Because of their power to elicit specific responses in the body and psyche, perfumes have, through the ages, occupied an important part in ritual. The Magical and Ritual Use of Perfumes shows how scents can become the very “essence of magic,” providing direct access to the emotional centers of the brain and memory.
This book is not only about perfume but one of the best primers on Kabbalistic thought, the Tree of Life and ritual magic that any student could hope for. The kabbalistic theory is clear and useful, including Middle Pillar Exercise. Chapters on on perfume and incense blending include those for pleasing scents and for magical use. For herbal students, the middle of the book is the most rewarding.
This book is a MUST HAVE for any ritual magician, any student of incense or perfume, Qabalah, magic or aromatherapy. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the history and trade of incense and perfume, which makes this a perfect gift for anyone in one in historical re-enactment groups.
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Because of their power to elicit specific responses in the body and psyche, perfumes have, through the ages, occupied an important part in ritual. The Magical and Ritual Use of Perfumes shows how scents can become the very “essence of magic,” providing direct access to the emotional centers of the brain and memory.
REVIEWS Many people see the word "perfumes" and, figuring that they don't need a whole book on perfume, pass this book by. This is unfortunate, as this book is one of the treasures in my library! I cannot recommend this book highly enough, even if you are downright allergic to perfume! The book does cover perfume, and is a valuable reference on perfumes in all their uses, BUT it is not only about perfume.
This book is one of the best primers on Kabbalistic thought, the tree of life, and ritual magic that a beginner (or advanced) student could hope for. The first few chapters are a basic primer on kabbalistic theory that is seldom equaled in clarity and usefulness, including a very clear example of the middle pillar exercise. The next chapters focus on perfume and incense blending, both for pleasing scents and for magical use.
For the herbal students the middle of the book is the most rewarding. Every point or path on the tree of life is associated with a perfume/incense/scent. Each plant or animal source of that scent is discussed in detail. (Including synthetic, cruelty free, alternatives to the traditional musk and other animal scents) The entry on Olibanum, Frankincense, begins on page 59 and takes three pages, covering history, trade, uses, value, botany, and blending scents. Since every card in a Tarot deck corresponds with a sphere or path on the tree of life, it is also a useful addition to Tarot meditations.
Towards the end of the book, as a delightful bonus, all the planetary rulers and influences, and their typical correspondences and God-forms, are discussed.
This book is a MUST HAVE for any ritual magician, any student of incense or perfume,and anyone studying Kabbalah. I consider it a valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in magic, aromatherapy, or incense making. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the history and trade of incense and perfume, which makes this a perfect gift for anyone in one of the historical re-enactment groups.
This somewhat obscure volume deserves more recognition, particularly within the occult circles to which it is addressed. This book gives ample treatment to the subject of metaphysical perfumery--that is, the ritual use of scent within a magickal context. Not only that, but the book has brief discussions on Qabala and also contain some basic directions for the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and the Middle Pillar Exercise, which should already be familiar to the practicing ceremonial magician.
Anybody at any level of occult development could find something of use in this book. The rudiments of perfumery are explained here. Later, various perfume scents are associated with Tarot, Qabala and astrology in a way that will likely prove indispensable to the working magician. Even if you're not interested in the magickal aspects of perfumes and just want a good basic guide to the art of perfumery, this text will likely serve you well. It's a professional and knowledgeable guide to one of the lesser-researched areas of metaphysics--the art of scent and its relation to ritual.
There are seven basic operations which typify the major transformations of the alchemical process. The distillation process is one of refinement of the gross into the subtle, whether we speak of the soul or the material elements under transmutation. The operations include: calcinatio, solutio, coagulatio, sublimatio, mortificatio, separatio, and coniunctio. Other major operations include nigredo, albedo, rubedo, solificatio, multiplicatio, projectio, separatio, circulatio, and more. These elemental operations are the protocols for turning the lead of mundane life into philosophical gold.
We can detail the nature of each of these operations later. For now, it is enough to grasp the overview which is best stated by Jung, himself, in Mysterium Coniunctionis: "...the alchemist saw the essence of his art in separation and analysis [solve or solutio] on the one hand and synthesis and consolidation [coagula or coagulatio] on the other. For him there was first of all an initial state in which opposite tendencies or forces were in conflict; secondly, there was the great question of a procedure which would be capable of bringing the hostile elements and qualities, once they were separated, back to unity again.
More on the dynamics of alchemy can be found in Miller's book THE MODERN ALCHEMIST (Phanes Press, 1994) in two parts, each representing an 'octave' of the famous alchemical dictum, "Solve et Coagula":
I. Metamorphosis of Soul; therapy or personal growth, and II. Personification of Spirit on spiritual development.
Chapters in Part I include:
The Prima Materia on Persona, the social mask The Nigredo on the Shadow, or chaos, depression and inertia The Union of Opposites, on Anima or the archetypal Feminine Participation Mystique, on Animus as the archetypal Masculine Solutio, the operation of liquification and the Adversary archetype Coagulatio, the operation of embodiment, archetype of the Great Mother Sublimatio, operation of ennobling, archetype of Wise Old Man Albedo, Rubedo and Coniunctio, the miracle marriage of opposites
Part II includes:
Solificatio, operation of the Sun and the Hero archetype The Philosopher's Stone on the lapis and shamanic Mana Personality Puer/Senex on the dynamics of youth and maturity, Magickal Child archetype The Transcendent Function on the Self or God-Image in the soul Devouring Father on the conception of Divine Child Anima Consciousness on the return of the Feminine and Incubation Individuation and Rebirth on Spiritual Rebirth phenomena Ultima Materia on culmination of the Great Work in the Adept or God-Man/Woman
The Modern Alchemist (1994) by Miller and Miller, is widely available.
"Not since Carl Jung wrote on inner transformation and alchemy has there been such a revealing, illuminating discussion of this art and its hidden message." ~ Dr. Stanley Krippner, Saybrook Institute
Traditional religions, with their emphasis upon ritual and belief, often fail to meet the spiritual needs of contemporary individuals. Nonetheless, the direct experience of life's sacred dimension yields many positive results for the human personality and inner spirit. A dynamic inner process weaves through our lives whether we notice it or not. We find meaning and healing when we intentionally become conscious of its dynamic.
The Modern Alchemist has a great deal to say to those who are seeking spiritual nourishment in the modern age. It is a first-hand, experiential guide to the process which medieval alchemists represented as the transformation of "lead into gold" or lower substances into higher ones. To Richard and Iona Miller, the transformation goes much further than that--it is an inner change which leads to wholeness, integration, and flowering of the total personality.
Using the language of depth psychology as well as alchemy, they show how we can actualize our birthright and become consciously involved in the natural transformative process. In this way, we can find a more intimate connection with the guiding, nurturing powers of the universe and the "lost" parts of ourselves.
This widely acknowledged self-help text on Jungian archetypes is structured using the art prints and text of the 17th century alchemical classic Book of Lambspring. The sixteen chapters compare and contrast archetypes and alchemical operations, which lead to greater self-awareness and psychological transformation from the pits of depression to mystical illumination.
The first half deals with the personal unconscious, while the second covers the stages of spiritual enlightenment. Chapter themes include persona, shadow, anima, animus, adversary, great mother, wise old man, marriage of opposites; hero, mana personality, magical child, self or God-image, conception, incubation, rebirth, illumination.
PART I: METAMORPHOSIS OF SOUL (Therapy or Personal Growth)
Chapter I: The Prima Materia (Persona, Calcinatio); "Two fish swim in our sea." Chapter 2: The Nigredo (Shadow); "A cruel black dragon lurks in the wood." Chapter 3: Union of Opposites (Anima); "A stag and unicorn in the forest go." Chapter 4: Participation Mystique (Animus); "A male and female stand hidden in darkness." Chapter 5: Solutio (The Adversary); "The wolf and dog are in the land." Chapter 6: Coagulatio (Great Mother); "A poisonous dragon inhabits the forest." Chapter 7: Sublimatio (Wise Old Man); "Two birds lie within the nest." Chapter 8: Albedo & Rubedo (Summary, Coniunctio); "A white and red bird are bound together."
