V.I.T.R.I.O.L.V.M

Visita.Interiora.Terrae.Rectificando.Invenies.Occultum.Lapidem.Vniversalis.Medicinam

This latin acronym is very famous in the alchemical world. It means : Visit the interior of the Earth, and by rectifying, you will find the hidden stone, universal medicine, sometime it is true (Veritam) medicine, but it is a U and not a V, so I prefer to say "universal".

First of all, we have to visit, not to take something, not to do something, nor seeking for something, but, just to look, to visit the interior of the earth. We have to look deeply at something hidden normally (the interior of), the earth is here the macrocosm and all its microcosm, earth can be understood as a general term for the world and the creation, Nature. So, we have to unveil the laws and mechanisms of the macrocosm.

The first part is the study.

Then we have to rectify, we have to do an action, upon something, in order to have the Stone.

Rectifying is a correction, rectification : to make it right, perfect, able to fit to the purpose of the generation of the Stone. What do we have to rectify, and what do we rectify while visiting the Nature if not our vision of the World and Nature ?

And then, we find the hidden Stone, universal and true medicine ! We find it because we are in the natural path, and no more a cultural one, that prevents us to see and find the Stone (and generate it). It is hidden because it is everywhere, and no one can see it, until one finds it by rectification.

But, in reality, we rectify and then we find the Stone, because it appears after the act of rectification, it appears as a natural consequence, we have to do nothing ! (see Aurora of the Philosophers by Paracelsus, chap XVII).

It is Universal, simply because the Mercury is Universal, and the Vitriol is our Mercury. And it is a medicine, because Light incarnated is the most important thing on earth, it is a blessing, the true blood and body of Christ Principle.

King Solomon's Mines, in the earth of Ophir

King Solomon (Solomon mean 'wisdom' in hebrew), is well known for his temple and wealth, also for some treatrise of magick (Clavicula Salomonis - but I don't think he ever wrote that...).

When the symbols become clearer, and when can figure out a little the Opus Magnum, we can see some links between Alchemy and some sacred texts, like Bible. Bible is said to have stories that are all alchemical, from alpha to omega, Roger Caro, french Alchemist working upon Cinnabar, used it extensively in order to explain the Magnum Opus.

King Solomon was said to have mines in remote countries, having 'red earth', and thus being named 'Ophir' (rich, red earth). It is very close in my opinion to the "Adam's clay", able of life.

Now, Ophir is probably a real place, where mines gave a lot of gold (but, geologist must have found this place by now no ?). Or, Ophir is also a kind of alchemical hint, a place where the earth is full of Sulphur/gold.

In 1 Kings 9:28

They sailed to Ophir and brought back 420 talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon.

2 Chronicles 8:18

And Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own officers, men who knew the sea. These, with Solomon's men, sailed to Ophir and brought back four hundred and fifty talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon.

Are you prepared ?

The Alchemist plays sometime a perilous game with matter. We tremendously and dramatically enhance the inner process of his inner Alchemical cycle.

The Alchemist ... He is not prepared for death or Nigredo. He is not prepared for Vegetatio, he is not prepared for Albedo, and he is not prepared for Rubedo... And he jumps from one to another, sometime from a day to another. This can be a kind of spiritual and psychological roller coaster. You can be dizzy when you are in this movement.

Are we prepared ? Are you prepared for this ? What are the risks ? I never heard about the psychological side of Alchemy when I began practicing it. I heard of it only in the real practical groups of people who knew that sometime, nigredo can push you far. But in Alchemical old books, never we have to look into Jung in order to make a link between the psychological side and the Alchemical cycles.

Remember that a cycle is cyclic. You are now, in one of the cycle, and maybe in one mini cycle in the big cycle. I found that we can be enclosed in three cycles, or even four, like Matriochka... it asks a little of inner analysis in order to 'see' them, and to feel them. For that you can try to study the seasons in nature for example.

Have a nice cycle !

Ritman Library, sign petition or it will disappear !

http://www.ritmanlibrary.nl/

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ritmanlibrary/

The PetitionExpress your protest against the dissolution of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica (Ritman Library)

It is widely known that the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica in Amsterdam, founded by J.R. Ritman, was in great danger in the 1990s, when the ING bank took possession of the collection and threatened to sell it. Fortunately, the Dutch government intervened: the BPH was put on the list of protected Dutch heritage, and the State eventually acquired over 40% of it. The books remained at the same physical location, integrated with the rest of the collection, and the government would eventually acquire all of it. As part of this process, there were great plans for further expansion. Largely due to the financial crisis and a change of government this was taking somewhat longer than originally anticipated, but nobody doubted that the library was safe.

