|
Inner alchemy archives - Inner InterpretationBack to alchemy forum page . Back to Inner alchemy archive.Date: Fri, 21 Mar 1997 09:15:44 -0800 From: George Matchette My particular interest in alchemy is primarily metaphorical as a way of understanding the process of psychological change from psychological/spiritual point-of-view. I am also a "salek" on the path of sufism, which frequently uses alchemical metaphors to describe the process of spiritual purification and ascension (for example, the removal or rust from iron). I am particularly interested in what researchers and seekers have come across in understanding their own process of change/growth from an alchemical perspective. Again, thank you for welcoming me. George Matchette, MFCC From: Steve Kalec Date: Sun, 23 Mar 1997 19:34:33 -0500 A few years ago I was blessed by the bestowal upon me of a very mystical and profound inner initiation. The experience has been a seriously transforming one and since then I have been truly wanting to make sure that I am fully understanding in its full depth the true meanings of what has been revealed to me. I am still in need of some answers and some confirmations that I am searching for . I also know of the difficulty in sharing of interpretations of inner experiences since they all reflect a personal note, but in the same manner there is a universality to the symbols and the language of the unconscious. We have here on our E-mail forum many serious , very insightful and knowledgeable alchemists. I have no better place to turn and go to for the help that I seek. So I am here in most humbleness relating to you my experience. I am promising you that I am not adding to or removing from anything that has transpired that night. Please forgive me if this might come out a little lengthy . I was suddenly and instantaneously awoken at around two o'clock after midnight.The atmosphere at first was very eery and a kind of terror was upon me as I became aware of a presence around me in my room. A peaceful assurance soon came over me as I was gently touched at the ankle area as though to indicate that no harm is intended. By now I realized that something was about to transpire and that it was happening for me. I took a deep breath, held it and slowly released it.I concentrated my consciousness into the area at the center of my head. I started to feel a lightness of being and felt my consciousness rapidly expanding and rising. Heinous and monstrous faces appeared in front of me as I soared through them.Speed was increasing and the passage was very turbulent until the faces were left well behind.Suddenly there was a stop and I was engulfed by an immense silence and peace. I found myself standing inside a temple with a very high ceiling and distant walls. In front of me were three being wearing white robes advancing towards me. The one in the center was holding a golden crown and came up to me. He held the crown about eight inches above my head as he said " This is to symbolize that you have entered into the Kingdom ". As he stepped back giving way, the one on the right held up a most beautiful sword blade up. Ingraved in it at the root of the blade just above the hilt was the symbol of an eye within a triangle. The voice of the one in the center asked me , " do you know the meaning of this symbol ? " I replied that it was the all seeing eye. The voice asked, " what else does it mean ? ". I replied that it was my conscience. The voice again asked " but what else does it mean ? ". For some reason, I understood and I answered that it symbolized the consciousness of God within me. The voice of the initiator was at this point satisfied. Then with authority he asked me to look at the other symbol in its handle and if I knew its meaning. I looked and saw a black serpent entwined around its golden handle with its head upwards towards the blade. I was perplexed and in the experience I didn't know what this symbol was all about. To myself I whispered " why serpent " ? The being to the left quickly stepped around and behind me and whispered into my ear " it is the bottom of the pit ". Still being perplexed I heard the voice of the initiator saying, " yes, it symbolizes the bottom of the pit, and remember always that it was the consciousness of God within you that has raised you out of the pit ". He continued as he said , " This is your sword, in it is your key and your power ". In a commanding voice he said " USE IT , and now take the Kingdom down to earth " . Very high vibrations quickly descended in frequency and I found myself again in my bed fully conscious of all that has happened. Prior to this experience I was always dreadfully afraid of knives and sharp things. I could not stand knives on the kitchen counter, I would always make sure they were put away. Now I am fascinated by swords, I could stare at them, study their beauty and am no longer afraid of sharp things. One day I hope to reproduce the sword I saw with its symbols and it's winged shaped hilt. Things that I think I understand : The Crown represents spiritual achievement. The fact that It was not placed on my head and only held over my head represents that my ego did not identify with the experience and that it was not an inflationary experience. Also that the Crown is always above us forever to be achieved and that our unfolding in spirituality is infinite. The serpent is the unconscious contents below the surface of consciousness also it represents raw psychic energy, vital mercurial forces emerging. I believe that the key and the power in the sword is the upward and downward way, rising to the above and returning to the below. To solve and coagulate. Solve , having consciousness raised out of the pit and coagulate, taking consciousness back down to earth. Things I don't think I understand : Is the consciousness of God within me that is referred to by the voice, the conscious workings of the divine energies within me or is it my consciousness of the divine within me that has raised me out of the pit ? What is the pit ? Is it the depth of the unconscious ? To be raised out of the pit , is this the end of involution and the beginning of evolution or spiritualization ? Why did I enter into the kingdom ? Kether symbolizes the Crown. Is the kingdom representing the whole world where Kether is drawn out of it ? I would greatly appreciate insight and help in these questions. I would also appreciate comments and opinions as to similar experiences. Please above all show me if you can see what I am not seeing. For anyone who wishes to contact me privately my e-mail address is skalec@colba.net . Thank you all for lending me your ears. Best regards to all, Steve Kalec Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 From: Dimitris >From: Steve Kalec >Things I don't think I understand : Is the consciousness of God >within me that