the sky, with all the firmament, do not cause the growth of our body,
our colour, appearance, or behaviour; and have nothing to do with
our virtues and qualities. Such an idea is ridiculous; the motion of
Saturn interferes with nobody’s life, and makes it neither longer nor
shorter, and, even if there had never been a planet called “Saturn” on
the sky, there would be people born having saturnine natures. For all
that the planet Mars is of a fiery nature, Nero was not its child, and
although they are of the same nature (the same kind of energy being
manifested in either of them) neither one of them received it from the
other.” (“De Ente Astrorum,” _Paramirum_ C. I. 2.)
Perhaps it will not be out of place, for the purpose of facilitating a
comprehension of what Paracelsus meant by the term “Astronomy,” to take
a glance at the Indian teaching in regard to the _Tattwas_.
According to these doctrines, the Universe is a manifestation of _That_
(existence or being), manifesting itself as Life (_Prana_) within
the universal _Akâsa_ (primordial matter, which, for all practical
purposes, may be regarded as the “cosmic ether” of space). Prana
manifests itself upon the various planes of existence in various
_Tattwas_ or forms of existence, corresponding to the principles in the
constitution of man enumerated above. Of these seven Tattwas five are
manifested, corresponding to the five senses of the human body, and
they are called as follows:—[13]
1. _Akasa Tattwa_; the _one_ element forming the substantial basis of
the other four, and corresponding to that which upon the physical plane
becomes ultimately manifested as audible sound.
2. _Vayou Tattwa_; representing the principle which renders possible
the sensation of feeling or “touch,” upon all planes of existence.
3. _Taijas Tattwa_; that form of existence which represents that state
which manifests itself upon all planes as Light.
4. _Apas Tattwa_; that principle which renders possible the sensation
of taste upon all planes of existence.
5. _Prithivi Tattwa_; that principle which renders possible the
sensation of smell upon all planes of existence.
Words are altogether insufficient to give an idea on which to form a
conception of things which are beyond our intellectual comprehension
as long as they do not live in our own consciousness; but we may look
upon the seven _Tattwas_ as represented by seven modes of vibrations of
a cosmic ether, differing from each other not only quantitatively, but
qualitatively, so that, for instance, _Akasa Tattwa_ has a circular,
_Vayou Tattwa_ a spiral movement, etc.; but such a conception is quite
inadequate, as we have to do with living forces, with states of the
universal life or consciousness, manifesting themselves not only as
the causes of the five modes of perception on the physical plane, but
also upon the higher planes; enabling man, for instance, not only to
feel the touch of an object upon the physical plane, but to feel with
his astral sense the presence of an object upon the astral plane, and
in his heart the touch of a spiritual power; to see not only physical
light with the eyes of his body, but things in the astral light with
his astral organs of seeing; to see intellectual truths and ideas with
the eye of his intellect in the light of his intellect, and spiritual
things with the eye of the spirit. In fact, everything that exists is
a manifestation of _Tattwas_, or “vibrations of ether;” stationary
in its aspect as “matter,” progressive in its aspect as “force;”
matter is latent energy, force is active substance;[14] everything is
life, consciousness, intelligence, dormant or active according to the
conditions existing upon the plane upon which it becomes manifest;
every substance is mind, and the forms which we see are only the
symbols of the thoughts represented therein.
It is not our purpose within the narrow limits of this work to enter
into a deeper investigation of this most interesting, sublime, and
elevating science, which has been discussed at length in H. P.
Blavatsky’s “Secret Doctrine”; we merely touch upon these points for
the purpose of calling attention to it, as it represents an aspect
and conception of nature immeasurably higher than the one represented
by popular science, and therefore attainable only to those whose
aspirations reach beyond this grossly material plane.
The “Secret Doctrine” informs us that in the course of evolution,
this our planet has only attained its _Kâmarupa_ or animal form of
existence, and that the next higher state of _Manas_ (mind) has hardly
begun to become developed. This may be the reason why the science of
mind is at present in its infancy, and grasped only by those gifted
spirits who, like Paracelsus and others of his kind, by nobility of
character and spirituality have outstripped the rest of mankind in
higher knowledge; forming, so to say, the vanguard of the army, as it
proceeds into the regions of the—not absolutely unknowable—but the
_unknown_.
Modern astronomy teaches the science of the bodies of the planets and
stars; the Astronomy of Paracelsus speaks of the spiritual forces
represented by those planets, the counterparts of which exist in
the constitution of man and as every force in nature acts upon its
corresponding element in the nature of man, these universal forces
produce certain effects upon those elements in man which exist upon the
corresponding plane. Thus for instance it requires no argument to prove
that the sun is the source of heat and light and life upon this planet,
and that the physical body of man as well as that of the earth receives
these energies from the radiations coming from the physical body of
the sun; this being the corporeal visible centre of a power existing
universally, and whose sphere of activity reaches as far as the limits
of our solar system. We all live and have our being physically within
the sphere of activity and consequently within the physical elements
of the sun; in a similar sense we live and have our being spiritually
in the spiritual body and substance of Love, and as the sun of the
physical world shines upon our body; so the light of divine wisdom is
all around us and ready to penetrate into our soul. Thus Paracelsus
teaches that the moon corresponds to the astral body of man, and has
certain effects upon it, causing certain states which may ultimately
become outwardly manifested as certain moral or physical diseases, and
similar correspondencies might be shown to exist between the universal
powers represented by the visible planets and the corresponding
elements existing in the constitution of man; but however important and
interesting this subject may be it finds very little attention on the
part of popular medical science, which is far too busy in investigating
outward effects of a phenomenal character to find time for attending to
that which produces all such phenomena and appearances.[15]
If the Astronomy of Paracelsus were understood, it would be found that
man, far from creating his own thoughts, merely remodels the ideas
that flow into his mind; that “thought-transference,” far from being a
strange and rare occurrence, is as common as the transference of heat;
that owing to the oneness of humanity we all feel and think within
each other and act out each other’s thoughts. We would know better
the real causes of crimes, insanity and disease, and find them to be
controvertible terms. We might then perhaps also modify our views
regarding the supposed free will and the amount of responsibility of
man, and know that the power of will is not a myth, and witchcraft and
sorcery no more impossible than the magic action of true love.
III.—ALCHEMY.
Not being masters of Alchemy, we are not capable of teaching the
science of this pillar of medicine; neither could any information in
regard to the way in which certain mysterious powers are used be of
any service to those who, not having developed these powers, are not
in possession of them. The following remarks are therefore rather
intended to show what Alchemy is _not_, than to show what it is; for
like every term symbolising a spiritual truth, which ever fell into the
hands of the vulgar, so this term has been “besmirched with mud and
prostituted openly in the market place,”[16] so as to be now almost
beyond recognition.
The ancient alchemists used a mysterious language when speaking about
mysterious things, nor could any modern alchemist express in plain
language things for which our language has no words and common minds no
conception. Children often speak more wisely than they know, sages know
what they speak, but the half learned speak without knowing. The child
receiving gifts from its parents on Christmas eve believes that the
Christ has sent these presents, but the grown-up and clever boy becomes
sceptical and laughs at that story. In that opinion he may now continue
all his life, or he may become still more clever and find that the
Christ is divine love, from which the love of his parents originated,
inducing them to bestow gifts, and that the story which he believed
when a child, was true after all. In the same sense Alchemy is either a
truth or a superstition; it merely depends on the definition we give to
this term.
Professor Justus von Liebig says: “Alchemy was never anything different
from Chemistry,” and to this we agree in so far as both deal with
substantial things, having certain affinities, and not with anything
existing outside of nature; but while ordinary (physical) chemistry
employs merely physical (mechanical) forces for the purpose of
composing and decomposing material substances without causing anything
new to grow, Alchemy employs the power of life and uses animated
forces, establishing conditions under which something visible may
grow from something invisible, in the same sense as a tree grows from
a seed in the alchemical laboratory of nature. Chemistry and Alchemy
are therefore two aspects of one and the same science, the one is the
lower, the other the higher part. The chemist who decomposes salt
into NA and CL, and recombines it into NACL, practises chemistry; the
gardener establishing in his hot house the conditions under which the
seed of a plant of a lower type is made to develop into a plant of a
higher type, and the schoolmaster who makes an intelligent being out
of a dunce, are practicing Alchemy, because they produce something
more noble than the materials employed, out of the latent potencies
contained therein.
Without the alchemy of nature no “physiological chemistry” could take
place; without the action of a universally existing life principle, no
human form could grow out of an ovum or fœtus, no child develop into a
man. The human stomach is an alchemical laboratory in which miracles
are performed which no modern chemist can imitate by merely chemical
means; milk and bread are transformed into blood and flesh within the
living retort of the human body, and wonders performed which modern
chemistry in spite of its progress cannot accomplish, because it does
not control the organising power of life.
