MAGICK & THEURGY - ISSUE 01 - Heart of the Hermetic Tradition - This is a free publication of the Academia Platonica

Magick & TheurgyThe Eternal Feminine l Do Spirits Exist? l Ficino’s Natal Chart

Heart of the Hermetic Traditionwww.magick-theurgy.com October/November/December 2011

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The Divine Arcana: Interview

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The NaxosSphinx

Hermesthe Wise and Volatile God

2 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011

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THE DIVINE ARCANAof the Aurum Solis

A TRAINING IN THREE STEPS:

1st Pillar: Theurgy (Practice)

2nd Pillar: Philosophy (Teachings)

3rd Pillar: Epicurism (Live and Enjoy)

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CONTENTSMAGICK & THEURGY Oct./Nov./Dec. 2011

FeaturesThe Naxos Sphinx 8and the Delphi SanctuaryBy Myriam Rotzetter.

Hermes 14The Wise and Volatile GodBy Sophie Watson

The Divine Arcana of the 18Aurum SolisInterviewBy Martin Béliard

From the Calyx to Hermes 24By Jean-Louis De Biasi

Body, Mind & Soul 31By Patricia Bourin

Symbols of the Great Work 33The Mercury of the WiseBy Martin Béliard


DEPARTMENTS

Editor’s Letter

The Gorious Star Around the

World

Hymn to Eros

The Eternal Feminine

Marsilio Ficino’s Natal ChartBy Frater Jovis

Voices from the Forefathers

Apuleius, Isis, and the MysteriesBy Irene Craig

Do Spirits Exist?By Ian Elliott

Reviews

Books and movies related to Magick,Theurgy and the Western Traditions.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Editor in Chief

Jean-Louis de Biasi

Executive Editor

Patricia Bourin

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MAGICK & THEURGY

The Western Tradition has a long and re-

spectable history at the origin of many of

the spiritualities existing all around the

world. Many studies, to this day, testify of this im-

portance seen, for example, in the Chaldean and

Egyptian origin of Astrology before its spread to the

East.

However, during long periods of time, this sacred

knowledge and theurgic practices have been hidden by initiates, lost or destroyed

by fundamentalists, twisted by religious translators, etc. Fortunately, the Light of

this Tradition was reactivated in Renaissance Italy through translations of ancient

texts, art, philosophy, private rituals, etc.

From this time onward, the Golden Chain of Hermetists remained powerful, ac-

tive and discreet. New research from scholars allows for a deeper understanding

of the roots of this inheritance. These new elements, when associated to the inner

teachings transmitted by initiates, give wonderful opportunities for this new cen-

tury. During the Ptolemaic Period in Egypt, the Golden Age of this civilization,

Greeks and Egyptian religious and philosophers united their traditions to create an

original syntesis. It was sometime called “Religio Mentis.” This “Religion of the

Spirit” was a balanced combination of science, philosophy, spirituality, and reli-

gion. All beliefs and theories were welcome as new perspectives capable to im-

prove the common knowledge of humankind.

But it is important to not be mistaken. This attitude does not mean that all things

are equivalent and can be accepted as true. Do not forget that the essence of the

world (macrocosm) and of any Human being (microcosm) should not reduced to

the texts who tried to explain them. Texts, theories, and spiritualities are just maps.

They are not the truth. If you plan to visit a city or country you will have to choose

a map. There is not just one representing the territory. You have to find the best

for you and your own experience will help you for this choice. We have to be pru-

dent with a country hiding maps only authorizing a single one. The same thing ap-

plies to Religion, and esotericism. It is good to remember that there is not just one

representation of the Cosmos. Science has to be present in this explanation, and

so is initiation. A true Hermetist and theurgist, according to the Western Tradition,

is someone eager to understand the visible world and the invisible one. This is

someone who knows that it is possible to enjoy both life in this world and perform

inner practices revealing the inner planes.

You are not alone in this quest. Wise Masters initiated in this Tradition have

written several books in the last four thousand years. All have useful insights ca-

pable to bring a new understanding of our essence and destiny. This magazine is

here to bring you this heritage enlightened

by the Hermetic Initiatic Tradition.

In the Light of the Great Star, Jean-Louis DE BIASI

Editor in Chief


South America (Brazil): Tradi-

tional handcrafted box.

North America (USA): Minnesota

State Capitol

THE GLORIOUS STAR AROUNWORLD:

By Julien Larche

North America (USA):

Ceremonial drum

Europe (Portugal):

Monastery of Alcobaça


Middle East: Rug (Detail)

Europe (Spain): Medieval

Windows

Africa (Egypt): Medieval

door.

Central Asia: Rug

ND THE

Europe (France): Medieval

bishop’s shoes

Among the numerous votive offer-

ings scattered over the most fa-

mous sanctuary of ancient Greece,

the temple of Apollo in Delphi, one

stands out: the sphinx offered by

the inhabitants of the Aegean is-

land of Naxos. The sphinx is considered as having been

“the most remarkable monument of the sanctuary at the

time of its offering” .

Origins of the Sphinx figure

In Greek mythology, the sphinx was a single being, a

demonic and merciless figure of destruction. Unlike its

Egyptian counterpart, the Greek sphinx was a female. It

was introduced in Greek art in the Archaic period

through Oriental influences. In his Theogony, Hesiod

says the beast was born of Echidna and her dog son, Or-

thron. According to ancient sources, she had the body

of a lion inherited from her sister Chimera, the head of

a young woman from her mother Echidna, and the

wings of a bird of prey from her ancestresses the

Harpies. Her genealogy links her to the chthonic figures


The

NAXOS SPHINXand the

DELPHI SANCTUARYby Myriam Rotzetter

from early Greek myths, before the Olympian gods’

rule.

“In the ancient Greek imaginary, hybrid creatures

such as the sphinx or sirens symbolised the uncontrol-

lable forces which governed man’s destiny. The sphinx

was very often associated with funereal art and, like

other fantastic creatures coming from the Orient, she

was the recipient of a sacred power” .

The sphinx remains famous in Western culture for its

riddle. It is said that Hera sent her from Ethiopia – as

the Greeks never forgot the foreign origin of the sphinx

- to punish the city of Thebes for the crimes of its King,

Laius. Another version relates that it was Dionysus who

sent her to punish the Thebans for neglecting his wor-

ship. In any case, she was standing on a high rock near

the city gate and asked all travellers her notorious ques-

tion, "What creature with one voice walks on four legs

in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs

in the evening — and is weakest when it has the most

legs?" No one could answer, and she strangled and de-

voured all those who failed. It took Oedipus to find the

solution and free the Thebans from the monster. Upon

hearing Oedipus’ answer, “Man, who walks on all fours

in infancy, walks upright on two legs in the midday of

his life, and hobbles about with a staff in old age,” she


threw herself from her rock and died.

The Naxos Sphinx

The sphinx measures 2,32 m and 1,35 m in width and

sits on an Ionic column about 10 metres tall. It was dis-

covered in pieces in 1861, and is dated circa 570-560

BC. Given the impressive size of the work, the sculptor

was able to work its features in quite some detail in spite

of the coarse texture of the Naxos marble. Unlike the

sphinxes placed on top of funereal monuments, with

their head turned sideways to frighten strangers, this one

looks straight ahead. Sphinxes in sanctuaries were “per-

haps the guardians of a hero’s tomb placed in the sacred

soil – in Delphi it was Dionysus’, patron-god of Naxos.”

Dionysus is of heroic nature as he was killed by the Ti-

tans, and then resuscitated to become immortal. He may

have had a tomb next to the ditch above which Apollo’s

priestess channelled his oracular replies in the adytum,

the temple’s forbidden inner sanctum.

The sphinx has a woman’s head, oval and elongated,

a feline body with the front legs end-

ing in eagle claw, and big wings

starting on the shoulders, mounting

in a sickle form to end over the head.

Over the forehead, the hair locks

take the form of a semi-circle.

Sphinxes always have long plaits

framing their face, and a headband.

The chest is garmented with inci-

sions, which give a feathers-like im-

pression. The wings are divided in

three parts with different decora-

tions. These nuances emphasise

the sculptor’s dexterity and under-

line the decorative function of

votive sculptures. Although we

are used today to seeing them

colourless, ancient sculptures

were actually painted and the different colours certainly

underlined the subtleties of this work.

“This ex-voto offers us one of the most ancient rep-

resentations of this legendary demon, which has inspired

many Greek artists, especially in the Archaic period.

They had to come a long way to produce such a master-

piece; the harmonious use of curves vouches for a long

experience and a refined sensitivity. This monument

also vouches for the piety and wealth of Naxos’ inhabi-

tants, as well as well as the supremacy in the art of mar-

ble sculpture in the Archaic period.”

Today, its enigmatic

aspect and impressive

size makes it one of the

most popular artefacts in

the Delphi Museum.

A Brief History of the

Delphic Oracle

Many legends surround the

origins of the Delphi sanctu-

ary. According to H. W. Parke, “the foundation of Del-

phi and its oracle took place before the times of recorded

history.” The site was originally devoted to the worship

of the Earth goddess Gaia, mother of all gods. She was

the first to give oracles, succeeded by her daughter

Themis. The Homeric hymn to Apollo relates how the

god took over the site and erected his first temple after

having killed Python, the giant snake guardian of Gaia’s

sanctuary. Following his killing of Python, Apollo con-

demned himself to eight years of exile in accordance

with the divine sanction befalling on assassins. He then

returned to Delphi and became the master of the site.


Another story says that Zeus, wishing to know where

the centre of the Earth was, sent two eagles from the two

corners of the world. The eagles met in Delphi, and thus

it became the navel of the Earth. Zeus marked the site

with the omphalos ("navel") stone. Pilgrims from all

over the ancient world gave offerings of umbilical form,

as the fame of the Delphic oracle went far beyond the

frontiers of Greece, up to far away countries. A Roman

or Hellenistic copy of the omphalos is exhibited in the

museum.

The authority and prestige of the Delphi sanctuary

came from its oracle, one of the oldest in Greece. An-

cient sources cite it numerous times. Different tech-

niques of divination were

used, but the most famous was

the oracle given by the Pythia,

the woman chosen by Apollo

to speak under his direct inspi-

ration. According to Plutarch,

the Pythia was in her fifties, an

advanced age at this time. She

had to leave husband and chil-

dren to serve her function.

When she sat on Apollo’s sa-

cred tripod, hidden from view,

she fell into ecstasy and

shouted the divine message.

Priests interpreted and trans-

lated her cryptic words for

those consulting her. “Until the

Classical era, no one ques-

tioned how came the Pythia

suddenly spoke the god’s

words. It is only when the be-

lief that cold reason could ex-

plain everything, divine

messages included, started to

supersede faith that different

possible explanations were

given, such that it was the in-

halation of telluric vapours

emanating from a crevasse that

set her in trance, or the leaves

she chew or the water she

drank.” No proof of such telluric vapours having ever

emanated from the ground has been found though.

The Delphic oracle was notorious for its ambiguous

messages. One well-known anecdote relates that Croe-

sus, the wealthy Lydian king, provoked his own down-

fall by misinterpreting Apollo’s message: the god told

him he would destroy a great kingdom if he went to war

against the Persians. Croesus didn’t understand it meant

he would destroy his own kingdom.

