Manly P. Hall - Symbolism

SYMBOLISM
THE PHILOSOPHICAL RESEARCH SOCIETY

Manly P. Hall
http://www.prs.org/gallery-alch.htm

P.R.S. is a nonprofit organization founded in 1934 by Manly Palmer Hall for the
purpose of providing thoughtful persons rare access to the depth and breadth of the
worlds wisdom literature. The Society is entirely free from doctrinal, political, or
ecclesiastical control and therefore provides a learning environment sheltered from
any interest intending to coerce or convert. The Society's University and programs
make a harmonious personal integration of religion, philosophy, and the science of
psychology possible.
The goal of this institution is to enable the individual to develop a mature
philosophy of life in association with a diverse and stimulating community of others,
each dedicated to understanding and appreciating their unique possibilities in the
unfolding universal pattern.

THE P.R.S. PUBLISHING BOOK CATALOG
The works produced by PRS, most of which are written by Manly P. Hall, probe
the life mysteries and spiritual issues about which every inquisitive individual is
concerned. Whether you are interested in creating a personal library penetrating
philosophical insights or just beginning you own personal search for enlightenment,
you will find the works featured here valuable steps as you pass on through the
"gates of wisdom" to the greater world around you.

OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR FOUNDER
Manly P. Hall was a seeker and lover of wisdom, the very definition of a
philosopher. He had the courage and the raw intellectual energy to look for wisdom
in places most men had long since forgotten about, or never knew existed. He lived
in an era when most Americans did not look toward other cultures and traditions,
without looking down. Yet during such times, Manly P. Hall spoke, and wrote
extensively, of the wisdom found in all ancient traditions. In an age when serious
study of "other religions" was anathema to most, Manly found deep cross-cultural
threads and revealed many interconnected roots of modern religious expression.
Neither Guru nor Saint, he made no claim of perfection, far from it; but his work is
exceedingly rare in its grand scope, detail and synthesis. He embraced the wisdom
of every tradition, and, with a fluid command of their obscure and complex
contents, worked to express their unifying truths. His legacy is over 200 printed
volumes, 8000 lectures, a hand picked library which is one of the finest in the field,
and a Society and University that continue in his spirit of universal exploration and
learning.
"Hence the disciple of the Ancient Wisdom is taught to realize
that man is not essentially a personality, but a spirit."Manly P.
Hall

Manly P. Halls greatest legacy, the PRS Library, houses
some of the rarest collections in consciousness studies,
psychology, eastern & western religions, mysticism,
metaphysics, classical and modern philosophy. The primary
aim of the Library is to provide researchers and students
with hard-to-find materials. The Library also supports the
University of Philosophical Research through the development and
maintenance of its large local collection.

Virtually unique in the United States as a wisdom literature resource, the PRS
Library houses an impressive collection of more than 30,000 itemsbooks,
manuscripts, periodicals & other items devoted to art, astrology, comparative
religion, ancient & modern philosophy, psychology, science and related subjects,
including many rare original editions from the 15th to the 18th centuries.

THE P.R.S. GALLERY
"To learn is to live, to study is to grow, and growth is the measurement of
life. The mind must be taught to think, the heart to feel, and the hands to
labor. When these have been educated to their highest point, then is the
time to offer them to the service of their fellowman, not before." MPH
Within these pages the visitor will find a wealth of symbolic art compiled from the
many rare and esoteric manuscripts and books that are part of the PRS Library.
Many of these diagrams were used by Manly P. Hall to illustrate The Secret
Teachings of All Ages.
Be sure to visit the Indian and Persian Galleries, featuring color reproductions of
rare 17th and 18th century Persian illuminated manuscripts, the illustrated Indic
Manuscript leaves of the Mt. Abu Rajputa na (Late 17th to 18th century) and
other Rajput and Moghul style illustrations.

Al chemy & Magi c Astrol ogy
Chri sti an Symbol s
Cl assi cal Myth &
Mysteri es
Egypti an Mysteri es
Esoteri c Sci ence &
Mathemati cs
Franci s Bacon' s
Ci phers
Indi an Art &
Manuscri pts
Isl ami c & Persi an
Art & Manuscri pts
Kabbal ah
Masoni c Symbol s
Rosi cruci an
Symbol s

Gallery of Alchemy & Magic

The Death of Simon the
Magician
From The Nuremberg Chronicle
Simon Magus, having called upon the Spirits
of the Air, is here shown being picked up by
the demons. St. Peter demands that the evil
genii release their hold upon the magician.
The demons are forced to comply and Simon
Magus is killed by the fall. MPH

Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus
From Historia Deorum Fatidicorum
Master of all arts and sciences, perfect in all
crafts, Ruler of the Three Worlds, Scribe of the
Gods, and Keeper of the Books of Life, Thoth
Hermes Trismegistusthe Three Times
Greatest, the "First Intelligencer" was
regarded by the ancient Egyptians as the
embodiment of the Universal Mind. While in all
probability there actually existed a great sage
and educator by the name of Hermes, it is
impossible to extricate the historical man from
the mass of legendary accounts which attempt
to identify him with the Cosmic Principle of
Thought. MPH.
Chart showing the Relationship between the Human Body and
the Exterior Universe
From Kirchers OEdipus AEgyptiacus
The ornamental border contains groups of names of
animal, mineral, and vegetable substances. Their
relationship to corresponding parts of the human
body is shown by the dotted lines. The words in
capital letters on the dotted lines indicate to what
corporeal member, organ, or disease, the herb or
other substance is related. The favorable positions
in relation to the time of year are shown by the
signs of the zodiac, each house of which is divided
by crosses into its three decans. This influence is
further emphasized by the series of planetary signs
placed on either side of the figure. MPH

Levi's Key to the Bembine Tablet
From Levis History of Magic
"The Isiac Tablet," writes Levi, "is a Key to the Ancient Book of Thoth, which has survived to
some extent the lapse of centuries and is pictured to us in the still comparatively ancient set
of Tarocchi Cards.
To him the Book of Thoth was a rsum of the esoteric learning of the Egyptians, after the
decadence of their civilization, this lore became crystallized in an hieroglyphic form as the
Tarot; this Tarot having become partially or entirely forgotten or misunderstood, is pictured
symbols fell into the hands of the sham diviners, and of the providers of the public amusement
by games of Cards. The modern Tarot, or Tarocchi pack of cards consists of 78 cards of which
22 form a special group of trumps, of pictorial design: the remaining 56 are composed of four
suits of 10 numerals and four court cards, King, Queen, Knight and Knave or Valet; the suits
are Swords (Militaryism), Cups (Sacerdocy), Clubs or Wands (Agriculture), and Shekels or
Coins (Commerce), answering respectively to our Spades, Hearts, Clubs and Diamonds. Our
purpose is with the 22 trumps, these form the special characteristic of the pack and are the
lineal descendants of the Hieroglyphics of the Tarot. These 22 correspond to the letters of the
Hebrew and other sacred alphabets, which fall naturally into three classes of a Trio of Mothers,
and Heptad of doubles, and a duodecad of simple letters. They are also considered as a triad
of Heptads and one apart, a system of Initiation and an Uninitiate."

Westcott's Key to the Bembine Table
From Westcotts The Isiac Tablet
Of the Isiac Table, Alexandre Lenoir writes: "The Isiac Table, as a work of art, is not of great
interest. It is but a composition, rather cold and insignificant, whose figures, summarily
sketched and methodically placed near each other, give but little impression of life. But, if on
the contrary, after examining it, we understand the purpose of the author, we become soon
convinced that the Isiac Table is an image of the heavenly sphere divided in small parts to be
used very likely for general teaching. According to that idea, we can conclude that the Isiac
Table was originally the introduction to a collection followed by the Mysteries of Isis. It was
engraved on copper in order to be used in the ceremonial of initiation."

The Threefold Life of the Inner Man
Redrawn from Gichtels Theosophia Practica
Johann Georg Gichtel, a profound philosopher and mystic, the most illumined of the disciples
of Jakob Bhme, secretly circulated the above diagrams among a small group of devoted
friends and students. Gichtel republished the writings of Bhme, illustrating them with
numerous remarkable figures. According to Gichtel, the diagrams above represent the
anatomy of the divine (or inner) man, and graphically set forth its condition during its human,
infernal, and divine states, The plates in the William Law edition of Bhmes works are based
apparently upon Gichtels diagrams, which they follow in all essentials. Gichtel gives no
detailed description of his figures, and the lettering on the original diagrams here translated
out of the German is the only clue to the interpretation of the charts. MPH

The Divine Tree in Man (obverse)
From Laws Figures of Jakob Bhme
A tree with its roots in the heart rises from the Mirror of the Deity
through the Sphere of Understanding to branch forth in the Sphere of
the Senses. The roots and trunk of this tree represent the divine nature
of man and may be called his spirituality; the branches of the tree are
the separate parts of the divine constitution and may be likened to the
individuality; and the leavesbecause of their ephemeral nature
correspond to the personality, which partakes of none of the
permanence of its divine source. MPH

The Divine Tree in Man (reverse)
From Laws Figures of Jakob Bhme
Just as the diagram representing the front view of man illustrates his
divine principles in their regenerated state, so the back view of the same
figure sets forth the inferior, or "night," condition of the soul. From the
sphere of the Astral Mind a line ascends through the Sphere of Reason
into that of the Senses. The Spheres of the Astral Mind and of the Senses
are filled with stars to signify the nocturnal condition of their natures. In
the sphere of reason, the superior and the inferior are reconciled, Reason
in the mortal man corresponding to Illumined Understanding in the
spiritual man. MPH

The Consonances of the Mundane
Monochord
From Fludds De Musica Mundana
This diagrammatic sector represents the major
gradations of energy and substance between
elemental earth and absolute unconditioned force.
Beginning with the superior, the fifteen graduated
spheres descend in the following order: Limitless and
Eternal Life; the superior, the middle, and the
inferior Empyrean; the seven planets; and the four
elements. Energy is symbolized by Fludd as a
pyramid with its base upon the concave surface of
the superior Empyrean, and substance as another
pyramid with its base upon the convex surface of the
sphere (not planet) of earth. These pyramids
demonstrate the relative proportions of energy and
substance entering into the composition of the
fifteen planes of being. It will be noted that the
ascending pyramid of substance touches but does
not pierce the fifteenth spherethat of Limitless and Eternal Life. Likewise, the descending
pyramid of energy touches but does not pierce the first spherethe grossest condition of
substance. The plane of the sun is denominated by the sphere of equality, for here neither
energy nor substance predominates. The mundane monochord consists of a hypothetical
string stretched from the base of the pyramid of energy to the base of the pyramid of
substance. MPH
The Mundane Monochord with its
Proportions and Intervals
In this chart is set forth a summary of Fludds theory of
universal music. The interval between the element of earth
and the highest heaven is considered as a double octave,
thus showing the two extremes of existence to be in
disdiapason harmony. It is significant that the highest
heaven, the sun, and the earth have the same tone, the
difference being in pitch. The sun is the lower octave of the
highest heaven and the earth the lower octave of the sun.
The lower octave (F to G) comprises that part of the
universe in which substance predominates over energy. Its
harmonies, therefore, are more gross than those of the
higher octave (G to g) wherein energy predominates over
substance. "If struck in the more spiritual part," writes
Fludd, "the monochord will give eternal life; if in the more
material part, transitory life." It will be noted that certain
elements, planets, and celestial spheres sustain a harmonic
ratio to each other. Fludd advances this as a key to the
sympathies and antipathies existing between the various departments of Nature. MPH

The Theory of Elemental Music
In this diagram two interpenetrating pyramids are again
employed, one of which represents fire and the other
earth. It is demonstrated according to the law of
elemental harmony that fire does not enter into the
composition of earth nor earth into the composition of fire.
The figures on the chart disclose the harmonic
relationships existing between the four primary elements
according to both Fludd and the Pythagoreans. Earth
consists of four parts of its own nature; water of three
parts of earth and one part of fire. The sphere of equality
is a hypothetical point where there is an equilibrium of two
parts of earth and two parts of fire. Air is composed of
three parts of fire and one part of earth; fire, of four parts
of its own nature. Thus earth and water bear to each other
the ratio of 4 to 3, or the diatessaron harmony, and water
and the sphere of equality the ratio of 3 to 2, or the
diapente harmony. Fire and air also bear to each other the
ratio of 4 to 3, or the diatessaron harmony, and air and
the sphere of equality the ratio of 3 to 2, or the diapente
harmony. As the sum of a diatessaron and a diapente equals a diapason, or octave, it is
evident that both the sphere of fire and the sphere of earth are in diapason harmony with the
sphere of equality, and also that fire and earth are in disdiapason harmony with each other.
MPH
The Four Elements and their
Consonantal Intervals
In this diagram Fludd has divided each of the four
primary elements into three subdivisions. The first
division of each element is the grossest, partaking
somewhat of the substance directly inferior to itself
(except in the case of the earth, which has no state
inferior to itself). The second division consists of the
element in its relatively pure state, while the third
division is that condition wherein the element partakes
somewhat of the substance immediately superior to
itself. For example, the lowest division of the element of
water is sedimentary, as it contains earth substance in
solution; the second division represents water in its most
common statesaltyas in the case of the ocean; and
the third division is water in its purest statefree from
salt. The harmonic interval assigned to the lowest
division of each element is one tone, to the central
division also a tone, but to the higher division a half-tone
because it partakes of the division immediately above it. Fludd emphasizes the fact that as the
elements ascend in series of two and a half tones, the diatessaron is the dominating harmonic
interval of the elements. MPH

The Mantichora
From Redgroves Bygone Beliefs
The most remarkable of allegorical creatures was the mantichora, which Ctesias describes as
having a flame-colored body, lionlike in shape, three rows of teeth, a human head and ears,
blue eyes, a tail ending in a series of spikes and stings, thorny and scorpionlike, and a voice
which sounded like the blare of trumpets. This synthetic quadruped ambled into mediaeval
works on natural history, but, though seriously considered, had never been seen, because it
inhabited inaccessible regions and consequently was difficult to locate. MPH

The Scorpion Talisman
From Paracelsus Archidoxes Magicae
The scorpion often appears upon the talismans and charms of the Middle Ages. This
hieroglyphic Arachnida was supposed to have the power of curing disease. The scorpion shown
above was composed of several metals, and was made under certain planetary configurations.
Paracelsus advised that it be worn by those suffering from any derangement of the
reproductive system. MPH
The Sunflower
From Kirchers Magnes sive de Arte Magnetica
Opus Tripartitum
The above diagram illustrates a curious experiment in
plant magnetism reproduced with several other
experiments in Athanasius Kirchers rare volume on
magnetism. Several plants were sacred to the ancient
Egyptians, Greeks, and Hindus because of the peculiar
effect which the sun exerted over them. As it is difficult
for man to look upon the face of the sun without being
blinded by the light, those plants which turned and
deliberately faced the solar orb were considered typical
of very highly advanced souls. Since the sun was
regarded as the personification of the Supreme Deity,
those forms of life over which it exercised marked
influence were venerated as being sacred to Divinity.
The sunflower, because of its plainly perceptible affinity
for the sun, was given high rank among sacred plants.
MPH

