Stepping Stones into higher consciousness;

Nirvana
The Christification / congealing of my eternal soul The spiritualization of my fleshmaterialization of my Spirit The ascension of my lower nature, the descendsion of my Higher Natureto perfect Unity The Ancient Mysteries An ancient way of envisioning the souls journey was in progressive stages through descending and ascending levels of consciousness. The purpose of some of the worlds most ancient teachings was to guide novices safely through these stages. Until as recently as the twentieth century, knowledge of this process was considered sacred and limited to word-ofmouth transmission supported by geometric, diagrammatic constructs, and symbolism with the journey itself requiring careful preparation and close supervision. As if hiding in plain view, the stages of the souls progression towards union with God is contained in the stepping-stone events of the life of Christ. This progression would inspire the magnum opus of the medieval philosopher-alchemists, whose work in turn would lead Jung to discover the parallel pattern of events in the individuation process of depth psychology. The drama of the archetypal life of Christ describes in symbolic images the events in the conscious life--as well as in the life that transcends consciousness--of a man who has been transformed by his higher destiny. C G Jung This preceding quote suggests that a person is transformed by his or her higher destiny, and that the self-discovery to which persons are called requires each to follow where the inner voice of Self leads with the same faithfulness as Jesus. In every feature, Jung writes, Christs life is a prototype of individuation and hence cannot be imitated: one can only live ones own life totally in the same way [Christ lived his and] with all the consequences this entails.

THE ANNUNCIATION
What is it that in the end persuades a person to go his or her own way, to awaken and rise out of unconscious identity with the masses? It is what is commonly called vocation, and which acts like a law of God from which there is no escape. C G Jung Vocation Vocation--vocare--to call, to summons, to follow where the inner voice of the authentic, Higher Self will lead. Sometimes the voice comes as an angel, sometimes as a thundering from the heavens, or a blinding light. Often it comes as a vision in the night, or a call out of the deep. Jesus (speaking as the Christ) said: My sheep hear my voice and follow where I lead.

While the Annunciation celebrates the conception of the Christ--Marys Child--annunciation as an individuation event is the awakening of the inner Christthe souls inner child. It is the second birth Jesus attempts to explain to Nicodemus--the birth of spiritual awareness; the birth of the spiritual Self. In Romans, Paul goes on to say that those who are called are predestined to be conformed to the image of the Son. He adds that those who are called are also justified, and those who are justified are also glorified. Could Paul have been speaking of a process? One he had undergone personally, and that had begun with his abrupt spiritual awakening on the road to Damascus? Annunciation and Individuation Marys call, of course, is known as the Annunciation, and her response exemplary. She yielded, accepted, acquiesced in her simple yes to Gods will for her life. "Let it be according to God's will." Paul on the other hand struggled. The goal of the human microcosm through this system is to unite, to reconcile the lower self with the Higher Self, or to congeal ones soul and to recover the souls memory, through a three-fold operation,-that of the soul herself, of the moon, and of the sun, and this is finally achieved in what, mystically, is called the marriage of the hierophant, at which stage the self proclaimed position of authority of the lower selfthe clownjokercarnalsyntheticthe mundaneluciferian mind/spirit is ended. A final stage where the game is over for the false-lower self; where the maskthe shadow identity is brought and crucified upon the altar of truth where the usurper who had taken a position of power over the SELF; the Eternal Spirit in man is revealed and disempowered for good. The role of the lowermundane self lies in the part of the human mind that dwells in the darkness of ignorance, but involves illuminating and bringing the light of understanding to it, rather than challenging and bringing it to crisis. Eventually the human will no longer need the attentions of the secondary lower self or ego, however, as long as there is darkness/ignorance within the soul, it still has need of the secondary lower/ mundane/false/ego self and the reflected lunar light (of consciousness) guides it onwards. The seven Stations, States, or Acts of the Human Soul comprising the Lower Triangle of the Sacred Hexagram or Seal of Solomon, and representing the interior evolution of such Soul.

The Constitution of Man

I discovered that the revelation thus made to me was not new, but was contained and formulated in the Hebrew Kabalah, in Hind philosophy, and not less clearly in the mysteries of Egypt and of Greece. In the actual man reflected in your mirror are really several men, or
several parts of one composite being; each the exact counterpart of the other, but the "atomic conditions" (for lack of a better word) of each of which are so arranged that its atoms interpenetrate those of the next "grosser" form.

Most people erroneously identify their lower components of their microcosmic being as the Self. This is a misconception that results in pain and suffering in everyday experiences. It also prolongs Soul bondage to matter, to Maya, to the perpetual wheel of birth and rebirth. Additionally, ignorance of mans true nature is the cause of spiritual death. It is a state of non-

awareness of the verities of the Divine Self and Absolute Realty. Ignorance causes us to misapprehend the external world. We erroneously perceive it as solid and stable, whereas it is void and subject to the Law of change Man is a twofold being, comprising in himself a celestial and terrestrial personality. The inner/higher personthe celestialthe divine prototype, is dual, and this duality is composed of Spirit (the divine father of the microcosm) and [Its companion/servant] the Soulreceptive and obedient to the Spirits directions. The outer/lower personalitythe human prototype, is also dual, and is terrestrial and transitory. Its components are the ego mundane mind or lower intellect and (its companion/servant) Physical Bodyreceptive and obedient to the minds directions the personal goal of existence is that divine marriage between soul and spirit, which occurring in the individual, constitutes his final perfection, or Nirvna. Of the two triangles which compose the "Seal of Solomon" the upper represents the unmanifest world of pure spirit, and the knowledge of it was reserved for initiates of a high grade, the elect, or illuminated, and is the subject of Mysticism; the lower, which represents the manifest universe, is the province of Occultism. The central part is a hexagon, which is bisected vertically and horizontally, by a cross, the beams of which are called respectively the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge.
The Real Divine being within is our True being. It is man created in gods image. In actuality it is God individualized as man. Mans Real Self is perpetually attuned with the Divine Mind of the Supreme Being, and through that attunement partakes of its divine nourishment. Awareness of, and the identification with the real, with Reality and Truth lies the secret of all ages related to illumination, life and power. Conversely, ignorance of mans True estate is the cause of spiritual death. Putting off the old man, the false ego, and putting on the new, the Higher Self, if a perfect consciousness is to be achieved in mans mind and to manifest as heaven on earth. It is the fact of mans dual nature that caused the Nazarene Master in the Aquarian gospel to quip that: Man is the truth and falsehood strangely mixed Additionally, this is why it is said, he who would save his life will lose it and he that would lose his life will save it. We must fix ourselves to that which is above ourselves; our Higher natureour true identity. To remain fixated on the body/mind or lower nature which is temporal and transient is a grave error. But once fixated upon that spark of Spirit that dwells above and beyond this temporal transience is to gain possession and control over of all that is below.

In the Kabalah the three first of these constituent elements of man are named, from within outwardsJechidah (or Chokhmah), Neschamah, and Ruachthe anima brutaof which last, the outer portion, or shade, is termed Nephesch. As a universal pattern, the cross is the single most essential expression of the structure of the psyche/soul [the human microcosm]. It corresponds to the initial act of creation in emerging through a geometric progression that first divides the unity of the whole in two horizontally--what is above and what is below (b), and then vertically into four (c), the result being a sense of harmony and unity between the parts of the whole

Its horizontal line represents or symbolizes the earth, the body, the feminine principle; and its vertical line the spirit, the masculine principle. The four aspects of the microcosm have to be
united. "Philosophers say that the one comes from the East (mercy) and the other from the West (severity)one comes from above (heaven) and the other from below (earth) uniting at the center to become one harmonious whole.