The fame of the oracle lasted for centuries and influ-

enced the development of the Hellenic world in many

ways. Offerings from pilgrims made it fabulously

wealthy, even if from the 3rd century BC, offerings had

more to do with kings’ showing off their wealth than

piety. Its decline started in the 1st century BC. In 83 BC,

Thracians sacked the sanctuary and “according to tradi-

tion, the sacred fire went out for the first time after hav-

ing enlightened the Greeks and barbarians for

centuries.”

The sanctuary remained in func-

tion under Roman rule, but the

death knell of paganism sounded

when Roman Emperors became

Christian. Pagan cults had to dis-

appear from their empire, although

they had no qualms about pillaging

sacred sites. For instance, Nero

took 500 statues from Delphi to

Rome in AD 51. Julian the Apos-

tate, the last pagan Emperor

(reigned AD 355-363), tried to re-

vive ancient traditions and cults.

He sent a messenger to question

the Pythia, who gave this last

prophecy foretelling the end of her

oracle:

Tell to the king that the carven

hall is fallen in decay;Apollo has

no chapel left, no prophesying

bay,No talking spring. The stream

is dry that had so much to say.

Theodosius I, Emperor AD 379-

395, proscribed the practice of pa-

ganism. In AD 380, he declared

Christianity the official religion of

the Roman Empire and refused to

give funds to maintain pagan tem-

ples. In AD 381, the Christian persecution of paganism

began. The etymology of paganism shows how “the

Christians’ rejection of polytheism was encapsulated in

their argot for heathen cult and myth: “paganismus.” A

“paganus” in Latin was either a country

(continued on page 12)


(Continued from page 11)

peasant or, in the language of the army, a civilian.” The Delphi sanctuary was closed in AD 395, and remained

in abandon for nearly a century until the arrival of Christian settlers.

Today, the breath-taking beauty of the site, as well as the aura of mystery still surrounding the ruins of the sacred

site, make it the most popular destination in Greece after Athens’ Acropolis. The remains of the temple visible are

from the one built in the mid-4th century BC. Small groups of people, who still have faith in the ancient gods,

even discreetly meet at times by the sacred Kastalia spring, nearby Apollo’s temple, to honour the deities from the

past. And indeed, if you visit the site in the middle of winter, away from the crowds, and are lucky enough to

wander among the ruins undisturbed, you get the impression that above the remains of his sanctuary, on Mount

Parnassus, Apollo himself is smiling upon you.

Find the Bibliography online at:http://www.magick-theurgy.com


SACRED HYMNS

Hymn to Eros

English translation by Martin Beliard

O Eros, I invoke you !

You are great, pure, desirable, sweet, impetuous,

skilled and cunning.

You are the powerful archer, winged, agile, running

in the fire and playing with Gods and mortals.

The keys of the aether, of the heavens, of the sea,

of the Earth, and of winds are yours.

The fruit bearing Goddess nourishing mortals and

the master of the Tartar and of the raging seas recog-

nize your kingship; you alone are the mover of the

course of all things.

O blessed God, come to your initiate with a sacred

voice and disperse away unworthy desires.


DISCOVERTHE AURUM SOLIS SET

- The full color Tarot Deck

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AN INTRODUCTION TO HELLENISTIC ASTROLOGY

AN ONLINE COURSE

Hellenistic astrology is a tradition that originated in Egypt in the

1st century BCE. The astrologers of this time period commonly

attributed the creation of the system to Hermes Trismegistus, and

the astological motifs that permeate the philosophical Hermeticaare rooted in this tradition.

The purpose of this course is to provide an in-depth introduction

to the history, philsophy and techniques of ancient astrology.

The course is geared towards those who wish to become familiar

with the practice of ancient predictive astrology, although the

philosophical and cosmological implications of this material are

addressed as well.

The course contains over 20 hours of audio lectures, a detailed

course manual, guided readings of ancient astrological texts, and

much more.

For more information please see:

http://www.hellenisticastrology.com/courses/

Myths and Folklore: Hermes is the mes-

senger of the Gods. A trickster and a

thief, he is also the Divine patron of

healers, wise men and women, and of

the Hermetic Tradition. He is the son of Zeus and Maia,

and the father of Hermaphroditus and Pan. Keryx, the

first herald of the Mysteries at Eleusis, is sometimes

considered his offspring, as are

many local heroes across Greece.

Myths tell us Hermes was born in

Arcadia on Mont Cyllene. On the

day of his birth, he killed a tortoise and

made a lyre with its shell. Later on the

same day, he secretly stole fifty cows from

Apollo in order to make offerings to the Immortal

Olympians. Apollo later found out, but Hermes gave

him his tortoise lyre to appease him. Recognizing Her-

mes’ wits and talents, Apollo bestowed great powers

upon him.

A popular myth featuring Hermes in classical times

is the story of the murder of Argus. The nymph Io, who

was loved by Zeus, had been changed into a heifer. The


HERMESThe Wise and Volatile God

Myths and Folklore: Hermes is

the messenger of the Gods. A

trickster and a thief, he is also

the Divine patron of healers,

wise men and women, and of the

Hermetic Tradition.

by Sophie Watson

Father of the Gods transformed her so as to protect her

from the wrath of Hera. However, Zeus was later tricked

into giving the heifer to his wife. Hera decided to put Io

in Argus’ care. The latter was a herdsman with a hundred

eyes all over his head. Argus never lost sight of the

nymph. Displeased at his beautiful lover’s captivity,

Zeus asked Hermes to kill Io’s monstrous keeper and

free her from Hera. The messenger of the Gods,

equipped with winged feet, a helmet, and his caduceus,

went in search of Argus. On the way he stole a herd of

goats to disguise himself. Walking by with his caduceus

as a shepherd’s crook, and playing the reed pipe, he

found Argus on the slopes of a hill.

Hermes tried to charm Argus to sleep with his music,

but it was of no use as the herdsman resisted every song

he knew. As Hermes was singing about the invention of

the reed pipe, Argus finally drowsed, and Hermes cut

off his head. Free, Io wandered to Egypt where Roman

poets claim she became the great Goddess Isis. As for

Argus, Hera took his hundred eyes and put them on the

peacock’s colourful tail. The latter part of the story has

since been understood by alchemists to signify the ex-

traordinary succession of colours crowning the Great

Work.

The name ‘Hermes’ most probably comes from

‘herma’, a very old Greek word meaning ‘pile of

stones’. Piles of stones assembled in various ways were

used early on in ancient Greece to mark important social

and religious spaces. In Plato’s time, one would often

encounter later versions of such markers. Rectangular

stone pillars decorated with an erect phallus and a

sculpted head of Hermes could be seen at crossroads, in

the agora, next to doors, in a house’s vestibule, and on

the threshold of sacred spaces (sanctuaries, temples, and

cemeteries). Such pillars were called ‘Hermae’, and

were mostly used as boundaries and markers of space

they were thought to magically protect.

From the Ptolemaic era onward, especially in Khmun

(Hermopolis), Hermes was identified with the Egyptian

God Thoth with whom he had much in common. Not

only was Thoth the messenger of the Gods and God-

desses, but he ruled over the magickal and sacerdotal

arts, and was the God of understanding, language, and

the judgement of individual souls. Works with Hermes

in the Ogdoadic Tradition carry, to this day, this impor-

tant association between Egyptian religion and Greek

Mysteries.

Invokation: Hermes is the wise and volatile God as-

sociated with Mercury. He is the patron of magick,

prophecy, divination, alchemy, the healing arts, and se-

crecy. He is also associated with speech, music, num-

bers, good luck, travels, exchanges, transmissions,

translations, and mediations, be they inside one’s being

(the nervous system), with other individuals (communi-

cation and affects), or between the physical and the spir-

itual realms (in theurgy).


Hermes should be invoked in matters connected to

the learning, teaching, and practice of magick and

theurgy. The same could be said of alchemy and astrol-

ogy. His influence is paramount in matters of divination

and healing, but also, in any work involving passages

from the visible to the invisible and vice versa. Hermes’

influence should be sought in all matters related to in-

tellectual and mental activities and processes as well as

the transmission of knowledge. Hermetists wanting to

develop their focus, a clarity of mind, wit, memory, vi-

sion, and awareness should work with him. He can also

be invoked, along with Selene, to develop dream-con-

sciousness and empathy in general.

Symbols: You can decorate your lararium (a tradi-

tional altar to the divinities and to one’s ancestors) ac-

cording to certain symbols when invoking Hermes. A

list is given below. These symbols can also be used

when making talismanic images, furniture, or jewellery

for the God. Drawing from these specific symbols in

your work will ensure harmonious and propitious con-

tacts with Hermes. They can be used as materials (wood,

rocks and gems, magical objects), or as images. The

shapes, patterns, and colours of leaves, fruits, rocks, and

gems should inspire your creations:

In the vegetal realm: Angelica, anise, basil, buttercup,

carrot, celery, citronella, coltsfoot, dill, endive, fennel,

fern, flax, garlic, gentian, harefoot, hawthorn, hazel,

hop, lavender, liquorice, magnolia, mandrake, marjo-

ram, mercury flowers, mint, mulberry tree, myrtle, oak

tree, oats, orange, oregano, parsley, parsnip, pistachio,

poplar tree, poppy, valerian, and wormwood.

In the animal realm: Baboon, birds in general, chee-

tah, fox, gazelle, giraffe, ibis, jackal, mule, rooster,

snake, wolf, zebra and from mythology: Sphinx, uni-

corn, winged snake, three-headed snake, and hermaph-

rodite.

In the mineral realm: Abalone shell, banded agate,

alexandrite, cinnabar, opal, rhinestone, quicksilver, and

topaz.

Other symbols include coins, shells, pebbles, dice,

winged hat, broad-rimmed felt hat, winged boots, ca-

duceus, syrinx (reed pipe), lyre, shepherd’s crook, san-

dals, sacred wand, papyri, stylus, hood, and alchemist’s

vessel.

Offerings and perfumes: When working with Hermes,

one should draw from the symbols of the vegetal realm

above for food offerings. Beer, and in some cases mead,

or anise scented liquors such as Arak Razzouk, are the

best all around beverages used in rites and prayers to the

God. The burning of perfumes should precede offerings

when working with the divinities. You can either use a

thurible or a cauldron for these incense offerings. You

can experiment with the perfumes of some of the plants

and seeds mentioned above (be careful to distinguish

between roots and leaves in your notes), but should also

familiarize yourself with age-old perfumes associated

with Mercury: mastic, liquid storax, spikenard oil,

lavender flowers and oil, poppy seeds, and yellow san-

dal, either as wood or oil. I personally use a mix of mas-

tic, oliban, and lavender for works with Hermes as the

Divine Patron of Hermetism, and a recipe with fair

amounts of spikenard oil and poppy seeds for works in-

volving Hermes’ proximity with death, dreams, and the

pilgrimages of the Soul.

With time, your relationship with Hermes will de-

velop, and allow you to properly recognize the perfumes

associated with him. You will then be able to explore

and discover new perfumes related to Mercury, and try

out different incense recipes of your own creation. Sym-

bols, offerings, and perfumes are

there for you to discover the God’s

role in nature, as well as in yourself.

Have fun experimenting with these,

and discovering your own divinity.

May Hermes be with you. n

Beverage suggested for the offerings:

- Red beer, American Indian Pale Ale

- Orange and Mango juice

Personal Harmonization with Hermes:

Bentley cocktail

On ice, stir 1 1/2 oz brandy or calvados, 1 oz ver-

mouth, add 1 twist orange or lemon peel and serve.