is referred to by the voice, the conscious workings of the >divine energies within me or is it my consciousness of the divine within >me that has raised me out of the pit ? Is there really a difference between the two? >What is the pit ? Is it the depth of >the unconscious ? To be raised out of the pit , is this the end of >involution and the beginning of evolution or spiritualization ? Why did I >enter into the kingdom ? Kether symbolizes the Crown. Is the kingdom >representing the whole world where Kether is drawn out of it ? Disclaimer: I'm not an expert on this, I'm just sharing with you my personal insights. Every symbol can be interpreted in many many ways. I believe that each interperetation is 'correct' in its synchronistic context. That is, every interpretation that comes in any way, is a response to what we need to hear at that given moment. Your interpretations of the pit and the kingdom could very well be what you say. Go with the flow, and Good Luck. (Sorry for not offering another interpretation, but I agree with yours.) Luv-u-lite Dimitris P.S. To be in the pit, reminds me of narrowness. Get the image: you're in a pit and all you see is a small portion of the world and all-that-exists. You are raised out of the pit, you float and fly. Perspective. A whole new world is revealed. This meaning can be literal or metaphorical. As you please. From: Mats Winther Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 12:27:39 +0100 Steve Kalec, This is a remarkable vision. My comments: This is the Holy Trinity. The one in the middle is the Father, the one on the right with the sword (as in the Revelations of S:t John) is the Son. The one on the left is the Holy Ghost (as he whispers the truth in your ear). The triangle with the eye is actually a well-known symbol of The Holy Trinity and can often be seen on churches. How you interpret the symbol in the vision, as the consciousness of God within you, is very good. It represents namely our conscious picture of God, as a three-fold deity. The spirit of our time is the spirit of number three (or the "tertiary spirit" as I put it earlier). To be successful in the Art one has to completely integrate this spirit. Your interpretations are perhaps formally correct, but you donīt seem to understand the immense implications of such a vision. You actually stand before the Holy Trinity. Very few people in history have experienced such an elevation. Your dignity as a person is huge, although you donīt realize it. You are given the most important role in the divine drama. You experience the typical effect of the three-fold spirit when your consciousness is "expanding and rising". You pass through the levels of the low spirits ("heinous and monstrous faces") on your way to the highest level, the Palace of the Trinity. This signifies that you become conscious of diverse lowly mentalities, "false spirits" within you and in the world. This is pertaining to "integration of the shadow" in jungian terms, and "expulsion of the demons" in alchemical terms (dissolution of the Prima Materia to achieve the quintessence). The "throwing up of the snake" aptly expresses this expulsion of the demons. However, it is really "throwing up one's own tail" since it is one's own evil. This is expanding consciousness and is the same process used by the christians when they wanted to rid themselves of evil. The spewed out lowly spirits are transformed to a tertiary spirit, a fully developed winged dragon. After he has reached the summit, the Palace of Trinity, he will lower down to earth again and will be swallowed by earth. But since the dragon now is free from impurities it will not be spewed out to expand consciousness. A new being will emerge again at Albedo. At the Palace of Trinity you are "almost crowned". This means that you are really the Son of God. According to the medieval alchemist the Opus was invoked by the Holy Ghost, so this is quite in order. You are not given the herdsmans staff (like Jesus), but instead you are given the sword which shows that a new revelation is emerging. The crown is meant for you, but before it can really be put on your head you must establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. You are given the power to achieve this goal. The power is symbolized by the sword. According to the Revelations of S:t John, Christ will carry a sword at his second coming. The godhead has chosen you to carry this sword. You will be the Second Christ. The sword is your tongue which will declare a new revelation, and it will not be a mild language. But before you can become the Second Christ, you must be transformed in the alchemical process. And when you emerge renewed from the unconscious like when the dragon spewed forth Jason in greek mythology, you will be transformed into the Son of God, the Second Christ, or Aquarius if you like. I know itīs hard to believe, but these are the immense implications of your vision. Below the symbol of the Trinity is the Serpent. It is striving upwards, towards the Trinity. The Serpent is Satan, aptly named "the bottomless pit". What is he up to? He will unite himself with the godhead so that the three becomes four. This will heal the split in the godhead and the paradigm of the number four is at hand. The new paradigm will be "Spirit and Matter is One". The Kingdom of Heaven will be established on material Earth. Matter will no longer be meaningless, it will regain it status. This is the archetype of Mercurius who is matter and spirit united. This is what I meant in an earlier message when I wrote that the alchemical concept goes much farther than the actual personal Opus. It is also a divine drama, the Opus of God. You have been assigned a mission. Itīs your life's work. You will heal the split in the godhead. Satan will return and accomplish The Holy Quaternity to replace The Holy Trinity. But as the Father points out, it was The Holy Trinity that saved us from Satan in the beginning of the era. Christianity started it all. It is also the Trinity that invokes the purging of sin from the adept's personal soul and thereby starts the Opus. Mats Winther From: Steve Kalec Date: Wed, 26 Mar 1997 12:58:03 -0500 Dear Mats Winther, I sincerely wish to thank you very much for helping me with my quest in trying to arrive at a true deciphering of my vision concerning the Key and the Power in my sword. You have written me some extremely powerful words and your interpretation is impressively majestic and most beautifully laid out. It is evident that you are well acquainted and versant in the esoteric transcendent symbologies of inner alchemy. You are right when you say that I don't seem to understand the immense applications of such a vision. I have never dared to see into it with such a profound depth. But believe me that not a day has gone by that I don't think about the whole thing. I