Oriental Council No. 1, RSM, Manila York Bodies, Aug 20 Assembly

Pars Fortuna

PARS FORTUNA in the 3rd House Aquarius generated from my birth chart in Astrolibrary.com

If you have Part of Fortune in the third house in your birth chart,

you are happy to communicate with others. You enjoy being understood, so language and proper use of words are important to you. You try to understand how others think and how they see things, so you can develop a greater perspective in your thinking.

Thinking clearly is what will bring you your greatest fulfillment.

Your security is based on thought instead of the material world. Therefore, you like to teach others to think clearly, so they can understand the world around them, and understand all kinds of people.

Since your Part of Fortune is in the third house of your birth chart, the ninth house is the opposite house. The ninth house helps you understand abstract thinking, other people of other nationalities and mentalities, cosmic ideas, and the higher mind. But your fulfillment will come through the lower and concrete mind.

You must learn the difference between the presence of human ideals, and the reality in which they must live and be carried out. By accepting this wisdom and not being strict in your ideals, nor judging those who still do not understand the higher truth, you will gain the trust of those whom you want to teach and with whom you want to communicate.

You do not judge other people, you just try to understand them and get to know them. This helps you accept that which is contrary or different from yourself. You have something important to say without forcing your ideas on anyone, or on those who are not ready to accept them. You learn to have much tolerance.

You also learn to recognize when is the right time to say things. You must give your teachings and knowledge in a detached way, and you will get great satisfaction knowing that you have enlightened another person’s understanding.

You absorb many philosophical and spiritual thoughts through the ninth house. You realize that the greatest truths go beyond the mental barriers that separate people.

You must be fair. You have the ability to see all sides of a situation. Thus, by bringing superior understanding to human relationships, you help all people in your environment get along better and get a better understanding of the different points of view that may exist. This way, the dichotomy of the world and of human thought will not hinder communication between people.

You find your greatest satisfaction and happiness through all the people you get to know and help. When you come to understand all the circumstances and people around you, you acquire a spontaneity and confidence in yourself and in the whole Universe.

Part of Fortune in Aquarius

If you have Part of Fortune in Aquarius in your birth chart, you feel happy noticing the things that surround you, being receptive to all knowledge. You want to know everything about humanity and the Universe, without societal limitations or restrictions. You understand the union of so many different things, knowing that none is worse or better because of their difference.

You are fair. You do not like to make judgments, because that would undermine your own sense of freedom. You remain aloof and impartial with respect to others. This allows you the freedom to explore your own inner awakening.

You never have to follow the paths of others. So, you look for solitude, where you find new ideas. You use the great inventiveness that cosmic forces bestow upon you.

You like to live without any planning. You like to be original. It makes you happy to know you can help another person to feel free.

Leo is the sign opposite to your Part of Fortune in Aquarius. Through Leo, you observe how others try to direct others and try in vain to have control over circumstances, as well as to maintain those principles that give them self-respect. You know that these things, and power, have been abused in today’s world.

It is the love for truth without limiting the spontaneous flow of life, which gives you your greatest satisfaction and joy. You do not like to force any circumstance, or any person. You flow easily through difficult situations because you have the great ability to understand how circumstances have become what they are. Nothing exists in this world that can surprise you.

You like to live as a true free spirit, even trying anything new or futuristic.

You know there is a better future for society, but you should not worry about how it will be achieved. Simply trust that things will be resolved in the best way possible and at the right time.

You must pay more attention to how you express yourself. Do not show off your ego in your knowledge about the Universe. Focus your struggle in search of inner power, over yourself, in addition to outward self-control.

When you accept yourself as a different, unique, and even prophetic being, your soul will begin to unfold in the direction you so desired. You will know that your mind is free to explore all knowledge of the Universe and its human aspects. You will understand that this free acceptance of uniqueness will finally liberate Humanity from the deterioration from its own egocentricity. For that, you can be an example and helper for those who need it.