All that popular belief knows of ancient Alchemy is from the
misunderstood writings of the ancients, who purposely wrote in a manner
incomprehensible to the uninitiated, or from the writings of pretenders
and frauds—for at that time there were as many selfish and ignorant
people as there are to-day, wasting their time in useless efforts to
apply a spiritual science to material purposes, and seeking to employ
powers which they did not possess, in the hope of satisfying their
curiosity and their greed. Of this kind of “Alchemy,” Paracelsus speaks
with the greatest contempt.[17]
For the purpose of practising chemistry physical powers and scientific
acquisitions are required; for the purpose of practising alchemy
living spiritual powers and wisdom are necessary. Chemistry belongs
to the terrestrial man, _the higher aspect of Alchemy belongs to the
spiritually regenerated man having passed through the_ MYSTIC DEATH
_into the resurrection of the true and immortal life_.[18]
As there are three kingdoms in nature, intimately connected with each
other, the kingdom of physical nature, the kingdom of the soul of the
world (the astral plane), and the kingdom of the self-conscious spirit;
so there are three aspects of Alchemy, intimately connected with each
other, one belonging to the physical, the other to the astral, and the
highest to the spiritual aspect of man. H. P. Blavatsky says:
“_Everything which exists in the world around us is made up of three
principles (substances) and four aspects. (The triple synthesis of
the seven principles.) As Man is a complex unity, consisting of a
body, a rational soul and an immortal spirit, so each object in nature
possesses an objective exterior, a vital soul, and a divine spark
which is purely spiritual and subjective. Thus, as with all natural
objects, so every science has its three fundamental principles and may
be applied through all three or by the use of one of them._”[19]
These three states of existence in the universe were called by the
ancient alchemists the _Three Substances_, and symbolized as _Salt_,
_Sulphur_, and _Mercury_.
With the same right as the modern chemist symbolizes his chemical
substances by means of letters; such as _O_ for oxygen, _H_ for
hydrogen, _N_ for nitrogen, _C_ for carbogen,[20] etc., which symbols
are incomprehensible to those who do not know what they mean; the
ancient alchemists expressed the nature of spiritual essences, powers
and principles with which they dealt by certain alchemical signs,
such as {symbol} for _Salt_, or the substantial principle in all
things; {symbol} for _Sulphur_, or the energies contained therein;
and for {symbol} _Mercury_, or the principle of intelligence latent
in everything, whether manifested or not; but the living essences or
states in the universe which become manifested upon these three planes
they symbolized by the signs of the planets, as has already been
specified above. These principles are eternal; but their manifestations
differ according to the plane upon which they become manifest. Thus,
for instance, love is eternal, manifesting itself in the kingdom of
God as divine self-consciousness; upon the astral plane as affection,
desire and passion; upon the physical plane as gravitation, attraction,
chemical affinity, etc. The power is always the same; but its action
appears different under different conditions.
“Above all a physician should know that man exists in three
substances. That of which he is made has three aspects. Those three
make up the whole man, and they are the man himself and he is they,
and out of these three substances he receives all his good and evil
concerning his physical body. Thus each thing exists in these three
substances, and the three together constitute a body, and there
is nothing added to it but the life. If you can see these true
substances, you then have the eye by means of which a physician
ought to be able to see. To see the exterior only is in the power of
everybody; but to see within the interior and discover what is hidden,
is an art that belongs to the physician.” (“Paramirum,” _Lib._ I. s.b.)
Those who have thus far followed our line of reasoning will now be
ready to acknowledge that an understanding of this superior science,
the acquisition of whose knowledge requires a life-time spent by a
superior mind, and whose practice involves the evolution of superior
faculties, is not to be obtained by a few hours’ perusal of a book on
Alchemy, and that only those who are practical alchemists are entitled
to judge it. Alchemy, far from being an “exploded humbug,” is in fact
the noblest object for which all humanity and civilization strives.
It is the realization of the highest ideal, a feat which cannot be
accomplished by anything less than that ideal itself. H. P. Blavatsky
says:—
“_When there appeared on earth men endowed with a superior
intelligence, they allowed this supreme power (the divine spark) to
have full and uncontrolled action, and from it they learnt their first
lessons. All that they had to do was to imitate it. But in order to
reproduce the same effects by an effort of individual will, they were
obliged to develop in their human constitution a (creative) power
called_ KRIYASAKTI _in occult phraseology_.”
We should be extremely happy to make the acquaintance of a modern man
of science who obeys divine law to such an extent as to let the power
of God (the Holy Ghost) have full control over his thoughts, will, and
desires. Such a person without selfish desires, without ambition or
vanity, without any greed for money or fame, acting as an instrument of
divine love, would be a rare specimen of humanity; but unfortunately
such a saint and sage will hardly be found in our present generation;
for a thousand links tie the human animal to the region of his desires,
and how could he who is bound by a thousand chains to the _Moon_ employ
the energy of the _Sun_, whose influence he will not permit to enter
his nature, and which therefore cannot nourish his body and grow into
a power in him. Gold and silver may form an alloy; but they never
become identical with each other. Thus their spiritual representatives,
Divine Wisdom and the carnal intellect, will never be one and the
same, although the light of wisdom will throw its reflection upon the
terrestrial mind.