know that it is a very mystical and esoteric vision and I have never since relaxed in searching for its true meaning. It is very hard to find people whom one can go to and share these kind of thinkings and ideas. I have been a student of mysticism since many years and my search has eventually led me to Carl Jung, and Jung has led me to Alchemy and soon I found my kind on this alchemy e-mail forum. The beings as the Trinity did escape me, and so did the serpent as Satan on his journey back to the Godhead. The heinous and monstrous faces, I did understand as the expulsion of demons and the integration of the shadows. To become the Son of God , all true alchemist aspire to that as do I. To me it would be the achieving of the Philosopher's Stone. Chrishood is latent and potential in higher consciousness in all of us and in that sense I can accept what you are saying that I must establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. I believe that this would be the effect of the blessed descent of the Holy Spirit. The Tincturing by this positive , creative , cleansing, healing , life giving and all encompassing energy of love would turn any cold and dark unconscious crude lead into the bright shining Gold of the Divine Quintessential Light. Dear Mats, you have stirred my soul. You have given me allot to think about and digest. My sincere thanks once more for your gracious time and true help . I suppose allot can be summed up with a passage from the Emerald Tablet. " It ascends from earth to heaven, and descends again, new born to earth, taking unto itself thereby the power of the Above and the Below. Thus the splendor of the whole world will be thine, and all darkness shall flee from thee ". Best Regards, Steve Kalec Date: Wed, 26 Mar 97 14:21:02 UT From: Mike Dickman Woah, there, Mats! Your interpretation is fascinating but I would remind us all of the following little Hassidic saying: If you happen to be planting a tree when you hear MShICh has come, Finish planting before you run and see. Steve - Mats may, of course, be quite right - but if I might also suggest a study in Waite's and Crowley's Tarot decks - in fact in any Tarot deck at all - of 'The Ace of Swords', for the crown and sword images and possible interpretations, Crowley's card of the same name also for the eye in the triangle (here represented by the word 'Thelema - Law'), and his 'The Lovers' and 'The Hermit' for the serpent-entwined pommel... An interpretation from a slightly different point of view than Mats' then: The Ace of Swords represents the Kether of the Yetziratic world - the world of the "messengers" between the powerful archetypal 'inhabitants' of the 'realm of pure spirit' and the 'natural world', Assiah, the 'realm of the senses and sensed', as it were... Its power, however, unlike those of the Ace of Wands and of Cups, is INVOKED rather than innate... The sword passing through the crown has many possibilities: the one I favour is that of the rising energy of the so-called kundalini passing upwards into and opening out the so-called 'crown centre'... This movement, however, is only half of the story and has a tendency to leave one overvaluing the more 'spiritual' aethyrs to the detriment of those that are more 'material' (most of the history of religions is about exactly this problem)... Swords, it should always be remembered, and as opposed to sabres of various types, are two-sided... One of the arts I teach is T'ai Chi Jian, 'The Sword-Form of the Supreme Ultimate'... One of the first things one is brought to realise as soon as one has a real sword in one's hand, is that any cutting down of a supposed 'external' "enemy" will necessarily entail the cutting down of the real idiot who lives behind one's nose first... Hakuin Ekaku, the great Rinzai Zen Master of the 16th. century, wrote an open letter to the Samurai accusing of being thieves inasmuch as they claimed to be soldiers but still knew the meaning of fear. "The only real soldier", said Hakuin, "is one who is dead already. Only he may give himself unconditionally to the fray. All others are playing at it tentatively." There is wealth of material on the way of the warrior: a good introduction might be Daisetzu Suzuki's 'Zen and Japanese Culture', (Princeton 1989), sections V and VI, pp. 89-214, and Trevor Leggett's 'Zen and the Ways' (RKP 1978)... I suggest these sources inasmuch as they are very non-sentimental about 'knightliness'... You might also look into the Taoist 'Sun-tzu' or 'Arts of War'... Maņjushri, the Buddhist 'Enlightenment Being' of penetrating insight, is traditionally shown wielding a sword, the 'sword of wisdom' whose double-edged blade cuts down both subject and object as it slices to the innate vast openness of all that is. The Kether of Yetzirah can be seen as 'nesting into' and coinciding with the Tiphareth of Briah, and, thereby, Michael ('Who is Beloved of God?'), leader of the heavenly hosts AS GUIDE in the sense of 'guiding light', something to steer towards. However, the sword, and the hand that holds it, begin in the Malkuth of Yetsirah, corresponding in their turn to the Tiphareth of Assiah, meaning, basically that one has commenced digestion of the initiations regarding the five elements, and is starting to invoke - but is not necessarily ready for - what is above... beyond... The crown of Kether, I might point out, is always 'above' the head, even when on it... The serpent-entwined sphere or egg, though symbolising in your dream 'the pit', is also the point of eternal becoming... The Hermit holds it in his hand as the one true subject worthy of study, and it is that which is analysed into its fractal infinities with the beginnings of the first 'Solve' of the Lovers, and that which will reach synthesis and completion of investigation on the path of Samech in the balanced interplay of Temperance (and don't forget the V.I.T.R.I.O.L.! - Boy oh boy! - does one ever need it!)