Your fulfillment and final happiness are not only for you, but for everyone you know and who shares your humanitarian ideals. Sharing common ideals with other people that want to help evolve humanity, makes you maintain a faith in the future.

— Astrolibrary.com

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THE FOUR ALCHEMICAL ELEMENTS

“In the beginning, God created the heaven and the Earth. And the Earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit ( Air ) of God moved upon the face of the Waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was Light ( Fire ).” Genesis 1:1-3

DEGREE STRUCTURE OF SRICF

First Order

            •           Grade I – Zelator

            •           Grade II – Theoricus

            •           Grade III – Practicus

            •           Grade IV – Philosophus

Second Order

            •           Grade V – Adeptus Minor

            •           Grade VI – Adeptus Major

            •           Grade VII – Adeptus Exemptus

Third Order

            •           Grade VIII – Magister

            •           Grade IX – Magus

RITUAL OF THE FIRST ORDER

I.  Zelator:  The Grade Zelator is the study the powers and properties of Numbers, and the philosophy of the Hebrew Kabalah, in which the relations between Numbers, Letters, Words and Things are defined." In this grade we are introduced to the Four Ancients - the elements, the Cross, the Pentagram, and the symbol LVX.   Earth

II. Theoricus: is about the mysteries of Nature, of mineral, vegetable, and animal life are proper studies, and its ritual of admission teaches you that beyond the colors, as well as the forms of objects, there are occult relations which need investigation." We also hear doctrines on the Elements, the Zodiac, the Hebrew Divine Name IHVH and the four worlds of the Kabbalistic philosophy.   Air

III. Practicus : The Grade of Practicus has special relation to the ancient art of alchemy and the modern science and art of Chemistry." In this grade we hear the alchemical terms of Sulphur, Salt, and Mercury. The terms "the Black Dragon" and "Solve et Coagula" are also referred.    Water

IV. Philosophus : teaches the need of the highest mental culture in order to comprehend the works of the philosophers, and the sacred volumes of the World Religions.“  Fire

ORIENTATION OF THE FOUR ELEMENTS

THE FOUR PHYSICAL ELEMENTS

THE FIFTH ELEMENT AETHER

FIRST GRADE ZELATOR

Zelator: is the study of the powers and properties of Numbers, and the philosophy of the Hebrew Kabalah, in which the relations between Numbers, Letters, Words and Things are defined." In this grade we are introduced to the Four Ancients - the elements, the Cross, the Pentagram, and the symbol LVX.  Earth

Grade Zelator is performed by the invocation of the power of the Elemental Earth situated on the North side of the temple and highlights the power of the Deity (AGLA on the north) and the Archangelic name in Hebrew Uriel , as well as the Enochian Divine name who governs the portal  pillar of the North. ( from the kabalistic cross ritual)

The zealot upon meditation should invoke the elemental forces governing the element of Earth like the earth itself, material world, possession, trees, soil, green, wealth, and also invokes those forces that are relevant to the sphere of Malkuth on the Tree of Life of the Kabbalah.

According to Kabbalah, the Universe is consisted of a combination of Four basic Elements:  Earth, Air, Water and Fire

The Meaning of INRI

It is the initials of the Hebrew names of the ancient elements: Iaminim, water; Nour, fire; Ruach, air; and Iebschah, earth.

INRI means (Latin: Iēsus Nazarēnus, Rēx Iūdaeōrum) represents the Latin inscription (in John 19:19), which in English translates to “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews”,Jesus is connected with the Divine, leads many people to connect INRI with the Tetragrammaton (יהוה or YHVH) the sacred name of God from the Old Testament.

Alchemists adopted them to express the names of their three elementary principles salt, sulphur, and mercury by making them the initials of the sentence: Igne Nitrum Roris Invenitur Latin for “By fire the nitre of the dew is discovered”. Nitre is the mineral form of potassium nitrate or saltpeter.

