The Philosopher's Stone

[Anders]

Hi, I’m Anders, male from Sweden. I’m new to this forum, or more precisely I’m new to this new forum. I have used the old forum before with the same username.

The philosopher’s stone in alchemy can transmute base metals into gold and is also used for spiritual transformation. It seems to me that this can be seen as an alchemical metaphor for moving from third to fourth density. I couldn’t find the philosopher’s stone mentioned in the Law of One, however I found this mentioning of alchemy:

81.14 Questioner: And finally, the fourteenth, the Way of the Body is called the Alchemist because there is an infinity of time for the various bodies to operate within to learn the lessons necessary for evolution. Is this correct?

Ra: I am Ra. This is less than completely correct as the Great Way of the Body must be seen, as are all the archetypes of the body, to be a mirror image of the thrust of the activity of the mind. The body is the creature of the mind and is the instrument of manifestation for the fruits of mind and spirit. Therefore, you may see the body as providing the athanor through which the alchemist manifests gold.

I asked ChatGPT about this:

Me: What is the archetype the Way of the Body?

ChatGPT: … Overall, the Way of the Body archetype emphasizes the importance of taking care of one’s physical health and well-being as an essential component of personal growth and spiritual development.

Me: Is the Way of the Body a part of esoteric alchemy?

ChatGPT: Yes, the Way of the Body can be considered a part of esoteric alchemy, as physical practices aimed at transforming the body and achieving higher states of consciousness are an integral aspect of alchemical philosophy. …

Me: Is the philosopher’s stone related to the Way of the Body?

ChatGPT: Yes, the concept of the philosopher’s stone is related to the Way of the Body, as both involve the idea of personal transformation and the attainment of higher levels of consciousness.

In alchemy, the philosopher’s stone is a legendary substance that was believed to have the power to transmute base metals into gold, and also to confer immortality upon the person who possessed it. The philosopher’s stone was seen as a symbol of spiritual transformation and enlightenment, and its attainment was often associated with a lifelong process of personal growth and development.

Similarly, the Way of the Body involves the use of physical practices and disciplines to achieve personal transformation and higher levels of consciousness. By working with the body, practitioners of the Way of the Body seek to unlock the body’s innate potential for healing and transformation, and to cultivate a deeper connection with their own inner wisdom and intuition.

Overall, both the philosopher’s stone and the Way of the Body are concerned with the pursuit of spiritual growth and the attainment of higher states of consciousness, and both involve a deep commitment to personal transformation and self-discovery.

[Anders]

Manly P. Hall said in a lecture about esoteric alchemy that the philosopher’s stone is wisdom perfected in the body. He didn’t specify what that means. In alchemy the esoteric knowledge is generally veiled, often in the form of pictures. Why veiled? I have found two reasons, the first is that the alchemists want to prevent uninitiated from learning the deeper knowledge, and the second is that in ancient times it was necessary to hide the spiritual aspects of alchemy from the Catholic Church in order to avoid persecution.

Regarding knowledge (or wisdom in the sense of deeper knowledge) there is this alchemy picture of the philosopher’s stone:

This drawing from the alchemical book Atalanta Fugiens looks cryptic and I have been puzzled about what the symbols mean. Then I realized that the man is indicating with a large compass the gap between the small and large circles. And it becomes clearer, at least as a possible explanation, with the small circle representing the “base metal” state and the large circle the “gold” state. The function of the philosopher’s stone is then from an esoteric perspective to take humanity from the inner circle which in Law of One terms I think of as third density to the larger circle representing fourth density.

[flofrog]

Hello. Anders,

ti’s lovely to see you here, I am sure we missed you from the older forum.
I love your idea about alchemy transmuting equailling passage from third to fourth… what an interesting idea.

I find and it’s only my very little view, ChatGPT some sort of equivalent to a very advanced Wikipedia, able to summarize millions of data and rendering then a complete answer. But there I ahem to say, I find you r hypothesis much more interesting than ChapGPT would answer… lol

Nothing against AI, i’t’s jsut that I remember Ra andEdgar Cayce on Atlantis advencing that Atlantans perished because technical knowledge adavced way beyond spiritual progress… so… lol

[Anders]

Thanks! True, AI is useful, but yes I too think of it as a danger if we become stuck in only material development such as technology. AI is a third density product. I’m curious if AI in some form will continue into fourth density and higher.