“Lastly, most women, in order to exhibit their native gracefulness and allurements, divest themselves of

all their garments, and long to show their naked beauty; being conscious that they shall please more by

the rosy redness of their skin, than by the golden splendor of their robes. But (though it is a thing not law-

ful to speak of, and may there never be so dire an example of such a thing) if you deprive a woman of the

most surpassing beauty of her hair, and strip her face of its native elegance; though she were sent from the

heavens, produced from the sea, and nourished in the waves; though, I say, she were Venus herself, sur-

rounded by all the Graces, and attended by the whole family of Loves, girded with her cestus, fragrant

with cinnamon, and dropping balsam as she moves; yet if she were bald, she would not be able to please

her own Vulcan.

How beautiful is the hair, when it is of a pleasing color, shines with a

glittering light, is vividly refulgent when opposite to the rays of the sun,

or is more mildly resplendent, and varies its appearance in a different

gracefulness ; at one time emitting a brightness like that of gold, it

sinks into a slender shade of the color of honey; at another, with a

blackness like that of a crow, it emulates the azure flowers of

the neck of doves; or now, anointed with Arabian drops, [i.e.

the tears of myrrh] separated by the slender tooth of a sharp

comb, and tied behind the head, it presents itself to the

eyes of the lover,—it then, like a mirror, reflects a more

pleasing image. How beautiful, when being thick,

it is agglomerated with prolific abundance on

the crown of the head, or

extended in a long series

flows down the back!

Lastly, so great, is the

dignity of the hair of the

head, that though a

woman should be

adorned with gold, rich

garments, precious

stones, and every other

ornament, yet she would

not seem to be decorated,

unless her hair was

gracefully divided.”

Apuleius, The Metamor-

phosis, Book 2-9.


Everywhere in the world women are still

persecuted for not being men! Keeping this

in mind, it is interesting to read an excerpt

from a book by Apuleus, a Master of the past

initiated to the Ancient Mysteries. See for

yourself how far the Western Tradition is

from a fundamentalist attitude against

women!

THE ETERNALFEMININE

Martin Béliard – In your new book,

The Divine Arcana of the Aurum

Solis, you unveil the Aurum Solis’

use of ancient Hermetic Arcana at

the origin of Modern Tarot’s major trumps. As

Grand Master of the Order, why did you choose to

first write on the Tarot instead of other elements of

the Hermetic tradition?

Jean-Louis de Biasi – The Tarot has an amazing his-

tory. It is impossible for someone interested in the West-

ern Tradition not to be aware of it. Books on this subject

are countless and so are Tarot decks. In fact, the Tarot is

a tool for divination and, at the same time, a book of

symbols. This combination makes it a unique and fruit-

ful set of Arcana to explore. Now is not the time to de-

velop the history of the Tarot at length, but it is impor-

tant to highlight elements of its history. The modern

Tarot occult system was mainly created by three French

occultists: Comte de Mellet, Etteilla, and Eliphas Levi.

The Golden Dawn made extensive use of the correspon-

dences created at this time. They developed these sym-

bolic representations and system according to their own

tradition and creativity. As you will learn in my book,

these developments had some productive effects, but

also produced mistakes. Today, usual Tarots derived

from the “Tarot de Marseille”, or even from the earlier

“Visconzi-Sforza Tarot”, have become the source of

great artistic inspiration and symbolic studies. This is

beautiful and undoubtedly a great way to approach this

aspect of the Western Tradition.

However, it is important to note that the “modern”

Tarot is a later occult system indirectly inspired by the

original Hermetic system of theurgy. The Hermetic Tra-

dition, which is also called the Ogdoadic Tradition, is

rooted in the deepest sources of Humanity, a part of the


world which was the place where humanity created the first languages,

religions, philosophies, and magickal systems. The Hermetic Tradition

took form at the end of the Egyptian civilization in Alexandria and gave

birth to something you can call an Alexandro-Egyptian Hellenism. It was

usual at this time to study and represent the cosmos through divine powers

called Gods. The Divine Arcana of the Aurum Solis is composed of divine

representations which were progressively chosen by initiates to synthesize

their understanding of the cosmos on the material and spiritual level. As

such, every Arcanum is clearly and precisely linked with a Divinity and

associated with his/her sacred names so as to enable the practice of

theurgy. Several architectural monuments, artifacts, and writings were

used in Italy and other countries to keep these hidden hermetic keys alive.

In Divine Arcana of the Aurum Solis, I investigate, among other things,

a number of roman artifacts as well as a strange pagan church in the

North-East of Italy. These are just a few examples of the rich heritage of

this Tradition.

Coming back to your question, it seems logical to begin by speaking

about the Hermetic representations of the macrocosm and microcosm.

Doing so, I am providing keys for the readers which will enable them to

immediately start working at the theurgic level.

M.B. – Why is the Aurum Solis Tarot using 24 Arcana instead of

22 like other Tarot decks? Moreover, why are its Arcana representing

divinities instead of allegorical figures, or events, like Modern Tarot

trumps?

JL. DB. – As you can imagine, I cannot properly answer this question

here. You will find a detailed answer in my book as well as in an article

entitled “did you miss something?” published on the Llewellyn website

(http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/2230). A few elements, how-

ever, could shed lights on your question. Sometimes Traditions carry both

great insights and profound mistakes in their teachings. A Tradition, as a

family, is a very powerful and useful element. You can receive teachings,


The Divine Arcana of the Aurum Solis

by Martin Beliard

An interview with the author


Throughout history there

has been many representa-

tions of the Qabalistic Tree of

Life.

Even if the number of

spheres is very often the same,

you can see on these qabalis-

tic documents that the paths

can be very different. Their

number and, their positions is

not the expression of an ab-

solute and defintive revelation.

We are far from the dogmatic

representations of some mod-

ern magical Orders.

This Hermetic Tree of

Life in Sub Rosa Nigra

mode is the result of

inner research con-

ducted for many years

by the Grand Officers

of the Aurum Solis.The Sephirotic Tree

according to Rabbi

Isaac Luria.

rituals, a magickal link with an egregore, and much

more from it. In different situations, a Tradi-

tion can also become an obstacle when dogmas

begin to constitute its main element as well as

what keeps it alive. Sadly, this is the case of a

number of initiatic Orders. The reason I am say-

ing this is easy to understand. Everyone learning

or practicing the Western Tradition is accustomed

to the number 22. Have you ever asked yourself

why? From the 16th century onward, Christians in-

terested in the Western Tradition have been learning

Hebrew Qabalah. They discovered this biblical eso-

teric tradition and used it in their own research and re-

ligion. Later in the 19th century, French occultists were

also focused on what they called the “esoteric” aspect

of Catholicism. Eliphas Levi (who was a Christian

priest) developed in his books the links between Chris-

tianity, Qabalah, esotericism and the Tarot. The result

was the association between the Hebrew Alphabet (22

letters) and the number of Major Arcana of the Tarot. As

I already mentioned, these correspondences were pro-

gressively emphasized by well known British initiatic

groups. The Western Tradition, however, is not restricted

to Qabalah and the Biblical Tradition.

As I wrote in a blog (http://goo.gl/tn6kb) philosophy,

theurgy, rituals, etc. existed before Qabalah was in-

vented. At that time, the sacred languages of Hermetists

were Chaldean, Egyptian, and Greek. Greek was the lan-

guage used during the Ptolemaic period to develop the

Hermetic teachings. There are 24 letters in the Greek

Alphabet. As I explain in my book, this number also cor-

responds to the Hermetic representation of the cosmos:

4 elements (plus one: the Ether), the 7 planets and the

12 astrological signs. From the beginning, the Masters

of the Ogdoadic Tradition always maintained this

knowledge, root of all Hermetic practices and rituals.

Even if they used some elements from Hebrew Qabalah,

it was always according to Hermetic teachings and cos-

mology.

Regarding the representations of the trumps, you have

to understand that symbols change through time. The

first Tarot play cards used allegorical figures the way

people were used to in the Renaissance. Allegory was

used to entertain through various references to society,

class, stages in life, etc. Of course these cards were not

connected to any numbers or letters. Later, when psy-

chics used these trumps for divination, they started

adding increased interpretation to these various figures.

Occultists then connected the trumps to numbers and

Hebrew letters. Under their influence, the many figures

started to change. Symbols which could be connected

to Qabalah, alchemy, and magic were emphasized, and

others reduced. Different books combined with the in-

fluence of modern initiatic groups increased this “nat-

ural selection” to obtain a sort of “Dogmatic Tarot”

considered to be the true representation of the original

teachings of the Western Tradition. To this day, modern

artists and authors interpret with their own talent the

same structure. It is always pleasant to see pagan, and

magickal interpretations of the Tarot rooted on a Hebrew

Qabalistic system, which is very different from Her-

metism. They have very different philosophical and es-

oteric representation of the Cosmos!.. Maybe it is time

to simply ask yourself: if the Tarot gives essential keys

I can use for rituals and divination, do I need to use a

hidden Qabalistic egregore in order to be efficient, or

should I draw from the clarity and precision of the orig-

inal hermetic Tarot system? I am sure my book will give


One of the earliest Tarot, the Tarot of Man-

tegna is composed of a set of 50 engravings.

Several are precisely connected to the Immor-

tal Divinities and to the hermetic representa-

tion of the cosmos.

The system of 22 major trumps derives from

the Hebrew Qabalah, and the mid-nineteenth

century French Occult revival. It was especially

disseminated by Eliphas Levi and, later, incor-

porated in the teachings of Westcott, Mathers

and Waite.

you several elements to decide by yourself without hid-

den dogmas.

M.B. – Can the Aurum Solis Tarot be used as any

other Tarot deck? How is it related to the theurgical

work of the Ordo Aurum Solis?

JL. DB. – First of all, just reflect on how you can use

usual Tarot decks? Symbolic study and meditation could

be the first answers. As training, this is really useful, and

something akin to what you will be able to do with al-

chemical or astrological figures. But after that you can

ask yourself: how I can use these trumps for inner prac-

tice and real rituals? Are they really useful? Take a few

seconds to answer. As you can see this is not so easy be-

cause the real keys are hidden and sometimes the corre-

spondences used on the trumps are wrong.

So yes, what you called “the Aurum Solis Tarot” (but

it is best to call it “the Divine Arcana of the Aurum

Solis”), can be used for symbolic and mythological

study. It can be used for meditation, visualization, inner

practice, magick and theurgy. You can also use it to have

an action on different situations in your life. Various

charts in the book give you a very precise list of qualities

and psychological functions, and the rituals and divini-

ties you can draw from to better your life. As you can

see, its uses are far more deeper than what you can

imagine.

I know that for many people, theurgical work seems

very similar to a magickal work. You can find in this

issue of the magazine a short FAQ about this question.

But in few words, I can say that according to

Iamblichus, theurgy is the use of symbols and rituals in

order to engage with various levels of consciousness and

raise your soul to the most divine realities. Theurgy can

be seen as a magickal system founded on spiritual de-

velopment. In this case you can easily understand that

the modern Tarot decks are not very efficient for that.

When you will see the Divine Arcana of the Aurum

Solis you will be able to understand that you can use it

instantaneously to invoke inwardly and outwardly the

Divine powers. The hermetic sacred names, the divine

figures and the original correspondences will allow you

to work theurgically.

M.B. – Can the Aurum Solis Arcana be used in

group rituals? Could you give us an example of the

kind of group magical work one can do with these

Hermetic Arcana?

