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[1] See: Magical States of Consciousness by Dennings and Philips; Inner Landscapes by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki;
or The Philosophers of Nature, Qabalah Lessons 35 through 44.
[2] Mysteria Magica, vol. 3 of The Magical Philosophy by Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips. Llewellyn Pub., St.
Paul, MN. P. 57-59, and 69-73; or, The Philosophers of Nature, Qabalah Lesson 62.
[3] See: Problems on the Path of Return: Pathology in Kabbalistic and Alchemical Practices by Mark Stavish, M.A.
The Stone -The Journal of The Philosophers of Nature. Issue 19, March-April 1997. Included as an appendix to this
article.
[4] See: A Kabbalistic Approach to Lucid Dreaming and Astral Projection by Mark Stavish, M.A. The Stone - The
Journal of the Philosophers of Nature. Issue 20, May-June 1997. Included as an appendix to this article.
[5] Kabbalah by Gershom Scholem. New York. Meridian. 1974. P. 186.
[6] The Jewish Alchemists by Raphael Patai. Princeton, N.J., University Press.1994.
[7] Saint-Germain is also said to be the author of La magie sainte revelee a Moyse (The Holy Magic of Moses
Revealed). No date is given.
[8] PON Qabala Lesson 63, suggests that the sounds be resonated in the heart, solar plexus, and perineum. Regardie
make no attribution of the IAO sounds in The Golden Dawn (5th ed.), and omits them in The One Year Manual.
[9] For the Elemental Grade Signs of the Golden Dawn, see: Regardie, p.134-135.
[10] This will be explored further in an upcoming essay on The Diamond Body in Western Esoteric Practices.
[11] The Kabbalah of the Golden Dawn by Pat Zalewski. Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, MN. 1993. P. 89-125.
[12] This list of planetary correspondences is taken from The Philosophers of Nature, Spagyric Course Year Two,
Lessons 32 and 45. .
[13] Taken from a painting by Johann Georg Gichtel, a student of Boehme, of man in his corrupt state after the
Fall from Grace, prior to any spiritual initiation.
[14] Kundalini, Evolution, and Enlightenment, ed. by John White. Anchor Press. Garden City, New York. 1979.
Article by James Morgan Pryse, pgs. 418-440. See: The Apocalypse Unsealed.
[15] See: Experience of the Inner Worlds by Gareth Knight. Samuel Weiser, Inc., York Beach, Maine. 1993. Pages
1-119. Or see, PON Qabala Lessons 12 through 16.
Portae Lucis Method of Jean Dubuis
Copyright Mark Stavish 1998. All Rights Reserved.
Mark Stavish's web site at http://www.hermetic.com/stavish/ contains many more of his articles.
Mention alchemy to someone and what do they usually think of? The Middle Ages with old men in some forgotten
attic, laboring over bubbling flasks filled with some unknown fluid; or in front of an oven, trying to turn molten lead
into gold. These are the images of the alchemist that time, mythology, and prejudicial history have handed down to
us.
It is true, that many of the early alchemists were the forerunners of the modern sciences. Physics and chemistry are
indebted to these early puffers' as they are despairingly called, for from their hours of sweat and travail, a host of
modern advances came: porcelain, alcohol distillation, acids, salts, and a variety of metallic compounds, are the
results of early alchemical experiments.
But if alchemy wasn't just a foolish waste of time in the search for a means to turn base metals into gold, what was
it?
Egypt, The Mother Earth of Alchemy
Alchemy , or Al-Kemi , is said to be derived from Arabic or Egyptian meaning either divine chemistry or possibly
black earth referring to the silt deposits from the annual flooding of the Nile river. However, regardless of where
the word alchemy' began, it has come to mean a very special form of spiritual development.
From Plato's Greece to the European Renaissance, ancient Egypt was held to be the land, if not the origin, of all
things mystical. The Egyptian god Thoth, called Hermes by the Greeks, was said to be the father of all magical arts
and sciences, with numerous books on the laws governing creation being attributed to him. These books became the
basis of most Western occult teachings, and are known as The Hermetic Corpus or the Body of Hermes , and
refers to the total collection of works attributed to the scribe of the gods'. The teachings and practice contained in
these writings are called Hermeticism , and in the Renaissance came to include aspects of Jewish mysticism
(kabbalah), alchemy, the use of ritual, and communication with super-celestial beings, or angels.
It is important to remember, that in the ancient world and until end of the Renaissance (16th century), magic was
seen not as superstition, but as a logical and coherent means of understanding the universe and controlling ones
destiny. Magic, imagination, and magnetism are all related , both through there root -mag, as well as how they are
seen through the mind of the magician or alchemist.