Albert Pike, in Morals and Dogma, applies this concept in the 18th Degree: Infinity • Nature • Reason • Immortality

The Rosicrucians used them as the initials of one of their Hermetic secrets: Ignis Natura Renovat Integram Latin for “Fire completely renews nature” or  Igne Natura Rerun Vatur Integras  meaning that by fire, nature is perfectly renewed.

GEMATRIA AND NUMEROLOGY

Gematria  is an alphanumeric code of assigning a numerical value to a name, word or phrase based on its letters. People who practice gematria believe that words with identical numerical values may bear some relation to each other or to the number itself. A single word can yield multiple values depending on the cipher used.

Gematria originated as an Assyro-Babylonian-Greek system of alphanumeric code or cipher that was later adopted into Jewish culture. Similar systems have been used in other languages and cultures: earlier, the Greek isopsephy, and later, derived from or inspired by Hebrew gematria, Arabic abjad numerals, and English gematria.

The Number of God in Gematria

The 72 Trids of YHVH

Shemhamphorash or the 72 Names of God

The 3 Verses in Exodus 14, Verse 19 – 21

19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them,

20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptian and the camp of Israel, and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

NUMEROLGY

Numbers are the language of nature, and each number holds a specific meaning and significance.

THE NUMBER ONE

One is associated with the Sun; energy; beginnings. People with a number one in an important part of their profile are usually one-of-a-kind. They’re strong and individualistic. They make great leaders, they’re dynamic visionaries with courage and ambition. On the down side, they can be lonely, demanding and sometimes selfish.

THE NUMBER TWO

Two is associated with the Moon; balance; duality; polarity. It’s a passive number. It’s the number of pairs– partners, twins, married couples or friends. People with significant tows are prone to being emotional, very intuitive and fluid. They may also have trouble with emotions, being easily overwhelmed by negative emotions, and are frequently introverts.

THE NUMBER THREE

Three is the number of the planet Jupiter; dynamic; active. Three brings our attention to “triangles”, body, mind and soul; past, present and future. People with a lot of threes are very expressive through artistic skills, writing or verbal communications. They love adventure and challenges. They’re outgoing, witty and charming, but they also have a tendency to be self-centered, egocentric and aggressive.

THE NUMBER FOUR

Four is ruled by Uranus; stable; grounded– think of any structure with four corners. People with fours are generally strong and hold their own; steady, reliable, practical and logical. They can be stubborn, are prone to bickering and complaining when things are not as they like them.

THE NUMBER FIVE

Five is ruled by Mercury and is associated with adventure and motion. This can be travel; spiritual growth or any type of journey. It can denote unpredictable events and changes. People with fives in their profile are freethinkers; they hate monotony and stagnation; they love new endeavors, adventures and undertakings. They can be flamboyant and dramatic, but also fickle and unreliable.

THE NUMBER SIX

Six is the number associated with Venus; love; harmony; sincerity. It’s energies are patient and calm, as it reveals our options. People with six in their profile are general peaceful; peace makers; non-judgmental; caring. They are prone to beign self-righteous and vain sometimes and tend to be clingy.

THE NUMBER SEVEN

Seven is associated with Neptune; mystery; magic; the esoteric and scholarly pursuits. With sevens, there are always deeper meanings or hidden information is trying to be revealed. People with sevens in their profiles are usually intellectuals, intense, spiritual and wise; they can also be critical, cold and impatient.

THE NUMBER EIGHT

Eight is associated with Saturn; wealth; business; material goods and success. It is largely concerned with cycles and usually points to patterns and repetitive occurrences. Eights are usually powerful, successful people. They’re driven and very capable, but they can be power-hungry, workaholics or materialistic.

THE NUMBER NINE

Nine is associated with Mars; achievement; influence; the highest vibrations that that radiate from within– the personal attributes. it is the culmination of the other numbers and their traits, as nines are generally highly attuned, responsive, philosophical individuals in all areas. They can be prone to mood sings, feelings of isolation and self-pity when things aren’t working out.

ASTROLOGY

Astrology is the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world.

There are 12 zodiac signs, and each sign has its own strengths and weaknesses, its own specific traits, desires and attitude towards life and people. By analyzing the projection of the position of planets, and the Sun and the Moon on the Ecliptic at the moment of birth. Astrology can give us a glimpse of a person’s basic characteristics, preferences, flaws and fears.

We made it simple for you to find out what your zodiac sign is, Its complete profile and it’s compatibility with other zodiac signs. By selecting your sign from the detailed zodiac sign dates list you will discover everything on the character of your Sun sign, it’s Horoscope, traits, profile, history, myth and love compatibility.

Each of the 12 horoscope signs belongs to one of the four elements – Air, Fire, Water and Earth. These elements represent an essential type of energy that acts in each of us. Astrology aims to help us focus these energies on the positive aspects and to gain a better understanding of our potential and our positive traits and deal with negative ones.

These four elements help describe the unique personality types associated with astrological signs. The four zodiac elements exhibit profound influence on basic character traits, emotions, behavior and thinking.

WATER SIGNS

Water signs are exceptionally emotional and ultra-sensitive. They are highly intuitive and they can be as mysterious as the ocean itself. Water signs love profound conversations and intimacy. They rarely do anything openly and are always there to support their loved ones. The Water Signs are: Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.

FIRE SIGNS

Fire signs tend to be passionate, dynamic, and temperamental. They get angry quickly, but they also forgive easily. They are adventurers with immense energy. They are physically very strong and are a source of inspiration for others. Fire signs are intelligent, self-aware, creative and idealistic people, always ready for action. The Fire Signs are: Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.

EARTH SIGNS

Earth signs are “grounded” and the ones that bring us down to earth. They are mostly conservative and realistic, but they can also be very emotional. They are connected to our material reality and can be turned to material goods. They are practical, loyal and stable and they stick by their people through hard times. The Earth Signs are: Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn.

AIR SIGNS

Air signs are rational, social, and love communication and relationships with other people. They are thinkers, friendly, intellectual, communicative and analytical. They love philosophical discussions, social gatherings and good books. They enjoy giving advice, but they can also be very superficial. The Air Signs are: Gemini, Libra and Aquarius.

SUMMARY

 

About the Second Grade Theoricus

Theoricus is about the mysteries of Nature, the constitution of the Universe, and the structure of our world.

To understand the doctrines on the Elements

To understand the relations which exist between the soul of man and his body, the Zodiac, the Hebrew Divine Name IHVH  and the four worlds of the Kabbalistic Philosophy.  

The Composition of Man

The man is composed of Body, Soul, and Spirit

The Body is formed from the Material World..earth,air, water, fire

The Soul of Man from the celestial world dwells in the body and illuminated by the Divine Spirit

The Spirit of Man is a Ray from the Divine World of God

THE NATURE OF MAN

At the death of Man, the Spirit returns to God who gave it, the Soul passes to the Judgement Hall, and the Body returns to the dust from which it was formed.

The ancient Philosophers spoke of the Macrocosm and of a Microcosm.

The Macrocosm was the created Universe, the Sun, Moon, Planets, and Stars.; the Microcosm was the Soul of Man. And so intimate relations between the stars and man character and capabilities were influenced.

Man is composed of Body, Soul and Spirit. The body is formed from the material world, the spirit from the Divine World of God, and Soul  from  Celestial World that dwells in the body.

To further explained the mystery, the ancient philosophers spoke of the Macrocosm consists of the created Universe, the Sun, Moon, Planets & Stars, while Microcosm was the soul of man influenced  by the heavenly bodies.

THE CONSTELLATIONS IN GREEK’S NAME

THE FOUR ELEMENTS AND THE THREE MODALITIES

EXAMPLE OF THE MACROCOSM OF GABRIEL COOMIA, JR. BIRTH CHART SHOWING THE CONSTELLATIONS LOCATIONS, PLANETS ON THE HOUSES, THE FOUR ELEMENTS AND THE 3 MODALITIES

About the Journey of the Soul

After a lifetime on earth, the human soul exits thru the gate of the sun in Capricorn and to begin its journey after death. which the soul ascends into the spiritual ether of the successive planetary spheres of  Moon-Mercury-Venus-Sun-Mars-Jupiter-Saturn- {Neptune-Uranus-Pluto} on its outward journey. During this ascending stage, the soul reflected on and paid penance for the sins of the past life. This ascending stage ended with what was called "cosmic midnight."

