Symbols ana a

^ Cf., for example, Geber {Livre du mercure oriental in Rerthelot, ed., La chimie au moyenn\ge [Paris,

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1893], 3:248). "In reality, there is accord between rbe authors, though ro the uninitiated it appears that they have differences”; also A. J. Fernery (Fables egyptiennes er grecques dcvoilecs (Parts, 1786], 1:11): "The hermetic philosophers are all in agreement; none contradicts the principles of the others. And one who wrote thirty years ago, speaks as one who wrote two thousand years ago. They never rire of repeating the Church axiom: 'Quod ubique. gutxi ab omnibus et quod semper.”’ And even dearer is the Turba philosophorum, one of the oldest and most quoted of western hermetico-alehemical texts (in C. Puini, ed., IntroduzsOilc alia magia (Rome, 1971 ], 2:24.1): "Be it noted that whatever the manner in which [the hermetic philosophers] have spoken, nature is one, and they find themselves in accord and all say the same thing. But the ignorant take our words exactly as we say them without understanding the why or wherefore. Instead, they should consider whether or nor our words are reasonable and natural and then take them (as they are]; and if our words are nor reasonable, they should rry ro raise themselves ro our intention instead ot holding to the letter. In any ease, you must know that we arc in agreement, whatever we say. So bring one another together accordingly and study us; he cause in one it may be clear what in another remains hidden and who truly searches will find everything,"

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^ J, Boehme. De s/gnatura remm. 7, §78: [” Woe die ewige Geburt in rich selbcr ist, also isr auch der Pruzefi mir der Wkderbringung nach dan Falk, und also isr auch der Prozefs der Wkisen mit ihrem Lapide Philosophorum, es isr kein Unterschied dazwischcn."- Trans ]

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^ Tn understand better those ideas that are contrary to the traditional and the primordial state, of the heroic, etc., reference ro our work Revolt against the Modern World (Rochester Vr., 1994), and to the books and texts of R. Guenon is almost indispensible. Cf. as well our Maschera e voice delb spiritualismo rourem/Toranco (Rome, 1971), particularly the chapter on the notion of returning to Catholicism.

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^J See M.-L, von Franz;, Aurora consul gens, vnl. 3 of Mysterium Cnniuncrionis (Zurich, 1957).

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