THE SPIRITUAL ALCHEMY
OF THE GOLDEN DAWN
by Charles “Chic” Cicero
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a magical fraternity founded in London in 1888 by a group of Qabalists, Rosicrucians, Freemasons, and Theosophists. Its founding members were Dr. William Wynn Westcott, Dr. William Robert Woodman, and Samuel Liddell “MacGregor” Mathers. The Golden Dawn was not created to be a religion, although religious imagery and spiritual concepts play an important role in its work. The Golden Dawn was designed by its founders to be a Hermetic Society of men and women—a fraternity of magicians and esotericists—who were dedicated to the philosophical, spiritual, and psychic evolution of humanity. It was also designed to be a school and a repository of mystical knowledge, where students learned the principles of occult science and the various elements of Western philosophy and practical magic. The teachings of the Golden Dawn became available to the public when Israel Regardie published them in 1937.
Students of the Golden Dawn seek elevated spiritual experiences, inner evolution, and illumination through a series of initiatory rites—each grade attained leading to ever more rigorous areas of magical study and philosophy. Initiates prepare themselves through study and meditation for passage from one grade to the next. They learn the Hebrew alphabet and a complex system of correspondences and symbolism which is put to memory. Two of the most important areas of study in the Golden Dawn are the Qabalah and spiritual alchemy.
Qabalah uses the science of numbers to express divine truths about the nature of God and man’s relationship to God. Spiritual alchemy uses symbols, metaphors, and allegories to show how man can purify and transform his soul to be a more sturdy vessel for the indwelling of God’s divine Light.
The 17th-century engraving181 shown on the next page contains the following verse of praise for these two sublime arts:
Cabala and Alchemy
Give thee the medicine most high.
Also the Stone of the Wise,
In which alone the foundation lies,
As is plain before thine eyes
Betimes in these effigies.
O God, help us to be grateful
For this gift sublime and pure
The man whose heart and mind Thou openest,
Who is perfect herein,
To prepare here this Work,
To him may all strength be given.
In this brief paper, I hope to show how the ancient science of alchemy is related to that of modern psychology. I will also explain how the initiatory ceremonies and magical workings of the Golden Dawn can be classified as a subdivision of psychology. More importantly, they are a modern expression of the sacred science of spiritual alchemy.
What Is Alchemy?
Alchemy is sometimes called “the Royal Art.” The word alchemy is a term comprised of the Arabic words “al” and “khemi.” The later word relates to “Khem,” the Coptic name of Egypt, meaning “the black earth”—a reference to the rich black soil found along the Nile River. It is also a symbolic reference to the dark first matter of alchemical work.
In its most limited definition, alchemy is an esoteric science which concerns itself with the transmutation of base metals into gold. For many, the word “alchemy” conjures up an image of a crude laboratory where fake scientists labor to turn lead into gold so that they can live in luxury. Unfortunately, the history of alchemy is not without its con-artists and “puffers.”
Alchemy is an ancient science that is concerned with purification and transformation. There are two types of alchemy which often overlap. The outer layer of alchemy is chemistry—it is in fact the ancestor of modern chemistry. Practical, laboratory, or outer alchemy is concerned with transforming a base material into a higher and more purified substance, such as the turning of lead into gold or the extraction of a medicinal substance from a plant in order to create a healing elixir. Practical alchemy is a craft that results in the creation of metallic alloys, medicines, and composite materials. This is the alchemy full of laboratory equipment—furnaces, bellows, stills, condensers, and glass beakers.
Spiritual, theoretical, or inner alchemy is concerned with the transformation of the human soul from a state of baseness to one of spiritual enlightenment. In spiritual terms, alchemy is symbolic of a conversion from the heavy, leaden, physical, and earth-bound consciousness to the refined gold of the divinely inspired being. It creates a road map of the internal energies that will result in the purification of body, mind, and soul.
A Brief History of Alchemy
The origins of Western alchemy date back to the beginnings of the Hellenistic period (roughly 300 b.c.–300 a.d.). Alchemy was often called the Hermetic Art—suggesting that the origin was none other than the fabled master, Hermes Trismegistos, or Hermes the Trice Great.