Again, the magnum opus is the reconciliation of the body, mind, soul and spirit into a harmonious whole, which, like the four rivers of Eden, flow from the central fountain of Life in order to restore and replenish the entire psyche or microcosm. In design this is expressed by the gammadion or tetraskelion, a motif that emerges when the circumference of a circle containing a cross is broken. The motif is also a variation of the swastika or Svasti, a Sanscrit word carrying the essential meaning of all is well, and which dates back to early pictographic symbolism. The Gammadion Signifying All Is Well The cross also serves to identify the inner process/conflict between the opposites of the psyche. Above its horizontal line are the Higher-Christ conscious minds altruistic intentions. But below the line of consciousness is another counteractive, instinctuallyrooted mundane lower/egoistic/luciferian mind/will with an agenda of its own. Paul names these contrary forces the will of God and the will of the fleshthe part of the human/mundane mind that associates or identifies itself with the body the mundane
Hortulanus: "Although our stone is divided in the first operation into four parts... there are really two principle parts". The ascending (heavenly body), non fixed, and the earth or ferment (earthly body). "That which is physical is made spiritual by sublimation, and that which is spiritual is made physical by dissension". Thus in the scriptures we read: The first man (the lower human nature) is (conceived and born) of the earth, earthy; the second man [the higher spiritual nature] is the Lord from heaven, (heavenly conceived and born of Spirit) spiritual. Behold, I show you a mystery. I.Cor., xv. 47.50 He must increase, but I must decreaseJohn 3.30 I, the Higher Spiritual Self must increase, but he, the lower-mundane self must decrease

And this is why beyond all creatures on the earth man is twofold; mortal because of earthly or physical nature, but immortal because of his essential or spiritual nature. Thus, since to be human is to be of both heaven and earth, the cross is also the most simple and yet most profound expression of what it is to be human--to stand upright, ones head extended toward the heavens, ones feet gravity-bound to the earth, and ones arms outstretched toward the horizons. In form and by nature, to be human is to bear within and without the quaternary sign of the cross. reappear under many symbols throughout all sacred scriptures. In Genesis, they are first allegorized as Four Rivers, whose names, [PisonGihonHidekelEufrantes] to an initiate, are sufficiently significant In Ezekiel and the Apocalypse they are figured as the Four Faces of the Living Creature; of which faces that of the eagle represents the Spirit (Jechidah); that of

the angel or woman, the soul (Neschamah); that of the lion, the astral or mundane spirit/mind (Ruach and Nephesch); and that of the ox, the body. A fourth parallel to the life-of-Christ pattern is found in the Kabbalah Tree of Life. Sometimes this Tree is shown as four interpenetrating circles contained within a larger, all-embracing circle. The Tree is said to span four overlapping worlds, as shown in Figure I-5. The world of spirit overlaps the world of soul; the world of the soul the world of mind; and the world of mind the realm the physical body and nature, thus forming five areas and seven levels. The ten lights or Sefirot on the Tree of Life, as they appear in Figure 5, are strategically arranged throughout the four worlds, falling wherever worlds meet. The four characters are familiar to us as Harlequin (the Primordial Spirit); Columbine (the Divine soul) these two representing the higher, heavenly duality; Clown (the mundane spiritthe ego or carnal mind); and Pantaloon (the body)these last two representing the lower, terrestrial dualism. HarlequinHigher King SpiritGod, like his ancient prototype, is always masked, and supposed therefore to be invisible and nameless. He wears a glittering dress of many hues, typical of the Heavenly Bow, or seven Divine Spirits and their several Tinctures. He carries a bton or rod, the well-known Rod of sacred Mythos, the symbol of Divine will and power the active element. With this rod he accomplishes any transformation he desires. By striking objects with it he converts their appearances, and removes or displaces them. The wills of persons with who he comes in contact are amenable to its control, and at the desire of its owner they acquire new perceptions or lose their senses. Harlequins spouse, Columbathe dove or queen human soulthe Goddess, is his inseparable companion. She is beautiful, aerial, receptive and obedient to all his directionsthe symbol of divine, receptive and creative power, but, unless with the rod of her spouse, she can of herself work no wonders. He is the shining One, the all-pervading, the all-powerful; she is his faithful and lovely counterpart, Divine only in being his. The astral or mundane spiritthe lower selfthe false egothe carnal/earthly mind or intellectis represented by the Clown, whose characteristics are, unlike those of the celestial pair, of a wholly material order. This ego is directly related to lower-mundane mind; a
complex of energies directly connected to the body, having arisen from the body and which must be congealed into one unified force. He is clever, cunning, worldly-wise, and humorous.

There is nothing spiritual or Divine about it; it has no power of transmutation, and all its schemes and conspiracies are adapted to low or gross objects.
Further more, this ego mind knows itself by its limitations. Within this little kingdom it rules like a wanna be god, roaring in self-aggrandizement but at the core empty and impotent. Worse yet, anytime divine restlessness prompts you to grow and expand as a unique expression of the True Higher Self, the ego resists, seeing this as death; as the end to the display of shadows.
Remember, the lower and mundane ego is merely a component, a tiny fraction of who and what you are; it is not What or Who your really are.

In short, this mundane ego is the authentic presentation of the earthly carnal mind/spirit and its erroneous self-identifications. His proper color is red, as is that of the lion, whose part he fills. This personage controls and

directs his inseparable companion, the Pantaloon or body, who is always appropriately represented as a feeble, foolish, weak creature, with no power or foresight of any kind, who is continually buffeted by the so called pleasures of ignorance. The ego-loser philosophies of the slave mindset continue to be of absorbing interest, and self-indulgence based on mundane ego continue to be the way one exercises ones freedom, until the True Self claims the central will and applies it to the work given. The body is the fool of the play, as the Clown, or mundane spirit, is its joker or trickster. The pantomime, of which these four characters are the personage, opens with some mystic prologue or allegory, of which Harlequin and Columbine, the Divine king Spirit (sun) and queen soul (moon), are hero and heroine. Usually, they are presented as prince and princess, whose faithful and mutual love excites the rage and jealousy of the infernal deities, or bad fairies. Their ordealswhich are none other than the Trials of the Mysteriesform the action of the drama, and their final union and eternal happiness, which are consummated in the transformation scene, set forth the supreme object of all religious discipline and doctrine, the Marriage or conscious Reconciliation of the King Spirit/Light (sun) and the queen Bride, Soul/Life (moon), where the two (God and Goddess) become ONE with each other and one with the ALL; GOD, which constitutes the final act of the mystery-play known as the Apocalypse of the Diviner. Of course the whole action of the pantomime is, form beginning to end, astronomical, and depicts the course of the sun through the twelve zodiacal houses. Hence it was, and still is, represented only at Christmas-tide, when the solar course begins. Twelve is the solar or male number, as thirteen is that of the lunar or female cycle. In the Tarot of Egyptian origin the sacred number was the latter, as being that of Isis, the goddess of the Egyptian Mysteries. This Tarot survives among as in the familiar game of playing-cards, as M. Vaillant and Eliphas Levi have clearly demonstrated. The Tarot is composed of four suits, two of which are red and two black. The red represents the higher Celestial dualism; the two black the lower Terrestrial one. Of these, the Diamond, or stone of the Apocalypse, is the Spirit of the human Microcosm or field, the essentially pure and shining One. The heart is the soul, the seat of aspiration, love (emotion), and desire, the feminine element of the human microcosm. The sword (or spade-head) is the lower/earthly-mundane mind/spirit, incisive and relentless, like its Kabalistic symbol, the lion. Hard as iron and sharp as a blade, the human intellect analyses, delves, penetrates, and attacks. Lastly, the Club is the body, a figure which, like that of the ox, conveys an idea of physical attributes related to the earth only.
Of these four suits there are three Court cards, which, in their proper order, are Queen, King, and Knave/jack. Modern usage has inverted the sequence of the first two. The Queen is Columba, the [aboriginal-native] soul; the King is the Astral Lion, the lower mundane mind/spirit [modernrational] mind; the Knave is the bodyBut of all these, the chief, at once Alpha and Omega of

the whole series, is the Ace or Unit, the primordial Spirit. This Unit takes all tricks, and controls Queen (Soul), King (mundane spirit), and Knave (body) alike. He is the First of all numbers and the Last, whose will is supreme and whose authority is absolute. The series of each suit is twelve, corresponding to the Twelve Zodiacal Signs and the Labors of Hercules, the solar hero. In mystic language these twelve numbers represent the Twelve Degrees of Regeneration, of which the crown and completion is the Thirteenth Act of the Soul, that is, the Marriage of the Son of God. Hence thirteen, represented by the Ace, is the perfect number, and the marriage supper is therefore celebrated by thirteen personages. in other words, Christ and the Twelve Apostles.

The reconciliation or return to the ONE (primordial spirit) + the three (soul-mind (mundane)bodyQueen/king/Knave) = 13 / 1+3=4 as in the four faces of the living creature The Unit or Ace is, in Greek, spoken of as the Nous. This word, as Bryant demonstrates, is identical in meaning with the name Noe or Noah, the architect of the Ark or Microcosm. Noes three sons, Sem, Japheth, and Cham, are the symbolic representatives respectively of soul, mind, and body. Of these three the most blessed and worthiest is Sem, the soul, the lord of the East and the progenitor of the chosen race. Japheth, as the mind, is appropriately the father of the European nations, pre-eminent in intellectual civilization and inventive art; while Cham, or the body, is assigned the parentage of the lowest races of humanity. Cursed is Chanaan, says the prophecy, a servant of servants shall he be. Here we have a repetition of the curse pronounced upon the Adam of old, whom, in fact, Cham symbolizes. The body, mere perishable dust and earth, is the servant alike of Primordial Spirit, divine soul, and lower-mundane ego mind. His father and his brothers dominate, control, and conquer him. The story of the crime by which Cham, or the body, brought this curse upon himself is another translation of the Edenic allegory, and it has to do with the materialization of the holy mysteries, or, in other words, the sin or fatal error of idolatry; the worship of idols. The secrets of the Divine Spirit, Noah or Nous, are profaned by a materializing and earthly/literal-minded priesthood, degrading their true and intended spiritual meaning and thereby rendering them gross and ridiculous, subjects of criticism and mockery. Pertaining to the above, Frater Achad in Melchizedek Truth Principles says that.religious systems have caused man on earth to become weak in their understanding of God In fact, religious bigotry has caused man to blaspheme God daily by allowing his adoration of the idols of false ideas and dogmatic notions Almost all scriptures have an esoteric side to them, they were mostly written by Initiates for the benefit of all candidates to the higher wisdom. Therefore, to interpret literally what HAS to be understood in a spiritual, esoteric senseand without the proper keysone merely robs holy scriptures of their intended purpose, and that purpose being, the awakening of ones spiritual nature lying latent in ones beingIt takes spiritual-conscious awareness to interpret what was written under spiritual influences. St. Paul in one of his letters, for example, declared that the many instances in Abrahams life are not to be understood as

history, but as allegories/symbols relating to the development of the human soul.

