bearin" the Prithiui - Prithiui seal o)ens and the ladder
of seven "olden run"s lowers to the floor of the Turret Roo%$ 2ou "o
down$ There, the Re"ent, attended b* two new )a"es 6who look fa%iliar
but )rofoundl* chan"ed7 and two Co%)anions of the Table's Fellowshi),
awaits *ou, orb in hand$ Face to face, *ou e?chan"e the Grail for the orb$
Then *ou co%%it the orb, E?calibur, and the ke* of the )aths to the two
Co%)anions, biddin" the% )lace the% u)on the altar of the Cha)el of
the Rose - Croi?, until *ou co%e a"ain$ Escorted b* the )a"es, the Co%)anions
de)art, leavin" *ou alone with the Re"ent$
!e indicates the book u)on the lectern$ There is a new na%e written
on a new )a"e - !ER&E', it reads$
,elco%e ho%e, %a.est*, sa*s the Re"ent$ (f it )lease *our "race,
de)ress the sa))hire button of !eaven in the Tablet of /nowled"e$
2ou look at the tablet of black stone$ The 'e)hiroth of the Tree of
4ife incised in silver u)on it, "lea% in the /in" 'cale, the color code? of
Atziluth$ The dia%ond button on the ri"ht is still de)ressed$ Puttin"
forth a fin"er *ou )ress down the blue sa))hire button ne?t to it$ A "reat
voice s)eaks a sin"le word that resounds throu"hout the tower3 'e" Q
)*% Tower of Alche%*
The 'e)hiroth of the Tree chan"e into the Queen 'cale of 5riah and, si%ultaneousl*,
*ou see that the field of the )hoeni? shield that han"s
over the door to the cha)el, is chan"ed fro% white to azure$ And within
the cha)el, the ro*al orb, cushioned u)on the altar, is now for%ed of
)recious blue sa))hire$
(n+uirin"l*, *ou look to the Re"ent$ Then it ha))ens - )robabl* the
%ost shockin" incident of *our entire, lon" .ourne* - the Re"ent winks at
*ouQ Then he bows and bears the Grail back to the Table Round, leavin"
*ou to )ass across the landin" and into the Cha%ber of (ndwellin"$
There *ou divest, but retain the white robe that is e%broidered with
the seal of the !ol* ')irit$ As *ou )lace the diade% u)on its cushion,
*ou see that there are now a )air of dra"on's win"s risin" fro% either
side of the "old circlet, win"s re%iniscent of the win"s on the headdress
of &ercur*$ Clas)ed within the dra"on's .aws shines a "olden )earl$ Return
to )h*sicalit* and absorb the "ole% into latenc*$ Close down fir%l*
and write u) *our record$
AFTER&AT!
Cse so%e sessions after the fore"oin" )ractice to sit with the Great Co%)anions
at the Table to inte"rate the e?)erience$ ,hen +uestions arise
for *ou, )lace the lit la%) before *our sie"e, u)on the 'un si"n, and seek
the Co%)anions' co%%ents and inti%ations for further insi"hts, usin"
the% as the basis for %editation$ The full fruita"e of this )ractice will be
the develo)%ent of the abilit* to enter into 'a%adhi at will$
T!E C>#TE&P4AT(>#
!e that hath knowled"e of the &icrocos% cannot lon" be i"norant
of the &acrocos%$ This is that which the E"*)tian industrious
searchers of #ature so often said, and loudl* )roclai%ed $ $ $
that ever* one should know hi%self$
This s)eech their dull disci)les 6the Greeks7 took in a %oral
sense, and in i"norance affi?ed it to their Te%)les$ 5ut ( ad%onish
thee, whosoever thou art, that desirest to dive into the in%ost
)arts of #ature, if that which thou seekest thou find not
within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee$ (f thou knowest
not the e?cellenc* of thine own house, wh* dost thou seek and
search after the e?cellenc* of other thin"sI The universal >rb of
the world contains not so %an* "reat %*steries and e?cellen'arras
;E9
cies as a little &an, for%ed b* God in !is own i%a"e$ And he
who desirest the )ri%ac* a%on" the students of #ature will nowhere
find a "reater or better field of stud* than hi%self$
Therefore will ( follow the e?a%)le of the ,ise, and s)eak
fro% %* whole heart, and fro% certain true e?)erience )roved
b* %e, and in the words of the E"*)tians, and with a loud voice,
do now )roclai%3 : &an, know th* 'elf, in Thee is hidden the
Treasure of all treasures$
The 'alt of #ature Re"enerated
- Ali)iliF
li'ili, "3+e Salt o1 Nature Re,enerated" in 6er.ert Sil.erer, ?idden Aym>olism o1
+lchemy and the *ccult +rts mew ?ork: @over, "#$"&.
T!E '>R>R &2'T(CA
( salute the li"ht within *our e*es where the whole Cniverse dwells$
For when *ou are at that center within *ou and ( within %ine,
we shall be as >ne$
Craz* !orse,
- 4akota leader and !ol* &an9
T!E TEAC!(#G
True )ro"ress, fro% the esoteric view)oint, consists of the ali"n%ent of
the lower, )ersonal consciousness with the hi"her, s)iritual consciousness,
to create an efficient tool whereb* the will of the Eternal %a* be
fulfilled in Earth, even as it is in the heavens above$ This, of course, is
the true reason for the knowled"e and trainin" i%)arted b* the rulers of
the &*steries - the 4ords of Co%)assion - and is the onl* trul* acce)table
reason for an* esoteric work$ This is the true line of advance%ent,
the Path that leads to the fulfill%ent of the Great ,ork, for in !is will is
our )erfect )eace$ All other lines of )ro"ress, all other lines of interest,
are but )artial as)ects of this Path of Return, which is o)en to all
hu%anit*$
The alche%ical ter%, the %anual work of the Art, is dece)tive$
&anual %eans work of the hand$ (n !ebrew, hand is the %eanin" of
the letter 2od - but 2od also %eans )hallus$ The re)roductive or"ans
are assi"ned to the ninth 'e)hira, 2esod, whose na%e is the sa%e as
that of 2od - 'od, the 'ecret of 2od$ This secret is none other than the
,estern for% of /undalini 2o"a tau"ht in this book$ The secret is the
work of 2od, ca)turin" the 2od - force and raisin" the )ri%ordial Fire$
Arom a 1ootnote to an interview wit+ @avid Swallow a''earin, in Aacred 6oo',
Winter "##BK##, )*.
)*8 "ower of +lchemy
The !ebrew letter assi"ned to tarot /e* @(, The 4overs, is Zain, $,
%eanin" sword$ A sword is for"ed in fire$ (t is, in a fashion, the %a"ic
sword, E?calibur$ (t re)resents the )roduct of the Art - that which was
te%)ered and heated in the for"e of the Athanor, the keen blade of the
')irit, encased in the sheath of a %aterial bod*$ (t is the sword of s)iritual
ro*alt*, whose )resence heals the land and "ifts the inner kin"do%'s
sub.ects with )rofound )eace$ The sword's blade is the 'hushu%na current8
its hilt re)resents the su)ernal 'e)hiroth, the +uillons of the hand"uard
bein" 5inah and Chok%ah and the .ewel - )o%%el itself is /ether,
the thousand - )etalled lotus containin" the 'tone of the Philoso)hers$
>% &ani Pad%e !u%, >%, the 1ewel in the 4otus, !u%$
The alche%ical %a"e, Paracelsus, had a %a"ic sword$ Peo)le believed
that its )o%%el - .ewel was actuall* the Philoso)hers' 'tonesince
it had the word Azoth u)on it$ After Paracelsus' a))arent death,
his to%b was o)ened to a+uire his enchanted sword$ 5ut the to%b was
e%)t* of both sword and of an* )h*sical re%ains of the alche%ist$
/e* @(, The 4overs is a tableau of the Art$ The naked %an standin"
at the ri"ht of the card 6the s*%bolic south7, is Ada%$ !e re)resents our
sulfur, self - conscious awareness, and the )h*sical bod*$ The fier* tree
behind - havin" twelve fla%es to indicate the zodiac and so Chok%ah,
sulfur, and the 2od - force - indicates that the )h*sical bod* is built and
%aintained b* the Radiant Ener"*$ The naked wo%an in the north of the
tarot ke* 6on the viewer's left hand side7, is &other Eve$ 'he re)resents
alche%ical salt, the subconsciousness, and the astral bod*$ The tree behind
her has five a))les u)on it, si"nif*in" the tattvas, and the coiled
ser)ent is a s*%bol of /undalini )resent in the subtle bod*$ (n the east,
above the other two fi"ures, the Archan"el Ra)hael - the healin" hand
of Godn - is a s*%bol of the !i"her 'elf and the illu%inatin" alche%ical
&ercur*, which is su)erconsciousness$ (t is the &ercur* that )erfects
the o)eration of the 'un$ (n the "arden of The &a"ician, /e* 9, is assi"ned
to the )lanet &ercur*8 The 4overs card is assi"ned to Ge%ini,
which is ruled b* &ercur*8 the astral bod* is re)resented b* the white
lilies and the )h*sical bod* b* the red roses$
The solar bod* that is the fruit of the Great ,ork is a vehicle in
which the )owers of >oth the )h*sical and astral bodies are full* %anifested$
The astral bod* takes on the %aterialit* of the )h*sical, while
the )h*sical bod* inherits the )owers of the astral vehicle$ The result is
a bod*, freed fro% the ,heel of 5irth and 0eath, able to %aterialize at
will - )h*sical enou"h to be touched, to eat, *et subtle enou"h to raise
the vibrations of its ato%s at will and so o)erate u)on an* level of the
The 'oror &*stica ;EA
universe, )h*sical, astral, s)iritual, or 0ivine$ This teachin", in Alche%*,
is called b* the s)ecialized ter% .e>is, or two - thin"$ These two vehicles
%ust be )er%eated - saturated throu"h and throu"h - with the
&ercurial water, which as Arte)hius said, )enetrates the bodies, and
%akes one new bod* of two bodies$ The &ercurial water is Me8la, the
illu%inatin" eli?ir, or nectar of life, which is out)oured throu"h the bodies
fro% the &ercur* center, the crown chakra of /ether$ Archan"el
Ra)hael is the !ealin" !and of God, hand referrin" to 2od and healin"
referrin" to wholeness, to the unit*$ The inter)enetration of the
astral and )h*sical bodies 6the %arria"e of the ,hite Queen and the
Red /in"7 is s*%bolized in Alche%* b* an her%a)hrodite, a sin"le bod*
with two heads 6the .e>is) or b* the double - headed Ea"le$
,ith this in %ind, the reader will find the followin" +uotation of
Arte)hius lit fro% within3
And in doin" so this the bod* GAssiahH is converted into a s)irit
Gthe 2etziratic "ole%H and the s)irit afterwards into a bod*8 and
then is %ade the a%it*, the )eace, the concord, and the union of
contraries, to wit, between the bod* and the s)irit, which reci)rocall*
or naturall* chan"e their natures, which the* receive
and co%%unicate one to another throu"h their %ost %inute
)arts Gthe chakras and ato%sH$
(n this o)eration the 5od* is %ade a ')irit of a %ost subtle
nature8 and a"ain, the ')irit is cor)orified and chan"ed into the
nature of the 5od*, with the bodies, whereb* our 'T>#E consists
of a 5od*, a 'oul and a ')irit$
>ur $ $ $ lantern then is %ade to ascend b* the de"rees of Fire
$ $ $ without violence $ $ $ when it ascends on hi"h, it is born in
the Air G5riahH or ')irit, and is chan"ed into a s)irit8 and beco%es
4ife with 4ife$ And b* such an o)eration it is that the
5od* is %ade of a subtle nature, and the ')irit is incor)orated
with the 5od*, and %ade one with it$R
Euture Practice
The )ractices "iven in this book have been o)erational, as e?)lained,
u)on the level of Atziluth$ >ne of the reasons for this is that, in %ost
)eo)le, this level in not well develo)ed$ 5ut, because it is the level of
3+i- and !uoted material a.ove 1rom rte'+iu-, "3+e Se2ret Book o1 rte'+iu-,"
")t+ 2entur/ tran-lation ./ La'idu-, 3+e Briti-+ Li.rar/ Colle2tion.
