登陆注册
14722200000045

第45章

THE PHALLIC ELEMENT IN ALCHEMICAL DOCTRINETHE problem of alchemy presents many aspects to our view, but, to my mind, the most fundamental of these is psychological, or, perhaps Ishould say, epistemological. It has been said that the proper study of mankind is man; and to study man we must study the beliefs of man.

Now so long as we neglect great tracts of such beliefs, because they have been, or appear to have been, superseded, so long will our study be incomplete and ineffectual. And this, let me add, is no mere excuse for the study of alchemy, no mere afterthought put forward in justification of a predilection, but a plain statement of fact that renders this study an imperative need.

There are other questions of interest--of very great interest--concerning alchemy: questions, for instance, as to the scope and validity of its doctrines; but we ought not to allow their fascination and promise to distract our attention from the fundamental problem, whose solution is essential to their elucidation.

In the preceding essay on "The Quest of the Philosopher's Stone,"which was written from the standpoint I have sketched in the foregoing words, my thesis was "that the alchemists constructed their chemical theories for the main part by means of _a priori_ reasoning, and that the premises from which they started were (i.) the truth of mystical theology, especially the doctrine of the soul's regeneration, and (ii.) the truth of mystical philosophy, which asserts that the objects of nature are symbols of spiritual verities." Now, I wish to treat my present thesis, which is concerned with a further source from which the alchemists derived certain of their views and modes of expression by means of _a priori_ reasoning, in connection with, and, in a sense, as complementary to, my former thesis.

I propose in the first place, therefore, briefly to deal with certain possible objections to this view of alchemy.

It has, for instance, been maintained[1] that the assimilation of alchemical doctrines concerning the metals to those of mysticism concerning the soul was an event late in the history of alchemy, and was undertaken in the interests of the latter doctrines.

Now we know that certain mystics of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries did borrow from the alchemists much of their terminology with which to discourse of spiritual mysteries--JACOB BOEHME, HENRY KHUNRATH, and perhaps THOMAS VAUGHAN, may be mentioned as the most prominent cases in point.

But how was this possible if it were not, as I have suggested, the repayment, in a sense, of a sort of philological debt?

Transmutation was an admirable vehicle of language for describing the soul's regeneration, just because the doctrine of transmutation was the result of an attempt to apply the doctrine of regeneration in the sphere of metallurgy; and similar remarks hold of the other prominent doctrines of alchemy.

[1] See, for example, Mr A. E. WAITE'S paper, "The Canon of Criticism in respect of Alchemical Literature," _The Journal of the Alchemical Society_, vol. i. (1913), pp. 17-30.

The wonderful fabric of alchemical doctrine was not woven in a day, and as it passed from loom to loom, from Byzantium to Syria, from Syria to Arabia, from Arabia to Spain and Latin Europe, so its pattern changed; but it was always woven _a priori_, in the belief that that which is below is as that which is above.

In its final form, I think, it is distinctly Christian.

In the _Turba Philosophorum_, the oldest known work of Latin alchemy--a work which, claiming to be of Greek origin, whilst not that, is certainly Greek in spirit,--we frequently come across statements of a decidedly mystical character. "The regimen," we read, "is greater than is perceived by reason, except through divine inspiration."[1] Copper, it is insisted upon again and again, has a soul as well as a body; and the Art, we are told, is to be defined as "the liquefaction of the body and the separation of the soul from the body, seeing that copper, like a man, has a soul and a body."[2] Moreover, other doctrines are here propounded which, although not so obviously of a mystical character, have been traced to mystical sources in the preceding excursion. There is, for instance, the doctrine of purification by means of putrefaction, this process being likened to that of the resurrection of man.

"These things being done," we read, "God will restore unto it [the matter operated on] both the soul and the spirit thereof, and the weakness being taken away, that matter will be made strong, and after corruption will be improved, even as a man becomes stronger after resurrection and younger than he was in this world."[1b]

The three stages in the alchemical work--black, white, and red--corresponding to, and, as I maintain, based on the three stages in the life of the mystic, are also more than once mentioned.

"Cook them [the king and his wife], therefore, until they become black, then white, afterwards red, and finally until a tingeing venom is produced."[2b]

[1] _The Turba Philosophorum, or Assembly of the Sages_(trans. by A. E. WAITE, 1896), p. 128.

