ROSICRUCIAN D IGEST VOLUME 96 NUMBER 1 2018 Vol. 96 - No. 1 2018 Modern Alchemy 2 Official Magazine of the Worldwide H. Spencer Lewis, FRC Rosicrucian Order ® Spiritual Alchemy 4 Christian Bernard, FRC © 2018 Supreme Grand Lodge of the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Lady Pernelle 8 Crucis. All Rights Reserved. Hélène Bernard, SRC This publication is provided for your personal, private use only, on an “as is” basis, without warranty, and may not True Imagination in Alchemy 11 be used for any commercial purpose. No part of this publication may be Dennis Hauck, FRC, PhD reproduced, distributed, displayed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, The Alchemists and Their Symbols 14 including electronic, without the express written permission of the Supreme Serge Hutin, FRC, DLitt Grand Lodge. ROSICRUCIAN DIGEST (ISSN Michelspacher’s Mountain of the Adepts 20 #0035-8339) is published two times per year for $12.00 per year, single Peter Bindon, FRC, MA copies $6.00, by the Grand Lodge of the English Language Jurisdiction of the AMORC at 1342 Naglee Avenue, The Alchemist’s Laboratory 22 San Jose CA 95126. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Rosicrucian Dennis Hauck, FRC, PhD Digest at 1342 Naglee Avenue, San Jose CA 95126. The Alchemical Wedding and The Crowning of The Hermetic Child 25 Steve Kalec, FRC On the cover: The Rosicrucian Rose. ”The Emerald Tablet of An Alchemical Journey Hermes. The Words of the Secrets to the Black Forest 30 of Hermes,” from Secret Symbols Dennis Hauck, FRC, PhD of the Rosicrucians. Image hand- colored by H. Spencer Lewis. The Alchemical Allegory of the Seed and the Field 33 Steve Kalec, FRC Printed on 100% recycled post-consumer The New Alchemy Museum fiber using soy-based ink. at Rosicrucian Park 36 H. Spencer Lewis on Alchemy H. Spencer Lewis, Co-founder and Imperator of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC (1915 – 1939). The Rosicrucians and mystics who performed so many experiments in their laboratories, were seeking, through the material laws of the universe, to discover universal principles which had their action and reaction in the spiritual world as well as in the material world. They believed that just as the difference between gross metal and pure gold was a difference in character, constituted by the various rates of vibrations and by the presence of impure or unevolved elements, so the differences in human character were the result of impure and inharmonious elements which might be transmuted and changed into the pureness of spiritual life here on earth. Page 1 Modern Alchemy H. Spencer Lewis, FRC The following article is an excerpt from an remind the reader that the real quest is not article originally published in the Rosicrucian for the purpose of making gold nor is the Digest in February 1933, entitled: “Modern search intended to reveal a more simple Alchemy: the Dreams of the Ancient Mystics are manner of producing gold. The whole idea Being Realized Today.” of the alchemists’ studies and experiments One of the great leaders in the is to observe nature’s laws at work and to alchemical movement throughout Europe, find more simple ways of demonstrating and perhaps the foremost alchemist in the them. In the process of transmutation and world today is Mon. F. Jollivet-Castelot of in the study of alchemy generally, more of Paris. He is not only an eminent scientist the fundamental principles of the universe who has devoted are revealed than in most of his life any other laboratory to the study of experiments transmutation that might be and synthetic conducted and this chemistry, he is what makes the is also director whole subject so of the Société fascinating and so Alchimique fraught with new de France and surprising and Editor conditions, of a quarterly situations, and magazine called revelations. La Rose-Croix, Francois Jollivet-Castelot stands in his laboratory in It was in which bears Douai, France, in April 1926. 1894 that Frater the Rosicrucian Jollivet-Castelot emblem. He is also an honorary member published his first book dealing with the of the Rosicrucian Order in America, great studies of his life in alchemy and AMORC. Some years ago we published a transmutation after having been a student photograph of Frater Jollivet-Castelot in of the Rosicrucian and mystical principles, his laboratory in our Triangle Monthly, and which revealed the work and secret process we have continuous reports from members used by the early mystics and alchemists. of his association regarding their joint and In 1904, Frater Jollivet-Castelot published individual achievements. Their monthly other important instructions regarding the publication is filled with interesting items science of alchemy. Since then his writings from their laboratories and quotations from have been read before the most learned other newspapers and scientific magazines scientific societies throughout the world regarding the art and science