JL. DB. – Of course yes! This is an important ques-

tion. In initiatic Orders like ours there are always two

levels of group rituals. One is accessible to everyone,

the other one is generally restricted to initiates and per-

formed under the protection of the egregore of the

Order. So it is not necessary to be initiated in order to

begin your group rituals. However, it is important to

have someone experienced to teach and supervise this

kind of group work. This is what I do during seminars

or workshops open to everyone. You have a large prac-

tical part in the book and you will be able to read and

try individual rituals. All individual rituals can be prac-

ticed in group.

As I said, each Arcanum is linked to a divine power.

In a group ritual performed in workshop, you can see

how the energies are organized in your inner and invis-

ible bodies. You can find what planet, sign, etc. is an ob-

stacle (or help) for you. After that, and this is something

which is peculiar to theurgy, you can re-balance these

powers by an immediate use of the Arcana. All members

of the group focus their energies in a ritual dedicated to

one of them. The power of the Divine Arcana associated

with the power of the group gives a very efficient result.

This is a simple example of what is practiced in a work-

shop.

M.B. – This book is your second at Llewellyn Pub-

lication in less than a year. Do you plan on publishing

any other soon? Can you tell us a bit about your

forthcoming projects?

JL. DB. – Yes, I do! First of all the full colored Tarot

Deck of the Divine Arcana of the Aurum Solis has been

released One month ago.

As for books, I am working on a book entitled Be-

coming Gods. The subtitle says a bit more about its

topic: “Invoking the Powerful Divinities to Transform

and Enjoy your Life.”

The next one will be “The Couple’s Magickal Path .”

It is important not to unveil every details immediately.

The content of these two books will be released progres-

sively.

Thank you for your questions. n


OCTOBER 28 1433 (GREG) 13:26 LMT

FIGLINE VALDARNO, Italy

11E28 43N37

Sun 18 55′12″ Libra Swati

Moon 26°45′16″Sagittarius U.Shadha

Mars 13°49′14″Capricorn Sravana

Mercury 12°08′14″Scorpio Anuradha

Jupiter 02°37′59″Leo Magha

Venus 04°09′04″Virgo U.Phalguni

Saturn 26°04′42″Capricorn Dhanista

Rahu 18°14′15″ Sagittarius P.Shadha

Ketu 18°14′15″ Gemini Ardra

Ascendant 20°56′06″ Sravana

Saturn in the 1st house gives an austere and hermit-

like outlook on life; it is the reason why Ficino took the

name "Saturnus" within the Careggi Circle; Ficino iden-

tified himself to the qualities of Saturnus.

The 2nd lord, Saturn, in the 1st house gives knowl-

edge of different languages. All odd signs are afflicted

by the Rahu-Ketu axis, and the 8th lord, the Sun, is

placed in the 10th house. These factors are probably

what drew the native close to God (Ficino became a

priest in 1473 during his Rahu/ Moon period, Vim-

soothri dasa system). The 9th lord (religion and philos-

ophy) in the 11th house (gains) suggests Ficino gained

through knowledge and philosophy (Mercury gives in-

tellect and to know by reason). The 7th lord in the 12th

house gives litigation through partners as can be shown

when he was subject to the inquisition (6th house is lit-

igation but both 6th and 12th houses are afflicted). He

was described as mild, refined and gentle, though with

possible flash of anger. Content with a simple dress and

lifestyle, he was conscientious and frugal. His quick

flash of anger is apparently due to Mars in the 1st house.

The 10th lord (occupation) is placed in the 9th house

(religion). Ficino did indeed have his priesthood or-

dained by fate. This chart shows that he overcame his

hardships in life by embracing religion and philosophy.

Saturn in the 1st house gives a renunciation attitude to-

wards material and sensual pleasures.n


MARSILIO FICINO’SNATAL CHART

by Frater Jovis

The Calyx is a fundamental technique of the Ordo Aurum

Solis sometimes compared to the Qabalistic Cross you

can find in the Golden Dawn Tradition. Its general struc-

ture and goal is very well described in the book “Magi-

cal Philosophy” and we will begin with this analysis.

[The quotations below are from “The Magical Philoso-

phy,” Volume 3.]

“The Calyx is a fundamental technique of Art Magick, which both

aligns the practitioner with the forces of the cosmos, and awakens aware-

ness of the counterparts of those forces with the psyche. It can thus be said

to encapsulate in brief compass the chief method and purpose of all work-

ings of High Magick.

The Calyx is variously employed as a psychic energizer, as a mode of

adoration, or as a preparatory formula for the bringing through of power.”

This last sentence has to be read carefully to be fully understood. The

two authors hid several keys here.

Obviously, the first step is related to the magick level which consists of

working on your inner psychic abilities. The second plane concerns the spir-

itual level which will be developed later in this article through the Sacred

Gesture of Hermes. The third level is related to Theurgy. When you are aware

of your inner abilities your consciousness is open to the spiritual levels and,

as a result, it becomes possible for you to build a strong link inwardly and

outwardly with the Divine powers.

“It forms, for example, an integral part of the rites of the Setting of the

Wards (Papers III, IV, and V follow below), where its primary function is to

imbue the operator with the power necessary to establish a sealed and sanc-

tified environment, and a vibrant astral matrix, in which to conduct his work.”

It is important to remember that such ritual work is performed on the inner

plane first. Gestures and vibrations can have an effect only if you intend to

do this practice on the invisible level. If you do not use a proper visualization

or do not know which aspect you have to be focused on, the practice will only

be a physical exercise. You really have to build a precise invisible environ-

ment. To accomplish this, the first step is to learn how to visualize. Later on,

other keys are necessary to learn how to “seal” this sacred space in order to


From the Calyxto HERMES

by Jean-Louis De Biasi

perform strong and efficient spiritual

work. This is usually passed on

through oral teachings.

“At the conclusion of some of the

Ritual Formulae, the Calyx is em-

ployed as a gratulatio, a magical

thanksgiving. In this context, the

function of the Calyx is twofold: in

the ambience of an achieved rite it

honors the sublime reality of the

forces of cosmos and microcos-

mos, and it affirms and establishes

the equilibrium of potencies within

the psychic organism of the opera-

tor.”

Again it is essential to remember

this necessary connection between

microcosm and macrocosm. A

Theurgist must perform rituals by

choosing the symbols and different

elements according to the law of

correspondences, but also with his

mind focused on the highest spiri-

tual levels. Having this as his goal

makes a fundamental difference.

This is an important part of the

safety of the entire process. As the

quotation reads, the use of the

Calyx allows you to balance the

energies in your aura. In order to

achieve this result, you can simply

follow the directions, as presented

in the book. The results will come

(depending on the regularity of

your practice). However, if you

use the description of the process

on the invisible level, your work

will be more efficient and your

progression much more faster.

The awareness of this occult

process will always help you to

better understand what you are

doing. Consequently, it will affect

the success of your entire work.

“Although relatively simple,

the Calyx is a complete spiritual

"toner" in its own right, and the

student should use it frequently:

whether to enhance their personal psychic energies in

preparation for another activity (ritual, meditative, or

other), or as mode of attunement to the great forces of

life, or for the sheer joy of the work, or for bliss of

being.”

This is a great aspect of the Ogdoadic Tradition, - the

Aurum Solis always helps student connect their self-de-

velopment with their spiritual life.

“In the text of the Calyx, the Words of Power are

given in both Hebrew and Greek forms.”

Thanks to the former Grand Masters of the Aurum

Solis, the Calyx is not limited to words taken from He-

brew as you can see in the Golden Dawn tradition. The

Greek vibrations (Sub Rosa Nigra mode) and Latin

names are provided in order to give you the opportunity

to experience another kind of energy. It is important for

you to realize that the sacred names always connect the

practitioner to a certain quality of energy. Correspon-

dences between names do not mean they are equivalent!

The results of using Hebrew, Greek, Latin, or Egyptian

are not identical. Of course the main goal and the

essence of the practice remain the same. However, the

character and the tone of the work on the spiritual level

are not the same. If you want to turn a light on, the

process is simple. Just flip the switch. However you can

easily understand that even if the power is the same, the

light will be different if you use different colored lamps.

Consequently your feeling will also be different if you

are under the influence of a red light, as opposed to a

green, black or natural light. It is the same when you are

using vibrations from different origins and this is why

you have to choose them very carefully. You must also

consider that theses sacred languages are associated with

special cultures and, therefore, with specific egregores.

Again, the powers with which you would be connected

with if you act without being aware of the occult issues

will have a very different impact on your psyche. All

these elements have to be enlightened in order for you

to understand the consequences of these issues on your

life. I had the opportunity to write an article about this

subject and you can find it at: http://goo.gl/CJAdp.

If you consider these aspects in relation to the Qabal-

istic map, we could say that the Magus restores the true

balance between Binah and Chokmah. At this moment,

“his is the mind now in truth of the all-potent Father and

of the Bright Fertile Mother: he is the Right Hand and

the Left Hand both upheld in the Gesture of the Calyx:

and above and between them shines the Illimitable Bril-


liance of the Primal Glory.” (Magical Philosophy, Vol-

ume 2, Chapter IV)

THE PROCESS ON THE INVISIBLE PLANES

Now let us take a closer look at the Calyx ritual. Some

people have erroneously reduced the Calyx to a modi-

fied form of the Qabalistic Cross. This failure to inves-

tigate and understand the deeper meaning of the Calyx

has led to a complete misunderstanding of its most im-

portant characteristics. I will repair some of that damage

here by offering more information about its purpose and

meaning.

Calyx is a Greek word meaning “cup” or “shell.” The

meaning of this word reveals the receptive essence of

your being as you perform this ritual. In the Calyx, the

focus is on our complete receptivity to the Divine forces

that ennoble us. Therefore, the Calyx can be a “stand

alone” ritual, which is both intellectually and emotion-

ally profound.

To understand the meaning and the symbolism of this

practice, and to avoid mistakes, you must understand

what happens on the different planes (at the levels of

your invisible bodies) during the ritual. The best way to

understand this is for me to describe this ritual and what

is happening internally, and for you to follow the

process by enacting it (at least mentally). This way you

will have a much clearer idea of the power of the Calyx

and its potency.

Before I describe

the Calyx, It is

very important to

point out again

that the Calyx may

be performed in

different lan-

guages, and that

the language used

has an effect on

the practitioner.

You can listen to

the correct pro-

nunciation of the

words used in the Calyx on the Aurum Solis Website at:

http://goo.gl/cggDf to help the reader understand this, I

will describe the occult process of these different for-

mulas of the Calyx.

At the first moment of the ritual, the Magus concen-

trates on his/her Corona Flammae (Kether) before be-

ginning the breathing sequence; this stimulates a kind

of vibration in the aura. We might compare this effect

to the moment before a storm bursts, when we feel the

electric tension building in the air. At the first inhalation,

an intense white sphere appears just above your head.

The most advanced teachings of our Order explain the

connection between this sphere and the seven planetary

spheres, but I will not develop this aspect here. Next, a


Repeatedly used in the an-

cient Mediterranean Tradi-

tions, winged snakes can

be found in many places

and symbols..

rippling, undulating movement appears inside the

sphere. A kind of flame (similar in shape to the Hebrew

Letter Yod) appears and begins to manifest itself as a

pulsating sphere of light, -increasing in diameter as you

visualize it.

This divine flame is called from the highest planes of

the Magician’s psyche. This little flame (visualized

above your head) represents the Supreme Power, the

source, the origin of all magickal power, the sacred fire

which enables us to practice divine Magick (Theurgy).