Hermes Trismegistos was said to be an ancient Egyptian priest and magician who was credited with writing forty-two books collectively known as the Hermetic literature. These books, including the Emerald Tablet and the Divine Pymander, describe the creation of the universe, the soul of humanity, and the way to achieve spiritual rebirth.
After their conquest of Egypt in the seventh century, the Arabs absorbed the knowledge of the Alexandrian alchemists. As with many of the sciences, Western Europe owes a great deal to the medieval Arabs for their knowledge of the practice of alchemy and the careful preservation of Greek and Arabic alchemical texts, which they brought to Spain in the eighth century. From the ninth to the 11th century, Spain became a repository of alchemical knowledge.
Important European alchemists included Albertus Magnus, “Albert the Great” (1200–1280), the most prolific author of his day and a champion of natural science; Englishman Roger Bacon (1220–1292), a chief advocate of experimental science in the Middle Ages; and Frenchman Nicholas Flamel (1330–1418), who studied astrology and Qabalah in addition to alchemy.
Possibly the greatest alchemist of all was German physician Paracelsus (1493–1541). He maintained the Hermetic view that human life was inseparable from the life of the cosmos. Paracelsus is credited with starting what would later become the science of pharmacology.
Alchemical Symbolism
The classical texts of alchemy are rich in symbolism and allegory. Some of these books contained little more than alchemical prints and illustrations. These texts were often far less concerned with the practical aspects of laboratory alchemy than with the esoteric knowledge of spiritual alchemy and the elevation of the human soul. These books would become the illustrated textbooks of the Rosicrucian movement.
“Alchemy is not merely an art or science to teach metallic transmutation, so much as a true and solid science that teaches how to know the center of all things, which in the divine language is called the Spirit of Life.”182
Contemplation of alchemical diagrams and pictorial symbolism is meant to intrigue and inspire the viewer on many levels—conscious as well as subconscious—and speak directly to the human soul on the true nature of the alchemist’s “gold.” Alchemy’s true definition encompasses the transformation of humanity to a higher stage of spiritual purity.
While many alchemists worked in the laboratory, the principal interest of many alchemical philosophers was spiritual. These alchemists did not look merely for the substance of gold; they sought to give the quality of gold to their own being—to transmute the base metals—(the gross and impure parts of their own nature) into spiritual gold (divine wisdom).
To them, gold, the metal which never tarnishes and cannot be corrupted by fire and water, was a symbol of illumination and salvation. This alchemical gold was the Philosopher’s Stone. Gold represented light incarnate, as well as the sun, purity, and spiritual attainment.
The primary goal of alchemy is to bring all things, especially
humanity, to their preordained state of perfection. To that end, alchemical theory states that eternal wisdom remains dormant in humanity so long as a mundane state of ignorance and superficiality exists. The objective of alchemy is the uncovering of this inner wisdom, and the removal of veils and obstacles between the mind and its intrinsically pure divine source.
The goal of alchemy is called the Magnum Opus, or the Great Work. It is the purification and evolution of something lesser and coarser, into something greater and more refined—whether in metals, vegetable matter, or in human consciousness. The term prima materia, or “first matter,” is used to describe the original substance and condition of whatever material the alchemist is trying to change, be it lead or his own soul. Through the alchemical art, this first matter is transformed into the Philosopher’s Stone—the highest most perfect form of matter—it is the first matter elevated to the Godhead. This process is often symbolized by the transformation of lead (the darkest, heaviest, and least valuable of the metals) into pure gold, the most brilliant and valuable of metals.
Another allegory for the alchemical work was the search for the Elixir of Life or Vegetable Stone. This was also called the Universal
Medicine—a healing substance with the power to cure the sick, improve health, and prolong life. While it is easy to see how the search for this Elixir resulted in the discovery of several ingredients found in modern medicine, it is also easy to see how the search for the Elixir of Life became yet another symbol for the spiritual quest of illumination and salvation.
Prayer and invocation form an important part of alchemical work. The alchemist constantly invokes the aid of God the Vast and Mighty One, to aid him in his endeavor. This is what distinguishes alchemy from other, mundane sciences.