;E< Tower of Alche%*
0ivine E%anation, an* )ractice that is undertaken at this level will eventuall*
bear fruit and co%e to harvest$ For the ,ork to be co%)leted, the
rousin" of the 0ra"on will also need to occur in the three ,orlds 5elow
in 5riah, 2etzirah, and Assiah$ As the arousal is achieved in each ,orld,
the corres)ondin" levels of bliss increase$ The final )ractice "iven 6see
cha)ter 9<7 indicates how to attune the castle "ole% to the ener"ies of
the ,orld of 5riah$ 5riah, bein" the s)iritual world, the level of the !i"her
'elf and the %ental sheath, like Atziluth is also relativel* safe to o)erate
in, as likewise it is e%br*onic in %ost individuals$ Therefore, the
,ork can onl* benefit and accelerate evolution$ Practitioners who use
co%%on sense 6which, in truth, is unco%%on7 and who are sincere in
as)iration and truthful in life will receive fro% the Great Co%)anions, or
fro% a )h*sicall* incarnate ade)t sent b* the%, the necessar* teachin"s
to i%)le%ent the )ractice in the 4ower ,orlds$ Then will God send *ou
a &aster and the co%)letion of the Great ,ork will be in si"ht$
(t is in the astral world of 2etzirah that the %a.or )otential )itfalls
lie, because the astral is well - develo)ed in all incarnate )eo)le$ This bein"
so, at this level in the ,ork, there are far %ore corrections that
need to be %ade, %ore obstructions for the Fier* Power to incinerate
and inte"rate$ (deall*, this level should onl* be undertaken under direct
tuition and oversi"ht b* an incarnate teacher of the Art$ This consideration
aside, what is indis)ensable to work the Art in 2etzirah is a 4over
for the ,ork 6/e* @(7$ This re+uire%ent has )robabl* led to %ore %isconce)tions
and false teachin"s than an* other in the entire arcanu% of
the &*steries$ 'o we need to clear the decks 6tabula rasa7 and understand
clearl* what is actuall* %eant$ (t is onl* to re%ed* this host of
abuses that this teachin" is now i%)arted$
The Mudra
Practitioners of @a.ra*ana call the 4over for the ,ork a %udra$ &udra
has several %eanin"s$ (t is )robabl* best known b* ,esterners as a ritual
hand "esture, but it also has %eanin"s such as s*%bol or seal$ The
&aha%udra of Ati - 2o"a %eans the "reat seal, the "reat "esture or s*%bol,
bein" the )arado?ical realization that 'a%sara, the illusion of se)arateness,
is rooted in #irvana$ >r to )ut it into Qabalistic ter%inolo"*,
that the 4ord and his te%)le 6Creation7 are >ne$ 5ut a %udra is also a
bein", hu%an or otherwise, who assists the *o"i, *o"ini, or alche%ist to
%ake the final inte"rations, to achieve the sacred %arria"e, the hiero"a%os$
For a true ade)t needs to be a self - )olarized bein"$
The 'oror &*stica ;EK
This alche%ical )ractice has been taken out of conte?t because the
reasons for it are unknown to non)ractitioners and has "iven rise to all
the nonsense tau"ht under various "uises3 workin" )artners, soul
%ates, and other distortions$ 'orcer* is fond of a)in" the Art, and i"norance
dra"s ever*thin" down to its own level$
(n @a.ra*ana, there are two classes of %udra3 kar%a %udras and
dharrna %udras$ A kar%a %udra is a )h*sical consort, while a dhar%a
%udra is a non)h*sical one$ (n those Tibetan traditions that advocate
celibac* 6)articularl* the Gelu")a7, "urus advocate the need for a )h*sical
kar%a %udra, for a %onk or nun who has followed a celibate lifest*le
needs to ac+uire direct knowled"e of )h*sicall* e?)ressed
se?ualit* in order to "ain certain relevant insi"hts$ Those Tibetan )ractitioners
who have trained without the observance of celibac* will tend
toward a dhar%a %udra, a subtle consort$ (n fact, onl* %ediocre )ractitioners
utilize a kar%a %udra, while a dhar%a %udra en"a"es with acco%)lished
)ractitioners$ +s a realized *o"i is re)orted to have said,
,hat need have ( of an outer consort, who a% %arried to the (nner "oddessI
And the 0akini 2eshe - Tso"*al 6&udra of Guru Ri%)oche7 declared
of this sacred union 6Tibetan, *ab*u%7, >ur nectars %er"ed as a
sin"le eli?ir $ $ $ self and other dissolvin" in radiant awareness$ $ $ $ (nnate
bliss arisin" as the utter o)enness of the Great EL)anse$L
Alche%* calls a fe%ale %udra a 'oror &*stica - a &*stical 'isterand
a %ale %udra a Frater &*steriu% - a 5rother to the &*steries$ For
%ale )ractitioners, this subtle focus is )reci)itated as an inner fi"ure of
the 'oror 6'anskrit, 0akini7, who, as ,isdo%, )ersonifies non - selfhood
6#airat%*a7, far %ore to be desired than an* outer )artner$ 'he thus
absorbs all the individual's desires which nor%all* flow outward and refocuses
the% inward and u)ward$ 'e?ual union arouses all the )h*sical
bod*'s senses and the subtle bod*'s inner ele%ents, so activatin" the solar
and lunar ener"ies that flow throu"h the bod*'s inner %andala, its
subtle counter)art$ The %ale frater 6'anskrit, heruka7 )erfor%s the corres)ondin"
function for fe%ale )ractitioners$ (n advanced sta"es of )ractice,
neither %an nor wo%an needs an outer )artner, for each has
"enerated his or her own inner )artner, "athered in and condensed fro%
their own bodil* world - )ro.ectin" faculties$ ,hen dealin" with a subtle
dhar%a %udra, the a))arent "ender of the %udra is irrelevant8 it %a* or
Erom "he Aupreme Nectar - $lixir Fialogue of the Medicine &uddha, an un'u.li-+ed
3i.etan text.