The localization of this flame above the head specifies

that it originates far from the profane being, the physical

body and its surroundings. This manifestation helps the

Magus make contact with the powers used to perform

the rituals that follows.

As the Magus inhales, he/she attracts the light down

through and into the spinal column, so that it travels eas-

ily down to the Instita Splendens (Malkuth) where this

power has its roots. If you watch carefully as the light

descends through the central column, during its move-

ment you will see the seven colors that are associated

with the seven planets. After the light is rooted in the In-

stita Splendens, the light in the spinal column becomes

like an intense white hot magnesium flame surrounded

by little red flames. The shape of this light is very spe-

cific and can be likened to a tube.

If you look carefully at what is occurring in the Instita

Splendens, you will see the seven prismatic colors be-

coming a rainbow, which gives birth to a spiral shape.

The movement is completed as they fuse into a dark, vi-

brating color. Even though this deep color is dark and

earthy in appearance, it is not associated with a heavy

feeling at all.

The arms are raised. They are on the horizontal

plane, parallel to the floor, palms up. The Calyx (or cup)

is then created in the mind. This is a major point of dif-

ference between the Calyx and the Qabalistic Cross,

demonstrating the inaccuracy of any comparison be-

tween them. Without revealing the inner teachings of

the Aurum Solis, I can highlight that there is a relation-

ship between the position of the hands, and the spheres

Chokmah and Binah (on the Tree of Life). There are also

specific movements and visualizations that can be used

in order to increase the power of the Calyx in more ad-

vanced forms of the ritual. During this process the Flos

Abysmi (Daat) becomes the central focus. An intense

hub of energy suddenly appears in Tiphereth. One after

the other, the left hand and then the right hand is placed

on the shoulders. If the inner work is properly per-

formed, several phenomena will occur within the invis-

ible body. First, this is the moment when the Magus

crosses the barrier between Atziluth and Briah. Wisdom

(Chokmah) connects to Strength, and Mercy connects

to Hod (the Intellect). This action creates the two pillars

that are on the two sides of the central column (present

in the spinal column).

When your hands are brought in contact with the two

centers associated with your shoulders, you will see the

light increasing

in these two

spheres: (Gedu-

lah/Chesed at the

left shoulder and

Geburah at the

right shoulder).

An intense influx

of light moves

down through

each column, ac-

tually creating

three columns in

your invisi-

ble body.

At this mo-

ment, the

light in the

central column becomes very intense and it is quite im-

possible to hold it in your mind. You will simply feel

the verticality of this link between the sky and the earth.

We may be surprised by this astral process, but it is im-

portant to clarify that there really is no “cross” in your

aura here. The concepts related to any mystical practice

that comes from the Christian ‘sign of the cross’ are not

connected to the process of the Calyx. The Aurum Solis

Calyx is definitely connected to a more ancient Her-

metic practice of Aurum Solis called the “formula of the

Porch of the Temenos” (“Temenos” meaning “Temple”).

This is a very accurate empowerment of your invisible

body that helps to rebalance your inner energies into the

shape of the three columns. As Denning and Phillips

have previously remarked, it is profitable for the student

to understand the relationships between the porch, the

superstructure, the vault and the manifestation of the

Grail.

Your entire aura is now full of bright, luminous rivers

of energy. An intense solar light radiates at the center of

your body, in the Orbis Solis (Tiphareth); it begins to


A very interesting bronze ring from

Ancient Egypt, with the crowned

Snake rising to the sun.

crackle like a fire and radiates energy like the warmth

of the rising sun. This occurs at the moment you enter

into the Yeztiratic plane.

The two columns on either side of the spine receive

the same influx of light, and enjoy the same experience

as the central column (spine). Then they gradually begin

to disappear from the mind of the Magus. Only the ra-

diance of the aura continues to be felt.

Completely balanced and fully aware of his/her inner

abilities, the Magus is now able to continue his/her mag-

ical work.

In Volume 3 of “Magical Philosophy,” the au-

thors wrote “In some measure, it may be said

that the Calyx foreshadows the Formula of

the Grail.” This reference leads us back to the

dawning of the Western Tradition. At first

glance, we will be tempted to associate the

Grail to the medieval Christian Tradition. However the

books of the “Magical Philosophy” create a clear and

immediate relation to the pre-Christian Celtic Tradition.

“The Grail is in some aspects closely related to the an-

cient Cauldron of Regeneration which appears in Celtic

mythology. This is represented as an actual magical ves-

sel, from which (after certain operations) the subject

emerges renewed in life and in youth. Its archetype is

nothing less than the "Cauldron of Annwn." (Magical

Philosophy, Vol. 1 - Chapter VII)

“It [the Grail] is also the specific and sacred symbol

of the Goddess in her Binah Aspect, as receptacle of the

power of the Supernal Father. The Grail thus represents

a high spiritual reality: one of its co-symbols is the Uni-

verse. To raise up a magical instrument, as has been said,

is to bring it into manifestation and into operation. He

who elevates the Grail in solemn ritual, therefore, is

making offering so far as he is able, of the universe itself

as a receptacle and instrument of Divine Power. Not

only that: he is also whether explicitly or implicitly of-

fering himself as an instrument of that Power. Even thus

does the Grand Master make offering of the Order, and

of himself its representative before the Gods.” (Magical

Philosophy, Vol. 3, p. 114)

We will have the opportunity to talk

about the important Celtic tradition in another issue of

the magazine, but it is interesting to emphasize this ref-

erence as a major key for the understanding of the Her-

metic concept of the Calyx. First of all, as the last

sentence states, the Grand Master has an essential

Theurgic work in connection to the Immortal Divinities:

“the Gods.” This high spiritual work connects the egre-

gore of the Aurum Solis to the divine founders of the

Tradition by the observance of advanced rituals. For the

good of everyone, it is essential that this channel stays

powerfully alive in order to give its power (through ini-

tiation, which creates a link), and, as Proclus said, by

the consecration and blessing of ritual materials received

through the Magus and Officers at this special moment.

The safety of the individual spiritual practices is one of

the consequences of this aspect of the Calyx. The Ec-

clesia Ogdoadica, which is the religious part of the Her-

metic Tradition, reveals this relationship in an aspect

which is more focused on the field of Adoration. As I

previously stated, the Grail is also the Cauldron of Re-

generation. As you might expect in a Hermetic Tradition

like Aurum Solis, other evidence supporting this fact can

be found in the sacred text “Corpus Hermeticum” which

is also called “The Cup or Monad.” (The relationship

becomes clear.)

“Tat: Why then did God, O father, not bestow on all

of us, the Noûs (the Divine inside us)?

Hermes: He willed, my son, to have the Noûs pre-


FROM THE GRAIL TO THE HERMES FORMULA

sented to the souls,

just as if it were a

prize.

Tat: And where

hath he it set up?

Hermes: He filled a

mighty Cup with it, and

sent it down, joining a Her-

ald [to it], to whom He gave

the command to make this

proclamation to the hearts of

men: “Immerse thyself in this

great Cup, thee who want to

walk on the sacred way of the re-

turn and want to know for what

thou didst come into being!”

As many then as understood the

Herald's tidings and doused them-

selves in Mind, they became partak-

ers in the Gnosis; and when they had

"received the Mind" they were made

"perfect men."

But they who do not understand the

tidings, these, since they possess the aid

of Reason [only] and not Mind, are igno-

rant wherefore they have come into being

and whereby. [...]

That is Tat, the science of the Noûs: contemplate the

Divine essences and understand God. That is the whole-

someness of diving into the Divine cup.”

The connection between Thoth-Hermes and the

essence of the Cup is obvious. This large cup is a Divine

emanation which contains the Noûs, the Divine sub-

stance which helps us to become Gods, to realize our

own divinity and to reveal the desire to come back to

the origin, which is the Divine world. So more than the

Cup itself, it is what the Cup contains which is essential,

as well as the consequence of using the Cup. This is a

Cup of regeneration of the soul, and, at the same time,

it is a reminder of your own origin and Divine nature.

Now, you can understand why there is a connection be-

tween the Calyx and the large cup from the Hermetic

Tradition. Obviously this name “Calyx” contains more

than expected. This is also why other formulations of

the Cup have been developed in order to increase the

connection to this Hermetic origin.

In the sacred gesture of

Hermes used by initiates and

non initiates, the Hermetic

archetype is used to raise

your soul and enable you to

undertake your ascent to the

divine Cup.

This is how you can proceed:

1- You are standing, your arms

naturally relaxed.

2- Extend your arms in front of

you, raised to approximately 70º

above the horizontal plane, palms

up (supine). Maintain this position

while visualizing the descent of the

spiritual light.

Holding this position, says: EI

3- Lower your arms with your palms

down. Bring them parallel to the floor. The

palms are level with your hips. Holding this

position, says: HE BAZILEIA

4- Simultaneously raise your arms. Cross

them on your chest, right

over left.

Holding this position,

once more, says: KAI HE

DUNAMIS

Holding this position,

once more, says: KAI HE

DOXA

5- Extend your arms in

front of you, raising them

as you open the wings of


The manifestation of

inner energy can be

seen as the rise of the

winged serpent:

Agathodaimon!

Hermes, palms up (supine). Your arms should be wide

open and your eyes should be lifted to the heavens.

Maintain this position says: EIS TOUS AIONAS

A few indications of the occult process of this gesture

may be useful.

The first step is intended to give you the opportunity

to balance your inner energies. Your mind has to be

empty of any thoughts. You have to feel your feet on the

floor, the temperature, the nature of the ground, etc.

Breathe in silence. This is the moment when your own

energies are connected to the powers of the earth. Your

body begins to be an extension of the earth. A flow of

subterranean energy comes to your feet and penetrates

up through your feet as an inner vibration. When you

feel this vibration in your feet, turn your consciousness

in the direction of the upper levels, and raise your arms.

This movement will give a direction to the flow of earth

energy which will rise up your spinal cord. When the

energy ascends toward your head, a kind of tube of en-

ergy is created. This channel seems empty because the

energy is very subtle. This is the essence of the earth en-

ergy which activated this bridge between earth and sky.

When your arms are extended in the direction of the

sky, this original energy (which has reached your head)

shines forth in the direction of the sky, in the shape of a

very thin string of light.

This is the moment to turn your mind in the direction

of the original fire, the highest Divinity, without shape,

which is above all other Demiurges, Gods and God-

desses. In specific rituals, the Aurum Solis Tradition

uses a prayer saying:

“I call upon you,

You, the Secret Flame who resides in the luminous

and sacred silence!

You, the Light of the Great Gods, and the Life of the

Worlds!

You, the Powerful, the Resplendent, whose Spirit fills

everything!

You the sanctified Fire who is called upon in each

sanctuary of the skies!”

A golden-yellow energy is attracted by this adoration.

This is an act of love, a desire to see this source of all

life descend into your body as a true revelation of the

Divine in you. When you feel this contact, this magne-

tization, vibrate the first sacred sound. The movement

of energy will be activated and the movement of descent

will begin.

This flow of energy (which is at the same time subtle

and powerful) penetrates you and descends to your solar

plexus using the channel created at the beginning by the

energy from the earth. As soon as you feel this presence,

go immediately to step 3. Move your palms so they are

facing the floor and allow the energy to continue to

progress up through your feet to create this bridge of

light. The second vibration will reinforce this vertical

axis, which rises up your spinal column.

The following steps are related to the revelation of

your own divinity with the help of the Hermetic process.