Even though The Bible warns us not to be literal-minded or literalistic. "We should serve in the newness of
the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter." (Romans 7:6) "The letter kills, but the spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:6) Jesus Himself always spoke in parables (Matthew 13:34) and figurative language (John 16:12,25), and when His disciples interpreted His sayings literalistically, He said, "You people of little faith? [Spiritually undeveloped minds] Dont you understand?" (Matthew 16:7-12)

Spiritual truths are wrested (forcibly pulled) to physical meanings, and that which belongs only to the celestial (spiritual meaning) is idolatrously represented as pertaining to the body and to things phenomenal and terrestrial (to literal meanings). The negative side to all of this is the fact that people end up worshiping/idolizing images and Divine Messengers and not applying in their lives the Word of Godthe intended spiritual message pouring from their lipsTake Jesus Christ for example. Nowadays more emphasis is placed on the importance of his person, on his personality, rather than his teachings, which if understood and applied

would [completely transform the inner and outer life of the individual for the better]. It would have manifested heaven on earth and triggered the second coming.

In Christianity, for example, we see a very spiritual presentation of the One Truth and for its full apprehension a very highly developed spiritual intuition is necessary. Consequently, where that intuition is lacking, Christianity makes less appeal, for it lacks the intellectual interpretation which is the food of the concrete mind; and herein lies a weakness of Christianity and its incompleteness.
The great Founders of the faiths give a spiritual teaching and a spiritual impetus only; it is the priesthoods who subsequently work out the theology and ceremonial. The men who made primitive Christianity were drawn from two sources, initiates of the Mysteries and noninitiates. Of the former, St. Paul and St. John the Divine are examples, and the influence of their Mystery-training can be clearly seen in their work. St. Paul distinguishes between the things which he can say openly to all and the things at which he may only hint for the benefit of those who can take the hint. Those who are perfect but these grimoires themselves are

the work of the uninitiated, with half-understood and misrepresented secrets stolen from the Mysteries. The sacraments, instead of being the symbol-systems of the Mysteries of Jesus, approach dangerously near to vain observance in the hands of those who regard them with superstitious awe: a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder rather than an understanding of their intended psychological and esoteric significance.
The standard of Divine beauty and Spiritual Truths, it would seem, has practically been forgotten by the modern man (mind) who is materialistically oriented. We can see from this that the aesthetical sense (the ability to appreciate beauty) of a large portion of humanity has been degraded by ignorance of the True Self, coupled with an impure/polluted subconscious and conscious mind. (The myth of Christ)
My books interpret and explain this Ancient Symbolism. The bible is replete with stories of miraculous events. This holds true for events described in the Old Testament, as well as the Gospels and Quran. Should these fables be taken literally? Or, Is there a Rational, Provable interpretation of the various incredible events described in the bible and other mythical scriptures and tales. Is there an heretofore hidden code or codes that when understood can bring to Light, the True meaning of the Biblical Scriptures? The answer is Yes! Think of It! Did Jonah actually live within the belly of a Fish (Whale) for three days, and then emerge as a living being? Think of what we are saying, when we take such a story as the literal Truth. Did the Israelites actually cross the floor of the Red Sea after the waters pulled back and made a path for their transit? Does belief in God require the literal belief in any tale, even when it defies All common sense and logic, and sanity? And the many Miracles ascribed to Jesus in the Bible, from walking on water, to forty days being tempted by the Devil, raising a dead man to life, after three days of decomposition (A Gory Thought), His being crucified between two thieves at Golgotha, Is all this the Literal Truth, or is there an underlying meaning that begs our investigation. Again, the answer is Yes! There are esoteric interpretations to All of the Fables in the Bible and other mythical scriptures - interpretations that are mathematically provable and scientific. If you are one of those In Search Of True Light, then my books may prove worthy of your inspection.

As is repeated many a time in this and other works, it is not the Philosophers, Sages, and Adepts of antiquity who can ever be charged with idolatry. It is them in fact, who, recognizing divine unity, were the only ones, owing to their initiation into the mysteries of Esotericism, to understand correctly the under-meaning of the anthropomorphism of the so-called Angels, Gods, and Spiritual Beings of every kind. Each, revering the one Divine Essence that pervades the whole world of Nature, reverenced, but never worshipped or idolized, any of these Gods, whether high or low - not even his own personal Deity, of which he was a Ray, and to whom he appealed. [This would be in one sense Self-worship.]

Many find it difficult to apply psychological/mental or spiritual understanding to biblical events such as the Annunciation and Incarnation, believing that to do so is to negate the event historically. Jung, however, sees the two--the inner and the outer--as synchronistically related. He explains the outer events as happening in human history because they have their origin in the inner human psyche/soul. In other words, our present external world-crisis is actually a manifestation, a reflex ion of the internal identity crisis in man Again, confusing facts with truth, some literal-minded fundamentalists insist the Bible contains the literal words of God. Others overreact to this, until between the literalists and the rationalists the beauty and truth of the Bible suffers mutilation, eclipsing its deeper/intended meaning. Some believe that Christianity in its purest form, and as transmitted in the Gospel of John, was a mystery school with similarities to those of ancient Egypt and Greece. If so, then its teachings were not intended to be grasped through rational, logical, literal-minded, analytical thinking. Rather, its deeper teachings were hidden within its symbolism and in the person of Jesus--not just his words but his every move and manner. If so, then the mysteries of his life were meant to be received in a way that allowed them to expand into an immense interconnected thought-field of multiple simultaneous meanings. Received in this way, the light of God found entry through the window of the spiritual mind. Now, of the two dualisms that make up the human microcosm, The body and its astral element (mundane mind or spirit) are the transient in nature, while The celestial duad that represents the Spiritual identity of the man are eternal in nature. This essence is immortal and progressive in its nature, because at once Divine and human, passes on from form to form, and from avatar to avatar, until it attains Nirvna. (a transcendent state in which there is
neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth. It represents the final goal of Buddhism).

The circumstances and conditions of a re-birth represent, therefore, as the Bhagavad-Gita tells us, the Karma of the preceding existence. Nirvna is the illumination/annihilation of the lower, the mundane, egoistic/exterior self or personality, (the unit of incarnation) and the highest point of development or climax of the Higher, interior SELF-individuality (the unit of evolution). Thus it is true that existence is an evil, nay, it is the supreme evil to escape from which is the continual aim and aspiration of the saint, and the extinction of which is found only and finally in the bosom of God.
But his interior, his Divine particle, if ever it is to attain supreme blessedness, will obey the Divine Will, and continue the course of its existences, whether few or many, until the final Marriage of the Primordial (sun) God Spirit and Virgin (moon) Goddess Soul. This act consummated, it becomes thereby purified from existence, and enters upon the condition of absolute beingness.

Crowley describes a process of the spiritualization of flesh (and the flesheninig of Spirit) in the Gnostic Mass, when the Priest prays: Let thy primordial light crystallize itself in our blood; fulfilling us of Resurrection. It clearly suggests that Resurrection is this process of transference; Transformation.