In Western philosophy, beginning with Pythagoras , there is an esoteric tradition about the journey of the soul- the divine purposes of the winter and summer solstices. The Greeks described the "descent into generation" into re-birth, by the tropical gate of Cancer and the "ascent to god" of the soul after death, by the tropical gate of Capricorn, in which the soul ascends into the spiritual ether of the planetary spheres.

All souls remained in possession of Heaven and of happiness, so long as they were wise enough to avoid the contagion of the body, and to keep themselves from any contact with matter. But those who, from that lofty abode, where they were lapped in eternal light, have looked longingly toward the body, and toward that which we here below call life, but which is to the soul a real death; and who have conceived for it a secret desire,–those souls, victims of their concupiscence, are attracted by degrees toward the inferior regions of the world, by the mere weight of thought and of that terrestrial desire. {Morals and Dogma by Albert Pike}

Thereafter, the second half of the souls journey began wherein the soul descended thru the same spheres again on its downward path into incarnation on earth and passing thru the Gate of Man to enter the moon sphere to await rebirth with millions of other souls. While during the first half of the journey, the soul reflected upon and suffered for the sins of its past life, during the second half, the soul takes in those forces necessary to build up his future astral, etheric and physical bodies.  These forces include both preparing its future karma and learning the wisdom taught by the spirits residing in the different planetary spheres.

After its return from the celestial spheres, the human soul will then re-enter the earth sphere for re-birth thru the gate of man in the sign of Cancer  where the soul, before birth and intended for incarnation on earth, would descend into the moon sphere waiting for re-birth.

The Gate of the Sun was that zodiacal house Capricorn wherein the human soul, after death, would ascend into the planetary spheres beyond the moon sphere, for its sojourn thru the spiritual worlds, to meet God.

The Ancient Wisdom taught that the soul after death, traveled first, to the successive spheres of moon-mercury-venus-sun on its outward journey. During this ascending stage, the soul reflected on and paid penance for the sins of the past life. This ascending stage ended with what was called "cosmic midnight."

Thereafter, the second half of the souls journey began wherein the soul descended thru the same spheres again on its downward path into incarnation on earth and passing thru the Gate of Man to enter the moon sphere to await rebirth with millions of other souls. While during the first half of the journey, the soul reflected upon and suffered for the sins of its past life, during the second half, the soul takes in those forces necessary to build up his future astral, etheric and physical bodies.

These forces include both preparing its future karma and learning the wisdom taught by the spirits residing in the different planetary spheres. For example, if one's future karma demanded a person to become a physician, he must learn medicine and spend time within the sphere of Mercury. The Galaxy, Macrobius says, crosses the Zodiac in two opposite points, Cancer and Capricorn, the tropical points in the sun’s course, ordinarily called the Gates of the Sun.

Through these gates souls were supposed to descend to earth and re-ascend to Heaven. One, Macrobius says, in his dream of Scipio, was styled the Gate of Men; and the other, the Gate of the Gods. Cancer was the former, because souls descended by it to the earth; and Capricorn the latter, because by it they re-ascended to their seats of immortality, and became Gods. From the. Milky Way, according to Pythagoras, diverged the route to the dominions of Pluto. Until they left the Galaxy, they were not deemed to have commenced to descend toward the terrestrial bodies. From that they departed, and to that they returned. Until they reached the sign Cancer, they had not left it, and were still Gods. When they reached Leo, they commenced their apprenticeship for their future condition; and when they were at Aquarius, the sign opposite Leo, they were furthest removed from human life.