... The question is: What could ever come into being, persist for a while and then pass out of it, and when, where, why and how could any of these things ever happen? A good dash of that should go a long way to sorting out hopes and fears from whatever else it is that is left when once you've (we've) finally got rid of them... So who are the three beings?... (forgive me if my tone sounds a bit aggressive by the way: it's not meant to be. I'm just playing devil's advocate to Mats.) In keeping with the 'Tree' image, they could be Tiphareth, Geburah and Chesed - Certainly would be in GD symbolism... (and they certainly seem to play that role in your 'dreaming')... The hideous faces may well be your own fear of being trapped in the material - There IS NO material... Everything, from the vastness of possibility up, is - and hinges entirely upon - your way of seeing. I'm sorry if this steps it down a tad from Mats' interpretation... I'm sure mine is equally open to question. After all... Whatever it was, your vision was certainly beautiful, and is probably - certainly, even - beyond all meanings anyone outside yourself could really apply... With respect, mike Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 11:03:55 -0500 (EST) From: Jeff Dear Mats, Quite an interpretation. You certainly know your imagery but I wonder if you are not making two mistakes. This may be a misunderstanding on my part, but I have work with people and their visions a long time. Steve's vision is powerful but not unusual, and the danger of your interpretation seems to me to be to confuse an individual's work on thier own enlightenment with some kind of cosmic task. People who make this assumption usually decide they are the new messanger or messiah or some such, and forgot that individual enlightenment is the enlightenment of the cosmos. If I am enlightened, then God is as well within me, but that does not mean I am bringing enlightenment to you or to anyone else - that you must achieve for yourself. Second, you naively make the assumption that the Christian mythos is somehow the correct one, that three means trinity and four the redemption of Satan. Perhaps the christian concept is simply one of many triggered by the archetypal movement of three to four. For me Steve's vision is significant and indicative of the powerful experiences people on their path can have, and alchemy is a very powerful symbol system for understanding these experiences. But we all have the god within to be redeemed and, as a good Jungian I suppose, the redemption of the individual is to me the highest work. I personally doubt whether there is any other way to redeem God than in the creation of the individual personal god within the individual psyche. This I thnk Seve's vision is about and that is quite cosmic enough in itself. Fondly Jeff From: Steve Kalec Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 20:45:46 -0500 Dear Jeff, > But we all have the god within to be redeemed and, as a good Jungian > I suppose, the redemption of the individual is to me the highest work. And I agree with you fully. Each in our own way and in our own time. As each individual is lifted to a higher plane he pulls with himself to some degree the whole. Cosmically he assists in the elevation of the collective whole. And as you say, in this is the highest work. It is in this that as each individual redemption is accumulated, a critical mass so to speak in the elevation of consciousness will one day be reached causing a collective cosmic chain reaction and explosion into a new and higher consciousness in humanity and in the world. The collective Stone will be made. >.........and the danger of your interpretation seems to me >to be to confuse an individual's work on their own enlightenment with >some kind of cosmic task. People who make this assumption usually >decide they are the new messenger or messiah or some such, and >forgot that individual enlightenment is the enlightenment of the >cosmos. Heavens forbid that I should be vain enough to consider myself as such. I do appreciate your concern and I know that you are speaking to Mats Winthers. But allow me to say that I did understand Mats' message inwardly. To heal the split in the Godhead, if it is to be done, it is to be done within me, in my soul and in my consciousness. When he stated that I am to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth and become the son of God , I understood it as the inner Alchemical process which will occur when the volatile Holy Spirit , the universal tincturing essence will become Fixed and the Glory of God , Divine Consciousness will spill out onto the calcined purified salts or earth and become established in the material aspect and objective consciousness of my being . But I do hear you as to how an ill assumption can be made by some who are not quite grounded or some whose vain and expanded egos get over excited and blown away by such a message. I would like to thank all of you who have taken out time to share with me their views and comments. To Mike Dickman, > " The sword passing through the crown has many possibilities ". The kundalini , psychic or vital mercurial energies emerging is definitely in order here and so is the crown as the Sahasrara chakra. Thank you for your kabalistic interpretation. To Dimitris, > " I believe that each interpretation is 'correct' in its synchronistic context. That is, every interpretation that comes in any way, is a response to what we need to hear at that given moment. Your interpretations of the pit and the kingdom couldvery well be what you say. Go with the flow ". ......Yes , usually the first feelings and impression are the most valid. Best Regards to all, Steve Kalec From: Mats Winther Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 11:40:12 +0100 Steve Kalec, Big problems necessitates big messages, so here is a lengthy one. If my earlier message sounded majestic, that was not my intention. To me they were just plausible thoughts, nothing else. The use of symbols may create a religious feeling. But that is not how I look at them, Iīm not religious at all. I use them because they talk to the unconscious at the same time. The unconscious needs to be updated with what is going on. Also, symbols seem to be totally beyond the scope of low-witted people, who even think itīs insane to use this kind of language. This is a great advantage since the message only goes through to the people it was intended for. This was very important to the medieval alchemists. But, in fact, your vision is rather pompous. This is because The Father is rather old fashioned. He thinks he makes a good impression that way. But modern man usually prefer a more modest language. The Holy Ghost is not at all like that. He is much more pragmatical. I say this because there is a dangerous trap concerning religiosity, and you could be the type of person who steps into it. If you start making relics, a sword for example, and acquire an estetical attitude toward the Opus; if you start "collecting" visions, dreams, spiritual knowledge without "living" it, then you are a great sinner. Then you are like the man who collects delicious fruits, and even conscientiously peels them, where-upon he leaves them to rot where they lie in a big heap inside his house. Or you would be like the fisherman who is forever fishing, never returning to the shore to feast on the catch. The tragedy would be even greater in your case since you have received such a strong call. Only a few fish are needed to make a meal. This is why the medieval alchemists told their disciples to "rend your books asunder". Actually there is no need to read any 'esoteric' literature at all, the jungian studies youīve done is quite enough. When the tertiary spirit is integrated you will