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The Hermetic Journal,Vol Contents The Epistle of Dr. Hadrianus a Mynsicht - A Rosicrucian Alchemical Allegory ..................................... 4 Alberto I. LaCava, Ph.D., PRC John Dee and the Secret Societies ............................................ 12 Ron Heisler An Infallible Touchstone .........................................................25 Zosimos and the Inner Temple ................................................ 30 Graham Knight The Fountain of the Lovers of the Science .............................. 34 A Behemist Circle in Victorian England ................................. 48 Joscelyn Godwin Michael Sendivogius and the Statuts des Philosophes Znconnus. .. ......... .................... 72 Zbigniew Sydlo Oath of an Adept .......................................................................92 Foam of the Moon ..................................................................... 94 Graham Knight The Forgotten English Roots of Rosicrucianism .................... 97 Ron Heisler Michael Maier's Zntellectual cantilenae on the resurrection of the Phoenix ....... ................................ 1 13 Mike Dickman Wood and Metal - Kabbalistic Orientation and Elementary Alchemical Returning ................................. 133 Gavin Bennett Glauber's Dialogue on the Alchemical Process ....................143 Place in Space. .. .. .. .. ... .. .... ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. ... .. .. ... .. .... .. ... ... ... ..I50 Allegory .......... ......... ......... ...... ........ ... .. ....... ............................ 152 Christopher Walton's Theosophic Symbols .......................... 156 Adam MeLean Reviews ........................................ This present issue will be the last grant to free me to undertake Hermetic Journal. The first issue research, and for the first time for appeared in 1978 which makes many years I was able to study fifteen years of continuous and research hermetic books and production. I feel that the Journal manuscripts in the British has served its purpose and made a Library, the Bodleian in Oxford, contribution to furthering inter- the Ferguson Collection in est in Hermeticism. During the Glasgow, the Wellcome Institute, first ten years of the Journal I also and many other collections. published the Magnum Opus In 1991 Joseph Ritman offered series of twenty three hermetic me a position in his library as a sourceworks, and both of these researcher - which gave me projects (as many of my friends access to the resources of the and colleagues knew only too Bibliotheca Philosophica Herrnet- well) entirely swallowed up all ica, and the opportunity to the time and creative energies I coordinate my work with other had available. members of the staff and fellow About seven or so years ago I researchers attached to the became increasingly frustrated at library. The Bibliotheca Philo- having to devote all my time to sophica Hermetica is undoubted- publishing and consequently to ly the major force in our age for neglect undertaking research. I reviving and focussing interest on became only too aware of the hermetic studies, so I am greatly gaps in my knowledge and that I pleased to become part of the was living off of my fund of current of revitalising energy that research which I had built up in flows through the library, and my twenties before publishing hope to be able to assist its work the Journal. in whatever ways I can. The ill fated Hermetic Research The practical results of this Trust which I established at the change in my circumstances is end of 1986, was an attempt by that I can devote much of my me to secure more time for such time to research and transcribing research, but it could never works for future publication. It obtain the resources necessary to became obvious to me during my free me from undertaking initial research that there were publishing to raise funds. A very few bibliographical listings number of misjudgments on my of hermetic material, particularly part led to the failure of the Trust manuscript sources. Fellow re- as a means of sustaining my searchers had to muddle through work. hoping to serendipidously locate In 1989, Joseph Ritman, the interesting manuscripts. So one founder of the Bibliotheca of the first tasks I set myself over Philosophica Hermetica, recog- the past years was to construct nising my difficulties, gave me a databases that will enable fellow researchers to locate items of and databases close at hand. I interest to them. I have also been may also be able to assist by working on a graphic database of suggesting ways of approaching a hermetic emblems, which will particular aspect of the subject. allow users to search for key So in future I will try to make alchemical symbols in a large myself and my researches database of woodcuts, engravings available directly to those who and manuscript drawings and are interested in working further paintings on computer file. with these ideas. Of course, such During this phase of my studies, I correspondence will greatly aid find I have little free