The basic tenets of alchemy can be described as follows:
1. The universe has a divine origin. The cosmos is an emanation of One God. Therefore All is One.
2. Everything in the physical world exists by virtue of the Law of Polarity or Duality. Any idea can be defined in relation to its opposite, such as: male-female, light-dark, sun-moon, spirit-body, and so on.
3. Everything in the physical world is composed of Spirit, Soul, and Body: the Three Alchemic Principles. (In alchemy, these are called Mercury, Sulfur, and Salt.)
4. All alchemical work, whether practical laboratory work or spiritual alchemy, consists of three basic evolutionary processes: separation, purification, and recombination.
5. All matter is composed of four archetypal energies—the four elements of Fire (thermal energy), Water (liquid), Air (gas), and Earth (solid). The knowledge and skillful use of these four energy types is an essential part of alchemical work.
6. The Quintessence, or “Fifth essence,” is contained within the four elements but is not one of them. It is one of the three essential Principles, also called the Philosophic Mercury.
7. Everything moves toward its preordained state of perfection.
In alchemy, the process of spiritual growth is said to take place in three primary stages: separation, purification, and recombination. This is an internal process in which the various parts of the base material being worked on are analyzed and separated. Then they are cleansed or purified. Finally, they are recombined into a new, purer substance. There they are assimilated into a new, more purified whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
In practical alchemy, this may mean distilling herbal elixirs which bring out the highest possible healing powers of certain plants.
In spiritual alchemy, this is a process of looking within—the alchemist examines and analyzes (or separates) the various parts of his own psyche. He purifies them through prayer and spiritual aspiration. He then recombines them in a process of assimilation, union, or conjunction—gathering the purified parts of the psyche into a more exalted whole. In its highest form, alchemy pertains to a hidden reality of the highest order which constitutes the underlying essence of all truths and all religions.
The perfection of this essence is called Absolute; it can be perceived and realized, as the Beauty of Beauty, the Love of Love and the High Most High, only if consciousness is radically altered and transmuted from the ordinary (lead-like) level of everyday perception to a subtle (gold-like) level of perception, so that every object is perceived in its archetypal form, which is contained within the Absolute.
… Alchemy is a rainbow bridging the chasm between earthly and heavenly planes, between matter and spirit. Like a rainbow, it may appear within reach, only to recede if one chases it merely to find a pot of gold.
The sacred secret, ancient and profound science of alchemy, the royal art, also called Hermetic philosophy, conceals, in esoteric texts and enigmatic emblems, the means of penetrating the very secrets of Nature, Life and Death, of Unity, Eternity, and Infinity.183
Spiritual Alchemy and Psychology
In more recent years, renewed interest in alchemy has been fostered by the works of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung. Jung and his followers interpreted alchemy as an ancient method for psychological transformation wrapped in the language of metal-working. This view is very popular today, because it allows alchemy to be interpreted in a way that is not in conflict with the ideas and conventions of modern science. Spiritual alchemy, or the alchemy of the mind and the soul, came to the forefront of the alchemical tradition. And let’s not forget that Jung was also a mystic. A sign above his front door read: “Bidden or unbidden, God is present.”
The system developed by Jung, known as analytical psychology, became one of the most common interpretations of occult phenomena in the 20th century. A primary principle in Jungian psychology is that all occult and religious phenomena are psychological in nature, and have to do with the relationship between the individual and the realm of the Collective Unconscious.
The primary inhabitants of the Collective Unconscious include the archetypes pre-existent ideas or basic categories of human awareness. They are centers of psychological energy that tend to surface in human consciousness through similar forms and images. These images are universal. They are virtually the same, regardless of time or place in the world. In magical terms, they are godforms, corresponding to the deities, heroes, and villains of all world religions. In Jung’s terms, such archetypes included the Shadow, the Animus, the Anima, the Mother, the Father, and most important of all archetypes, the Self or image of psychological wholeness and well-being.
The fact that these archetypes are universal points to the Hermetic truth: “As Above, so Below.” To that we might add: “As without, so within.” The spiritual forces that exist out in the Macrocosm also exist within the Microcosm, that is to say, they exist within us.