The Tree of Alchemy
From Musaeum Hermeticum Reformatum et Amplificatum
The alchemists were wont to symbolize their metals by means of a tree, to indicate that all
seven were branches dependent upon the single trunk of solar life. As the Seven Spirits
depend upon God and are branches of a tree of which He is the root, trunk, and the spiritual
earth from which the root derives its nourishment, so the single trunk of divine life and power
nourishes all the multitudinous forms of which the universe is composed.
In Gloria Mundi, from which the above illustration is reproduced, there is contained an
important thought concerning the plantlike growth of metals: "All animals, trees, herbs,
stones, metals, and minerals grow and attain to perfection, without being necessarily touched
by any human hand: for the seed is raised up from the ground, puts forth flowers, and bears
fruit, simply through the agency of natural influences. As it is with plants, so it is with metals.
While they lie in the heart of the earth, in their natural ore, they grow and are developed, day
by day, through the influence of the four elements: their fire is the splendor of the Sun and
Moon; the earth conceives in her womb the splendor of the Sun, and by it the seeds of the
metals are well and equally warmed, just like the grain in the fields. ...For as each tree of the
field has its own peculiar shape, appearance, and fruit, so each mountain bears its own
particular ore; those stones and that earth being the soil in which the metals grow."
Baphomet, the Goat of
Mendes
From Levi's Transcendental Magic
The practice of magiceither white or
blackdepends upon the ability of the adept
to control the universal life forcethat which
Eliphas Levi calls the great magical agent or
the astral light. By the manipulation of this
fluidic essence the phenomena of
transcendentalism are produced. The
famous hermaphroditic Goat of Mendes was
a composite creature formulated to
symbolize this astral light. It is identical with
Baphomet, the mystic pantheos of those
disciples of ceremonial magic, the Templars,
who probably obtained it from the Arabians.
MPH

A Magical Sword
From Levi's The Magical Ritual
Eliphas Levi describes the preparation of a magical sword in substance as follows: The steel blade should be forged in
the hour of Mars, with new tools. The pommel should be of hollow silver containing quicksilver, and the symbols of
Mercury and the moon and the signatures of Gabriel and Samael should be engraved upon it. The hilt should be encased
with tin, with the symbol of Jupiter and the signature of Michael engraved upon it. A copper triangle should extend from
the hilt along the blade a short distance on each side: These should bear the symbols of Mercury and Venus. Five
Sephiroth should be engraved upon the handle, as shown. The blade itself should have the word "Malchut" upon one
side and "Quis ut Deus" upon the other. The sword should be consecrated on Sunday. MPH
A Magic Circle
From The Complete Book of Magic Science (unpublished)
The above figure is a complete and faithful representation of a
magic circle as designed by mediaeval conjurers for the invocation
of spirits. The magician accompanied by his assistant takes his
place at the point formed by the crossing of the central lines
marked MAGISTER. The words about the circle are the names of
the invisible intelligences, and the small crosses mark points at
which certain prayers and invocations are recited. The small circle
outside is prepared for the spirit to be invoked, and while in use
has the signature of the desired intelligence traced within the
triangle. MPH

The Pentagram
From Levi's Transcendental Magic
The pentagram is the figure of the microcosmthe magical formula of man. It is the one rising out of the fourthe human soul rising from the
bondage of the animal nature. It is the true lightthe "Star of the morning." It marks the location of five mysterious centers of force, the
awakening of which is the supreme secret of white magic. MPH

Form of Pact with the Spirit of Jupiter
From The Complete Book of Magic Science
"The aforesaid Bond of Spirits, together with the seal and character of the
planetary angel, must be written on virgin parchment and laid before the
Spirit [for signature] when he appears; at that time the invocant must not
lose confidence but be patient, firm, bold, and persevering, and take care
that he asks nor requires nothing of the Spirit but with a view to the glory
of God and the well-being of his fellow creatures. Having obtained his
desires of the Spirit, the invocant may license him to depart." MPH
The Pentacles of the Seven Planets and the
Seals and Characters of the Planetary Angels
From a mediaeval Book of Spirits (unpublished)
The seven large circles are the pentacles of the planets, while the
two small circles under each contain the seal and the character of
the controlling intelligence of the planet. MPH

A Salamander, According to Paracelsus
From Paracelsus' Auslegung von 30 Magischen Figuren
The Egyptians, Chaldeans, and Persians often mistook the salamanders for
gods, because of their radiant splendor and great power. The Greeks,
following the example of earlier nations, deified the fire spirits and in their
honor kept incense and altar fires burning perpetually. MPH
Conventional Gnomes
From Gjellerup's Den AEldre Eddas Gudesange
The type of gnome most frequently seen is the brownie, or elf, a
mischievous and grotesque little creature from twelve to eighteen
inches high, usually dressed in green or russet brown. Most of
them appear as very aged, often with long white beards, and their
figures are inclined to rotundity. They can be seen scampering out
of holes in the stumps of trees and sometimes they vanish by
actually dissolving into the tree itself. MPH

A Mermaid
From Lycosthenes' Prodigiorum ac Ostentorum Chronicon
Probably the most famous of the undines were the mythological mermaids,
with which early mariners peopled the Seven Seas. Belief in the existence
of these creatures, the upper half of their bodies human in form and the
lower half fishlike, may have been inspired by flocks of penguins seen at a
great distance, or possibly seals. In mediaeval descriptions of the
mermaids, it was also stated that their hair was green like seaweed and
that they wore wreaths twisted from the blossoms of subaqueous plants
and sea anemones. MPH
A Sylph
From sketch by Howard Wookey
The sylphs were volatile, changeable entities, passing to and fro
with the rapidity of lightning. They work through the gases and
ethers of the earth and are kindly disposed toward human beings.
They are nearly always represented as winged, sometimes as tiny
cherubs and at other times as delicate fairies. MPH

The Phoenix on its Nest of Flames
From Lycosthenes Prodigiorum ac Ostentorum Chronicon
The phoenix is the most celebrated of all the symbolic creatures fabricated by the ancient Mysteries for the purpose of concealing the great
truths of esoteric philosophy. Though modern scholars of natural history declare the existence of the phoenix to be purely mythical, Pliny
describes the capture of one of these birds and its exhibition in the Roman Forum during the reign of the Emperor Claudius. MPH

Title Page of the Books of Alze
This title page is an example of Hermetic and alchemical symbolism. The
seven-pointed star of the sacred metals is so arranged that one black point
is downward, thus symbolizing Saturn, the Destroyer. Beginning in the
space immediately to the left of the black point, a reading clockwise
discloses the cryptic word VITRIOL formed by the capital letters of the
seven Latin words in the outer circle. MPH
Johannis Baptistae Von Helmont
From von Helmont's Ausgang der Artznen-Kunst
At the beginning of the 17th century, von Helmont, the Belgian alchemist, while experimenting with the root of
A---, touched it to the tip of his tongue, without swallowing any of the substance. He himself describes the
result in the following manner:
"Immediately my head seemed tied tightly with a string, and soon after there happened to me a singular
circumstance such as I had never before experienced. I observed with astonishment that I no longer felt and
thought with the head, but with the region of the stomach, as if consciousness had now taken up its seat in the
stomach. Terrified by this unusual phenomenon, I asked myself and inquired into myself carefully; but I only
became the more convinced that my power of perception was become greater and more comprehensive. This
intellectual clearness was associated with great pleasure. I did not sleep, nor did I dream; I was perfectly
sober; and my health was perfect. I had occasionally had ecstasies, but these had nothing in common with this
condition of the stomach, in which it thought and felt, and almost excluded all cooperation of the head. In the
meantime my friends were troubled with the fear that I might go mad. But my faith to God and my submission
to His will, soon dissipated this fear. This state continued for two hours, after which I had some dizziness. I
afterwards frequently tasted of the A---, but I never again could reproduce these same sensations."
Nicholas Culpeper
From Culpepers Semeiotica Uranica
This famous physician, herbalist, and astrologer spent the greater part of his useful life ranging the hills
and forests of England and cataloguing literally hundreds of medicinal herbs. Condemning the unnatural
methods of contemporaneous medicos, Culpeper wrote: "This not being pleasing, and less profitable to
me, I consulted with my two brothers, DR. REASON and DR. EXPERIENCE, and took a voyage to visit my
mother NATURE, by whose advice, together with the help of Dr. DILIGENCE, I at last obtained my desire;
and being warned by MR. HONESTY, a stranger in our days, to publish it to the world, I have done it."
(From the Introduction to the 1835 Edition of The Complete Herbal.)
Chemical Syllables
From De Monte-Snyders Metamorphosis Planetarum
De Monte-Snyders declares that each of the above characters forms one syllable of a word having
seven syllables, the word itself representing the materia prima, or first substance of the universe. As
all substance is composed of seven powers combined according to certain cosmic laws, a great
mystery is concealed within the sevenfold constitution of God, man, and the universe. Of the above seven characters, De Monte-Snyders writes:
"Whoever wants to know the true name and character of the materia prima shall know that out of the combination of the above figures syllables
are produced, and out of these the verbum significativum." MPH

A Symbolic Diagram of the Operations of Nature
From Fludds Collectio Operum
This plate, engraved by de Bry, is the most famous of the diagrams illustrating the philosophic principles of Robert Fludd.
The Alchemical Androgyne
From the Turbae Philosophorum
The Turbae Philosophorum is one of the earliest known documents on alchemy in the Latin tongue. Its exact
origin is unknown. It is sometimes referred to as The Third Pythagorical Synod. As its name implies, it is an
assembly of the sages and sets forth the alchemical viewpoints of many of the early Greek philosophers. The
symbol reproduced here is from a rare edition published in Germany in 1750, and represents by a hermaphroditic
figure the accomplishment of the magnum opus. The active and passive principles of Nature were often depicted
by male and female figures, and when these two principles were harmoniously conjoined in any one nature or
body it was customary to symbolize this state of perfect equilibrium by the composite figure above shown. MPH

The Elementary World
The outer circle contains the figures of the zodiac; the second, their signs and that part of the human body which they rule; the third, the
months of the year, with brief notes concerning temperaments, etc. The fourth circle contains the elements accompanied by their appropriate
symbols, and the following seven circles mark the orbits of the planets; also the planetary angels, the seven major members of the Universal
Man, and the seven metals, each division appearing under its appropriate element according to the elemental names in the fourth circle. In the
twelfth circle appear the words: "There are Three Principles, Three Worlds, Three Ages, and Three Kingdoms." In the thirteenth circle appear the
names of the twelve arts and sciences which are considered essential to spiritual growth. In the fourteenth circle is the word Nature. The
fifteenth circle contains the following words: "It is the great honour of faithful souls, that from their very birth an angel is appointed to preserve
and keep each of them." (See first English translation, London, 1893.) MPH
Paracelsus
From The Complete Writings of Paracelsus of Hohenheim
In his Biographia Antiqua, Francis Barrett appends to the name of
Paracelsus the following titles of distinction: "The Prince of
Physicians and Philosophers by Fire; Grand Paradoxical Physician;
The Trismegistus of Switzerland; First Reformer of Chymical
Philosophy; Adept in Alchymy, Cabala, and Magic; Natures Faithful
Secretary; Master of the Elixir of Life and The Philosophers
Stone," and the "Great Monarch of Chymical Secrets."

Albertus Magnus
From Jovius Vitae Illustrium Virorum
Albert de Groot was born about 1206 and died at the age of 74. It has been said of him that he was
"magnus in magia, major in philosophia, maximus in theologia." He was a member of the Dominican
order and the mentor of St. Thomas Aquinas in alchemy and philosophy; and Bishop of Regensburg.
He was beatified in 1622. Albertus was an Aristotelian philosopher, an astrologer, and a profound
student of medicine and physics. During his youth, he was considered of deficient mentality, but his
sincere service and devotion were rewarded by a vision in which the Virgin Mary appeared to him and
bestowed upon him great philosophical and intellectual powers. Having become master of the magical
sciences, Albertus began the construction of a curious automaton, which he invested with the powers
of speech and thought. The Android, as it was called, was composed of metals and unknown
substances chosen according to the stars and endowed with spiritual qualities by magical formulae and
invocations, and the labor upon it consumed over thirty years. St. Thomas Aquinas, thinking the device
to be a diabolical mechanism, destroyed it, thus frustrating the labor of a lifetime. In spite of this act,
Albertus Magnus left to St. Thomas Aquinas his alchemical formulae, including (according to legend)
the secret of the Philosophers Stone.
On one occasion Albertus Magnus invited William II, Count of Holland and King of the Romans, to a
garden party in midwinter. The ground was covered with snow, but Albertus had prepared a sumptuous banquet in the open grounds of his
monastery at Cologne. The guests were amazed at the imprudence of the philosopher, but as they sat down to eat Albertus uttered a few words,
the snow disappeared, the garden was filled with flowers and singing birds, and the air was warm with the breezes of summer. As soon as the
feast was over, the snow returned, much to the amazement of the assembled nobles. (For details, see The Lives of Alchemystical Philosophers.)
MPH
Title Page of Alchemical Tract attributed to John Cremer
John Cremer, the mythical Abbot of Westminster, is an interesting personality in the alchemical imbroglio
of the 14th century. As it is now reasonably certain that no abbot by such a name ever occupied the See of
Westminster, the question naturally arises, "Who was the person concealing his identity under the
pseudonym of John Cremer?" Fictitious characters such as John Cremer illustrate two important practices
of mediaeval alchemists; (1) many persons of high political or religious rank were secretly engaged in
Hermetic chemical research but, fearing persecution and ridicule, published their findings under various
pseudonyms; (2) for thousands of years it was the practice of those initiates who possessed the true key to
the great Hermetic arcanum to perpetuate their wisdom by creating imaginary persons, involving them in
episodes of contemporaneous history and thus establishing these non-existent beings as prominent
members of societyin some cases even fabricating complete genealogies to attain that end. The names
by which these fictitious characters were known revealed nothing to the uninformed. To the initiated,
however, they signified that the personality to which they were assigned had no existence other than a
symbolic one. These initiated chroniclers carefully concealed their arcanum in the lives, thoughts, words,
and acts ascribed to these imaginary persons and thus safely transmitted through the ages the deepest
secrets of occultism as writings which to the unconversant were nothing more than biographies. MPH
Good and Evil contending
for the Universal Egg
From Maurices Indian Antiquities
Both Mithras, the Persian Redeemer,
and Serapis, the Egyptian God the
Earth, are symbolized by serpents
coiled about their bodies. This
remarkable drawing shows the good
and evil principles of PersiaAhura-
Mazda and Ahrimancontending for
the Egg of the Earth, which each is
trying to wrench from the teeth of the
other. MPH

A Card from the Mantegna Pack
Among the more curious examples of playing cards are those of the Mantegna
deck. The 50 subjects composing the deck, each of which is represented by an
appropriate figure, are: (1) A beggar; (2) A page; (3) A goldsmith; (4) A
merchant; (5) A gentleman; (6) A knight; (7) The Doge; (8) A king; (9) An
emperor; (10) The Pope; (11) Calliope; (12) Urania; (13) Terpsichore; (14)
Erato; (15) Polyhymnia; (16) Thalia; (17) Melpomene; (18) Euterpe; (19)
Clio; (20) Apollo; (21) Grammar; (22) Logic; (23) Rhetoric; (24) Geometry;
(25) Arithmetic; (26) Music; (27) Poetry; (28) Philosophy; (29) Astrology;
(30) Theology; (31) Astronomy; (32) Chronology; (33) Cosmogony; (34)
Temperance; (35) Prudence; (36) Fortitude; (37) Justice; (38) Charity; (39)
Hope; (40) Faith; (41) the Moon; (42) Mercury; (43) Venus; (44) the Sun;
(45) Mars; (46) Jupiter; (47) Saturn; (48) the eighth Sphere; (49) the
Primum Mobile; (50) the First Cause. The Kabbalistic significance of these
cards is apparent, and it is possible that they have a direct analogy to the fifty
gates of light referred to in Kabbalistic writings. MPH