For the magician, or even the alchemist, the universe is perceived as a reflection of the imagination of the Godhead.
Its laws are consistent and logical, and if we are created in the image of the Creator, then we can also create as the
Creator has - through the power of imagination. Intense imagination creates a stress on the fabric' of the universe,
drawing to it magnetic power, thus bringing our images to fruition.
The fundamental ideas of Renaissance magic and alchemy are also found in Eastern yoga, and are the basis for the
New Age movement, as well as hypno-therapy, guided visualizations for mental health or cancer treatment,
affirmations and an assortment of other psycho-spiritual practices.
Until the last half of this century, though, most of these spiritual practices were kept secret or hidden, mostly out of
fear of political or religious persecution. Hence, they became known as occult or hidden . Since many of them used
the same signs, symbols, and literature as contemporary religions - Christianity, Judaism, and Islam - the hidden,
occult, or Hermetic arts and sciences became known as esoteric or the secret meaning behind exoteric' or everyday
religious practices and dogma.
This fear of imprisonment or death, limited instruction in esoteric practices to a trusted few, and only through a
process of slow, careful, symbolic rituals and cryptic teachings known as initiations. Each of these initiations, or
gradus, symbolized a step, or grade, in the students inner journey towards illumination.
During the 17th , 18th, and 19th centuries dozens of initiatic orders and societies were established across Europe for
the dissemination of spiritual teachings. The most prominent of them being the Rosicrucians, Freemasons, and
Knights Templar. Some of them taught their members through moral instruction, such as the Freemasons. Others,
such as the Rosicrucians, taught practical mysticism, the use of ritual, the structure of the universe through kabbalah,
as well as laboratory alchemy. Many of these organizations exist in Europe or the United States in some form today.
In alchemy however, each of its steps or phases, represents not only a interior awakening (initiation), but also a
physical, practical technique performed in the laboratory. The physical, laboratory work becomes a means of
verifying spiritual and psychic expansions in consciousness.
Alchemy is an initiatic system in which you have no delusions. It is the only initiatic path where there is an
objective control in the laboratory. So if your experiment shows you've gone beyond the ordinary material laws of
the universe, it shows that you're an alchemist that has had an interior awakening, and that corresponds to the rule
which says, You will transmute nothing if you have not transmuted yourself first.' Says Jean Dubuis, founder and
first president of the French alchemical organization, The Philosophers of Nature.
Dubuis, has actively practiced alchemy and related esoteric arts for nearly sixty-five years. His spiritual path began
when he had a spiritual awakening at the age of twelve in the island cathedral of Mont Saint-Michel off the coast of
Normandy. This awakening has led Dubuis to a lifetime of activities and intimate involvement in European esoteric
circles. He has held positions in the French speaking branch of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, presiding over its
Illuminati section of higher degree students; as well as various esoteric orders and societies.
After tiring of the various levels of secrecy and often self-aggrandizing use of the power such vows bring, he
renounced his memberships and established The Philosophers of Nature (PON) to open the paths of alchemy and
kabbalah to everyone of good heart and mind. This is expressed in his view of the basic philosophy behind alchemy:
Alchemy is the Science of Life, of Consciousness. The alchemist knows that there is a very solid link between
matter, life, and consciousness. Alchemy is the art of manipulating life and consciousness in matter to help it evolve
or solve the problems of inner disharmony. Matter exists only because it is created by the human seed. The human
seed, the original man, created matter in order to involute and evolve. You see, if we go beyond what I said, the
absolute being is an auto-created being, and we must become in its image auto-created beings. Dubuis stated during
a recent interview at the annual conference of The Philosophers of Nature.
A similar statement was made by fellow Frenchman and alchemist Francois Trojani, during an interview with
Joseph Rowe in the Summer 1996 issue of Gnosis.
It (alchemy) is the dimension of interiority and of meaning in the deep sense: the meaning of life, the meaning of
my life, questions about the relationship of spirit to matter, of the purpose and value of my own actions - the
questions where did I come from? , why am I here? , who am I? I'm not saying that alchemy provides precise
answers to these questions, but that it operates in the dimension where these questions arise.
Because of Dubuis extensive professional career in electrical engineering for a major international electronics firm
in France, and work in the field of nuclear physics with Nobel Prize winner Jollio-Curie, he has been described by
fellow alchemists as one of the few people easily at home with either a periodic table of the elements or a kabbalistic
diagram. This interest in electronics has led Dubuis to invent several devices designed to assist in experiencing out-
of-body journeys and assist people in having a general initiatic experience.