Using the vocabulary employed by Sigmund Freud, Jung described that knowledge of the human psyche which mystics and magicians had gathered since ancient times. What had once been veiled in occult language and symbolism, and viewed as superstition and nonsense by the public at large, was now for the first time expressed in such a manner that psychologists and other intellectuals sat up and took notice.
Psychology and Magic
In ancient times, people defined their universe in terms of spiritual forces—of gods, angels, spirits, and demons. Today, many people define their universe in psychological terms. The “gods and angels” of magic are often described by the science of the mind as “archetypes.” Ancient “demons” are now called “neurosis.” But these are simply new names for very ancient ideas. I believe that psychology and magic are very closely related, since the object of study in both is the human mind. Psychotherapy is a modern therapeutic technique whereby an individual’s “personal demons” or addictions are exorcised by counseling, mental exercises, behavior therapy, suggestion, and sometimes even medication.
And yet psychotherapy is also used to cure lesser problems such as mild depression, social anxiety, stress, emotional difficulties, and unexpected hardships that keep a person from living life to its fullest.
Today civilization looks to science to solve the major problems of humanity. When psychology was a young science, its followers thought they were entering a time of a new renaissance when their efforts would provide “joy, zest, and richness of life” to fellow human beings—when the mental health of the average citizen would steadily improve. This did not happen. All the efforts of psychologists to understand the human mind and why we do things has not helped us put an end to violence, war, despair, global pollution, or overpopulation—which are all problems of human thought and behavior.
The goal of both magic and psychotherapy is the well-being and growth of the individual, on every level—physical, mental, and psychological. But one element is missing from modern psychology—the spiritual essence of humanity and divine nature of life.
Analytical psychology and magic are two sides of the same coin.
Self-knowledge and self-acceptance gained through analytical psychology is an important first step to the divine self-knowledge and spiritual realization attained through the practice of high magic. Unlike the mystical path, which is passive, magic is the active path of
esoteric attainment. It is often called theurgy or “God-working” because the magician is an active participant in his own quest to approach the Light of the Divine.
The alchemical quest for spiritual illumination brings us to the crossroads of science and religion—to the junction between the mind and the soul. Here we find the connection that exists between ancient magic and modern-day psychology. And it is here that we turn to the subject of the Golden Dawn’s method of spiritual alchemy.
Magic can be described as a subdivision of psychology. High magic or theurgy includes what psychology had forgotten—the spiritual well-being of the individual. The words and methods of psychology can be used to help define the human psyche, so that the individual can better understand his own psychic makeup. But in addition, the techniques and exercises of ancient magic can be used as tools to achieve true spiritual healing and growth.
The Spiritual Alchemy of the Golden Dawn
There are three stages of the alchemical process: separation, purifica-
tion, and recombination. The alchemist works to separate, purify, and recombine the principle components of whatever substance he’s working with—whether he’s doing practical work on metals or plants, or whether he’s working spiritual alchemy on himself.
While alchemists use glass beakers, furnaces, and stills, as well as prayers and invocations to perform their art, Golden Dawn magicians use symbols, scepters, incense, in addition to prayers and invocations to achieve the same interior work of spiritual alchemy.
A Golden Dawn magician is a spiritual alchemist who is the subject of his own alchemical experiments. He analyzes, identifies, or separates the various parts of his own psychic makeup. The magician analyses and separates these various parts in order to see, identify, and understand them. Nothing can remain repressed or shoved into the basement of the subconscious mind. No portion of the psyche can remain hidden from view.
Next, the magician purifies the various parts of the psyche through prayer, invocation, meditation, and spiritual aspiration. He then recombines them in a process of assimilation or conjunction—gathering the purified elements of the psyche into a more exalted whole.
He consecrates all portions of the psyche, as well as the soul, toward the goal of the Great Work—which is to exalt the spiritual nature and enable the magician to align himself more closely to the divine source of the universe—to become a study vessel for God’s Light.
Basic Golden Dawn rituals such as the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and the Ritual of the Middle Pillar can be used as exercises for psychological wholeness. The visualization and concentration required of the person performing these exercises make these rites perfect aids for the internal alchemical process.
This process also takes place in the group rituals of the Golden Dawn, especially the initiation ceremonies.