The Symbols of Abraham the Jew
From Flammels Hieroglyphical Figures
Robert H. Fryar, in a footnote to his reprint of the Hieroglyphical Figures by Nicholas Flammel, says: "One
thing which seems to prove the reality of this story beyond dispute, is, that this very book of Abraham the
Jew, with the annotations of Flammel, who wrote from the instructions he received from this physician,
was actually in the hands of Cardinal Richelieu, as Borel was told by the Count de Cabrines, who saw and
examined it." MPH
The Leaves of Hermes Sacred Tree
Redrawn from an original manuscript dated 1577
In his Key to Alchemy, Samuel Norton divides into 14 parts the
processes or states through which the alchemical substances pass
until ready as medicines for plants, minerals, or men:
1. Solution, the act of passing from a gaseous or solid condition into
one of liquidity.
2. Filtration, the mechanical separation of a liquid from the un-
dissolved particles suspended in it.
3. Evaporation, the changing or converting from a liquid or solid
state into a vaporous state with the aid of heat.
4. Distillation, an operation by which a volatile liquid may be
separated from substances which it holds in solution.
5. Separation, the operation of disuniting or decomposing
substances.
6. Rectification, the process of refining or purifying any substance by
repeated distillation.
7. Calcination, the conversion into a power or calx by the action of
heat; expulsion of the volatile substance from a matter.
8. Commixtion, the blending of different ingredients into one
compound or mass.
9. Purification (through putrefaction), disintegration by spontaneous decomposition; decay by artificial
means.
10. Inhibition, the process of holding back or restraining.
11. Fermentation, the conversion of organic substances into new compounds in the presence of a
ferment.
12. Fixation, the act or process of ceasing to be a fluid and becoming firm; state of being fixed.
13. Multiplication, the act or process of multiplying or increasing in number; the state of being multiplied.
14. Projection, the process of transmuting the base metals into gold.
A Table of Mediaeval Alchemical Symbols
From Valentines The Last Will and Testament
Hermetics used the curious symbols shown in this rare table to
represent various chemical elements and alchemical processes.
The characters concealing effectually within their own forms the
occult secrets regarding the spiritual nature of the metals and
elements which they represent. In their allegories the alchemists
also used human, animal, and plant emblems: sometimes weird
composite figures, such as the dragon, the winged serpent, the
unicorn, and the phoenix. In almost every case they symbolized
gold as a king with a crown on his head and often with a scepter
in his hand. Sometimes they depicted him with the face of the
solar disc surrounded by rays. Silver was personified as a woman,
whom they called the queen. She wore no crown but often stood
upon a lunar crescent, much after the fashion of the Madonna.
Mercury was typified as a youth with wings, often with two heads,
carrying serpents or sometimes the caduceus. Lead they
symbolized by an old man with a scythe in his hand; iron by a
soldier dressed in armor. To aqua fortis was given the curious
name "the ostrichs stomach," and to the attainment of the "Great
Work" they assigned the symbol of the phoenix sitting upon a
nest of fire. The union of elements they symbolized by a
marriage, the process of putrefaction by a skull, antimony by a
dragon. MPH
The Key to Alchemy according to the
Egyptians
The priests of Egypt not only used the scarab as a symbol of
regeneration but also discovered in its habits many analogies to
the secret processes whereby base metals could be transmuted
into gold. They saw in the egg of the scarab the seed of the
metals, and the above figure shows the path of this seed through
the various planetary bodies until, finally reaching the center, it is
perfected and then returns again to its source. The words in the
small spiral at the top read: "The spiral progress of the mundane
spirit." After the scarab has wound its way around the spiral to the
center of the lower part of the figure, it returns to the upper world
along the path bearing the words: "Return of the spirit to the
center of unity." MPH
The Invisible Magical Mountain
From Philalethes Lumen de Lumine
On page 24 of Lumen de Lumine, Eugenius Philalethes describes the magical
mountain as follows: "This is that emblematical magical type, which Thalia
delivered to me in the invisible Guiana. The first and superior part of it
represents the Mountains of the Moon. The philosophers commonly call them
the Mountains of India, on whose tops grows their secret and famous Lunaria.
It is an herb easy to be found, but [for the fact] that men are blind, for it
discovers itself and shines after night like pearl. The earth of these mountains
is very red and soft beyond all expression. It is full of crystalline rocks, which
the philosophers call their glass and their stone: birds and fish (say they)
bring it to them. Of these mountains speaks Hali the Arabian, a most
excellent judicious author: Go, my son, to the Mountains of India, and to
their quarries or caverns, and take thence our precious stones, which dissolve
or melt in water, when they are mingled therewith. Much indeed might be
spoken concerning these mountains, if it were lawful to publish their
mysteries, but one thing I shall not forbear to tell you. They are very
dangerous places after night, for they are haunted with fires and other
strange apparitions, occasioned (as I am told by the Magi) by certain spirits,
which dabble lasciviously with the sperm of the world and imprint their
imaginations in, producing many times fantastic and monstrous generations. The access and pilgrimage to
this place, with the difficulties which attend them, are faithfully and magisterially described by the Brothers
of R.C." (See accompanying letter.) MPH
Key to the Great Philosophical Secret
From Ashmoles Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum
This plate, which is the key to mystic Christian alchemy, is missing
from almost every copy of the Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum, a
work compiled by Elias Ashmole and containing about a score of
pieces by English poets treating of the Philosophers Stone and the
Hermetic mysteries.
In view of the consistent manner in which the plate disappeared, it
is possible that the diagram was purposely removed because it
revealed too plainly the Rosicrucian arcana. Elias Ashmoles plate
shows the analogies between the life of Christ and the four grand
divisions of the alchemical process. Herein is also revealed the
teaching that the Philosophers Stone itself is a macrocosm and a
microcosm, embodying the principles of astronomy and
cosmogony, both universal and human. MPH
The Universe Created by the Dual Principle
of Light and Darkness
From Fludds Philosophia Mosaica
The Supreme Deity is symbolized by the small globe at the top,
which is divided into two hemispheres, the dark half representing
the divine darkness with which the Deity surrounds Himself and
which serves as His hiding place. The radiant hemisphere signifies
the divine light which is in God and which, pouring forth,
manifests as the objective creative power. The large dark globe to
the left and beneath the dark half of the upper sphere signifies the
potential darkness which was upon the face of the primordial deep
and within which moved the Spirit of God. The light globe to the
right is the Deity who is revealed out of the darkness. Here the
shining Word has dissipated the shadows and a glorious universe
has been formed. The divine power of this radiant globe is
congnizable to man as the sun. The large central sphere divided
horizontally into a light and a dark section represents the created
universe partaking of the light and darkness which are in the
nature of the Creator. The dark half represents the Deep, or Chaos, the Eternal Waters pouring forth out of
the Deity; the light half, the power of God which animates the waters and establishes order in Chaos. The
light half-circle containing the figure of Apollo represents the diurnal hemisphere of the world, which in the
ancient Mysteries was ruled over by Apollo. The dark half-circle is the nocturnal hemisphere ruled over by
Dionysius (Dionysos), whose figure is faintly visible in the gloom. MPH

An Alchemical Cryptogram
From Browns History of Chemistry
James Campbell Brown reprints a curious cipher from Kircher. The
capital letters of the seven words in the outer circle, when read
clockwise, form the word SVLPHVR. From the five words in the
second circle, when read in a similar manner, is derived FIXVM.
The capitals of the six words in the inner circle, when properly
arranged, also read EST SOL. The following cipher is thus
extracted: "Sulphur Fixum Est Sol," which when translated is:
"Fixed sulphur is gold." MPH
An Alchemical
Cryptogram
From Geheime Figuren der
Rosenkreuzer
Beginning with the word VISITA and
reading clockwise, the seven initial
letters of the seven words inscribed in
the outer circle read: VITRIOL. This is
a very simple alchemical enigma, but
is a reminder that those studying
works on alchemy should always be on
the lookout for concealed meanings
hidden either in parables and
allegories or in cryptic arrangements
of numbers, letters, and words. MPH

A Cryptic Depiction of Divine and Natural
Justice
From Selenus Cryptomenytices et Cryptographiae
The first circle portrays the divine antecedents of justice, the
second the universal scope of justice, and the third the results of
human application of justice. Hence, the first circle deals with
divine principles, the second circle with mundane affairs, and the
third circle with man. On the throne at the top of the picture sits
Themis, the presiding spirit of law, and at her feet three other
queensJuno, Minerva, and Venustheir robes ornamented with
geometric figures. The axis of law connects the throne of divine
justice above with the throne of human judgment at the bottom of
the picture. Upon the latter throne is seated a queen with a
scepter in her hand, before whom stands the winged goddess
Nemesisthe angel of judgment.
The second circle is divided into three parts by two sets of two
horizontal lines. The upper and light section is called the Supreme Region and is the abode of the gods, the
good spirits, and the heroes. The lower and dark section is the abode of lust, sin, and ignorance. Between
these two extremes is the larger section in which are blended the powers and impulses of both the superior
and the inferior regions. In the third or inner circle is man, a tenfold creature, consisting of nine parts
three of spirit, three of intellect, and three of soulenclosed within one constitution. According to Selenus,
mans three spiritual qualities are thought, speech, and action; his three intellectual qualities are memory,
intelligence, and will; and his three qualities of soul are understanding, courage, and desire. The third circle
is further divided into three parts called ages: the Golden Age of spiritual truth in the upper right section,
the Iron Age of spiritual darkness in the lower right section, and the Bronze agea composite of the two
occupying the entire left half of the inner circle and itself divided into three parts. The lowest division of the
Bronze Age depicts ignorant man controlled by force, the central the partly awakened man controlled by
jurisprudence, and the upper the spiritually illuminated man controlled by love. Both the second and third
circles revolve upon the axis of law, but the divine source of lawHeavenly Justiceis concealed by clouds.
MPH
The Mystery of the Macrocosm
Redrawn from Cesarianos Edition of Vitruvius
Summarizing the relationship between the human body and the
theory of architectonics, Vitruvius writes: "Since nature has
designed the human body so that its members are duly
proportioned to the frame as a whole, it appears that the ancients
had good reason for their rule, that in perfect building the different
members must be in exact symmetrical relations to the whole
general scheme. Hence, while transmitting to us the proper
arrangements for buildings of all kinds, they were particularly
careful to do so in the case of temples of the gods, buildings in
which merits and faults usually last forever. ...Therefore, if it is
agreed that number was found out from the human fingers, and
that there is a symmetrical correspondent between the members
separately and the entire form of the body, in accordance with a
certain part selected as standard, we can have nothing but respect
for those who, in constructing temples of the immortal gods, have
so arranged the members of the works that both the separate parts
and the whole design may harmonize in their proportions and
symmetry." MPH
The Mystery of the Microcosm
Redrawn from Cesarianos Edition of Vitruvius
Herein is depicted the mysterious Word of Plato which was
crucified in space before the foundation of the world. The
anonymous author of the Canon writes: "The Logos or soul of the
world, according to Plato, the Greek Hermes, and the Christ,
according to the Christian Gnostics, are all one and the same as
the Hebrew Adam Kadmon, who is the second person of the
cabalistic triad. The Cyllenian Hermes, described by Hippolytus, so
exactly resembles the lesser man found in Cesarianos edition of
Vitruvius, that they may be justifiably considered to be identical."
After relating the figure to Dionysos because of the vine leaves
wound in the hair, the same writer concludes: "Here we have
clearly and distinctly a curious survival of the cosmic deity of
Greece, copied and disfigured by the crude draughtsmen of the
Middle Ages, but faithfully preserved, and recognizable to the
last." Similar figures are to be found in Agrippas De Occulta
Philosophia. Like Cesarianos diagrams, however, the key given for their interpretation is most inadequate.
Agrippa declares that, being a type of the lesser world, man contains in himself all numbers, measures,
weights, motions, and elements. MPH
Jakob Bhme, the Teutonic Theosopher
From William Laws Translation of The Works of Jakob
Bhme
Jakob Bhme was born in the year 1575 in a village near Gorlitz,
and died in Silesia in 1624. He had but little schooling and was
apprenticed at an early age to a shoemaker. He later became a
jouyrneyman shoemaker, married and had four children. One day
while tending his masters shoe shop, a mysterious stranger
entered who, while he seemed to possess but little of this worlds
goods, appeared to be most wise and noble in spiritual
attainment. The stranger asked the price of a pair of shoes, but
young Bhme did not dare to name a figure, for fear that he
would displease his master. The stranger insisted and Bhme
finally placed a valuation which he felt was all that his master
possibly could hope to secure for the shoes. The stranger
immediately bought them and departed. A short distance down
the street the mysterious stranger stopped and cried out in a loud
voice, "Jakob, Jakob, come forth." In amazement and fright,
Bhme ran out of the house. The strange man fixed his eyes upon
the youthgreat eyes which sparkled and seemed filled with
divine light. He took the boys right hand and addressed him as
follows: "Jakob, thou art little but shall be great, and become another Man, such a one as at whom the
World shall wonder. Therefore be pious, fear God, and reverence His Word. Read diligently the Holy
Scriptures, wherein you have Comfort and Instruction. For thou must endure much Misery and Poverty, and
suffer Persecution, but be courageous and persevere, for God loves, and is gracious to thee." Deeply
impressed by the prediction, Bhme became ever more intense in his search for truth. At last his labors
were rewarded. For seven days he remained in a mysterious condition during which time the mysteries of
the invisible world were revealed to him. It has been said of Jakob Bhme that he revealed to all mankind
the deepest secrets of alchemy. He died surrounded by his family, his last words being "Now I go hence
into Paradise." MPH
The "Divine" Cagliostro
From Houdons Bust of Cagliostro
The Comte di Cagliostro is described as a man not overly tall, but square
shouldered and deep of chest. His head, which was large, was
abundantly covered with wavy black hair combed back from his broad
and noble forehead. His eyes were black and very brilliant, and when he
spoke with great feeling upon some profound subject the pupils dilated,
his eyebrows rose, and he shook his head like a maned lion.
His hands and feet were smallan indication of noble birthand his
whole bearing was one of dignity and studiousness. He was filled with
energy, and could accomplish a prodigious amount of work. He dressed
somewhat fantastically, gave so freely from an inexhaustible purse that
he received the title of "Father of the Poor," accepted nothing from
anyone, and maintained himself in magnificence in a combined temple
and palace in the Rue de la Sourdire. According to his own statement
he was initiated into the Mysteries by none other than the Comte de St.-
Germain. He had traveled through all parts of the world, and in the ruins
of ancient Babylon and Nineveh had discovered wise men who
understood all the secrets of human life. MPH

The Entrance to the House of the Mysteries
From Khunraths Amphitheatrum Sapientae, etc
This symbolic figure, representing the way to everlasting life, is described by Khunrath in substance as
follows: "This is the portal of the amphitheater of the only true and eternal Wisdoma narrow one, indeed,
but sufficiently august, and consecrated to Jehovah. To this portal ascent is made by a mystic, indisputably
prologetic, flight of steps, set before it as shown in the picture. It consists of seven theosophic, or, rather,
philosophic steps of the Doctrine of the Faithful Sons. After ascending the steps, the path is along the way
of God the Father, either directly by inspiration or by various mediate means. According to the seven
oracular laws shining at the portal, those who are inspired divinely have the power to enter and with the
eyes of the body and of the mind, of seeing, contemplating and investigating in a Christiano-Kabalistic,
divino-magical, psysico-chemical manner, the nature of the Wisdom, Goodness, and Power of the Creator;
to the end that they die not sophistically but live theosophically, and that the orthodox philosophers so
created may with sincere philosophy expound the works of the Lord, and worthily praise God who has thus
blessed these friends of God."