The Truth seeker who would release the meaning of the stone and bring the light of wisdom to the world must undergo a time of withdrawal and testing (meditation-fasting etc.) Only by releasing the old, worldly/materialistic way of seeing or paradigms; the erroneous and limited identification with the lower and temporal aspect of the selfbody/mind (the symbolic loss of Odins one eye) can the initiate or seer cultivate a new and much deeper spiritual vision by identifying himself with his Higher and eternal Self, his immortal spirit.
I don't see anything inferior in the Earth incarnation; one simply has to awaken to the true nature of WHO and WHAT one is and one's true relationship with creation/GOD. The unreal phantasms are illusions of the lower mind in its sleeping/dream state. Once the mind wakes up (Gnosis) true perception of the very Real Universe is encountered. These phantasms are not in the Universe; they are not objective. The material Universe is objective. This is where I diverge from the ego-loser philosophy. There's no reason at all to leave this Universe and reincarnation is not a curse or a wheel to escape from...but "pure joy" for he who has awaken! The Great Work of the Alchemist is to congeal the Soul and then to cast the Atma-Buddhi across the Abyss that it might connect with the originating archetype (casting a star into the heavens) and cast that astral energy back down into the Soul (Ruach); immortalizing it; connecting it with the spiritual energy that comes from above and subsequently, the Ruach being also formed of the body, also connecting it with the spiritual energy the comes from the body. This is yet another paradigm (way of looking at it) for uniting that which is above to that which is below. Occultism, or Theurgy, teaches the means of producing such union. But it is the actions of man - his personal merit alone - that can produce it on earth, or determine its duration. This lasts from a few seconds - a flash - to several hours, during which time the Theurgist or Theophanist is that overshadowing God himself; hence he becomes endowed for the time being with relative omniscience and omnipotence. With such perfect (divine) Adepts as Buddha. Every man has in him the materials, if not the conditions, for theophanic intercourse and Theopneusty, the inspiring God being, however, in every case, his own Higher Self, or divine prototype. In others such a hypostatical state of avataric condition may last during the whole life; whereas in the case of full Initiates, who have not yet reached the perfect state of Jivanmukta, [One entirely and absolutely purified, and having nothing in common with earth except his body.] Theopneusty, when in full sway, results for the high Adept in a full recollection of everything seen, heard, or sensed. To repeat: the Greek, rarely-used word, Theophania, meant more with the Neoplatonists than it does with the modern maker of dictionaries. The compound word, Theophania (from theos, God, and phainomai, to appear), does not simply mean a manifestation of God to man by actual objective appearance - an absurdity, by the way -but the actual presence of a God in man, a divine incarnation. When Simon the Magician claimed to be God the Father, what he wanted to convey was just that which has been explained, namely, that he was a divine incarnation of his own Father; his own Higher-True Self, whether we see in the latter an Angel, a God, or a Spirit; therefore he was called that power of God which is called great, or that power which causes the Divine Higher Self to enshrine itself in its earthly lower self - man. Crowley in addressing the spiritualization of flesh/blood, and the fleshening of spirit notes the alchemical process of

the Eucharist as a consumed sacrament in Alchemy: The philosopher-alchemist becomes filled with God, fed upon God, saturated with God. Little by little his flesh and blood or body and carnal mind [his lower nature] will become purified by the internal lustration golden Light of [his Higher nature] God; day-by-day his mortal frame, shedding its earthly elements, will become in very truth the Temple of the living God. Day by day matter is replaced by Spirit; darkness with Light; ignorance by understanding, the lesser by the Greater; the lower earthly/human nature by the Higher heavenly/divine nature; until ultimately the change will be complete; God manifest in flesh will be his name. ImmanuelGod on earth!

As we enter the third millennium, the ancient formula is resurfacing in what people perceive as mystical or paranormal events. Such experiences are in fact simply the continuing expressions of the underlying alchemy of our lives. For many decades, knowledge of this hidden pattern has been discussed only among an elite group of esoteric scholars, but now, this amazing science of soul is available to everyone. For those with the courage to see beyond the illusions handed down to us by blind tradition and conditioning, the Emerald Tablet's formula offers a way to reinstate our rightful relationship with the universe.

Interpretation of Azoth of the Philosophers (by Dennis William Hauck)

This meditative emblem first published in 1659 as an illustration for the book Azoth of the Philosophers by the legendary German alchemist Basil Valentine. The word "Azoth" in the title is one of the more arcane names for the One Thing. The "A" and "Z" in the word relate to the Greek alpha and omega, the beginning and end of all things. The word is meant to embrace the full meaning of the One Thing, which is both the chaotic First Matter [fragmentation or separation along with uncontrolled mental moods and emotions produced in the hands of the exterior self or ego mind running the show] at the

beginning of the Work and the perfected Stone [Unity, Order, equilibrium brought about by the conscious reconciliation of the True Self (primordial Spirit and Virgin Soul) with Itself and His Divine Maker] at its conclusion. [Thus bringing Order out of chaos; Bringing the Light of Wisdom and understanding out of the darkness of fundamental ignorance and confusion] At the center of this striking drawing is the face of a bearded alchemist at the beginning of the Work. Like looking into a mirror, this is where the adept fixes his or her attention to meditate on the mandala

(a geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. Psychoanalysis such a symbol in a dream, representing the dreamer's search for completeness and self-unity). Within
the downward-pointing triangle superimposed over the face of the alchemist is the goal of the Work, the divine man in which the forces from Above and Below; Heaven and Earth have come together. Each of the sequentially numbered points on the star emanating from the alchemist stands for an operation in the Emerald Formula (Calcination, Dissolution, Separation, Conjunction, Fermentation, Distillation, and Coagulation) and contains the cipher [code] for the corresponding metal. The alchemists schematized body is the offspring of the marriage between Sol, the typical representation of the Sun King seated on a lion on a hill to his right, and Luna, representing or symbolizing the Moon Queen seated on a great fish to his left. "Its father is the Sun," says the tablet, "its mother the Moon." The laughing, extroverted Sun King holds a scepter and a shield indicating his authority and strength over the rational, visible world, but the fiery dragon [ego-luciferian mind?] of his rejected unconscious waits in a cave beneath him ready to attack should he grow too arrogant. The melancholy, introverted Moon Queen holds the reins to a great fish, symbolizing her control of those same hidden forces that threaten the King, and behind her is a chaff of wheat, which stands for her connection to fertility and growth. The bow and arrow she cradles in her left arm symbolize the wounds of the heart and body she accepts as part of her existence. In simplest terms, the King and Queen represent the raw materials of our experience -- our thoughts and emotions/feelings -- with which the alchemist works. The King symbolizes the power of thought, ultimately the One Mind of the highest spirit. The Queen stands for the influence of feelings and emotions, which are ultimately the chaotic One Thing of the greater soul. The much anticipated Marriage of the King and Queen produces a state of consciousness best described as a feeling intellect, which can be raised and purified to produce a

state of perfect intuition, a direct gnosis [knowledge of spiritual mysteries] of reality. "All Obscurity will be clear to you," says the tablet of this state of mind; it is "the Glory
of the Whole Universe." The goal of alchemy is to make this golden moment permanent in a state of consciousness called the Philosophers Stone, and it all starts with the marriage/reconciliation of opposites within us.

Now that (abandoning all blinds) we may write candidly and truly, we hold that this entire Work is perfected by two [heavenly] Bodies only; that is to say, by Sol and Luna rightly prepared, for this is the mere generation which is by nature, with the help of Art, wherein the union of male and female doth take place, and from thence an offspring far more noble than the parents is brought forth. Now Sol is Masculine or Positive because as he sends forth active and energizing seed, Luna is Feminine or Negative and she is called the Matrix of Nature, because she receives the sperm, and fosters it by monthly provision, yet does Luna not altogether want in positive or active virtue.
In our drawing, the body of the alchemist is composed of the Four Elements. His feet protrude from behind the central emblem; one is on Earth and the other in Water. In his right hand is a torch of Fire and in his left a feather, symbolizing Air. Between his legs dangles the Cubic Stone labeled with the word Corpus, meaning body. The five stars surrounding it indicate that it also contains the hidden Fifth Element, the invisible Essence/ether; the nothingness that connects everything, whose "inherent strength is perfected if it is turned into Earth; if it materializes." Where the head of the alchemist should be, there is a strange winged caricature that is variously interpreted as a heart, a helmet, or even the

pineal gland at the center of the brain. The symbol evolved from the Winged Disk of Akhenaten and became the top of the Caduceus, the magical wand of Hermes where opposing energies merge to produce miracles. This knob represents the Ascended Essence, the essence of our souls raised to the highest level in the body, to the brain, where it becomes a mobile center of consciousness able to leave the body and travel to other/higher dimensions. Touching the wings of the caduceus (an ancient Greek or Roman herald's wand, typically one with two serpents twined around it, carried by the messenger god Hermes) are a salamander engulfed in flames on the left side of the drawing and a standing bird on the right. Below the salamander is the inscription Anima (Soul); below the bird is the inscription Spiritus (Spirit). The salamander, as a symbol of soul, is attracted to and exposed in the blazing fire of the Sun. Likewise, the bird of spirit is attracted to the coolness of the Moon and is reflected in it. This is a subtle statement of the fundamental bipolar energies that drive the alchemy of transformation. Spiritus, Anima, and Corpus form a large inverted triangle that stands behind the central emblem. Together they symbolize the three archetypal celestial forces that the alchemists termed Sulfur, Mercury, and Salt. Again, these chemicals are not chemicals at all, but our feelings, thoughts, and body.