Ritual Drama
One of the tools used in Golden Dawn initiation ceremonies is the ritual drama, a legacy of the mystery religions of the ancient Greeks. Then, just as now, the initiating team used theatrical props, special effects, symbols, gestures, speeches, prayers, and other elements of performance art to have the greatest visual and emotional impact on the candidate, and to convey the desired message or feeling. These theatrical elements, combined with prayer and invocation of the Divine, are potent tools for spiritual alchemy.
In a ritual drama, a certain story, metaphor, myth, morality tale, or historical event is presented in an epic fashion and in a predetermined story pattern. In Golden Dawn ceremony the ritual drama revolves around the themes of purification and sacrifice, the quest for knowledge, adversity followed by victory, order overcoming chaos, good triumphing over evil, death followed by resurrection, and the discovery of secret wisdom at the end of one’s journey. The constant recycling of these basic themes not only serves to illustrate the rich literary heritage of Western spirituality, but also to emphasize the most important principles of the Hermetic Path.
In the ritual drama of initiation, the candidate is both an observer and an active participant in an epic adventure. He takes on the role of a character in a great mystery play—an actor whose actions in the drama are unknown to him. They unfold as the drama is played out, carefully scripted to have the greatest possible impact on the candidate.
The initiation ceremonies of the Golden Dawn are based on a series of mystery plays or ritual dramas in which the officers recreate specific stories that are essential to the Western Esoteric Tradition. These include the spiritual legends of ancient Egypt, as in the story of the Weighing of the Soul in the Hall of Judgment.
It also includes the narratives of the ancient Hebrews, as in the saga of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, and the story of Yahweh conquering the sea, and the Biblical account of the Fall of the Kings of Edom. It includes the spiritual chronicles of the ancient Greeks, as in the Kabiric Mysteries of Samothrace; and in the higher grades, the allegory of Christian Rosencreutz and esoteric mysteries of Christianity.
Sometimes a particular legend is explained to the candidate while it is being acted out, as in the Zelator Ceremony. At other times the legend is enacted on a purely astral and magical level, without the knowledge of the candidate, as in the Neophyte Ceremony.
Whether or not the candidate is made aware of the narrative drama behind the ritual, every initiation ceremony is the focus of conscious manipulations of the Astral Light intended to help the candidate in his quest for spiritual growth.
To effect a change in the spiritual awareness of the candidate, the ritual officers work together as an initiating team in a ceremony, using the magical methods of the divine theurgy. This is especially true of the presiding officers of the higher grades, who use the techniques and laws of magic (symbols and correspondences, manipulation of the Astral Light, and the faculties of willpower, visualization, and imagination), to give the ceremony its magical potency.
In any given ceremony, the speeches of the officers reveal information appropriate to that grade and its corresponding element or sephirah. Many of these speeches contain excerpts from ancient invocations, prayers, and spiritual wisdom from classic texts of the Western Esoteric Tradition. These speeches add to both the knowledge and atmosphere of the ritual.
All of the symbols and movements in a Golden Dawn initiation ceremony, including the various signs, grips, gestures, and passwords, are designed to enhance and emphasize the main purpose of the ritual—which is the Initiate’s quest for the Divine Light. Not all of this complex symbolism is fully understood by the candidate at the time of the ceremony, but that makes little difference in the long run, because the main value of such symbolism is that it has an auto-suggestive effect on the candidate that is perceived at a deep, subconscious level.
The Psychology of Initiation
In our discussion of magic we often use the term “psyche” as Carl Jung did, to indicate not only the soul but also the intellect, the spirit, and the totality of all psychic processes. This includes the two primary divisions of the human psyche: the Conscious and the Unconscious.
Consciousness is our everyday, waking awareness. Consciousness is not merely “thinking” but also feeling, will, fantasy, and all other facets of waking life. The ego, or that portion of the psyche which mostly governs thought and behavior, is an important part of consciousness. As a defense mechanism, the ego often creates a false front or outer persona—a mask which it presents to the outer world as reality, but which in fact conceals the true nature of the individual.
The Unconscious can be further divided into the collective unconscious and the personal unconscious.
