News & Informat ion

The needs of t h e small number of students of Alchemy f o r t e x t s i n

English, cannot of course, be met bjr t h e established publishers. The
limited edition method of publishing, works f o r a c e r t a i n type of t e x t
but there i s so much s p i r i t u a l l y valuable material t h a t f i n a n o i a l l y
just would not be a viable investment. Many students and c o l l e c t o r s
have, through t h e i r own hard work t r a n s l a t e d t e x t s from Latin, German,
o r French, o r unearthed oopies of manuscripts from public colleotions
i n Libraries. It would be of the greatest help t o the furtherance of
t h e study of Alchemy,-if some of t h i s material could be pooled and
shared amongst those people who could best use it. The Hermetic
Journal would l i k e t o e s t a b l i s h a l i b r a r y of t r a n s l a t e d material or
of alchemical symbols, and i n v i t e s any information which we could
build up i n t o a r e g i s t e r of available material, t o which people
could have access. Given enough i n t e r e s t , i t may eventually be possible
t o make photocopies of these translations. So angone with any positive
suggestions or offere of help with t h i s project please get i n touch.
Also Bans Nintzel, 733 Melrose Drive, Richardson, Texas 75080, USA,
one of our subscribers, p a r t i c u l a r l y asked me t o mention t h a t he
would be i n t e r e s t e d i n entering i n t o private exchange arrangements
with other collectors, i n regard t o alchemical texts.

The MAGICAL CALENDAR of TYCHO BRAHE

Edited by Adam McLean

According t o Eliphas Levi, one of t h e most important documents from

t h e 17th century renaissance of medieval occultism t h a t focussed
around the Rosicrucian movement.
Designed by De Bry, t h e famous engraver who produced the works of
Rsbert Fludd, Michael Maier, etc., t h e Magical Calendar i s a synthesis
of occult symbolism and correspondencies and i s invaluable as a
reference source. In a sense it is t h e 17th century version of
KcGregor-Matherb and ~rowley$777, but perhaps even more valued, a s
it is t h e compilation of a whole t r a d i t i o n r a t h e r than t h e work of
an individual.
This work has b e e n t r a n s l a t e d by Adam McLean who a l s o provides a
commentary and explanation of t h e complex mass of symbolism.
The Magical Calendar of Tycho Brahe w i l l be produced ks a limited
edition of 100 bound copies signed and numbered a t a12 ((25).
It w i l l be available from November 1978 and orders may be placed i n
advance t o Megalithic Research Publications, 12 A n t i w S t r e e t ,
Edinburgh 1, Scotland.
S A T 0 R During excavations a t Cirencester i n England over the
A R EP 0 past fen months, archaeologist Barry J w e s unearthed
T E N E T a t a supposed Roman s i t e , an amphora with t h e famous
0 P E R A magical a c r o s t i c incised i n t o t h e clay. He dates t h i s
R 0 T A S f i n d a t t h e end of t h e 2nd century AD, and seems t o
suggest t h i s as evidence of e a r l y Christian worship
going so f a r as t o postulate t h a t t h e amphora could have been a
-tressel f o r sacramental wine.

The well known writer Keith Critchlow has recently produced a

marvellovs f i l m e n t i t l e d REFLECTION with t h e assistance of fellow
members of R.1.LK.O. ( ~ e s e a r c hI n t o Lost Knowledge organisation),
and the f i n a n c i a l support of t h e Arts Council Of Great.Britain.
The film shows the r e l a t i o n s h i p of t h e geometry of natural forms
t o t h e underlying e s o t e r i c sacred geometry of megalithic stone
c i r c l e s and Medieval Cathedrals. A considerable amount of time is
devoted t o Chartres Cathedral and i t s mystical maze. The filn hss
many underlying references t o t h e ideas which a r e t h e foundation of
t h e Western Occult Tradition. The f i l m i s i n colour on 16mm stock
with saund t r a c k (music composed by Mike o l d f i e l d ) and l a s t s 56 mins.
 Transmutation and Resurrect ion