)*B Tower of Alche%*
%a* not coincide with the )ractitioner's )ersonal se?ual orientation$
!owever, at this level of o)eration, )ractitioners should be e?)erienced
enou"h to know that "ender, with re"ard to (nner - Plane bein"s, is
%erel* a %eta)hor for classifications of ener"*$ (f this causes dee) )s*cholo"ical
unease, then the )ractitioner is not *et acco%)lished enou"h
in the (nner ,orlds to effectivel* )roceed with this level of )ractice$ Cnit*
is unit*$ (n The Perfect 0iscourse, )art of the !er%etica, Ascle)ius - a
disci)le of !er%es - Tris%e"istos - asks, 2ou sa* then that God )ossesses
both se?esI To which the Thrice - Great re)lies, 2es, Ascle)ius, and
not onl* God, but all livin" bein"M$M
Cnion with these inner )artners - the other halves of our true creative
selves - )roduces blissful e?)erience 6'aha.a7 far %ore intense
than an* )ossible )h*sical deli"ht$ @er* few )ractitioners indeed are
able to "ain this re"ion, or succeed in realizin" and absorbin" its stu)endous
ener"ies$ (f the* do, the* %a* "o on to reach a real% of the ulti%ate
Realit*, towerin" over the su%%it of the subtle bod* - the
habitation of the 'u)re%e Princi)le - totall* and blissfull* united with
the su)re%e ,isdo%, Chok%ah$ The vision attributed to the second
'e)hira is The vision of God, face to face$ Those who succeed enter
the @oid, the thrice - radiant darkness of Ain$ For such an advanced Practitioner
6an a))rentice 'a"e in fact7 the visualizations beco%e redundant
as the direct union of 5liss and ,isdo% occurs$ - the relative and
the absolute are su)erconsciousl* united, Ain, the #o - thin", is e?)erienced
as the indescribable, ineffable and su)re%e 5liss$
The whole )ur)ose of the 4over for the ,ork is not to en"a"e in
se?ual relations, but to enable )ractitioners to e?teriorize the subtle
bod*$ There are two %ethods b* which this is done$ >ne wa* is b* focusin"
the )ractitioner's e%otional and se?ual desire, in an act of transference,
onto the ob.ect of desire 6the )h*sical or subtle %udra7$ The
desire bein" frustrated u)on the )h*sical level, if "reat enou"h, will
cause the )h*sical and inner bodies to se)arate$ The second %eans is to
en"a"e the i%a"ination to such a de"ree that consciousness se)arates,
al%ost incidentall* and unnoticed 6at first7, fro% its )h*sical sheath$
This second %ethod has been the %odus o)erandi of the )ractices in
this book - hence their detailed visualizations and e%otional tri""ers$ >f
6erme- 4 3ri-me,i-tu-, "3+e 5er1e2t @i-2our-e," in Rand/ 5. Conner, @avid 6at1ield
S'ark-, and 9ari/a S'ark-, assellA $ncyclopedia of Cueer Myth, Aym>ol, and Apirit
(London: Ca--ell, 9JJK7, '. "$$.
The 'oror &*stica ;EJ
the two %ethods, the second wa* is su)erior, since it )laces the act of
se)aration, and reinte"ration, fir%l* under the control of the )ractitioner$
Gareth /ni"ht in his co%%entaries on The Circuit of Force, %entions
0ion Fortune as writin" of this essential ke* to the Art3 For the
)roduction of Alche%ical results such as the Eli?ir of 4ife and the Philoso)her's
'tone $ $ $ the s)iritual hel) of a wo%an was needed b* the %ale
Alche%ist$ 5ut woe to the Alche%ist who should take this in the deadletter
sense of )h*sical Lnion$L
0ion Fortune's occult novel, &oon &a"ic, %akes the real function of
the soror %*stica abundantl* clear$ (n this novel, the %ain character, a
)riestess of 5lack (sis, is trainin" a %an for the ,ork$ (t also beco%es
clear in the novel 6since the author %akes us )riv* to the )riestess' %otivations
and thou"hts7 what the e?act relationshi) is - that it is undertaken
for the Great ,ork alone, not a substitute for e%otional or se?ual
relations$ ,e read therein the )recise sta"es throu"h which the %udra
6the servant of 5lack (sis7 )uts the a))rentice - )ractitioner and the
teachin"s she i%)arts to hi%$
( also tau"ht &alcol% %*stical Alche%*, which is the 2o"a of
the ,est$ ( tau"ht hi% how to )ick u) the forces fro% the earth
center and draw the% u) the s)ine$ These for% the basis of all
that follows$ >nl* those who can do this can do %a"ic$ ,e in
the ,est work with a tree8 in the East the* work with flowers
GlotusesH, but it is the sa%e thin"$<
0urin" the final cere%on* in &oon &a"ic, the followin" occurs3
The* had e?chan"ed )laces now, and she was in the west and
he in the east$ $ $ $ As he ca%e into the east, the )lace of the
)riest, a chan"e ca%e over hi%8 it see%ed as if the different levels
of his consciousness all ca%e into focus to"ether, and were
united, so that the )ast lived a"ain in his soul and the future
ca%e into view8 he was the sacerdotal outcast he had been, and
the "reat ade)t he would be, and the ade)t was built u)on the
outcast$ $ $ $
@ion Aortune, "he ircuit of Eorce, 7aret+ <ni,+t, ed. (Lou,+.orou,+, Lei2e-ter-+ire,
D<: 3+ot+, "##B&, '. )*".
@ion Aortune, 9oon Magic (?ork Bea2+, M$0 Samuel Wei-er, "#$B&, '. "#$.
)8% "ower of +lchemy
The roo% had faded fro% his si"ht and he was in the cave of
5lack (sis$ $ $ $
Then, on the )lane of earth, she saw the etheric double of the
%an )ro.ect fro% his )h*sical for% and stand before her, face to
face8 it drew nearer, she felt its silver* coldness, it be"an to coalesce
with her$ (t was %ade one with her, absorbed$ (n the vision
which the* shared the* hun" in hi"h s)ace a%on" the stars$ (t
was as if she had %ounted u) on )owerful win"s, drawin" the
%an with her like the nu)tial fli"ht of beesK
The followin" +uote is fro% the final )a"e of Moon Magic. &* reason for
drawin" u)on it is to %ake +uite clear that these techni+ues are, and
have alwa*s been, as %uch a )art of the ,estern &*ster* tradition as
the* are of the Eastern Esoteric tradition3
The world of drea%s and the wake - world %et on that threshold,
and he knew now the secret of )assin" over$ For in the "reat %o%ents
of life we cross the threshold in a kind of trance that has
been described b* those who have known it as a lesser deathwhen
't$ Theresa swooned in the 0ivine Cnion, when /eats first
looked into Cha)%an's !o%er $ $ $ the* knew that lesser death
and its illu%inations$ ,hoso has never e?)erienced this flu? of
the soul in so%e transcendent e?)erience lacks the ke* to 4ifeI
The 4ordl* *nes
To en"a"e in the work of arousin" the 0ra"on at the astral level of
2etzirah re+uires the assistance of a soror mystica or a frater rnysteriurn.
These %udras or consorts are subtle - )lane initiators, and e+uate to the
da'inis and heru'as of @a.ra*ana$ (nner - )lane consorts are used b* )ractitioners
of advanced abilit* and outer - )lane consorts are utilized b*
)ractitioners of %ediocre abilit*$ (n !indu Tantra, these consorts are
ter%ed 'hakti 6)assive7 and 'hakta 6)ositive7 and are )ersonified b*
Mahadeua, the Great Goddess, and b* the third as)ect of Tri%urti 6the
!indu Trinit*7, Ahiva, the 4ord of 2o"is, who e+uates to the !ol* ')irit
of the Christian Trinit* as the Transfor%er$ Re%e%ber that )lanetar*
kundalini ori"inates in the laborator* of the !ol* ')irit$ The out)ourin"
@ion Aortune, Moon Magic, ''. ))B 4 )*%.
@ion Aortune, Moon Magic, '. )8".