Jung’s idea of the Collective Unconscious, the psychic patterns that are universally shared by all of humanity, comes very close to Eliphas Levi’s idea of the Astral Light, which is manipulated by the Magician’s Art. The content and impulses of the personal unconscious, on the other hand, are unique to the individual. The personal unconscious is the often cited “trouble spot” of the human psyche, containing all the repressed, forgotten, or rejected memories and impulses that make up the shadow, a type of alter-ego whose unconscious tendencies run opposite to those of the ego. It is often jokingly referred as our “evil twin,” although the complexes and neurosis that can be caused by failing to confront the shadow is certainly no laughing matter.
In magic the shadow is equivalent to the qliphoth or evil demons, which are the unbalanced, chaotic, and negative aspects that offset the balanced, orderly, and positive aspects of the Sephiroth. The qliphoth are often symbolized by the figure of a terrible red dragon.
Rather than confronting their own shadow, their own “personal demon,” many people project the attributes of the shadow onto someone else. Repressed psychic material that is not dealt with in an appropriate and healthy fashion will usually leak out in ways that are both unwanted and unhealthy.
The personal unconscious also includes the animus and anima, masculine and feminine soul images. The proper role of either one is to act as a psychopomp or “soul guide”—the mediator between the conscious and the unconscious. (The role of the soul image is in some ways similar to that of the Higher Self in magic.) Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of projecting the image of the animus or anima outward onto someone of the opposite sex, rather than recognizing the soul image as an integral part of themselves.
The primary goal of the initiatory process is integration. This integration takes place on three levels: magical, alchemical, and psychological. All three can be said to involve three stages of progression, the purposes of which are similar, although they overlap in different areas.
In magic these stages can be called purification, consecration, and union. In alchemy they are called separation, purification, and recombination.
In psychology these stages can be called analysis, confrontation with the shadow, and individuation (or self-realization). All of these terms are used to describe the same basic purifying experience. They are merely different methods of arriving at the same goal: to achieve one’s highest potential as a human being.
Analytical psychology and magic comprise in my estimation two halves or aspects of a single technical system. Just as the body and mind are not two separate units, but are simply the dual manifestations of an interior dynamic “something,” so psychology and magic comprise similarly a single system whose goal is the integration of the human personality. Its aim is to unify the different departments and functions of man’s being, to bring into operation those which previously for various reasons were latent. Incidentally, its technique is such that neurotic symptoms which were too insistent upon expression either become illuminated or toned down by a process of equilibration.184
The Golden Dawn initiation ceremonies are designed to instill within the candidate an awareness of his or her own divine nature, providing a means by which the Initiate may consciously integrate the various components of his own psyche. This integration occurs on a magical and alchemical, as well as a psychological level. The purpose of these ceremonies is to
… effect psychological integration, to bring about a psychic release from bondage to unconscious projection, and to produce an exaltation of consciousness to the Light, that any legitimate magical initiating system owes its existence. The function of every phase of its routine, the avowed intention of its principle rituals, and the explicit statement of its teachings is to assist the Candidate by his aspiration to find that unity of being which is the Inner Self, the pure essence of mind.185
Thus, the primary goal of the initiation ceremonies of the Golden Dawn is to gradually bring about a higher state of awareness that is essentially two-fold: it encompasses the ideas of spiritual illumination and psychological wholeness of being.
In a Golden Dawn initiation ceremony, the officers, like Jungian archetypes, represent the various component parts of the candidate’s psyche—all working together to effect a change in consciousness. The Keryx symbolizes the candidate’s intellectual mind that conducts him on the path that leads to the Divine Light.
The active will of the candidate is represented by the Hiereus, who protects against evil, chaos, and imbalance.
The Hegemon corresponds to the highest part of the reasoning mind, working in combination with the Divine Soul. The Hegemon is the aspiring, compassionate, and intuitive consciousness which seeks to bring about the rise of the Light. The Hegemon is also the officer who guides the candidate along the way—she represents the psychopomp or soul guide.
The presiding officer, the Hierophant, represents the candidate’s highest Divine Self or Higher Genius—that interior center of the psyche which directs all activity. Without this center, no movement is possible. The Hierophant, symbolizing the supreme Spiritual Soul, is stationed in the East, the place of the dawning sun and the symbolic direction of the heavens. It is through him that the higher powers are brought into the temple.