GARETH KNIGHT @

There has been much renewed i n t e r e s t of l a t e i n t h e Holy Shroud

of Turin which some consider t o have been t h e wrappings about t h e
body of Jesus i n the tomb a f t e r t h e Crucifixion. A recent book,
"The Turin Shroud" by Ian Wilson t r a c e s t h e h i s t o r y of t h i s r e l i c
down t h e ages ( i t may a t one time have been i d e n t i c a l with a
mysterious p o r t r a i t on c l o t h owned and revered by t h e Knights ~ e m p l a r
and reviews t h e current s c i e n t i f i c evidence a s t o i t s origins. There
i s p a r t i c u l a r i n t e r e s t i n t h e way t h a t t h e image i s impressed upon
t h e c l o t h which i s s i m i l a r t o t h e imwes of o b j e c t s t h a t have been
impressed on o b j e c t s a s a r e s u l t of intense atomic r a d i a t i o n a s a t
Hiroshima. I f it i s t r u l y t h e shroud about t h e body of Christ then,
i t might be argued, t h i s othemiise unexplzined image coulZr have been
produced by the process of physical resurrection.
According t o t h e New Testament, the Zesurrection was pre-figured
d u r i n s t h e l i f e t i m e of Jesus by an event knovm a s t h e Transfiguration.
On t h i s unique occasion t h r e e senior d i s c i p l e s , James,John and Peter,
rritnessed upon a h i l l t o p t h e body of Jesus become radiant with l i g h t .
So i:npressed were they that they f e l l doms on t h e i r faces i n awe, and
even nroposed t o b u i l d comnemor&tive s h r i n e s t h e r e , f o r they were
atrc.re of the voice of God comixg from on h i s h and t h e fi,aures of
other p e a t s p i r i t u a l teachers of t h e ~ a s t .They !rere i n s t r u c t e d not
t o do so, hotrever, and t o say nothing about t h e occurrence u n t i l a f t e r
t h e coming pession, though they were not f u l l y aware of t h e impiio-
a t i o n s of chis statement a t t h e time.
The event so portended, and coming a l t e r t h e physical death of
Jesus, -.cs t h e Resurrection, t h e n a r r a t i v a s of vhich a r e f u l l of
i n t e r e s t . It i s - n e c e s s a r y t o discount on t h e one hand those s t o r i e s
IU: L~bouff h a t t h e r e s u r r e c t i o n rras a phrcical r e s u s c i t a t i o n of Jesus
.rho rras rrounded but not k i l l e d ; 2nd on t h e other hznd t h a t .re a r e
dealing with an a s t r a l or e t h e r i c body a s i n a s p i r i t u a l i s t i c soeance.