of alchemy and quoted in many popular books and and transmutation. treatises dealing with scientific subjects. One would think that after having In 1896, Frater Jollivet-Castelot and accomplished the feat on numerous others founded the Alchemical Society occasions of producing small amounts of France and it has many active and Rosicrucian of absolutely pure gold, the quest for the honorary members with constantly Digest No. 1 process and the search for the principles increasing interest in the subject. The 2018 would be brought to an end. But here, I articles appearing in their own magazine Page 2 representing their discoveries and findings might be transmuted and changed into the are quoted in many of the newspapers pureness of spiritual life here on earth. and magazines of the world, showing Much is said these days about vibrations a widespread interest in the subject of and their effect upon our health and our alchemy and transmutation. lives generally, and we are coming to learn Occasionally those who seek to criticize that all of life consists of vibrations which the Rosicrucians as being impractical affect us and, in fact, compose everything of people because of their advanced ideas and which we have any sense or understanding. progressive programs, point to the fact that It was in the laboratories of the alchemists the ancient Rosicrucians were interested in alchemy and in the search and mystics that the law for artificial gold. They of vibrations was first think that this search discovered and proved constitutes evidence to be an actual fact. And that the Rosicrucians while these mystics sought were dreamers instead for an elixir of life which of practical men and would prevent disease, old women. Such persons do age, and so-called death not realize that the parent and change gross material of modern chemistry was into pure gold, they found alchemy and that although laws and principles which the child in the form of would enable people modern chemistry has to cure disease and to grown to be a great and overcome many of the universally recognized obstacles to old age. They science, the parent has not also found ways and passed out of existence means of producing many or out of the universal H. Spencer Lewis’s The Alchemist. picture, for alchemy was of the modern metals limited to certain lines of such as bronze and various research and those fields of research have alloys, which have been extremely valuable not yet been exhausted even by the most to industry and commercial interests. So modern achievements of science. we have these ancients to thank for many As stated before, the Rosicrucians modern achievements which they turned and mystics who performed so many over to humankind as worldly benefits, experiments in their laboratories were while they still continue their searches and seeking, through the material laws of the their inquiries. universe, to discover universal principles Dreamers they may have been and which had their action and reaction dreamers many of them may still be, but in the spiritual world as well as in the they are the sort of dreamers who test their material world. They believed that just as dreams in the crucible of materialism as the difference between gross metal and well as the crucible of spirituality and they pure gold was a difference in character, constituted by the various rates of seek to turn their dreams into practical vibrations and by the presence of impure account and to practical application, and or unevolved elements, so the differences from their efforts we have derived so many in human character were the result of benefits that it does not behoove anyone impure and inharmonious elements which to criticize the mystics and their dreaming. Page 3 Spiritual Alchemy Christian Bernard, FRC In this article, Christian Bernard, Imperator of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, inspires us to participate in the Great Work on ourselves, through the transformative power of Spiritual Alchemy. If there is really one essential thing Having obtained the materia prima, the for mystics in general and Rosicrucians alchemists would place it in a container to in particular, it is spiritual alchemy. This which they gave the name of “philosophical form of alchemy amounts to one of the egg,” partly because of its oval shape, and foundations of philosophy, and sets out partly to echo their belief that the whole the path we must follow in order to fulfill of Creation arose from a universal “egg,” our inner evolution. Herein, indeed, lies within which it existed in a latent, or seed, the Great Work that each human being state. From here they put the materia prima must accomplish in order to discover through several consecutive stages. the Philosopher’s Stone that is to be In the course of these stages, the found in the deepest part of themselves, materia prima took on various colors, until and achieve the perfection of their own it appeared as a red magma.