A Modern Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery

Part II: A More Esoteric Consideration of the Hermetic Art and Its Mysteries

Chapter 3: The Mysteries Continued, Part 3

Introduction: The ancient mysteries guide the soul through a transformative descent into its chaotic depths, purifying it to unite with divine wisdom. This section unveils the perilous journey past deceptive visions, culminating in the revelation of the soul’s true essence.

The Transformative Descent

The mysteries’ purificative rites lead the soul into Tartarus, a realm of primal chaos, described by Virgil as a dark cave where “the ground trembles, hills shake, and dogs howl as the Goddess approaches.” This is the soul’s confrontation with its deepest, unpurified essence, the alchemists’ “Black Saturn” or “hidden Stone,” fetid yet vital. A Rosicrucian allegory illustrates: “At the earth’s center lies a mountain, invisible, guarded by beasts and birds. A great wind shakes it, an earthquake overthrows debris, and a fire consumes earthly rubbish, revealing a treasure—the exalted tincture that could turn the world to gold if it were worthy.”

This descent, though fraught with terror, is essential. The initiate, armed with rational will, faces lions, dragons, and monstrous apparitions—illusions of the soul’s unpurified spirit. As the biblical account of Elijah echoes, “The Lord is not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in the still, small voice that follows.” After the chaos, a great calm reveals the day-star, dispelling darkness and unveiling the soul’s divine essence.

The Alchemical Purification

Hermes instructs, “Take the watery, corrupted nature, a coal holding fire, and purify its redness until it shines.” This purification, visiting “the interiors of the earth rectifying,” transforms the chaotic spirit into the philosopher’s stone, a medicine for life. Porphyry declares, “The purified soul must associate with its Generator, gaining scientific knowledge of true being.” Plato warns that without firm reason, the soul risks being overwhelmed in Hades, absorbed by delusions. Only by resisting these temptations can it ascend to Elysium’s divine light.

Alchemists describe this spirit as a “thick fire” imprisoned in incombustible moisture, needing dissolution to reveal its radiant core. Vaughan notes, “This mineral nature, ever-changing like clouds, is persecuted by reason’s light, revealing a starry seed, heavy yet luminous.” This is the “Salt of Saturn,” the ancient Demogorgon, a primal essence that, when purified, becomes the soul’s eternal source.

The Final Initiation

Stobaeus records, “In death and initiation, the mind is agitated with errors, wanderings, and darkness. On the verge, all is horror—trembling, sweating, affrightment. Then, a divine light shines, revealing flowery meadows and sacred visions. Free and crowned, the initiate walks among the blessed.” This mirrors alchemy’s “happy gate of blackness,” where dissolution reveals the soul’s true life. Porphyry explains, “Nature binds the body to the soul, but the soul can dissolve its own bond, returning to its divine source without destroying the body.”

The initiate, guided by the “golden bough” of rational intellect, navigates this chaos to unite with the divine. Apuleius recounts, “I approached death’s threshold, trod Proserpine’s realm, and returned through all elements, seeing the sun at midnight and adoring the gods. Though heard, you must remain ignorant of these truths.” This ineffable experience, known only through direct participation, reveals the soul as both seeker and sought, united with its divine source.

Closing: This section unveils the mysteries’ descent through chaos, purifying the soul to unite with divine wisdom. The journey toward this ineffable truth continues, promising deeper revelations of the Theurgic art in our next post.