Gallery of Astrological Images

The Lion of the Sun
From Maurices Indian
Antiquities
The sun rising over the back of the
lion or, astrologically, in back of the
lion, has always been considered
symbolic of power and rulership. A
symbol very similar to the one above
appears on the flag of Persia, whose
people have always been sun
worshipers. Kings and emperors have
frequently associated their terrestrial
power with the celestial power of the
solar orb, and have accepted the
sun, or one of its symbolic beasts or
birds, as their emblem. Witness the
lion of the Great Mogul and the
eagles of Caesar and Napoleon. MPH

The Three Suns
From Lillys Astrological Predictions for 1648, 1649 and 1650
The following description of this phenomenon appears in a letter written by
Jeremiah Shakerley in Lancashire, March 4th, 1648:
"On Monday the 28th of February last, there arose with the Sun two Parelii,
on either side one; their distance from him was by estimation, about ten
degrees; they continued still of the same distance from the Zenith, or height
above the Horizon, that the Sun did; and from the parts averse to the Sun,
there seemed to issue out certain bright rays, not unlike those which the Sun
sendeth from behind a cloud, but brighter. The parts of these Parelii which
were toward the Sun, were of a mixt colour, wherein green and red were
most predominant: A little above them was a thin Rainbow, scarcely
discernible, of a bright colour, with the concave towards the Sun, and the
ends thereof seeming to touch the Parelii: Above that, in a clear diaphanous
ayre [air], appeared another conspicuous Rainbow, beautified with divers
colours; it was as neer as I could discern to the Zenith; it seemed of
something a lesser radius that the other, they being back to back, yet a
pretty way between: At or neer the apparent time of the full Moon, they
vanished, leaving abundance of terror and amazement in those that saw
them." MPH

The Solar Face
From Montfaucons Antiquities
The corona of the sun is here shown
in the form of a lions mane. This is a
subtle reminder of the fact that at one
time the summer solstice took place
in the sign of Leo, the Celestial Lion.
MPH

The Equinoxes and Solstices
The plane of the zodiac intersects the celestial equator at an angle of
approximately 23 28. The two points of intersection (A and B) are called
the equinoxes. MPH

The Microcosm
From Schotus Margarita
Philosophica
The pagans believed that the zodiac
formed the body of the Grand Man of
the Universe. This body, which they
called the Macrocosm (The Great
World), was divided into twelve
major parts, one of which was under
the control of the celestial powers
reposing in each of the zodiacal
constellations. Believing that the
entire universal system was
epitomized in mans body, which
they called the Microcosm (the Little
World), they evolved that now
familiar figure of "the cut-up man in
the almanac" by allotting a sign of
the zodiac to each of twelve major
parts of the human body.

The Circular Zodiac of Tentyra
From Coles Treatise on the Circular Zodiac of Tentyra, in Egypt
The oldest circular zodiac known is the one found at Tentyra, in Egypt, and
now in the possession of the French Government. Mr. John Cole describes
this remarkable zodiac as follows: "The diameter of the medallion in which
the constellations are sculptured, is four feet nine inches, French measure. It
is surrounded by another circle of much larger circumference, containing
hieroglyphic characters; this second circle is enclosed in a square, whose
sides are seven feet nine inches long... The asterisms, constituting the
Zodiacal constellations mixed with others, are represented in a spiral. The
extremities of this spiral, after one revolution, are Leo and Cancer. Leo is no
doubt at the head. It appears to be trampling on a serpent, and its tail to be
held by a woman. Immediately after the Lion comes the Virgin holding an ear
of corn. Further on we perceive two scales of a balance, above which, in a
medallion, is the figure of Harpocrates. Then follows the Scorpion, and
Sagittarius, to whom the Egyptians gave wings, and two faces. After
Sagittarius are successively placed, Capricornus, Aquarius, Pisces, the Ram,
the Bull, and the Twins. This Zodiacal procession is, as we have already
observed, terminated by Cancer, the Crab." MPH

Hieroglyphic Plan, by Hermes, of the Ancient Zodiac
The inner circle contains the hieroglyph of Hemphta, the triform and
pantamorphic deity. In the six concentric bands surrounding the inner circle
are (from within outward): (1) the numbers of the zodiacal houses in figures
and also in words; (2) the modern names of the houses; (3) the Greek or the
Egyptian names of the Egyptian deities assigned to the houses; (4) the
complete figures of these deities; (5) the ancient or the modern zodiacal
signs, sometimes both; (6) the number of decans or subdivisions of the
houses. MPH

Leo

Virgo

Scorpio and Libra

Sagittarius

Capricorn and Aquarius

Pisces

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Gallery of Christian Symbols

A Christian Trinity
From Hone's Ancient Mysteries
Described
In an effort to set forth in an
appropriate figure the Christian
doctrine of the Trinity, it was necessary
to devise an image in which the three
personsFather, Son, and Holy
Ghost were separate and yet one. In
different parts of Europe may be seen
figures similar to this, wherein three
faces are united in one head. This is a
legitimate method of symbolism, for to
those able to realize the sacred
significance of the threefold head a
great mystery is revealed. MPH

Hand decorated with the
Effigies of Jesus Christ, the
Virgin Mary, and the Twelve
Apostles
From an old print, courtesy of Carl Oscar
Borg
Upon the twelve phalanges of the fingers
appear the likenesses of the Apostles, each
bearing its own appropriate symbol. In the case
of those who suffered martyrdom the symbol
signifies the instrument of death. Thus, the
symbol of St. Andrew is a cross; of St. Thomas
a javelin or a builders square; of St. James the
Less, a club; of St. Phillip, a cross; of St.
Bartholomew, a large knife or scimitar; of St.
Matthew, a sword or spear (sometimes a
purse); of St. Simon, a club or saw; of St.
Matthias, an axe; and of St. Judas, a halberd.
The Apostles whose symbols to not relate to
their martyrdom are St. Peter, who carries two crossed keys, one gold and one
silver; St. James the Great, who bears a pilgrims staff and an scallop shell; and St.
John, who holds a cup from which the poison miraculously departed in the form of a
serpent. The figure of Christ upon the second phalange of the thumb. MPH

The Tree of Noah
From the "Breeches" Bible of 1599
Most Bibles published during the Middle Ages contain a section devoted to
genealogical tables showing the descent of humanity from Father Adam to the
advent of Jesus Christ. The tree growing from the roof of the Ark represents the
body of Noah and its three branches, his sonsShem, Ham, and Japheth. The
nations founded by the descendants of Noahs three sons are appropriately shown in
the circles upon the branches of the tree. While such tables are hopelessly incorrect
from a historical point of view, to the symbolist their allegorical interpretations are of
inestimable importance. MPH
The Nimbus & Aureole in
Symbolism
From Audsleys Handbook of Christian
Symbolism
The golden halos around the heads of both
pagan gods and Christian saints refers to
their being bathed in the glory of the sun
and also to the fact that a spiritual sun
within their own natures is radiating its
glow-ray and surrounding them with
celestial splendor. Whenever the nimbus is
composed of straight radiant lines, with solar
significance; whenever curved lines are used
for beams, it partakes of the lunar nature;
whenever they are united, it symbolizes an
harmonious blending of both principles. The
circular nimbus is solar and masculine, while
the lozenge-shaped nimbus, or vesica
piscis, lunar and feminine. The same
symbolism is preserved in the circular and
lozenge-shaped windows of cathedrals. There is a complete science contained in the
shape, color, and adornments of the halos of saints and martyrs. A plain golden ring
usually surrounds the head of a canonized saint, while God the Father and God the
Son have far more ornate aureole, usually adorned with a St. George Cross, a
flowered cross, or a lilied cross, with only three of the arms visible. MPH
History of the Holy Cross
From Berjeaus History of the Holy
Cross
(1) Adam directing Seth how to reach
the Garden of Eden. (2) Seth placing
the three seeds from the Tree of Life
under the tongue of the dead Adam.
(3) The Queen of Sheba, refusing to
place her feet upon the sacred tree,
forded the stream. (4) Placing the
sacred tree over the door of Solomons
Temple. (5) The crucifixion of Christ
upon a cross made from the wood of
the holy tree. (6) Distinguishing the
true cross from the other two by
testing its power to raise a corpse to
life. MPH

The Tau Cross
The TAU Cross was the sign which the Lord
told the people of Jerusalem to mark upon
their foreheads, as related by the Prophet
Ezekiel. It was also placed as a symbol of
liberation upon those charged with crimes
but acquitted. MPH
The Crucifixion in Space
From Higgins Anacalypsis
Of this remarkable Oriental drawing, J.
P. Lundy has written: "It looks like a
Christian crucifix in many respects, and
in some others it does not. The
drawing, the attitude, and the nail-
marks in hands and feet, indicate a
Christian origin; while the Parthian
coronet of seven points, the absence of
the wood and of the usual inscription,
and the rays of glory above, would
seem to point to some other than a
Christian origin. Can it be the Victim-
Man, or the Priest and Victim both in
one, of the Hindu mythology, who
offered himself a sacrifice before the
worlds were?" MPH

The Crucifixion of Quetzalcoatl
(From the Codex Borgianus)
From Kingsboroughs Antiquities of Mexico
Lord Kingsborough writes: "May we not refer to the seventy-third page of the
Borgian MS., which represents Quexalcoatl both crucified, and as it were cut in
pieces for the cauldron, and with equal reason demand, whether anyone can help
thinking that the Jews of the New World [Lord Kingsborough sought to prove that the
Mexicans were descendants of the Jews] applied to their Messiah not only all the
prophecies contained in the Old Testament relating to Christ, but likewise many of
the incidents recorded of him in the Gospels." MPH

The Throne of God and the
Lamb
From Jacob Behmens Works
Before the throne of God was the crystal
sea representing the Schamayim, or the
living waters which are above the heavens.
Before the throne also were four
creaturesa bull, a lion, an eagle, and a
man. These represented the four corners of
creation, and the multitude of eyes with
which they were covered are the stars of
the firmament. The twenty-four elders have
the same significance as the priests
gathered around the statue of Ceres in the
Greater Eleusinian Rite and also the Persian
Genii, or gods of the hours of the day, who,
casting away their crowns, glorify the Holy
One. MPH

Dramatic Episodes from the Mysteries of the Apocalypse
From Klaubers Historiae Biblicae Veteris et Novi Testamenti
In the central foreground St. John the Divine is shown kneeling before the apparition
of the Alpha and Omega standing in the midst of the seven lights and surrounded by
an aureole of flames and smoke. In the heavens above, the twenty-four elders with
their harps and censers bow before the throne of the Ancient One, from whose hand
the Lamb is taking the book sealed with seven seals. The seven spirits of God, in the
form of cups from which issue tongues of fire, surround the head of the Ancient One,
and the four beasts (the cherubim) kneel at the corners of His throne. In the upper
left-hand corner are shown the seven angels bearing the trumpets and also the altar
of God and the angel with the censer. In the upper right are the spirits of the winds;
below them is the virgin clothed with the sun, to whom wings were given that she
might fly into the wilderness. To her right is a scene representing the spirits of God
hurling the evil serpent into the bottomless pit. At the lower left St. John is shown
receiving from the angelic figure, whose legs are pillars of fire and whose face is a
shining sun, the little book which he is told to eat if he would understand the
mysteries of the spiritual life. MPH

John's Vision of the New Jerusalem
From Klaubers Historiae Biblicae Veteris et Novi Testamenti
In the upper left-hand corner is shown the destruction of Babylon, also the angel
which cast the great millstone into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence shall that
great city Babylon be thrown down and shall be found no more at all." Below is the
horseman, called Faithful and True, casting the beast into the bottomless pit. At the
lower right is the angel with the key to the bottomless pit, who with a great chain
binds Satan for a thousand years. In the heavens above is represented one like unto
the Son of Man, who carries a great sickle with which he reaps the harvests of the
world. In the center is the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, with its twelve gates and
the mountain of the Lamb rising in the midst thereof. From the throne of the Lamb
pours the great river of crystal, or living water, signifying the spiritual doctrine: upon
all who discover and drink of its waters is conferred immortality. Kneeling upon a
high cliff, St. John gazes down upon the mystic city, the archetype of the perfect
civilization yet to be. Above the New Jerusalem, in a great sunburst of glory, is the
throne of the Ancient One, which is the light of those who dwell in the matchless
empire of the spirit. MPH

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
From Solis Biblische Figuren
In the allegory of the four horsemenaccording to the mysteries of philosophyis
set forth the condition of man during the stages of his existence. In his first and
spiritual state he is crowned. As he descends into the realm of experience he carries
the sword. Reaching physical expressionwhich is his least spiritual statehe carries
the scales, and by the "philosophic death" is released again into the higher spheres.
In the ancient Roman games the chariot of the sun was drawn by four horses of
different colors, and the horsemen of the Apocalypse may be interpreted to
represent the solar energy riding upon the four elements which serve as media for
its expression. MPH
John and the Vision of the
Apocalypse
From an engraving by Jean Duvet
Jean Duvet of Langres (who was born
in 1485 and presumably died sometime
after 1561, the year in which his
illustrations to the Apocalypse were
printed in book form) was the oldest
and greatest of French Renaissance
engravers. Little is known concerning
Duvet beyond the fact that he was
goldsmith to the King of France. His
engravings for the Book of Revelation,
executed after he had passed his
seventieth year, were his masterpiece.
The face of John is an actual portrait of
Duvet. This plate, like many others cut
by Duvet, is rich in philosophical
symbolism. MPH

Gallery of Classical Myth & Mysteries

Plato
From Thomassin's Recueil des Figures, Groupes,
Thermes, Fontaines, Vases et autres Ornements
Plato's real name was Aristocles. When his father
brought him to study with Socrates, the great Skeptic
declared that on the previous night he had dreamed
of a white swan, which was an omen that his new
disciple was to become one of the world's illumined.
There is [also] a tradition that the immortal Plato was
sold as a slave by the King of Sicily. MPH

neas at the Gate of Hell
From Virgil's Aeneid (Dryden's translation)
Virgil describes part of the ritual of a Greek Mystery in his account
of the descent of Aeneas to the gate of hell under the guidance of
the Sibyl. Of that part of the ritual portrayed above the immortal
poet writes: "Full in the midst of this infernal Road, An Elm
displays her dusky Arms abroad; The God of Sleep there hides his
heavy Head And empty Dreams on ev'ry Leaf are spread. Of
various Forms, unnumber'd Specters more; Centaurs, and double
Shapes, besiege the Door: Before the Passage horrid Hydra
stands, And Briareus with all his hundred Hands: Gorgons, Geryon
with his triple Frame; And vain Chimaera vomits empty Flame.
The Chief unsheath'd his shining Steel, prepar'd Tho seiz'd with
sudden Fear, to force the Guard. Off'ring his brandish'd Weapon at
their Face; Had not the Sibyl stop'd his eager Pace, And told him
what those empty Phantoms were; Forms without Bodies, and
impassive Air." MPH