[2] _Ibid_., p. 193, _cf_. pp. 102 and 152.

[1b] _The Turba Philosophorum, or Assembly of the Sages_(trans. by A. E. WAITE), p. 101, _cf_. pp. 27 and 197.

[2b] _Ibid_., p. 98, _cf_. p. 29.

In view of these quotations, the alliance (shall I say?)between alchemy and mysticism cannot be asserted to be of late origin.

And we shall find similar statements if we go further back in time.

To give but one example: "Among the earliest authorities,"writes Mr WAITE, "the _Book of Crates_ says that copper, like man, has a spirit, soul, and body," the term "copper" being symbolical and applying to a stage in the alchemical work.

同类推荐
  • 觞政

    觞政

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 三宜盂禅师语录

    三宜盂禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 渴门

    渴门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 送客归常州

    送客归常州

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 隐元禅师语录

    隐元禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 邪王弃妃当自强

    邪王弃妃当自强

    一个是大元朝最高贵的蒙古王爷,一个却是地位低微的汉女。杨灼,这个家世显赫的世家大小姐,却颠覆命运跟那骁勇善战且暴虐血腥的王爷纠缠一世,她本是养在深闺通晓诗词音律的才女,偏一道圣旨赐给了那野蛮又没文化的怀宁王,没办法,嫁鸡随鸡,硬是被打包带走同去北疆镇守边疆,那荒蛮之地所有才学诗情都毫无用处,百无一用是书生,杨灼放下从前一切所学,开始接触北疆民风。靠自己学会种菜、织布、打猎甚至偶尔还能揍几个敌军,一步一步从那个被怀宁王看不起的汉女渐渐成长为配得上他的女人。
  • 阴阳守夜人

    阴阳守夜人

    大学生李彦在下课后误上了一辆女鬼出租车,就在他被女鬼吸尽阳气之时,一位大胸美女骑着黑色哈雷,从天而降,将他从女鬼手上救了下来,从此,另一个世界的大门便在他的眼前打开……
  • 倾世妖娆:师父拐进门

    倾世妖娆:师父拐进门

    21世纪佣兵之王甄颜,惨遭背叛,死于非命,睁眼成甄家废柴七小姐,受尽欺凌,转卖为奴;凌云峰峰主容奕,傲世天下,高高在上。她势要将他从神坛拉下,染指红尘。“师父,徒儿难受。”她柔若无骨的小手搭在他的胸口,他闭着眼,面无表情。“师父,徒儿好冷。”她面不改色,往他怀里钻,他闭着眼,面无表情。“师父,徒儿害怕。”她一脸无辜,爬上他的床,他闭着眼,面无表情。直到有一天……他睁开眼,盯着她,某女花容失色“师父!你干嘛!”(师父禁欲太撩人,如何虏获他的心?在线等,急!)注:因学业因素,故不定时更新。
  • 天生悍妻命

    天生悍妻命

    穿越后被卖为通房的慎芮,面对蛮横的正妻,‘惧内而贪心’的夫君,满肚子小算盘的深宅妇人们,还有顽劣的小叔子,小心翼翼,处处求全,仍避免不了被欺辱的处境……抗争不管用,逃跑总行了吧?“悍妇!”弓楠哀叹一声,含泪望苍天……【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 纯血统录末日风华

    纯血统录末日风华

    当2012成为现实,当一个小小的社团扛起人类的存亡,他们,该怎么做?迷失于力量?毁灭在黑暗?还是在绝望中寻找属于他们的希望。一切尽在《纯血统录·末日风华》(本来是给社团写的小说,后来坚持下来,萌发了投稿的想法,名字比较古怪,新手上路,大家见谅)
  • 释神录

    释神录

    道本是心修万物,万物法心归一处。天若挡我封天路,地若阻我锁地府。我叫叶铭,我要定义我的江湖。
  • 汉末亲兵

    汉末亲兵

    生于乱世,不求闻达于诸侯,只愿做汉末第一亲兵……
  • 蜀燹死事者略传

    蜀燹死事者略传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 堕天心

    堕天心

    神魔体重新降落人间,掌握天地法则,成为世间各大修真门派的劲敌,俗世邂逅爱情,为爱激发潜力,成为主宰,飞升成仙
  • 洛特时代之修罗道

    洛特时代之修罗道

    从小就被刺客组织收养的他,在接到暗杀她的任务时,又该如何抉择。