Last week this turned out to be incorrect. An extremely valuable medieval manuscript owned by the BPH (The Grail of Rochefoucauld) was put on sale at Sotheby’s, and this triggered a reaction from the Friesland Bank, which took possession of the library, that had apparently been brought in as collateral, in order to get back a 15 million euro loan from mr Ritman. At present the BPH is closed, and intense negotiations are going on behind closed doors. It is impossible at this moment to predict the outcome, but there is no doubt that the situation is extremely serious. There is a very real possibility that the Friesland bank will try to sell at least the ca. 60% of the library that is still owned by mr Ritman, and nobody knows what implications this will have for the rest of the collection and the BPH as a whole, including its staff. The brand-new government of the Netherlands has announced a program of radical financial cuts in the culture section and elsewhere, which makes a renewed intervention from that side highly unlikely.

If the Ritman library would go down, this would mean an enormous blow to international scholarship in hermetic studies. The damage would be irreversible. By signing this petition you express your concern, and ask the Dutch government and the Friesland bank to do their utmost to ensure that the collection will be saved and will remain available for the international scholarly community.

Additionally, you can express your concern by means of a signed letter. The initiative for this petition comes from the Center for History of Hermetic Philosophy and related currents at the University of Amsterdam (organizationally independent of the BPH, and not in any danger itself), so please send your letter to its director: Prof. Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Oude Turfmarkt 141-147, 1012 GC Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Email: w.j.hanegraaff [ at ] uva.nl

Why transmutation is not a valid test.

Why transmutation is not a valid test for the Philsopher Stone ?

In Hermetism there is the science of Archemy, that deals partly with the transmutatory matters, and "particulars" able to make sometime, powerful transmutation powders, looking like a Powder from a Stone, and making the same effect on lead or any metal (and making of gold a red glass, etc).

Now, gold is said to be different after a transmutation by a Stone (harder, not attacked by acids...). But one can perfectly change the nature of a metal by adding too much of this or that, and to make it very hard or brittle or glowing red instead of green while melted. Depending of the "cooking" !

So, in this case, there is only the very high potential of transmutation of a tiny peice of Powder, from a Stone that could possibly make the difference, but how can we be sure that it is safe as a medicine ?

Sometime a Stone cannot transmute by itself, you need to know Archemy in order to make it a Powder (sometime it is not the case). It can perfectly fail the transmutation, and being a Stone.

Why making a test of transmutation if we seek a spiritual and physical remedy ? In this case, why don't we try the Stone upon an old and ill animal ? Making a healing, and a regeneration maybe. This could be a proof. A real proof. Not like a transmutation  made with Archemical procedures with a Stone. And a metal do not die or present illness after being exposed to a high level of toxic material. How to be sure it is safe ?

It is said that the Stone makes an evolution. Yes of course, as a remedy, it makes things perfect. But an animal regenerated will not be transform as a human baby, and a nettle will not transform in a rose tree. There is not change in the form, only in the quality, it is not a trans-formation, it is a mutation.

Homunculus, secound part

Recently a friend asked me questions about this subject. I do not claim to be a specialist. But I tried to be clear with him.

And here is more or less, what I told him concerning this subject, that seems at first glance very "odd" and fantastic. I made, already, an article about this subject here on my blog.

What is technically speaking an Homunculus ? It is a living form, made Alchemically, and able to live (more or less) by itself for a moment. In order to live, or bring Life, a form must be structured in order for its mercury and sulphur to sustain all parts of its body. Such form is submitted to cycle, and to a realm of existence, also to the laws of signatures.

For example, in his Munsus subterraneus (1665) Kircher, indicates that he made re-birth a flower from his ashes. Exactly like Paracelsus do with trees in one of his book. These are a kind of Homunculi.

But, to make appear from ashes a flower, an animal etc, in a mercury (like the "Universum"), is not at all the same thing, this is just an image in 3 D. Alchemy is a science in "3D" while a good Theurgist/Magus can also animate a picture easily (with the help of High Spagyrics), but it will stay flat, and not have the same impact at all. Of course, a theurgist can generate an entity, like I said in my previous article, but not really on the same level of existence, nor using the same laws.

This is a Palingenesis, a new Genesis from a pre-existent matter, this means that all kingdoms can have its own Homunculus. And of course, as the laws of Life are the same in the little world of Alchemy than in the Macrocosm, we have exactly the same kind of living entities... dendrites, crystals, plants, algaes, and animals, humans (maybe, for the last two, because it is very complicated I think, it is like solving the problem of the egg or the hen - which on came first ?).