Today AI has already become really powerful such as ChatGPT, but I have noticed that it occasionally gives incorrect answers so one sometimes has to check the information.

[Anders]

I like to use ChatGPT as a convenient way of quickly exploring ideas. For example if the two circles represent the lower and higher states, why is there a square around the smaller circle in the alchemical picture I posted earlier? One idea I have is that the square means being trapped in the material realm.

Me: Does a square represent materialism in esoteric teachings?

ChatGPT: In esoteric teachings, symbols can have multiple meanings and interpretations depending on the context and tradition. Therefore, whether a square represents materialism in esoteric teachings may vary depending on the specific tradition or system of belief being considered.

However, in some esoteric systems, the square can be associated with the material world or the physical plane, which can be seen as a realm of limitations and boundaries. This association can be based on the shape of the square, which has four equal sides and angles, suggesting stability and rigidity.

Additionally, in some esoteric traditions, the square can be seen as a symbol of the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) and their corresponding qualities, such as stability, movement, transformation, and emotion. In this context, the square can be understood as representing the physical manifestation of these elemental forces.

Overall, while the square can be associated with materialism in some esoteric teachings, it is important to note that this interpretation may not be universal and may depend on the specific context and tradition being considered.

[Anders]

I now found that particularly in alchemy a square indeed represents the material realm. A circle in alchemy represents the spiritual realm. And densities in the Law of One can be seen as stages of spiritual realms so that is consistent. Then what about the pyramid in the picture? I haven’t researched that yet but I noticed that there is a gap between the top of the pyramid and the larger circle:

To me that indicates that even with the “New World Order” completion of the pyramid with a capstone, it’s still insufficient for reaching fourth density. That’s why there is a gap between the pyramid and the larger circle (it doesn’t reach all the way). The New World Order, and the first and second beasts in the Book of Revelation, are stuck in third density.

[Anders]

I did some more research now and found “For Jung, the philosopher’s stone represented the process of individuation, which is the journey towards self-realization and wholeness. He believed that the alchemical process of transforming base metals into gold, which was the ultimate goal of alchemy, was actually a metaphor for the process of transforming the psyche into a state of spiritual and psychological wholeness.”

The circle with a man and a woman inside it represents the chemical wedding in alchemy which is the process of achieving spiritual and material transformation through the union of opposites. And a compass in alchemy symbolizes the Hermetic principle of “as above, so below”. The alchemy picture of the philosopher’s stone with a man using a compass indicates the chemical wedding process of unifying the opposites within the individual psyche in order to reach a higher level of development and wholeness. Similar to the concepts of harvest and unifying polarities in the Law of One.

More generally, the square and pyramid/triangle around the circle with a man and a woman act as the catalysts Ra described as necessary especially in third density for learning and development. And the harvest is then the jump into the higher “as above, so below” (Ra calls it the principle of correspondence) state as a “harvested” valuable result of the chemical wedding.

[Anders]

In alchemy the term prima materia is the original unrefined substance used as a starting point for making the philosopher’s stone. ChatGPT said that the prima materia is a chaotic substance with the potential for transformation. When I asked about it in relation to the circle with a man and a woman inside it ChatGPT replied:

“Yes, in the alchemical tradition, the man and woman within the circle can be interpreted as a representation of the prima materia in its unrefined and chaotic state. The masculine and feminine elements within the figure represent the opposing but complementary principles that the alchemist seeks to balance and harmonize in order to achieve the philosopher’s stone.”

And in relation to the Law of One ChatGPT said:

“The attainment of higher vibratory densities is seen as a process of spiritual evolution that involves purifying and refining one’s consciousness, similar to the alchemical process of purifying the prima materia.”

[Anders]

Another indication that the man and the woman in the circle represent the prima materia is: “The Rebis symbolizes the integration of the prima materia, or chaotic and unrefined substance, with the purified and refined elements of the alchemical process. The masculine and feminine elements within the Rebis represent the opposing but complementary forces of nature, which the alchemist seeks to balance and harmonize in order to achieve the philosopher’s stone.”

The Rebis is depicted as two humans merged as one, often with a man’s and a woman’s head, or like in this picture from the Rosarium Philosophorum where it looks more like androgynous heads:

The alchemical process then starts with symbolically combining the man and the woman in the inner circle into the Rebis.

