A Dictionary of Western Alchemy
By Jordan Stratford, with a Foreword by Jeffrey S. Kupperman, Ph.D.
135 Pages | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608978.
' And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places. ' - Isa, 45:3 (King James Version).
From Arabic al-kimia (of Egypt) and old Egyptian khem (black, fertile soil), alchemy is the ancient science of elements and interactions in both the natural and spiritual realms. Spanning 2.500 years and informed by Hermetic and Neoplatonist influences, it has been practiced in the classical Greco-Roman world, medieval Europe and the medieval Middle-East and Orient, and in current esoteric circles.
From page 40:
" This is true and remote from all cover of falsehood.
Whatever is below is similar to that which is above. Through this the marvels of the work of one thing are procured and perfected.
Also, as all things are made from one, by the consideration of one, so all things were made from this one, by conjunction.
The father of it is the sun, the mother the moon.
The wind bore it in the womb, the nurse is the earth, the mother of all perfection.
Its power is perfected if it is turned into earth.
Separate the earth from the fire, the subtle and thin from the crude and coarse, prudently, with modesty and wisdom.
This ascents from the earth into the sky and again descends from the sky to the earth, and receives the power and efficacy of things above and of things below.
By this means you will acquire the glory of the whole world, and so you will drive away all shadows and blindness.
For this by its fortitude snatches the palm from all other fortitude and power. For it is able to penetrate and subdue everything subtle and everything crude and hard.
By this means the world was founded
And hence the marvelous conjunctions of it and admirable effects, since this is the way by which these marvels may be brought about.
And because of this they called me Hermes Trismegistus, since I have the three parts of the wisdom and Philosophy of the whole universe.
My speech is finished which I have spoken concerning the Solar Work. "
From: The Emerald Tablet.
This concise dictionary of alchemy provides clear access to one of the major roots of Western esoteric thought. Alchemists have three main pursuits: the transmutation of base metals into gold by means of the Lapis Philosophorum, the Philosopher's Stone; the concoction of the Elixir of Life, a universal medicine; and the reconciliation between spirit and matter and direct knowledge of the Divine. The Dictionary of Western Alchemy contains the definition and etymology of hundreds of words and symbols, all relating to these three noble pursuits. Subjects include alchemical processes and procedures, the natural elements and apparatus used, major practitioners and philosophers, and concepts and beliefs. Distinguishing this guide from similar ones is the addition of etymology, which connects the language of alchemy to its Latin, Greek, and Arabic sources. Symbolic pictographs accompany half of the over four hundred entries, and a fascinating illustration from the long tradition of alchemical art introduces each letter of the alphabet. Most important is the author Jordan Stratford’s unique perspective as both a modern Gnostic priest and a Freemason. He brings to bear extensive knowledge of the depth psychology of C. G. Jung, who based his key concept of individuation on the premise that what the ancient alchemists truly sought was inner transformation.
A Dictionary of Western Alchemy
By Jordan Stratford, with a Foreword by Jeffrey S. Kupperman, Ph.D.
135 Pages | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608978.
‘ And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places. ‘ – Isa, 45:3 (King James Version).
From Arabic al-kimia (of Egypt) and old Egyptian khem (black, fertile soil), alchemy is the ancient science of elements and interactions in both the natural and spiritual realms. Spanning 2.500 years and informed by Hermetic and Neoplatonist influences, it has been practiced in the classical Greco-Roman world, medieval Europe and the medieval Middle-East and Orient, and in current esoteric circles.
From page 40:
” This is true and remote from all cover of falsehood.
Whatever is below is similar to that which is above. Through this the marvels of the work of one thing are procured and perfected.
Also, as all things are made from one, by the consideration of one, so all things were made from this one, by conjunction.
The father of it is the sun, the mother the moon.
The wind bore it in the womb, the nurse is the earth, the mother of all perfection.
Its power is perfected if it is turned into earth.
Separate the earth from the fire, the subtle and thin from the crude and coarse, prudently, with modesty and wisdom.
This ascents from the earth into the sky and again descends from the sky to the earth, and receives the power and efficacy of things above and of things below.
By this means you will acquire the glory of the whole world, and so you will drive away all shadows and blindness.
For this by its fortitude snatches the palm from all other fortitude and power. For it is able to penetrate and subdue everything subtle and everything crude and hard.
By this means the world was founded
And hence the marvelous conjunctions of it and admirable effects, since this is the way by which these marvels may be brought about.
And because of this they called me Hermes Trismegistus, since I have the three parts of the wisdom and Philosophy of the whole universe.
My speech is finished which I have spoken concerning the Solar Work. “
From: The Emerald Tablet.