Laboratory

Lab-ora-tory

As the chemical science (in alchemy, alkimia,
al is the Arabic article prefixed to the Greek χημεία)
has come to us from the Arabs (Syrians, Jews, etc.) it was long believed that it had an Arabian origin.
Yet it was found later that the Arabs, while they added much of their own to it, still were but the preservers of Greek-Hellenistic knowledge and we are convinced that the alchemists were right when they indicated in their traditions the legendary Egyptian Hermes as their ancestor. This legendary personage is really the Egyptian god Thoth, who was identified with Hermes in the time of the Ptolemies. He was honored as the Lord of the highest wisdom and it was a favorite practice to assign to him the authorship of philosophical and especially of theological works. Hermes' congregations were formed to practice the cult, and they had their special Hermes literature. In later times the divine, regal, Hermes figure was reduced to that of a magician.

He whose eyes are open needs no special hints to see, in reading, that the so-called alchemistic prescriptions did not center upon a chemical process. A faint notion of the circumstance that even in their beginnings, alchemistic theories were blended with cosmogonic and religious ideas, must make it quite evident that, for example, in the famous Smaragdine Tablet of Hermes, a noble pillar of alchemy, something more must be contained than a mere chemical recipe. The language of the Smaragdine tablet is notoriously the most obscure that the hermetic literature has produced; in it there are no clear recommendations to belief or righteousness; and yet I think that an unprejudiced reader, who was not looking specially for a chemical prescription, would perceive at least a feeling for something of philosophy or theology.

Any one that makes a thorough study of the alchemistic literature must be struck with the religious seriousness that prevails in the writings of the more important authors. Every master who enjoyed the highest honor among his fellows in the hermetic art has a certain lofty manner that keeps aloof from the detailed description of chemical laboratory work, although they do not depart from the alchemistic technical language. They obviously have a leaning toward some themes that are far more important than the production of a chemical preparation can be, even if this is a tincture with which they can tinge lead into gold. Looking forth to higher nobler things, these authors, whose homely language frequently touches our feelings deeply, make the reader notice that they have nothing in common with the sloppy cooks who boil their pots in chemical kitchens, and that the gold they write about is not the gold of the multitude; not the venal gold that they can exchange for money. Their language seems to sound as if they said, Our gold is not of this world.

Ora et Labora
(from the Latin: pray and work)

Excerpt from :
The Project Gutenberg Website:
Hidden Symbolism of
ALCHEMY and the OCCULT ARTS
(Formerly titled: Problems of Mysticism and Its Symbolism)
by Dr. Herbert Silberer

Music by: Nox Arcana, "The Quest Begins", from the Blood of the Dragon CD, 2006

Category:

Education

Tags:

• alchemy
• alchymia
• alkimia
• alquimia
• laboratory
• alchemists
• gold-making
• art
• chemical
• science
• hermetic
• literature
• tabula
• smaragdina
• occult
• theurgy
• cosmology

[jlnr82]

GREAT WORK.

[RKSeams]

The melting pot of life is the only furnace ill ever need to free the pure from the grasp of that which is not in likeness to that of most high. ~connections~

Peace Profound alchemistra

[orangewoman671]

Fantastic, awesome images and sound!!

[orangewoman671]

Very interesting! Awsome video and great sound. 5*

[moomay11649]

AWESOME!

[stimulater7]

THE ESOTERIC ......see its defenition ?

[xxMELCHIZEDEKxxSKSxx]

The Smile that grows upon my face comes from the words that are written upon a sacred space in my heart combined with the energy that I get from You in the very special work that You do!!! =)

Much Love, Peace, and Blessings to you and yours =)