The Three Degrees
There are three degrees in the Golden Dawn system. The First Degree is comprised of the entire First Order, from Neophyte through Philosophus. The First Degree represents the magical stage of purification, wherein the student first dedicates himself to the Hermetic Path and begins the process of separating, understanding, and purifying each of his own psychic elements. This stage is similar to the separation stage in alchemy and the analysis phase of psychology.
The initiation of an aspiring candidate into the Neophyte grade begins the spiritual/alchemical process. The Neophyte is the base material (the lead or the first matter), that is to be transmuted into pure gold by the art of the Hermetic path.
As a group, the four elemental grades represent the essential work of the Golden Dawn, which is to equilibrate the elemental forces within the psyche of the candidate. These “inner elements” can be characterized as different sections of the subconscious mind. In Hermetic philosophy the fourfold pattern of the elements is an important model or pattern which defines the universe—both the greater universe or macrocosm (of which we are a part), and the lesser universe or microcosm, which is the individual human soul, reflecting the greater universe in miniature.
The earthy portion of the human psyche includes all that is grounding, stable, slow moving, and materializing. It encompasses all activities of productivity, fertility, and growth, and is often said to have passive and feminine qualities.
The airy portion of the psyche consists of all that is intellectual, logical, communicative, expressive, and abstract. It is often described as having active, masculine, and changeable characteristics.
The watery portion of the human psyche is that which is receptive, creative, sustaining, fluidic, subconscious, hidden, mysterious, and generative. This part of the psyche is said to encompass all that is deep and unconscious. It is usually described as passive and feminine.
The fiery portion of the human psyche consists of all that is dynamic, energetic, vitalizing, invigorating, spontaneous, and initiating. It contains all that is transformative, unpredictable, and regenerating. It is described as active and masculine.
The process undertaken by an Initiate advancing through the grades is truly an alchemical one. The psychic mechanism of the candidate undergoes a kind of dissolution or separation during the ceremony of the Neophyte—wherein the elements of the psyche are symbolically identified as the four elements of the Mystic Repast or Eucharist, which are blessed by the Hierophant before being consumed. Over time, the vital elements of the psyche are awakened and purified through the elemental grade ceremonies, until gradually all of the base components are consecrated and symbolically reintegrated back into the psyche of the Initiate. A key goal of the First Order could be summed up in the phrase “learn to balance.”
The first step is to analyze and awaken the elemental portions of the psyche, for unless their existence is realized, the work of alchemical transformation cannot take place.
Through symbol and ceremony, the initiation rites of each grade summon forth the gods, angels, and archangels of a particular element. Contact with a specific elemental force produces a kind of magnetic attraction whereby the corresponding elemental energy is awakened within the aura of the Initiate. Only then can further advancement and growth take place.
Once aroused, the elemental portions of the mind may then be consecrated to union with the Higher Self and ultimately to the completion of the Great Work. This process allows the Initiate to bring vast amounts of energy and inspiration from formerly untapped subconscious depths of the mind, into the domain of the conscious mind where it can be used for further spiritual growth.
In addition to psychic balance, there is one other important concept that is deeply embedded in all of the grades of the Golden Dawn—the Divine Light that is the source of all.
… the whole system has as its objective the bringing down of the Light. For it is by that Light that the golden banner of the inner life may be exalted; it is in light where lies healing and the power of growth […] The elemental grades are concerned with “the analysis of that Light as it vibrates between light and darkness, and with the establishment within the candidate’s personal sphere of the rays of the many-colored rainbow of promise.”186
The outer and mundane existence through which most human beings stumble throughout their lives is indeed a lifetime of darkness and chaos. Those who have no inner spiritual center live a typical incarnation of selfishness, separation, aimlessness, and bondage to material possessions and the desires of the lower ego. It is no mere coincidence that all the great world religions teach that such a state of existence is contrary to the path of Light and Unity.
As the Neophyte is informed during the ceremony of the 0=0: “Long has thou dwelt in Darkness. Quit the Night and seek the Day!”
