white stone – Between The Pillars

Greetings readers. Welcome back. I hope you’re all doing well today.

There are many things going on in the world right now, which can be depressing or demoralising for people like us. It is nothing but an alchemical transformation taking place, a dark night which will give way to a better age. I ask you to remain grateful, patient and positive right now.

WordPress has made some changes to its site and UI. There’s a new search bar that will help you browse and search for topics and titles a bit better, and everything looks cleaner, even the text editor.

I am very grateful to this site for giving me a platform to write what I want, freely and easily, without any harassment, censorship or technical issues, for almost 9 years now. It is an important part of the long, sustained life of this blog. In this day and age of scummy tech companies, WordPress is one of the good ones.

But anyway, on to today’s topic.

What is Alchemy

In my last 3 articles, I covered the topic of initiation in Hermetic tradition. If you haven’t read it, you can start here.

I explained the different stages of Initiation with alchemical metaphors and symbols. But what is alchemy, exactly?

Alchemy is an ancient, mystical art of transmutation. The transformation of the lower into the higher, of the imperfect, into perfection. To turn base metals into Gold.

Perhaps you are already familiar with it. The idea of transforming your inner world into gold. In other words, turning darkness into light, or to purify oneself.

You can see why it is an allegory for spiritual awakening itself.

Books on alchemy describe the legendary Philosopher’s Stone, a mystical gem that can turn lead into gold, and confer perfect health upon the user.

It was considered the main goal of alchemical study and practice, and this knowledge was highly guarded. It was taught in secret, and veiled with heavy symbolism, so as to disguise its true meaning.

In spiritual circles, people often speak of alchemy in a strictly spiritual sense. Ask any modern magician or spiritualist, and they will tell you that alchemy is just a psychological metaphor.

Thus, people say that the “Philosopher’s Stone” is none other than the purified mind, body and spirit, and ‘transmuting lead into gold’ really just means transforming one’s inner self into Gold.

Inner perfection = The Philosopher’s Stone
Inner Ecstasy = Elixir of Life
A Magical Existence = Alchemical Gold

In Buddhism, it is the ‘diamond’ of the Diamond Sutra, also called the Padmasambhava, or ‘Lotus Made Manifest’. It is an allegory for enlightenment, a perfectly non reactive and non corrosive state.

It is all very clear then, that alchemy was simply a set of symbols, used by the wise to hide their teachings from the ‘unworthy’, and to practice their magic in secret. It was also a way for enlightened men and women to avoid persecution.

But.

It doesn’t end there. Alchemy is, and has always been, a physical art.

More than Proto-Science

You might say “yes, yes, we know that. It’s proto chemistry. Alchemists made medicines and tinctures out of herbs and minerals, and developed many techniques and apparatus of modern chemistry“.

And you’d be right. Alchemists were basically ancient chemists and herbalists. Almost all basic apparatus you see in a chemistry lab, was developed by alchemists at some point in the past.

Several important compounds like gunpowder and phosphorus, were discovered by alchemists. Many notable discoveries about plants and their healing properties were also made by alchemists. Several chemical concoctions, most notably vitriol, aqua regia, cream of tartar etc. were also created by alchemists.

Alchemy was practiced world wide, and does not belong to any one culture. Its ideas were universal. For the Arabs, it was simply called ‘Al Khemi’ and in Europe, ‘Alchemia or Chemystry’, while in India it was called ‘Rasa-Shastra’, and in China it is ‘Waidan’.

In China, the Daoists separated alchemy into two categories: ‘Waidan’ (Outer elixir) and ‘Neidan’ (Inner elixir), pretty much stating openly that it was an inner as well as an outer process.

There is that whole subplot about how it originated in Egypt, which was known as the land of Khem, but this is one of those new age myths that people repeat over and over without any evidence. It is possible, though, that the name ‘Al Khemi’ is derived from the ancient name of Egypt.

As the ancient alchemists performed their experiments, healed people, and sat by the fires purifying herbs and metals, they became purified from within. Alchemy became their ‘yoga’ or ‘method’ for spiritual awakening.