THE JOURNEY THROUGH FOUR LEVELS IN SEVEN STAGES In Figure 2 below, the Annunciation-to-Consummation cycle is diagrammed with the descent and the returning ascent moving through the four levels into which the span of human consciousness ordinarily is divided: (1) the supra or transcendent realm of consciousness; (2) the level of the ordinary, everyday conscious mind; (3) the personal unconscious; and (4) the collective or archetypal level. Figure 2 The Life-of-Christ Journey Through Four Levels in Seven Stages As diagrammed, the Christ-life pattern is a descent from the Annunciation to the Incarnation to the Crucifixion, and into the deepest Hell of human consciousness. Here the U-turn is made and the ascent begins, leading to the Resurrection, the Ascension and the ultimate Consummationas the culmination of creation when God will be All in All. According to apocryphal accounts, between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection the work of redemption was extended into the regions of Hell. Similarly, in Dantes Inferno it was not until the lower-most regions of the collective psyche had been plumbed that the point of return was reached and the direction turned back up and towards the light. According to Jungian persuasion, the redemption or wholeness we seek requires knowledge and acceptance of our own inner darkness and our own propensity for evil. Only in accepting our own human frailty can we accept it in others. And unless we at least are conscious of our own failures, and are accepting and inclusive of others, we ourselves will remain fragmented and unrelated to the Whole that God is. In this manner of thought, the movement of the Christ journey is a descent from the light into the darkness, and then bearing back into the light of consciousness a portion of the darkness encountered. The Upward Impulse

To speak of descending into Hell or ascending into Heaven is to use space metaphorically and in comparison to other dimensions of consciousness. According to Mircea Eliade, ascent is a metaphor used to express the upward impulse of the inner life and to indicate the human condition that is being transcended [to] higher cosmic levels. Thus Jesus ascensional return to the heavens is envisioned by Teilhard as his elevation to the Cosmic Christ, a term that includes the Whole Body of Christ, and that leads to the Christing of humanity as the Consummation and the still-in-progress Christ event. Jung similarly holds out hope for the Christification of the many. When the levels of consciousness outlined above are contrasted the Christ-life events, each can be observed as involving a shift from one level to the next--lower in the descent, higher in the ascent. For example, the Annunciation takes place on the transcendent level to which Mary is supraconsciously attuned. With the Incarnation, the Child is born into the world of ordinary, everyday, conscious reality [which then has to be sheltered in Egypt-the land of Wisdom]. But with the Crucifixion, Jesus departs the ground-level of consciousness, descending first through the personal, then the collective levels of the unconscious, and into hell. Surprisingly, the only scriptural justification for including the phrase, He descended to the dead [or hell], in the Apostles Creed is from a verse where Paul quotes the Psalmist as saying, When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and which Paul parenthetically explains:
Figure 2

In saying, He ascended, what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. As diagrammed in Figure 2, the descent and ascent through four levels is accomplished in seven stages. Also evident in the diagram are the pairs of opposite events occurring on corresponding but inverse levels: the Resurrection as the symbolic inversion of the Crucifixion; the Ascension that of the Nativity; and the Annunciation, or initiating event, paralleling the culminating Consummation.

Calcination
the first of seven major operations in the alchemy of transformation. The Gnosis of the Mind thus teaches us to let the fire of Life flow, descend into the channels of our lower corporeal or physical nature; or our flesh and blood to invoke the Holy Breath of God to enliven the substance of our frames, that so the Divine Quickener may first bring to birth in us our divine complement, our True Self, our Higher Self, our Christ Self, and then we may ourselves with ungrudging love and fair courtship of her bring our true selves to birth, so becoming regenerate or reborn,--a trinity of Being, the Perfect Triangle jeweled with all three sparks of perfected manhood. Psychologically, this is the identification, unmasking and illumination of the lower carnal mind, the mundane spirit or ego; a way to prepare the vehicle by loosing its
illusionary attachment to material possessions; to the unreal; the transient and the subconscious identification to the lower physical being that it might come to recognize also, the higher; the real; the eternal spiritual being.

Calcination is usually a natural humbling process as we are gradually assaulted and overcome by the trials and tribulations of life, though it can be a deliberate surrender

of our inherent hubris (arrogance or excessive pride) gained through a variety of spiritual disciplines that ignite the fire of introspection and self-evaluation. In correspondence to the Life-of-Christ pattern, as well as to the individuation process. In the pattern, the descent is initiated with the Annunciation as Phase I. In the individuation process this is the awakening or birth of spiritual awareness. Phase II follows, taking place on the conscious level of the will where a foundation is laid upon which to build a higher spiritual consciousnesswhere Christ is born and seeks refuge in (the land of wisdom). So in ourselves too, through the inner work of meticulous self-observation and scrupulous self-honesty, the authentic higher Self is separated out from the lower false. Symbolically, this is the winnowing process by which the chaff and the wheat are separated. In this phase the persona is re-evaluated as one becomes aware of how his or her self-images and egocentricities are unconsciously expressed. This prepares the way for the first descent below the threshold of consciousness, into the realm of the personal unconscious where the work of Phase III increases awareness and acceptance of the rejected shadow elements that make up the personal level of the unconscious. From here the process moves to Phase IV and into the deeper, archetypal collective levels.
Physiologically, the Fire of Calcination can be experienced as the metabolic discipline or aerobic activity that tunes the body, burning off excesses from overindulgence and producing a lean, mean, fighting machine. Calcination begins in the Base or Lead Chakra at the sacral cup at the base of the spine.

O God, thou art the Father, thou art the Lord, thou art the All-Originating Mind, accept these reasonable sacrifices which thou requires of me. For the christification/congealing of my soul According to the Emerald Tablet, "Its father is the Sun." Element: Fire. Color: Magenta; Purple-Red Planet: Saturn. Metal: Lead.

Dissolution
the second major operation in the alchemy of transformation. Psychologically, this represents a further breaking down of the artificial structures of the psyche by total immersion in the unconscious soul, the non-rational, feminine or rejected part of our minds. This is prepares the first descent below the threshold of consciousness, into the realm of the personal unconscious where the work is to increases awareness and acceptance of the rejected shadow elements that make up the personal level of the subconscious. Which more often then not is filled with psychedelic images, gruesome forms, phobias, neurosis and unresolved energies. To then, proceed into the deeper, archetypal collective levels.
Burckhardt: "dissolution of consciousness from all formal coagulations' is followed by the crystallization' of the Spirit, so that active and passive (principles) are perfectly united." The Dissolution of consciousness or the conscious death to the unreal; the passive; the transient; is followed the conscious realization or manifestation of the Real; the eternal; everlastingas the Greater comes, the lesser leavesas the Light of wisdom increases, the darkness of ignorance proportionally decreases

It is, for the most part, an unconscious process in which our conscious minds let go of control to allow the surfacing of buried material. It is opening the floodgates and generating new energy from the waters held back. Dissolution can be experienced as "flow", as the bliss of being well-used and actively engaged in creative acts without traditional prejudices, personal hang-ups, or established hierarchy getting in the way. Dissolution can also be seen as the Great Flood, the cleansing of the fertile ground of the ignorantly neglected Soul of all that is inferior. Two Dark Nights In correspondence to the Life-of-Christ pattern In addition to being the territory of depth psychology, this Phase coincides with St John of the Cross two dark nights of the soul: the first bitter and terrible to the senses; the second bearing no comparison with it . . . horrible and awful to the spirit. St John explains the first night as having much to do with our love of self and our own inclinations. That his second night moves into the deeper levels of depth psychology is evident in the following: For this Divine purgation is removing all the evil and vicious humors which the soul has never perceived because they have been so deeply rooted and grounded in it; it has never realized, in fact, that it has had so much evil within itself. Thus the first, more personal dark night, prepares the way for the second more awful night. In a similar way, the work of integration on the level of the personal unconscious is preparation for the descent into the collective.

As Philo writes: For God not disdaining to descend into the sensible world, sends forth as His own words (logoi); His own Light to give help to those who love virtue; and they act as physicians and expel the diseases of the soul. all from the Father-Sun, the Light of God, which Philo calls the Light of the invisible and supremest Deity whose divine Light shines transcendently on every side. The Logos (the divine breath) is thus naturally the cure-all of all ills. For the Word (Logos) is, as it were, the saving medicine for all the wounds and passions of the soul, On the Planetary level, Dissolution is the Great Flood, the cleansing of the earth of all that is inferior.

CORRESPONDENCES OF DISSOLUTION
According to the Emerald Tablet, "Its mother is the Moon." Element: Water. Color: Light Blue Planet: Jupiter. Metal: Tin.

Separation
SEPARATION is the third of the operations of transformation in alchemy.