PART II: PERSONIFICATION OF SPIRIT (Mystical or Spiritual Aspiration)
Introduction Chapter 9: Solificatio (Hero); "The Lord of the wood takes his kingdom's throne." Chapter 10: The Philosopher's Stone (Mana Personality); "The salamander comes from the fire." Chapter 11: Puer/Senex (Magickal Child); "Father, Son and Guide hold each other's hand." Chapter 12: The Transcendent Function (Self or God-image); "The Son speaks to his Guide." Chapter 13: Devouring Father (Conception); "The Father swallows up the Son." Chapter 14: Anima Consciousness (Incubation); "The Father strongly sweats and glows." Chapter 15: Individuation and Rebirth (Rebirth); "The new Father brings forth a new Son."
Chapter 16: Ultima Materia (The Master or God-Man); "The completion of the Great Work." APPENDIX: HISTORICAL ORIGIN & USE
BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX
This paper back edition is lavishly illustrated with seventeen engravings from The Book of Lamsprinck depicting the alchemical process, faithfully and rigorously reproduced by Joel Radcliffe of ARS OBSCURA Bookbinding, Inc.
INTRODUCTION
THE BOOK OF LAMSPRINCK is a 14th Century alchemical text, written by a German mystic whose name was Lambsprinck. His work shows that his orientation toward God and the Universe was that of a Christian Qabalist. The Qabalah was originally a Jewish mystical system of self-development. However, in medieval times the faiths of the pagan, Christian, and Jew melded with Greek and Egyptian philosophical thought in Hermetic philosophy. Through this system of active aspiration, the mystic sought union with his own higher aspects and God.
Why is Lambsprinck's process, with its intriguing pictorial series, relevant for us today in our modern world? Because the same processes which motivated this manuscript are still active in each of us, although we may not be consciously aware of them. This book is a description in alchemical terms of the process of psychological transformation.
This process was shown by C.G. Jung to be analogous to the process of individuation or coming-to-wholeness, experienced by many modern individuals. Hermetic philosophy is the common ground between alchemy and depth psychology. It is a means of acquiring a working relationship with the dynamic forces of the subconscious and the divine process represented by the Self.
According to Jung, we do not need to enter therapy to begin the process of inner transformation. Basic changes or different phases of life experience, or crises may precipitate radical psychological change. How we relate consciously to these changes determines whether they will be for the better or worse.
We begin to wonder what is really happening to us and seek answers within, perhaps through examining our dreams or fantasies. If we are lucky enough to be transforming to a greater degree of mental health and spiritual maturity we may experience a psychological rebirth. This is a natural process which leads us toward, and tantalizingly close to, our own unique perfection.
How does psychology define this inner dynamic which guides the process of individuation, leading toward the goal of wholeness? In Jungian Psychology, this symbol-forming power of the psyche is called the transcendent function. Before the transforming power of the higher Self is perceived in imagination (personified through one's Angel, Guide, or Guru), it is known as a symbol-forming function.
Its purpose is to mediate between that which is unknown and that which is manifest. It performs its function by creating unifying symbols from pairs of opposites. In this manner, it gradually unites the fragments of psychic life. It creates a series of symbols which transfer consciousness to a higher perspective or awareness by reconciling opposites.
By synthesizing pairs of opposites into a symbol, the transcendent mode creates a method of transition from one set of attitudes to the next. An individual ego may work more effectively with subconscious processes by consciously attaching value to these symbols presented by the transcendent function.
Our task is to discover these transpersonal meanings, whether they are presented to us through dreams, attitudes, or behavior patterns. If the meaning were consciously understood, it would not be presented as a symbol. Therefore, once its meaning is realized over a period of time, another symbol appears to take its place, reflecting the new situation.
The transcendent function (seen as one's Inner Guide, Angel, or Guru), embodies the transmuting power of the symbol. The personification of the higher Self allows us to take up a relationship with the inner Self, and encourages dialogue and the development of feelings of loving devotion for this inner friend.
All the symbols and archetypal figures in which the transformative process is embodied are vehicles of the transcendent function. It is the union of different pairs of psychological opposites (like male/female, good/evil, Sol/Luna) in a synthesis which transcends them both. The uniting symbol only appears when the inner psychic life is experienced as just as valid, effective, and psychologically "real" as the world of daily life. Fantasy animates both our inner and outer "realities." This is why mystics call time, space, and the ego three great illusions.
The transcendent function, or Inner Guide, restores the balance between the ego and the unconscious. It belongs to neither, yet possesses access to each. It forms a bridge for the soul to ascend, by lying in-between and participating in both inner and outer life. By relating to each independently, it unites ego and the unconscious.
The first glimmerings of "Knowledge and Conversation" with one's Angel are very similar to the descriptions of "peak experience" developed by Abraham Maslow. A peak experience is the result of the drive of the spirit in search of itself. The experience is self-validating, self-justified and has intrinsic value of a unique nature for each individual.
There is an intense experience of the nearness of God, or divinity. This is the first state of grace, or mind-expansion. It is a response experience where one feels a sense of Presence. The true mystic takes this experience as his point-of-departure, and grows in grace from it. The poet or artist uses this recurrent experience as a basis for artistic production (or inspiration) and personal euphoria.
When the contact is stabilized, the Guide can take the Soul up to the heights of mystic rapture. A by-product of this contact is that the adept may consult at will with his guide for directions in any matter. This contact is known in Eastern systems as "getting the radiant form of the Master." It occurs only after one penetrates the lower Astral Plane through meditation.
Images of the Self appear spontaneously throughout the entire transformative process. It appears in all symbols from the highest to the lowest. At the beginning of the great work it appears in animal forms such as snakes, birds, fish, horses, or beetles. It shows through the plant forms of flowers and tree symbolism. The symbols of the Self in human forms may be contaminated with other archetypes, since pure forms are rarely seen outside of mystical meditation.
For example, if one's image of the Self were contaminated with the anima/animus, the vision would be of a vibrant solar woman whose aura radiates like the sun. Contaminated by the shadow, one might experience a magical creature like Faust's Mephistopheles. When one is able to perceive the radiant form, one sees the archetype of the Self in its pure form, uncontaminated by the personal complexes which denigrate its refulgence.
You may be asking by now where alchemy comes into this process, and what the value of harking back to a seemingly medieval system of psychology may be. Alchemy, as a transcendental search or quest, sought the redemption of the soul of matter, and its subsequent reunification with spirit. Alchemy sought to redeem the corruptness of the physical body by finding divinity within it. Alchemists projected their own individual process of psychic transformation into a pseudo-chemical process in their retort vessel.
Alchemy actually sought to establish harmony between the voluntary action of man with the involuntary action of nature. In other words, alchemists sought unification of conscious and subconscious processes, through a spiritual redemption of the physical body. This is especially true of Christian alchemists, since the body was considered inherently evil. One solution is to visualize the physical as a metaphor for psychic transformation.
The imagery of alchemy is valuable since it concretizes and characterizes any personal experience of the unconscious. In other words, any process of psychic transformation, whether through psychotherapy or natural transformation, may be described through the metaphors of alchemical process which relate to specific stages of development.
The operations of alchemy describe induction into consciousness from the original undifferentiated state, termed the prima materia. Rigid aspects of the ego or personality are broken down and remolded in the image of the Philosopher's Stone through such operations as calcinatio, solutio, sublimatio, coagulatio, circulatio, and coniunctio. The number and order of these operations may vary, but the gist of the process is consistent among people.
In this version of THE BOOK OF LAMSPRINCK, key words from the original text are elaborated using current concepts from Jungian psychology. The stages of the alchemical process are corresponded with psychological states of awareness and experience. Various phases of the alchemical Opus, or Great Work, are described in every-day psychological language. The pervading motif of THE BOOK OF LAMBSPRINCK, reconciliation of the father and son, is dealt with in terms of the Puer/Senex complex. It is the motivating archetype behind this alchemical presentation.
THE BOOK OF LAMBSPRINCK provides a paradigm through which we may experience a restoration of the alchemical philosophy. This is possible when we are able to see the process repeating itself in the lives of individuals on a daily level in our moods and personal reactions, such as dreams and habitual behavior. This alchemical and psychological process provides a basis for unification of vision among matter, soul, and spirit.
There is value in a revival of THE BOOK OF LAMBSPRINCK, since it has an eternal or immortal quality. As presented, it provides a model of applied philosophy, relevant to the contemporary spiritual quest. It outlines a psychology of religious endeavor. It proves insight for students of philosophy, psychology, and metaphysics.
The prints may be used as focal points for meditation during the various stages one may find oneself experiencing. As symbolical images these prints exert an active influence on the subconscious. Visual contact with them stimulates the process they represent. In other words, they evoke subconscious forces into dynamic, conscious activity. They might be used as starting points for creative imagination (see THE HOLISTIC QABALAH, Philo Stone). They provide a guiding path for the journey into the subconscious.
Despite the interesting overlap in paradigmatic approaches, there is a crisp distinction between the world views of psychotherapy and spiritual discipline. What is considered meaningful and what is regarded as trivial depends on which archetype is most strongly activated in your own psyche. Though it speaks frequently of soul and soul-making, psychology may regard spiritual discipline as a transcendence fantasy, or escapism.
On the other hand, one's spiritual teacher might regard analysis as a waste of time spent concentrating on illusions rather than lofty absolutes. We can derive benefit from both schools of thought if we maintain a metaphorical approach to both, since both may seem "as if" they are "real." Certainly we can find meaningful guidance from both. We need to find connections between spirit's upward drive and matter's encumbering embrace. This was the alchemist's path to liberation.
The original woodcuts which accompanied the text have been beautifully rendered into pen-and-ink drawings be Seattle artist, Joel Radcliffe. Though these images have appeared in numerous sources, they have been photographic reproductions of the woodcuts, poorly reproduced and lacking aesthetic appeal. The laborious 7-year process of refining the plates tempered Radcliffe's Soul, and he remained faithful to the style and content of the originals. We hope you enjoy them, as we have.
LAMBSPRINCK'S INTRODUCTION My name is Lambsprinck, born of a free people. I am entitled to carry this coat of arms by right and with glory. I have understood pure wisdom; Through art I have penetrated to the root of everything. And God's grace has granted me, Wisdom together with Understanding. For this reason am I Author of this Book, Revealing something that is truly worthwhile, So Rich and Poor may understand it. What I have to disclose has no equal on Earth; Something that I have studied deeply, While examining the foundation of truth. You will also find this Book is true, If you read it often and heed its contents. In this way you will come to learn Wisdom, Making the best use of this gift that God grants you. O God! Who is both end and beginning, We beg You through Jesus Christ, To guide our intellectual purpose, So that we may thank You with unreserved praise! Desiring only to perfect Your will on Earth, Using this book and all Your creatures only for good. Establish us in Charity, Born of the Holy Trinity. Now with God's Help I will begin, Keeping nothing back. If you understand me correctly, You will return from Error. There is only one substance, In which all others are concealed. Do not let this discourage you; Time must test your patience. You must will to seize the noble fruit! Do not be put off by time and hard work. For you must ripen the seed of the metals, Day by day over the weeks. Thus you will discover, And perfect the whole art of this pure wisdom. Something the whole world believed impossible, Though convenient and easy. We cannot publish it openly, Or all men would laugh at us. For this reason remain silent and live in obscurity, So you may live in peace without trouble, Keeping a pure reputation before God and all men. Thus is the Art kept secret. Now I shall end my Introduction, And begin to describe the Art, In words and pictures; So the light may quite clearly shine. Thanking the Creator of all things, The first picture follows.
PLATE 2. On this day the Wise agree That a wild beast walks in the forest; It is quite black all over. When its head is cut off The blackness will disappear completely Changing to snow white. Understood correctly, The blackness is called the head of the Raven; But as soon as the blackness disappears, And the whiteness shows; It is called "robbed of its head." I believe the Wise Are heartily glad; When the black smoke finally dissipates. Yet they keep this secret closely guarded That no foolish man may know it; Only allowing it to be written about for the benefit of their Sons. What is given of God Becomes reserved. Therefore one should say nothing about it While God would have it concealed. My son, be it quickly understood, A cruel black dragon lurks in the wood. Putrefaction.
Chapter II: Shadow
THE NIGREDO
The nigredo, or blackening phase of the alchemical process, implies a gloomy time of depression. This time of life feels inauspicious. You feel unlucky, caught in a black mood whose origin may seem difficult to pinpoint. This is because your current ego attitudes are outdated and due to lack of adaptability you feel stuck.
These feelings may come into your life due to an overload of stress in daily life. As these feelings become more intolerable the notion that life is meaningless comes to the fore. It is simply that life as your ego has known it in the past is outmoded. The subconscious begins to revolt, seeking a psychological revolution in attitudes. If you listen to the voice within your depression, you come to realize that you must willingly subject yourself to change.
This decision to subject yourself to change may be considered a spiritual awakening. You realize your essential being is the material to be transformed via the alchemical process. The black substance you need to understand to proceed further is your own Shadow archetype, or the repressed contents of your personal unconscious. Until you are willing to look at your unlived potential for evil and good you may be stuck in a state of melancholy, sleeplessness, or senseless hyperactivity. You realize that "something is wrong," but can't quite identify what it might be.
Many individuals experience a period of depression or melancholia between the ages of 28 to 30 (and again at 55 to 60). Astrologically, this age group experiences Saturn return, the return of the planet to its original position in the natal chart. Classically, it is a time of disappointment, divorce, soul-searching and reassessment of values and orientation in life. The planet Saturn puts the accent on responsibility, in this case responsibility to yourself for fulfilling your potential. Finally, you are truly grown up and your destiny begins to take form. You may be pressured into it, even if you resist it, and this is that black mood's positive intent.
Jung recommended no one embark on the path of individuation until at least age 30. Why? Because until that time it is best for the ego to invest emotional energy in building security, family, and career to create a solid foundation for your spirituality. Then you know it is no premature escapist transcendentalism. At first the nigredo (black state) may be experienced as restriction, but it can also feel liberating. At least now you suddenly know what you should do, so at least you feel freer within. You may even get a glimpse of the light, of superconscious levels, which precipitates a crisis caused by spiritual awakening. It is a spontaneous experience of unity, but it passes quickly.
This stage of discomfort with your status quo is quite necessary to initiate the alchemical process. You can connect with an intrinsic value and meaning within your depressive cycle. True, you will have to withstand a chaotic state of conflict between your hostile psychic forces. You will feel a strong backward pull toward unconsciousness of the motivating factors of your behavior. Your emotions may feel deadened, and you are dissociated or on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Life as you have known it is falling apart. You are grieving, mourning the death of your old self, and may not even know it yet.
In this plate the dragon is a mythological being which symbolizes processes devoid of emotional response. There is always psychic suffering when you "fall down", partly from self-judgement. "Being down in the dumps" may become a lifestyle if you find no structured method of moving past this point in your personal growth. You just stay a depressive, possibly volcanic personality, because so much rage, aggression, and self-hate has been bottled up inside. If you simply "pick yourself back up" then your own inner healing resources will be activated instinctively. But to do this, you must stay in touch with your therapeutic process.
There is a passage in the alchemical text Aurelia Occulta Philosophorum, where the transformative substance of the nigredo state describes itself:
"I am an infirm and weak old man, surnamed the dragon; therefore am I shut up in a cave, that I may become ransomed by the kingly crown...A fiery sword inflicts great torments on me; death makes weak my flesh and bones...My soul and my spirit depart; a terrible poison, I am likened to the black raven, for that is the wages of sin; in dust and earth I lie, that out of Three may come One. O soul and spirit leave me not, that I may see again the light of day, and the hero of peace whom the whole world shall behold may arise from me..."
"The head of the Raven" is another traditional name for the nigredo. It corresponds to the encounter with the shadow. Your ego and the shadow must eventually be reconciled. Your restlessness and disorientation come from your conscious experience of conflict between conscious and unconscious drives. The unconscious must be transformed. The Self, symbolized as a dragon, devours itself and dies, only to rise again when the work is perfected.
This illustration shows your ego as a Martial man with his sword (rational intellect) in direct confrontation with the shadow-aspect of the unconscious. This plate represents the beginning of the descent into darkness on the path of individuation. That darkness is simply the unknown of your own deep subconscious mind. In your own depths you confront that which you have previously rejected and suppressed, both evil and good.
As long as your soul struggles in the nigredo, you take things too literally. You may think you are approaching your problem pragmatically, assessing the facts, and coming up with concrete solutions. Really, you may be stuck in spiritual materialism, rather than reading your symptoms metaphorically. You may seek a quick fix, such as an antidepressant pill. However, you would serve yourself better by extracting the symbolic aspects of your condition and giving yourself a new perspective on the meaning of life. In this way you address your core issues rather than merely your symptoms of discomfort.
Typical manifestations of this stage include long dreams and nightmares (when you can actually sleep), confusions, and a drained or depressed mental attitude which creates inertia. You honor the Self and your own wholeness when you look at the nigredo symbolically as a meaningful part of your mysterious process of inner transformation.
You miss this point, and stay stuck in the nigredo. when you look for what is wrong with you outside of yourself. Something is "wrong" inside, and without this realization nothing will happen to change your depression. You may blame your psychosomatic aches and pains on organic or neurological problems. You can seek relief with drugs, body work, or aerobics, or dance therapy. But if you fail to recognize that you suffer from sickness of the soul, neither vitamins, drugs, nor exercise will cure what ails you.
Your elan vital, or life energy has been pulled into the unconscious, leaving your ego frustrated, discontent, and isolated. You may feel this emptiness and sterility precisely because you have placed too much emphasis on achievement in the outer world, and gotten out of balance. This leaves your soul cut off from the well-springs of life. Your feeling of being drained, or overextended may become so powerful that you are forced into a breakdown which demands the time for introversion and recovery of energy reserves.
When you see through the literal aspects of depression to the value of this feeling you can experience the meaningfulness of the feelings of meaninglessness. The paradoxical value of this is that attaching meaning to depression allows an emotional participation which unblocks the flow of psychic energy. You can regain your sense of meaning in life, and this realization is the starting point for inner discovery. Examples from classical literature include Dante's INFERNO, Melville's MOBY DICK, and Fowles' THE MAGUS.
If you can see that the world is beautiful, but have lost the ability to feel that beauty, of course your moods are going to swing from sullen inertia to active despair. If there is seemingly no meaning in life, why exist at all! You feel fragmented, alienated from your self. This is a major reason many seek therapy or a mystical path of renewal.
When you understand the nigredo dynamics, the depression begins to abate. But in order for this to happen, you must accept the blackness as your own instead of blaming it on outside situations or other people. Then you begin to discover that it is your own withdrawal and loss of feeling about your own shadow nature that is the source of the darkness. When you turn your attention toward it, you see you are not suffering a merely personal ill, but one with transpersonal dimensions. In other words, this is a plight common to all of mankind, and a milestone on the path of individuation. It is a natural part of development.
When your ego can no longer pursue only its selfish concerns, and addictive demands, the Self forces you into a depression to shake up the stagnant order of things. It brings a burning awareness of your shortcomings and inadequacies. To get to the root of these, you need to process old traumas and negative core beliefs that limit you severely. The self appears on your inner stage as the shadow, and confronts you with your inferior traits.
These shadow traits include all those which tend to keep you from realizing your unique potential for personal fulfillment. Cowardice, laziness, ambivalence, rashness, dishonesty, envy, greed, lust, vanity, and attachment, and other self-indulgent tendencies will have to be faced directly. The narcissistic shadow is the diametrical opposite of our positive assets. If you are compulsively organized in daily life, the shadow tends to let things slide, for example. If you are puritanical, the shadow is promiscuous.
The shadow is not necessarily acted out in self-destructive behavior, but if it has no means of expression your ego cannot transform beyond this phase of development. Some form of inner dialogue is useful. You must come to a conscious understanding of those things you have repressed, and have not been able, nor dared to live out. As a symbol of the self, the shadow embodies the primitive, dark background from which we all emerge. But only the ego passes negative judgement on the shadow. The self embraces all opposites, including good and bad.
In highly religious persons, who tend to over-identify with the great good of the Light, the shadow may assume the form of a devilish adversary. It attacks with compulsions from below producing behaviors such as those seen in Jim Jones, Jimmy Swaggart, and Jim Baker. What may start as good intentions becomes perverted. But in the broader reality, the shadow gives human existence body and depth. In physics, the brighter the light, the deeper the shadows which are cast. The shadow embodies our ulterior motives and pathologies.
If you do not take responsibility for consciously becoming aware of your shadow traits, you will find them projected onto others (of the same sex) in your environment. You may feel an irrational instinctive hatred for virtual strangers. On the collective level this manifests as racial prejudice. When you feel any emotion that seems highly exaggerated, it usually means you are projecting. When that extreme emotion is irrational vehemence, you are projecting your own repressed weakness onto others. To do this you must deny a part of yourself and you cannot experience wholeness.
Therefore, in order to continue your process of transformation, you must come to an awareness of your particular shadow characteristics. If you reach down deeply enough, you will find that the shadow is not only negative, but holds your unlived potential for positive change, also. As you re-own this lost part of yourself, you open a channel between the conscious and the superconscious levels, between the ego and the self. This experience can bring a flood of light, joy, and energy which brings temporary release from the depression. Even your psychosomatic symptoms may vanish suddenly.
If your personality is not well-grounded you may not be able to assimilate an inflow of light and strength. The alchemist must balance intellect and emotion by using imagination in a controlled way to digest this sudden illuminating insight. For your ego to react with egotism or conceit is to confuse itself with the power of the self. This confusion of levels has the unfortunate effect of creating a self-glorification which is much like mistaking a soul for God.
Of course, it is divine, but limited in comparison. Should you become bedazzled with divine truths beyond your mental power to digest, you may become self-deluded and/or victimized by a cult. You need to develop your powers of discrimination. Megalomania is extreme egotism and can lead a person to act out the role of prophet or savior, spurred on by the excitement of his or her own inner awakening.
You may begin experiencing paranormal phenomena at this stage; ESP, clairvoyance, or synchronicities (meaningful coincidences). You may have visions of divine beings, or hear voices, or dabble with automatic writing. Be sure to examine any messages of uncommon origin with discrimination. Any messages exalting your personality should be automatically suspect.
Other reactions to spiritual awakening may occur later as doubts fall away and new inner security is found. You may be elated for a time, but your personal self was only temporarily overpowered not permanently transformed. When the spiritual force seems to ebb away you may be in for trouble from your ego which seeks to reassert its dominion. The trap is to judge yourself even more harshly for being merely human. You have not fallen lower than when you began, but you may feel the full fury of the lower drives when their uncontrolled expression is threatened. They may rear their ugly heads with more force than ever.
Another reaction is to deny the value and reality of your spiritual awakening. The inner critic, or skeptic, creates doubts and attempts to label it a fantasy. With bitterness and sarcasm you may rebuke your aspirations and ideals. But when you have had a transformative vision, you cannot deny it for long, and remain healthy. It brings more depression, a sense of unworthiness, and the feeling you are damned. Nigredo can be likened to "going through Hell."
All those in the arts and sciences experience periods of aridity and inability to work. No new inspirations come. You feel cut off from the source of creative flow. The depression and restlessness that result may lead to alcohol or drugs, until or unless the sudden flow of inspiration brings a sense of renewal.
You need to be aware of the true nature of this crisis, and realize that an exalted state cannot be maintained forever. It is no fall from grace, but a natural happening that gives you emotional and mental relief from the tensions of inspiration and illumination. After all, you can only digest so much change at once. Instead of staying stuck in the depression you can continue on the path to self-realization.
PART IISPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT
A human being is a part of a whole, called by us "Universe." A part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires, and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation, and a foundation for inner security. --Albert Einstein, 1972
The experience of spiritual awakening represents a quantum leap in consciousness. Part I of Lambsprinck's process alludes to a "tuning up" of the personality, making it more effective in the world. Psychologically, it is an exploration of the depths leading to increased self-acceptance. Now the seeker gains access to the heights.
Prior to spiritual awakening, you spent a lot of your existence "holding back". At first it seemed like holding back the pain of your own personal traumas and tragedies. Then the focus shifted to the emerging subconscious whose downward pull definitely provokes defensiveness. From this point on, you are strenuously holding back your enlightenment. Every itch and ache during meditation helps to protect your ego. When both of these levels are processing or clearing, awareness of an emerging spiritual reality begins to build within you. Seeking release, you begin on the spiritual path.
Your life is a process of Self-Realization. Your consciousness is rising to a new level. You are maturing away from rationalization, fear, resistance, escape, commitment-phobia, ego-death paranoia, profaning the sacred. Your movement is toward creativity, joy, contentment, transcendence, insight, harmony, beauty, compassion, bliss and Higher Power.
This is the realm of the subtle or causal body, sometimes referred to as the Body of Light. For mystics, the goal is union with the Higher Power, and meditation is the method of choice. Through meditation, you climb to the summit of your own consciousness, and there you find God. The spiritual mandate of human evolution is unity. This evolutionary process initiates transformation through symbols, and imagery.
This evokes a responsive series of refinements which move consciousness to ever-higher levels. You find your awareness transcends your personal self, and enters the realm of the transpersonal. Your values widen into the ethical, aesthetic, heroic, humanitarian, altruistic, and creative. You learn to live your mythology consciously. You are becoming transparent to transcendence, and experience what it means to suspend time, space, and your personal identity.
Through following your spiritual path, you come to awareness of the Whole and holy nature of reality. Joseph Campbell called it learning to see yourself "depersonalized in the mirror of the human spirit." By practicing seeing through the eyes of the collective human spirit, you develop a radically different perspective on life. This eye of the human spirit, the Third Eye of the mystic east, is the transpersonal self. The seeker of the awakening becomes the seer.
The seer views the transcendent self and is seen by it. Over time the seer identifies with the Self, and I-Thou polarity dissolves. From the holistic perspective you embrace higher values, realize your inherent divinity, and enlarge your potentials. The boundary between the seer and the seen collapses into cosmic consciousness. The seer becomes a Sage.
PLATE 3.The Wise truly say That two wild beasts lurk in the forest: One is beautiful, well-formed and spirited, A great strong antlered stag; The other is a radiant white unicorn. Both lie hidden in the forest; We call the man insightful, Who can spy and catch them. Here and everywhere the Masters concisely reveal That two beasts move through the forest. (Yet the forest must be understood to be one thing.) First, to reach the root of all things, Matter will be called the forest, So shall we know and understand things rightly. The Unicorn stands for Spirit The Stag answers to no other name Than Soul and none can deny it. Now it is true that he, who by Art, Knows how to tame them, Leading them out of the forest, Yet driving them close together, Would be called a Master. Such a man has found the Golden Fleece. So now he may triumph, and might govern over great Augustus. Now it is important that you know A Stag and Unicorn in the forest go. Soul and Spirit exist in Matter.
Chapter III: Anima THE UNION OF OPPOSITES
About ten of the fifteen illustrations for Lambsprinck overtly depict the dualistic nature of the Self. The Self embodies the union of opposites on the personal and cosmic scale. It presents itself through the classic symbols of paradox, such as life/death, time/eternity, good/evil, masculine/feminine, etc. In this plate, the contents of the unconscious are shown as vegetative and warm-blooded life. The stag, a real creature, is feminine and represents the Soul. The unicorn, a mythical or imaginal being, stands for Spirit. It is the masculine penetrating force. The forest is the body.
The unicorn represents "one-pointedness." Conscious intent and subconscious only collide when your rational mind wants to clamp down on unreason. The crisis, symbolized in the previous picture as confrontation, will abate if the rationality of the ego does not continue to interfere too much. Primarily because they are in conflict, the opposites will draw together over a period of time. What appeared to foretell death and destruction now indicates a possibility of harmonious blending.
In physics this process is called covalent bonding, where elements unite because of mutual deficiencies. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts because of a synergistic quality. This quality of "wholeness" is represented in psychology as the archetype of the Self. Your internal conflicts may be creative as well as destructive. Limited conflict, seen in terms of the whole, may be necessary for future development. Your conscious ego may not even acknowledge the autonomy of the Unconscious, and it certainly cannot determine the source or goal of ongoing psychic processes. Furthermore, if you over-analyze this process in yourself, you might inhibit the transformation.
At this stage, you need to develop an ego which can not only penetrate, but also diffuse its awareness. This flexible ego can form a more harmonious relationship with subconscious processes. It does not abort the transformation in the middle of the process through wrong value judgements and interference. The totality of the psyche has its own aims, which are not necessarily those of the individual ego. Psychic activity is paradoxical in nature. It looks both forward and backwards. Its manifestations are good/bad. So, it is symbolized by polarities. When the opposites unite in your psyche's depths, neither side is given preeminence.
The path through the opposites may be termed "The Middle Way" and is seen in examples from many cultures. For example, the Chinese concept of the Tao with its components Yin and Yang; the dictum of Greek philosopher Aristotle to "Know Thyself" springs from Apollonian religion which asserts that "The Mean is best." This is the basis of the Golden Mean in art and philosophy. In the working of the Tree of Life in Hermetic Qabalism, the mean is symbolized by the Middle Pillar.
More recently the opposites were united in the philosophical formula of Hegel: thesis-antithesis and synthesis. The path through the opposites is also symbolized as walking the razor's edge.
Depth psychology has the aim of religion, coupled with the method of science. You can develop a love for psychological truth coupled with a scientific spirit of inquiry by delving into your own depths in this special way. This brings you the possibility of increased understanding and expanded awareness, a synthesis of the values of soul and spirit. Self-knowledge gives you some degree of freedom from selfish ego-centered desires and helps you develop philosophical detachment from the ups and downs of life.
When your ego surrenders to the transpersonal concerns of the total Self, you learn to accept your lot in life. This allows the creative spirit within to begin its transformative work. This process is reflected in your body through the harmonization of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. When you function at an optimal level there is a balance between the tensions produced in living and your ability to relax and rejuvenate yourself. In order to transform past the nigredo phase of melancholy you may take up a conscious dialogue with your shadow, and become aware of your unconscious projections and identifications.
This running commentary with your shadow is the only way to fix its character in your conscious mind, and gain insight into your depths. True, this self-examination may be painful, but to know yourself you must become aware of the contradictions between the parts of you that feel "I want" and "I ought."
The path of equilibrium between the opposites requires you to keep an attitude of open-mindedness and wholeness. There are four characteristic responses to this internal conflict of opposites which may be summarized as follows:
(1). Mood swings, attitude reversals, or conversion experiences show you are polarized, and fluctuating widely from one extreme to another. The swings may be of longer or shorter duration. When the pendulum swings, you are identified with one facet of a complementary pair. You need to find the middle ground. In psychology this oscillation phenomena is called enantiodromia.
(2). If you feel ambivalence, you are holding conflicting feelings simultaneously. Again, this is no median position. You remain in discomfort, brought to a standstill. In this stagnant condition, you feel incapable of action. You are stuck.
(3). Denial is another means of reacting to the opposites. It is an escapist attitude which might provide a means of coping, but not of transformation. You may regress back into identification with your social mask. Try as you might to "keep it together" and "save face," you can't repress the conflict indefinitely.
(4). True compromise is the result of a genuine resolution of the opposites. In terms of settling internal conflicts, this means both your ego and other subpersonalities make concessions in favor of the whole, or self. The price of transformation is a regeneration of the personality. You must actively remove obstacles to the inflow of superconscious energies to experience Self-realization. As your higher functions develop, the ego learns to let the higher Self work, and must endure the pressure and pain of the transformative process.
Experiencing the union of opposites, you alternate between light and darkness, joy and suffering. Your attention is so engrossed with your inner process that you may find yourself impaired in your daily activities. Casual observers may think you are deteriorating and judge you harshly. They may find your spiritual ideals too impractical. This criticism hurts, but it also tends to arouse your doubts and discourages you.
This test allows you to practice inner independence, and inner strength. You can not remain in a cocoon during your period of transition. In fact, when Jung went through this stage, he found that the only thing that kept him grounded was his family, professional life, and social duties. You may feel like you are leading a double life, but you must go on through your depression, exhaustion, and ennui.
Another common mistake at this phase is to inhibit or forcefully repress the sexual and aggressive urges. This just intensifies the conflict, and usually comes from religious attitudes about what is "bad" or "sinful." The unconscious still feels the conflict and produces feelings of ambivalence, or you swing from suppression to uncontrolled expression of your drives. This may be cathartic, but creates new conflicts between drives, and in your social adjustment, and personal relations.
However, these oscillations may have the positive psychological value of providing you with conscious realizations about your shadow nature. You learn to see how the shadow compensates for and deflates your egotistical self-image. In fact, it is the nature of psychological complexes to suddenly switch into their opposites.
This is the basis of rehabilitation. Reform implies the reforming of attitudes and thought patterns, influencing your values and priorities. The law of compensation is the basis of "rebirth" phenomena, and represents a return swing of the pendulum. The Middle Way encourages a balanced personality, rather than radical mood swings.
The true compromise lies in the harmonious integration of all your drives into your total personality. In therapy, you can personify these drives as subpersonalities and bring them to a round table or conference room so they can coordinate their efforts and find their own levels. This will free up a lot of your energy that formerly went into conflict.
The judge and rebel within are readily seen. Sometime, when your inner judge is holding court, unmask that judge and see who lies behind this punitive force in you. Usually it is the internal parent who administers the rules and laws. The wimp is the opposite side of the rebel. Your rebel establishes and maintains your individuality, but the wimp will comply to win love, acceptance, and approval. You may also consult your perfectionist, saboteur, warrior, wizard, and others.
Each of the subpersonalities responsible for your problem behavior has a counterpart in the superconscious. You can learn how to connects these opposites together to transmute the lower drive into the higher. This process is called sublimation. According to Jung, the ideal of spiritual striving for the heights is always linked with the materialistic, earthbound passion for control. The archetype of the Self expresses this paradox through radically opposite changes in your conscious attitude.
These 180 degree changes of attitude are to be expected, rather than appear as a surprise. Contradictory attitudes will intrude suddenly from the unconscious in the midst of daily life. There is a way out of this philosophical dilemma if you remain true to the Self. Even if your former ego trips become the source of your shame, you can use them for impetus to change. You cannot "tame the opposites," but can allow them to equilibrate one another. They need to interrelate where they are distinct but conjoined, like at the round table discussion. Another exercise might simply be to meditate on balancing each thought against its opposite.
Then, the Self will guide you to the true compromise by presenting transforming images in your imagination and dreams. By providing yourself time for waking dreams you can foster the process within you. It is precisely these symbols which unite the opposites for you. The symbols come spontaneously from your subconscious but are perceived consciously as meaningful or valuable. It is not rationally understood, but unfolds over time.
Your integration is facilitated by the activation of the superconscious functions as you realize the Self. Your larger and higher interests act like a magnet to raise the psychic energy invested in your lower drives to the spiritual level. The ego cooperates when it contributes its will to the process of harmonious integration.
Symbols hint at a mystery, but never directly reveal it. They hold great depth of meaning, which is only limited by your ability to interpret it. Symbols mediate, or form a bridge, between your logical, rational mind and the subjective, intuitive mind. The symbol stands for what you cannot yet conceptualize. It has a subtle reality, but seems "alive" as you experience it firsthand.
Symbols undergo transformation, switching from one form to another, sometimes very rapidly in the therapeutic process. Thus, the rhythm of your inner changes is revealed to your conscious mind. You have a window on the tensions and release of your own subconscious processes, but only if you will to pay attention. As Lambsprinck said, "You must will to seize the noble fruit."
This symbol-forming function of the psyche has been called the transcendent function, higher Self, or Holy Guardian Angel. It functions as an inner guide. It has the ability to synthesize and harmonize pairs of opposites in a symbol your rational ego could never invent. It creates a mode of transition from one set of attitudes to the next.
Putting your attention on the transforming symbols helps you overcome compulsive behavior arising in your complexes. You may choose to use it to mobilize both your conscious and unconscious energies to change yourself. You take responsibility for your internal changes, rather than projecting them onto the environment and trying to rationalize your negative behavior.
The more you value your symbols, the better they work for you. The alchemist was devoted to the discovery of the meaning of precisely these kinds of symbols. The alchemist not only gives himself over to the process, but preserves his psychic life by containing it in the Hermetic vessel. In other words, he pays attention to and meditates on the symbols presented in dreams, attitudes, and behavior. So, you might consider keeping a dream journal, recording your nightly sojourns.
At this stage of the transformation process, the opposites of the deep Self appear as your inner mate. A man's inner feminine self is termed anima (soul); a woman's masculine component is called animus (spirit). The inner mate is extremely important for further growth. By connecting with it you gain a valuable soul guide to your inner depths. They reflect your image of an idealized member of the opposite sex, and may be projected outward onto someone you love instantly and deeply. If this happens, at some point you need to re-own this projection and come to know that inner mate as a separate relationship.
These soul-figures embody your latent capacity for expression and realization of the traits you normally consider reserved for members of the opposite sex. Thus, for a man his anima might represent the capacity for being sensitive to other's feelings or his receptive nature. On the other hand, the animus might lead a woman into the outer world and promote her ability for focused, rational thinking. On this level of experience there is a blending of archetypal realities and individual experience. You can achieve a form of sacred marriage with your inner mate, known in alchemy as the coniunctio, a union which produces a Magical Child which symbolizes your potential for realization of the higher Self.
As a soul-guide, a man's anima may dampen down his compulsiveness with her inherent tendency toward inhibition. Through this balancing, impulsive behavior is transmuted into spiritual potential when you attend to the elusive intuitions coming from her within. This is an example of the same forces depicted by the stag and the unicorn. They temper one another. When you personify your soul-guide in human form, the stag transforms into the symbol of the Virgin.
This "virgin taming the unicorn" is another famous alchemical theme concerning the active and passive nature of the Self. This feminine aspect of the Self brings the wild and free, but undisciplined urges into relation with the reality needs of your ego. At the same time it helps you submit to the transpersonal totality of the psyche.
Man's unicorn nature is tamed when his wild, self-indulgent willfulness and arrogance is balanced by the gentle admonitions of his feminine guiding principle. The illusory defense, self-sufficiency, over-rational tendency and rationalizations of the shadow behavior are no longer acceptable as your self-image. At this point you can muster your energy for change.
In Jungian psychology, a "virgin" is not a woman who hasn't known sexual activity. Rather, she is a woman who is complete in herself, a symbol of feminine wholeness. She belongs to herself and functions as an independent entity uncontaminated by masculine attitudes. An actual woman may serve this function of soul-guide for a man, but only if she has a high degree of psychological awareness, and is balanced herself.
Jung summarizes this stage by stating that "since the soul animates the body, just as the soul is animated by spirit, she tends to favour the body and everything bodily, sensuous, and emotional." Jung advises us to re-own that projection: "In modern terms it would be a turning away from the sensuous reality, a withdrawal of the fantasy-projections." In other words, it means introversion, introspection, meditation, and the careful investigation of desires and their motives. The reuniting of the spiritual position with the body obviously means that the insights gained should be made real. An insight might just as well remain in abeyance if it is simply not used.
From this point on there will be times when the flow of superconscious energies is easy and abundant. You must allow it to flow through in a balanced manner, circulating it through every aspect of your being. Otherwise you will feel too scattered from nervous excitement; or if you bottle it up, you may put too much pressure on your overloaded nervous system. Use this energy for your regeneration, in creativity, and service.
For many individuals these transformations happen in a gradual, harmonious way, without producing any severe symptoms. Still, adjustment periods are required. Any adverse reactions, like nervousness or emotional upset are temporary. In fact, you may experience many regressions in the service of self-realization. They seem like steps backward, but are not. The renewed inflow of superconscious energies means powerful visionary experiences and inspiration. Use your vision, or dream frequently, keeping it before your inner eye. Connect with your inner joy, serenity, security, empowerment, discrimination, and love.
The Ancients already knew the therapeutic potential of the family links between generations that we rediscover in modern transgenerational practices. Far from being a new fashion, the recognition of transgenerational processes dates back to the first shamanic type of communities. Their methods to cure "The Ancestor Syndrome" offer to contemporary therapies essential historical references and valuable teachings.
Transgenerational therapy brings a welcome middle ground for exchanges between traditional shamanic and actual therapeutic approaches. This new field nourishes the rooting of contemporary practices as well as the renewal of universal wisdom. With the contribution of specialists from different backgrounds, this collective book presents a wide spectrum of perspectives to bridge traditional and modern knowledge.
Olivier Douville Ph.D., is a psychoanalyst and anthropologist, international speaker and lecturer at University Paris 10 Nanterre. C. Michael Smith Ph.D., is a Jungian psychologist and medical anthropologist, Cherokee-metis healer and teacher, director of Crows Nest International. Elisabeth Horowitz is a psychogenealogist therapist, international speaker, and the author of numerous books. Iona Miller is a widely published therapist in Archetypal Psychology and Metaphor Therapy, a consultant and artist. Myron Eshowsky is a shamanic teacher, international mediator, communal and historical trauma healer, author and co-director of Common Bond Institute Syrian Refugee Program. Pierre Ramaut is a transgenerational psychoanalyst. Editor Tony T. Gaillard is a psychotherapist and researcher, specializing in psychoanalysis, transgenerational therapy and psychogenetics; director of Centre Hermes in Geneva.
2020 HISTORICAL FICTION: The Immortal Hour of Netta Fornario is a true-fiction book about the mysterious historical death of a medium and occultist on the isle of Iona, during the era of Dion Fortune and the renown Golden Dawn magical-mystery school. Born in Cairo, she ended her mortal days on the sacred isle. Alone, and prone to visionary trances, she visits the island seeking engagement with the faeries and finds so much more than she bargained for. After disappearing for two days, she was found dead wearing nothing but her magical robe with no sign of foul play other than her scratched up feet. However, her written works so disturbed everyone that they were promptly burned, destroyed forever.
One of the main characters who aids the protagonist in her quest to ferret out the details of Netta's rough passage to the Western shores is based on Iona Miller, whose occult historical commentaries and psychological insights help carry the story forward. Soror Syrinx does a splendid job of weaving together faery lore, the legends of Iona isle, Druids, the bloodline of the Underground Stream, Grail, and Dragon families, Netta's life, and so much more. Take an imaginal journey to the sacred isle of dreams where the Veil is thin and find the secrets that await you there.
Netta Fornario always held a special fascination for me (Soror Syrinx) and it bothers me that people only remember her for how she died, and not for the Mysteries she served, and sadly her life's work has now faded to a few surviving pieces under the name of Mac Tyler. Knowing that she loved a fairy opera called The Immortal Hour, I wanted to create for her, her own story to star in. Even as this book encompasses two separate stories, one about Netta in the past and another about a writer in the future trying to unravel this enigma, it is a tale about what happens when worlds gently touch or violently collide together, such as cultural and/or religious oppositions, emotion and reason, real and unreal, fact and fiction, love and hate, life and death, and ultimately how we seek to reconcile or transcend them. As what happens any time I ever try to write about an Initiate, (she was a Co-Mason as well as a member of Alpha et Omega), the story is never what I set out to write and it becomes something more. This book is unusual because it seeks to hide fact in fiction and fiction in fact, and only in the interplay from one world to the other do we sometimes find what we are seeking.
Review by Alan: "Anyone who has read Dion Fortune’s autobiography ‘Psychic Self Defence’ will be aware of Netta Fornario as a young woman who either committed suicide on the island of Iona, or was the victim of a black magickal attack. Soror Syrinx in this book clearly feels that the woman deserved to be remembered for more than just her dreadful end. In the event Ms Syrinx, if I can call her that in these prickly days, has attempted something very difficult and perhaps unprecedented: she has detailed those areas in her own extraordinary life that have echoes with the faery realms, unearthed as much as anyone can about Ms Fornario, and added a third purely fictional strand of ‘What if’, to give the latter some substance and dignity. As a writer of oddities myself, my first reaction of hearing about the subject matter of this book was one of envy – ‘Why didn’t I think of that!’ was my whinge. But I couldn’t have done it any better than Ms Syrinx and I’m sure that the shade of Netta Ornario will have a little more substance in the Otherworld than she has had for over a century now..."
Art of the Sacred Battle, by Soror Syrinx, explores the methods used by past and present practitioners for obtaining one's Holy Guardian Angel. But, what is this Angel, Daimon, or Duende that carries our fate and destiny? Who doesn't seek how it informs our lives with meaning, from signs, to insight, to inspiration?
It is an ultimate symbol, purpose, and telos or goal of each unique life. Many cultures and disciplines describe it, from Neo-Platonism to archetypal psychology. The philosopher Aristotle refers to it as the full potential or inherent purpose or objective of a person or thing, similar to the notion of an 'end goal'. As a psychic entity, the Daimon bridges material and spiritual worlds.
We make enlivened engagement with this Being a priority of soul, of psyche, with an innovative approach to relationship-based interaction. Focusing on the mystical approach of Abramelin, we look into the diaries of several magickians, as well as exploring the rich background and the latest versions of this archetypal Work. We also reveal its role in the Art Path, Sacred Psychology, and Self-Initiation including aesthetic, poetic, and artistic means as a way to unfold our potential.
We hope this educational resource helps others find inspiration, resonance, and encouragement for their journey. Any musician, artist or writer knows the calling of the muse or daimon, and even the ordeals we can be driven through, including self-defeating, self-destructive, and and near-fatal life passages -- the dissociability of Self and its unconscious effects.
There is always a struggle for Art, yet we 'wrestle that Angel' and battle forward as a way to balance the real needs of our personalities with Temperance. In doing so, we hone the relationship with our Daimon. The Art of this battle, as well as the Art produced from it, is our Work and Calling. Anything worthwhile is hard won and at great price. Many cultures and systems revolve around the Angel, and these are approaches used by some of them. --Iona Miller, 2021
The Host of Many: Hades and his Retinue, a devotional anthology in honor of the Lord of the Underworld. Wrestling with Thanatos: A Mythological Study by Iona Miller, 2019 https://ionamiller2020.weebly.com/thanatos.html
We are doomed to die and we know it in every fiber of our being. It arouses the primordial imagery of darkness in our original nature that lies below our personality, introspective focus, and in the oceanic dissociation of our dark voyages each night.
Death welcomes everyone equally. Every culture lies about the possibilities of beating death through some sort of self-perpetuation. Yet, we are confronted with increasingly darker futures: population bombs, electrosmog, ecosystem collapse, and catastrophes like "insectageddon." We are ephemeral entities destined to expire. The bringer of death is crucial to all life. The philosophical path of wisdom urges us to practice dying. The Void awaits.
Extreme death anxiety is an essentially thanatophobic response. We may feel hopeless, unable to accept the fact of total surrender, yet only such surrender leads to transformation. We counter the terror of death with denial, fantasy, and rites. Death/rebirth is a fundamental theme in world-wide mythology.
At coronation, Egyptian sovereigns were ritually anointed with intoxicant-infused crocodile fat creating the Pharaoh through a death/rebirth rite of soul-sleep. The crocodile god Sobek was associated with death and rebirth. Transformation meant resurrection and survival. At death each became Osiris.
A tale of the initiation of Pythagoras into Egypt's mysteries describes his descent into a drug-induced soul-sleep or coma, in which, the physical body was laid aside, and his astral rebirth.
"Do not let me die" is a universal appeal. We might still like to speculate that space is conditioned with information that gives rise to a "space memory" network, a virtual memory map. The quantum vacuum is a dynamic massless scalar field. A hologram is a scalar field. Scalars are just active information; a hologram is pure information. Entanglement is a property of nonlocal quantum information exchange.
The holographic frequency domain is a plenum which projects the information from the deepest level of the structure of space into the material domain. Thus, the image of the whole is a ubiquitous presence in greater or lesser resolution. The infinite is an aggregate of finites -- discontinuous events. We would like to think that our entanglement with the universe means our transpersonal consciousness connects us to all levels of the universe.
Price: $4.99 (ebook) Publication Date: 26 November 2020 Place of Publication: Asheville, North Carolina ISBN: 9781393544722 Pages: 214 pp
2020 MYTHOLOGICAL STUDIES: As mortals we long for those who have been separated from us by the veil of death. We venerate ancestors, known and unknown; we grieve for love ones lost; we ready ourselves for death, or fear it deeply as the ultimate unknown. In Hellenic tradition, the god who rules beyond the veil is called many things. Most often, He is referred to as Hades, a name also given to His realm. He is a somber god, for the most part, one too aware of the responsibilities He bears. But He has a queen by His side to share the burden, His beloved Persephone; and a host of attendants, such as the Ferryman, the Lord of Dreams, the Lord of Sleep, Mother Night, and His great three-headed guard dog. In this volume, you will find poems and short stories, essays and rites which honor the God Below, the Lord of Riches, the Bearer of the Helm of Invisibility. For to fail to honor Him, to fail to recognize His inescapability, is to court disaster; even madness. For there is no avoiding death, and someday we shall all find ourselves His subjects. Xaire, Haides and your host of many! May our inevitable knowledge of you not come too swiftly, or be delayed overlong past when mercy is preferable.