The Second Degree consists of only the Portal grade. This degree represents the magical stage of consecration, wherein the Initiate consecrates the purified elements of the psyche and charges them, as a unified and sanctified whole, to the Great Work. This is comparable to the purification stage in alchemy and the confrontation stage of psychology.
The Third Degree is composed of the grades belonging to the Second Order, called the RR et AC or the Order of the Red Rose and the Cross of Gold.
This Degree represents the magical stage of union wherein the Initiate primes him or herself for the first, early glimpses of the Higher Self—in preparation for later, more extensive communications with the same. This is equated to the recombination stage in alchemy and the self-realization stage of psychology.
It should be noted that in magic the process of integration is continuous and reoccurring. The three stages of theurgic integration (purification, consecration, and union) occur over and over again, on a variety of levels, through out one’s magical lifetime.
Throughout the grades, students must undertake the task of spiritual integration—assimilating the magical energies gained from each initiation. This often involves the correcting of unbalanced energies, and equilibrating between opposing forces until, at length, harmony is achieved. In analytical psychology, this would be comparable to the process of individuation or the process by which a person becomes self-realized—an indivisible unity or “whole” which contains all aspects of the self.
If the entire initiatory process is successful, the Initiate will have been given an infusion of divine energy, in the hope that he will indeed attain the increased awareness that is needed to exalt the soul and achieve the completion of the Great Work. Although the initiating officers can provide the necessary magical momentum and guidance for this end, it is up to each individual to travel the path of initiation “in essence as well as in form.”
So, after all is said and done, how does one create the Philosopher’s Stone, precious to alchemists and theurgists alike? The secret lies within the old alchemical formula concealed within the word VITRIOL. The initial letters of which are used in an anagram which reads in Latin: Visita Interiora Terrae, Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem, which means “Visit the interior of the earth, through purification, thou wilt find the hidden stone.” This is phrase is a crucial key to the working of spiritual alchemy. It means that we must look within ourselves, purify our own souls, and reveal the spark of the Divine Creator inside.
God is within us. If we can only look deep within ourselves, beyond our own self-centeredness, we will find that true center within us—whether we chose to call it the Philosopher’s Stone, the Highest Good, the sacred heart of Christ, or the Elixir of Life.
This Great Work, the quest for spiritual gold, is a long and hard undertaking. Although the goal may be distant, every step along the path is infinitely rewarding. Alchemists would be wise to remember the words of the following prayer from the Golden Dawn’s Adeptus Minor ceremony:
Unto Thee, sole wise, sole eternal and sole merciful One, be the praise and the glory forever. Who hath permitted me, who now standeth humbly before Thee, to enter thus far into the sanctuary of Thy mysteries. Not unto me, but unto Thy name be the glory. Let the influence of Thy Divine Ones descend upon my head, and teach me the value of self-sacrifice, so that I shrink not in the hour of trial, but that thus my name may be written on high, and my Genius may stand in the presence of the Holy Ones—in that hour when the Son of Man is invoked before the Lord of the Universe and His name in the presence of the Ancient of Days. Amen.
Sources
Cicero, Chic, and Sandra Tabatha, The Essential Golden Dawn. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2003.
De Rola, Stanislas Klossowski, Alchemy: the Secret Art. New York: Bounty Books, 1973.
De Rola, Stanislas Klossowski, The Golden Game. London: Thames and Hudson, 1988.
Regardie, Israel, The Middle Pillar: The Balance Between Mind and Magic. 3rd Edition. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1998.
Regardie, Israel, The Golden Dawn. 6th Edition. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1994.
181. Steffan Michelspacher Cabala, (1616), quoted in Stanislas Klossowski De Rola, The Golden Game, Alchemical Engravings of the Seventeenth Century (London: Thames and Hudson, 1988), 58.
182. Pierre-Jean Fabre, Les Secrets chymiques, 1636, quoted in Stanislas Klossowski De Rola, Alchemy: the Secret Art (New York: Bounty Books, 1973), 8.
183. Klossowski De Rola, Alchemy, the Secret Art, 7.
184. Regardie, The Middle Pillar: The Balance Between Mind and Magic, 5.
185. Regardie, ThePhilosopher’s Stone, 150–51.
186. Regardie, The Golden Dawn, page 23–24.