As stated before, there are three aspects of Alchemy:—
_Terrestrial Alchemy._ This in its lower aspect includes the whole
science of chemistry with all the discoveries that may be made in the
future. This alchemy still recognizes four _elements_[21], and the
fifth, the one element, from which the four take their origin; in
other words four states of matter and a fifth one (partly recognised
by science); namely, the solid (substantial), liquid, fluidic, and
ethereal state[22]. These are described as follows:—
_a._ {symbol} (_Earth._) That which gives substantiality to all
things, whether solid, liquid, gaseous, ethereal or spiritual.
(_Solidity_ or _Stability_.)
_b._ {symbol} (_Water._) That state which moves and renders things
liquid on either plane of existence. (_Motion_).
_c._ {symbol} (_Air._) That which enables things to assume a gaseous
form. (_Extension._)
_d._ {symbol} (_Fire._) That which endows them with force. (_Energy._)
_e._ {symbol} (_Ether._) This fifth element, in which the attributes
of all the other states have their basis, will be the principal object
for scientific research in the coming centuries, and is in fact the
first and the _one_ element.
These elements represent themselves as the _Tattwas_ enumerated in the
preceding chapter, and correspond to them as follows, if we adopt the
above line of order:—
_a._ _Prithivi._ Solidity. (Earth.)
_b._ _Apas._ Movement. Bulk. (Water.)
_c._ _Vayu._ Extension. (Air.)
_d._ _Taijas._ Energy. Intensity. (Fire.)
_e._ _Akâsa._ The one _Tattwa_ forming the basis of the rest.
(Sound.)[23]
The limitation of space in these pages, no less than the insufficiency
of our experience in regard to this subject, forbids us to enter into
a closer investigation of the relations existing between this aspect
of Alchemy and physical chemistry; but we have reason to affirm, that
we are on the eve of great discoveries, which will to a certain extent
revolutionize the popular chemistry of the present day.
_Celestial Alchemy._—Even if it were within our power to describe
the secrets of celestial alchemy, by means of which the universe
was created and which includes the regeneration of man and the
attainment of conscious immortality, and if this could be done publicly
without profaning those mysteries, the explanation would probably be
comprehensible only to those who, knowing it already, do not require
it. Those who wish to investigate this subject for the love of wisdom
will find the whole process fully described symbolically in “The
Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians of the 16th and 17th Century,”[24]
a book easily comprehensible if studied by the light of wisdom, but
unintelligible for the carnal mind, that sees all truths perverted.
Some explanations have also been attempted in the book entitled “In
the Pronaos of the Temple.”[25] We will only say that there the _Three
Substances_ appear as the _Three Beginnings_; the first manifestation
of the Unity as a Trinity, and the Seven _Tattwas_ as the seven
primitive spirits,[26] or “living breaths” issuing from the bosom of
Parabrahm.[27]
The Universe is the _Macrocosm_, and Man the _Microcosm_, and as the
first great Cause is the creator of the world and the cause of all
evolution, so is individual man the creator in his own interior and
external world, capable of causing certain superior states in his
mind by the power of his will in obedience to the law, and to create
forms by means of his thoughts, while the condition of his interior
state will in time produce corresponding effects and transmutation
in his physical body. Well will it pay him to devote all his time to
this practice of Alchemy and obtain the pure gold of wisdom from the
inferior metals represented by his animal passions. These passions are
the capital lent to him by nature to make them into “silver and gold,”
while he lives upon this earth: they are the steps upon which he can
climb up to immortality and find his own true divine Self.
To practise this kind of Alchemy he will require no books, no furnaces
and no tools; for he is himself the alembic, the fire and the
substance to be ennobled. There, in his silent laboratory and with
doors closed against all vain and carnal desires and selfish thoughts,
he may _mortify_ his terrestrial nature by gaining the victory of
self-control, so that his higher nature may become _liberated_ from
animal bonds by entering into the _resurrection_ from the tomb of
ignorance into the light of self-knowledge. To accomplish this he will
have to _purify_ his mind and let his soul become _animated_ by the
power of the spirit of truth; that which is inert in him must become
_sublimated_ in the fire of divine love, so as to rise to heaven in
the shape of holy aspirations, while the smoke of sophistry, dogmatism,
false science and self-righteousness must be permitted to pass out
through the chimney, to return no more. In this way will he be able to
find the way of combining {symbol} with {symbol} and thus to make it
into substantial gold that will last through eternity.
The above will be sufficient to give a hint in regard to the character
of Alchemy and its relation to chemistry. Between these two aspects
there is a third one, namely, what may be called “Astral Alchemy.”