Any craft, practiced to its highest degree, becomes a path for spiritual awakening, and thus for magick.

Alchemy was one such path. Merely performing the processes can burn out many lower karma, and teach many important spiritual and practical lessons.

If magick is real, if spells and invocations are real, then the Philosopher’s Stone, or the ‘Great Work’, must also be real. If we do magic on a spiritual and mental level, then surely we can also do it on a physical level. We can, and our predecessors have assured us that the production of Gold is real too.

The Emerald Tablet

In ancient Egypt there lived a sage, and he was called Hermes Trismegistus.

Some say he was the same person as Thoth, the Egyptian god.

This is not entirely true. The word ‘Thoth’ means ‘Scribe’. It is a title, just like ‘Buddha’ or ‘Christ’ or ‘Mahatma’. The Ibis headed deity who is called ‘Thoth’ also held this title, but is different from Hermes.

So who was Thoth Hermes?

He was a philosopher and alchemist. He founded the philosophical and magical tradition called Hermeticism or Hermetism.

Hermes was a great sage, who wrote his wisdom upon a green stone. This stone is called the Emerald Tablet, and here is what it says:

It is True without a Doubt!
That which is above is like that which below, and that which is below is like that which is above!
He works the wonders of One, as all things have come from the One, through the action of One.
His Father is the Sun and his Mother is the Moon,
The Wind carried him in her belly, and the Earth nourished him.
The father of Talismans, Keeper of Wonders, Complete in Power!
The fire became earth, separate the earth from the fire,
being Gentle rather than crude.
With gentleness and wisdom, he rises from earth to heaven,
and then comes down from heaven to the earth.
He has the power of the lowest and the highest,
because in him is the light of lights, and so darkness flees from him.
The power of powers overcomes everything subtle, and
penetrates into everything crude. So my work was formed at the
formation of the World!
This is my pride, and thus I am called
Hermes, Master of Three Wisdoms!
~The Emerald Tablet

And there you have it. This is my translation, trying to keep it simple and direct. The original text, which was likely in Egyptian or Phoenician, is now lost, as is the fabled stone tablet. What you read here is my direct translation (using Google) of the 9th century Arabic version.

It describes the the secret of the Prima Materia, or ‘First Matter’.

The First matter, or Prima Materia, is the substance from which the Philosopher’s Stone is made. It is your ‘starting material’, so to speak. It is an extremely well kept secret, even though it’s not really so special.

In a spiritual context, of course, the Prima Materia is the individual themselves. You are the starting material being perfected.

You can also apply it to many other things. Alchemical principles can be applied to any art or discipline.

Imagine, an author writes a book. They go through the whole alchemical process while writing the story. As they write, the book becomes their Prima Materia. The very act of writing a book brings about inner changes. As the work proceeds, it becomes more and more refined and perfect. Various karmic hurdles are overcome, and the process of writing is a process of inner growth. Finally, they publish the book, and it brings them great wealth, happiness and inner peace. Isn’t it correct to say that this book was their Philosopher’s Stone?

Not everyone is meant to be a herbalist or a chemist. Some are writers, craftsmen, bankers and artists. Wherever there is perfection, there is the alchemical ‘Gold’. Wherever there is a perfect union of opposites, there is the spirit of Alchemy. When the Sun and the Moon are perfectly joined, this is called the Alchemical Marriage: the joining of light and darkness, of the higher and the lower, of order and chaos.

Join that which is contrary, and make it whole. This is true for other forms of magick too, and life in general. It is reflected in the name of this site: Between the Pillars. Balance. Non Duality. Advaita.

A simple cup of coffee is alchemy, when we take the black powder, pour in sugar, then mix the two in water till they become one, and then pour the milk. The black liquid turns white, and as we mix it becomes red. What it this, if not alchemy?

Black, White and Red are the three sacred colours of alchemy after all.

Do not forget the real Secret. The actual, physical stone then becomes an easy task. Inner perfection creates outer perfection.

The Red Stone

So yeah, here we are. The Red Stone. The final product of the Great Work.