be able to do the symbolical thinking yourself. The Spirit is really sickly tired of estetism, relic worship, dream collecting, book collecting and all kind of spiritual hypocrisy. It wants to see some real action. The unconscious - the Anima - is not a goddess to be worshipped. Donīt do the same mistake as so many other tragic figures. The Trinity today is a modern spirit, very pragmatical. It will become the tertiary function which is a great gift. The descent of The Holy Ghost then, is not such a "big deal". He is already working inside you. But maybe he thinks that a formal baptism is needed. It will probably not be a dove descending, like in Jesusī case. A more modern scenario could be something like this. The light will shine in through your window at early morning time, and it makes your face warm. As you open your eyes you see that itīs actually dark outside. As you close your eyes again the light is back and it becomes stronger and stronger and your face becomes hot. You experience a heavenly peace and wellbeing; what the christians called Grace. But you hear a buzzing sound that is increasing. You realize that the hood of light above you is The Holy Ghost and it is boring a hole in your head. Afterwards you realize that you have been trepanned and a fecundation has occured. Now, as the spirit grows inside you, he is no longer a spirit. Only a function of your psyche. So there will be no more Trinity to worship out there. This will avoid the collector trap. I think I must update you concerning the qualities of The Holy Ghost. You seem to have missed out a relevant part. The Holy Ghost is love, certainly, but only to some. To others - a nightmare. The tertiary function brings forth the truth which can be relayed to others. So anybody who talks back to you will also talk back to The Holy Ghost. And remember the saying of Jesus, that you can talk back to the Father and the Son, but never, ever, talk back to the Holy Ghost. There is nothing mystical about this, either. It just means that a serious deterioration of health will occur, or a fatal mishap, perhaps. So there is also death surrounding a person who has integrated the tertiary spirit and expresses its truth. The sharp edge of the sword then, is of no estetical significance, it is a sign of deadly danger. The three-fold spirit will not only give you bright understanding. This sinister function will come with it, as well. In fact, the harvest has already started, and the bad corn will be thrown into the fire. You call it "cleansing" - that is correct. This is not the workings of Satan. Itīs The Holy Ghost. I know this all sounds religious, but it is really a commonplace experience. This was my comments concerning the power of the sword which is in the sharp blade. The blade concerns the daylight world and the handle concerns the underworld. The serpent on the handle is coiled around the gold like the dragon is coiled around his golden treasure in the hero myth. This is Satan, the wingless dragon. The mature winged dragon will descend and enter into the jaws of the earth monster. Now, here is the tricky part, the ascent is child's stuff; the descent and entering into the tomb is quite different. To me, here is where the process really starts. This is Nigredo (but many medieval alchemist meant that the Nigredo started at the ascent of the spirit). I agree with you that the "Key" concerns coagulatio. This is fixing the volatile spirit that descends from the lofty mountain. You have received a key that will open the tomb - the alchemical vessel - so you can enter and enjoy being there. What I donīt understand is; how can the sword of the lofty, tertiary spirit also contain the key to the concentrated, minuscule spirit? I mean, they are opposites. Anyway, for the time being I donīt want to talk too much about this secretive matter. Iīve already gone into the topic in earlier messages. Youīre trying to get off the hook in saying this: "To become the Son of God, all true alchemist aspire to that as do I (..) Christhood is latent (..) in all of us and in that sense (..) I must establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth". I must point out that there are dragons of different sizes. And you are a huge dragon. If you deny this you will be like a man walking about, carrying an elephant on his shoulders. Your body will only be capable of this for a short time, then it will start to sway. You are probably experiencing physical problems already. The elephant is meant to ride on. A little Nietzsche-reading would be good here, I think. To me, the term "Christhood" seems religious, buddistic even. But this is not some kind of spiritual adventure. Taking the Kingdom to Earth just means opening peoples eyes so that they see that the Kingdom is at hand. Jesus made us come closer to Earth, but we are still walking one centimeter above the ground. Itīs your job to make people actually put down their feet on the ground. They will not be under the control of the lofty spirit anymore. This is the paradigm of the number four. Jesus went into Nigredo, where he stayed for three days, after which he was resurrected and thereby inherited all the power of Heaven and Earth. However, the power of Earth was inhibited by the Devil. This little problem is fixed by Satan ascending to the Godhead. Many persons have to encounter the unconscious so that they after this can go on with their job as a company director, for instance. Jesus did the same. Afterwards he went on with his job as the emperor of the universe. There are different sizes of dragons. When the Kingdom is established on Earth people will eat, drink, work and enjoy being in the sun. Thatīs all. For the first time they will realize that they are actually here, in the warm vessel of the world. They will no longer run about everywhere like restless ghosts. But the place will be continually cleansed. Mats Winther From: Steve Kalec Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 20:53:48 -0500 Dear Mats, I'm sorry if you didn't like the word ( majestic ), I used it in the sense as our beloved art being a Noble Art. Believe me that the last thing that I would ever want to do was to turn you off. If the Father is old fashioned as you say, then so am I and so are many who study the Hermetic science. I certainly see nothing wrong with that. But I also agree with you that the unconscious has to update with what is going on, and it does. There are some today who look up and see alien UFOs. If thats how the unconscious reveals itself to some, so be it. I prefer the radiant Eye. In any case I didn't ask it to reveal itself as the Eye, it just happened. My intention is really not to be argumentive, but I doubt that if someone paints a painting of an inner vision he had or if one replicates a sword, necessarlily risks falling into a religious trap. Even Carl