A Collection o f S a c r e d ~ a ~ i c k . C o m4 he Esoteric ~ i b r a r y 1-5

 The physical arguement, apart from t h e f a c t t h a t it makes t h e
whole significance of t h e l i f e of Christ meaningless, o r a t best t h e
biography of a f a i l e d religious/ethical/ p o l i t i c a l reformer, hardly
stands up t o t h e recorded f a c t s , o f , f o r example, t h e centurion
making sure Jesus was dead by piercing t h e chest cavity with a spear.
One may remain f a i r l y well assured t h a t a hard b i t t e n centurion,
consciqus of the punishments i n f l i c t e d by the Roman army on t h e
incompetent or d i s l o y a l , would be unlikely t o botch such a job. Also
it would make l i a r s of a l l t h e d i s c i p l e s who were privy t o the f a c t ,
and t h e s t o r y of t h e i r actions and subsequent l i v e s points t o men
inspired by an experience of astounding uniqueness r a t h e r than con-
s p i r a t o r s i n a m a s s deception, however well intentioned.
Similarly, t h e astro-etheric theory does not f i t the recorded
facts. To begin with, why did t h e physical body disappear? It would
have been i r r e l e v a n t i n t h e production of any ghost body. Aiso Jesus
appeared i n t h e resurrection body f i r s t on t h e road t o Emmaus and
conversed,in broad daylight, with two of the disciples. No a s t r a l
wraith i s capable of such s o l i d appearance ; nor capable of joining
i n a meal as l a t e r happened ; nor of allowing Thomas t o physically
touch t h e wounds of crucifixion. A t t h e same time, whilst having
these s o l i d properties, it was capable of appearing o r disappearing
a t w i l l , and a l s o of being recognisable or not, a t w i l l , and l a t e r of
ascending i n t o t h e clouds.
Tosether with the Transfiguration t h i s suggests t h a t w b t we a r e
reading about here is n e i t h e r s o l i d physical matter a s we know i t , nor
attenuated matter as i s witnessed i n c e r t a i n c a r e f u l l y controlled
conditions i n the sceance room, but matter i n a d i f f e r e n t form ;
matter t h a t i s raised t o a higher frequency or s t a t e of vibration.
This would be i n accord with the e n t i r e Old Testament t r a d i t i o n
of t h e f a l l of man from t h e Paradisal condition. A t some primeval time
the self-will of man divorcing i t s e l f from accord with t h e W i l l of
God ca-wed t h e whole of matter t o become generally more s o l i d and
coarse, i n t o i t s form a s we now know it. O r , looking a t it i n another
way, it might be s a i d t h a t t h e physical universe a s we know it was
specially created as a habitation f o r f a l l e n man. It i s s a i d i n the
Book of Genesis t h a t Adam and Eve made f o r themselves coats of skin.
In a way t M s might be regarded a s a coarsening or s o l i d i f i c a t i o n of
the vehicles of our expression.
However, by the subsequent Incarnation of the Logos, which i s a
unique event i n a specially chosen race and h i s t o r i c a l environment,
not t o be confounded with t h e periodical appearance of unusually
g i f t e d wise men o r s p i r i t u a l teachers, t h e seed was sown f o r t h e
general r e s t i t u t i o n or resurrection of the whole f a l l e n body of neture,
along with a l l of mankind, as aad when t h e i r w i l l s a r e conformed, i n
voluntary s a c r i f i c e , t o the W i l l of God once again, who now demonstr-
a t e s himself i n Triune form, not only a s Creator Originator and
Father, but a l s o as Saviour by H i s Incarnation, and I n s p i r e r , I n s t r -
uctor and Comforter by t h e Holy S p i r i t .
The example by which mankind can follow through t h i s process of
transmutation i s figured i n t h e legends about t h e Virgin Nary, which
carry a mythologioal t r u t h t h a t i s a l l t h e more i m p o r t k t and v a l i d
i n t h a t it is grounded i n h i s t o r i c a l r e a l i t y .
A s she who.gave t h e vehicle f o r t h e Incarnation she is t h e Retort
i n which the o r i g i n a l alchemical Philosopher's Stone i s placed along
with t h e ordinarg elements of d a i l y l i f e o r Prima I a t e r i a . A s may be
gleaned from a number of-alchemioal manuscripts, t h e Prima Materia i s
of t h e same substance 26 t h e Retort, and by-the process of accepting
t h e Stone i s transmuted.
Thus Mary, a s f i r s t c i t i z e n of a redeemed humanity, i s r a i s e d
back t o t h e Paradisal s t a t e , a s described i n t h e dogma of her Physical
Assumption i n t o Heaven and Coronation there, which is a l l r a t h e r more
than colourful Roman Catholic p i e t y and superstition.
So i n t h e s t o r i e s of Jesus, t h e Incarnate Logos, and Mary, t h e
exemplary and redeemed human, we have an alchemical process, of t h e
r a i s i n g of leaden matter t o i t s p r i s t i n e golden s t a t e . Thosa familiar
with t h e Q a b a l i s t i c Tree of Life might express it a s a r a i s i n g of
t h e lowest Sephirah, Malkuth, t h e Kingdom, t o t h e p o i n t across t h e
Abyss represented by Daath, where it f a l l s n a t u r a l l y under t h e Crown
of Kether, giving a balanced Tree diagram, with Yesod, a p t l y c a l l e d
t h e Foundation, as i t s proper base.
Even i f one just regards it a s mgrthology, o r as psychological
projection, t h e Christian s t o r y has much deep teaching t o give. To
those who a r e able t o accept it i n i t s physical and h i s t o r i c a l
fulness it becomes very muoh more -a way of l i f e thaf a t t h e same
time is an alchemical process of transmutation, and i n no mere
a l l e g o r i c a l or symbolical way e i t h e r !