Symbols ana a

cbe CRAOicion
Che law of silence has always been maintained by the Philosophers. In the writings of the ancient Egyptian masters we find descriptions and expositions of the teaching, but its practice—^p/a—was always silent.¹ In their own writings, the hermetists have addressed none but the initiates: "They have written only for those who have been initiated into their mysteries and because of that they have intentionally filled their books with enigmas and contradictions/’^{506 507 508} "Wher­ever it seems that I have spoken most clearly and openly about our science/’ says Geber, "that is where I have spoken most obscurely and where I have hidden ft. ... I declare that neither the Philosophers who have preceded me, nor I myself, have written for others, but only for ourselves and our suc- cessors/’^
Although it is true that the sages "have mixed in with the process of inves­tigation the means of arriving at the perfect understanding of the science’’ and although "they have indicated a certain path and have prescribed rules by which a Sage can understand what they have enigmatically written and reach the

proposed objective even after making many mistakes”⁴ nevertheless, the reader is always assumed to be an initiate or person of prepared mind,⁵
The transmission—originally restricted to persons of rank: kings, princes, and priests⁶—is only given directly; the key, says Agrippa, "is not transmitted by writings, but is infused in the spirit by means of the spirit [scd spiritui per spiricum infunditur)."⁷ Who receives it swears never to reveal it to anyone who is not one of them.⁸ Quite drastic is the Turba pbilosophorum: "Who has ears let him open them and listen, who has a mouth, let him keep it shut,’’ And Bernard of Treviso adds, "l could not speak more clearly of that which I’ve said to you if I were to show you. But understanding does not permit it. And you yourself, when you know it (I tell you in truth), will hide it even more than l.”⁹
Concerning all this, we have to realize that the "secret” had nothing to do with any exclusivity of sect or unwillingness to speak, but rather that it was a question of not being able to say, in addition to having to prevent the inevitable fncomprehen- sion of those who would profane or distort the teaching. Since the alchemical tech­nique, in its truth, consists of an Art made possible by higher powers set in motion by superior and nonhuman states of consciousness, it is natural to declare that the secret of the Great Work cannot be transmitted, but is the privilege of the initiates, who by virtue of their own experiences, can alone understand what is hidden behind the jargon and symbolism of the technical texts. For the profane the only counsel was to be prepared and to pray, in the hope that through some spontaneous enlight­enment¹⁰ their eyes might be opened at last. As for the possibility admitted by the

1. 
   Zacharias, Philosophic naturelle da metaux, BPC 2-.495; Livrc tit' Syncsius, BPC, 2:177; cf. CAG. 2:315: "Having written in enigmas, they have left it to you, who hold this book in your hand, to labor constantly to create the subject of the mystery."