[Anders]

I asked ChatGPT about more meanings of the Rebis in alchemy and it replied:

"The Rebis is a complex symbol in alchemy that has multiple layers of meaning and interpretations. Here are some other possible meanings of the Rebis:

The Rebis as the union of opposites: As mentioned earlier, the Rebis represents the ultimate unity of opposing forces, such as male and female, light and dark, conscious and unconscious, and so on. This union of opposites is a fundamental aspect of the alchemical process of transformation and represents the synthesis of all opposing forces within the psyche.

The Rebis as the alchemical wedding: The image of the Rebis is often associated with the alchemical wedding, which represents the union of the masculine and feminine aspects of the self. This union is often depicted as a mystical marriage between the King and Queen, or as a sacred union between the sun and moon. The alchemical wedding symbolizes the integration of all aspects of the self, leading to spiritual wholeness and unity.

The Rebis as the philosopher’s stone: The Rebis is sometimes identified with the philosopher’s stone, which is considered the ultimate goal of the alchemical process. The philosopher’s stone is believed to possess magical powers of transformation, and its attainment represents the ultimate realization of spiritual alchemy.

The Rebis as a symbol of spiritual rebirth: The image of the Rebis is often associated with spiritual rebirth or resurrection, as it represents the transformation of the old self into a new, unified and spiritual self. The image of the serpent shedding its skin is sometimes used to symbolize this process of rebirth.

Overall, the Rebis is a symbol of the highest aspirations of the alchemist and represents the ultimate goal of the alchemical process: the integration of all aspects of the self, leading to spiritual wholeness, unity, and transformation."

With the “as above, so below” principle, this is similar to a fertilized egg where the DNA from the man is joined with the DNA of the woman to form an offspring. The illustration of the philosopher’s stone with a man and a woman inside a circle in the middle can be seen as the “DNA” of the male and the female that in the alchemical process becomes unified into the Rebis.

[Anders]

I maybe should have pointed out from the beginning that alchemy teachings are extremely obscure, veiled, metaphorical and what seems deliberately made to be confusing. I today learned an additional reason for why the knowledge is so hidden in addition to preventing uninitiated from learning about it and to avoid persecution by the church, and that is that the knowledge is also obscured to prevent people from gaining access to the power of the knowledge, such as when used for selfish and domination reasons.

To simplify it a lot in terms of the Law of One, it’s clear that the esoteric alchemy process is very similar or even the same as ray activation. From a third density perspective the philosopher’s stone can be seen as being the same as full green-ray activation and above in the Law of One.

[Anders]

In a sense the Law of One is a larger perspective than the philosopher’s stone. Because Ra said that both the service-to-others and service-to-self polarities can move into higher densities.

The philosopher’s stone from a consciousness view requires integration and healing of the human psyche, like how Carl Jung likened the alchemical process to what he called individuation which requires a healing of the psychological shadow within oneself. A service-to-self person remains in a divided state even in higher densities. A service-to-self person can remain in that divided state up until mid 6th density. So service-to-self can only develop the philosopher’s stone when in 6th density having no choice but to enter a state of unity.

I noticed that the Law of One mentions the Tarot a lot, and that seems related to alchemy and I will do some research about that to see if what Ra said can add insights to the alchemical process.

[Anders]

I found that the Fool card in the Tarot is similar to the Rebis in alchemy as a starting point for the philosopher’s stone. Just as the prima materia in alchemy, of which the Rebis can be seen as the beginning of the transformation is described as chaotic and with potential for development, the Fool archetype in the Tarot can be seen as a state of unknowing yet with the potential for growth and change.

67.30 Ra: I am Ra. … One great aspect of this archetype [the Fool] is the aspect of faith, the walking into space without regard for what is to come next. This is, of course, foolish but is part of the characteristic of the spiritual neophyte.

“The Fool is one of the 78 cards in a tarot deck. In tarot card reading, it is one of the 22 Major Arcana, sometimes numbered as 0 (the first) or XXII (the last).” - Wikipedia

That the Fool card can be seen both as the first and the last card in the Tarot indicates that it relates both to the beginning of the alchemical process and the potential for reaching the goal of producing the philosopher’s stone.

[Anders]

The next card in the Tarot is the Magician.

“The Magician can be related to the alchemical process, particularly in terms of its association with the power of manifestation and creation through the use of will and intention. The alchemical process involves the transformation of base substances into higher forms of matter, often symbolized by the transmutation of lead into gold or the production of the philosopher’s stone.”

