|
Post by LorrB on Sept 2, 2010 10:11:26 GMT 9.5
Okay - I changed the title, but what do you think? The essence of alchemy is spiritual, with the goal to make good men better.
The transmutation of lead into gold is a metaphor for this process. This is the big secret, and this is why practitioners of the Noble Art have kept it secret. For it is both a spiritual and philosophical process that sets men free and hence threatens those that seek to keep men in bondage. Free men, men that have been through the alembic furnace, can govern themselves. Free men select their governors and the government is at the consent of the governed. The Alchemical Process of Initiation by Jeffery E Marshall
|
|
|
Post by paul on Sept 2, 2010 10:42:22 GMT 9.5
Alchemy is essentially a matter of separating the spirit (mercury), soul (sulphur) and body (salt), then cleansing that body and recombining it with the spirit and soul.
This process can occur using the substance of the mineral, plants and animal kingdoms - although the last is rarely referred to in the literature. Using the plant kingdom for alchemy is the easiest - partly because that mercury is alcohol and relatively easy to secure against loss.
The products of such alchemy, when ingested by humans may have beneficial effects - primarily upon the various light bodies.
By analogy one might say that a typical human, being somewhat separated from the soul and spirit, by purification of the lower bodies, may prepare for reunification of spirit, soul and body - as occurs with progressive initiation.
|
|
|
Post by LorrB on Sept 2, 2010 10:59:07 GMT 9.5
No doubt about it - I feel closest to God after a few fine reds
|
|
|
Post by LorrB on Sept 2, 2010 11:03:07 GMT 9.5
I know that animal sacrifice still occurs with some religions around the world. Are you saying that there is a spiritual benefit for those that practice it? (I am grimacing as I write this).
|
|
|
Post by paul on Sept 2, 2010 11:40:02 GMT 9.5
Animal sacrifice was traditionally for feeding the gods.
That has no relation to extracting the animal mercury and sulphur and purifying the remaining salt
|
|
|
Post by coach on Sept 7, 2010 21:47:21 GMT 9.5
Alchemy is essentially a matter of separating the spirit (mercury), soul (sulphur) and body (salt), then cleansing that body and recombining it with the spirit and soul. This process can occur using the substance of the mineral, plants and animal kingdoms - although the last is rarely referred to in the literature. Using the plant kingdom for alchemy is the easiest - partly because that mercury is alcohol and relatively easy to secure against loss. The products of such alchemy, when ingested by humans may have beneficial effects - primarily upon the various light bodies. By analogy one might say that a typical human, being somewhat separated from the soul and spirit, by purification of the lower bodies, may prepare for reunification of spirit, soul and body - as occurs with progressive initiation. Perhaps you might expand on what you mean by "spirit" and "soul." How may one claim that they are different? How are they suggestively the same?
|
|
|
Post by paul on Sept 8, 2010 8:20:46 GMT 9.5
Perhaps you might expand on what you mean by "spirit" and "soul." How may one claim that they are different? How are they suggestively the same? If we take matter and spirit as opposite ends of a spectrum, this spectrum may be divided in various ways, for example: 4 worlds each of which has 10 sephirah. Or 7 planes and 49 subplanes of the Cosmic Physical, Cosmic Astral etc In these levels there are myriad species of flora and fauna and "more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than dreamed of in your philosophy" In the Qabalah for example there are five "souls" of a human - in descending order: Yechidah, Chaiah, Neshemah, Ruach, and Nephesh. In Western (Hindu) esoterics, it is conventional to consider the human as having a soul body on the subplanes 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 (higher mental subplanes of the Cosmic Physical Plane) with the soul body being informed by a solar intelligence (manasaputra or guardian angel). Generally the spectrum is differentiated in ways that facilitate the metaphysical activities intended. Thus if there is no metaphysical activity or analysis intended, only the simplest differentiation is required. In terms of mineral or plant alchemical processes the mercury/spirit, sulphur/soul and salt/matter may respectively be associated with the devic, nature spirit and elemental kingdoms.
|
|
|
Post by mgc on Oct 14, 2010 16:27:43 GMT 9.5
how would 1 distinguish the soul from the spirit? We may have covered this already somewhere but if so i forgot.. Could spirit be related to willpower, where soul is the 4d representation of the ego?
|
|
|
Post by paul on Oct 14, 2010 17:53:37 GMT 9.5
The soul is what ensouls the human - that is the soul is able (eventually) to enter the form of the human. This is called (the first stage of) enlightenment.
The soul acts to link spirit to the personality
The spirit is profound - searching the depths of God.
In the later stages of enlightenment the persona is sufficiently purified to express spirit directly and the solar angel departs and the soul body progressively disintegrates. (The soul body in humans exists on mental subplanes 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3)
The initiate at that stage may say: When you have seen me you have seen the Father, for I live in Him and He in me.
Basically spirit is the name for the intelligent energy that comes from beyond our farthest point of vision. There is not much point in putting plane numbers on spirit, as there is always more spirit to perceive from whatever plane.
|
|
|
Post by paul on Oct 14, 2010 17:58:08 GMT 9.5
Will power is commonly an attribute of the personality. At higher levels it has different qualities and is more often regarded as intent or purpose.
Spirit contains more attributes than will.
|
|
|
Post by LorrB on Oct 15, 2010 8:08:53 GMT 9.5
The soul acts to link spirit to the personality The SW, with the aid of the two deacons, perform this function in lodge...
|
|
|
Post by LorrB on Oct 15, 2010 8:10:18 GMT 9.5
In the later stages of enlightenment the persona is sufficiently purified to express spirit directly and the solar angel departs and the soul body progressively disintegrates. (The soul body in humans exists on mental subplanes 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3) The initiate at that stage may say: When you have seen me you have seen the Father, for I live in Him and He in me. Royal Arch
|
|
|
Post by mgc on Oct 15, 2010 20:49:53 GMT 9.5
how does this show?
meaning?
|
|
|
Post by paul on Oct 15, 2010 21:51:38 GMT 9.5
If you are clairvoyant you may see an interesting collection of energy flows from entities within and without the solar system. If you are not clairvoyant or clairsentient, you may feel some attraction or repulsion (depending on your development) but not know much about what is happening. It means that "spirit" is a name used by humans for the highest energy they can perceive. If they are growing inwardly then they can progressively see further and always the furthest point is called spirit.
|
|
|
Post by mgc on Oct 15, 2010 23:00:22 GMT 9.5
when would you feel what?
|
|
|
Post by paul on Oct 16, 2010 4:27:17 GMT 9.5
when would you feel what? Perhaps you might like to consider your own experiences with possibly enlightened people
|
|
|
Post by mgc on Oct 16, 2010 15:21:46 GMT 9.5
how should i respond to attraction / repulsion? will an unenlightened person feel repulsed by an enlightened person?
|
|
|
Post by paul on Oct 16, 2010 15:30:06 GMT 9.5
Here is an enlightened human. What sort of response or reaction do you have? Can you detect the point in space from which he looks? How would you describe his attitude to the photographer?
|
|
|
Post by mgc on Oct 17, 2010 9:04:29 GMT 9.5
neutral no friendly
|
|
|
Post by paul on Oct 17, 2010 9:12:20 GMT 9.5
Try sitting with the image. Let yourself be drawn into his presence.
|
|