At this point your desire has to be crystal clear: increase

the awareness of your own divinity and ascend to the

highest spiritual levels by raising your soul through the

celestial spheres.

This desire has to remain in your mind as you simul-

taneously raise both arms. Breathe in as you visualize

the first aspect of the serpent, the good spirit Agathodai-

mon, rising up around you, encircling you clockwise.

When his head has reached the level of your shoulders,

vibrate the sacred word. Do the same for the second as-

pect of Agathodaimon, who encircles you anticlockwise.

As you can see in the illustration, two powerful currents

of energy surround you filling your aura with a bright

golden light.

Now perform the last step, opening your arms in the

direction of the sky. The divine wings of the caduceus

of Hermes open widely. There is a kind of explosion of

fire inside your aura, and your soul can use this celestial

and inner fire to undertake the sacred way of the return.

This occult process unveils for you another under-

standing of what is usually called the “Calyx.” As you

now realize, Hermeticism is not a simple word. These

exercises and Theurgic practices can be used with as

much success today as they were at the beginning of this

Tradition. n


As many people, I believe it is important to

have a good balance in life. Especially

when you want to have greater awareness

of yourself and, at the same time, increase

your quality of life and your spirituality. So I would like

to share some thinking about life and balance with you.

We live in a visible world which is linked to an im-

measurable invisible world (the spiritual world) in many

ways.

As a human being, the first step – as for a house- is

to build our body, and to discover and learn how to use

it. Indeed, our body is physical, material and as a baby

we can discover it and use it, even before the age of self-

awareness. We develop our mind step by step in parallel

to this initial physical discovery. We learn to speak, and

to understand our native language. Later, we start to

think, to be aware of ourselves and of the world around

us, and so on. We learn, and experience life. These steps

are a lesson for one’s whole life, one’s body changes,

but mind, and the world, change too.

I think it is important to be equally interested to these

two levels: the invisible and the visible. However, find-

ing a balance between mind and body can be a challenge

for most of us. Why?

Maybe it is because we do not really pay enough at-

tention to our whole being? Or because religion has, in

the last centuries, always insisted on mind and soul

while forgetting about the body?

Why are people not paying attention to their body? Is

it because they are working at a spiritual level? But the

mind is inside the body. If the body is a vehicle, why

should it be left in a bad shape, or neglected? The body

partially reflects our mind and our life.

Our body is not only muscles, bones and flesh; it is

also flexibility, endurance, and breathing. Some of it is

innate, and some of it we learn and develop along the

way. However, as human beings, we also have mind

(i.e. such as in the rhythm of a voice, a music or a noise).

Since we are not alone on Earth, our body lives with the

rhythm of the world around us: the seasons, weather,

and other people. Our body reacts with feelings and rea-

son. There is a link between words and feelings, like be-

tween feelings and reason. If we cut these links, we will

be off balance, and sometimes, even get sick. We can

find a lot of examples of mental or physical illnesses

caused by imbalance between mind and body. Obesity,

diabetes, anorexia and so on, but also sadness and anger;

for some people this lack of balance is not visible, it is

deep inside. People can have strange feelings too, as a

hole inside them, and anxiety, simply because they for-

get their mind and only pay attention to their body, or

vice versa. As many physicians know, to be off balance

has negative consequences in life.

Everyone has a different perception of his body ac-

cording his taste for sport, dance, hiking, meditation,

etc. So according to the lifestyle we have, our body is

more or less important. Of course, for some people it

could be just about satisfaction; everybody knows that


BODY, MINDand SOULCan the body become the most precious

ally we have to ascend to the Divine?

by Patricia Bourin

bodies need rest, water, and food (I am hungry so I eat.

I am tired so I go to sleep). The amount of food can be

important for balance; some people can only eat a little

quantity of food per meal, while others need a large

quantity. For other people, eating is not enough; it needs

to be pleasurable, as when you enjoy a good dinner with

family or friends.

Of course, every person has a different perception of

his body, and of the mind too. However, it is always im-

portant to increase the quality of our life at the intellec-

tual, spiritual and material levels. To achieve this goal

we cannot put away a part of ourselves and work only

on the other part. So we need to be aware of our body

as well as of our mind. The possibility for harmony in

our life arises from the care of our whole being.

I am writing about balance, but for me balance is nec-

essarily linked to freedom. To some extent, it is our

choice to decide the way we live, whatever the level.

For different reasons, some people experiment with

fasting, or fast for periods of time. Usually, they do so

for spiritual reasons.

It is important to say here that the Ogdoadic Tradition

does recommend fasting. If you do so, please keep in

mind to drink water as often as you want. It is also im-

portant to be aware of the risks you take when you ex-

periment with fasting for more than 1 day. In this case,

it is important to talk to your doctor first.

Why do people fast? The primary goal is to clean the

body, but also, to increase the distinction between mind

and body, and

the self-aware-

ness of their re-

lation. This

experience can

help us under-

stand the links

between the

body and the

world around

us, but also,

discover the

i m p o r t a n t

power of the

mind. On the

other hand, this

kind of experi-

ence can bear

negative consequences on one’s health. In the latter case,

we are far away from balance and harmony!

The most important thing is to learn how to live with

the minimum, but also, how to appreciate the best. It

sounds simple but it is far from being easy to do. One

day to enjoy a luxurious dinner with sophisticated meals

and wines. The day after to be able to be satisfied with

a few olives, a piece of bread and fresh water.

So, to work in order to have healthy body and mind,

to reach a good balance between body and mind, what

do we need? In my opinion, we need to pay attention to

both parts, something that is not obvious for most of us.

In different ways and at different times, each of us de-

cided to work about our spiritual development. We have

the desire to work at the invisible level and we want to

continue to develop the spiritual aspect of our self. It is

a natural reflex to put first what we want to increase the

most: the mind.

A good way to set a regular routine is to start with a

few simple things: eat well (quantity and quality), do

some physical exercise you like, a meditation, a ritual,

relaxation, and reading.

It is only then we can pay more attention to our Soul,

this invisible part of our being many people do not

speak about.

Good morality can be the origin of a good health for

the spiritual body. This level makes the difference. Pay-

ing attention to the spiritual level means we already es-

tablished the connection between our mind and the Soul.

This connection allows us to know what balance is, and

how we can achieve it.

We will have the opportunity to develop more about

the Soul in the next issue of this magazine.

Socrates' guiding rule was, "Know yourself (Thy-

self)." These words are of eternal significance. No better

advice has ever been given to man or woman.

To learn and know about ourselves is the foundation

of our work. It is really difficult to work and increase

the spiritual part of our being if we are too concerned

with our material life. Too much is never good, but it is

also necessary to sufficiently work in through material

life... We are not only spirit. n


From the earliest times Hermetism devel-

oped a philosophy along with its rituals

and ceremonies. Concepts specific to Her-

metism appeared, or were redefined by

early initiates. It is the case, for example,

of concepts such as Gnôsis (Divine knowledge), Noùs

(Mind), and Heimarmenê (Fate). In relation to such con-

cepts emphasis was made, especially in Alexandria, on

theurgical works with the great solar snake-God Agath-

odaimon. In the Corpus Hermeticum, Noùs, says Her-

mes Trismegistus teaching to his son Tat, is what can

bind mortals to Gods and Goddesses. Noùs, he adds,

‘(…) is the Agathodaimon’. The snake-God is one of the

most important key to the mysteries of Regeneration.

It is my argument that this important idea barely

changed over time. The cult of Agathodaimon went into

secrecy along with the Hermetic Tradition on the thresh-

old of the Middle Ages, but the occult principles con-

veyed by the God endured. It took, among other things,

the form of a symbol called the ‘Mercury of the Wise’.

In effect, it found its way in the Renaissance through a


SYMBOLS OF THE GREATWORK:THE MERCURYOF THE WISE

Emphasis was made in Alexandria,

on theurgical works with the great

solar snake-God Agathodaimon.

by Martin Beliard

bur-

geoning European alchemi-

cal and magickal Tradition nourished by local

developments, interactions with Ottoman and

Arabic cultures, and the re-discovery of ancient Her-

metism. As with the Raven which was the object of last

issue’s Symbols of the Great Work series, the Mercury

of the Wise is both a multifarious symbol, and a princi-

ple of occult philosophy. It is just waiting to be redis-

covered in light of ancient Hermetism.

It is common knowledge alchemists posit there are

three principles guiding their work. Following Paracel-

sus, everything has form (Salt), life (Sulfur), and essence

(Mercury). Of course, these terms are not literally re-

lated to the chemical body they refer to in Modern

chemistry. Salt is fixed and solid, Sulphur is rich and

oily; it binds the Salt to the Mercury, whereas Mercury

is aerial, volatile, and liqueur-like; it is both an essence

and what allows an individual, plant, animal, or mineral,

to relate to the Cosmos. Compared to Salt and Sulphur,

Paracelsus notes that Mercury is not specific to a given

being, but universal; it is the principle by which sympa-

thies and antipathies are created with the visible world

and beyond. He sometimes call this Mercury ‘Mercury

of Life’. Others after him used the term ‘Mercury of the

Wise’, especially among French authors.

Paracelsus sees this Mercury as that which gives

virtues and powers. It is the ‘Arcana’, or ‘key’, of one’s

being; what gives movement to life, and rouses it up-

ward. It’s association in the Renaissance to the Christian

concept of Spiritus, although incomplete, is not acciden-

tal at all. In alchemical iconography, this Mercury can

take many forms. One sees it, among other things, as

dry water, Neptune, caduceus, Hermes, hermaphrodite,

snake, winged snake, threefold snake, Ouroboros, uni-

corn, dragon, and rooster.

As you might already know, alchemical language can

be rather abstruse. It is not my intent to dwell upon it at

length, but students of alchemical symbolism should be

aware of two things. First, alchemical language is a tool;

it is not an end in itself, and alone it is rather insignifi-

cant. It becomes fruitful when it allows one to effec-

tively understand, translate, and communicate with

clarity one’s theurgical experiences. This comes with

time when one has been immersed in these symbols, and

has connected to their ‘reality’. Sadly, however, cen-

turies of armchair commentators obscured this fruitful

language and mystified its concrete uses. Secondly, if

one is able to read between the lines, alchemical sym-

bolism is capable of great malleability and precision. As

such, one can be confronted, for example, with many

types of ‘Mercuries’, either because symbols are used

differently by various authors, or because they signify

the action of one principle at different stages of the Great

Work. Allegories, for example, where one finds either a

rooster and a fox, a unicorn and an elk, or a single snake

coiled around a staff most probably refer to Mercury as


The Mercury of the Wise’s relation to snakes in

alchemical imaginary testifies of deep rooted and

ancient associations between this Renaissance

Hermetic principle and Agathodaimon.

one of the two dynamic natures of the Great work men-

tioned in last issue’s Symbols of the Great Work series.

A crowned hermaphrodite, a winged snake, or a wise

man with a caduceus generally refer to the Mercury of

the Wise. The two Mercuries are related, but different.

The occult philosophy of traditional Hermetism sheds

light on the matter.

The Mercury of the Wise’s relation to snakes in al-

chemical imaginary testifies of deep rooted and ancient

associations between this Renaissance Hermetic princi-

ple and Agathodaimon. Most of the Mercury of the

Wise’s various symbols can be related to the snake-God.