Jung painted a self portrait of himself in ceremonial dress with a winged serpent behind him while he is carrying a sword. You say that he who collects dreams and spiritual knowledge without living it is a great sinner. I say to you that I agree with you and that in service is all true rewards. Those who do not use the spiritual gifts it shall be taken away from them and given to those who use it. But why do you warn me of this ? You hardly know me and my activities and services. There are many of us who collect dreams, we are told to write them down for it establishes a communication channel with the unconscious.I collect alchemical symbols because I find them rich with meaning and beautiful . I collect pictures of masterful mystical paintings for the same reason, all of them are highly elevating. I hardly think all this makes one a spiritual hypocrite and a sinner. Some of us enjoy the Spirit that is alive in the arts and in literature. >A more modern scenario could be something like this. The light >will shine in through your window at early morning time, and it >makes your face warm. As you open your eyes you see that itīs >actually dark outside. As you close your eyes again the light is >back and it becomes stronger and stronger and your face >becomes hot........... Ahh ! yes , beautiful stuff, and lets not omit the cooling heating descent that cleanses, heals ,elevates, transmutes and plunges one into an indescribable ecstacy such as no sexual orgasm can even dare to come close to in comparison. Pure Divine Love, that renders one to tears of the highest of joys because it is then that God has full and true expression in one's consciousness. It is then that one has truly let God's Will be done because your will has given way .But in any case this is not a modern scenario, this light has been expressed thus by many mystics, alchemists and saints. I agree with you that the Holy Ghost is not always as beautiful for some as was the case of Paul of Tarsus. If the light is ready to be revealed it will break through with violence if one fights it. It is an absolute autonomous power. But it still transformed Paul. >Now, here is the tricky part, the ascent is child's stuff; the descent >and entering into the tomb is quite different. To me, here is where the >process really starts. This is Nigredo (but many medieval alchemist >meant that the Nigredo started at the ascent of the spirit........... CHILD'S PLAY ?? Again please accept my argument as a respectfully friendly discussion. The raising of the heat of the secret fire and its control for an even beneficial just right heat is a very very crucial part.To achieve the ascent is in the release and the rising of the vital mercurial forces and with this one needs to be most careful. This is the distilation and the calcination. This is not child play at all. This needs to be mastered to an art. If you raise this fire too quickly and lose control of your heat, the fleeting substance of the spirit will break your vessel and flee. This can lead to schizophrenia. One must be sure that his stove can contain the fire. I have had my share of burning and it is not very pleasant. Many a times I prayed to the God of my heart that the heat stop, which lasted days sometimes. I thank God that I was always well protected and guided by the inner Self . Calcination leads you into the garden of Gethseman where the dark night of the soul , however blessed it is, can still be a dreadful situation and you have not yet achieved the ascent. Then the allegorical Crucifixion and the giving up of the ego, the will and the spirit.Then you have to descend into hell and from there one will rise and ascend through the heavens .None of this is childs play. Then one is prepared for the descent of the LIGHT which occurs with the Glorious golden Dawn of the Resurrection from dark tomb of the unconscious. When calm and almost a total silence is had then the spiritual Sun appears above ones head shining and radiating down in its full glory its beauty and its wonderful pleasant heat yet cooling. Its not called the heavenly dew for nothing. It rejuvenates, and moistens the parched dry earth that has been calcined. And it is here that the philosopher sows his Gold ( Light ) into the white foliated earth, purified and prepared earth .This Heavenly light gets translated through each psychic center or chackra if you will on its descent and then it spills into the our earth, into our body and our consciousness. This to me is the establishing of the kingdom of heaven on earth. And it spills through in drops, and trickle, day by day. Day by day as one performs the ascent and the descent, the excersise of the Above and the Below repeating the rectification and the purification, then drop by drop this heavenly dew will be absorbed until finally no more can be absorbed and the spirit will then be fixed and the Stone made. No Mats , I am not experiencing physical problems at all. I will consider this play in suggestion as unintentional . I have never felt better in my life.These excersises as I keep saying, rejuvenate,heal, clean, uplift, and transmute. I try never to miss a day. I have been tending to the fire since 1971 and will be continue repeating the way upward and the way downward till my time. Yes I have read Nietzsche and let me assure you that In my life God is not dead. I also am not a superman .In my studies and practice I have been well prepared in protecting myself against the toxisities of the collective unconscious and the risks of being touched by the archetypes. Also, as I said the Crown is always to be above me . A part can never be greater than the whole. As Mike Dickman said even when it is on one's head it is still above one. I don't understand why you are saying that I am trying to get off the hook. What hook ? How am I on a hook ? Because I said "To become the Son of God, all true alchemist aspire to that as do I " ? I truly meant that out of modesty. And for heavens sake, what are you saying that I am talking back to the Holy Ghost ? Rest assured there is no elephant riding me. If I am to reveal something as you say then it will be, but in its own time . > What I donīt understand is; how can the sword of the lofty, >tertiary spirit also contain the key to the concentrated, >minuscule spirit? I mean, they are opposites. How can the the YING contain within itself the minuscule YANG, and visa versa ? How can the triangle on the finite plane contain within itself the minuscule triangle on the infinite plane and visa versa? All is contained within THE ALL, and THE ALL is contained within all. Truly understand this and you need know nothing more. This is your Oroborus. Opposite extremes meet. >Taking the Kingdom to Earth just means opening peoples eyes >so that they see that the Kingdom is at hand. Have you ever thought that maybe it is part