I think that if someone try to create or generate, such a living entity, one should begin at first by the "lower realms", in order to understand fully the Laws and methods, the "how to", & "why".

I created, without intention such living entities in Alchemical process. A regeneration of a matter can do such things. I made several time such entities in the mineral realm, witnessing the birth of new crystals from an Alchemically prepared matter. Everything in total perfection. Nature is a living mechanism.

Another thing is to use very good materials, otherwise, you will not create a level of purity able to bear a higher level of Life.

Of course, the creation of an Homunculus is legendary, a little man or women, or even a couple in a flask is a kind of dream... but well, if I generated a kind of alchemical crystals in an alchemical world, in a flask, I could also generate a higher level of Life ... we are Homunculi in a big flask, called the "universe". It is not legendary, it is actually the world in which we live in !! Creating an Homunculus, whatever the realm can have a deep spiritual impact on you. Simply because you play the laws of Nature, as a Creator.

What you see *in* the flask, you see it *out* of the flask... it's an opening, a kind of enlightenment. But, you can only understand what you see with the eyes of an Hermetist. There is a life principle. "What is above, is like what is below". But one must be careful, and be psychologically prepared. Imagine you generate a monster in a flask ? What if it is like Frankenstein !? It can make you profoundly mad. Do not dabble.

The Philosopher Stone is said to have such power, to make flourish and born animals and plants from a totally virgin earth. But one can create such thing without the Stone.

I will not say it is easy, it is not, not at all. One must understand the Laws of Nature perfectly (sorry for repetitions but, it is really important), otherwise, one can go nowhere, and do nothing good.

What could I say more ... the production of the Homunculus is very close to the production of the Philosopher Stone. Creating an Homunculus can help for the Stone, and the Stone can help to create an Homunculus.

We are entering here in one of the domain of the Alchemical culture that is very little known, like a backstage, but you know, when we see wonders in Alchemy, "mind blowing stuff", sometime our limits are broken, and the impossible things can be a possibility for the initiated one.

Les Livres de François Rabelais

Vous trouverez ici en ligne les ouvrages (Alchimiques) de Rabelais : http://www.morgane.org/hicbibitur/

Bonne lecture !

Livre de Matthieu Frécon - "L'Alambic, l'Art de la Distillation."

Une fois n'est pas coutume, voici une petite revue sur un ouvrage que j'ai bien aimé. Lorsqu'on aime, il faut le dire n'est ce pas ? Alors allons y !

Le Livre de Matthieu Frécon est très intéressant, plein d'humour, de tradition, et d'informations précises, sans nul doute il s'agit là d'un ouvrage que je le conseille à tous ceux qui souhaite se lancer ou avancer un peu plus dans la pratique de la distillation, afin de tirer parti de tous les avantages qu'elle peut présenter pour un travail spagyrique, homéopathique, ou de bien être tout simplement, &c.

Cet ouvrage, on le sent a été paufiné, bichonné. En tout cas, c'est quelque chose de valeur. Personnellement j'ai dès les premières pages, appris, encore et encore sur des sujets que je pensais connaître, mais que nenni ! D'une manière sympatique et claire son ouvrage nous permet de comprendre le sujet, et on se laisse ainsi emporter, pages après pages dans ce monde de "goutte" de "Hic Bibitur", &c !

Matthieu est un pationné, qui connait son métier, et qui a ça dans le sang ! Pour cause, il est bouilleur ambulant dans l'Hérault. En ce moment c'est la saison, et il doit certainement distiller chaque jour. Mais il a aussi pratiqué l'Alchimie/Spagyrie depuis des années, et faisait parti des Philosophes de la Nature.

Vous trouverez des extraits de son ouvrage, et vous le proccurer sur son site : http://www.devenir-distillateur.com/

Mais aussi un tas d'autres conseils et "recettes" qui valent la peine d'être lues et mise en pratique.

L'ouvrage a été édité aux éditions "les Gouttelettes de Rosée" à 1000 exemplaires (belle édition en papier glacé).

Bref, en un mot, merci Matthieu et bon courage pour la saison !

A Sea Salt work

Raw sea salt filtered.

Sea Salt is a really interesting matter. It is simply a frozen fix water. If one is able to prepare it correctly it can flow easily and penetrate metals. But it is most part of the time a hard and long process. Of course one can have shortcuts, but it is necessary to know the hermetical laws under it. Sea salt is a dry Mercury, sometime used in Dry Process.