The Mercury of the Wise’s watery form also echoes an-

cient Hermetism. As that which creates, renews, and re-

generates all things according to their own essence, the

Mercury of the Wise is reminiscent of Nun, the Egyptian

God of the primeval ocean. Nun was sometimes seen as

the Father of the Gods. According to ancient papyri, Ra

went in Nun’s waters every night to be rejuvenated. Pop-

ular lore had it that human beings too, when sleeping,

dwelled in Nun’s waters. Belonging-to and individua-

tion-from appear to be profoundly related here. The

Mercury of the Wise is the crowned agent of the work,

the caduceus as a whole.

Noùs, according to the Corpus Hermeicum, is the

Agathodaimon. The snake-God of Alexandria is a rather

volatile God/principle to grasp. In its forms, it is

nonetheless closely related to the Mercury of the Wise

taking shape in the teachings of Renaissance initiates.

In Greece he was evoked by Socrates in Plato’s dia-

logues, but also, used as an epithet to Zeus, Dionysus,

and Helios. In ancient Egypt, he had his cult in Alexan-

dria, and was associated with Serapis, Ra, Thot, and

Khnum. Moreover, he was related to Kmeph, a demiur-

gic serpent-form of Osiris and Atum. This winged ser-

pent form also appears in the Orphic Hymns where

Protogonos, a primeval God associated with Dionysus,

is said to be the ‘two-natured’, ‘ether-tossed’, and

‘golden-winged’ creator of light, Gods, Goddesses, and

mortals. The snake and winged-snake forms of these

Gods, and their obvious solar and mercurial overtones,

give us a fair idea of Agathodaimon’s form, and his

place in Hermetic cosmology. In its association to

Kmeph, Thot and Hermes, in addition to being demiur-

gic, Agathodaïmon was seen by ancient initiates as the

great principle distributing individual Souls through in-

carnation, but also, presiding at their judgement in-be-

tween lives.

The relation we see here between a Renaissance sym-

bol and the cosmic signification of Agathodaimon in an-

cient Hermetism is not be understood as the

approximate equation of two unrelated notions, a reflex

common to many uncritical publications on the Western

Tradition, but rather, as the persistence, both in spirit

and in the historical works of various initiates, of a fun-

damental principle of Hermetic philosophy: Mind

(Nous). This not only testifies of the continuity of the

Hermetic Tradition, but of its coherence over time for

those who are able to perceive its signs and symbols.

Greater efforts should be made to uncover the essential

principles governing our works. Centuries of develop-

ments in the Western Tradition has given Hermetists a

wealth of resources, but it has also veiled our language

and our philosophy. Why not claim this ancient heritage

again under the protection of the Immortal Divinities?n


The following is an excerpt from Apuleius

of Madaurus’ novel The Metamor-

phoses. It is the second of three parts to

appear in Magick and Theurgy. Written

in the 2nd century CE, The Metamor-

phoses is also known as The Golden Ass. It is the story

of a man named Lucius who, after having been trans-

formed as an ass, travels to a temple of Isis to pray the

Goddess for a cure to his curse. The novel is a wonderful

story, but also, a great source of knowledge on the cults

and mysteries of the Queen of Heaven.

For more information on Isis, and on The Metamor-

phoses, see ‘Apuleius and the Mysteries of Isis’ in the

first issue of Magick and Theurgy. The excerpt below

was taken from the Gutenberg Project

(http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page), and

slightly modified to suit modern sensibilities. Enjoy, and

may this inspire you to joyfully worship the Great God-

dess.


Apuleius& the Mysteries of Isis.

The Metamorphoses

This done [an Initiation], I gave charge to some of my

companions to buy whatsoever was needful and conven-

ient for the Priesthood. Mithra then brought me to the

baths accompanied with all the religious sort. There, he

demanded pardon to the Goddess while washing me and

purifying my body according to custom. After this,

when noon approached, he brought me back again to the

Temple, presented me before the face of the Goddess,

and unveiled certain secret things unlawful to be uttered.

He then commanded me, as well as the other reli-

gious, to fast for ten days without eating any meat,

or drinking any wine. I observed these things with

consistency. Then, behold the day approached

when the sacrifice should be done. Night came, and

there arrived on every coast a great multitude of

Priests who according to their order, offered me

many presents and gifts. Afterward, all the laity and

profane people were commanded to depart as the

Priests put on my back a linen robe. Following this,

they brought me to the most secret and sacred place

of the Temple.

You would peradventure demand (you studious

reader) what was said and done there. Verily, I

would tell you if it were lawful for me to tell. You

should know if it were convenient for you to hear.

However, both your ears, and my tongue, incur the

pain of rash curiosity. Howbeit, I will content your

mind for this present time, which peradventure is

somewhat religious and given to some devotion,

listen therefore and believe it to be true. You shall

understand that I approached near unto Hades, even

to the gates of Proserpine, and after that, I was rav-

ished throughout the Elements. I then returned to

my proper place. At about midnight I saw the Sun

shine, and I saw likewise the celestial and infernal

Gods before whom I presented my self, and wor-

shipped them. Behold now have I told you, which

although you have heard, yet it is necessary you

conceal it. This have I declared without offence, for

the understanding of the profane.

When morning came, and the solemnities were

finished, I came forth sanctified with 12 conse-

crated robes whereof I am not forbidden to speak,

considering that many profanes saw me at that time.

There I was commanded to stand upon a seat of

wood, which stood in the middle of the Temple, be-

fore the figure and remembrance of the Goddess. My

vestment was of fine linen, covered and embroidered

with flowers. I had a precious cape upon my shoulders

hanging down to the ground, whereon were beasts

wrought of diverse colours as Indian dragons, and Hy-

perborean griffins, whom in form of birds the other

world do engender. The Priests commonly call such a

habit, a Celestial Robe. In my right hand I carried a light

torch, and a garland of flowers upon my head, with Palm

leaves sprouting out on every side. I was adorned like

unto the Sun, and made in fashion of an Image in such

sort that all the people assembled about did behold me.


by Irene Craig

They began to solemnize the feast of the nativity, and

the new procession with sumptuous banquets and deli-

cate meats. The third day was likewise celebrated with

like ceremonies with a religious dinner, and with all the

consummation of the order. While I was there, I felt a

marvellous pleasure and great consolation in beholding

ordinarily the Image of the Goddess.

The Goddess admonished me to depart homeward.

Upon hearing this I gave pious thanks to her, which al-

though it were not sufficient, yet they were according to

my power. Howbeit I could be persuaded to depart, be-

fore I had fallen prostrate before the face of the Goddess,

and wiped her steps with my face whereby I began so

greatly to weep and sigh that my words were inter-

rupted, and as devouring my prayer. I began to say in

this sort:

‘O holy and blessed Queen, the perpetual comfort of

human kind, who by your bounty and grace nourishes

all the world, and hears a great affection to the adversi-

ties of the miserable. As a loving mother you take no

rest, neither are you idle at any time in giving your ben-

efits, and protecting all men, as well on land as sea; you

are she that puts away all storms and dangers from

man’s life by your right hand, whereby likewise you re-

strain the fatal dispositions, appease the great tempests

of fortune, and keep back the course of the stars. The

Supernal Gods honour you. The Infernal Gods have you

in reverence. You who moves the World, give Light to

the Sun, and govern the Cosmos, you who treads on the

power of Tartarus, by your means time returns, planets

rejoice, and the elements serve. At your command the

winds blow, the clouds increase, the seeds prosper, and

the fruits prevail. The birds of the air, the beasts of the

hill, the serpents of the den, and the fishes of the sea

tremble at your majesty, but my spirit is not able to give

you sufficient praise; my belongings are not enough to

satisfy your sacrifice, my voice has no power to utter

that which I think, not even if I had a thousand mouths

and so many tongues. Howbeit as a good religious per-

son, and according to my estate, I will always keep you

in remembrance and close within my heart’.

When I ended my orison, I went to embrace the great

Priest Mithra, my spiritual father, and to demand his par-

don, considering I was unable to recompense the good

which he had done to me. After great greeting and

thanks I departed from him to visit my parents and

friends. I made up my bag, and travelled toward the city

of Rome, where with a prosperous wind I arrived about

the 12th day of December. The greatest desire that I had

there, was daily to make my prayers to the sovereign

Goddess Isis, who by reason of the place where her

Temple was built, was called Campensis. She was con-

tinually adored by the people of Rome. Her minister and

worshipper was I, howbeit I was a stranger to her Tem-

ple, and unknown to her religion there.

When the year ended, the Goddess warned me again

to receive a new order and consecration. I marvelled

greatly what it should signify, and what should happen,

considering that I was already a consecrated person. It

fortuned that while I partly reasoned with my self, and

partly examining the thing with the Priests and Novices,

there came a new and marvellous thought in my mind:

I was only religious to the Goddess Isis, and was not sa-

cred to the religion of the great Osiris, he who is the sov-

ereign Father of all Goddesses. Between Isis and Osiris,

although there was religious unity and concord, there

was a great difference of order and ceremony. Because

it was necessary that I should likewise be a minister unto

Osiris, there was no longer any delay in my consecra-

tion. On the following night appeared unto me one of

the order of the God. He was covered with linen robes,

and held in his hands spears wrapped in ivy, and other

things not convenient to declare. He left these sacred ob-

jects in my chamber, and sitting in my seat, recited to

me such things as were necessary for the sumptuous

banquet of my Initiation. So that I might recognize him

again, he showed me how the ankle of his left foot was

somewhat maimed, which caused him to limp.

To be continued…


A montage featuring the worship of

Isis.

If you say you believe in spirits

these days, people look at you

funny. Spirits are regarded as

relics of old ways of looking at the

world that have been superseded

by the scientific outlook. A certain

latitude is granted us to continue to

believe in persons and free will,

but any other entities that cannot

be seen, weighed and measured in the laboratory are dis-

counted. Effects from the unseen world are assigned to

impersonal forces, as if humanity consisted of 6 billion

ghosts wandering through an otherwise uninhabited ma-

chine.

Where are spirits? Well, if there are any, they are right

here. Then why can't we see them? Because, under nor-

mal conditions, they inhabit wavelengths or energy fre-

quencies that fall outside our range of perception. We

can only see 7/100,000ths of an ångstrom of the total

energy spectrum. Infrared and ultraviolet vibrations lie

just beyond our ability to perceive, yet we know they

are there by their effects. The same is true of radio

waves and gamma radiation. If some of these energy

flows are organized into persons, that is more than sci-

entists know, and, ordinarily, it is more than we can

know about it. People who claim to talk to spirits are

considered either mentally ill or at least weak-minded.

This attitude can be traced historically. Science had

to struggle against the power of the Church for the in-

dependence to conduct research and report discoveries.

The Church taught that psychological urges that were

hard to control came from spiritual entities called devils,

and states of unusual happiness and inner peace from

other beings called angels, or directly from a transcen-

dent creator called God (a name derived originally from

one of the titles of Thor, meaning `the handy one'). The

Church governed access to these angelic or divine be-

ings, and forbade traffic with the others. The Church, in

effect, was like a huge tourniquet on humanity's experi-

ence of spirits.

The scientific revolution against the Church re-as-

serted humanity's freedom to investigate all phenomena,

by denying the existence of spirits and insisting that it

was only investigating impersonal forces that could be

understood in solely mechanical terms. This meant that

approaching anything other than other humans on a per-

sonal basis was out; manipulation, not dialogue, was the

approved method. Some leeway was allowed to animal

researchers to approach their subjects on a simplified

personal level, but the reports they drew up had to be

totally impersonal and concerned only with details of

time and circumstance, presented in terms of measure-

ments. Behavioral psychology even extended this im-

personal approach to the study of fellow human beings.

