Transcendental Magic — Éliphas Lévi
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p. 152intention, he accomplished his scientific auto-da-fe" at Ephesus. In the same way, six centuries later, the true believer Omar sacrificed the Library of Alexandria to the originality of the Koran, and who knows whether in the time to come some future Apostle will not set fire to our literary museums, and confiscate the printing-press in the interest of some fresh religious infatuation, some newly accredited legend ? The study of talismans and pantacles is one of the most curious branches of magic, and connects with historical numismatics. There are Indian, Egyptian, and Greek talismans, kabbalistic medals coming from the ancient and modern Jews, Gnostic abraxas, occult tokens in use among the members of secret societies, and sometimes called counters of the Sabbath ; so also there are Templar medals and jewels of Freemasonry. In his Treatise on the Wonders of Nature, Coglenius describes the talismans of Solomon and those of Rabbi Chael. Designs of many others that are most ancient will be found in the magical calendars of Tycho-Brahe' and Duchentau, and should have a place in M. Ragon's archives of initiation, a vast and scholarly undertaking, to which we refer our readers.
19 p T THE STONE OF THE PHILOSOPHERS— ELAGABALUS VOCATIO SOL AURUM THE ancients adored the Sun under the figure of a black stone, which they named Elagabalus, or Heliogabalus. What did this stone signify, and how came it to be the image of the most brilliant of luminaries ? The disciples of Hermes,
THE STONE OF THE PHILOSOPHERS 153 before promising their adepts the elixir of long life, or the powder of projection, counselled them to seek for the philosophical stone. What is this stone, and why a stone ? The great initiator of the Christians invites his believers to build on the stone, or rock, if they do not wish their structures to be demolished.
He terms himself the corner-stone, and says to the most faithful of his Apostles, " Thou art Peter (petnis), and upon this rock (petram) I will build my church. This stone, say the masters in alchemy, is the true salt of the philosophers, which is the third ingredient in the composition of Azoth.
Now, we know already that AZOTH is the name of the great Hermetic and true philosophical agent ; furthermore, their salt is represented under the figure of a cubic stone, as may be seen in the Twelve Keys of Basil Valentine, or in the allegories of Trevisan. Once more, what is this stone actually ? It is the foundation of absolute philosophy, it is supreme and immovable reason.
Before even dreaming of the metallic work, we must be fixed for ever upon the absolute principles of wisdom, we must possess that reason which is the touch-stone of truth. Never will a man of prejudices become the king of nature and the master of transmutations. The philosophical stone is hence before all things necessary ; but how is it to be found ? Hermes informs us in his Emerald Table.
We must separate the subtle from the fixed with great care and assiduous attention.
Thus, we must separate our certitudes from our beliefs, and sharply distinguish the respective domains of science and faith, understanding thoroughly that we do not know things which we believe, and that we cease immediately to believe anything which we come actually to know, so that the essence of the things of faith is the unknown and the indefinite, while it is quite the reverse with the things of science.
It must thence be inferred that science rests on reason and experience, whilst the basis of faith is Sentiment and reason. In other words, the philosophical stone is the true certitude which human prudence assures to p. 154conscientious researches and modest doubt, whilst religious enthusiasm ascribes it exclusively to faith. Now, it belongs neither to reason without aspirations nor to aspirations without reason ; 'true certitude is the reciprocal acquiescence of the reason which knows in the sentiment which believes and of the sentiment which believes in the reason which knows.
The permanent alliance of reason and faith will result not from their absolute distinction and separation, but from their mutual control and their fraternal concurrence. Such is the significance of the two pillars of Solomon's porch, one named Jakin and the other Bohas, one black and the other white.
They are distinct and separate, they are even contrary in appearance, but if blind force sought to join them by bringing them close to one another, the roof of the temple would collapse ; separately, their power is one ; joined, they are two powers which destroy one another.
For precisely the same reason the spiritual power is weakened whensoever it attempts to usurp the temporal, while the temporal power becomes the victim of its encroachments on the spiritual. Gregory VII. ruined the Papacy ; the schismatic kings have lost and will lose the monarchy. Human equilibrium requires two feet, the worlds gravitate by means of two forces, generation needs two sexes.
Such is the meaning of the arcanum of Solomon, represented by the two pillars of the temple, Jakin and Bohas. The sun and moon of the alchemists correspond to the same symbol and concur in the perfection and stability of the philosophical stone. The sun is the hieroglyphic sign of truth, because it is the visible source of light, and the rude stone is the symbol of stability.
It was for this reason that the ancients took the stone Elagabalus as the actual type of the sun, and for this also that the medieval alchemists pointed to the philosophical stone as the first means of making philosophical gold, that is to say, of transforming the vital forces represented by the six metals into Sol, that is, into truth and light, the first and indispensable operation of the great work, leading to the secondary adapta-
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