Dear Rawn Clark, May I ask the name of the book, and the arthor's full name, I would like to find/read/study it myself, I have an interest in alchemy, but find, most of the texts frustrating. Than You. Hilda Rawn Clark <rawnclark@...> wrote: Dear Olivier, >> Great book. Too bad it's so short. Most of the books on Alchemy are either super-cryptic to the non-initiate or not very useful, << Most of the older Alchemical writings are written in a language that only one who is actively engaged in the laboratory work itself would have any hope of understanding. The specific images used are references to actual laboratory events, procedures and results which make perfect sense as symbols of factual things. In other words, the only way to truly understand them is to be doing the work yourself, in your own laboratory. >> I also read Beat's posts explaining that the Philosopher's Stone could be realized by the profane regardless of his spiritual maturity and provided that the proper procedures are followed. So that probably also explains the secret. << Beat is right on with that statement. However, this doesn't negate the need for artfulness in the laboratory and I would think that without very well trained faculties of subtle perception, it would be an immensely difficult (i.e., functionally impossible) task for someone who had no experience to just work from a recipe book and reach success. >> Richard, I remember you once posted a message asking the group and Rawn about the purpose of Alchemy and I don't remember reading the answer anywhere on this forum!! So if the question is not too off-topic, what is the purpose of Alchemy, what is transmutation and what is the relationship to Quaballah?? << Alchemy is an aspect of a type of "high" magic that has to do with the transformation of the Divine Substance. By directly transforming the Divine Substance itself (Alchemy deals with the direct transformation of the *physical* aspect of Substance), the Substance is made capable of manifesting a different essential meaning or a more specific, concentrated or refined essential meaning. Alchemy, as I said, is the Art of transforming *physical* substance. In overly-simplified terms, the material substance is purified and this purification allows the substance to more clearly manifest/express its native essential meaning. Of course, the three Philosophic Principles of Alchemy are treated as vessels of the three Principles of Hermetics (mental, astral and physical), so the *whole* of physical substance (i.e., its physical, astral and mental aspects) is addressed in the transformation. The highest forms of the magic to which Alchemy belongs directly address the manipulation of the Divine Substance as it emanates from Kether and *before* it reaches Binah, while it still exists in its un-differentiated state (symbolized by the Hebrew Letter 'Vav', which connects Kether with Binah). Kabbalistic utterance (i.e, Bardon's "Quabbalah") also pertains to the direct manipulation of the Divine Substance but here, instead of working with *physical* substance, it's working directly through color, tone, sensation and Legality. This is symbolized by the Hebrew Letter 'Daleth' which connects Binah with Geburah. Unlike Alchemy, Quabbalah is about combining these different aspects of akashic, mental and astral Substance to create a multi-dimensional causation which *results in* the desired effect. While both Quabbalah and Alchemy deal with manipulation of the Divine Substance, they do so in very different ways. My best to you, :) Rawn Clark 27 July 2004 rawnclark@... rawn@... http://www.ABardonCompanion.com http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BardonPraxis http://E.webring.com/hub?ring=arionthebardonwe Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT --------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BardonPraxis/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: BardonPraxis-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]