I have presented my translation of the Emerald Tablet. You’ll find that most translations are not so short. Instead, they are complex, tedious, and overly elaborate. For some reason, people struggle with the idea that the truth can be simple and easy.

No, they want everything to be complicated and difficult. Entire books and grimoires have been written on the Prima Materia and the Emerald Tablet, and somehow still missed the entire point. It’s actually simple. Barely even a secret.

Now I present it to you, as it has been passed down for generations. For the sake of simplicity and convenience, I will only give a brief summary.

Don’t ask me if it’s all real, I’m just a scholar, compiling the knowledge and sharing it with the world.

First off, the Prima Materia is one thing. One substance.

It can be obtained from multiple sources, and there are different ‘paths’ in alchemy. In other words, there are different methods of making the Stone, and thus different kinds of Prima Materia. The point is that in each path, the Materia is one. That does not mean it is the same across all paths.

I am presenting one of the oldest, and simplest Paths.

It is not a difficult operation, nor a very great secret. It does not require highly specialized equipment. Anyone in the world can obtain the Prima Materia.

What is the work? It is simple. First, we find the Prima Materia. The Prima Materia is broken down into its components, then these are purified and joined back together.

Dissolve and Coagulate. This is something every path has in common.

The Prima Materia is made from two sources: the philosophic Sun and the Moon. Heat and Moisture. This work belongs to Nature. Only mother nature can produce Prima Materia.

“At the formation of the world, my work was formed.”

From the Prima Materia, we obtain the three principles: Mercury, Sulfur and Salt.

Keep in mind that everything here is referring to a principle.

The Sulfur is the female, or active principle. The Salt is the male, or passive principle. The Mercury is the androgyne, or binding principle.

Having obtained these principles, we join them together. Then, we separate them into the four elements, then join them back again. During these steps, all 7 planetary stages are encountered. The signs of the Zodiac represent different alchemical operations.

The work is requires great skill. And it is a very specific kind of skill.

A person who is able to cook, clean or tend to plants; attentive to surroundings, patient in daily life, alert and honest will be the best alchemist. A great scholar who cannot even make tea or burn some wood will find alchemy very challenging.

In other words, the ‘skills’ of alchemy are developed through daily work, but the knowledge of alchemy comes from learning about the world. This is why the secret never falls into the ‘wrong’ hands. Those who are engaged in daily work often don’t care about knowledge, while those who are very ‘learned’ and educated do not do simple things like cooking or cleaning.

In the world of magic, there are those magicians who are obsessed with over simplifying everything, and those who overcomplicate everything. Neither believes in alchemy.

A true alchemist would be the one who can unite both aspects of life. Someone who has both skill and knowledge. Both must be held in balance.

In this way, the Higher and the Lower are perfectly joined. This is inner alchemy, and prepares one for outer alchemy.

Now, let me describe it in more detail.

The Prima Materia is one thing, but it has 3 parts. It is produced, in nature, from two principles: Sol (Sun, Heat) and Luna (Moon, Moisture).

The symbol of the Prima Materia is the ‘Tree of Life’ or ‘Sacred Tree’. Every culture has such a motif, and this symbol shows us the true nature and working of Alchemy, both inner and outer.

From the ‘roots’, we get our Salt, through burning. From the ‘leaves’, we get our Sulfur, by steeping. From the ‘fruit’, we get our Mercury, through fermenting.

All materials must be produced organically, by hand, or procured by the alchemist.

Burn the Salt till it burns no more. Steep the Sulfur in the Mercury till the two are joined.

Combine the Salt, which is passive, with the Sulfur/Mercury, which is active. Once the two are mixed, dissolved and made into one, you must remove the excess liquid by boiling, till the substance is reduced to a crystalline powder. Be careful not to burn this.

This is called the Green Lion. The beginning of our work.

Separate the Green lion through distillation. First, the clear Waters of Life will come out. This appears as a clear liquid, and is also called ‘Virgin’s Milk’. This represents Water, obviously.

Then, a volatile white smoke and yellow liquid will come out. The liquid part comes first, then the vaporous part, which is white. This is the White or Golden Oil. This is highly flammable and must be kept cool. You would need to ensure it stays in an airtight bottle. This represents Air.