The Ptolemaic Scheme of the Universe
From an old print, courtesy of Carl Oscar Borg
In ridiculing the geocentric system of astronomy expounded by Claudius Ptolemy, modern astronomers
have overlooked the philosophic key to the Ptolemaic system. The universe of Ptolemy is a diagram of
the relationships existing between the various divine and elemental parts of every creature, and is not
concerned with astronomy as that science is now comprehended. In the above figure, special attention is
called to the three circles of zodiacs surrounding the orbits of the planets. These zodiacs represent the
threefold spiritual constitution of the universe. The orbits of the planets are the Governors of the World
and the four elemental spheres in the center represent the physical constitution of both man and the
universe. Ptolemy's scheme of the universe is a cross section of the universal aura, the planets and
elements to which he refers having no relation to those recognized by modern astronomers. MPH
The Orphic Egg
From Bryant's An Analysis of Ancient Mythology
The ancient symbol of the Orphic Mysteries was the
serpent-entwined egg, which signified Cosmos as
encircled by the fiery Creative Spirit. The egg also
represents the soul of the philosopher; the serpent,
the Mysteries. At the time of initiation the shell is
broken and man emerges from the embryonic state
of physical existence wherein he had remained
through the fetal period of philosophic regeneration.
MPH

A Female Hierophant of the Mysteries
From Montfaucon's Antiquities
This illustration show Cybele, here called the Syrian Goddess, in the
robes of a hierophant. Montfaucon describes the figure as follows: "Upon
her head is an episcopal mitre, adorned on the lower part with towers
and pinnacles; over the gate of the city a crescent, and beneath the
circuit of the walls a crown of rays. The Goddess wears a sort of surplice
exactly like the surplice of a priest or bishop; and upon the surplice a
tunic, which falls down to the legs; and over all an episcopal cope, with
the twelve signs of the Zodiac wrought on the borders. The figure hath a
lion on each side, and holds in its left hand a Tympanum, a Sistrum, a
Distaff, a Caduceus, and another instrument. In her right hand she holds
with her middle finger a thunderbolt, and upon the same arm animals,
insects, and, as far as we may guess, flowers and fruit, a bow, a quiver,
a torch, and a scythe." The whereabouts of the statue is unknown, the
copy reproduced by Montfaucon being from drawings by Pirro Ligorio.
MPH

Mithras Slaying the Bull
From Lundy's Monumental Christianity
This relief [prototokos] shows Mithras kneeling upon the recumbent form of a great bull, into whose
throat he is driving a sword. The slaying of the bull signifies that the rays of the sun, symbolized by the
sword, release at the vernal equinox the vital essences of the earththe blood of the bullwhich, pouring
from the wound made by the Sun God, fertilize the seeds of living things. Dogs were held sacred to the
cult of Mithras, being symbolic of sincerity and trustworthiness. The Mithraics used the serpent as an
emblem of Ahriman, the Spirit of Evil. The bull is the Constellation of Taurus; the serpent, its opposite in
the zodiac, Scorpio. MPH
The Birth of Mithras
Mithras was born out of a rock, which, breaking open,
permitted him to emerge. This occurred in the
darkness of a subterranean chamber. The Church of
the Nativity at Bethlehem confirms the theory that
Jesus was born in a grotto, or cave. According to
Dupuis, Mithras was put to death by crucifixion and
rose again on the third day. MPH

The Lion-Faced Light-Power
This Gnostic gem represents by its serpentine
body the pathway of the Sun and by its lion head
the exaltation of the solar orb in the Constellation
of Leo. MPH

A Symbolic Labyrinth
Labyrinths and mazes were favored places of initiation among many ancient cults. Remains of these
mystic mazes have been found among the American Indians, Hindus, Persians, Egyptians, and Greeks.
Some of these mazes are merely involved pathways lined with stones; others are literally miles of gloomy
caverns under temples or hollowed from the sides of mountains. The famous labyrinth of Crete, in which
roamed the bull-headed Minotaur, was unquestionably a place of initiation into the Cretan Mysteries. MPH
The Alexandrian Serapis
From Mosaize Historie der Hebreeuwse Kerke
Serapis is often shown standing on the back of the
sacred crocodile, carrying in his left hand a rule with
which to measure the inundations of the Nile, and
balancing with his right hand a curious emblem
consisting of an animal with three heads. The first
headthat of a lionsignified the present; the
second headthat of a wolfthe past; and the third
headthat of a dogthe future. The body with its
three heads was enveloped by the twisted coils of a
serpent. MPH

The Rape of Persephone
From Thomassin's Recueil des Figures, Groupes, Thermes,
Fontaines, Vases et autres Ornements
In his Disquisitions upon the Painted Greek Vases, James Christie presents
Meursius' version of the occurrences taking place during the nine days
required for the enactment of the Greater Eleusinian Rites. The 1st day was
that of general meeting, during which those to be initiated were questioned
concerning their several qualifications. The 2nd day was spent in a
procession to the sea, possibly for the submerging of an image of the
presiding goddess. The 3rd day was opened by the sacrifice of a mullet. On
the 4th day the mystic basket containing certain sacred symbols was
brought to Eleusis, accompanied by a number of female devotees carrying
smaller baskets. On the evening of the 5th day there was a torch race, on
the 6th a procession led by a statue of Iacchus, and on the 7th an athletic
contest. The 8th day was devoted to a repetition of the previous ceremonial
for the benefit of any who might have been prevented from attending
sooner. The 9th and last day was devoted to the deepest philosophical
issues of the Eleusinia, during which an urn or jarthe symbol of Bacchus
was exhibited as an emblem of supreme importance. MPH

Ceres, Patron of the Mysteries
From a mural painting in Pompeii
Ceres, or Demeter, was the daughter of Kronos and
Rhea, and by Zeus the mother of Persephone. Some
believe her to be the goddess of the earth, but more
correctly she is the deity protecting agriculture in
general and corn in particular. The poppy is sacred to
Ceres and she is often shown carrying or ornamented
by a garland of these flowers. In the Mysteries, Ceres
is represented riding in a chariot drawn by winged
serpents. MPH

The Processional of the Bacchic Rites
From Ovid's Metamorphosis
In the initiation of the Bacchic Mysteries, the role of Bacchus is played by the candidate who, set upon by
priests in the guise of the Titans, is slain and finally restored to life amidst great rejoicing. The Bacchic
Mysteries were given every three years, and like the Eleusinian Mysteries, were divided into two degrees.
The initiates were crowned with myrtle and ivy, plants which were sacred to Bacchus.
In the Anacalypsis, Godfrey Higgins conclusively establishes Bacchus (Dionysos) as one of the early pagan
forms of the Christos myth: "The birthplace of Bacchus, called Sabazius or Sabaoth, was claimed by
several places in Greece; but on Mount Zelmisus, in Thrace, his worship seems to have been chiefly
celebrated. He was born of a virgin on the 25th of December; he performed great miracles for the good of
mankind; particularly one in which he changed water into wine; he rode in a triumphal procession on an
ass; he was put to death by the Titans, and rose again from the dead on the 25th of March: he was
always called the Saviour. In his mysteries, he was shown to the people, as an infant is by the Christians
at this day, on Christmas Day morning in Rome."
At one time the Bacchic Rites were of a high order, but later they became much degraded. The
Bacchanalia, or orgies of Bacchus, are famous in literature. MPH

The Scheme of the Universe according to the
Greeks and Romans
From Cartaris Imagini degli Dei degli Antichi
By ascending successively through the fiery sphere of Hades, the
spheres of water, earth, and air, and the heavens of the moon, the
plane of Mercury is reached. Above Mercury are the planes of Venus,
the sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, the latter containing the symbols of
the zodiacal constellations. Above the arch of the heavens (Saturn) is
the dwelling place of the different powers controlling the universe. The
supreme council of the gods is composed of twelve deitiessix male
and six femalewhich correspond to the positive and negative signs of
the zodiac. The six gods are Jupiter, Vulcan, Apollo, Mars, Neptune,
and Mercury; the six goddesses are Juno, Ceres, Vesta, Minerva,
Venus, and Diana. Jupiter rides his eagle as the symbol of his
sovereignty over the world, and Juno is seated upon a peacock, the
proper symbol of her haughtiness and glory. MPH
The Great God Pan
The great god Pan was celebrated as the author and director of the
sacred dances which he is supposed to have instituted to symbolize
the circumambulations of the heavenly bodies. Pan was a
composite creature, the upper partwith the exception of his
hornsbeing human, and the lower part in the form of a goat. Pan
is the prototype of natural energy and, while undoubtedly a phallic
deity, should not be confused with Priapus. The pipes of Pan signify
the natural harmony of the spheres, and the god himself is a
symbol of Saturn because this planet is enthroned in Capricorn,
whose emblem is a goat. The Egyptians were initiated into the
Mysteries of Pan, who was regarded as a phase of Jupiter, the
Demirugus. Pan represented the impregnating power of the sun
and was the chief of a horde of rustic deities, panes, fauns, and
satyrs. He also signified the controlling spirit of the lower worlds.
MPH

A Greek form of Hermes
From Bryants Mythology
The name Hermes is derived from "Herm," a form of CHiram, the
personified Universal Life Principle, generally represented by fire.
The Scandinavians worshiped Hermes under the name of Odin;
the Teutons as Wotan, and certain of the Oriental peoples as
Buddha, or Fo. There are two theories concerning his demise. The
first declares that Hermes was translated like Enoch and carried
without death into the presence of God; the second states that he
was buried in the Valley of Ebron and a great treasure placed in
his tombnot a treasure of gold but of books and sacred learning.
The Egyptians likened humanity to a flock of sheep. The Supreme
and Inconceivable Father was the Shepherd, and Hermes was the
shepherd dog. The origin of the shepherds crook in religious
symbolism may be traced to the Egyptian rituals. The three
scepters of Egypt include the shepherds crook, symbolizing that
by virtue of the power reposing in that symbolic staff the initiated
Pharaohs guided the destinies of their people. MPH
The Sphinx
From Levis Les Mystres de la Kaballe
The Sphinx is closely related to the Greek legend of OEdipus. To each
who passed her lair the Sphinx addressed the question, "What animal is it
that in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two feet, and in the
evening on three feet?" Those who failed to answer her riddle she
destroyed. OEdipus declared the answer to be man himself, who in
childhood crawled upon his hands and knees, in manhood stood erect,
and in old age shuffled along supporting himself by a staff. There is still
another answer to the riddle of the sphinx, an answer best revealed by a
consideration of the Pythagorean values of numbers. The 4, the 2, and
the 3 produce the sum of 9, which is the natural number of man and also
of the lower worlds. The 4 represents the ignorant man, the 2 the
intellectual man, and the 3 the spiritual man. Infant humanity walks on
four legs, evolving humanity on two legs, and to the power of his own
mind the redeemed and illumined magus adds the staff of wisdom. The
sphinx is therefore the mystery of Nature, the embodiment of the secret
doctrine, and all who cannot solve her riddle perish. To pass the sphinx is
to attain personal immortality. MPH
The Sistrum
(From Pultarchs Isis and Osiris)
"The Sistrum is designed ... to represent to us, that every thing
must be kept in continual agitation, and never cease from
motion; that they ought to be roused and well-shaken, whenever
they begin to grow drowsy as it were, and to droop in their
motion. For, say they, the sound of these sistra averts and drives
away Typho; meaning hereby, that as corruption clogs and puts
a stop to the regular course of nature; so generation, by the
means of motion, loosens it again, and restores it to its former
vigour. Now the outer surface of this instrument is of a convex
figure, as within its circumference are contained those four
chords or bars [only three shown], which make such a rattling
when they are shakennor is this without its meaning for that
part of the universe which is subject to generation and corruption
is contained within the sphere of the moon; and whatever
motions or changes may happen therein, they are all effected by
the different combinations of the four elementary bodies, fire,
earth, water, and airmoreover, upon the upper part of the convex surface of the sistrum is carved the
effigies of a cat with a human visage, as on the lower edge of it, under those moving chords, is engraved
on the one side the face of Isis, and on the other that of Nephthysby these faces symbolically
representing generation and corruption (which, as has been already observed, is nothing but the motion
and alteration of the four elements one amongst another)."
Base of a Delphian Tripod
The windings of these serpents formed the base,
and the three heads sustained the three feet of the
tripod. It is impossible to secure satisfactory
information concerning the shape and size of the
celebrated Delphian tripod. Theories concerning it
are based (in most part) upon small ornamental
tripods discovered in various temples. MPH

The Delphian Tripod Restored
From Beaumonts Gleanings of Antiquities
According to Beaumont, the above is the most authentic form of the Delphian tripod extant; but
as the tripod must have changed considerably during the life of the oracle, hasty conclusions are
unwise. In his description of the tripod, Beaumont divides it into four parts: (1) a frame with
three feet; (2) a reverberating basin or bowl set in the frame; (3) a flat plate or table upon
which the Pythia sat; and (4) a cone-shaped cover over the table, which completely concealed
the priestess and from beneath which her voice sounded forth in weird and hollow tones.
Attempts have been made to relate the Delphian tripod with the Jewish Ark of the Covenant. The
frame of three legs was likened to the Ark of the Covenant; the flat plate or table to the Mercy
Seat; and the cone-shaped covering to the tent of the Tabernacle itself. This entire conception
differs widely from that popularly accepted, but discloses a valuable analogy between Jewish and
Greek symbolism. MPH