However, Ra says something interesting about the Magician:

91.24 Ra: I am Ra. … the Magician, cannot act without reaching its wingèd spirit, so neither can the spirit fly lest it be released into conscious manifestation and fructified thereby.

I couldn’t find what winged spirit means, and will have to look into more Tarot cards.

[Anders]

Yikes, the Tarot information in the Law of One is very complicated. I used ChatGPT for help: “The High Priestess follows the Magician, and can be seen as a further step in the journey towards higher levels of consciousness and spiritual development. … often depicted sitting between two pillars, representing the duality of the conscious and unconscious mind, and holding a book or scroll representing the esoteric knowledge and hidden wisdom that can be accessed through the subconscious.”

78.34 Questioner: Would the archetype then that has been called the High Priestess, which represents the intuition, be properly the second of the archetypes?

Ra: I am Ra. This is correct. You see here the recapitulation of the beginning knowledge of this Logos; that is, matrix and potentiator. The unconscious is indeed what may be poetically described as High Priestess, for it is the Potentiator of the Mind and as potentiator for the mind is that principle which potentiates all experience.

“The High Priestess card can be associated with the alchemical stage of Nigredo, which represents the process of dissolution and breaking down of old structures in order to create something new. This stage is often associated with the darkness, chaos, and confusion that can arise when old patterns and beliefs are challenged, and the individual is forced to confront the shadow aspects of themselves.”

Nigredo is the first stage in the alchemical process, also called the blackening stage where the prima materia is broken down. So this is very early in the process and matches how the High Priestess is an early card in the Tarot deck.

[Anders]

Now I found something consistent with what I posted about earlier how the square around the inner circle can be seen as a catalyst.

78.36 Questioner: I was asking if the third archetype was the Empress and was it correct to say that this archetype had to do with disciplined meditation?

Ra: I am Ra. The third archetype may be broadly grasped as the Catalyst of the Mind. Thus it takes in far more than disciplined meditation. However, it is certainly through this faculty that catalyst is most efficiently used. The Archetype, Three, is perhaps confusedly called Empress although the intention of this nomer is the understanding that it represents the unconscious or female portion of the mind complex being first, shall we say, used or ennobled by the male or conscious portion of the mind. Thus the noble name.

The Empress is the card after the High Priestess in the Tarot. “The Empress can be seen as a catalyst for growth and transformation, and the challenges she presents can help unify the conscious and unconscious aspects of the mind. The Empress can also represent creativity, fertility, and nurturing, all of which can help facilitate the process of personal growth and transformation.”

[Anders]

While the Empress acts a catalyst for the unconscious mind, the Emperor, the next card in the Tarot, acts as a catalyst for the conscious mind.

78.37 Questioner: The fourth archetype, called the Emperor, seems to have to do with the experience of other-selves and the green-ray energy center with respect to other-selves. Is this correct?

Ra: I am Ra. This is perceptive. The broad name for Archetype Four may be the Experience of the Mind. In the tarot you find the name of Emperor. Again this implies nobility and in this case we may see the suggestion that it is only through the catalyst which has been processed by the potentiated consciousness that experience may ensue. Thusly is the conscious mind ennobled by the use of the vast resources of the unconscious mind.

This instrument’s dorsal side grows stiff, and the instrument tires. We welcome one more query.

My instrument is becoming stiff too, with so much research is short period of time, I need a pause now lol.

[Anders]

I now found that the Rebis (the human figure with two heads) is on the level of mind more related to the Hierophant card in the Tarot, also called the High Priest and the Pope.

"In the Tarot, the card that often features the united or integrated pillars is the Hierophant (also known as the High Priest or the Pope), which is the fifth card of the Major Arcana. In some Tarot decks, the Hierophant is shown seated between two pillars, which are often depicted as being joined or bridged by an arch or a lintel. This symbolizes the union of the opposing forces represented by the two pillars and the establishment of a connection or bridge between them.

In alchemy, the symbol of the integrated pillars is often represented by the figure of the Androgyne, which is a hermaphroditic figure that represents the union of the masculine and feminine principles in a single being. The Androgyne is sometimes shown standing between two pillars, which represent the opposing forces that have been integrated within the figure."

79.37 Questioner: What would be the Hierophant?

Ra: I am Ra. The Hierophant is the Significator of the Body* complex, its very nature. We may note that the characteristics of which you speak do have bearing upon the Significator of the Mind complex but are not the heart. The heart of the mind complex is that dynamic entity which absorbs, seeks, and attempts to learn.