of the alchemical process. Pertaining to the Joining of the unconscious with the conscious ? The chemical wedding of the King and Queen ? The union of Shakty with Shiva ? The merging of heaven and earth ? The fusion of the sun and the moon ? The Anima with consciousness ? The great Arcanum , the two superimposed opposite triangles ? The union of the opposites ? To establish heaven on earth . >When the Kingdom is established on Earth people will eat, drink, >work and enjoy being in the sun. Thatīs all. For the first time they >will realize that they are actually here, in the warm vessel of the >world. They will no longer run about everywhere like restless ghosts. >But the place will be continually cleansed. I agree with you full heartedly, but this establishment has to happen within themselves, in their own way and in their own time. And as I stated to Jeff, it is the accumulation of all these inner establisments that will eventually one blessed day become a critical mass so to speak and a chain reaction explosion in consciousness will spill out from the collective inner into the whole outer world. This is already at hand. Best Regards Steve Kalec From: Mats Winther Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 16:53:03 +0200 Steve Kalec, Iīm pursuing this question since I think youīre wrong. And I canīt stand the thought of a person of your dignity going astray. > ... To heal the split in the Godhead, if it is to be done, > it is to be done within me, in my soul and in my consciousness. When > he stated that I am to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth and > become the son of God , I understood it as the inner Alchemical > process which will occur when the volatile Holy Spirit... I mean that the universal significance and personal significance coincides. It was exactly the same thing with Jesus. He went through different stages in his life, but this coincided with the actual myth of the Godhead. All people live a myth of their own, but your personal myth coincides with the myth of the Godhead. So, for you, the personal and the universal are the same. This is not so clear for other "alchemists". "Christhood" is not to be attained by everyone. Some people have a dignity much greater than others. When the "Creator of the Universe" commands you to "take the Kingdom down to Earth" - what are you supposed to do? Tell him to piss off? You must do what He told you - take the Kingdom down to Earth. What does He mean by this? Iīll tell you what it means. It means: Take the Kingdom down to Earth! It is not a metaphor for "...Divine Consciousness will spill out onto the calcined purified salts..." or whatever. The Father states exactly what youīre going to do. There is no "hidden meaning" on the "personal level". You know very well that He talks about his own Kingdom, and He wants it established on the planet Earth which exists in the solar system. He doesn't refer to any other Earth than this we live on. There is no planet Earth existing in your unconscious. So He couldīt possibly mean anything else than this planet we live on. The Father has decided to do away with the split world-view which we still have today. We still think that there is a spiritual "Kingdom" up above and that the material Earth is a beautiful, but not very special place. The Father commands you to remove the notion of "the other world" from peoples minds so that they realize that the Earth actually is a very special place since the Kingdom is established here. The Earth is both material and spiritual at the same time, like Mercurius. And the Lord will be here in his flesh and blood to convince people that He is not only a spirit. This is something that people have a hard time understanding, that the Lord is of flesh and blood. When people realize this, they will love this place, its food, its warm sunlight. They will nomore be longing for a spiritual world beyond. There is no such thing. This world is neither material, nor spiritual, it is spiritual/material. A simple stone is not of matter, it is of spirit-matter. Observe that He is not telling you to "remove" the spiritual world. He tells you to move it. This makes a huge difference. You will inform people of this, and write books, probably. This is very similar to Jesus' deeds. And to be able to inherit the Kingdom you must be transformed yourself by entering into Nigredo and be resurected. Then the crown will be put on your head. This is similar to Jesus, too. So there is a personal transformation as well as a transformation in the Godhead. I meant it very literally when I said that you are to become the Christ of the second coming. Iīm quite serious. But for me, since I am not religious, itīs not such a "big deal". Itīs "just" the continued unfolding of the wonderful life on this earth. The Father wants to achieve a conjunction of spirit and matter - the Father has become an alchemist! Mats Winther Date: Sun, 30 Mar 97 15:43:24 UT From: MIKE DICKMAN Coming in a little on Mats' interpretation here, I must say that it seems to me that the central mystery of the Christian 'path' is certainly that of actually incarnating... Being a 'Son of God' is easy enough: we all ARE sons and daughters of God. The difficult bit is getting this 'child of the gods' part to actively and blissfully assume its 'ordinary', corruptible vehicle with all its attendant limitations in time, space and knowledge, and to bless and inform the whole of creation from that point up. Even Christ, as a path, had to be nailed to the planet before he finally gave in. Love, m Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 From: Mats Winther Steve, I will not pursue this issue anymore, after this message. We are too far apart as personalities to be able to understand each other. But Iīm really glad that I hit you right at the weak spot. I have done my duty. My words comes from the depht of my understanding, and I really work them out, so to be rebuffed in this careless way really feels akward. On the other hand, thanks for the part concerning your alchemical experiences. This must be valuable to many. Concerning "majestic". I just donīt want to be regarded as mystical or religious. Everything Iīve said so far are just boring facts and I want my statements to sound like that. This could be my own fault. > Even Carl Jung painted a self portrait of himself in ceremonial > dress with a winged serpent behind him while he is carrying a > sword. Well, he was a sinner then, wasnīt he? I know I sound patronizing, warning of this and that. But I donīt care. I'm not here to be a likeable guy. Iīm here to tell you what I know. I am very, very serious about what I say. Why am I directing my warnings to you? Because in my view, mysticism and spiritualism is as sinful as materialism. I really mean the last statement. I think you are wrong, and I see no other way