The 'oror &*stica ;F9
The "reat circle unites the astral level of 2etzirah with the s)iritual real%
of 5riah$ (n the center of the circle - the trian"le bearin" the )lanetar*
s*%bol of &ercur* - shines the Philoso)hers' 'tone as the a?is of the
,heel of E?istence$ The five birds in the lower arc relate to the )lanetar*
interior %etals, the chakras$ The raven is lead, 'aturn8 the swan is tin,
1u)iter8 the rooster is iron, &ars8 the )elican is co))er, @enus and the
)hoeni? is the +uicksilver of &ercur*$ The s*%bols in the wheel's u))er
arc are those of the Transcendent 6re)resented b* the Tetra"ra%%aton7,
the &essiah 6the 4a%b7, the .uach - ?a'odesh 6the dove of the !ol* ')irit7,
and the an"elic hosts$ The forest below is a s*%bol of the )h*sical condition
and each tree bears a s*%bol of one of the sta"es in the alche%ical
)rocess$ The solar kin" and lunar +ueen are shown as bein" bound 6united7
to the 'tone, while the sta" re)resents the )s*che and the lion the
Nefesh, the @ital 'oul of e%bodi%ent$ 5eneath the wheel, standin" u)on a
double lion, is the alche%ical 'a"e$ !e holds an a?e in each hand to show
that he has cut throu"h the illusion of a))earances$ !is star - studded robe
is divided into li"ht and dark to indicate that in his )erson the 'a"e has
wedded the stellar forces of the %acrocos% with the %icrocos%ic interior
stars, the chakras of his own bod*$ ?ermetic Museum, 9<KN$
@3@ "ower of +lchemy
of )lanetar* kundalini is channeled throu"h %ountains, called of old the
Fountains of !ecate$ &ount /ailas 6&t$ &eru, in 'anskrit7 in Tibet is
re"arded in oriental %eta)h*sics as the a?is of the world$ This %ost
hol* of %ountains, sha)ed like a skull, is re"arded b* !indus as the
throne of 'hiva and b* Tibetan 5uddhists as the center of the )h*sical
%andala of 0e%cho", the !i"hest 5liss$
The ,estern e+uivalent of the dakinis and dakas are the Elves of
4i"ht$ These bein"s are not nature s)irits - which are )urel* ethericbut
entities that dwell u)on the etheric and astral levels of 2etzirah$
!owever, not an* elf will do8 onl* the ro*al ones are suitable$ ,hen the
%edieval %a"ical "ri%oires were written 6both celestial and infernal7,
the s)irits were classified accordin" to the social run"s of Euro)ean
societ* in the &iddle A"es$ 'o we read of )rinces, dukes, lords, etc$, as
well as of their fe%ale e+uivalents$ These ranks or classifications are not
arbitrar*8 the* refer to levels of attain%ent a%on" those bein"s$ For
e?a%)le, the ele%ental s)irits of the four ele%ents - s*l)hs, sala%anders,
undines, and "no%es - are ruled b* their kin"s$ These four
kin"s 6F'aralda, 0.in, #i?sa, and Ghob7 are not ele%ental s)irits at all$
The* are of the celestial choir of the &alakhi%, the an"els of Ti)hareth$
This is because, as with the four worlds of the Qabalah, each u))er
world is the rulin" )ower of the lower world$ 'o 5riah is )assive to
Atziluth, but )ositive to 2etzirah, while 2etzirah is )assive to 5riah, but
)ositive to Assiah$ And Atziluth and Assiah, which at first a))ear to be
of one )olarit*, are in fact dual$ Atziluth, althou"h )ositive to 5riah, is
)assive to the Cn%anifest, to Ain$ And even Assiah, althou"h )assive to
all three u))er worlds, is, in a certain fashion, )ositive toward Ain, in the
sense that the Radiant Ener"* flowin" throu"h all the worlds )asses
throu"h the &alkuth of &alkuths to return >ac' into the #o - thin"$ (n the
sa%e wa*, bein"s of hi"her real%s are the rulers of those entities u)on
the inferior levels$ The elven bein"s, the hosts of faerie, are co%)rised
)redo%inantl* of the subtle ele%ents of fire and air, which belon" to the
force as)ect of the Tree - fire bein" unconditioned force and air bein"
conditioned force$ 6,ater is unconditioned for% and earth is conditioned
for%$7 5ut the elven kin"s and +ueens are, like the dakas and
dakinis of @a.ra*ana, dwellers in Akasha, within the Cuintessence itseIt0
This is wh* the* are teachers, initiators, and initiatri?es u)on the inner
)lanes$
(t is well known in Tibetan initiatic circles that certain ver* e%inent
"urus - for e?a%)le, Garab - 0or.e, who i%)le%ented 0zo"chen on the
earth )lane and Pad%asa%bhava hi%self - have instructed the dakinis
The 'oror &*stica ;FE
and dakas 6the dwellers in Akasha7 in the 0har%a and in the secret as)ects
of the Tantras$ Throu"hout the centuries, the dakinis 6the ro*al elven
folk7 have often been the re)ositories of hidden esoteric teachin"s
6ter%as7 and the )ersonal initiators of certain *o"is - the &ahasiddha
#aro)a, for e?a%)le$ As %entioned before, %an* of the &ahasiddhas attained
)h*sical translation into the )aradise of the 0akinis 6in Qabalah,
the C))er Eden, where 2etzirah interfaces with 5riah, in other words
where soul and s)irit fuse and unite7$
(n the 4esser &*steries of the ,estern Esoteric schools, this has, on
the whole, been for"otten$ A contributin" factor to this loss was a fear,
i%)lanted b* the %edieval church, re"ardin" the fair folk$ (n the Arthurian
%*thos, an* bein" who is described as havin" a tweworld herita"e -
the Arch%a"e &erlin, for e?a%)le - is bein" fla""ed u) as a
bearer of such teachin" ener"*$ >bviousl*, a wise )ractitioner will e?ercise
"reat caution before acce)tin" an* bein" as a 4over for the )ork8
for the ordinar* denizens of Faerie, the Elves, or even the !i"h Elves
6the 4ios - Alfar7, have not attained to this level of unfold%ent, but onl*
the Ro*al Elves the%selves - - aweso%e bein"s in their own ri"ht - are
suitable as &udras for the Great ,ork$ #evertheless, althou"h "reat caution
needs to be e?ercised, the Practitioner b* now will have enou"h
co%%unication with those who know 6the Great Co%)anions, for instance7
who will be able to vouch for such a bein" and to "ive the necessar*
si"ns that indicate that such a union is willed b* heaven$
Fiona &ac4eod writes of the Tuatha de 0anaan, the 'idhe, or !i"h
Elves of (reland in his )oe%, The 0ir"e of the Four Cities, and about
their )laces of convocation, set at the four corners of the world$ The followin"
e?tract holds %uch concernin" the wisdo% held of the ro*al Rulers
of the 4ordl* >nes3
Four cities there were, Finias, &urias, Gorias, and Falias, the
four cities at the four ends of the "reen dia%ond that is the
earth$ $ $ $ (n the %iddle of the "reen dia%ond that is the world is
the Glen of Precious 'tones$ (t is in the sha)e of a heart and
"lows like a rub*, thou"h all stones and "e%s are there$ (t is
there that the 'idhe "o to refresh their deathless life$"
Aiona 9a2Leod, "3+e @ir,e o1 t+e Aour Citie-," in Poems and Framas (London:
6einemann, "##*&, '. 8$.
;FF Tower of Alche%*
"he Fragon%s "reasure
,hen a rose in the chest of ever* %an and wo%an flowers,
then we shall see as we did in the 5e"innin"$
Alchemy' The Art of Transfor%ation
- 1a* Ra%sa*lo
Part of the fruita"e of /undalini 2o"a, which occurs lon" before the Great
,ork itself is full* co%)leted, is that the siddhis 6the so - called %a"ical
)owers that unfold as the soul develo)s7 are retained after )h*sical
death and into subse+uent incarnations$ There is enou"h evidence of
this a%on" Tibetan tulkus for us not to labor the )oint$ This )heno%enon
occurs so that Practitioners %a*, under the ri"ht circu%stances,
+uickl* assi%ilate their )revious knowled"e and skills and so reco%%ence
with their )ro"ress in the ,ork$ These siddhi %anifest durin"
childhood, then close, to a de"ree, durin" )ubert*, when the 'er)ent
Power activel* stirs in the )h*sical bod*, and ree%er"e a"ain in adulthood$
The benefits of Alche%ical )ractice are that *ou can directl* see the
results of their skillful arousal of the aweso%e )ower of the 0ra"on8 for
when workin" with hi"h - fre+uenc* ener"*, chan"es occur on all levels$ (t
is not a %atter for faith, it is a %atter of direct e?)erience8 *ou .ust do
the )ractices and "et the results$ A%on" the results )ractitioners will e?)erience
are3 the unfold%ent of latent siddhis 6the awakenin" of
dor%ant )s*chic faculties78 the sensitizin" and enhance%ent of the
e%otions8 the tre%endous increase of the )h*sical bod*'s ca)acit* to
e?)erience bliss and that consciousness itself is liberated fro% the
shackles of a))earance and so can enter into e?alted states of awareness
at will$
(t is well to be re%inded that *ou have all eternit* in which to co%)lete
the Great ,ork$ &ake haste slowl*$ 5ut this does not %ean that
*ou have to wait forever$ Care and dili"ence %a* well result in *our co%)letin"
the ,ork in this incarnation$ >r *ou %a* achieve a "ood enou"h
start that *ou can carr* on the ,ork, in full consciousness, after *ou
have laid aside *our current )h*sical bod*$ (n such an instance, *ou will
co%)lete the sacred and ro*al Art in the (nner ,orlds, crownin" *our
labors with the abilit* to )ro.ect a )h*sical bod* into incarnation, without
havin" to )ass throu"h the "ate of birth$
lo1a* Ra%sa*, Alchemy' The Art of Transformation @0ondon' Har+erCollins, 9JJK7, +.
";*.
The 'oror &*stica ;FA
,hen the Great ,ork is co%)leted, *ou beco%e a %e%ber of that
s%all, but ever - "rowin", co%)an* of the full* illu%ined 'a"es$ These
Enli"htened >nes, seein" be*ond the @eil of A))earances, know, above
all thin"s, that the* are >ne$ The* are livin" e%bodi%ents of co%)assion
6bodhisattvas7, centers for that abidin" love, which arises fro% the realization
of the unit* of all bein"s$ !avin" found, and restin" in, the 4i"ht,
the 'a"es enter at will into that 0arkness that is be*ond even the 4i"ht,
the "reat bliss of the Cncreated$ Fro% (nfinit*, into the #o - Thin", the 'a"e
is i%%ersed within the secret )lace of the &ost !i"h$ Then the ulti%ate
transfi"uration occurs, and one of the %an* beco%es the All$
T!E C>#TE&P4AT(>#
>ur dee)est fear is not that we are inade+uate$ >ur dee)est fear
is that we are )owerful be*ond %easure$ (t is our li"ht, not our
darkness, that %ost fri"htens us$ ,e ask ourselves3 ,ho a% (
to be brilliant, "or"eous, talented, fabulousI Actuall*, who are
*ou not to beI 2ou are a child of God$ 2our )la*in" s%all
doesn't serve the world$ There's nothin" enli"htened about
shrinkin" so that other )eo)le won't feel insecure around *ou$
,e are all %eant to shine, as children do$ ,e were born to %ake
%anifest the "lor* of God that is within us$ (t's not .ust in so%e
of us8 it's in ever*one$ As we let our own li"ht shine, we unconsciousl*
"ive other )eo)le )er%ission to do the sa%e$ As we're
liberated fro% our own fear, our )resence auto%aticall* liberates
others$
- #elson &andelal9
@A4E0(CT(>#
And now, Fellow - Practitioner, ( bid *ou farewell, beseechin" u)on *ou
the 0ivine's )rofound Peace$ &a* !e, the &ost !ol* and >%ni)otent
&aster of our Art, crown all *our labors with !is )erfectin" 'halo%$
A%en$
2our brother in the ,ork,
0avid Goddard
May it >e auspicious.
"Arom 9andelaE- inau,ural -'ee2+ a- 5re-ident o1 t+e Re'u.li2 o1 Sout+ 1ri2a in
=o+anne-.ur,, 9a/ "%, "##8.
