A complete history of alchemy revealing the subject as much more than the attempts in early science of turning base metals into gold or silver, this book goes about intimating the mystical experience underlying hermetic symbolism. It outlines some of the ‘secret’ inner meanings to alchemy - symbolism, metaphysics, and spirituality. This book contains a universe of information and is worthwhile reading for anyone wanting to know more on this engaging subject. Originally published in 1926.
Alchemy, the Noble Art, conjures up scenes of mysterious, dimly lit laboratories populated with bearded old men stirring cauldrons. Though the history of alchemy is intricately linked to the history of chemistry, alchemy has nonetheless often been dismissed as the realm of myth and magic, or fraud and pseudoscience. And while its themes and ideas persist in some expected and unexpected places, from the Philosopher's (or Sorcerer's) Stone of Harry Potter to the self-help mantra of transformation, there has not been a serious, accessible, and up-to-date look at the complete history and influence of alchemy until now.
An experiential guide to the spiritual path of the Holy Grail • Traces the evolution of the Holy Grail from the sacred vessel of the Celtic goddess to the Cup of Christ and how it represents the longing for the divine feminine • Provides exercises, meditations, and rituals to connect you with the powers of the Cauldron of Rebirth, the Chalice of Healing, the Sword of Light, and the Holy Grail • Explains how attaining the Grail brings full consciousness of the soul and Divine influence for the healing of self and others The primary myth of Western culture, the quest for the Holy Grail persists through the centuries like a recurring dream, embodying the longing for the divine feminine suppressed for more than two thousand years. The Holy Grail emerged not only as a symbol of the feminine but also as a symbol of the soul, for hidden within the sacred Grail legends lies an initiatory path that leads to the highest realms of consciousness and spiritual illumination. By working with the symbols of the Grail tradition we can gaze into our own hidden depths and heal the separation between masculine and feminine, Spirit and Matter, and Heaven and Earth. Mara Freeman traces the evolution of the Grail from the sacred vessel of the Celtic goddess to the Cup of Christ, revealing a spiritual path rooted in the mysteries of the Goddess, the Grail, and the Sword. She explains how the Sword has dominated over the Goddess and the Grail for far too long, leading to a spiritual wasteland as foretold in the Grail stories. She provides a practical workbook of exercises, visualizations, and magical rituals to restore the power of the divine feminine through spiritually transformative experiences with the Cauldron of Rebirth, the Chalice of Healing, the Sword of Light, and the Holy Grail itself. Drawing on folk traditions and medieval Arthurian romances as well as alchemy and the wisdom of the mystics of Glastonbury, Freeman reveals the ancient Celtic teachings of the Western Mystery tradition. She shows that attaining the Grail involves achieving full consciousness of the soul. Then, as a Grail-bearer, you can bring the light of the Grail into the world for the healing of self and others.
Who am I? What's my life's purpose? Where am I going when I die? These questions lie at the heart of all our lives, yet clear answers seem hard to come by. A Complete Guide to the Soul explains that answers can in fact be found in a secret history that runs like quicksilver through Western culture, from philosophy and alchemy, to poetry and modern psychology. This hidden tradition places our soul at the centre of the universe and shows us how to recover a sense of meaning that so many of us have lost today. In this important book, Patrick Harpur explores the nature of our soul, as well as its destiny. He unpacks the myths that surround it and shows how it may actually be the very fabric of reality. And he explains that, not until we have a clear understanding of this invisible part of ourselves, can we discover the answers to many of our questions about existence and human nature. Ultimately, this knowledge could help us find our true place within the world in which we live.
Kabbalah has gained notoriety in recent years, thanks in large part to a publicity boost from celebrity adherents like Madonna. Yet the uninitiated may be surprised to learn that Jewish mysticism has been practiced for thousands of years. First published in 1929, The Holy Kabbalah is Arthur E. Waite's guide to these esoteric teachings. Divided into twelve books, with five appendices and a detailed index, this heavily researched volume traces the origins of Kabbalah and examines its influence (if any) on astrology, alchemy, and freemasonry. Including a close look at Kabbalistic literature, and sections on the Zohar and the Ten Sephiroth, this volume will serve as an excellent introduction to the secret tradition for those wanting to learn more about Kabbalah out of scholarship or curiosity. American-born British author ARTHUR EDWARD WAITE (1857-1942) was cocreator of the famous 1910 Rider-Waite Tarot deck. Among his numerous books are Book of Ceremonial Magic, Devil Worship in France, and New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry.
A 400-year history of the development of alchemy in England that brings to light the evolution of the practice. In medieval and early modern Europe, the practice of alchemy promised extraordinary physical transformations. Who would not be amazed to see base metals turned into silver and gold, hard iron into soft water, and deadly poison into elixirs that could heal the human body? To defend such claims, alchemists turned to the past, scouring ancient books for evidence of a lost alchemical heritage and seeking to translate their secret language and obscure imagery into replicable, practical effects. Tracing the development of alchemy in England over four hundred years, from the beginning of the fourteenth century to the end of the seventeenth, Jennifer M. Rampling illuminates the role of alchemical reading and experimental practice in the broader context of national and scientific history. Using new manuscript sources, she shows how practitioners like George Ripley, John Dee, and Edward Kelley, as well as many previously unknown alchemists, devised new practical approaches to alchemy while seeking the support of English monarchs. By reconstructing their alchemical ideas, practices, and disputes, Rampling reveals how English alchemy was continually reinvented over the space of four centuries, resulting in changes to the science itself. In so doing, The Experimental Fire bridges the intellectual history of chemistry and the wider worlds of early modern patronage, medicine, and science.
"This heartfelt book, never left my bedside for the duration of the read... Colm is a force of goodness and his strength and determination has a way of helping the reader feel safe and held throughout this journey of transformation."Lady Marina Cowdray, International Adviser to the Oxford Centre of Mindfulness and founder of Cowdray Hall Wellbeing In The Secret of The Alchemist, Colm Holland reveals how you can discover the power to miraculously change the world around you beyond all recognition and for the better. Colm will tell you the story of his encounter with Paulo Coelho and his bestselling book The Alchemist and how discovering the secret in Paulo's novel gave him the insights to achieve true empowerment in his life. Alchemy is all about transformation and draws upon the greatest power of all to convert seemingly insurmountable obstacles into life changing experiences. Through an honest account of his own, often difficult quest to live life to the full, Colm offers you the chance to draw on his discoveries and other real-life stories to inspire the pursuit of your dreams and reach your goals. How does he know? As he wrote this book, Colm asked Love to give you, the reader, everything you need to become the alchemist in your world.
The modern Western movement to embrace Eastern spiritual traditions usually stops with India and the Orient. Westerners have yet to discover the wisdom that dates back even further to ancient Egypt. With a Jungian perspective, clinical psychologist Dr. Thom F. Cavalli plumbs that wisdom through the myth of Osiris, the green-skinned Egyptian god of vegetation and the Underworld. As no one else has done, Cavalli draws on Osiris’s death and resurrection as a guide to spiritual transformation. The myth represents the joining of the conscious and the unconscious, the light and the dark, life and death, and shows how to live our temporal existence in service to and anticipation of eternal life. Cavalli sees the ancient art of alchemy — which attempted to turn lead into gold — as the key. The alchemical recipe "solve et coagula" (solution and coagulation) encoded in the myth describes the integration of all parts of a person and the method for achieving an experience of immortality in life and eternal life after death. The Osiris myth thus provides a model for the contemporary quest for individuation, the Jungian term for integrating ego and self, body and soul, in the process of becoming whole.
