Fluid Condensers and the "Influence Through the Elements" Technique.
© 2003
>> Bardon (step 8) shows a way to use the elements with fluid condenser. A fluid condenser of the Air (impregnated with a wish) could active the element Air... It's the same for the elements Earth and Water. <<
In these specific operations [see pages 191-194 of the Ruggeberg edition and pages 240-243 of the Merkur edition], the Fluid Condenser is secondary to the methodology employed (i.e., combustion, evaporation, mixture and decomposition). In other words, these natural processes are the agents of the Elements and the Fluid Condensers themselves merely support or add to the result.
In fact, Bardon even stated that accumulating the Elements was optional and yet this is something one would normally do to empower (i.e., fill) a Condenser.
>> My problem comes with the Fire element. Here, Bardon say any kind of condenser can be used to activate the Fire element. <<
Here, it is because the natural process of combustion will override any Elemental influences carried by an uncharged Condenser. Combustion is the physical corollary of the Fire Element at its most powerful -- absolutely nothing can stand in its way.
>> If a condenser is full of the Water Element, does it have any sense to use it with the Fire element ? According to what Bardon wrote, I would say yes, but it seems kinda strange to me. <<
No, it would not make any sense. However, in the practices Bardon described in the section you reference, the Fluid Condensers have not already been charged (i.e., filled with an accumulation of the Elements or Fluids). In other words, he didn't suggest using a charged Fluid condenser for the Fire work. Therefore, there wouldn't be any conflict of opposites such as would result when trying to impress an accumulation of Fire upon an already charged Water Condenser.
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
29 May 2003
>> Thanks for your answer. But I would like to add something. I guess it's not necessary to load those condenser with Elements for the single reason they are already full of elemental energy. All plants "contain" an element. For example, garlic contain the Fire element intensively (the fire of mars). Water, itself is a kind of condenser. So, when you make a fluid condenser using water and garlic, you have already a water impregnated with the fire element. So, then, why should i load it with more Fire ? I guess it's already saturated with Fire. No need to increase it. <<
The point of a *condenser* is that it is capable of holding a condensed accumulation of an Element/Fluid. To quote Bardon (Ruggeberg English edition, p.194):
"Any object can be influenced by any fluid, regardless of being loaded electrically, magnetically, with elements or akasha through the aid of the imagination and the will. But according to the laws of analogy, and by experience, it has been found out that not each object and not each kind of liquid is suitable to retain an accumulated power for a long time or to accumulate it at all. Similar to the fact, that electricity, magnetism and heat do have good and bad conductors, the higher powers offer the same bipolar aspect. Good conductors own an enormous accumulative capacity, because the powers concentrated in them are stored up and can be held back at will. In the hermetic science such accumulators are called 'fluid condensers'."
In other words, while the materials suitable for use as Fluid Condensers do indeed express an affinity for their corresponding Element or Fluid, they do not already possess an *accumulation* of said Element/Fluid. This means that an uncharged condenser possesses only the Elements and Fluids that make up its physical components. This amount of Elements/Fluids is not strong enough for magic work.
A condenser is only a vessel into which the magician must accumulate an Element or Fluid. It is the accumulation within the condenser that makes it a "magical" substance as opposed to a normal physical substance.
Take for example your hypothetical garlic water. The garlic does indeed express a relative predominance of the Fire Element; however, its primary constituent is the Earth Element (as is true of all physical things). So too with the water -- it does express a relative predominance of the Water Element but its primary constituent is Earth. When you mix these two together you end up with an Earth that is strong in both Fire and Water. This is not strong enough or potent enough for magical work with the Elements and Fluids. It's not until you load this *condenser* with the Elements and Fluids that it becomes strong enough for magical work. It's only when loaded with an accumulation that it becomes noticeably stronger than common physical matter.
One reason why Bardon put these exercises/techniques at Step Eight was because Step Eight is also the Step in which the student learns to "master the Fluids". Until that point, the student hasn't learned how to accumulate and condense the Fluids. So really, the work with accumulating the *Fluids* into *Fluid* Condensers belongs to Step Eight. However, the student who has mastered the Step Five work with the Elements is certainly capable of making good use of the Fluid Condensers by way of accumulating the Elements into them. But unless the student is capable of accumulating at least the Elements into a Condenser, Fluid Condensers are of little use.
>> My question was : if I have a condenser related to Air, then, should I use the evaporation process or is it the same to use combustion ? <<
It would depend upon the goal of your work. Does what you're trying to accomplish relate to the Air or to the Fire? If it relates to the Air Element, then you would use the evaporation process, and if it relates to the Fire Element, then you would use the combustion process. As I said in my last post, the important aspect of what Bardon described there was the *processes*. It's the processes themselves that bring forth the magic through the corresponding Element. These are really very rudimentary "earth magic" or "low magic" techniques and this is why Bardon states here that accumulating the Element is optional.
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark