THE GREAT PROPHETS

PARACELSUS

In the primitive dualistic world, the powers of light and darkness were worshipped alike. The equal strength of both good and evil had arisen in the mind of man when he observed nature and meditated upon his own life. Man is inhabited by contradictory forces; in his thought and action, good and evil are intimately mingled, and he cannot always distinguish between them. Moreover, good intentions sometimes generate evil, or criminal desires even become the servant of good. Both principles seemingly are everlasting, and in nature all things carry out the idea that light should overcome darkness. With civilization, man became increasingly aware of his capacities and his responsibility. The Chaldean star taught that luck and disaster were not haphazard events dependent upon the caprices of spirits, but rather that they derive from the heavenly bodies, which send good and bad according to mathematical laws. Man, it seemed, was incapable of fighting the will of the planet divinities. Yet, the more this system evolved, the more did the wise men read ethical values in man's fate. The will of the stars was not completely independent from man's will.

ZOROASTER

It was probably in the Seventh century B.C. that Zoroaster, the Median prophet, preached the doctrine that evil, powerful and ever-present, can be avoided and defeated. Zoroaster purified the ancient belief in the hosts of good and evil spirits, the rulers of a split  universe. He traced these legions back to their principles: Ormazd (Ahura-Mazda), King of Light; and Ahriman (Anra-Mainyu), Prince of Darkness. The good demons of older traditions were dethroned by Zoroaster; however, they were granted a place in the hierarchy of evil spirits.

Led by Ahrbnan, these spirits no longer opposed Good in unruly swarms. The Kingdom of Evil had become organized like that of Good. The two armies were marshaled in warlike array. Figures oppose each other in equal strength; the armies of light and darkness face one another. Victory is not followed by peace because the struggle continues to the end of time. In heaven, as on earth, resounds the battlecry.

Six archdemons were Ahriman's principal underlings, correspond ing to the six archangels which surrounded the King of Light. These archangels were Divine Wisdom, Righteousness, Dominion, Devotion, Totality, and Salvation. The archdemons were the spirits of Anarchy, Apostasy, Presumption, Destruction, Decay, and Fury. Many other demons in the Zoroastrian religion, daevas of lower rank, tempted one away from the true worship; Paromaiti, Arrogance; Mitox, the Falsely Spoken Word; Zaurvan, Decrepitude; Akatasa, Meddlesomeness; Vereno, Lust.

Still lower in fiendish hierarchy ranked the Dnijs, the Yatus, the Nasus, enchantresses, malevolent beings, deceivers, the monsters. Just as great was the circle of heavenly legions, the good Yazatas. The originality of Zoroaster resides in something beyond his elaborate angelology and demonology. He conceived periods of time in which the fate of the material world and of the good and bad principle would be decided. The outcome was good; defeat awaited Ahriman. Zoroaster distinguished between two types of time—boundless time or eternity and sovereign time, a long period which Ormazd "carved out" from the bulk of eternity.

Sovereign time will last twelve thousand years; it was divided into four cycles of three thousand. Each millennium was presided over by a sign of the Zodiac, an indication that sovereign time is an enormous celestial year whose smallest fraction is the circle of the twelve daily and nightly hours. Three, four, and twelve are the mystical numbers. They are the base from which evolves the number seven, the six archdemons together with Ahriman their ruler, and the six arch angels and Ormazd.

The first three thousand years were those of spiritual creation during which all creatures remained in their transcendental form. The second triad was that of material creation, of celestial beings, of spirits, sky, water, earth, plants, animals, and mankind. The third period was that of the irruption of the Evil One, which dominated man's history before the coming of revelation. The last period started with the advent of Zoroaster and will end with the Day of Judgment.

Zoroaster stated that creation began in this manner: Akaron produced light by emanation; from light sprang Ormazd, the first born, who created the pure world. He ordered the hierarchy of angels and the myriad concepts of things he intended to bring into being. Another emanation of Boundless Time was Ahriman, second-born of the Eternal, who was jealous and hungry for power.

He envied Ormazd and was banished to the realm of darkness, where he reigned in night while the struggle between good and evil was being fought.

The war began when after a thousand years Ormazd created light patterned after the supermundane, the celestial light. He fashioned the source of life, a power he called Bull, and Ahriman destroyed the bull-being.

From its scattered seed, Ormazd then fashioned the first man and the first woman. With milk and fruit Ahriman seduced the woman, and man fell into sin. And as evil counterparts of the good animals, Ahriman created harmful beasts, reptiles and snakes, the Khraftstras. And the war goes on; the strength of evil grows. Yet, at the moment when Ahriman seems to triumph, redemption was at hand.

Redemption awaits the Day of Judgment, the advent of the Saviour, when a flood of molten metal shall sear the wicked while the righteous shall pass unharmed. As good and evil are parted finally from one another, Ormazd will establish his Good Kingdom. The dead shall rise and hell shall be purified for the enlargement of the regenerated world, deathless and everlasting.

HERMES TRISMEGISTUS

Hermes Trismegistus was the master of alchemical philosophy. Hermes was the Greek god who conducted the souls to the dark kingdom of Hades, the underworld. He opened the doors of birth and of death. He controlled exchange, commerce, and learning; he was the gods' messenger, the mediator, the reconciler.

Trismegistus meant "three times the greatest", an epithet which reveals his high status. He was not a Greek god, but a divinity of the Greek colonists in Egypt. These Greco-Egyptians admired the ancient religious doctrines of the Nile. From the colossal amount of writing ascribed to Hermes

Trismegistus not much has survived except fourteen short texts written in Greek and a series of fragments preserved by Christian authors. These express mystical and philosophical ideas, which, viewed as a whole, recall Gnosticism. The best known among them is Poimandres, the Good Shepherd. Some of its passages bear a striking resemblance to the Gospel of St. John, while others are reminiscent of Plato's Timaeus. Jewish thought, as is expressed by Philo, can be discerned in them. In addition to these writings, a few magical treatises were ascribed to Trismegistus. Their main theme was astrology; alchemy was treated somewhat vaguely.

His hermetic books were considered by the alchemists as Hermes' bequest to them of the secrets which were veiled in allegories to prevent the precious wisdom from falling into the hands of the profane. Only the wise were able to find their way in this mystical labyrinth. Hermes' passage, cited frequently, the Credo of the adepts, was the inscription found on an emerald tablet "in the hands of Hermes' mummy, in an obscure pit where his interred body lay," situated, according to tradition, in the great pyramid of Gizeh.

"Tis true, without falsehood, and most real: that which is above is like that which is below, to perpetrate the miracles of One thing. And as all things have been derived from one, by the thought of one, so all things are bom from this thing, by adoption. The Sun is its Father, the Moon is its Mother. Wind has carried it in its belly, the Earth is its nurse. Here is the father of every perfection in the world. His strength and power are absolute when changed into earth; thou wilt separate the earth from fire, the subtle from the gross, gently and with care. It ascends from earth to heaven, and descends again to earth to receive the power of the superior and the inferior things. By this means, thou wilt have the glory of the world. And because of this, all obscurity will flee from thee. Within this is the power, most powerful of all powers. For it will over come all subtle things, and penetrate every solid thing. Thus the world was created. From this will be, and will emerge, admirable adaptations of which the means are here. And for this reason, I am called Hermes Trismegistus, having the three parts of the philosophy of the world. What I have said of the Sun's operations is accomplished."

ALBERTUS MAGNUS

In the thirteenth century, the men of the faith dwelt peaceably to gether with the wise men of antiquity, admitting the presumable inventor of all magic, Zoroaster. A more profound understanding of the past, a wider conception of wisdom produced this world, which although not universal, was well-ordered with all its elements fully understood.

Albertus' importance in scientific matters lies more in his attitude than his achievements. His description of the marvelous virtues which dwell in crystals may serve as an example: If you hold a crystal toward the sun, you can light a fire.

Albertus had within himself a curiosity which was laudable, to gether with the disciplined methods of a scholar. These methods test particular statements by the general law concerning living beings as it was established by Aristotle. He never doubted that magical wonders were effected. True, there existed jugglery and illusion; people believed they were seeing things which did not exist. True, evil demons led men astray with magic,

which was considerably worse than the deception of the eyes. Yet there also existed in Albertus' opinion natural magic, which was of the good, and a great deal of good was found in the writings of the Arabs as well as hermetic literature. There were wonderful virtues in herbs and stones of which the patristic writings did not speak. Betony conferred the power of divination; verbena was used as a love charm; the herb meropis opened the seas.

Many other marvels were induced with plants, as was written in Costa ben Luca and Hermes. There were also magical stones which cured diseases. In his work on minerals, Albertus spoke extensively of the hidden virtues of stones.

Some of these marvels he had experienced himself. "Lapides preciosipraeter alliis habent mariabiles virtules.'^ {Precious stones have more miraculous virtues than others.)

Albertus was an alchemist; like his pupil, St. Thomas Aquinas, he believed that alchemy was a difficult but true art. In his chemical experiments, he was less hampered by philosophy, perhaps because the early Greeks were not acquainted with alchemy. He describes his operations with accuracy and expresses original ideas.

Among the numerous volumes he bequeathed to posterity, his alchemical treatise is perhaps the best. In the book on minerals, he finds much to criticize in alchemical theories, and sometimes he seems opposed to the art of Hermes, but in his treatise On Alchemy, which is authentic, he champions alchemical operations. This is what he recommends in his book to his fellow alchemists:

"The alchemist must be silent and discreet. To no one should he reveal the results of his operations ... He shall live in loneliness, remote from men. His house should have two or three rooms consecrated entirely to the work."

Contemporaries of Albertus affirm that he built an automaton, the android. Shaped like a man, with each part of its body welded under the influence of a particular star, the android was Albertus' servant.

He was endowed with the gift of speech so much so that his gibberish disturbed the studious Aquinas who destroyed the machine. Did such an automaton really exist? Eliphas Levi, the nineteenth-century occultist, remarked subtly that it was only a symbol of Albertus' scholasticism, human in form, but an artificial being controlled by a mechanism and not by life.

ROGER BACON

Like Albertus, Roger Bacon, the Franciscan Friar, based his knowledge upon Aristotelian philosophy. Not only did he gather wisdom by philosophical methods or through observation and reasoning, but also, like Albertus, he emphasized the importance of experimentation.

Bacon's writings have a vivacity which we do not often find in scholasticism, and his impatience, mingled with clairvoyance, com pelled him at times to make truly astounding predictions: "First, I will tell you about the admirable works of art and nature.

Afterwards, I shall describe their causes and their form. There is no magic connected with this, for magic is inferior to such things and unworthy of them. Namely: Machines of navigation can be made, huge ships for rivers and the seas. They move without oars; a single man can maneuver them better than if they were manned fully. "Then there are also cars, moving along without horses and at a colossal speed, and we believe that such were the battle wagons of old furnished with sickles.

"Flying machines can be made also. A man sitting in the center controls something which makes the machine's artificial wings flap like those of birds.

"A device, small in size, for lowering heavy weights can be made, most useful in emergencies. For by a machine, three fingers high and wide, and less in bulk, a man could free himself and his friends from all dangers of prison, and could rise and descend.

"A machine can be constructed for submarine journeys, for seas and rivers. It dives to the bottom without danger to man. Alexander the Great has made use of such a device, as we know from Ethicus the Astronomer. Such things have been made long ago and they are still made in our days, except perhaps the flying machine." Magic existed for Roger Bacon as it did with his contemporaries.

He admitted there were difficulties in discerning between science and the black arts. He accepted natural magic, which is not evil. We find the scholar's conceptions were not unlike those of the philosophers. Magic aiming at the good was permissible and was called natural magic; the black arts promoting what was evil were to be rejected.

Alchemy is related to physics, said Bacon. It treats of colors and other substances, of burning bitumen, of salt and sulphur, of gold and other metals, and though nothing concerning the alchemical art was written by Aristotle, he was necessary for the study of natural philosophy and speculative medicine.

Through alchemy, gold can be made, and thus the hermetic art can provide for the expenses of the state. It prolongs man's life. But there were few who worked alchemically, and still fewer who could produce works which would prolong life. The art was suited only to the wisest, who knew the meaning of the eagle, the deer, the serpent, the phoenix, creatures who renew their lives through the virtues of herbs and stones.

Like Rabbi Moses Maimonides, Bacon believed that Holy Writ was the basic source of Astrology. This made the study of the stars and their influence a legitimate occupation. Bacon's opinion in this matter was not shared by all, for in spite of the growing influence of Astrology on medieval learning, the official attitude of the Church was rather adverse.

Bacon implied a belief that philosophy, which he identified with astrology and mathematics, should lead to and confirm theology. He went even further, asserting that without Astrology or philosophy. Church doctrine was not complete.

In his Opus MajuSy he said: "If the truth of philosophy is impaired, damage is inflicted upon theology whose function it is to use the power of philosophy, not absolutely but in controlling the Church, directing the commonwealth of believers, and aiding the conversion of predestined unbelievers." And of the theologians who opposed such ideas, he said, "But they err not only in this, that they ignorantly condemn knowledge of the future secured through mathematics."

Bacon's teachings were not of the Faustian character which enthusiastic investigators claimed. He was the enlightened forerunner of a scientific time, whose voice was unheard in the scholastic desert. In his determination to unify all learning, wisdom, and faith, he produced a unique work, the Opus Majus, which he arranged and coordinated according to his own original views.

PICO, COUNT OF MIRANDOLA

Pico, Count of Mirandola, was born in 1463 near Modena. His precocity was considered comparable to that of the painter Masaccio who died at twenty-seven after having given a decisive impetus to the plastic arts. At twenty-four Pico went to Rome, where he posted his nine hundred theses for public debate.

Among these, many were concerned with magic and the Kabbalah, a secret doctrine which was discussed in earlier chapters. These occult systems were to prove the divinity of Christ. Pico's plan did not win the approval of the Church. Pope Innocent VIII, who had a rigorous attitude toward matters of witchcraft, appointed a com mission to examine the whole of Pico's theories. The verdict was unfavorable: Four were judged to be rash and heretical; six others were condemned; three were called false, heretical, and erroneous.

In his work, Pico favored the prediction of the future by dreams, sibyls, spirits, portents, and also by birds and the intestines. The two latter methods, being undoubtedly pagan, certainly were not tolerated by the Roman theologians. His leanings toward Chaldean oracles, Orphic hymns, and the like were not acceptable to them. Some of his propositions have a Neo-Platonic and Gnostic flavor. But Pico's ultimate goal went beyond that of reviving old, more or less known magical ideas and of introducing new ones. His ambition was to reconcile the officially sanctioned Aristotelianism and Platonism which the scholars were studying again. He strove to accomplish this with the help of the Kabbalah.

TRITHEMIUS

During the time Trithemius was a student in Heidelberg, he met a mysterious teacher who instructed him in the secret sciences. When in 1482 Trithemius decided to return to his native town, the teacher informed him that on his journey he would find the key to his life. As Trithemius reached Sponheim, snow was falling heavily and he sheltered in the Benedictine monastery. There, life appeared so attractive that he decided to become a monk. This was the famous key of which the secret master had spoken.

Though most of his works were ecclesiastical treatises, Trithemius wrote on magic. Alchemy attracted him greatly, and he declared in his books that transmutations can be made and the philosophers' stone can be attained. This stone, he said, was the soul of the world, or spiritus mundi, rendered visible. One might call it the petrification of God's breath, as the abbot affirms the world soul was the breath emanating from its divine source. In this sense, we understand his saying God permeates everything.

In the midst of the sixteenth century, Copernicus discovered a new world, that of the planets circulating together with the earth around their central star, the sun. This discovery demolished the old Christian dogmatic hierarchy. God could not be above, as there was no above and no below, and there was nothing outside the world. Therefore, a new dwelling had to be found for Him.

Trithemius was very modest and timid, and he did not wish to do anything which was contrary to the established tradition. So he invented all sorts of secret methods of writing by which profound thoughts could be disguised in apparently harmless texts.

The fact that he influenced Paracelsus and Agrippa shows he was sympathetic to magic learning. He speaks often in dissembling terms; for instance, the Golden Age would arrive when the lion and the lamb would dwell together. In this Biblical symbol he clothed the thought that the philosophers' stone was attained when the Fire of God, the lion, and the Divine Light are joined mystically.

According to modern Occultists, these contain an enormous amount of magic wisdom. It is expressed in a code, each word having a double meaning, but the key to this mystical work Trithemius carried to his grave. The words should be read according to certain combinations, and the book loses sense completely when translated from its original Latin.

AGRIPPA

In the whirlpool of the Renaissance, Henry Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim, the most important figure among the Occultists of that age, was driven from country to country, from high favor to prison, from silent study to the battlefield, and from wealth to poverty.

Agrippa was encouraged by Trithemius to commit to writing his knowledge of the Occult. His acceptance of Neo-Platonism was championed by the Humanists as opposed to the Aristotelianism of the Middle Ages. In his study of the Neo-Platonists, such as Plotinus, lamblichus and Prophyry, Agrippa became immersed in the super natural and the occult. His enthusiasm for these philosophers overwhelmed his sense of criticism.

With a mind open to every current of occult thought, he strove to reconcile various magical doctrines. In his later years, Agrippa recanted his magical writings. Now, as incredulous as he had been credulous before, he professed nothing was certain either in the arts or in the sciences. The only reliable thing in the world was religious faith.

He was imprisoned at Brussels and released after one year. Now his Occult Philosophy, which he had written in his early days, was published. The belated publication created incredible confusion because its contents had already been recanted by his work On The Vanity of Arts and Sciences. The Occult Philosophy, on the contrary, indulged in the belief that men were able to work miracles by the power of their wisdom.

The Occult Philosophy greatly influenced Western occultism and deserves a brief resume: Magic is a powerful faculty, full of mystery and comprising a profound knowledge of the most secret things, their nature, power, quality, substance, and effects, as well as their relationships and antagonisms. It is a philosophical science; it is physics, mathematics, and theology. Through physics we learn the nature of things; through mathematics we comprehend their dimensions and extent, and the movement of heavenly bodies can be calculated; through theology we come to know God, angels, demons, intelligence, soul, and thought. Physics is terrestrial; mathematics, celestial; theology is concerned with the archetype world.

PARACELSUS

There is no one comparable to Paracelsus, physician, astrologer, anthroposophist, theologian, mystic, and Magus. At a time when knowledge was assuming many ramifications, when faith was divided into dogmas, and when the old unified world structure collapsed, Paracelsus achieved the impossible. He wove his knowledge, practice, and faith into one. Pursuing this magic ideal, he betrayed himself as being solidly tied to bygone Middle Ages, an epoch in which unification of every branch of thought was still possible.

But contrary to his fondness for the past, he publicly burned the works of Galen, denouncing the sterility of his fellow physicians, and he made it clear that his own world was to be welded into one by other means than those offered by conventions. He wanted to know the true nature of things through investigation and not through the study of dusty volumes.

These bold views guided his critical attitude toward classical authorities. Paracelsus believed nature was the highest authority because nature, unlike man, does not commit errors. Everything in nature partook of the world machine, built accord ing to a divine plan. The various forms and events of the corporeal world had their profound meaning and were just so many manifestations of the divine.

Man's first doctor was God, the maker of health, for the body was not a thing apart, but a house for the soul. The physician, therefore, must treat the two simultaneously and strive at bringing them into harmony, which was the only true health. Such inner accord harmoniously united in man the things of the world with the divine.

Religion was derived from the Latin re-Ugare (to unite again). The curative process shared this characteristic. Religion was the basis of medicine. In his prophecies, Paraceisus predicted an evil end for people who fail to achieve self-recognition. They did not know the true nature with which they were endowed. Living rightly and healthily was the attainment of harmony with one's true self.

Therefore, the physician must be an astrologer as well; he should know about the harmony of the spheres and their influence. More over, he must be a theologian to comprehend the needs of the soul. He must be an anthropologist in order to understand the needs of the body. He must be an alchemist to perceive the universal substances which are found in harmonious mixtures everywhere in the material world.

He should be conscious of the primary creative cosmic forces because they are universal and are in man himself. And he must be a mystic in order to recognize that there exists something beyond logic, as the ancients have demonstrated.

Paracelsus affirms that God had given various qualities to things at their creation, forces which enabled them to exist independently. The divine intervention was, therefore, not constantly to be sought after, for man has the capacity to help himself, like the stars which move by their own initiative.

The heavenly bodies influenced man. They were inhabited by the Greco-Roman divinities who emit a mortal light, for everything in creation was mortal. God alone sends forth a divine light which is immortal and which is received by that which is immortal in man. These two kinds of light are the essence of all.

The astrologer inquires into the mortal light of the stars, by whose contemplation he gains knowledge. Man was molded from the dust of the stars, his older brothers. Man was receptive to the radiance of the stars, and to be attracted to their light was godly, but mortal at the same time. It existed before the coming of Christ; it still exists and grows even stronger.

NOSTRADAMUS

Nostradamus (Michel de Nostre-Dame), the greatest of all seers and astrologers, was born in St Remy, France in 1503. Though his prophecies are styled in scurrilous language, many lent themselves to striking interpretations of happenings which have occurred centuries after the stargazer's death. Even names mentioned by the seer coincide with those connected with the predicted events.

The great seer had written an often-reprinted work on cosmetics, on perfumes, and on the art of making jam with sugar, honey, and cooked wine. This indicated that Doctor Nostradamus was also well-versed in the science of herbs and minerals, like his grandfather, Jacques de Nostre-Dame. Michel was one of the greatest physicians of his epoch. When studying medicine at Montpellier University, he interrupted his studies and helped to stamp out an epidemic of the Black Death.

Nostradamus, apparently immune to the pestilence, traveled from city to city to perform miraculous cures. His prophecies, which he called Centuries, were published in 1555, long after his book on cosmetics. These predictions made an enormous impression, and people from all classes traveled to Salon seeking the seer's prophecy and advice.

PORTA

When practicing medicine in the late 1500's, Porta had many occasions to observe his patients and to study their character and complexion. The results of this studious inquiry were laid down in his book Physiognomy, a striking and convincing system not to be dismissed.

Porta's early experiments in physiognomy influenced the eighteenth century philosopher, Johann Kaspar Lavater, who wrote many volumes on the art of judging men by their features. The elaborate system includes morphological, anthropological, anatomical, histrionical, and graphical studies. Lavater quoted long excerpts from Porta's books and inserted illustrations from the works.

Many other wonderful things were described in Porta's book on magic. He vouched for the frequently described marvel of animals being produced spontaneously from putrefaction. He described the dangerous art of making bread heavier by increasing the weight of wheat. He gave instruction for the counterfeiting of precious stones and for similar arts which his readers were most eager to learn. The chapter on physics contains items such as how to make a man mad for a day, or how to cause sleep with a mandrake. This chapter deals with the art of causing pleasant and troublesome dreams. Special parts of Porta's work were devoted to distillation, fireworks, cookery, hunting and fishing, and other activities which rendered life agreeable.

CAGLIOSTRO

Among the Magi, the Zurich pastor Johann Kaspar Lavater was foremost as a promoter of tolerance. This modest author of a famous work on physiognomy had his own views on religion. He observed his fellow men with deep insight, for the physiognomic art was the study of man's features as the signs and characters formed by nature to reveal the inner man. His urbanity often proved more effective than the tempestuousness of his fellow magicians.

One would think such a learned and influential man would not need advice from a fellow Magus. Yet, in 1780, Lavater traveled to Strassburg where he hoped to gather more wisdom from the Count Cagliostro. The Count, however, refused to see him. They exchanged letters. To Lavater's question, "In what precisely does your knowledge reside," Cagliostro answered laconically: "/« verbis, herbis et lapidibus" (In words, herbs, and stones.) Thus alluding to his marvelous cures.

He performed these cures with simples concocted from minerals and vegetables and with the suggestive power of his word. Such an answer was unusually modest, as the "count" made little secret of his knowledge. Cagliostro was less talkative in referring to his stay in London where he had committed several frauds.

In spite of Cagliostro's shady past, even his enemies could not deny the magician's astounding intelligence. And many friends and followers acknowledged their master's scandals and lies as extravagances to be weighed against his wisdom, his charity, and truly superhuman talents of a seer, healer, and Hermetic. Cagliostro was the founder of the Egyptian Lodge. The power of his word attracted numerous adherents and whole groups of Free masons abandoned their rites to follow those invented by the Grand Kophta, as Cagliostro called himself. Brothers of every creed were accepted. The only postulate was to believe in the immortality of the soul.

During the seances, magical ceremonies were performed with the intention of communicating with the seven "pure spirits". An innocent girl, the "Dove", was led to a table where a glass bottle was flanked by two torches. The girl would stare into the bottle in which absent persons, future happenings, or angels would appear. She was often led behind a screen, where she would experience a mystical union with an angel.

SAINT-GERMAIN

The riddle of Saint-Germain has never been solved. The dates of his birth and death are unknown. Incredible things are claimed of him. Frederick the Great called him the man who could not die. The count himself asserted he had lived 2000 years based on the professed discovery of the liquid which could prolong human life.

He would speak familiarly of a chat with the Queen of Sheba and of wonderful happenings at the marriage of Cana. He knew the gossip of the court of Babylon, tales a thousand years old. His knowledge of European history was uncanny. He would mention various happenings in the reigns of Henry IV and Francis I. To an astounded lady, he would whisper family secrets. True things, the lady said, which he heard from her ancestor on the battlefield of Marignano.

The count was neither tall nor very handsome; he always appeared about forty and dressed exquisitely. He was dark-haired, lively, and smiling. His clothes were covered with precious jewels. He spoke and wrote Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, English, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. He verged on the supernatural. He was a talented painter, a virtuoso on the harpsichord and violin, and his alchemical knowledge far surpassed any of his contemporaries.

From the lives of these men, we may learn many lessons applicable to our studies: The Magi in their study of nature will increase their wisdom by degrees: Through the study of stones they will learn the essence of the stars; from the Planets their knowledge will be led to the sublime.

Agrippa started with the four elements. Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. These elements occur in three types: Here on earth they are mixed, impure. In the Stars, they are pure. Thirdly, there are com posite elements which can change and which are the vehicle of all transformations. The elements are found here below, in the whole universe, in spirits and angels, and even in God.

From the elements were bom the natural virtues of things, but not occult virtues. The latter were infused into things through ideas by means of the world-Soul. In order to ascertain occult virtues, we should explore the world by means of resemblances. For instance, fire here on earth excites celestial fire, the eye cures the eye, sterility produces sterility.

As there is accord between things akin, there is discord between things hostile. Experience has shown, for instance, between the sunflower and the sun there is accord, whereas between the lion and the cock there is hostility. It is the task of the Magi to recognize these sympathies and antipathies in order to operate magically through nature. Similar dispositions are found in the planets, whether friendly or hostile to one another. Such relations, when made use of, yield magical results, for all things inferior submit to those above.

Not only single objects depend upon the Stars, but whole provinces, countries, and kingdoms, to which planetary and zodiacal signs are allotted. In tracing such celestial signs, the Magi propitiates virtues of that constellation. Thus, through various contrivances well-prepared and coordinated, favorable influences are attracted, not only from the Stars, but also from good Spirits and from God.

Written by Zolar in "The Encyclopaedia of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge".Peerage Books, London,1990, excerpts pp.187-203. Digitized, adapted and illustrated to be posted buy Leopoldo Costa.