Host of Many can be purchased in digital format through Barnes and Noble, Kindle, kobo, Apple/iBooks, Scribd, and Vivlio, with more platforms to follow. It will soon be available in print format. All of the proceeds from Host of Many — as well as many of the other volumes in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina series — are used to help promote the revival of the worship of the Greek and Egyptian Gods, with a portion of the proceeds given to a worthy charitable organization in their name. So, not only will you be getting a wonderful book about the modern worship of the spirits of the underworld, but your money will be going to do good work and help the revival of ancient polytheistic religions.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication … 3 Gates of Hades: Memento Moriby Nightshade Purplebroom … 3 Introduction by Terence P. Ward … 8 Poetry Hypnos … 11 For Melinoe by Jennifer Lawrence … 12 Hymn to Melinoe III by Rebecca Buchanan … 16 Three Weeks in the Underworld — To Cerberus by Nightshade Purplebroom … 18 Hymn to Charon I by Rebecca Buchanan … 22 Library by James B. Nicola … 23 To Hypnos by Ariadni Rainbird … 24 Insomnia by James B. Nicola … 25 Prayer to Hypnos I by Rebecca Buchanan … 26 A Prayer for Life by Anna Schoenbach … 27 Birth Song by Rebecca Buchanan … 28 Hades’ Lament by Jennifer Lawrence … 29 The Flowers Were Dark by James B. Nicola … 32 The Rainbow in the Shadows by Hayley Arrington … 34 To Plouton by Ariadni Rainbird … 35 Pluto by Ashley Dioses … 37 Hymn to Hades V by Rebecca Buchanan … 38 Remains by Anna Schoenbach … 39 Sisyphus Revisited by James B. Nicola … 40 To the Oneiri by Ariadni Rainbird … 41 Rites and Recipes Cerberusby Nightshade Purplebroom … 43 Honoring Hades as a Household Patron by Jamie Waggoner … 44 Meeting Hades: A Meditation by Rev. Amber Doty … 56 Mint and Stone: How to Create an Indoor Shrine to Hades by Rebecca Buchanan … 59 Pathworking to Face Kerberus by Ariadni Rainbird … 65 Yule: King in the Darkness by Rev. Amber Doty … 67 Myths Plutoby Jacopo Caraglio … 73 Death’s Argument by J. K. Bywaters … 74 Fortune Teller by Mark Mellon … 94 The Haunting of Vipsania Licinia by Rebecca Buchanan … 114
Essays Thanatos … 135 The God at the Gate: Charon in The Lightning Thief by Rebecca Buchanan … 136 Hades the Sophist by Edward P. Butler … 144 Meeting the Ferryman by Rebecca Buchanan … 165
Wrestling with Thanatos: A Mythological Study by Iona Miller … 174 Lethe by Nightshade Purplebroom … 199 Appendix A: Publication Credits … 200 Appendix B: Our Contributors … 201
Daeg. Sunne. Maponos. Saule. Lugh. Helios. Surya. Ra. Taiowa. Belenus. The Sun Goddess of Arinna. Without the Sun, life as we know it would not exist.
An obvious statement, perhaps, but the profound, primal truth of it is reflected in the spiritual traditions and mythologies of people from around the world. In many, the Sun is the first Deity or one of the first generation who oversees the creation of the world. Sometimes the Sun is the keeper of time and order, an all-seeing guardian of justice. In many tales, the Sun warms the world of both the living and the dead, traveling to the underworld each night. And, ultimately, the loss of the Sun means the end of life, even the death of the whole world.
This devotional is only the beginning, a small glance at a much larger subject. The poems, prayers, hymns, rites, essays, short stories, and artwork included here only hint at the vastness of the Deities and mythology of the Sun. It is our hope that this anthology — created by devotees of Solar Deities from all over the world — will inspire others to create their own celebratory works.
The Far-Shining One can be purchased in paperback format through Amazon, and will soon be available through Barnes and Noble. Digital editions will soon be available on multiple platforms. All of the proceeds from The Far-Shining One — as well as many of the other volumes in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina series — will be used to help promote the revival of the worship of the Greek and Egyptian Gods, with a portion of the proceeds given to a worthy charitable organization in their name. So, not only will you be getting a wonderful book about the modern worship of the spirits of the Sun, but your money will be going to do good work and help the revival of ancient polytheistic religions. We are rebuilding the Library of Alexandria one book at a time!
About 4.6 billion years ago, our solar system, the Sun and the Earth were formed. Myth straddles a scientifically false account of the world, and one which never took place as recounted but contains core truths about the universe or human experience.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Ra With Sunflowers by Lyle Noumenon Fenner … 3 Dedication … 5 Copernicus Elaborates on the Sun by George Korolog … 7 From the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief by Rebecca Buchanan … 15 The Sun in the North The Wolves Pursuing Sol and Mani by J.C. Dollman … 19 Autumn Hymn to Freyr by Shirl Sazynski … 20 Hymn to Dæg I by Rebecca Buchanan … 21 Hymn to Sunne II by Rebecca Buchanan … 22 Hymn to the Sun Queen by Rebecca Buchanan … 23 Languid Solstice by Brenda Noiseux … 24 Maponos Chant by Lorna Smithers … 28 Freyr by Shirl Sazynski … 29 Saulė (x3) by Rebecca Buchanan … 30 Sun Invocation by Shirl Sazynski … 32 Sunna Yule Chant by Erin Lale … 34 The Wolf Who Would Eat the Sun by Steven Klepetar … 35 Yule-Telling by Scott J. Couturier … 36 The Sun Upon the Middle Sea Helios by Lyle Noumenon Fenner … 39 A Daily Morning Practice Honouring the Sun by Ariadne Rainbird … 40 Flight by Rachel Iriswings … 43 Helios by Rebecca Buchanan … 44 Helios by Amanda Artemisia Forrester … 45 Helios: Primordial Light: Creation, Catastrophe, and Titanic Forces by Iona Miller … 46 Horses of the Sun by Steven Klepetar … 79 Midsummer Song by Amanda Artemisia Forrester … 80 The Name of the Sun God by Tom Cabot … 82 Neaera’s Complaint by Rebecca Buchanan … 96 Helios by Ariadne Rainbird … 97 The Nine Nights of Heliogenna by Rebecca Buchanan … 98 A Prayer to Helios for the Ninth Lunar Day by Kaye Boesme … 102 A Solstice Story by Amanda Artemisia Forrester … 104 Spring Equinox: Helios’ Vision by Rev. Amber Doty … 106 Those Who Behold Helios by Rachel Iriswings … 113 To Helios by Ariadne Rainbird … 114 To Helios for Helioyaenna (The Day After Winter Solstice) by Ariadne Rainbird … 115 To Helios for Therino Iliostasio (Summer Solstice) by Ariadne Rainbird … 116 Two Equinox Poems by Amanda Artemisia Forrester … 117 Woven Words for Helios by Rachel Iriswings … 120 The Sun in the South Heruakhety-Ra by Lyle Noumenon Fenner … 121 in the place of pillars by Rebecca Buchanan … 122 Lamb of God: Horus, Christ, and the Labarum by Katie Anderson … 123 One Who Comes Into Being by Chrystal Jinjoe … 135 Ra Loves Creation by Chelsea Luellon Bolton … 137 Ra’s Power of Sunlight and Starlight by Chelsea Luellon Bolton … 139 So You Know About Ra by Chelsea Luellon Bolton … 140 The Sun in the East The Sun Goddess of Arinna, With Child (15th to 13th c BCE) — Metropolitan Museum of Art … 143 Dark Sun of the Underworld by Hayley Arrington … 144 Dawn’s Joy by Rebecca Buchanan … 146 In Praise of Utu-Šamaš by Samuel David … 147 Sun Goddess of Arinna: Goddess of Many Names by Rev. Amber Doty … 150 The Sun in the West Tawa [Taiowa]. Mural. Painted Desert Inn, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. … 157 Beltane: How I Met and Drew Down Belenus by Shirl Sazynski … 158 Five Suns by Rebecca Buchanan … 168 How the Sun Came Up Over the River: A Traditional Folktale by J.K. Bywaters … 172 Solar Geometry: The Native Sun by Tom Cabot … 183 Two Chariots by Gareth Writer-Davies … 195 Ride by James B. Nicola … 197 Entropy by James B. Nicola … 199 Khepri-Ra Reborn in the Cave of Sokar by Lyle Noumenon Fenner … 201