The Pythian Apollo
Apollo, the twin brother of Diana, was the
son of Jupiter and Latona. Apollo was fully
adult at the time of his birth. He was
considered to be the first physician and the
inventor of music and song. The Greeks
also acclaimed him to be the father of the
bow and arrow. MPH
The Dodonean Jupiter
Jupiter was called Dodonean after the city of Dodona in
Epirus. Near this city was a hill thickly covered with oak
trees which from the most ancient times had been sacred
to Jupiter. The grove was further venerated because
dryads, fauns, satyrs, and nymphs were believed to dwell
in its depths. From the ancient oaks and beeches were
hung many chains of tiny bronze bells which tinkled day
and night as the wind swayed the branches. Some assert
that the celebrated talking dove of Dodona was in reality
a woman, because in Thessaly both prophetesses and
doves were called Peleiadas. It is supposed that the first
temple of Dodona was erected by Deucalion and those
who survived the great flood with him. For this reason
the oracle a Dodona was considered the oldest in Greece.
MPH
Trophonius of Lebadia
Trophonius and his brother Agamedes were famous
architects. While building a certain treasure vault, they
contrived to leave one stone movable so that they might
secretly enter and steal the valuables stored there. A
trap was set by the owner, who had discovered the plot,
and Agamedes was caught. To prevent discovery,
Trophonius decapitated his brother and fled, hotly
pursued. He hid in the grove of Lebadia, where the earth
opened and swallowed him up. The spirit of Trophonius
thereafter delivered oracles in the grove and its caverns.
The name Trophonius means "to be agitated, excited, or
roiled." It was declared that the terrible experiences
through which consultants passed in the oracular
caverns so affected them that they never smiled again.
The bees which accompany the figure of Trophonius
were sacred because they led the first envoys from
Baeotia to the site of the oracle. A statue of Trophonius
was placed on the brow of the hill above the oracle and
surrounded with sharply pointed stakes so that it could
not be touched. MPH
Apollonius of Tyana
Concerning Apollonius and his remarkable powers,
Francis Barrett, in his Biographia Antiqua, after
describing how Apollonius quelled a riot without speaking
a word, continues: "He traveled much, professed himself
a legislator; understood all languages, without having
learned them: he had the surprising faculty of knowing
what was transacted at an immense distance, and at the
time the Emperor Domitian was stabbed, Apollonius
being at a vast distance, and standing in the market-
place of the city, exclaimed, Strike! strike!tis done,
the tyrant is no more. He understood the language of
birds; he condemned dancing and other diversions of
that sort; he recommended charity and piety; he
traveled over almost all the countries of the world; and
he died at a very great age." MPH
Diana of Ephesus
Crowned with a triple tower-like tiara and her form adorned with symbolic
creatures representative of her spiritual powers, Diana stood for the
source of that imperishable doctrine which, flowing from the bosom of the
Great Multimammia, is the spiritual food of those aspiring men and women
who have consecrated their lives to the contemplation of reality. As the
physical body of man receives its nutriment from the Great Earth Mother,
so the spiritual nature of man is fed from the never-failing fountains of
Truth pouring outward from the invisible worlds. MPH

neas and the Harpies
From Virgils Aeneid (Drydens
translation)
They were described by the Greeks as
being composite, with the heads of maidens
and the bodies of birds. The wings of the
harpies were composed of metal and their
flight was accompanied by a terrible
clanging noise. During his wanderings,
AEneas, the Trojan hero, landed on the
island of the harpies, where he and his
followers vainly battled with these
monsters. One of the harpies perched upon
a cliff and there prophesied to AEneas that
his attack upon them would bring dire
calamity to the Trojans. MPH
Saturn swallowing the stone
substituted for Jupiter
Saturn, having been warned by his parents that one of his
own children would dethrone him, devoured each child at
birth. At last Rhea, his wife, in order to save Jupiter, her
sixth child, substituted for him a rock enveloped in
swaddling clotheswhich Saturn, ignorant of the
deception practiced upon him, immediately swallowed.
Jupiter was concealed on the island of Crete until he
attained manhood, when he forced his father to disgorge
the five children he had eaten. The stone swallowed by
Saturn in lieu of his youngest son was placed by Jupiter at
Delphi, where it was held in great veneration and was
daily anointed. MPH

Examples of Hermae
From Christies Disquisitions upon the Painted Greek Vases
The primitive custom of worshiping the gods in the form of heaps of stones gave place to the
practice of erecting phallic pillars, or cones, in their honor. These columns differed widely in size
and appearance. Some were of gigantic proportions and were richly ornamented; otherslike
the votive offerings of the Babylonianswere but a few inches high, without ornament, and
merely bore a brief statement of the purpose for which they had been prepared or a hymn to the
god of the temple in which they were placed. These small baked clay cones were identical in
their symbolic meaning with the larger hermae set up by the roadside and in other public places.
Later the upper end of the column was surmounted by a human head. Often two projections, or
tenons, corresponding to shoulders were placed, one on either side, to support the wreaths of
flowers adorning the columns. Offerings, usually of food, were placed near the hermae.
Occasionally these columns were used to uphold roofs and were numbered among the art
objects ornamenting the villas of wealthy Romans. MPH
Pythagorean Signet Ring
The number five was peculiarly associated by the
Pythagoreans with the art of healing, and the pentagram,
or five-pointed star, was to them the symbol of health.
The above figure represents a magical ring set with a
talismanic gem bearing the pentalpha, or star formed by
five different positions of the Greek Alpha. On this subject
Albert Mackey writes; "The disciples of Pythagoras, who
were indeed its real inventors, placed within each of its
interior angles one the letters of the Greek word GEIA, or
the Latin one SALUS, both of which signify health; and
thus it was made the talisman of health. They placed it at
the beginning of their epistles as a greeting to invoke a
secure health to their correspondent. But its use was not
confined to the disciples of Pythagoras. As a talisman, it
was employed all over the East as a charm to resist evil
spirits." MPH

The Table of Cebes
From Vaenius Theatro Moral de la Vida Humana
There is a legend to the effect that the Tablet of Cebes, a dialogue between Cebes and Gerundio,
was based upon an ancient table set up in the Temple of Kronos at Athens or Thebes, which
depicted the entire progress of human life. The author of the Tablet of Cebes was a disciple of
Socrates and lived about 390 B.C. The world is represented as a great mountain. Out of the
earth at the base of it come the myriads of human creatures who climb upward in search of
truth and immortality.
Above the clouds which conceal the summit of the mountain is the goal of human attainment
true happiness. The figures and groups are arranged as follows: (1) the door of the wall of life;
(2) the Genius or Intelligence; (3) deceit; (4) opinions, desires, and pleasures; (5) fortune; (6)
the strong; (7) incontinence, venery, insatiability, flattery; (8) sorrow; (9) sadness; (10)
misery; (11) grief; (12) rage or despair; (13) the house of misfortune; (14) penitence; (15) true
opinion; (16) false opinion; (17) false doctrine; (18) poets, orators, geometers, et al.; (19)
incontinence, sexual indulgence, and opinion; (20) the road of the true doctrine; (21) continence
and patience; (22) the true doctrine; (23) truth and persuasion; (24) science and the virtues;
(25) happiness; (26) the highest (first) pleasure of the wise man; (27) the lazy and the strays.
MPH

Gallery of Egyptian Mysteries

Thoth, the Ibis-Headed
From Wilkinsons Manners &
Customs of the Ancient Egyptians
It is doubtful that the deity called
Thoth by the Egyptians was originally
Hermes, but the two personalities
were blended together and it is now
impossible to separate them. Thoth
was called "The Lord of the Divine
Books" and "Scribe of the Company of
the Gods." He is generally pictured
with the body of a man and the head
of an ibis. MPH
Thoth, the Dog-Headed
From Lenoirs La Franche-
Maconnerie
Aroueris, or Thoth, one of the five
immortals, protected the infant
Horus after the murder of Osiris. He
also revised the ancient Egyptian
calendar by increasing the year from
360 days to 365. Thoth-Hermes was
called "The Dog-Headed" because of
his faithfulness and integrity. He is
shown crowned with a solar nimbus,
carrying in one hand the Crux
Ansata, the symbol of eternal life,
and in the other a serpent-wound
staff symbolic of his dignity as a
counselor of the gods. MPH

Isis, Queen of Heaven
From Mosaize Historie der
Hebreeuwse Kerke
Diodorus writes of a famous
inscription carved on a column at
Nysa, in Arabia, wherein Isis
described herself as follows: "I am
Isis, Queen of this country. I was
instructed by Mercury. No one can
destroy the laws which I have
established. I am the eldest daughter
of Saturn, most ancient of the gods. I
am the wife and sister of Osiris the
King. I first made known to mortals
the use of wheat. I am the mother of
Orus the King. In my honor was the
city of Bubaste built. Rejoice, O
Egypt, rejoice, land that gave me
birth!" MPH
The Egyptian Madonna
Maconnerie
Isis is often shown with her son
Horus in her arms. She is crowned
with the lunar orb, ornamented with
the horns of rams or bulls. Orus, or
Horus, was the son of Isis and Osiris.
He was the god of time, hours, days,
and this narrow span of life
recognized as mortal existence. In all
probability, the four sons of Horus
represent the four kingdoms of
Nature. It was Horus who finally
avenged the murder of his father,
Osiris, by slaying Typhon, the Spirit
of Evil. MPH

Osiris, King of the
Underworld
Maconnerie
Osiris is often represented with the
lower part of his body enclosed in a
mummy case or wrapped about with
funeral bandages. Osiris was the river
Nile and that Isis (his sister-wife) was
the contiguous land, which, when
inundated by the river, bore fruit and
harvest. The murky waters of the Nile
were believed to account for the
blackness of Osiris, who was generally
symbolized as being of ebony hue.
MPH

The Winged Globe of Egypt
This symbol, which appears over the pylons or gates of many Egyptian
palaces and temples, is emblematic of the three persons of the Egyptian
Trinity. The wings, the serpents, and the solar orb are the insignia of
Ammon, Ra, and Osiris. MPH

The Royal Egyptian Scarab
From Halls Catalogue of Egyptian Scarabs, Etc., in the British
Museum
The flat under side of a scarab usually bears an inscription relating to the
dynasty during which it was cut. These scarabs were sometimes used as
seals. Some were cut from ordinary or precious stones; others were made of
clay, baked and glazed. Occasionally the stone scarabs were also glazed. The
majority of the small scarabs are pierced as though originally used as beads.
Some are so hard that they will cut glass. In the picture above, A shows top
and side views of the scarab, and B the under surface with the name of Men-
ka-Ra within the central cartouche. MPH
The Uraeus
From Kirchers OEdipus
AEgyptiacus
The spinal cord was symbolized by a
snake, and the serpent coiled upon
the foreheads of the Egyptian
initiates represented the Divine Fire
which had crawled serpent-like up
the Tree of Life. MPH

An Egyptian Phoenix
From Wilkinsons Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians
The Egyptians occasionally represented the phoenix as having the body of a
man and the wings of a bird. This biform creature had a tuft of feathers upon
its head and its arms were upraised in an attitude of prayer. As the phoenix
was the symbol of regeneration, the tuft of feathers on the back of its head
might well symbolize the activity of the pineal gland, or third eye, the occult
function of which was apparently well understood by the ancient priest-craft.
MPH

The Sacred Bull, or Apis
From Kirchers Sphinx Mystagoga
The bull and the ox are ancient emblems of the vernal equinox and the
element of earthconsequently of the planet itself. Pultarch wrote: "The
Apis ought ever to be regarded by us, as a fair and beautiful image of the
soul of Osiris." Osiris represents the spiritual nature of the lower world which
is murdered and distributed throughout the substance of the physical
spheres; Apis is the emblem of the material world within which is the
spiritual natureOsiris. MPH

The Crux Ansata (the
Ankh)
Both the cross and the circle were
fertility symbols, for the ancient world
venerated the generative powers of
Nature as being expressive of the
creative attributes of the Deity. The
Crux Ansata, by combining the
masculine TAU with the feminine oval,
exemplified the principles of
generation. MPH

A Vertical Section of the Great Pyramid
From Smyths Life and Work at the Great Pyramid
The Great Pyramid stands upon a limestone plateau at the base of which,
according to ancient history, the Nile once flowed, thus supplying a method
of transportation for the huge blocks used in its construction. Presuming that
the capstone was originally in place, the Pyramid is, according to John
Taylor, in round figures 486 feet high; the base of each side is 764 feet long,
and the entire structure covers a ground area of more than 13 acres. The
Pyramid contains four chambers.

The Kings Chamber is an oblong apartment approx. 39 feet long, 17 feet
wide, and 19 feet high, with a flat roof consisting of nine great stones, the
largest in the Pyramid. Above the Kings Chamber are five low
compartments, generally termed construction chambers. In the lowest of
these the so-called hieroglyphs of the Pharaoh Cheops are located. The roof
of the fifth construction chamber is peaked. At the end of the Kings Chamber
opposite the entrance stands the famous sarcophagus, or coffer, and behind
it is a shallow opening that was dug in the hope of discovering valuables.
Two air vents passing through the entire body of the Pyramid ventilate the
Kings Chamber. In itself this is sufficient to establish that the building was
not intended for a tomb.

Between the upper end of the Grand Gallery and the Kings Chamber is a
small antechamber, its extreme length 9 feet, its extreme width 5 feet, and
its extreme height 12 feet, with its walls grooved for purposes now unknown.
In the groove nearest the Grand Gallery is a slab of stone in two sections,
with a peculiar boss or knob protruding about an inch from the surface of the
upper part facing the Grand Gallery. This stone does not reach to the floor of
the antechamber and those entering the Kings chamber must pass under the
slab. From the Kings Chamber the Grand Gallery157 feet in length, 28 feet
in height, 7 feet in width at its widest point and decreasing to 3 feet as the
result of seven converging overlaps of the stones forming the walls
descends to a little above the level of the Queens Chamber. Here a gallery
branches off, passing more than 100 feet back towards the center of the
Pyramid and opening into the Queens Chamber. The Queens Chamber is 19
feet long, 17 feet wide, and 20 feet high. Its roof is peaked and composed of
great slabs of stone. Air passages not shown lead from the Queens
Chamber, but these were not open originally. In the east wall of the Queens
Chamber is a peculiar niche of gradually converging stone, which, in all
likelihood, may prove to be a now lost entrance way. At the point where the
Grand Gallery ends and the horizontal passage towards the Queens chamber
begins is the entrance to the well and also the opening leading down the first
ascending passage to the point where this passage meets the descending
passage leading from the outer wall of the Pyramid down to the subterranean
chamber. After descending 59 feet down the well the grotto is reached.
Continuing through the floor of the grotto the well leads downward 133 feet
to the descending entrance passage, which it meets a short distance before
this passage becomes horizontal and leads into the subterranean chamber.
The subterranean chamber is about 46 feet long and 27 feet wide, but is
extremely low, the ceiling varying in height from a little over 3 feet to about
13 feet from the rough and apparently unfinished floor. From the south side
of the subterranean chamber a low tunnel runs about 50 feet and then meets
a blank wall. These constitute the only known openings in the Pyramid, with
the exception of a few niches, exploration holes, blind passages, and the
rambling cavernous tunnel hewn out by the Moslems under the leadership of
the Prophets descendant, Caliph al Mamoun. MPH

Gallery of Esoteric Science & Mathematics

Babbitt's Atom
From Babbitt's

By far the mos
century is that produced by the genius of Dr. Edwin D. Babbitt.
The Problem of Diversity
From Kircher's Ars Magna Sciendi
In this diagram Kircher arranges 18 objects in
two vertical columns and then determines the
number of arrangements in which they can be
combined. By the same method Kircher further
estimates that fifty objects may be arranged in
1,273, 726,838,815,420,339, 851,343,083,
767,005,515,293,
749,454,795,473,408,000,000, 000,000
combinations. From this it will be evident that
infinite diversity is possible, for the countless
parts of the universe may be related to each
other in an in-calculable number of ways. MPH

Pythagoras, the First Philosopher
From Historia Deorum Fatidicorum.
During his yo
and while in his teens became renowned for the clarity of his philosophic
concepts. Th
that a word o
one committed suicide becau
over some-th
that he never again spoke unkindly to or about anyone.
The Symmetrical Geometric Solids
To the five symmetrical solids of the ancients is added the sphere (1), the most perfect of all created forms.
The five Pythagorean solids are: the tetrahedron (2) with four equilateral triangles as faces; the
with six squares as faces; the octahedron (4) with eight equilateral triangl
with twenty equilateral triangles as faces; and the dodecahedron

Number related to Form
Pythagoras taught that the dot
symbolized the power of the number 1
the line the power of the number 2,
the surface the power of the number 3
and the solid the power of the number 4
The Tetractys
Theon of Smyrna declares that this array of ten
dots, the tetractys of Pythagoras, was a symbol
of the greatest importance, to the discerning
mind it revealed the mystery of universal nature.
MPH
The "Cube" and the Star
By connecting the ten dots of the tetractys, nine triangles are formed. Six of these are involved in the forming of the "cube".
The same triangles, when lines are drawn between them, also reveal the six pointed star with a dot in the c
dots are used in forming the "cube" and the star. Qabbalistically
causal universe, while the seven dots involved in the "cube" and the star are the Elohim
periods. The Sabbath, or seventh day, is the central dot. MPH