Chemically, it is the isolation of the components of Dissolution by filtration and then discarding any ungenuine or unworthy material. In the Arcanum Experiment, Separation is represented by the compound sodium carbonate, which separates out of water and appears as white soda ash on dry lakebeds. The oldest known deposits are in Egypt. The alchemists sometimes referred to this compound as Natron, which meant the common tendency in all salts to form solid bodies or precipitates. Psychologically, this process is the rediscovery of our essence and the reclaiming of dream and visionary "gold" previously rejected by the masculine, rational part of our minds. It is, for the most part, a conscious process in which we review formerly hidden material and decide what to discard and what to reintegrate into our refined personality. Much of this shadowy material is things we are ashamed of or were taught to hide away by our parents, churches, and schooling. Separation is letting go of the self-inflicted restraints to our true nature, so we can shine through. The Cup of Salvation The search for the Holy Grail, then, can be understood as the souls quest for union with God. St John of the Cross writes of the Divine light that acts upon the soul in order for it to be purged and prepared for perfect union. It is this Divine fire that before it unites and transforms the soul . . . first purges it. Let thy divine-primordial light crystallize
itself in our blood; fulfilling us of Resurrection

God must in some way or other make room for himself, hollowing us out and emptying us if he is finally to penetrate into us (He cannot put something, where something already is). And in order to assimilate us into him, he must break the molecules of our being so as to recast and remodel us. As Teilhard understands the mystery of the Cross, it is both to atone and transform. Whereas up to present times the primary focus of Christianity has been on the dark side of creation, Teilhard, looking to the future of Christianity, sees a shift of emphasis to the luminous side with Christ [as] the Evolver. In terms of the evolution of consciousness, Gethsemane is where the light penetrated and permeated the darkness, and thus enabled the evolution of creation to continue its onward and upward ascent. In this connection both Jung and Teilhard use the term Christification. Sanford echoes both in saying: Gods work among us is a process, begun by Christ and completed in the deification of the human soul and the ultimate completion of the entire cosmos. The Psychological Depths of Gethsemane Depth psychology is familiar with an experience of the psyche comparable to the crushing of olives in a press in order to separate out the pits and pulp and extract the oil. The oil, of course, is symbolic of spirit. And as the fuel of the lamps of biblical times, it is also symbolic of light. As spirit and light, oil is symbolic of consciousness. The process of separating out the oil is a metaphor for how consciousness is extracted from the unconscious.

Normally it takes some kind of conflict or pressure to give rise to a new degree of consciousness. Ordinarily this comes about as one agonizes or is extremely anxious about something, or concerning which one suffers relentlessly recurring anxiety attacks. The agony of the struggle becomes the crucible in which the new measure of consciousness is separated out and contained. It becomes the empty, hollowed-out place into which God, light, consciousness can enter. The transformation of consciousness is the result of many such personal agonies. But sometimes the process goes deeper and brings to light family or racial patterns, some of which are destructively repetitive. Insight into what comes up often suggests or is the remedy. Deeper still and more rare are conscious mergings with archetypal and instinctual contents. From these insight is gained into the common ground shared by all human beings. To see into ones own instinctively-rooted vulnerability is to soften ones judgments towards others, even to having them transformed into empathy. Physiologically, Separation is following and controlling the breath in the body as it works with the forces of Spirit and Soul to give birth to new energy and physical renewal. Separation begins in the Navel or Iron Chakra located at the level of the solar plexus. Separation on the Planetary level is represented by the formation of landmasses and islands from the powerful forces of Air, Water, Earth, and Fire.

CORRESPONDENCES OF SEPARATION
According to the Emerald Tablet, "The Wind carries it in its belly." Element: Air. Color: Orange-Red. Planet: Mars. Metal: Iron.

Conjunction
CONJUNCTION is the fourth of the seven operations of alchemy. Chemically, it is the recombination of the saved elements from Separation into a new substance. In the Arcanum Experiment, Conjunction is symbolized by a nitrate compound known as cubic-saltpeter or potassium nitrate, which the alchemists called Natron or simply Salt. Blue-colored Natron acid (aqua fortis) was made by mixing potassium nitrate with sulfuric acid and was used to separate silver from gold. The inert residue precipitated from the acid during the reaction like a child being born. Psychologically, it is empowerment of our true selves, the union of both the masculine and feminine sides of our personalities into a new belief system or an intuitive state of consciousness. The alchemists referred to it as the Lesser Stone, and after it is achieved, the adept is able to clearly discern what needs to be done to achieve lasting enlightenment, which is union with the

Higher self. Often, synchronicities begin to occur that confirm the alchemist is on the right track. Physiologically, Conjunction is using the bodys sexual energies for personal transformation. Conjunction takes place in the body at the level of the Heart or Copper Chakra. In Society, it is the growth of crafts and technology to master the environment. On the Planetary level, Conjunction occurs when primordial life forms are created from the energy of the Sun or lightning.

CORRESPONDENCES OF CONJUNCTION
According to the Emerald Tablet, "The Earth is its nurse." Element: Earth. Color: Green Planet: Venus. Metal: Copper

Fermentation
FERMENTATION is the fifth operation in the alchemy of transformation. Fermentation is a two-stepped process that begins with the Putrefaction of the hermaphroditic "child" from the Conjunction resulting in its death and resurrection to a new level of being. The Fermentation phase then begins with the introduction of new life into the product of Conjunction to strengthen it and insure its survival. Chemically, Fermentation is the growth of a ferment (bacteria) in organic solutions, such as occurs in the fermenting of milk to produce curds and cheese or in the fermenting of grapes to make wine. In the Arcanum Experiment, the process of Fermentation is represented by a compound called Liquor Hepatis, which is an oily, reddish-brown mixture of ammonia and the rotten-egg-smelling compound hydrogen sulfide. Egyptian alchemists made ammonia by heating camel dung in sealed containers and thought of it as a kind of refined Mercury that embodied the life force. Liquor Hepatis means "Liquor of the Liver," which they believed was the seat of the Soul, and the color they associated with the compound was green, the color of bile. Surprisingly, Liquor Hepatis exudes a wonderful fragrance, and the alchemists made a perfume of it called "Balsam of the Soul." Psychologically, the Fermentation process starts with the inspiration of spiritual power from Above that reanimates, energizes, and enlightens the alchemist. Out of the blackness of his Putrefaction comes the yellow Ferment, which appears like a golden wax flowing out of the foul matter of the Soul. Its arrival is announced by a brilliant display of colors and meaningful visions called the "Peacocks Tail." Fermentation can be achieved through various activities that include intense prayer, desire for mystical union, breakdown of the personality, transpersonal therapy, psychedelic drugs, and deep meditation. Fermentation is living inspiration from something totally beyond us.

The Ascending Phases In correspondence to the Life-of-Christ pattern. This phase passes again through the level of the personal unconscious as contents of an archetypal nature are identified as being personally relevant and thus raised to consciousness for integration. From the personal/collective synthesis of Phase V, the soul is resurrected from the land of the dead (the unconscious), and returned to the land of the living (consciousness). In Phase VI, and as a result of the souls rebirth, the Self as the inner Christ is in a position to orchestrate the final active phase of the progression by which the divided soul is reunited into a harmonious whole. The symbolism of this final phase indicates that wholeness is a four-fold union of opposites by which body, mind, soul and spirit are co-joined in grand conjunction. Jungs Mysterium Coniunctionis describes the conjunction as a synthesis of psychic opposites. The Old Testament source of the symbolism is Ezekiels chariot; while the New Testament parallel is found in the imagery of the Transfiguration and references to Christs glorified body. In the East a similar synthesis is called the diamond body. What seems most likely is that in each case the symbolism is describing a psycho-spiritual process involving the symbolism of transformation and directed towards the creation of an indestructible, eternal body--a trans-dimensional vehicle--and which just may turn out to be transcendent consciousness itself. The Christ Who Transcends Christianity As creation has six active phases and an inactive seventh phase, as St Theresas Interior Castle has seven mansions, and Thomas Mertons mountain seven stories, as the Menorah of Judaism has seven branches, and Kundalini Yoga its seven chakras, so the souls progression towards completion follows the same septenary pattern and is, in fact, a universally applicable map describing the way to the higher ground of Christed consciousness. Physiologically, Fermentation is the rousing of living energy (chi or kundalini) in the body to heal and vivify. It is expressed as vibratory tones and spoken truths emerging from the Throat or Mercury Chakra. In Society, the Fermentation experience is the basis of religion and mystical awareness. On the Planetary level, it is the evolution of life to produce higher consciousness.