• Ra corrected this error in session #80. The Hierophant is the Significator of the Mind complex.

Here Ra associates the Hierophant with the mind, while in the Tarot in general “it’s worth noting that the Hierophant’s role in unifying the two pillars is not limited to the level of the mind. In many interpretations of the Tarot, the Hierophant is seen as a figure who helps to bring all aspects of our being into harmony, including our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual selves.”

It will be interesting to see if Ra talks about unifying the rest of the mind/body/spirit complex in relation to some other Tarot cards.

[Anders]

Ah! Now I discovered something really simple. It’s my own interpretation but it makes it very clear. In alchemy, in the case of the inner circle of the philosopher’s stone diagram, the picture of a woman represents the unconscious mind and the picture of a man represents the conscious mind. And the philosopher’s stone unifies the separation between the unconscious and the conscious.

And it fits precisely with what Ra said here:

100.7 Questioner: Thank you. We will probably return to this card next session for more of an observation after we study Ra’s comments. To conserve and efficiently use the time at this time I will make some notes with respect to Card Seven.

First, the veil between the conscious and the unconscious mind has been removed. The veil is the curtain, I would assume, at the top which is lifted. Even though this veil has been removed perception of intelligent infinity is still distorted according to the seeker’s beliefs and means of seeking. Would Ra comment on that?

Ra: I I am Ra. As one observes the veil of the image of the Great Way of Mind it may be helpful to ideate using the framework of environment. The Great Way of Mind, Body, or Spirit is intended to limn the milieu within which the work of mind, body, or spirit shall be placed.

Thusly, the veil is shown both somewhat lifted and still present, since the work of mind and its transformation involves progressive lifting of the great veil betwixt conscious and deep minds. The complete success of this attempt is not properly a portion of third-density work and, more especially, third-density mental processes.

Card number seven mentioned is The Chariot in the Tarot. (The card The Lovers comes before that, so I’m messing up the order a bit here and will have to look into that card in a later post.)

“In the context of the Law of One, The Chariot may be interpreted as representing the seeker’s journey towards spiritual evolution and the lifting of the veil between the conscious and unconscious mind. The horses may represent the balance between opposing forces within the seeker, which are brought into harmony as the seeker progresses in their spiritual journey.”

[Anders]

The two pillar symbolism is common in esoteric teachings. On the level of mind the two pillars represent the unconscious and conscious minds. With the man and the woman inside the circle in the middle of the diagram of the philosopher’s stone representing the unconscious and conscious minds, they then also represent the two pillars.

In the Tarot the two pillars first appear in the third card (with number two) which is the High Priestess. In the next card, the Empress, there are no pillars indicating the power of the unconscious mind (the female) and in the card after that, the Emperor, represents the power over the conscious mind. Notice that the Empress picture is more of a unity of the unconscious and the Emperor picture has more of duality symbolism in it for the control of the conscious mind.

Then in the following card, the Hierophant, the pillars are back again! What is going on here? That’s easy to explain. The Hierophant on the level of mind represents the Rebis in alchemy which is the human androgynous figure with two heads symbolizing the two pillars. The reason for why the pillars are back again in the Tarot sequence is that the Hierophant is the beginning of the unification of the two pillars in a process that has just started.

Then when skipping the next card, is the Chariot. In this card the two pillars have now become two sphinx figures pulling the chariot and the driver, symbolizing the unified consciousness, is in control over both the unconscious mind and the conscious mind.

The card before that, which I skipped earlier, is the Lovers. Here there are no pillars but notice how the woman is standing beside a tree with a green snake around it, and the man is standing beside another tree with red-yellow flowers on it. This indicates that the two pillars are merging into a unified state on the level of mind. The unconscious and conscious minds are entering a state of love (unity and harmony) whereas before they were separated by a veil.

79.39 Questioner: Let me skip over the Hierophant for a minute because I’m really not understanding that at all and just ask you if the Lovers represent the merging of the conscious and the unconscious or a communication between conscious and unconscious?

Ra: I am Ra. Again, without being at all unperceptive, you miss the heart of this particular archetype which may be more properly called the Transformation of the Mind.

I think Ra is being tricky here and that the question is quite accurate and that Ra is referring to the actual heart connection. For example the green snake in the card seems to represent kundalini (snake) having reached the heart center (green).