Symbols ana a

^? Zacharias, De la philosophic nacurelk dcs mctaux, §1.

56

^J N, Flamel, Lc desir desire. §6.

57

^ Bernard of Treviso, La parole delaine in Salmon, ed., Bibliorbeque des philosnpbes chimiques (Paris, 1741), 2:401,416 (hereafter cited as BBC). Cf. dTspagnet, Arcanum bermericae, §44: "Who says that the Moon or the Mercury of the Philosophers is the vulgar Mercury, either wants to deceive or is himself deceived’’; and Philalethes, Epist. di Ripley. §61: "They are also deluded, who look for our secret in vulgar substances and still hope, to find the Gold."

58

* G. Dom, Clevis philosophise chcmisricae, BCC. 1:210.

59

^In CMA, 1:312.

60

^A. J. Fernery, Fables egypeiennes et grecques devolves (Paris, 1786), 1:75.

61

^Cf. C. Agrippa, De occulta philosophic, 3:65; G. Dom. op. cit._T 244. This theme derives from the Greek alchemists (CAG, 2:62, 63) who declared that they spoke for chose who were initiated and had trained the spirit—"those who have understanding,” the Arab authors would say—"Everything we say here is strictly for the Sage, not for the ignorant” (Livre du feu dc la pierre, CMA, 3:220); and J.S-
Wtidenfeld (LkSecretis Adeptorum, London, tf>34, p. 47), "Alchemists! Open Your Eyes and Seize the Light of Nature!”

62

^ Thesaurus rhesaurorum zlchimistvnim in A. Fbisson, Cinq wires d’alchimie (Paris, 1890), 86.

63

¹¹¹ Entretiens d'Eudoxe ft de Pyrophik sur !e Triomphe Hcrmedquc, BPC, 8:225.

64

^B. Treviso. De In philosophic dcs metaux, BPC, 2:398.

65

^Gcbcr, Surnma perfection^ magistcrii, BCC, 1:383,

66

^ Marciano codex (Venice), ms. 2325, fol 188b; and ms. 2.327 fol, 196.

67

^Corpus Hermericum, 4.5.8. Q. Hippolyrus, Philnsophumena, 6.17

68

^Mo den us, Entretiens chi Roi Kaiid, BPC, 2:86.

69

^ Triomphe Hermetique, BPC, 3:196. Cf. Rosinus ad Sarracantcm in Artis auriferae, 1:325; Braccesco, La espositione di Gebcr philosopho (Venice, 1551), fo[. 25a; Turba phibsnphorum. BPC, 2:17, etc.

70

^Philosophic naturdk des metaux, BPC, 2:523.

71

^CAG, 2:18.

72

^Expositions, fol. 66b; cf. R. Bacon, Dc secretis operihus art is ct natiira, BCC. 1:622.

73

18. 
    A, J. Fernery, Dictionnairc mycho-hermctique (Paris. 1758), 281.
    

74

^ Text in CAG, 2:143-144.

75

^Corpus Hcrmcticum, 1x2.

76

^This theistico-creation! St motif, and various others similar to it in the medieval texts, are nothing but a concession to the dominating exoteric religious beliefs of the time.

77

' Hntietkns, BPC, 2:86, 87, 88.

78

^ Text in CMA, 3:124.

79

^s Text in CMA, 3:117, 124. Ct. Commentatio dc phannaco cathnh'cn (Amsterdam, 1666), 4, §8

80

^De sulpbure (Venice, 1644), 208; BPC, 3:273, 279.

81

^Text in BPC. vol. 1.

82

" J. Boehme, Aurora, 24, §38, 39.

83

^Fernery, Fables, 1 -72.

84

^Olympiodorus, text in CAG, 2:100.

85

^Aurora, 24, §67

86

^In Thencruni chemicum (Urscl. 1602), 1:855 et seq.

87

^ftrihadanwyakahJpanishad, 1.6.7

88

^Agrippa. De occuka. philosophia, 3.36.
it is useful to recall that the Romans ritually pur a black stone—lapis niger at the beginning of the Via Sacra. The hermetic work in the Greek texts sometimes refers to itself as ^r,the mystery of Mithras” and Mithras was conceived as a god, or hero, issuing out of a stone, who would sub(ugate the Sun. Upon "this stone” evangelistic ally—must be built a 'Vhurdl"; while "lords of the temple," as we have said, were referred to as hermetic masters. We can go quite far with such meaningful associations
The H erinetic Presence

89

^ Cf. Boehme Aurora, 25, §33: ["So man will rechr urkunden dcr Sccrncngchurc (fn order to know the origin of the stars or the Beginning, you must understand the origin of life, and how life originates in the body, because in everything rhere is only one origination.)— Trans ]

90

¹² Pseudcxlemocritean texts, CAG. 3:37.

91

^iri Novum lumen chanicum (Venice, 1644). 62.

92

^Text in BPC, 3:272.

93

^The many herincric expressions refer to this idea according to one of their principle meanings—that nothing can be added to the symbolic "matters ', that they suffice ro perfect rhemsclvcs and nothing exterior to them can confer that perfection; that they contain in themselves the principles of all the operations. Citing Morienus (Etureriens, BPC, 2:62) for all: "Those who have what they need in them.selves (the hermetic masters), require nobody's help."

94

^CAG, 2:209.

95

^Livnc de la miser iconic, CM A, 3:179.

96

^ CF., CAG. 2:213-14. Tin's idea is explicit in Crassdlame. Ode akheinica (text in O. Wink Lc symbolisms hermedque [Paris. 1909], 161): "Our Great Work shows clearly that God has made the whole in rhe same way rhar the physical elixir is made," Morknus, (Eiicresisns, BPC, 2;8S) ’’lr con rains in itself the four dements and resembles the world and the composition of the world, ” C'f. Della Riviera, Mondo magicn. 46, 98 99: Philalethes, Introitus aperws ad occlusum regis palarium, chap. 5; Fernery, Fabks, 1:25; Hortulanus (Commentaoo Tabulae Smaragdinae. BTC, 1, §11 "Our stone is made in rhe same way that the world was created."

97

^ Hennedsm, moreover, reaffirms the traditional idea of die internal unity of all myths, as expressed by J. M. Ragon (De In Mn<;onneik occultc ec c/c /initiation hcrmcriquc [Paris, 1926), 44): "On recognizing the truth of the alliance ot the two systems, the symbolic, and the philosophical—in rhe allegories of the monuments ot all ages, in the symbolic writings of the priesthoods of all nations, in the rituals of the mystery societies we obtain a constant series, an invariable system of principles that proceed out ot a vast, impressive, and genuine superstate cure, which is the only framework in which they can be truly coordinated." Concerning the symbolic content of rhe myth, we will limit ourselves to reproducing just this one testimony from Braccesco (FsposkioiK,. fols, 77b, 42a): "The Ancients hid this science in poetical tables and spoke through similitudes . . . those who have, no knowledge of this science cannot know/ what the Ancients intended, what they wished ro indicate by the names of so many gods and goddesses, or by their generarton? love affairs and mutations. Nor should you imagine that moral lessons are hidden in these fables."

98

^ This last, in the third key of Basil Valentine (Aurelia, occultumphilosophorutn, BCC, 2) is offered as the "Woman of the Sea,” and at the same time, refers to the "center of the Tree that is in the center of Paradise," what "the Philosophers have sought so carefully.¹'