Francis Bacon's Ciphers

The Numerical Values of the Hebrew, Greek, and
Samaritan Alphabets
Columns from left to right:
1-Names of the Hebrew letters. 2
4-Numerical equivalents of the letters. 5
letters marked with asterisks are those
7-Names of the Greek letters. 8
and Samaritan letters.
the numerical value of 400, Caph 500,, Mem 600, Nun 700, Pe 800, Tzadi 900. A
dotted Alpha and a dashed Aleph have the value of 1,000.
The Sieve of Eratosthenes
This sieve is a mathematical device originated by Eratosthenes about 230 B.C. for the purpose of segregating the composite
and incomposite odd numbers. All the odd numbers are first arranged in their natural order in the second panel from the
bottom, designated Odd Numbers. Every third number (beginnin
5) is divisible by 5, every seventh number (beginning with 7) is divi
divisible by 9, every eleventh number (beginning with 11) is div
what the Pythagoreans called the "incomposite" numbers, or those having
These will be found in the lowest panel, designated Primary and Incomposite Numbers. In his History of Mathematics, David
Eugene Smith states that Eratosthenes was one of the greatest scholars of Alexandri
second Plato." Eratosthenes was educated at Athens, and is reno
ingenious method, the circumference and diameter of the earth. His estimate of the earths d
than the polar diameter accepted by modern scientists. In the th
be spherical in form but could also approximate, with amazing accuracy, its actual size and dista
moon. MPH
Francis Bacon, Baron
Verulam, Viscount St.
Albans
From Bacons Advancement of
Learning
Lord Bacon was born in 1561 and
history records his death in 1626.
There are records in existence,
however, which would indicate the
probability that his funeral was a
mock funeral and that, leaving
England, he lived for many years
under another name in Germany,
there faithfully serving the secret
society [Rosicrucians] to the
promulgation of whose doctrines he
had consecrated his life. Little
doubt seems to exist in the minds
of impartial investigators that Lord
Bacon was the illegitimate son of
Queen Elizabeth and the Earl of
Leicester. MPH

A Baconian Signature
From Alciati Emblemata
The curious volume from which this figure is taken was published in Paris in
1618. The attention of the Baconian student is immediately attracted by the
form of the hog in the foreground. Bacon often used this animal as a play
upon his own name, especially because the name Bacon was derived from
the word beech and the nut of this tree was used to fatten hogs. The two
pillars in the background have considerable Masonic interest. The two As
nearly in the center of the pictureone light and one shadedare alone
almost conclusive proof of Baconian influence. The most convincing evidence,
however, is the fact that 17 is the numerical equivalent of the letters of the
Latin form of Bacons name (F. Baco) and there are 17 letters in the three
words appearing in the illustration. MPH

A Cryptic Headpiece
From Raleighs History of the World
Many documents influenced by Baconian philosophyor intended to conceal
Baconian or Rosicrucian cryptogramsuse certain conventional designs at
the beginning and end of chapters, which reveal to the initiated the presence
of concealed information. The above ornamental scroll has long been
accepted as proof of the presence of Baconian influence and is to be found
only in a certain number of rare volumes, all of which contain Baconian
cryptograms. These cipher messages were placed in the books either by
Bacon himself or by contemporary and subsequent authors belonging to the
same secret society which Bacon served with his remarkable knowledge of
ciphers and enigmas. Variants of this headpiece adorn the Great
Shakespearian Folio (1623); Bacons Novum Organum (1620); the St. James
Bible (1611); Spencers Faerie Queene (1611); and sir Walter Raleighs
History of the World (1614). MPH
The Droeshout Portrait of
Shakspere
From Shakespeares Great Folio of 1623
There are no authentic portraits of Shakspere
in existence. The dissimilarities in the
Droeshout, Chandos, Janssen, Hunt,
Ashbourne, Soest, and Dunford portraits
prove conclusively that the artists were
unaware of Shaksperes actual features. An
examination of the Droeshout portrait
discloses several peculiarities. Baconian
enthusiasts are convinced that the face is only
a caricature, possibly the death mask of
Francis Bacon. A comparison of the Droeshout
Shakspere with portraits and engravings of
Francis Bacon demonstrates the identity of the
structure of the two faces, the difference in
expression being caused by lines of shading.
Note also the peculiar line running from the
ear down to the chin. Does this line subtly
signify that the face itself is a mask, ending at the ear? Notice also that the
head is not connected with the body, but is resting on the collar. Most
strange of all is the coat: one-half is on backwards. In drawing the jacket,
the artist has made the left arm correctly, but the right arm has the back of
the shoulder to the front. Frank Woodward has noted that there are 157
letters on the title page. This is a Rosicrucian signature of first importance.
The date, 1623, plus the two letters "ON" from the word "LONDON," gives
the cryptic signature of Francis Bacon, by a simple numerical cipher. By
merely exchanging the 26 letters of the alphabet for numbers, 1 becomes A,
6 becomes F, 2 becomes B, and 3 becomes C, giving AFBC. To this is added
the ON from LONDON, resulting in AFBCON, which rearranged forms F.
BACON. MPH

Headpiece showing light and shaded A's
From Shakespeares King Richard The Second, Quarto of 1597
The ornamental headpiece shown above has long been considered a
Baconian or Rosicrucian signature. The light and the dark As appear in
several volumes published by emissaries of the Rosicrucians. If the above
figure be compared with that from Alciati Emblemata on the following page,
the cryptic use of the two As will be further demonstrated. MPH.
The Title Page of the First
Edition of Sir Walter Ralegh's
History of the World
From Raleghs History of the World
What was the mysterious knowledge which
Sir Walter Ralegh possessed and which was
declared to be detrimental to the British
government? Why was he executed when
the charges against him could not be
proved? By those seeking the keys to this
great controversy, he seems to have been
almost entirely overlooked. His
contemporaries are unanimous in their
praise of his remarkable intellect, and he
has long been considered one of Britains
most brilliant sons.
The title page reproduced above was used
by Raleghs political foes as a powerful
weapon against him. They convinced James
I that the face of the central figure
upholding the globe was a caricature of his own, and the enraged king
ordered every copy of the engraving destroyed. But a few copies escaped the
royal wrath; consequently the plate is extremely rare. The engraving is a
mass of Rosicrucian and Masonic symbols, and the figures on the columns in
all probability conceal a cryptogram. More significant still is the fact that on
the page facing this plate is a headpiece identical with that used in the 1623
Folio of "Shakespeare" and also in Bacons Novum Organum. MPH
A Famous Cryptic Title Page
From Selenus Cryptomenytices et
Cryptographiae
One year after the publication of the first
Great "Shakespearian" Folio, a remarkable
volume on cryptograms and ciphers was
published. The title page of the work is
reproduced here. The year of its publication
(1624) was during the Rosicrucian
controversy. The translation of the title page
is as follows: "The Cryptomenysis and
Cryptography of Gustavus Selenus in the nine
books, to which is added a clear explanation of
the System of Steganography of John
Trithemius, Abbot of Spanheim and Herbipolis,
a man of admirable genius. Interspersed with
worthy inventions of the Author and others,
1624."
The author of this volume was believed to be
Augustus, Duke of Brunswick. The symbols
and emblems ornamenting the title page, however, are conclusive evidence
that the Rosicrucians were behind its publication. At the bottom of the
picture is a nobleman placing his hat on another mans head. In the two side
panels are striking and subtle "Shakespearian" allusions. On the left is a
nobleman (possibly Bacon) handing a paper to another man of mean
appearance who carries in his hand a spear. At the right, the man who
previously carried the spear is shown in the costume of an actor, wearing
spurs and blowing a horn. The allusion to the actor blowing his horn and the
figure carrying the spear suggest much, especially as spear is the last
syllable of the name "Shakespeare." MPH

An Example of Biliteral Writing
In the above sentence note carefully the formation of the letters. Compare
each letter with the two types of letters in the biliteral alphabet table
reproduced from Lord Bacons De Augmentis Scientiarum. A comparison of
the "d" in "wisdom" with the "d" in "and" discloses a large loop at the top of
the first, while the second shows practically no loop at all. Contrast the "i" in
"wisdom" with the "i" in "understanding." In the former the lines are curved
and in the latter angular. A similar analysis of the two "es" in "desired"
reveals obvious differences. The "o" in "more" differs only from the "o" in
"wisdom" in that a tiny line continues from the top over towards the "r." The
"a" in "than" is thinner and more angular than the "a" in "are," while the "r"
in "riches" differs from that in "desired" in that the final upright stroke
terminates in a ball instead of a sharp point. These minor differences disclose
the presence of the two alphabets employed in writing the sentence. MPH

A Modern Wheel, or Disc, Cipher
The above diagram shows a wheel cipher. The smaller, or inner, alphabet
moves around so that any one of its letters may be brought opposite any one
of the letters on the larger, or outer, alphabet. In some cases the inner
alphabet is written backwards, but in the present example, both alphabets
read the same way. MPH
The Biliteral Alphabet
From Bacons De Augmentis
Scientiarum
This plate is reproduced from
Bacons De Augmentis Scientiarum,
and shows the two alphabets as
designed by him for the purpose of
his cipher. Each capital and small
letter has two distinct forms which
are designated "a" and "b". The
biliteral system did not in every
instance make use of two alphabets
in which the differences were as
perceptible as in the example here
given, but two alphabets were
always used; sometimes the
variations are so minute that it
requires a powerful magnifying
glass to distinguish the difference
between the "a" and the "b" types
of letters. MPH

The Key to the Biliteral Cipher
From Bacons De Augmentis Scientiarum
After the document to be deciphered has been reduced to its "a" and "b"
equivalents, it is then broken up into five-letter groups and the message
read with the aid of the above table. MPH

Gallery of Indian Art & Manuscripts

Surya, Regent of the Sun
Moor describes this figure as follows: "The cast
is nine inches in height, representing the
glorious god of day holding the attributes of
VISHNU, seated on a seven-headed serpent; his
car drawn by a seven-headed horse, driven by
the legless ARUN, a personification of the dawn,
or AURORA."

The First Incarnation, or Matsya Avatar, of
Vishnu
From Picarts Religious Ceremonials
The fish has often been associated with the World Saviors.
Vishnu, the Hindu Redeemer, who takes upon himself ten forms
for the redemption of the universe, was expelled from the
mouth of a fish in his first incarnation. Isis, while nursing the
infant Horus, is often shown with a fish on her headdress.
Oannes, the Chaldean savior (borrowed from the Brahmins), is
depicted with the head and body of a fish, from which his
human form protrudes at various points. Jesus was often
symbolized by a fish. He told His disciples that they should
become "fishers of men." The sign of the fish was also the first
monogram of the Christians. The mysterious Greek name of
Jesus, ICqS, means "a fish." The fish was accepted as a
symbol of the Christ by a number of early canonized church
fathers. St. Augustine likened the Christ to a fish that had been
broiled, and it was also pointed out that the flesh of that Fish
was the food of righteous and holy men. MPH

Indian Moghul-style Painting
Late 18th Century
The deities Krishna and Radha seated on a
platform
Late 18th Century
The deities Krishna and Radha seated on a swing
with female attendants standing at either side.

Hindu watercolor
Shiva with five heads seated beneath a tree on a
tiger skin. At his wife Parvati and the sacred bull
Nandi

Indian Moghul Miniature
18th Century
A lady receiving a guest, the introduction is made
by an attendant.
Indian Moghul Miniature
18th Century
A lady and a gentlemen in their courtyard, a
servant is in attendance

Late 18th Century
Rama and Sita are the seated figures; an
attendant at the right and Hanuman, the heroic
ape of the Ramayana at the left

Illustrated Indic Manuscript Leaves
From the Mt. Abu Rajputa na, 17th or Early 18th Century
A group of Divinities: Brahma with four heads, Shiva with a trident, and Vishnu with flowers and
mace. Sarasvati is mounted on a mythical animal

Sarasvati adoring Brahma, below is Shiva on a tigerskin and a diety with the attributes of Vishnu

The Great Sarasvati, goddess of wisdom, mounted on her vahan, the peacock

Vishnu reclining on Shesa the snake, dreaming of Brahma, the creator

Ganesh on the left, with Sarasvati to the right

Leaves from a Rajput
Manuscript
18th Century

A lady reclines in a garden, with
attendants and musicians.

Gallery of Persian & Middle Eastern Art

Mohammed's Night Journey to
Heaven
From DOhssons Tableau Gnral de
lEmpire Othoman.

In the seventeenth sura of the Koran it is
written that upon a certain night Mohammed
was transported from the temple at Mecca to
that of Jerusalem, but no details are given of
the strange journey. In the Mishkatu l-Masabih,
Mohammed is made to describe his ascent
through the seven heavens into the icy
presence of the many-veiled God and his
subsequent return to his own bed, all in a single
night. Mohammed was awakened in the night by
the Angel Gabriel, who, after removing the
Prophets heart, washed the cavity with
Zamzam water and filled the heart itself with
faith and science. A strange creature, called
Alborak, or "the lightning bolt", was brought for
the conveyance of the Prophet. Alborak is
described as a white animal of the shape and size of a mule, with the head of a
woman and the tail of a peacock. According to some versions, Mohammed rode
Alborak to Jerusalem, where, dismounting upon Mount Moriah, he caught hold of
the lower rung of a golden ladder lowered from heaven and, accompanied by
Gabriel, ascended through the seven spheres separating the earth from the inner
surface of the empyrean. At the gate of each sphere stood one of the patriarchs,
whom Mohammed saluted as he entered the various planes. At the gate of the first
heaven stood Adam; at the gate of the second, John and Jesus (sisters sons); at
the third, Joseph; at the fourth Enoch; at the fifth, Aaron; at the sixth, Moses; and
at the seventh, Abraham. MPH

Mohammed's Ascent to
Heaven
A Persian Manuscript, c.1636
The central figure evidently
represents the Prophet riding on a
cloud of flame with a palm leaf-
shaped nimbus behind his head.
As is usual the face is veiled
showing only the tip of his beard.

Leaf from an Old Persian
History
17th C. (Sedona 1983 No.15)
The artist of this work was unable to
accommodate his drawing to the space
allotted by the scribe so he merely extended
the horse at the left into the margin. Most
such books were very popular and descend to
us either badly worn or as fragments.

"I said to the tulip; O bride of the garden,
Thy appearance is beautiful and thy quality is good.
Then tell me, how is it that thy heart has turned black,
Perhaps it hast been injured by a friend?
It replied: No, No! But I have gold,
Gold! Which is the means of Joyfulness!"
Anbarior Qalam (Perfumed Pen) Abdur-Rahim, 1692

"Alas! My eyes have been disabled from seeing,
Woe! Woe! That, at last, my eyes have betrayed me!
People say: Thou hast lost thy eyes through thy writing.
But my writing used to give light to others' eyes."
Mohammad Ismail, 1692

Fragments of an
Illuminated Persian
Manuscript, 17th
century
Fragments of an Illuminated
Persian Manuscript, 17th
century

Fragments of an
Illuminated Persian
Manuscript, 17th
century
Fragments of an Illuminated
Persian Manuscript, 17th
century

Gallery of Kabbalistic Art & Symbols

Moses receiving the Tables of the Law
The Tannaim, or initiates of the Jewish Mystery School, alone
possessed a complete understanding of the significance of the Ten
Commandments. These laws are esoterically related to the ten
degrees of contemplation constituting the Path of Ecstasy, which
winds upward through the four worlds and ends in the effulgence of
AINSOPH. MPH

The 72 Names of God
This rare cut shows the name of God in seventy-two languages inscribed upon the petals of a symbolic sunflower. Above the circle are the seventy-
two powers of God according to the Hebrew Kabbalah. Below are two trees, that on the left bearing the symbols of the planets and that on the
right the signs of the zodiac and the names of the tribes of Israel. The esoteric doctrines of the Kabbalah are in alignment with the secret teachings
of all the schools of philosophy, but the method by which its secrets are revealed to the wise and concealed from the ignorant is most unusual.
MPH

The Tetragrammaton
By arranging the four letters of the Great Name, (I H V H), in the
form of the Pythagorean Tetractys, the 72 powers of the Great
Name of God are manifested.