than telling you directly. This is only possible with persons having a certain moral stature. I cannot agree with every person in this forum, so of course I will try to correct people according to my view. The expression of the unconscious content by way of active imagination etcetera is imperative. But there must not be a subordination. For instance, one cannot regard the personified unconscious as a goddess and itīs products as relics. The painting by Jung, for instance, is of no value after it has served it's purpose as an expression of the unconscious. It should be disposed of. Paintings that are valuable are those by Matísse. Maybe if you look at his paintings you will understand what I mean. He expresses the modern spirit far better than I can. "Rend your books asunder", and your mystical pictures likewise. > ...This is the distilation and the calcination. This is not child > play at all. This needs to be mastered to an art. If you raise > this fire too quickly... No, Iīm talking about the spirit. I used this word all the time. Iīm not talking about the soul. Distillation begins with "blackness", "the black lead" or whatever, which signifies the state of Nigredo which is followed by Albedo-Rubedo. My statement was: "Now, here is the tricky part, the ascent is child's stuff; the descent and entering into the tomb is quite different. To me, here is where the process really starts. This is Nigredo....". So what Iīm talking about is the journey of the spirit before the Nigredo; before distilatio, calcinatio etcetera. In Nigredo occurs the journey of the soul. Here, the body is within the vessel undergoing the different alchemical processes. The ascent of the soul is something quite different from the ascent of the spirit. The last is not child's play. However, the ascent of the spirit is. This just signifies becoming conscious i.e reading books by Jung and interpreting your dreams; freeing oneself from the infantile mother bondage. When that is done, the spirit shouldnīt stay up there in the intellectual sphere. It must return. This is not so easy for some. But of course, the journey of the spirit resembles the journey of the soul so the symbol of "circular distillation" could be used here too. And probably many medieval alchemists used it in this sense because at those times the spirit-journey was not so easily achieved. > Ahh ! yes , beautiful stuff, and lets not omit the cooling heating... Concerning your comment about my "Holy Ghost-story" . I didnīt mean to make an estetical impression. I wanted to picture it as a boring "every-day affair" before going to job. The inner meaning is what counts and this image came from the depht of my understanding. Iīm useless at this, my words become art in your eyes. But itīs my own fault. I should assign to a poetry mailing group instead. > ....revealed it will break through with violence if one fights it. > It is an absolute autonomous power. But it still transformed Paul. I maintain that when it is "boring a hole in your head and enters" it is not autonomous anymore. It becomes a function of your psyche. A scary, powerful function which knows the truth - the tertiary function. After this God is dead. > I truly meant that out of modesty. And for heavens sake, > what are you saying that I am talking back to the Holy Ghost ? Where do I say that? You must have been very agitated when you read my mail. I am dissapointed with you, that you make false accusations. This was my statement: "The Holy Ghost is love, certainly, but only to some. To others - a nightmare. The tertiary function brings forth the truth which can be relayed to others. So anybody who talks back to you will also talk back to The Holy Ghost. And remember the saying of Jesus, that you can talk back to the Father and the Son, but never, ever, talk back to the Holy Ghost. There is nothing mystical about this, either. It just means that a serious deterioration of health will occur, or a fatal mishap, perhaps. So there is also death surrounding a person who has integrated the tertiary spirit and expresses its truth." My statement about the sword: What I donīt understand is; how can the sword of the lofty, tertiary spirit also contain the key to the concentrated, minuscule spirit? I mean, they are opposites. Stupid of me, it is not the "sword of the lofty, tertiary spirit". The number four is there; Trinity plus "The Bottomless Pit". Concerning the "elephant-parable": > No Mats , I am not experiencing physical problems at all. I > will consider this play in suggestion as unintentional. I never play with suggestions. I am very serious all the time. I meant the physical problems not as illness, but as the effects of carrying an elephant on your shoulders. I am very surprised to hear that you havenīt even got a pain in your neck. I am serious about this and your statement makes me confused. I donīt understand this. > Yes, I have read Nietzsche and let me assure you that In my life God is > not dead. I also am not a superman. In my studies and practice I > have been well prepared in protecting myself against the toxisities > of the collective unconscious and the risks of being touched by the > archetypes. Also, as I said the Crown is always to be above me. This statement was the most painful to me. Nietzsche tells the same thing as your vision, namely. That the Kingdom of Heaven disappears. So there will be no more God in Heaven. God is dead and the heavenly Kingdom gone. Instead the power and the glory goes to the Ubermench; the Christ of the second coming, who is a man of flesh and blood carrying the spirit within his body. And the Kingdom is established on Earth - the only place that counts. So Heaven and Earth are united like the conjunction of spirit and matter in the Lapis. And the Ubermench will inherit the earth. Iīm not a Nietzschean, but he was right on this point. You will not be touched by God, you will not let the Crown touch your head. I understand that now. Concerning this statement of mine: "Taking the Kingdom to Earth just means opening peoples eyes so that they see that the Kingdom is at hand." >Have you ever thought that maybe it is part of the alchemical >process...? Sure, the alchemical process of God. The conjunction of Heaven and Earth. This wonderful place is God's Lapis - a new conjunction of spirit and matter. But this is what I said. The spiritual Kingdom is here on Earth - conjugated. >I don't understand why you are saying that I am trying to get off > the hook. What hook ? How am I on a hook ? The hook of God of course. God orders you to take the Kingdom to Earth. But, to my meaning you have found your way out of it. Perhaps many years ago. Iīm beginning to suspect I am chasing a ghost. Your unwillingness to understand my statements seem compulsive. I realize this is painful to you. I will not pursue the issue anymore. Mats Winther |