APPE#0(U (
C>4>R' A#0
olors of t he AeHhirothin the Eour 2orlds
At-iluth ) The 7orld of manation and the le,el of inherent %i,inity ) Ain$
Color &cale
/ether3 (ncandescence Ti)hareth3 Rose )ink
Chok%ah3 Azure blue #etzah3 A%ber
5inah3 Cri%son !od3 @iolet - )ur)le
Chesed3 @iolet 2esod3 (ndi"o
Geburah3 >ran"e &alkuth3 Gold - *ellow
*riah ) The Cosmic 7orld and the le,el of the &+irit @Hi$her ) &el ) Bueen
Color &cale
/ether3 ,hite brilliance Ti)hareth3 Gold - *ellow
Chokrnah3 Gra* #etzah3 Green
5inah3 5lack !od3 >ran"e
Chesed3 5lue 2esod3 @iolet
Geburah3 'carlet &alkuth3 Citrine, olive, russet
and black
8et-irah ) The Astral 7orld and the le,el of the soul @+syche3 ) Ani$ht
Color &cale
/ether3 ,hite brilliance Ti)hareth3 Rich sal%on
Chok%ah3 5luish %other - of - )earl #etzah3 5ri"ht *ellow - "reen
5inah3 0ark brown !od3 Russet - red
Chesed3 0ee) )ur)le 2esod3 @er* dark )ur)le
Geburah3 5ri"ht scarlet &alkuth3 Citrine, olive, russet
and black flecked with
"old dancin" %otes$
)8B +ppendix (
Assiah - The ,orld of Action and the level of the 5od* - Pa"e Color 'cale
/ether3 ,hite flecked with "olddancin" -
%otes
Chok%ah3 ,hite flecked with blue,
red, and "old - dancin" - %otes
5inah3 Gra* flecked with blue,
red, and "old - dancin" - %otes
Chesed3 0ee) azure flecked with
"old - dancin" - %otes
Geburah3 Red flecked with "olddancin" -
%otes
Ti)hareth3 Golden a%ber
#etzah3 >live flecked with "olddancin" -
%otes
!od3 2ellow - brown flecked with
white - dancin" - %otes
2esod3 Citrine flecked with azuredancin" -
%otes
&alkuth3 5lack )enetrated b* ra*s
of "old li"ht
A))endi? ( ;FJ
$soteric "itles of the Ma/or "arot Keys and their Path olors
: - Ale)h3 The ')irit of Ether 6Akasha78 Pale - *ellow
9 - 5eth3 The &a"us of Power8 2ellow
; - Gi%el3 The Priestess of the 'ilver 'tar8 5lue
E - 0aleth3 0au"hter of the &i"ht* >nes8 Green
F - !eh3 'on of the &ornin", Chief a%on" the &i"ht*8 Red
A - @av3 &a"us of the Eternal Gods8 Red - oran"e
< - Dain3 Children of the @oice 0ivine, the >racles of the &i"ht* Gods8
>ran"e
K - Cheth3 Child of the Power of the ,aters, 4ord of the Triu%)h of 4i"ht8
>ran"e - *ellow
N - Teth3 0au"hter of the Fla%in" 'word, 4eader of the 4ion8 2ellow
J - 2od3 The &a"us of the @oice of 4i"ht, The Pro)het of the Gods8
Green with "old %otes
9: - /a)h3 The 4ord of the Forces of 4ife8 @iolet
99 - 4a%ed3 0au"hter of the 4ord of Truth, The !older of the 5alances8
Green
9; - &e%3 The ')irit of the &i"ht* ,aters8 5lue
9E - #un3 The Child of the Great Transfor%ers, 4ord of the Gates of
0eath8 5lue - "reen 6tur+uoise7
9F - 'a%ekh3 0au"hter of the Reconcilers, the 5rin"er Forth of 4ife8
5lue
9A - A*in3 4ord of the Gates of &atter, Child of the Forces of Ti%e8 5lueviolet
6indi"o7
9< - Peh3 4ord of the !osts of the &i"ht*8 Red
9K - Tzaddi3 0au"hter of the Fir%a%ent, 0weller between the ,aters8
@iolet
9N - Qo)h3 Ruler of Flu? and Reflu?, Child of the 'ons of the &i"ht*8
@iolet - red
9J - Resh3 4ord of the Fire of the ,orld8 >ran"e
;: - 'hin3 The ')irit of the Pri%al Fire8 Red
;9 - Tav3 The Great >ne of the #i"ht of Ti%e8 5lue - violet 6indi"o7
A((C%I2 I1
A# A4C!E&(CA4, PRA2ER9
The followin$ +rayer comes from the Christian alchemical tradition and
is an in,ocation of %i,ine blessin$ u+on the labor. It is addressed to the
three (ersons of the Trinity. The transcendent ?ather bein$ the essence
of ternity and the &0? ) of ) theself @8echidah3, ;od the &on @Adam )
Badmon3 bein$ identity and the indwellin$ human &oul @Ruach3, and the
Holy &+irit bein$ the *ody and its +owers @Cefesh and Cu+h3. ?or when
our own &+irit, &oul, and *ody reflect the indi,isible union of the Trinity,
then the ;reat 7or. is com+lete and we shall enter into the Dubilee of
the ;reat &abbath.
"he *ration
Eh Holy and Hallowed Trinity, cause me to sin. into the abyss of
Thy limitless, eternal ?ire, for only in that can the mortal nature of
man be chan$ed into humble dust, while the new *ody of the &alt )
Fnion lies in the 0i$ht.
Eh melt me and transmute me in this Thy holy ?ire, so that on the
day at Thy command the ?iery 7aters of the Holy &+irit draw me
out from the dar. dust, $i,in$ new birth and ma.in$ me ali,e with
His breath.
/ay I also be e!alted thou$h the humble humility of Thy &on,
risin$ throu$h his assistance out of the dust and ashes and chan$in$
into a +ure s+iritual body of Rainbow colours, li.e unto the trans+arent,
crystal ) li.e, +aradisical ;old, that my own nature may be
redeemed and +urified.
%iffuse me in the 7aters of 0ife as thou$h I were in the winecellar
of the eternal &olomon. Here the ?ire of Thy lo,e will recei,e
new fuel and will bla-e forth so that no streams can e!tin$uish it.
Throu$h the aid of this %i,ine ?ire, may I in the end be found
worthy to be called into the Illumination of the Ri$hteous.
/ay Gthen be sealed u+ with the l-ht of the Cew 7orld that S may
also attain unto the Immortality and ;lory where there shall no
more be alternation of 0i$ht and %ar.ness. ) Amen
3+i- oration a''ear- in =erem/ Catto, +lchemy0 "he +rt o1 <nowin, (London:
!uarian, "##8&, ''. () 4 ((. 3+e 'ra/er +a- .een tran-lated 1rom t+e :ld 7erman.
A+ulius. The ;olden Ass. (. ;. 7alsh, trans. Cew 8or.' E!ford Fni,ersity
(ress, "##8.
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A,alon, Arthur. The &er+ent (ower. Cew 8or.' %o,er, "#$8.