= I = 10 = 10
= H I = 5+10 = 15
= V H I = 6+5+10 = 21
= H V H I = 5+6=5+10 = 26
The Great Name of God = 72

The Hebrew Letters according to the Sepher Yetzirah
In the central triangle are the three Mother Letters from which come forth the seven Double Lettersthe planets and the heavens. Surrounding
the black star are the signs of the zodiac symbolized by the twelve Simple Letters. In the midst of this star is the Invisible Throne of the Most
Ancient of the Ancientsthe Supreme Definitionless Creator. MPH

The Hebrew Triad
The letter Shin signifies the trinity of the first three Sephiroth. The
central circle slightly above the other two is the first Sephira
Kether, the White Head, the Crown. The other two circles represent
Chochmah, the Father, and Binah, the Mother. From the union of
the Divine Father and the Divine Mother are produced the worlds
and the generations of living things. The three flame-like points of
the letter have long been used to conceal this Creative Triad of the
Kabbalists. MPH

The Tetragrammaton in the Human Heart
From Bhmes Libri Apologetici
The Tetragrammaton, or four-lettered Name of God, is here arranged as a tetractys within the inverted human heart. Beneath, the name Jehovah
is shown transformed into Jehoshua by the interpolation of the radiant Hebrew letter , Shin. The drawing as a whole represents the throne of God
and His hierarchies within the heart of man. In the first book of his Libri Apologetici, Jakob Bhme thus describes the meaning of the symbol: "For
we men have one book in common which points to God. Each has it within himself, which is the priceless Name of God." MPH
The Plan of Divine Activity
The life of the Supreme Creator permeates all substance, all space, and all
time, but for diagrammatic purposes the Supreme, All-Inclusive Life is
limited by Circle 3, which may be called "the boundary line of Divine
existence." The divine Life permeating the area bounded by Circle 3 is
focused at Point 1, which thus becomes the personification of the impersonal
life and is termed "the First Crown." The creative forces pouring through
Point 1 come into manifestation as the objective universe in the intermediate
space, Circle 2. MPH

The Kabbalistic Scheme of the Four Worlds
In the above chart the dark line between X3 and A1 constitutes the boundary of the original dot, while the concentric circles within this heavier line
symbolize the emanations and worlds which came forth from the dot. As this dot is contained within the outer rings X1, X2, and X3, and represents
the first establishment of individualized existence, so the lower universe symbolized by the forty concentric circles within the dot represents the
lower creation evolved out of and yet contained within the nature of the first Crown, which may be called God, within whom the divine powers, the
celestial beings, the sidereal worlds, and man, live and move and have their being. It is highly important that all the rings within A1 be considered
as being enclosed by the primitive dot, which itself encircled by the great ring X1, or the Auric Egg of AIN SOPH. MPH

The Four Sephirothic Trees
The forty concentric circles shown here are arranged as four trees,
each consisting of ten circles. These trees disclose the organization
of the hierarchies controlling the destinies of all creations. The trees
are the same in each of the four worlds, but the powers vested in
the globes express themselves differently through the substance of
each world, resulting in endless differentiation. MPH

A Table of Sephirothic Correspondences
From Fludds Collectio Operum
The above diagram has been specially translated from the Latin as being of unique value to students of the Kabbalah and also as an example of
Robert Fludds unusual ability in assembling tables of correspondences. Robert Fludd ranks among the most eminent Rosicrucians and
Freemasons; in fact, he has often been called "the first English Rosicrucian." He has written several valuable documents directly bearing upon the
Rosicrucian enigma. MPH

The Sephirothic Tree of the later Kabbalists
Translated from Kirchers OEdipus AEgyptiacus
The Kabbalists divided the universe into four worlds, each consisting of ten spheres, arranged into what is called the "Sephirothic Tree." This Tree
is composed of ten circles, representing the numbers 1 to 10, connected together by twenty-two canalsthe twenty-two letters of the Hebrew
alphabet. The ten numbers plus the twenty-two letters result in the occult number 32, which, according to the Mishna, signifies the Thirty-two
Paths of Wisdom.
The Sephiroth in the Form of the Solar System
Thomas Maurice reproduced this engraving, which is a modification of the
elaborate tree above. The Sephiroth are here superimposed, decreasing in
size as they decrease in power and dignity. The Crown is the greatest and
the all-inclusive, and the Kingdom, which represents the physical universe,
the smallest and least important. MPH

The Vision of Ezekiel
From The "Bear" Bible
This plate, which is from the first Protestant Bible published in
Spanish, shows the Mercavah, or chariot of Jehovah, which
appeared to Ezekiel by the river Chebar. According to the mystics,
the wheels supporting the throne of God represent the orbits of the
planets, and the entire solar system is properly the Mercavah, or
chariot of God. One of the divisions of the Kabbalahthat dealing
with the arts and sciences of those planes which are under the
heavensis called the Mercavah. MPH

Noah and his Zodiacal Ark
From Myers Qabbalah
The diagram shown above is also reproduced in The Rosicrucians, by Hargrave Jennings. This author adds to the original diagram appearing in
Antiquitatum Judaicarum Libri IX the signs of the zodiac, placing Aries at the head and continuing in sequential order to Leo, which occupies the
fifth cross section of the ark. Jennings assigns the panel containing the door to the undivided constellation of Virgo-Libra-Scorpio (which is
continued into the first subdivision of the second section) and the remaining four cross sections to the constellations from Sagittarius to Pisces
inclusive. "When the androgenic Scorpio-Virgo was separated and the Balance or Harmony made from Scorpio, and placed between Scorpio, i.e.,
male, and Virgo, i.e., female, then appeared the 12 constellations or signs, as we now have them. The ark is three stories high (perhaps to
symbolize Heaven, Man, Earth). In the figure of the Man, notice the parting of the hair in the middle of the forehead and the arrangement of the
beard, whiskers, moustache and the hair, on the back of the neck and shoulders." (See The Qabbalah by Isaac Myer.) MPH

The Ancient of Days
It is in this form that Jehovah is generally pictured by the Kabbalists. The drawing is intended to represent the Demiurgus of the Greeks and
Gnostics, called by the Greeks "Zeus, the Immortal Mortal," and by the Hebrews "IHVH." MPH
The Breastplate of the High Priest
From Calmets Dictionary of the Holy Bible
The order of the stones and the tribe over which each administered were,
according to Calmet, as in the diagram here. These gems, according to the
Rosicrucians, were symbolic of the twelve great qualities and virtues:
Illumination, Love, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Peace, Equilibrium, Humility,
Faith, Strength, Joy, Victory. MPH

The Garments of Glory
The robes of the High Priest of Israel were often called "The
Garments of Glory," for they resembled the regenerated and
spiritualized nature of man, symbolized by a vestment which all
must weave from the threads of character and virtue before they
can become High Priests after the Order of Melchizedek. MPH

The Headdress of the Priests
Over the plain white cap of the ordinary priests the High Priest wore an overcloth of blue and a band of gold. On the front of the golden band were
inscribed the Hebrew words "Holiness unto the Lord." This illustration shows the arrangement of the bonnet both with and without the golden
crown. MPH
The Ark with its Cherubim
From Calmets Dictionary of the Holy Bible
Josephus tells us that the Cherubim were flying creatures but different in
appearance from anything to be seen on earth; therefore impossible to
describe. Moses is supposed to have seen these beings kneeling at the
footstool of God when he was picked up and brought into the presence of
Jehovah. It is probable that they resembled, at least in general appearance,
the famous Cherubim of Ezekiel. MPH

Kabbalistic and Magic Alphabets
From Barretts Magus
Curious alphabets were invented by the early and mediaeval philosophers to conceal their doctrines
and tenets from the profane. Probably the most famous is the angelic writing, termed in the above
plate "The Writing called Malachim." Its figures are supposedly derived from the constellations.
Advanced students of occult philosophy will come upon many valuable documents in which these
figures are used. Under each letter of the first alphabet above is its equivalent in English. Above each
letter of the other three alphabets is its Hebrew letter equivalent. MPH

Gallery of Masonic Symbolism

The Obverse and Reverse of the Great Seal of the
United States of America
From Hunts History of the Seal of the United States
The significance of the mystical number 13, which frequently appears upon
the Great Seal of the United States, is not limited to the number of the
original colonies. The sacred emblem of the ancient initiates, here composed
of 13 stars, also appears above the head of the "eagle." The motto, E
Pluribus Unum, contains 13 letters, as does also the inscription, Annuit
Coeptis. The "eagle" clutches in its right talon a branch bearing 13 leaves
and 13 berries and in its left a sheaf of 13 arrows. The face of the pyramid,
exclusive of the panel containing the date, consists of 72 stones arranged in
13 rows. MPH

A Masonic Apron with Symbolic Figures
Masonic aprons are frequently decorated with curious and impressive figures.
The apron shown above contains a wealth of symbolism: the beehive,
emblematic of the Masonic lodge itself; the trowel, the mallet, and the
trestleboard; the rough and trued ashlars; the pyramids and hills of
Lebanon; the pillars, the Temple, and checkerboard floor; and the blazing
star and tools of the Craft. The center of the apron is occupied by the
compass and square, representative of the Macrocosm and the microcosm,
and the alternately black and white serpent of astral light. Below is an acacia
branch with seven sprigs, signifying the life centers of the superior and the
inferior man. The skull and crossbones are a continual reminder that the
spiritual nature attains liberation only after the philosophical death of mans
sensuous personality. MPH

The Emblematic Hand of
the Mysteries
A hand covered with numerous
symbols was extended to the
neophytes when they entered into
the Temple of Wisdom. An
understanding of the symbols
embossed upon the surface of the
hand brought with it Divine power
and regeneration. Therefore, by
means of these symbolic hands the
candidate was said to be raised from
the dead. MPH
Fragment of
Native American
Pottery
Courtesy of Alice Palmer
Henderson
This curious fragment was
found four feet
underground beneath a
trash pile of broken early
Native American pottery
not far from the Casa
Grande ruins in Arizona. It
is significant because of its
striking resemblance to the
Masonic compass and
square. MPH

Gallery of Rosicrucian Symbolism

The Golden & Rosy
Cross
From Geheime Figuren der
Rosenkreuzer.
It is made of spiritual gold & each
Brother wears it upon his breast. It
bears the alchemical symbols of
salt, sulphur, and mercury; also a
star of the planets; and around it
are the four words faith, hope,
love and patience. The double-
headed eagle, or Phoenix,
foreshadows the ultimate
androgynous state of the human
creature. None could reach
Rosicrucian adept-ship until he had
performed the supreme experiment
of transmutation by changing the
base metals of ignorance into the
pure gold of wisdom and
understanding. MPH
The Crucified Rose
The original symbol of the Rosi-crucian Fraternity
was a hiero-glyphic rose crucified upon a cross. The
cross was often raised upon a three-stepped
Calvary. Occasionally the symbol of a cross rising
from a rose was used in connection with their
activities. The Rosicrucian rose was drawn upon the
Round Table of King Arthur, and is the central motif
for the links forming the chain from which the "Great
George" is suspended among the jewels of The
Order of the Garter. MPH

The Rosicrucian Rose
From Geheime Figuren der Rosenkreuzer
The rose is a yonic symbol associated with
generation, fecundity, and purity. The fact
that flowers blossom by unfolding has caused
them to be chosen as symbolic of spiritual
unfoldment. The red color of the rose refers to
the blood of Christ, and the golden heart
concealed within the midst of the flower
corresponds to the spiritual gold concealed
within the human nature. The number of its
petals being ten is also a subtle reminder of
the perfect Pythagorean number. The rose
symbolizes the heart, and the heart has
always been accepted by Christians as
emblematic of the virtues of love and
compassion, as well as of the nature of
Christthe personification of these virtues. MPH

The Crest of Johann
Valentin Andreae
From Chymische Hochzeit
The reference to four red roses and
a white cross in the Chymical
Marriage of Christian Rosencreutz
identified Johann Valentin Andreae
as its author, for his family crest,
shown above, consisted of four red
roses and a white cross. MPH
Johann Valentin Andreae
In certain esoteric circles there are vague rumors which
intimate that the humble personality of Johann Valentin
Andreae masked an exalted emissary of the Rose Cross.
While there is evidence to establish the actual existence
of a German theologian by the name of Andreae, there
are many discrepancies in his biography which have not
been cleared up to the satisfaction of critical
investigators. A comparison of the face shown above with
that of Sir Francis Bacon discloses striking resemblances
in spite of the differences due to age. If Lord Bacon
borrowed the name and identity of William Shakspere, he
could also assume, after his mock funeral in England, the
personality of Johann Valentin Andreae. The crescent
below the bust is significant, as it also appears upon the
crest of Lord Bacon to denote that he was the second son
of Sir Nicholas Bacon. Furthermore, the four letters
(OMDC) in the frame at the lower right corner of the
plate, by a very simple Baconian cipher, can be changed
into numbers whose sum gives 33the numerical
equivalent of the name Bacon. MPH

The Round Table of King Arthur
From Jennings The Rosicrucians, Their Rites and Mysteries
From all parts of Europe came the brave and the bold, seeking admission into this noble
order of British knighthood. Nobility, virtue, and valor were its requirements, and those
possessing these qualities to a marked degree were welcomed to King Arthurs court at
Camelot. King Arthur chose twenty-four who excelled all the others in daring and integrity
and formed of them his Circle of the Round Table. According to legend, each of these
Knights was so great in dignity and power that none could occupy a more exalted seat
than another, so when they gathered at the table to celebrate the anniversary of their
foundation it was necessary to use a round table that all might occupy chairs of equal
importance.
Elias Ashmole, in his volume on the Order of the Garter, inserted a double-page plate
showing the insignia of all the orders of knighthood, the block set aside for the symbol of
the Round Table being left blank. MPH
The Great George and Collar of
the Garter
From Ashmoles Order of the Garter
The Order of the Garter was formed by Edward
III, perhaps in imitation of King Arthurs Knights
of the Round Table. The motto of the Order of the
Garter is "Honi soit qui mal y pense" (Shamed be
he who thinks evil of it). St. George is looked
upon as the patron of the order, for he typifies
the higher nature of man overcoming the dragon
of his own lower nature. While St. George is
supposed to have lived during the third century, it
is probable that he was a mythological personage
borrowed from pagan mythology [as in
Scandinavia where he is commonly identified with
Sigurd the Dragonslayer]. MPH

END

Manly P. Hall - Symbolism

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What is the Philosophical Research Society and what is its purpose?

What is the significance of Johann Valentin Andreae?

SYMBOLISM

THE PHILOSOPHICAL RESEARCH SOCIETY

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