In ancient times, as human evolution was going, we passed from kabbalah to alchemy. Now, I think that with the
evolution of the world, perhaps we can put in the initiatic path electronic methods. It doesn't stop people from
having to work themselves, but initiatic work will be easier. This corresponds to the fact that the whole evolution of
the world must be accelerated. Dubuis stated.
Dubuis stated that his boxes' are more advanced than consciousness altering devices currently on the market. His
work through light and sound synchronization as due existing machines, however, through a complex series of
mathematical computations, Dubuis says, that he can specify the experiences one will have with his invention. The
author has experienced two generations of Dubuis mind machines' as they are called, and can attest to their
superiority over existing off the shelf' equipment. The clarity, impact, focus, and lasting effect of them was quite
astounding.
Alchemy and Modern Psychology/Jung
Just as esoteric initiation seeks to repair the psychic damages in humanity, so does its step-child, modern
psychology. As a result, most folks today are familiar with alchemy through the extensive writings of Swiss
psychologist Carl Gustav Jung. Jung was attracted to alchemy through a series of dreams he experienced, as well as
those of his patients, and their resemblance to alchemical symbols representing the stages of self-development, or
individuation. However, for Jung, the entire alchemical work, or opus, was viewed from strictly psychoanalytic
perspective. Transmutation was not the changing of physical matter, but of psychological matter, from destructive
problems, into life enhancing attributes.
Some of Jung's, seminal works outlining the process of human individuation, or self-becoming, are found in his
Alchemical Studies; in which he interprets the meaning of the key stages and symbols of alchemy to explain the
internal stages of human evolution, or what alchemists call, interior initiation.
Laboratory alchemists cautiously point out that despite his contributions, and the critical aspect of psychological
work in alchemy, Jung is not considered a real alchemist.
According to Dubuis, and others, for alchemy to be real alchemy, it must work on all levels of creation - spiritual,
mental, emotional, and physical. While one or more can be left out and a transmutation of some sort effected, the
results are not considered to be alchemical.
It is true that Jung made some additions to symbolism and gave people a means to look at their interior life. As
regards to alchemy, Jungian psychology shows that alchemy is a universal art and science, and can lend itself to
anything, but to reduce alchemy to a theraputic allegory is a mistake. stated House.
Russell House, of Whinfield, Illinois, is the current president of The Philosophers of Nature, and has studied
alchemy with, Jean Dubuis, Orval Graves, Frater Albertus , and Manfred Junius, several of this centuries leading
laboratory alchemists. From 1989 to 1993, House also co-instructed the alchemy classes taught at Rose+Croix
University, sponsored by the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, in San Jose, California.
Alchemy and Alternative Medicine
Along with psycho-spiritual growth, and physical transmutation, alchemy has long been associated with creating
cures for incurable diseases' as well as near physical immortality. Dubuis has suggested that a carefully prepared
tincture, or alchemically prepared medicine extracted with purified alcohol, made from acorns might prove useful in
fighting cancer and some auto-immune diseases.
However, at least one of the major contributions of alchemy to alternative medicine is a little more accessible than
either of these, that is, homeopathy.
Available in most drug stores and super markets, homeopathic medicines are based on the alchemical practices of
the Swiss 16th century alchemist Paracelsus. However, it was not Paracelsus that created homeopathy, he only
supplied the theory that like cures like and that smaller doses of medicine could cure more easily and quickly than
large doses. Alchemical tinctures, like homeopathic medicines, are created from plants, minerals, and metals.
Homeopathic treatment was formulated in 1796 and introduced to the United States in 1825. In Europe alchemically
prepared and homeopathic medicines are available to the general public.
According to House, For the genuine alchemists, healing, like alchemy, must be on all levels and treat the whole
being or person, and within the context of nature and evolution. The intent of the healer must offer encouragement in
the interior world of the patient and not work against nature's plan of evolution. Like homeopathy, Bach Flower
Remedies, or aromatherapy, alchemical medicines work on a subtle level and a crude one at the same time.
Alchemy and Quantum Physics/Time Travel and other Weird Stuff
Since its inception alchemy has been associated with the idea of transmutation, or the fundamental changing of one
thing, usually a base metal such as lead, into something else, in this case gold.
But is transmutation possible?
For alchemists past and present, the answer is a resounding yes!
Trojani is quoted as saying that transmutation has taken place and continues to be done. The reason given is that
alchemical operations do not take place on the level of the periodic table of elements, but instead on the fabric of
time and space itself. That this work on the elements on space and time energy constitutes work directly on oneself.
