/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.21954303]

Flamel, in commenting on the eighth of his hieroglyphic images, in which we see a Red Man planting his foot on a winged lion who wants to carry him off and ravish him, says that this is the "Lion that devours all metallic nature [all individualized nature] and changes it into its own and true substance [nonindividualized, liberated]," and that can gloriously transport the Red Man beyond the waters of Egypt—that is, from the waters of corruption and forgetting. We must awaken the force but not let it unseat us. The characteristic depiction of this ability is dramatized by the myth of Mithras who seizes the bull by the horns and does not let go despite the animal’s mad stampede until the bull, exhuasted, gives up and allows himself to be led back to the "cavern" (the alchemical texts speak specifically and frequently of Mercury’s cavern), where Mithras gives it death. After its death there follows the symbolic emerging of vegetation from the earth, sprouting from the blood of the sacrificed animal.

Basil Valentine agrees, using more complicated symbolism: "One who is curious to know what this ' All-in-Everything’ is [said to be the goal of the Art] must give the Earth great Wings [equivalent to the flight of the Dragon, the stampede of the bull, the arousal of the Serpent, etc.], and must rise up and fly over the mountains, up to the firmament; then he must clip his wings by dint of fire, so that he falls into the Red Sea [here, fire and Red Sea are symbols of the intervention of the principle of affirmation], and drowns."

But in the reciprocal killing and being killed, both natures are changed into one another, utterly interpenetrating. So that sometimes we speak of union and separation as though they were synonyms. We now find ourselves at one of the first phases of the formation of the hermetic Androgyne, composed of Sulfur and Mercury. The "two enemies" are embracing one another. The two serpents of the caduceus are intertwining themselves (male with female) around the rod of Hermes. In the Divine Water or Mercury of the Wise begins the state of unity, which is the true "First Matter" from which it is possible to obtain all the "Elements" and "Kingdoms" of the Great Work. But the work is arduous.· "We must understand that we are in the midst of a terrible labor, trying to reduce to a common essence—that is, to wed—the two Natures [active to passive, individual to universal]."

[Anonymous No.21954305]

https://discord.gg/mcwnV68q

[Anonymous No.21954500]

The only bad thing about this book is how he glosses over how to start the Work - he mentions that the nigredo is achieved by experiencing death in life, but not much is said. I know he had the Introduction to magic books, but still.

[Anonymous No.21954510]

I actually just started this book last week. I´m only on page 40 but it´s quite interesting.

[Anonymous No.21954532]

>>21954303
Is this book good for a beginner ?>>21954303

[Anonymous No.21954534]

>>21954532
No but read it anyway.

[Anonymous No.21954698]

>>21954500
Do I have to read the Introduction to Magic books before the Hermetic Tradition? I've only read the first volume.

[Anonymous No.21954712]

>>21954698
The Magic books expect you to have read the Hermetic one if you're really trying to get the most out of them.

[Anonymous No.21955403]

>>21954500
IIRC like a quarter of the book is about the dry vs wet paths to beginning it. It's not super specific and doesn't hold your hand, but that's esoteric writing in general. The Ur Group's Intro books also do go more in depth, but one of the important parts of HT is the footnote overload and how many sources it cites, you should definitely look into some of the og books Evola was working with if you can find them.

>>21954698
"Introduction" is a bit of a misleading title on those desu. You should definitely read HT prior to even touching that trilogy, and I'd honestly recommend his books on Tantra and Buddhism beforehand too.

>>21954532
It's not an easy read at all but could quite feasibly be great intro to Evola and esotericism in general. Maybe read his Grail book to get a feel for it to start with, it's easier to digest, but I wouldn't call that mandatory.