A water, saturated by sea salt, let first the niter crystallize. It is very nice to see.

Here is the caput of the Sea Salt after a dry distillation.

The Mercury extracted is put back "on the head". It is hard as rock after such a process.

When I distilled it, I had at the end a volatile acid, fuming spirit in the air.

The sea salt, dry after distillation.

And then we have a very nice sea salt.

Les Rêves en Alchimie/Spagyrie

Selon mon expérience, après ingestion de teintures, ou de travaux sur des gravures alchimiques, ou des matières en cours de travail/cycle, on peut avoir des rêves en lien avec des effets psycho énergétiques.

Exemple, vous prenez une teinture métallique ou de plante par exemple, et vous rêvez la nuit suivante que certaines bêtes sortent de votre corps, ou vous vous battez avec certaines d'entre elles. Lorsque ceci se répète plus de dix fois de suite après avoir ingéré des teintures, on peut réellement faire le lien entre les médecines spagyriques/Alchimiques et la purification énergétique et psychique. Surtout si on a des marques sur le corps après et que certaines sensations sont en accord avec cela.

Il y a aussi les rêves à nature enseignante. Par exemple j'ai pu voir certaines gravures alchimique assez étonnantes en rêve. Ce qui est un réel émerveillement.

Et puis il y a le travail de domptage, ou de dressage des archétypes intérieurs, qui se déroule souvent lorsqu'on putréfie une matière. L'archetype de présente à vous sous forme d'un animal indompté, et petit à petit, lorsque vous avancez au labo, l'animal se soumet à vos ordres et à votre autorité dans vos rêves, et devient de l'état sauvage, un animal domestique. Parfois ça a du mal ...

Il y a les rêves de "cycles", par exemple, un aigle se pause devant moi, il s'envole et laisse un corbeau venir. Puis une ou deux nuit après, je vois une queue de paon et le paon, perché sur une toile d'araignée ... etc.

Une amie a aussi pu assister au combat d'un guépard et d'une panthère noire par exemple après un certain travail.

Les rêves et les processus psychiques témoignent du lien que nous entretenons et devons créer et favoriser avec la matière que nous créons. La transformation intérieure lors des processus, permet de créer en nous même la Pierre alors qu'elle nait dans le ballon ou le creuset. (A mon avis !)

Certains qui préfère l'oratoire, n'utilisent que leur esprit et les peintures/gravures décrivant le G.O et en "y entrant" en faisant une synchronisation psychique peuvent ainsi se cadrer sur le processus décrit et le vivre fortement. C'est évidement un autre type d'alchimie, un autre domaine.

Trois principes.

J'ai commencé à comprendre que dans nos activités quotidiennes, nous avons des énergies particulières qui sont le reflet de nos besoins mais aussi de notre nature, et ces activités nous façonnent en retour. Par exemple, vous pouvez avoir des activités en lien avec le Mercure, tout ce qui à trait à la Spiritualité, à l'élévation de l'esprit et de l'âme, mais c'est aussi tout ce qui a trait avec des activités de relation, de médiation de compréhension, d'adaptation. Si vous manquez de ces qualités dans votre existence, vous serez et vous êtes déséquilibré.

Certains activités sont de nature Sulfureuses ... chacun ses définitions, mais pour ainsi dire, c'est tout ce qui est très masculin, et actif, extérieur, et énergétique/mouvementé, "acides". C'est une dépense d'énergie, être sur le devant la scène, etc. C'est évidement aussi la partie de l'Animus, votre "Homme Archétypal" intérieur qui s'exprime. Il est nécessaire de comprendre cette partie de soi tout autant que les autres.

Il y a encore des activités de nature Salines, ou féminine, reliées à l'Anima, votre Archétype Féminin intérieur. Ces activités sont plus internes, introspectives, ou féminines, "lentes", reposantes, calme, "alcaline", si cela vous parle.

Comme les deux autres, il est nécessaire de pouvoir les comprendre, les voir dans sa vie (ou percevoir leur absence).

C'est un exercice intéressant à faire. Et qui je pense est une approche psychologie via l'Alchimie. Aux USA le concept de "l'Alchimie spirituelle ou interne" semble plus développé qu'en occident (dans le milieu alchimique en tout cas). Mais Jung a pourtant apporté énormément d'eau à ce moulin, et souvent les psychanalystes de ce courant, bien que n'étant pas opératif sont très très pointu et au courant des dynamiques alchimiques internes (voir Von Franz).