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(#0EU
A
Aaron, JE
Aben, 9FF
Aben - Gedula, EF
abishekas, E<,;:F
Abraha%, NE,J<, 9;J
Abra%elin s*ste%, JA
Absolute, 9F
Ada%, ;,;EF
Ada% - Qad%on, NE,;:9,;:;
Adonai (nterna, EE
Ad*tu%, JK
A"ni, KN
Ahi.ah of 'hiloh, ;
Ain, 9J:, ;EN, ;F;
Ain - 'o)h - Aur, 9E<
Air of the ,ise, E;
Akasha, E9, E;, <N, K;, KN, NA,
999, 99K, 9EA, 9NE,;;N
dwellers in, ;FE
Tattva, 9K<
Akasha - Akasha, JN
Akasha - Te.as
)late, J:
s*%bol, N9
alche%ical
First &atter, E9, FF
Fountain, ;J
furnace, 9AA
Alche%*, 9, <J, K9, KK, 999
Aldebaran, ;9<
Ale?ander the Great, 99E
Ale?andria, 99;
Ali)ili, FA, ;E9
al%ond, JK
A%a, 99K
a%brosia of 5liss, EK
A%itahba, E<
A%ita*us, 5uddha, E<, 9FA
Ananda - %a*a - kosa, N
ankh, 9JE
anointed, the, 9FF
Antares, ;9<
A)as, KN,N:
A)as - A)as
door)late, NN
"l*)h, N9
s*%bol, 9:9
A)as - Te.as, 9:9
"l*)h, 9:9
A)ocal*)se, 9N<
A)ollo, <N
A)ollonius, AE
NK, A)ulius, 4ucuis, 99<, ;:A
A+uinas, Tho%as, EE
Arali%, FK
arbor inversu%, 9F
)hiloso)hica, 9F
Archan"el, K;
Archan"el &ikael 6&ichael7, EF,
AA
Archan"el of 2esod, ;::
Arch%a"e &erlin, FA, ;FE
Ark of the Covenant, hol*, JF
Art of Alche%*, 9A<
Arte)hius, ;J,;EA
Arthur the /in", 9AE
Arthurian %*thos, J, 9:
Ar*adeva, 9JK
asana, 9K
ascension, ;;N
Ascle)ius, ;EN
;AN (ndex
Assiah, 9E<, 9FF, 9AF, 9AK, 9K<,
9KJ,;E<, ;F;
Assiah - 2etzirah interface, 9E9
astral
bod*, ;EF
li"ht, ;:9
)ro.ection, 9J
Athanor, 9AA, 9K;,;EF
Atlantis, 99
At%an, ;
Atwood, &ar* A$, 9;<
Atziluth, 99, EE, 99N, 9FE, 9FF,
9AA,;EA,;E<,;F;
aura, ;:,;N,<A,9E:, 9NK
seal *our, ;9
Avalon, Arthur, K;, KE
Azoth, F,;EF
5
5aal ha - 0a'ath, 9NK
5arasith, JN
5arrett, Francis, F9
5arukah, JN
5eten the wo%b, 9E<
5inah, 9;, ;A, ;K, E;, EE, FK, <N,
JN, 9:9, 99K, 99N, 9E<, 9<N,
9<J, 9N9, 9N;, 9NA,;EF
5lack (sis, 99<, 99 K, ;:N, ;EJ
5lack Crown of the /ar%a)a
incarnations, A;
blood of the Red 4ion, 9JJ
5od* of 4i"ht, 9;N
5oeh%e, 1acob, <E,N:, 9AE
5on 'ha%anis%, JF
5ook of Enoch, JE
5rah%an, 9F
brah%avihara, 99
breath, 9J
of lives, FK
5riah, EE, EF, FN, <E, <K, 9E:, 9AF,
9AA, 9K<, 9KJ, ;:E, ;E<,;F;
color scale of, ;K
/ether of, <<
Queen scale of, EN
5ridal !all, N<, NK, NN
of &alkuth, JA, 9;9, ;:A
5uilders of the Ad*tu%, 9F
5utler, ,$ E$, <
C
Caduceus
of !er%es, <<, <N, K:,J<
of &ercur*, K:
Caldecott, &o*ra, 9<A
Ca%)bell, 1ose)h, EE
Case, Paul Foster, 9F, JK, 9<9
castle, 9:F
)ro.ected, 9;F
Central Pillar, <J
Chaiah, ;K, 9E<, 9<N
chakras, N9,NE,NA, 99 9
A.na, A9
Aniihata, E<,9KJ
crown, ;EA
&uladhara, JF, 9 9 9, 9<J
'ahasrara, 99 9
'vahisthana, NK
Chalice of 5uddha, E<
Cha%ber
of 0esirous Quest, 9NA
of Great 5liss, 9N;, 9NA
of (ndwellin" 9::, 9:;, 9:A,
9;:, 9;9, 9EN, 9F:, 9<9, 9KE,
9N;, 9N<, 9JE, ;:A, ;9:, ;9;,
;E:
of &alkuth, ;;N
of 'tarr* ,isdo%, 9N;, 9NA
Cha)el of the Rose - Croi?, <:, <9,
(nde? ;AJ
KA, N9, NF, NK, 9:E, 9EN, 9FN,
9A9, 9<9, 9J:
Chariot, K;, ;::
Charioteer, K;
Chesed, 9;, ;A, ;K, <N, KN, 9FK,
9N9,9NA,9N<
Chok%ah, 9;, ;A, ;K, ;N,EK,FK,
<N, <J, 9:9, 99K, 9E<, 9FF, 9FK,
9<N, 9<J, 9N9, 9N;, 9NE, 9N<,
;EF,;EN
Chorten, KK, KN, KJ, NE, 9EK
Christ Pantocrator, ;9<
chthonic !all of the 5ride, 9;<
Circle of Fellowshi), KA
citadel, 9;F
citta, 9E<
clavicule, 9KJ
of ,isdo%, ;:N
Clear 4i"ht, 9EA
Close the @eil, 9;;
Colle"e of the !ol* ')irit, 9NN
color, ;FK
of the 'e)hiroth, ;A
co%)anions
of the li"ht, FE
of the Round Table, ;:K
co%)assion, N
co%)leted 'tone, J<
Co%te de 'aint - Ger%ain, AE
consciousness, 9:, ;:, K9, KK,
9:K, 9;N
bod* of the hi"hest universal,
N
cos%ic, K;, 9JJ
Pri%ordial, 9F<
state of, KA
conte%)lation, 9A, E:, F:
Cor)us !er%eticu%, A:
Craz* !orse, ;EE
Cross of the Ele%ents, N<,NJ
Cross of 4i"ht, ;9
Crowle*, Aleister, 99<
crown, 9F
center, NK
of life, JA, 9JK, ;:F
cru? anasta, 9JE
Cube of ')ace, 9;:, 9FE
cu), E;
Cu) of &oses, 9AN
custodianshi), 9J:
0
dakas, ;F;
0akini, ;EK, ;F:, ;F;
0aleth, 9NE
darshan, A;
0a'ath, ;F, ;A, ;K, EA, NF, NA, NK,
J<, 9:9, 9;9, 9N;, 9NE, 9JE,
;:A
landin" of, 9:;
0eath, AN, JA
0e%cho", EK
desire, subli%ation of, 9AK
desire - nature, 9AN
0evil, AN, K;
dhar%a - dhatu, 9E<, 9EK
dh*ani, 9JJ,;::
dia"ra%s, sacred, EE
0ia%ond 'ow, 99N
0iana, 99;
0ion*sos, J<,;9<
0ivine
E%anation, ;E<
Essence, 9NJ
&ind, 9JK
s)ark, 9FK
0.ed Pillar, JA
doctrine of si"natures, N9
0raco, 9K;, ;9<
0ra"on
arousin", 9<K
treasure of, ;FE
dra")o, JK
dross, 9A<
E
Earth of the ,ise, E;, N:
E"*)tian school, ;9 9
Ei"ht - fold #oble Path, 9;
Ele%ents of the ,ise, KN
Elias - Artisan, ;::
Eli.ah, ;, 9E9, ;::
Elves of 4i"ht, ;F;
E%erald Tablet, 9A, EA, FE, JA, JN
E%)eror, A<,AN, 9JK
ener"*, universal, ;:
Enoch, ;,J<
Etheric
5od*, 9K,;J
channels, 9NJ
Eucharist, 9FA
Evans - ,entz, ,$ 2$, 9:K
E?calibur, <:, ;9E, ;EF
e?ercise
Fountain 5reath, 9E:
&iddle Pillar, ;E
Ezekial, vision of, ;:9
F
Fire of the ,ise, E;, KN
First &atter, KN, JK, 99N, 9E:, 9EF,
9AA, 9<N, 9<J, 9NJ, 9J:
fish hook, FF
Fisher - /in", E9
Fohat, 9<N
Fool, The, EK, F<, JA, 9:J, 9;K,
9FE
card, E;
For%alhaut, ; 9A
Fortune, 0ion, 9E, FK, 99F, 99<,
9E9, 9<J,;EJ
Fountain 5reath, ;K, ;N, E:, EN,
AN,9;:, 9E:, 9E9, 9FK
Fountains of !ecate, ;F;
Frater &*steriu%, ;EK, ;F:
furnace and bellows, 9K
G
Gabriel, A<, NE, 99J, 9<J, 9K;, 9NK,
;::
Gala"ali%, ;9F
Gandhi, AE
Garab - 0or.e, ;F;
Geburah, 9;,;A,;K, <N, 9<:, 9<J,
9N;, 9N<
"e%atria, EF
God
dwellin" in, 99
is and is not, 9:
God - ,ithin, EE
"old, N, 9JK
trans%utation of lead into,
N
"olden vehicle, ;:9
Gole%, 9;K, 9;N, 9;J, 9FE, 9KJ,
9N:, 9J:,;:A, ;9;
of the tower, 9NA
Govinda, 4a%a Ana"arika, 9;;,
9JN, 9JJ
Grail, J, E9, EA, E<, EN, F:, FF, AA,
<E,JF, 9;9, 9J:,;:J, ;9;, ;9F
Child, ;:N
Cit* of 'arras, JF
%*ster* of, E;
Great Co%)anions, A<, 9;9, 9EN,
9<9, 9KF, 9N:, 9N;,;:J,;9E
of the 4i"ht, FJ
Great !all, AJ, <:, NJ
of the Table Round, KA, NF
of Ti)hareth, NF, 9N;, ;:J
(nde? ;<9
Great &other, FK
Great ,hite 4od"e, 9NN, ;:E
Great ,ork, 9, 9K, EA, EK, <N, 9;<,
;::
twelve sta"es of, FK
"riffin, JN
"rowin" )ains, 9N9
Guenivere, FA
"unas, 9N;
G*alwa - /ar%a)a, the ";t+, 9E9
!