The researcher had to alienate him or herself from his

or her own personal feelings and only report what could


DO SPIRITS EXIST?

by Ian Elliott

be detected by a third observer. The criterion of repeata-

bility demanded that all observations be confined to the

realm of publicly verifiable statements.

The rubric of science that excludes spirits is called

Òccam's Razor,' named after the medieval philosopher

William of Ockham. It states that èntities should not be

multiplied beyond necessity.' Respectable tracts written

by scientists or research scholars, when encountering

accounts of spirits, always refer to such as employing

superfluous explanations. Yet there are areas of experi-

ence that require the use of personal knowledge, of com-

munication of subjective experience, which is excluded

from the canons of laboratory research. Science makes

allowance for this in its place, which is always limited

to interpersonal transactions. Anything private, however,

is merely subjective, and nothing noetic or effective is

to be expected from talking to oneself.

Now, the interesting thing is that certain schools of

therapeutic psychology depart from this model. They

advocate dialoguing with one's inner impulses, as if they

were persons inhabiting one's inner mentality. Is the as

if thrown in to ensure that the patient does not fall into

the error of schizophrenics, who regularly hear voices

and respond to them as though they were other entities

inhabiting their minds? If so, it would seem curious that

cognitive therapists (as they are called) think that the ad-

dition of two little words would be sufficient to guard

against this happening. Schizophrenia, as we are coming

to understand increasingly, is a biochemical condition,

and perfectly healthy, `normal' people can talk to them-

selves without any danger of falling into that condition.

Small children and isolated old people, for instance, talk

to themselves frequently, as do people of intermediate

age when they want to `see what they think' about a

given subject.

If, then, the as if is unnecessary from a therapeutic

point of view, what purpose does it serve? It is, I hold,

a sop thrown to our culture's mandate that èntities

should not be multiplied beyond necessity,' and taking

the notion of spirits seriously is regarded as exceeding

the bounds of necessity. Yet here we see that the interests

of resolving inner conflicts call for such dialogue,

though only as if we were talking to someone else. I

pointed out to my last therapist (the insurance rules

changed shortly thereafter, ending some twenty years of

therapy and workshops for me) that, since we are not

privy to each other's mental processes, we are already

speaking to each other as if we existed as separate per-

sons. He chuckled in response (the philosopher R.G.

Collingwood once remarked that people tend to be tick-

lish in their absolute presuppositions). So dialoguing

with inner ̀ drives' (mechanical metaphor) and ̀ urges' as

if they were persons simply amounted to dialoguing

with them. It was a distinction without a difference. This

suggests a refinement to Occam's Razor: "Entities

should not be multiplied beyond, nor subtracted within,

necessity." We need as many entities as are necessary to

deal with the world, including ourselves, but no more

than that number, and no less as well.

Nevertheless, in dialoguing with inner forces, I found

I was not employing ̀ entities' (that is, assumptions as to

existence) at all. I was simply engaging in the act of di-

alogue. An inspection of ancient religious psychology,

once we strip off modern bias on these points (see e.g.

The Greeks and the Irrational, by E.R. Dodds, Ch. 1, for

both the data and the bias) reveals that the act of dia-

loguing, or engaging in what the later Church would call

`traffic with spirits,' was the sole concern of the ancients.

If challenged as to whether the gods actually exist or

not, they would probably answer that the question, be-

sides being unanswerable, was irrelevant, since prayer

and offerings were found to be effective most of the time

anyway. It was the act of interaction with these `forces'

(modern mechanical metaphor) that counted, not what

one believed about them. Bringing the question of belief

into these studies is anachronistic, since the emphasis

on belief only arose with the advent of Christianity and

the subsequent defensive reaction against it among the

late pagans.

The better studies in their better moments will admit

that these questions simply `never arose' for the people

of those `primitive' times, but always regard such non-

questioning as a defect of pre-philosophical understand-

ing, but this is nonsense. Plenty of evidence exists that

people three thousand years ago and earlier questioned

the existence of the gods, and we have the Memphite

Theology from Egypt as an example of the philosophi-

cal sophistication of deep antiquity. So it is at least pos-

sible that the reason the question of independent

existence did not arise for people of those times was that

the question, if considered for a moment, was dismissed

as irrelevant.

The question of whether there are spirits, then,

changes into "Are there circumstances in which it is ef-

fective to regard certain situations as calling for a per-

sonal approach in order to cope effectively with them in


our lives?"

Someone might say at this point, "Oh well, if that is

all you mean by spirits, I am not very impressed. Do you

mean we can never see one, or that they never take the

initiative to appear to us?" I can only give a personal

answer to this question: "Yes, on rare occasions; and

when they do, you will probably wish they hadn't!"

To be continued

Next part: A personal Encounter n

Price, Simon. Religions of

the Ancient Greeks. Cam-

bridge, UK : Cambridge Uni-

versity Press, 1999. xii + 217

pp. $32.99. ISBN: 978-0-

521-38867-2.

‘Ancient Greece’ has often been an umbrella term for

scholars arguing for the uniformity and continuity of a

single Greek culture spanning from the 8th century BCE

to the 5th century CE. In such a perspective, religion,

culture, knowledge, and politics are not only seen as un-

changing over a given geographical space – Greece and

its colonies – but also, over 13 centuries of Greek civi-

lization. It implies that there was, in Ancient Greece, one

religion, one set of myths and stories, one type of phi-

losophy, and one way to govern a polis. Simon Price’s

Religions of the Ancient Greeks argues otherwise. En-

gaging with a wealth of archaeological and written

sources, Price traces a subtler portrait of Greek culture

and religion as he shows the richness and diversity of

Greek religious myths, theories, and practices. This re-

ligious plurality invites him to talk about Greek ‘reli-

gions’ instead of ‘religion’.

This, of course, does not mean the author fails to see

shared religious trends across Greece from Homer to the

last Mysteries of the Roman Empire. Price does, but he

refuses to give precedence to any particular myth, festi-

val, or ritual when studying Greek religions. The author,

for instance, highlights the fact that even if many myths

and stories were shared across Greece, Greeks them-

selves knew, and generally accepted, the existence of

multiple versions of any given myth. Orpheus, Homer,

and Hesiod were all seen as divinely inspired poets, and

even if these poets sometimes revealed apparently con-

flicting stories about the Gods, these were all thought as

being true. Similarly, Price notes that villages in the

vicinity of Athens, although participating to great Athen-

ian religious festivals such as the Panathenaia, had their

own religious calendars. These calendars were filled

with local festivals celebrating divinities in diverse fam-

ily and communal rituals often unknown outside of the

village. Such particularities, and the multiplicity of per-

spectives on Greek religious myths and practices, are

raised again and again in many sections of Religions of

the Ancient Greeks. In chapters on religious architec-

ture, on rites of manhood and womanhood, and on mys-

tery cults, the author shows how Greek religions were

varied and original. There was a ‘larger Greek world’

for Price, but Greek religious experience was first and

foremost instituted through local myths and ceremonies.

Religions of the Ancient Greeks will be of great in-

terest to modern practitioners of the ancient mysteries

for its wide array of resources and references to a great

variety of myths and festivals. It will also be of interest

for its insistence on the importance of understanding

Greek religions on their own terms instead of doing so

through our modern religious perspectives. Traditional

Theurgy as it is practiced in the A.S. and E.O. is founded

on ancient religions. Magi who cultivate deep relation-

ships with the Immortal Divinities are well aware of

this. Polytheism, however, is not an easy notion to un-

derstand for beginning students of Hermetism and

Theurgy. Price’s Religions of the Ancient Greeks gives

the reader a lively and fruitful account of ancient Greek


BOOK REVIEWSBy Martin Béliard

religions, and an estranging look into ancient men and

women’s relations with the Divinities.

Fowden, Garth. The Egypt-

ian Hermes: A Historical Ap-proach to the Late PaganMind. Princeton: Princeton

University Press, 1993. xxv +

244 pp. $30.95. ISBN: 0-691-02498-7.

Garth Fowden’s The Egyptian Hermes: A Historical

Approach to the Late Pagan Mind, has a rather different

mission than Price’s Religions of the Ancient Greeks. It

is more clearly defined as a work of intellectual history

than one of religious history. By ‘Late Pagan Mind’,

Fowden refers to the theories, teachings, and perspec-

tives of various ancient intellectual milieus – especially

Hellenised Egyptian ones – on Hermetic philosophy. His

study, initially published in 1987, shook the landscape

of scholarly research on Hermetism and called for a

more social-historical approach to the Hermetic texts,

or Hermetica. Not confined to academia, The Egyptian

Hermes: A Historical Approach to the Late Pagan Mind

also has much to offer to practising Hermetists in want

of a better understanding of the philosophical and reli-

gious origins of their Tradition.

Fowden’s initial breakthrough mostly came from his

approach to Hermetism. Not only did he draw on a vast

number of texts related to this Tradition, but he inter-

preted them in relation to the various milieus where they

appeared, engaging with the philosophical, magical, and

religious practices connected with the Hermetica. Doing

so, the author bridged ‘philosophical’ and ‘technical’

texts. Speculative texts such as the Corpus Hermeticum,

the Chaldean Oracles, Iamblichus’ De Mysterii, and var-

ious neo-platonic exegeses are not only read side by

side, but also, put in relation with practical texts such as

the Papyri Graecae Magicae, alchemical fragments by

Zosimus of Panopolis, and ancient astrological manuals.

The result is a rich and refreshing account of the milieus

where Hermetism flourished in late Antiquity. More-

over, it gives the reader a clear understanding of the re-

lation between Hermetic philosophy and its practice,

especially along the Nile Valley.

I strongly advise Hermetists who are not already fa-

miliar with Fowden’s The Egyptian Hermes: A Histori-

cal Approach to the Late Pagan Mind to read it. Of

course, as any book, it should not be read alone; students

of Hermetism should multiply their research on various

aspects of our Tradition inspiring them. Nevertheless, it

is a productive stepping stone to start your study as it

investigates the main texts of ancient Hermetism,

sketching a portrait of late Antiquity often unknown to

modern practitioners. n


THE GOLDEN CHAINThe Chain of the Adepts

The Aurum Solis tradition comes from a

very ancient lineage of Masters and Initiates.

All of them were a living link, passing over

to us these initiatic Mysteries.

These Masters were the true founders of

the Ogdoadic Tradition. Strongly connected

to the Pythagorean, Platonist and Neopla-

tonist schools, these initiates constituted

the Hermetic Mysteries. Many know the

names of Plato, Iamblichus, Plotinus, Pro-

clus. For our Order, paying due respect to

the Masters who gave the light of this Tradi-

tion to our Order is of paramount impor-

tance.

May their memory, always and forever, be

honored under the auspices of the Immortal

Divinities!

Read more at:http://goo.gl/CnxaU

Uncover the Hermetic Qabalah

with a series of posters

Connect to the

Immortal Divinities

through the Her-

metic Tree of Life.

Discover a rare illustration of the

Hermetic Macrocosm which summa-

rizes what Theurgists call "The Sacred

Way of Return."

Every Element, every Planetary

Sphere, every Zodiacal Sign is shown

associated with the Immortal Divinity

which is its Traditionnal Ruler.

Create your own

natal chart using the

Divine Arcana of the

Aurum Solis.

Academia Platonicawww.academiaplatonica.com