CORRESPONDENCES OF FERMENTATION
According to the Emerald Tablet, during Fermentation, we raise consciousness from the darkness of the animal body through personal meditation and planetary evolution. "Separate the Earth from Fire," [the material from the immaterial] it tells us, "the subtle from the gross, gently and with great Ingenuity." Substance: Sulfur. Color: Turquoise. Planet: Venus. Metal: Mercury

Distillation
DISTILLATION is the sixth major operation in the alchemy of transformation. Chemically, it is the boiling and condensation of the fermented solution to increase its purity, such as takes place in the distilling of wine to make brandy. In the Arcanum Experiment, Distillation is represented by a compound known as Black Pulvis Solaris, which is made by mixing black antimony with purified sulfur. The two immediately clump together to make what the alchemists called a "bezoar," a kind of sublimated solid that forms in the intestines and brain. Psychologically, Distillation is the agitation and sublimation of psychic forces is necessary to ensure that no impurities from the inflated ego or deeply submerged id are incorporated into the next and final stage. Personal Distillation consists of a variety of introspective techniques that raise the content of the psyche to the highest level possible, free from sentimentality and emotions, cut off even from ones personal identity. Distillation is the purification of the unborn Self -- all that we truly are and can be. The Cross of Human Nature As the work of transformation progresses, the egos role as the center of consciousness is threatened by the Selfs higher authority as the center of the total psyche. As the tension between ego and Self mounts a soul crisis develops which Jung above describes as a moral suffering equivalent to veritable crucifixion. Just as surely as the Incarnation led to the Crucifixion, so in everyone the tensions inherent between spirit and flesh become the vertical and horizontal bars of the cross upon which human nature hangs. In the process of the second or spiritual re-birth, the ego must endure the subjective, emotional pain of its own crucifixion. Psychologically defined, crucifixion is the death of the egos will to rule; while resurrection is the maturation of the transcendent Higher/Christ Self whose will is in accordance with the divine will. As crucifixion is the price exacted from the ego and its self-will, so rebirth is the promise of the Selfs new transcendent identity. The Death that Leads to Life The details of the Selfs eternal mode of being are easier to come by in the East than in the West. Exceptions, however, are found in the mystical traditions of the Sufis of Islam, the medieval Alchemists, and the Kabbalah of Judaism. They are also contained in Jesus teachings about how eternal life is gained. Tolstoys Gospel in Brief reads: Whoever wishes to follow me, let him forsake [surrender] his own will, and let him be ready for all hardships and sufferings of the flesh at every hour; then only can he follow me. Because he who wishes to take heed for his fleshly life (focus entirely on his physical and material existence) will destroy the true (heavenly and spiritual) life. And he who fulfills the will of the Father, even if he destroys the fleshly life, shall save the true life. For, what advantage is it to a man if he should gain the whole world, but destroy or harm his own life? And Jesus said [to Zaccheus]:

Now you have saved yourself. You were dead, and are alive; you were lost, and are found; you were blind, and now you see. . . Therein is the whole business of mans life; to seek out and save in his soul that which is perishing. And again:

A grain of wheat will only bring forth fruit when it itself perishes.
Crucifixion, then, is a death (to the unreal; to the transient) that leads to Life (to the real, the eternal), with the biblical word translated flesh understood not as body but as the mindset that associates reality with materiality, thus turning its back on the greater Reality.

Psychologically, what is crucified is egocentricitythe ego as center--and what is resurrected is a new life lived from the Self as the center of the whole psyche, and in submission to the higher will for ones eternal life.
As an inner process, crucifixion intensifies the conflict between the opposites of the psyche. Above its horizontal line are the conscious minds altruistic intentions. But below the line of consciousness is another counteractive, instinctually-rooted will with an agenda of its own. Paul names these contrary forces the will of God and the will of the flesh."[the
will of Higher Divine SELF or lower carnal self] who is allowed to rule or govern the whole? [The I AM that I AM or the i am that i think i am]

Physiologically, Distillation is raising the life force repeatedly from the lower regions in the cauldron of the body to the brain (what Oriental alchemists called the Circulation of the Light), where it eventually becomes a wondrous solidifying light full of power. Distillation is said to culminate in the Third Eye area of the forehead, at the level of the pituitary and pineal glands, in the Brow or Silver Chakra.

CORRESPONDENCES OF DISTILLATION
According to the Emerald Tablet, during the Distillation process, "It rises from Earth to Heaven and descends again to Earth, thereby combining within Itself the powers of both the Above and the Below." Substance: Mercury. Color: Deep Blue (color of this page). Planet: Mercury. Metal: Silver

Coagulation
COAGULATION is the seventh and final operation of alchemy. Psychologically, Coagulation is first sensed as a new confidence that is beyond all things, though many experience it as a Second Body of golden coalesced light, a permanent vehicle of consciousness that embodies the highest aspirations and evolution of mind. Coagulation incarnates and releases the Ultima Materia of the soul, the Astral Body, which the alchemists also referred to it as the Greater or Philosophers Stone. Using this magical Stone, the alchemists believed they could exist on all levels of reality.

Here the Hermeticist is spiritually reborn in a transcendental region beyond the seven planets. His status is now that of a pneumatic, or man of the spirit. (Note once again the similarity with Gnosticism.) This level entails an experience of a very profound, initiatory change of consciousness wherein the initiate becomes one with the deeper, Higher Self resident in his soul, which is a portion of the essence of God (the Most High). This experience takes place in a totally private setting to make reparation once and for all, therefore restoring the at-one-ment between creation and Creator. The only persons present are the initiate and the initiator (called "son" and "father" in this text). The liturgy takes the form of a dialogue between these two. Physiologically, this stage is marked by the release of the Elixir in the blood that rejuvenates the body into a perfect vessel of health. A brain ambrosia is said to be released through the interaction of light from the phallic-shaped pineal gland and matter from the vulva of the pituitary. This heavenly food or viaticum both nourishes and energizes the cells without any waste products being produced. These physiological and psychological processes create the Second Body, a body of solid light that emerges through the Crown or Gold Chakra. Here the Hermeticist is spiritually reborn in a transcendental region beyond the seven planets. His status is now that of a pneumatic, or man of the spirit. This level entails an experience of a very profound, initiatory change of consciousness wherein the initiate becomes one with the deeper Self-resident in his soul, which is a portion of the essence of God. This experience takes place in a totally private setting. The only persons present are the initiate and the initiator (called "son" and "father" in this text). The ritual takes the form of a dialogue between these two. And so we find the Supreme addressing one of His Beloved Sons, one who has won the mastery of self, as "Soul of my Soul and Mind of My own Mind." In Society, it is the living wisdom in which everyone exists within the same light of evolved consciousness and knowledge of Truth. On the Planetary level, Coagulation is a return to the Garden of Eden, this time on a higher level in tune with the divine mind.

CORRESPONDENCES OF COAGULATION
According to the Emerald Tablet, "Thus will you obtain the Glory of the Whole Universe. All Obscurity will be clear to you. This is the greatest Force of all powers, because it overcomes every Subtle thing and penetrates every Solid thing." Substance: Salt. Color: Violet; Purple (color of this page). Planet: Sun. Metal: Gold 16th Century Alchemical Diagram Titled Rex and Regina In the woodcut, the king is standing on the sun, symbolic of the masculine principle, and the queen on the moon, symbolic of the feminine principle. Their left hands are touching to signify contact with the unconscious archetypes each represents. Union on this level of the archetypes and instincts is fundamental to the process.

In their right hands each holds out to the other a leafing branch, symbolic of the growth in consciousness which will be the ongoing interchange between them. The crossing of the right-hand-held branches establishes the diagrams overall flow of energy as a circulation between the masculine and feminine poles of the psyche the two figures represent. The circulation is in the rhythmically-balanced interchange of a figure eight which, as a double quaternity symbol, signifies wholeness in both poles. In the image as a whole, the six-pointed star in the highest position points to the process projected completion as the same conjunction of opposites visualized earlier in the two-dimensional Star-of-David, and three-dimensionally as the star tetrahedron. The emphasis of the alchemical star, however, is on its three axes, symbolic of the three-fold union represented. In the diagram, the lines of the axes are repeated in the three branches, their resting or grounding points on the joined left hands to confirm the archetypal unconscious as where the mystery of the conjunction--the inner marriage--is taking place. It is on this deepest, collective, psychoid level of nature that the duality inherent to human nature, in its triune mind/body/spirit expression finds resolution and the final reconciliation of spirit, mind and body. As a three-fold process, the horizontally-crossed axes speak of the work of the first two stagesillumination and purgation--known to the Alchemists as the lesser conjunction. But it is the bird, vertical axis that points to the grand conjunction--the culminating union of the divine and the human. The animating spirit of the process is represented by the dove from whose beak the branch of peace is extended. But this dove is not the third person of the all-masculine Trinity. Rather it reverts to an earlier symbolism still prevalent in the Eastern Church, where the dove is identified with Holy Wisdom--with Sophiaand the Old Testament theme of the love of wisdom. Nor can this amazing sixteenth century correspondence to the mystical union be left without noting one further significance: the stars three axes as formed by an Ifor the Greek Iesus--and an X--for the Ch of Christusthe earliest and most widely used symbol for Jesus the Christ. For the Master of this Way teaches his disciple concerning the Gnosis of the Good, that is the Gnosis of God, saying: "For only then wilt thou upon It gaze when thou canst say no word concerning It. For Gnosis of the Good is holy silence and a giving holiday to every sense." It is the gaining of the "all sense," the "common sense," the "sense of the intelligence." "For neither can he who perceiveth It, perceive aught else, nor he who gazeth on It, gaze on aught else; nor hear aught else. . . "And shining then all round his mind, It shines through his whole soul, and draws it out of body, transforming all of him to essence. "For it is possible, my son, that a mans soul should be made like to God, even while it still is in a body, if it doth contemplate the Beauty of the Good". This is the "deification" or "apotheosis" of a man; he becomes like unto God, in that he becomes a God. The Beauty of the Good is the Cosmic Order; and the mode of meditation was