!adrian, E%)eror, JF
!alevi, D'ev ben 'hi%on, 9JK
!all
of the 5ride, NF, 9KE, ;;N
of 0esirous Quest, 9NA
of Great 5liss, 9NA
of !ol* Fire, 9NA
of 1ustice, 9NA
of the Red 4ion, 9NA
of the 'acred (bis, 9NA
of 'tarr* ,isdo%, 9NE
haloes, <A
hand "esture, ritual, ;E<
!an"ed &an, 9JJ
!athor, 99;
healin" abilit*, inner, ;:9
heart center, E<, FE, 9KJ
chakra, N
!eart of the 'un, F<
!ekhaloth, NE
her%a)hrodite, <J
!er%es - Tris%e"istos, the Thrice
Great, 9A, E9, K<, 9E9, 9KJ,
;9J,;;E,;EN
!er%it, AN, 9EF, 9FK
heroes, 9FA
!eruka, ;EK
!ezekiah, /in", 9K9
!idden Paths, 9NJ
hiero"a%os, 9::
!iero)hant, A<, K;, 9JK
!i"h Priestess, KE, KA, NA, NN, NJ,
9:E
!i"her 'elf, ;:, EE, EF, AA, JN, 9;E,
9K;,;::
!ill of @ision, J<
!od, 9E, ;K, K9, <N, 9N;, 9NA, 9N<
hol*
Child, ;:K
Guardian An"el, EE, JN, 9;E
)lace of %eetin", A9
!ol* ')irit, EK, K9, N<
!orus - /in", 9 9K
!ost of the Cherubi%, 9NK
!ouse of (srael, 9NN
(
(da, <N, K;, NA
i%%ortal, hidden, 9FE
i%%ortal va.ra - holders, ;
indestructible dro), EF
infinit*
si"n of, K9
(nner /in"do%, 9N<
inte"rit*, 9;
(nterwoven 4i"ht, 9;:, 9FK
e?ercises, ;N, ;9;
()sissi%us, ;
isis, 99;
(srael, JE
1
1acob, ;,JE
1acob's 4adder, FE
1e - Tson" - /ha)a, ;:;
1esus, ;,AE, 9EE, 9FA
1etsun - &ilare)a, D>>
1ewel of Eternit*, 9J;
1ose)h of Ara%athea, JF
1oshua, Rabbi, JF
);) (ndex
.ourne*, ;9;
1ud"e%ent, K;,N<
1un", C$ G$, 9;F, 9EA
1ustice, AN, 9:J, 9K;
/
/allah the 5ride, 9::
/a)lan, Rabbi Ar*eh, EE, 9;J
/ar%a, 9:J
ka*as, KK
/ether, 9;, 9F, ;F, ;A, ;<, ;K, ;N,
;J, EE, EA, <J, N:, NF, JA, J<,
JN, 9:A, 99K, 9E:, 9EK, 9FK,
9AK, 9AJ, 9<:, 9<N, 9<J, 9N;,
9NE,;EF,;EA
Assiah, 9E:
of Atziluth, 9E<
battle%ents of, NK
of 5riah, <<
center, K9
&ercur* center of, 9JJ
of 2etzirah, 9FF
/ether - &alkuth, N<
current, NA
/ha*a%, >%ar, J<
/he%, ;9<
/ni"ht, Gareth, 9<J, ;EJ
/rishna, ;::
/r*ashakti, ;:;
/undalini, <J, K9, N;, NA, JF, JA,
9::, 99N, 9;F, 9EK, 9AF, 9<K,
9<N, 9K9, 9K;, 9N:, 9JN, 9JJ,
;::,;EF,;F:
2o"a, EK, NE, 99 9, 9EF, 9A<,
;EE
/*ab - .e 4in" Rin)oche, ;:;
4
la%blichus, 99A
4a%ed - @av, ;
lance, E;
4ancelot, E9
4ao Tzu, 9EN
latens 0eitas, EE
4esser &*steries, <E, <K, 9EA,
;FE
4Cvi, Eli)has, J:, JK, 9F9, 9A;,
9AF,;:A
4eviathan, 9K;
4i"htnin" Flash, ;N,;9:
4i%itless 4i"ht, F<
life - ener"* of, ;K
4ios - Alfar, ;FE
4oew, Rabbi, 9;K
lordl* ones, ;F:
4ords of &ind, N:
4overs, AN, K;, ;EF
lun"s, 9AA
4uz, JE, JF, JA, 9<J
&
&ac4eod, Fiona, ;FE
&adi%, ;9F
&a""id, ;::
%a"ic
%irror, 9:
)ower, A;, 9EN
sacred, 9FA
&a"ician, K9, JN, 9::, 9E:, 9AK,
9<:,9K9
%ahadeva, ;F:
&aha%udra, <, 9EA
&ahara%a*ana, KK
&ahasukha, EK
%ahat%a, AE
&aha*ana 5uddhis%, K,AE, 9EE,
9F<
&a.or Arcana, 9F
&alekh, 9::
&alkuth, 9E, ;F, ;A, ;<, ;K, ;N, ;J,
EA, EJ, FK, N:, NF, N<, NK, J<,
9::, 9:E, 9E:, 9E<, 9FE, 9AK,
(nde? ;<E
9<K, 9KE, 9NE,;::,;F;
of 5riah, 9FF
center, 99J
%andala, 9;A
&andela, #elson, ;FA
&antic i%a"es, <F
%antra, ;9;
%ardon", ;:;
&aria - Pro)hetissa, ;:N, ;:J
&ar)a, 99:
&ars, ;:9
&ar* &a"dalene, NE
&aster of the (%a"es, 9NK
&athers, '$ 4$ &acGre"or, 9<N
&atter of E"*)t, 9
&a*a, 99K, 9<J
&a'at, AA
&ead, G$ R$ '$, 9EE, 9JA
%edicina catholica, E9
%editation, 9J, 9:J, 9A<
breathin" c*cle for, ;:
s)ace, 99J
&elchisadekh, Priest - /in", 9;J
&elchizadek, NF, J<, 9EE, 9FA,
;9J
&elekh, EJ
&enes, 9FK,;:K,;:N,;;K
&ercur*, E, <N, K9, 9F<, 9N;, 9JK,
;:9,;EF
center 6crown7, A9, AE, K9,
J<,JK,9EF
&erkabah, ;:9
%*sticis%, 9FE
&erlin, A<, JF
&etatron, J<
&ethuselah, ;
&ezla, JA, 9E:, 9<:, 9J:, 9JJ, ;EA
&ichael, NE
&iddle Pillar, EA, <J, NA, N<, NN,
9::, 999, 9;F, 9NE
&ikael, 99J
&ilare)a, 9 9:
%ind, 9:
enli"htened, KK
&iria%, !i"h Priestess of the
'hekinah, ;:N
&irror of Tetra"ra%%aton, E;
&oon, The, 9K, E:, <E, N<, 9EK,
;::
center, A9
chakra, N9
"oddesses, 99;
&or"an le Fa*, JF
&oses, 9;, 9K9,;:N
&other, Co - E%er"ent, 9:K, 99<,
;:K
&ount Abie"nus, J<
&ount &eru, EK
&ountain of Attain%ent, J<
%udra, ;E<,;EK,;F:
Closin" of the @eil, F:, FJ
0har%a, ;EK
/ar%a, ;EK
Partin" of the @eil, EN, FN, AK,
KE,9;:
&uladhara chakra, JF, 9 9 9, 9<J
%u%%ification, ;:;
&*steries, the, A
&*steriu% &a"nu%, NK
%*stical +uest, 9AK
%*thic s*%bol chain, J
#
#achash, 9K9
nadis, 9NJ
na"as, J<
#a"a*una, 9
#airat%*a, ;EK
#aro)a, 9 9:
#efesh, JN
#eith, 99 K
#e)hesh, 9;F
;<F (ndex
#e+uidah, 9AK
nerukas, ;F:
#escha%ah, E;
#etzach, 9E, ;A, ;K, <N, <J, N<,
9AN, 9<:, 9N;, 9NA, 9N<
#ika*a, 5uddha 'a%*utta, <E
#o - Thin", 9E<, ;EN
#o"ah, ;9F
non - selfhood, ;EK
#u)tial Cha%ber, NF,JN, 9::, 9:9,
99<, 9;<, 9<J, 9KF, 9K<
sacred, 9::
:
>%ni)otence, JA
>ne Realit*, 99, N:
>siris, JF, 9FA, ;9<
P
Pad%asa%bhava, Guru, FE,A;,
JF
Pan, 99<
Paracelsus, 9E,9AA,;EF
Paraclete, EK
Par"od, ; 9F
Parsifal, E9
Pashu, 9FA
Patan.ali, J:
)ath
cere%onial, <
of Concealed Glor*, 9NJ, 9J9,
9J;
direct, A
indirect, <, K
of return, 9:A, 9:N, ;EE
Pathworkin", 9N<
)eacock's tail, 9;E
Pendra"on, /in" Arthur, A9
)enta"ra%, JK
Pernet*, Antoine - 1ose)h, 9AF
)ersona, NF
)hallus, ;EE
Phile%on, 9;F
Philoso)her's 'tone, E9, A9, JK,
9FF
)h*sical bod*, ;J
)h*sical s*%)to%s attached to
the )ractice, 9N: - 9N9
Pillar
of Cloud, 99N
of Fire, 99N
of Force, <J
of For%, <N
)ine cone, JK
)ineal "land, EK, A9, JA, J<, 9JJ
Pin"ala, <N, K;, NA
)ituitar* bod*, A9
Plotinus, A<, 9FE, 9NN
Polaris, ;9<
)olarit*, <K
)otable "old, 9N;, 9NE
)ractice, future, ;EA
)rana, ;:, <J, 9E<, 9K<
)rana*a%a, 9K, 9AA
)ra*er, alche%ical, ;A9
Pri%a &ateria, E9, 9EF
Pri%al
Cnit*, A9
,ill, 9AK
)ri%e s*%bols, N:
Prince of the Ro*al 'ecret, 9N<
Prithivi, KN, N:
)rithivi - )rithivi, ;;J
s*%bol, NK
)ro)hetess 0eborah, JF
)s*che, EE
)s*chic ener"*, 9AE
)s*cholo"*, de)th, 9:
(nde? ;<A
Ptole%* - Philadel)hus 99, 99E
Ptole%* - 'oter (, 99E
Q
Qabalah, 9E
Qabalistic Cross, ;:, ;9, ;N, E:,
EN, F:, FN, FJ, AK, AN, KE, 99J,
9;:,9;;
Qo)h, 9NE
+uartz cr*stal, 9EF
Queen 'cale, ;K, 9<:
Quintessence, E;, <N, K;, 9;K,
9<J
R
rainbow bod*, 9EE
ra.as, 9N;
Ra%se*, 1a*, ;FF
Ra)hael, NE,99J,;EF,;EA
Rasa*anas, N