In fact, Dubuis, Trojani, and their predecessor Francois Jollivet-Castelot all agree that not only is transmutation
possible, but that it might not require much of the high-tech, high-energy equipment we have come to associate with
sub-atomic physics.
Jollivet-Castelot wrote book for the aspiring alchemist, Comment on devient alchimste (1897), or How to Become
an Alchemist , outlining the range of Hermetic disciplines required, and gave practical advice on purchasing
laboratory equipment, as well as the moral requirements of the alchemist.
Harvey Spencer Lewis, the founder and head of the American Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, was familiar with
Jollivet-Castelot and his work. In 1915, Lewis himself is said to have transmuted a piece of zinc into gold using little
more than an open flame and a crucible. The accounts of this public demonstration have been re-published several
times in the organizations magazine, The Rosicrucian Digest (March 1942). In addition, in the August 1926 edition
of, The Mystic Triangle, AMORC published Jollivet-Castelot's account of his own transmutation of base metal into
gold, as well as the recipe for carrying it out.
In more recent times, alchemy has been investigated as a means of supplying cheap energy and for the potential
creation of super metals'. At the Palladian Academy's conference in January 1997, near Vichenze, Italy, Professor
Christopher McIntosh, author of The Rosicrucians (Samuel Weiser Publications), and member of UNESCO's
Educational Office, Hamburg, Germany, mentioned that the United Nations had recently sponsored a conference of
its own in which alchemy was considered as a possible tool for the creation of new alloys.
Along similar lines, Dubuis offered some insights into the phenomena of UFO's.
First of all, there are two hypothesis for extra-terrestrials. The first hypothesis says, that on earth, if you are close to
the North Pole, there is some kind of fraternity of advanced people that checks on the global functioning of
humanity, and that the flying saucers are theirs. The second hypothesis is that you cannot come from distant systems
to earth in everyday physical conditions, so I think that things happen thus. In the system that they start from, they
put advanced people onboard, and the speed of energy is multiplied by a hundred thousand or a million, they can
come here rapidly, and when they enter the aura of the earth, they are brought back level by level and re-materialize.
I don't know, and don't want to know if the Rosswell (New Mexico) story is true, but the details that have been given
lead me to believe it is true, because they found material that go back to the invisible where they should be. They
said the brain of the person had no barrier, this means that they are people that have no barrier between the visible
and the invisible worlds. I don't know about the other organs. If it is a fake, then the people who have produced it
have a very big knowledge of the occult. Dubuis stated.
On Becoming an Alchemist
If you are interested in becoming a laboratory alchemist, then get prepared for a long haul. The experts say that to
become involved in the Royal Art involves the synthesis of several Hermetic disciplines, among them, traditional
kabbalah, astrology, tarot, and Renaissance magical theories and practice. Plant work is the first matter' worked on,
because the principles used are the same as in the more famous, and dangerous, metallic and mineral experiments.
There are few organizations offering courses in practical alchemy, although several graduates of the famous, but
now defunct, Paracelsus Research Society, teach what they have learned, if you can find them. PRS was established
by Albert Reidel, or Frater Albertus , author of the now classic work for beginners, The Alchemists Handbook .
Manfred Junius, has combined Indian Ayruveda and Western alchemy in his more technical book, A Practical
Handbook of Plant Alchemy . Although his techniques require a little more laboratory equipment that those of
Albertus'. Other texts exist, but are either difficult to obtain, or deal with metallic aspects of alchemy.
Those wishing more personal instruction can contact the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC in San Jose, California.
However, their summer course in alchemy is often open to members only and is run irregularly. The Philosophers of
Nature (PON) offer a correspondence course covering all aspects of the Great Work including a highly informative
two-year course on plant work, followed by a six-year course on metals and minerals. PON also sponsors an annual
week long conference, in the spring or summer, offering practical instruction, as well as a traveling seminar' for
interested groups. Both organizations can be contacted via their Websites or traditional correspondence.
The Philosophers of Nature
http://www.mcs.net/~alchemy/
email, [email protected].
125 West Front Street, Suite 263 Wheaton, Il 60187.
AMORC
http://www.rosicrucian.org.
Rosicrucian Park, San Jose, California 95191
1-800-882-6672.
The articles in this series are excerpts from the forthcoming title, A Short Course in Plant Alchemy by Mark Stavish.
Practical Plant Alchemy -- Part Two
Copyright Mark Stavish 1998. All Rights Reserved.
Mark Stavish's web site at http://www.hermetic.com/stavish/ contains many more of his articles.
The articles in this series are adapted from the forthcoming title, A Short Course in Plant Alchemy by Mark Stavish,
M.A.