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Alchemy Academy archive
April 2003

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Subject: ACADEMY : Numerology of ALCHIMIA in The Chymical Wedding
From: Michael Martin
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003

Is anyone aware of any current research regarding the numerology of
A-L-C-H-I-M-I-A in The Chymical Wedding? As you may know, the
Virgin assures Christian Rosenkreutz that her name equals 55;
but when we do the math we arrive at 56. I have seen arguments
blaming this on a printer's error. I am also familiar with an
interesting take on 55 as being the number of the Virgin Mary.

Any thoughts?

Michael Martin

Subject: ACADEMY : Figures in a MS of Jacques Tesson
From: Adam McLean
Date: 27th April 2003

Does any one know or have access to the manuscript
of Jacques Tesson ?

Oeuvre du Lyon vert de Jacques Le Tesson, en dialogue.

The work of the Green Lion, the dialogue, and the treatise.

It seems to consist of three works, closely related in theme.
The middle piece, the dialogue, appears to have a series
of twenty images. Has anyone seen these ?

I am not sure if they are in the manuscripts

Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale. MS. Français 14943 [Supp. Fr. 2514]
Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale. MS. Français 19069 [Saint-Germain français 1227]
Lyon MS. MS. 971 (900)

I have looked at the manuscript
London, Wellcome Institute MS. 4770.
but as far as I recollect there were no drawings in the
section of Tesson's work.

Has anyone looked at the Tesson material recently ?

There is apparently a modern edition of this work

Le Tesson Jacques. L'Oeuvre du Lion Verd.
Librairie de Medicis, Paris, 1978.

Does anyone have access to this? Does it reproduce the
twenty drawings that are referred to in the manuscript ?

With best wishes,

Adam McLean

Subject: ACADEMY : Figures in a MS of Jacques Tesson
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2003
From: Rafal T. Prinke

> Le Tesson Jacques. L'Oeuvre du Lion Verd.
> Librairie de Medicis, Paris, 1978.
>
> Does anyone have access to this? Does it reproduce the
> twenty drawings that are referred to in the manuscript ?

There is an online version of the text:

http://membres.lycos.fr/hermetisme/letesson/lionverd.htm

and there are some drawings at the very bottom of the page.
Not very impressive - but this may be what you are looking for.

Best regards,

Rafal

Subject: ACADEMY : Figures in a MS of Jacques Tesson
From: Stanislas Klossowski de Rola
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2003

Jacques Tesson, Le Grand et Excellent Oeuvre des Sages,
contenant trois traites ou dialogues. Dialogues du Lyon verd,
du Grand Theriarque et du Regime. Manuscrit du XVIIe siecle.
Bibliotheque de Lyon nO 971 (900)

It is illustrated. But my research notes do not specify the number.
However if memory serves me right Genevieve Dubois has
published it.

All the best,

Stanislas Klossowski de Rola

PS I will be in Europe in May and June and hope to be in Lyon,
I could send you further information if required.

Subject: ACADEMY : Thesaurus Thesaurorum A Fraternitate Rosae et Aureae Crucis Testamento
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2003
From: Frank Burton

Anyone have news about a MSS named

"Thesaurus Thesaurorum A Fraternitate Rosae Et Aureae
Crucis Testamento" (1580)?

Thanks in advance,

Frank

Subject: ACADEMY : Numerology of ALCHIMIA in The Chymical Wedding
From: Susanna Åkerman
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003

Michael,

55 is the sum of the integers 1+2+3...9+10, thus it could
be the tetractys that is meant.

Susanna Akerman

Subject: ACADEMY : A commentary on Tabula Smaragdina
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003
From: Rafal T. Prinke

I am editing a Polish manuscript translation of _Tabula Smaragdina_
which was made in 1626 (on May 6th, to be exact). It has
a commentary consisting of 12 short numbered paragraphs
which is not similar to any other commentary I have seen.
The first paragraph lists 7 features or aspects of Medicina
Universalis. The third starts: "Wind is nothing else but Spirit
which we call Mercury". The seventh begins with "Philosophus
says" - which reminds of the same phrase in the commentary
by Hortulanus, but his one is certainly not the same.

Does anyone recognize the source of this commentary?

Best regards,

Rafal

Subject: ACADEMY : Thesaurus Thesaurorum A Fraternitate Rosae et Aureae Crucis Testamento
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003
From: Leigh Penman

Could this be a reference to the mythical 'Leipzig' manuscript of
Michael Maier? Bricaud (followed by John Warwick Montgomery)
attached the date 1570 to the manuscript, however.

See Hereward Tilton's article on Maier in ARIES and his excellent Ph.D.
thesis, pp.139-146.

Where did you come across the reference, Frank?

Subject: ACADEMY : Thesaurus Thesaurorum A Fraternitate Rosae et Aureae Crucis Testamento
From: Susanna Åkerman
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003

Dear Frank,

The document you speak of may be dated 1680 at the earliest.
The Fratres Roseae et aureae crucis were formed in Naples
1678 and in 1680 the porta magica was raised in Rome with
an emblem taken from Henricus Madathanus Aureum saeculum
redivivum 1622. Johannes de Monte Hermetis also published
a commentary on Madathanus in 1680. Madathanus called
himself a frater aureae crucis. Monte Hermetis title was
Explicatio Centri in Trigono centri per somnium - Das ist:
Erlauterung dess Hermetischen Goldene Fliess (Ulm, 1680).

There may be other manuscripts in France or Germany at this time.

Susanna Akerman

Subject: ACADEMY : Thesaurus Thesaurorum A Fraternitate Rosae et Aureae Crucis Testamento
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003
From: Hereward Tilton

Dear Frank,

I would be surprised if you came across a manuscript dating to
1580 and containing references to a "Gold and Rose Cross" -
where did you hear this item of information?

I've done some research on the widespread rumours of
pre-17th century Rosy Cross/Gold and Rosy Cross documents
and on the whole they seem to emanate from the 18th century
attempts of certain members of the Gold- und Rosenkreutz to
prove the anteriority of their lineage to the Rosicrucianism of
the early 17th century manifestos (Hans Heinrich von Ecker
und Eckhoffen and his informant 'Brother Hosmopina Neberus'
seem to be the principal culprits in this regard). I believe
Carlos Gilly has been working on some later 17th century
eferences to the gold and rosy cross in Italian manuscripts.

Nevertheless, some esotericists still seem to possess a strong
will to believe that Rosicrucianism predates the 17th century
(as if the doctrines of Rosicrucianism through the centuries
would somehow be lent greater legitimacy by such a fact).
That having been said, who knows what one might uncover
mouldering away in some dusty archives one day? On this subject,
see my magnificent monograph on Count Michael Maier appearing
with de Gruyter publishers next month, "The Quest for the Phoenix".

Regards,

Hereward Tilton

Subject: ACADEMY : Thesaurus Thesaurorum A Fraternitate Rosae et Aureae Crucis Testamento
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003
From: Adam McLean

Was this not the manuscript mentioned in one of A.E. Waite's
books as being in Freemason's Hall Library in London ?

Some years ago I did enquire about it but did not manage to
get any further information. I think it was of interest to some
of the later Golden Dawn people.

Adam McLean