that of self-realization whereby the soul is brought into sympathy with the Cosmic Soul. And so speaking of such a soul, of one gnostic in true piety, Hermes writes: "But on the pious soul the Mind doth mount and guide it to the Gnosis Light. And such a soul doth never tire in songs of praise to God and pouring blessing on all men, and doing good in word and deed to all, in imitation of its Sire" "This is the sole Salvation for a man--Gods Gnosis (direct knowledge of spiritual mysteries). This is the Way up to the Mount. "By Him alone the soul becomes good, not whiles is good, whiles evil, but good out of necessity". And again He says: "The virtue of the soul is Gnosis. For he who knows, he good and pious is, and still while on the earth Divine".
But the body is part and parcel of who we are; the astral taking the shape and form of this body. Itisthe 'idealized body' of the Roman Catholics; and though it is temporal, attains to something eternal in the congelation of the Ruach; though that may then become perfected yet still further by the force of Will. This is the Great Work of Alchemy. This is also what is proclaimed by al-Hallaj in the Third Degree initiation ritual of the O.T.O.; when he says: "I am the truth, and wrapped in my turban is nothing but God."

The Way of Deathlessness The Way of Deathlessness is then considered. The disciple repeats his lesson, and the Master commends him; the Way Up is the path of self-knowledge. Still the disciple cannot believe that this is for him; he cannot understand that the One Mind is in him, or rather is himself, in so much as Mind as Teacher seems to be outside him. The semantic play is on Mind and mind; the one gives the certitude of Immortality, the other is still bound by the illusion of Death. The disciple has not this certitude; the One Mind, then, is not his. The Master then further explains the mystery. Gnosis must be preceded by moral purification; there must be a turning-away before the re-turn can be accomplished. The whole nature must be changed. That is the alchemy of the cosmos. Every tortuous effort that the little man seems to make of his own striving is really the energizing of the Great Man. Those, however, who yield themselves to lower desires, drive the One Mind away, find that their appetites are only the more strengthened by the mind in them. The original text of this paragraph is very corrupt, so that the exact sense of the original is not recoverable; and this makes it all the more difficult to understand what is meant by the Avenging Daimon, the Counterpart of the Mind.

The Ascent of the Soul Before long, the subject of instruction becomes the Way Above, or ascent of the soul out of the body at death. The physical body is left to the work of change and dissolution. The life of integration and conservation ceases, and the life of disintegration begins. The form thus vanishes, apparently from the man's consciousness; that is to say, presumably, he is no longer clothed in the form of his physical body but is apparently in some other vehicle. The particular fixed form, or "way of life," or "habit," he wore on earth being handed over to the Daimon deprived of all its energy, so that apparently it becomes an empty shell. The senses that had previously been united by the mind become separate. That is, instead of a whole they become parts; they return to the natural animal state of sensation, and the animal part of man, or his vehicle of sexual passion and desire, begins in its turn to disintegrate, the mind or reason (logos) being gradually separated from it. Or rather, its true nature begins showing forth in the man, as he gradually strips off the irrational tendencies of the energies. Those irrational tendencies have their sources in Fate (the Harmony of the Spheres) It is in these seven subordinate spheres or zones where he leaves his inharmonious propensities, deprived of their energy. For Fate (the Harmony of the Spheres machine) is only evil apparently; it is really the Engine of Justice and Necessity to readjust the foolish choices of the soul. That is, it exists to purify the soul's irrational desires, or those propensities in it that are not under the sway of the right reason of the One Mind. The Eighth Sphere The soul of the initiated strips itself naked of the "garment of shame," the selfish energizings, and stands "clothed in its own power." This refers probably to the stripping off of the dress of selfhood, the garments woven by its vices, and the putting on of the "wedding garment" of its virtues. This state of existence is called the Eighth, a state of comparative sameness that transcends the zones of "difference." It is the Ogdoad of the Gnostics, the City of Jerusalem Above, the plane of the Higher Ego in its own form, the natural state of "those-that-are." In another sense, it may perhaps mean that man, after passing through the phases of the lower mind, now enters within into the region of the pure One Mind, the Higher Self/Ego, and there is united (at-oned) with all the experiences of his past lives that are worthy of immortality, his virtuous energizings -- the "those-that-are" that perhaps constitute the "crown of mighty lives" sung of by the Pythian Oracle when celebrating the death of Plotinus. In this state the man, who has freed himself from the necessity of reincarnation, hears the Song of the Powers above the Ogdoad -- that is to say, in Gnostic terms, the Hymn of the Eons of the Pleroma, the Music of the Spheres. Such a man would have reached the consummation of his earthly journey and be ready to pass on into the Christ-state, or, at any rate, the state of super-man. He would be the victor who had won the right of investiture with the Robe of Glory, and the dignity of the crowning with the Kingship of the Heavens. This final initiation is most: beautifully set forth in the opening pages of the Pistis Sophia, and especially in the "Song of the Powers,"

beginning with the words: "Come unto us, for we are thy fellow-members. We are all one with thee." The consummation of the mystery is that the alter-egos of the individual ego, or the sum total of purified personalities that in that state constitute its membership (or vehicles of their own selves) surrender themselves to a fullness of union or a transcendency of separation, in which they become the powers or energies of a New Man, the true Son of Man. They pass into a state where they each blend with all, and yet lose nothing of themselves, but rather find in this new union the consummation of all their powers. In this state of Sonship of the Divine, they are no longer limited by bodies, nor even by partial souls or individual minds; but, becoming Powers, they are not only in God, but one with the Divine Will. In fact, in the final consummation, they are God Himself. Of such a nature was the Shepherd Hermes; he, too, was the Christ of God, the Son of the Father, who could take all forms to carry out the Divine Will. When the form -- even though that form might for the disciple take on the appearance of the cosmos itself, as he conceived it -- had served its purpose, the Shepherd once more "mingled with the Powers."
How few can acquire the knowledge, however, not merely in its inner mystical, but even in its literal sense, for there are two meanings in this command of the Oracle. This is the doctrine of Buddha and the Bodhisattvas pure and simple.

To 'know thyself' is to become self-ish Such is also the mystical sense of what was said to Paul to the Corinthians about their being the temple of God, for this meant Esoterically:
Ye are the temple of [the, or your] God, and the Spirit of [a, or your] God dwelleth in you. [ I Cor., iii. 16. Has the reader ever meditated upon the suggestive words, often pronounced by Jesus and his Apostles? Be ye therefore perfect as your Father. . . is perfect (Matt., v. 48), says the Great Master. The words are, as perfect as your Father which is in heaven, being interpreted as meaning God. Now the utter absurdity of any man becoming as perfect as the infinite, all-perfect, omniscient and omnipresent Deity, is too apparent. If you accept it in such a sense, Jesus is made to utter the greatest fallacy. What was Esoterically meant is, Your Father who is above the material and astral man, the highest Principle (save the Monad) within man, his own personal God, or the God of his own personality, of whom he is the prison and the temple. If thou wilt be perfect (i.e., an Adept and Initiate) go and sell that thou hast (Matt., xix.21). Every man who desired to become a neophyte, a chela, then, as now, had to take the vow of poverty. The Perfect, was the name given to the Initiates of every denomination. Plato calls them by that term. The Essenes had their Perfect. and Paul plainly states that they, the Initiates, can only speak before other Adepts. We speak wisdom among them [only] that are perfect (I. Cor.ii.6).]

The highest principle in Man is the Paratman or Hadit; the Monad being the undifferentiated part of man's nature.
This carries precisely the same meaning as the I am verily Brahman of the Vedantin. Nor is the latter assertion more blasph emous than the Pauline - if there were any blasphemy in either, which is denied. Only the Vedantin, who never refers to his body as being himself, or even a part of himself, or aught else but an illusory form for others to see him in, constructs his assertion more openly and sincerely than was done by Paul.

You do not have to understand material philosophy or be learned in the books of the human race. All these things may be good in their place, but to one who understands the greater Principles and laws of life they are as simple babblings-"An infant crying in the night, An infant crying for the light. And with no language but a cry." We no longer cry, we Know. We no longer ask if there be a God, or if we dare to speak to Him lest we die; we do not analyze, dissect, affirm, or deny, We know. We trust our own word because first we "Know in whom we have believed." The sooner the one who is striving to attain will realize that truth must become revealed through his own soul, and not that of another, the sooner he will attain.