Back in the days of the Bible, stones were of vital importance to the biblical characters. Proof of this is found in many Scriptures; prophets, kings, and even Jesus and his apostles spoke of stones. These stones were vital to them, not only in the physical world, but also in the spiritual world.
It would be folly not to take these biblical stones as significant. Scholars and men of predominance through history knew of the monetary value and the spiritual importance of these stones. So much so, that vast wealth, much time, and vital energy was spent in the pursuit of such business ventures as mining for stones. Stones brought political and ecclesiastical power to men. And this is why men of intellect and stature were prepared to sacrifice all trying to get their hands on the very stones mentioned in the Bible and in other religious texts and documents.
In particular, the philosopher stone. It was said that, when one had the ability to make the philosopher stone, one acquired eternal life. One could get God’s eternal Mercy, and sit upon a throne of glory. A king such as David, who was surrounded by his enemy, could expect to live them out beyond their human years. As long as he was of pure heart and intent.
Reading Psalms 118 from the perspective of an alchemist stone, more specifically verses 19 through 29, one reads about the power the art of alchemy brought man to. The art of the philosopher’s stone:
Psa 118:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:
Psa 118:20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.
Psa 118:21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
Psa 118:22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
Psa 118:23 This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
Psa 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psa 118:25 Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
Psa 118:26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.
Psa 118:27 God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
Psa 118:28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
Psa 118:29 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
In Psalms 118, the stone in question is used as material employed in the construction of an entrance. It is building material, the corner-stone material of the doorway or gate to the other world. In other words, it is a building block; a material which is ‘transmuted’ into a head stone that holds-up the other stones that are employed.
The builders, or alchemists, refuse (reject) such a stone. Yet it is of great value to man for his art; the art of God. The art of transmutation of one element into another. The art of the alchemist.
Philosopher stone making is a forbidden art. Restricted to those whom God favors; to the pure of heart, to those who are under God’s mercy; to those who are the righteous and who will walk through the gates. It becomes their salvation. Because of these reasons, very reason, the common among men are forbidden such knowledge. It brings men to prominence and power and wealth…
Since the quest for the philosopher stone is of vital importance to man, the question then begs to be asked. Was the philosopher stone the real reason behind the Witch Trials and the attempted genocide of the Jewish people during WW2? Perhaps that the Vatican and other religious entities are involved in a quest for the philosopher stone, along with other world powers, was indeed the motives behind the slaughter of so many humans. We know that the world is a cruel place, with bad people who would stop at nothing when tempted with such powers over others.
Any efforts to discover the philosopher’s stone was called: Magnum Opus (the great work). This great work was based on Plato’s Classical Elements. The Classical Elements were:
. Fire, primarily hot and secondarily dry.
. Air, is primarily wet and secondarily hot.
. Water, is primarily cold and secondarily wet.
. Earth, is primarily dry and secondarily cold.
Since these four classical elements are earthly and corruptible, Aristotle added aether as the fifth element. Aether moved in a crystalline circle, and contained celestial bodies. It is different from the four classical elements; it is an unchangeable, heavenly substance.
The Medieval alchemists added two chemical elements representing metals. Sulphur, called ‘the stone that burns’ (the principle of combustibility), and mercury (which contained the idealized principle of metallic properties). What is notable here, is that mercury is named after the god Mercury (another name for the god Mercury, is Hermes, as in ‘the vase of Hermes’ or the philosopher’s egg).
Hermes, was the son of Zeus and the Pleiad Maia. According to Wikipedia, “Hermes is a god of transitions and boundaries. He is quick and cunning, and moved freely between the worlds of the mortal and divine, as emissary and messenger of the gods, intercessor between mortals and the divine, and conductor of souls into the afterlife. Which one can easily link to the David’s stone mentioned in Psalms 118.
In myths describing Hermes, he is a trickster. A trickster because “he outwits other gods, for his own satisfaction or the sake of humankind. His attributes and symbols include the herma, the rooster and the tortoise, purse or pouch, winged sandals, winged cap, and his main symbol is the herald’s staff, the Greek kerykeion or Latin caduceus which consisted of two snakes wrapped around a winged staff”.
To link together the biblical alchemists and the Greek alchemists and the Medieval alchemists to the more modern times alchemists, many of today’s alchemist hold religious, or spiritual, or esoteric beliefs systems. Obviously not all, but many of those can be linked back to the old Celtic belief systems and to the Celtic Cross itself.
The Celtic Cross is linked to the old religion just as much as it is to the new one. It has three level of mazes. Each level of mazes represent the three levels of reincarnation (not resurrection). The third and highest level is Aether (Ether). The Celts believed that if something worked, it need not be fixed. As the Celtic cross of the old religion brought them success in their lives, it was of common accord to bring it into the new religion as well – as long as they continued being successful in the new one also.
As they did in the days of the old religion, the Celts of the new religion (which included the Bretons during the Christian conquest), believed not in a spirit that will resurrect them after they died. But rather, in several chances to perfect a man’s mission in this earthly realm. They believed, if man has not accomplished perfecting his life, he is given other chances to do so – by ‘reincarnating’ into another body – until he has accomplished what he came here to do in the first place. Hence, he must go from the first maze of life, and then go into the next level maze of life, and then eventually up in to the final and third level maze of life (which is Ether).
If man fails during the first level maze of his life, he then takes on a different body and is given the chance of starting all over again – until he has accomplished his mission there. Once he has a good enough person so to access into the second level, he incarnates into yet another body, so to begin there by trying to become even better than before. If he fails to become a better, second level person, then when he dies again, he reincarnates into a another body again so he can have another chance at becoming a better second level person. There, again he is given another chance at becoming a good enough so to get to Heaven. Once he does reach the third level mazes of his life (the third celestial level) he has entered into Heaven – Ether.
The highest achieved level man could reach was Heaven, or the world of ‘Ether’. Man’s inquiring mind had questions. He wanted to know more about himself. He wanted and still wants to better understand himself. i.e. Who is man, where does he comes from, why is he here, and where is he going to afterwards? Who made him, why is he alone here, is he alone here? And can he hope to be with others like him, does he have a creator, what is there to know about the one who created him? By understanding himself better, man may put an end to his quest for the philosopher’s stone; a gift from the gods to man,
Solitary Practitioner 