time to my own research, as this will devote to producing the Journal, spark off investigations which so I have decided that it will be occasionally will lead to best for me to bring its uncovering a previously obscure production to a close. There will manuscript or drawing attention no doubt in future be other to an important section of text. vehicles that will allow myself Since 1991 I have moved back to and regular contributors to the Edinburgh and hopefully this will Journal to publish articles and be a more permanent situation. results of researches. The P.O. box in Oxford is now But although I will now bring the defunct, and people should in Journal to a close, I do not wish future write to me at Royal to entirely withdraw from public Terrace. Due to the upheavals of work in this area, and especially I the past seven years I have would wish to keep in touch actually moved address seven with all my colleagues who have times, which has had no little supported the Journal over the impact on my work. I hope now years. In order to some extent to for at least a few years of sustain the momentum for stability. hermetic research that was I would like to thank all those created through the publication who wrote articles for the Journal of the Journal, I propose to over the years, and also to continue to act as a focus for express my gratitude to the people who want to investigate subscribers whose helped pay for hermetic ideas in depth. I will its production. Those who make what knowledge and purchased the early editions of expertise I have in hermetic the Magnum Opus sourceworks, studies, more directly available actually helped to subsidise the to former readers and others Journal which always made a deeply interested in our subject. I financial loss. can, for example, probably always However it is not negative help in locating books, financial considerations which manuscripts and symbolism, as I have caused me to bring the have many bibliographical tools Journal to a close, but a more Editorial a positive growth in my work. identified, commented upon and Over the next few years I should published. I do hope to be able to be able to develop new research keep in touch and work with tools for those who wish to many of my colleagues and investigate the obscure though former subscribers in bringing spiritually en-riching realm of this material to light. alchemy. There is a wealth of material still to be discovered, The Song of Nature (The Secret Recipe) 1 am the Dweller in the ancient rocks, The One who takes the irridescent rain To glow like crystals in my timeless eyes; My priests, the winds, travel the deep woods And skies of Earth, my body that lies Eternally within the tides, And from the dreams of men I draw my sustenance. Thus over you I watch, my lonely children, You who are I in other shape and form: The sleeping lion, white meadows full of spring And dusty scholars studying into night. All these and more, and many, many more Who move unknowingly within my sphere, Have in my seasons a remote delight And my protection when they fail to hear my warnings; Nonetheless, do not deny me, you who are living In the change and flux of Time: For I am ageless, and cannot despair, And in me burns the darkness and the dawn. Josephine Gowans Figure is an artist's conception, by Doris Lorca, FRC Figure : "and there wilt see a Red Man, holding in his right hand a triangle with a cross, but in his left hand the Eye of the World, with a small line through it." Mynsicht 5 The Epistle of Dr. Hadrianus a Mynsicht To His Friend Dr. Hartman A Rosicrucian Alchemical Allegory by Alberto I. LaCava, Ph.D., FRC (Alchemical figure by Doris Lorca, FRC) Alchemical allegories are symbolic stories that were created and written by their authors with several goals in mind. The first goal was to discourage the casual, ignorant reader. The casual reader in most cases would allow himself to become so discouraged by the obscure language of the allegory that would immediately give up any and all attempts to understand it, claiming that it did not make any sense, that it was too difficult to explain and to interpret. On the other hand, the allegory was created to exert a charming and seductive power on the mind of the alchemical student who is willing to invest the time and effort required to uncover and understand its meaning. We know through our readings that the alchemist of the past have spent hours researching, following leads, thinking and meditating on the meanings behind these literary veiled presentations. Hermetic Alchemy is sometimes called "the magnetic stone", because of this charming power of attraction or fascination exerted on the seekers of the alchemical knowledge. The Epistle of Hadrianus a Mynsicht I came across a fascinating allegory sometime ago, while studying an original notebook of the British Rosicrucian and Alchemist of the latter part of the eighteenth century, Dr. Sigismund Bacstrom. The story of Dr. Bacstrom is well known by the historians of alchemical and Rosicrucian movements, such authors as E.
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