Rebis, ;EA
Red /in", ;J
Red ,ork, 9K
)ractice, 9N
Re"ardie, (srael, ;E, ;K, ;:F
Re"ent, 9FA
Re"ulus, ;9<
rela?ation, 9N
return, ;;F
Ri%)och<, Guru, JF, 9EE
Ri)le*, Canon Geor"e, 9F
Robe of Glor*, 9E9
rod of )ower, JA,J<
Rod of Aaron, 9AN
Roerich, #icholas, E<
Rosa Alba, JA
Rose - Cross, EF
Rosicrucian, Golden, 9<:
Rou"h Ashlar, N<
Round Table, EN, F:, FA, <<
Ro*al Art, F, A, 99;, 9FF
Ruach, EE
Ruach - Chai%, FK
S
'acred
!eart, EF
(bis, N<
%*ths, EA
'ahasr"ra - Pad%a, NK
chakra, EK
salt, 9N;
s*%bol for, 9:9
'a%adhi, J<
'a%ho"a - /a*a, N,;:A
sa))hires, 9N9
'attva, 9F<
of 2o"a, 9N;
'aturn, FK,99K, 99N
'aturn - center, 99 9
'chool
of the 'oul, 99F
of a Thousand 2ears, ;9;
'cor)io, 9<J
'cottish Rite Free%asonr*, 9N<
'cri)t of Fla%e, 9N<
'ecret Paths, 9J:
'eed of the 'un, A9, 9EF
self - healin", 9N<
self - )urification, 9<N
'e)her 2etzirah, 9K, E:, EA, FK,JN
'e)hirothic cha%bers, 9N9, 9N;
'erah, ;
'er)ent
Power, 999, 9<K
swallowin" its own tail, 9K;
of wisdo%, 9K9
'habda - 5rah%an, EF
;<< (ndex
'hakta, ;F:
shakti, 9AF,;F:
'hak*a - &uni, 4ord 5uddha, K, KK,
;:;
'hekel of 'olo%on, 9AN
'hekinah, 99N, 9FF, 9AF
'he%, ;,NK
'he%esh, EA
'hi) of 'olo%on, JF
'hiva 'anhita, KN
'hivO, 4ord, EK, ;F:
'hi'r - 2ehovah, EN
'hun*ata, 9 9K
'hushu%na, <N,<J, K;,NA, 9NE,
;EF
channel, 9<J
siddha, A;
siddhi, 9EN, ;FF
si"il
for sul)hur, 9:9
of the @enus center, 9:9
'ilver, ;::
solar bod*, N, ;:A, ;EF
deathless, ;::
heart center, NA
'on" of the >ne Realit*, EN
'oror &*stica, ;EE, ;EK, ;EJ, ;F:
soul, EE
citadel of, KK
')here of 'ensation, ;:
s)inal colu%n, J<, ;::
')irit of the Ether, 9;K
s)irits of li"ht, far - vo*a"in", AE
s)irtual t*)es, twelve, F<
't$ Geor"e, 9KE
't$ &ichael, 9KE
't$ Teresa of Avila, 9;E
'tar, The, FF
'taretz of &ethuselah, ;
'tarr* Table of Great 'halo%, <<
stone, E;
of the Philoso)hers, ;EF
of the ,ise, JA
'tren"th, K9, 9AF, 9K;
stu)a, KK
subtle bod*, KK, NE
'ul)hur, E, 9N;, 9JK, ;EF
'un, <E, K;, 9EK,;:9
center, NA
'undisc, K;
su)er - consciousness, K;,;EF
'u)ernal Eden, 99
triad, 9N;
'u)ernatural Table of &elchizadek,
;J
'wallow, 0avid, ;EE
sword, E;
of 0avid, 9AN
of 4i"ht, <:
'zCkel*, Ed%und, 9:<
T
Table of Action, <<
Table of the !osts of Faerie, <<
tabula rasa, ;E<
ta%as, 9N;
Tantra, K, 9;
Tantric deities, JK
initiations, E<
Tao, ;
tarot, 9F, 99A, 9N<, 9NN
ke*, 9NE
Tattvas, KN, KJ, N:, N9, ;EF
Tattvic corres)ondences, N9
s*%bols, N;
Tau cross, 9K9
Tear of (sis, FA
Te.as, KN
(nde? ;<K
tele)ath*, A9, A;
Teles%atic i%a"es, <A
Te%)erance, EF,N<,NJ, JN, 9E:,
9AA, 9A<, 9K;, 9KF
Te%)le
of the &*ster* of 2od, 9::
of 'aturn, ;;E
Ten Co%%and%ents, 9;
Ten 'e)hiroth, 9;
Teresa of Avila, NE, 9;E
ter%as, ;FE
Tetra"ra%%aton, NF, 9E:, 9FE,
;:<
&irror of, EF
Theur"*, K9,9FE
Third E*e, EK, JF, J<, JK
thirt* - second de"ree, 9N<
thou"ht - for%s, creation of, <E
thousand - )etalled lotus, JK
Throne of 0ivine Glor*, ;9F
Tibetan sacred art, <A,<J, J<,JK
tankas, K;
Ti"le, 9<N
Tikkun, 9A<
tilak, JK
Ti)hareth, 9E, ;F, ;A, ;K, ;J, EF,
EA, EN, EJ, F:,FN, AA, <J, N:,
NF, NA, NN,NJ,JN, 9::, 9;9,
9E:, 9FF, 9FK, 9<:, 9K<, 9NE,
;:<,;9:
an"els, ;F;
of Atziluth, <<
of 5riah, 9F<
center, AK, KE,9;:
Great !all of, NF, ;:J
Tower, 9;<, 9EK, 9NE
of the Art, NE,NF, ;;N
trance work, 9J
transfor%ation, 9A<
transubstantiation, 9FA
tree
flowerin", JE
inverted, 9F
leaves of, 9N<
Tree of the Assiah, AK, KE, 99J,
9;;,9FK
descendin", AN
Tree of the 5od*, ;N
Tree of Enli"hten%ent, 9F
Tree of 4ife, 9E, <<, KK
Tree of 1acob's 4adder, EE
Trinit*, 99
Tsebu%, E<,EK
Tu%%o, 99:,999
Turret Roo%, N9, NF, NA, NK, NN,
NJ, 9::, 9:9, 9N;, 9JE,;:A
Tzaddi, FF
C
unicorn, JN
C)anishads, 9F
Criel, NE, 99J
v
@a.ra - hells, 9<J
@a.ra - &ukhut, A;
@a.ra - 2o"ini, 9 9 9, 9 9N
@a.ra*ana, K,N, 9:, 9;, E<, EK, K9,
KK, 9:N, 99:, 99;, 9A<, 9KE,
;:F,;E<,;EK,;F:
@alentine, 5asil, <9
@au"han, Tho%as, F, 99N
@a*u, KN
@enus, 9AN,;:9
vesica - )iscis s*%bol, 99:
via ne"ativa, <
vi"il, 9JE
@iras, 9FA
;<N (ndex
vision, ;9<
visualization - %editations, 99 9
visualizations, K9, NE, 9:K
@ivekanada, 'wa%i, ;, E
@oice of 'ilence, EF
void of 'hun*ata, 9EA
,
,aite, A$ E$, 9AN, 9<:, 9KK
,akan - Tanka, 9<J
,ater of the ,ise, E;, N:
,a* to 4iberation, 9:N
,eb of &a*a, AF
,estern &*ster*, ;:
,heel, ;:9
of Fortune, The, EF
,hite Queen, ;J
,hite 'ta"e of the ,ork, 99;
,hite 'un of 'u)re%e Consciousness,
EF
,hite ,ork, 9K
)ractice, ;E
,ill of the Eternal, ;:E
win"ed ser)ent, 9<J
withdrawn one, 9F<
,ithdrawn >rder, 9NN
,ork
co%)letion of, ;:;
)re)aration for, 9;
of Transfor%ation, <N
,orld, 9F, EN, K;, N<, NN, 9KF
'oul, 99<
outer, ;:E
worlds above, 9NK
2
2ab - 2u%, <J
2an", 9 9A
*antra, 9;F
2echidah, EE, EJ
2esod, 9E, ;F, ;A, ;K, ;J, EA, FE,
<J, N:, NE, NF, NN, NJ, JA, J<,
JN, 9:E, 99;, 9;F, 9<J, 9KF,
9NE, 9NK,;EE
Archan"el of, ;::
center, 9<K, 9K;
2esod - 0a'ath current, NA
2etzirah, EE, EF, 99;, 9E:, 9FF,
9AF, 9A<, 9K<, 9KJ, ;:E, ;E<,
;F;
astral real% of, FE
astral world of, ;E<
2"raine, JF
2in, 99A
2od, FK, 99<, 9E<, 9EK
2od - force, ;EF
2od - !e - @au - !e, KF, NF, ;:<
2od - 'od, NE, ;EE
2o"a, <J, K9, 9:J
of (nner Fire, 99:
/undalini, NE, 99 9, ;EE
Tibetan, K9
of the ,est, F
2ucatan, ;9<
z
Dain, ;EF
Dazahot, ;9F
zazen, <
Dion, J<, 9EF
Diwa, ;:A
zodiac, F<
Dosi%os, 9
D'ev ben 'hi%on !alev, 9F
0avid Goddard is a linea"e - holder of the ,estern
Esoteric Tradition$ !e was trained in the Qabalah,
the !er%etic Arts, and the Celtic - ,isdo% of 5ritain
b* various Elders and "rou)s$ 0avid teaches
around the world, fre+uentl* "ivin" worksho)s in
the Cnited 'tates$ !e is the founder of The Pharos,
an international 'chool of the 'oul, and is also the
author of "he Aacred Magic of the +ngels 6,eiser,
4::5). 0etails of 0avid's teachin" schedule and infor%ation
about The Pharos can be obtained b*
sendin" a sta%)ed, self - addressed envelo)e, to3
The Pharos
P$>$ 5o? J;FA, 4ondon NWl: A,G, En"land
2ou can also visit his website at3
www$david"oddard$co%$