Finally, a thick, oily red liquid comes out. This requires a high heat, and patience. This is called the Red Wine or Wine of the Adepts. It represents Fire.

Sometimes, all three essences are separated together. This is done by distilling the lion, pouring the distillate back onto the ‘body’, then distilling again. Over and over until the distillate is blood red and the body is a black powder.

In this case, the liquid is just called ‘Lion’s Blood’, containing the Water, Air and Fire all together.

The left over residue, after separation, will be brown or grayish black. This is called the Crow’s Head, or ‘feces’. Heat this till it turns white. This is the Salt of Earth. This represents Earth.

So, the Green Lion has now been broken into the 4 elements: fire, water, air and earth.

Now slowly add the Water to the Earth, until it will drink no more. This can take time. You may have to pour the liquid, wait till it is absorbed, then pour some more. It will produce a shiny, hard white substance.

Then add the Air (both yellow liquid and condensed vapour) to it as well, and let it circulate over a gentle heat, inside a closed flash. The Vapor and Moisture of Air will rise up, condense, then fall back down. This process must continue for some time, until everything is joined together, and there is no vapour or moisture circulating. The result will be a white crystalline material, which does not burn or produce vapor, but melts when heated.

This is the fabled White Stone, or the ‘Tincture of Luna!’ This can transmute base metals into Silver. It is the White Queen. It is an important milestone.

Next, the Red Wine must be added, slowly and steadily, in 7 parts. It is called the Red King.
This is a process called imbibing, and it is sometimes compared to feeding a child. It must be fed slowly, with care.

When the matter has drunk all the wine, nothing more remains but to put the flask on fire. Slowly, the matter will turn darker, till it burns and becomes black.

This is called Nigredo, or Blackening. It is called the Black Dragon. The King and Queen, joined in Union, have perished and turned to ashes.

The most dangerous stage. In the East, this is represented in a more literal sense through the dark goddess Mahakali or Tara standing over a burning body, or over two lovers, depicted often as white and red. Interestingly, in the East the genders of the substances are reversed. The white is seen as male (Shiva) and the red as seen as female (shakti). So you have the ashen King and fiery Queen.

Slowly, over time, multicolored flecks may appear on the surface. This is called the Peacock’s Tail.

Finally, a pure, stark whiteness will appear. This is called Alebdo, the Whitening, or White Swan. The White Queen reborn.

After even longer time, the redness appears at last. This is called Rubedo, or Reddening. THIS is the ‘Golden Dawn’ that everyone talks about, because it is as if the dark night gave way to the early morning light, and finally the red Sun arose at Dawn. It is the Red King reborn.

Once the mater has fully become one, joined stone, with no moisture or vapor, you have the Red Stone, or Red Lion. It is also called the Serpent of Arabia, the Red Dragon or the Pheonix, born from its own ashes, and even the Bird of Hermes. The King and Queen, who produce a divine Child.

It is described as a waxy substance, which does not burn in heat, but melts like wax. When spread out, it has a gold colour. It has the power to turn 10 parts its own weight of any base metal into pure gold.

Contrary to popular belief, the metal that was commonly transmuted was not Lead, but rather metallic Mercury, being easier to change. As I understand, both Lead and Mercury can be transmuted.

The White Stone can do the same, but turning the metals into Silver instead. There are some who say that the ‘Albedo’ stage is the real white stone. But here, I am genuinely unsure. I will let you know if I ever do the operation myself.

The primary purpose of the Stones is to make an Elixir which can heal all mental and physical disease when mixed with water or wine. As I understand, the white Elixir is to cure illnesses, while the red Elixir is for long term health and wellness. Additionally, they can be charged with spiritual energy, and used as a catalyst for healing, meditation, ritual and abundance.

And that is the whole work, created at the Foundation of the World.

Look at the Major Arcana of the Tarot, and the whole work is described there. There are many different paths, but I have found that fundamentally they all follow the same general concept.

Always, the Prima Materia is obtained, and heat is applied, with great skill, till the material separates, and then joins again, going from black to white to red.

Always, the result is the Red and White Stones.