Gates of the Sun or Gates of the Soul

St. John the Baptist - St John the Evangelist

 Tropic of Cancer - Tropic of Capricorn

 Gate of Man -  Gate of the Sun

Descending -  Ascending

June 24 - Dec 27

The soul, descending from the celestial limits, where the Zodiac and Galaxy unite, loses its spherical shape, the shape of all Divine Nature, and is lengthened into a cone, as a point is lengthened into a line; and then, an indivisible monad before, it divides itself and becomes a dead--that is, unity becomes division, disturbance, and conflict. Then it begins to experience the disorder which reigns in matter, to which it unites itself, becoming, as it were, intoxicated by draughts of grosser matter: of which inebriation the cup of Bakchos, between Cancer and Leo, is a symbol. It is for them the cup of forgetfulness. They assemble, says Plato, in the fields of oblivion, to drink there the water of the river Ameles, which causes men to forget everything. This fiction is also found in Virgil. "If souls," says Macrobius, "carried with them into the bodies they occupy all the knowledge which they had acquired of divine things, during their sojourn in the Heavens, men would not differ in opinion as to the Deity; but some of them forget more, and some less, of that which they had learned."

We smile at these notions of the ancients; but we must learn to look through these material images and allegories, to the ideas, struggling for utterance, the great speechless thoughts which they envelop: and it is well for us to consider whether we ourselves have yet found out any better way of representing to ourselves the soul's origin and its advent into this body, so entirely foreign to it; if, indeed, we have ever thought about it at all; or have not ceased to think, in despair.

The highest and purest portion of matter, which nourishes and constitutes divine existences, is what the poets term nectar, the beverage of the Gods. The lower, more disturbed and grosser portion, is what intoxicates souls. The ancients symbolized it as the River Lethe, dark stream of oblivion. How do we explain the soul's forgetfulness of its antecedents, or reconcile that utter absence of remembrance of its former condition, with its essential immortality? In truth, we for the most part dread and shrink from any attempt at explanation of it to ourselves.

Dragged down by the heaviness produced by this inebriating draught, the soul falls along the zodiac and the milky way to the lower spheres, and in its descent not only takes, in each sphere, a new envelope of the material composing the luminous bodies of the planets, but receives there the different faculties which it is to exercise while it inhabits the body.

In Saturn, it acquires the power of reasoning and intelligence, or what is termed the logical and contemplative faculty. From Jupiter it receives the power of action. Mars gives it valor, enterprise, and impetuosity. From the Sun it receives the senses and imagination, which produce sensation, perception, and thought. Venus inspires it with desires. Mercury gives it the faculty of expressing and enunciating what it thinks and feels. And, on entering the sphere of the Moon, it acquires the force of generation and growth. This lunary sphere, lowest and basest to divine bodies, is first and highest to terrestrial bodies. And the lunary body there assumed by the soul, while, as it were, the sediment of celestial matter, is also the first substance of animal matter.

The celestial bodies, Heaven, the Stars, and the other Divine elements, ever aspire to rise. The soul reaching the region which mortality inhabits, tends toward terrestrial bodies, and is deemed to die. Let no one, says Macrobius, be surprised that we so frequently speak of the death of this soul, which yet we call immortal. It is neither annulled nor destroyed by such death: but merely enfeebled for a time; and does not thereby forfeit its prerogative of immortality; for afterward, freed from the body, when it has been purified from the vice-stains contracted during that connection, it is re-established in all its privileges, and returns to the luminous abode of its immortality.

On its return, it restores to each sphere through which it ascends, the passions and earthly faculties received from them: to the Moon, the faculty of increase and diminution of the body; to Mercury, fraud, the architect of evils; to Venus, the seductive love of pleasure; to the Sun, the passion for greatness and empire; to Mars, audacity and temerity; to Jupiter, avarice; and to Saturn, falsehood and deceit: and at last, relieved of all, it enters naked and pure into the eighth sphere or highest Heaven.

All this agrees with the doctrine of Plato, that the soul cannot re-enter into Heaven, until the revolutions of the Universe shall have restored it to its primitive condition, and purified it from the effects of its contact with the four elements.

IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL CONCEPT

The concept of the immortality soul teaching came from the Egyptians which civilizations lasted for more than  3,000 years. The countless tombs unearthed by archaeologists along the Nile provide eloquent testimony to the Egyptian belief that man possessed a spiritual aspect extending beyond his physical life.

Aristotle  (384–322 BC)

..was an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist born in the city of Stagira, Chalkidiki, in the north of Classical Greece. Along with Plato, Aristotle is considered the “Father of Western Philosophy”, and is known for the Chaldean order of the astrological principles of the journey of the soul by alighting at each of the planets spheres descending from Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon. With the pure essence of each planet collected in its downward movement, the soul arrived at the moon where it waited for the correct moment of the native’s birth where physical manifestation took place and soul joined with the body.

Plato (428-348 B.C.)

The Greeks got the concept of an immortal soul from the Egyptians. Plato, the Athenian Philosopher (428-348 B.C.), like his teacher, Socrates was initiated into the Greater Mysteries at the age of 49. The initiation took place in one of the subterranean halls of the Great Pyramid in Egypt.  Plato was the founder of the Academy, an institute for philosophical and scientific research just outside of Athens.

It was Plato who popularized the immortal soul concept throughout the Greek world.  In the Phaedo, one of Plato’s most famous works, he recounts Socrates’ final conversation with his friends on the last day of Socrates’ life. Socrates declared to them:

Roman Writer Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius (390-430 CE)

is famous for his classical Seven Books on Saturnalia. According to Macrobius, the galaxy crosses the Zodiac in two opposite points, Cancer and Capricorn, the tropical points in the sun’s course, ordinarily called the Gates of the Sun.  Through these gates, souls descend to earth and re-ascend to Heaven.  In Cicero’s Dream of Scipio, a discourse on the nature of the cosmos, the Gate of Men; and the other, the Gate of the Gods. Cancer was the former because souls descended by it to the earth, and Capricorn the latter, because by it they re-ascended to their seats of immortality and became Gods.

PRACTICUS

The Grade of Practicus has special relation to the ancient art of alchemy and the modern science and art of Chemistry." In this grade we hear the alchemical terms of Sulphur, Salt, and Mercury. The terms "the Black Dragon" and "Solve et Coagula" are also referred.

ALCHEMY

Solve et Coagula is the essential alchemical process. "Solve" or "solutio" refers to the breaking down of elements and "Coagula" refers to their coming together. In the process of transmuting base metal into gold, this contained both literal and metaphorical meaning.

From solid to liquid state then to a new solid again, the transmutation of elements, the fixing of the volatile, and the volatilization of the fixed.

Having the knowledge of the principle and theory of the Theoricus, In this grade we are required to pursue the practical work of the secret of nature, the actual for the trans mutation of base metal into gold or the lower physical character into high spiritual consciousness.

The three philosophical principles of alchemy are considered the working units of this system. It is the holy trinity of the universe. They are primary organic functions that exist within all of manifest creation- be it material or non-material. Understanding these principles assist in understanding the underlying patterns behind all things. Our minds are under their influence, as well as our physical bodies and emotional states. The planets. The plants. The minerals. The animals. Spirits and non-physical beings are composed of the principles. The fact that all of existence contains these primary organic functions is what makes them universal.

All things contain various concentrations of each of the principles. While there are many energetic factors going into all manifestations (elements, planets, astrological archetypes etc), the three principles are the easiest to recognize as they are simple, non-specific, and observable. They are non-specific in the sense that there are only three to observe, and determine which is the most prominent, as compared to a planetary perspective where there are 7 (or 10) to decipher.

Sulfur is a harmony of the Air and Fire elements. In that way, it is moveable, penetrating, hot, and diffusive. Within the human body, the Sulfur principle is reflected as our soul. The soul under this definition is our own unique expression of the life force. It is our individuality, our true essential nature, our essence. It is the flame of our awareness. The correlation with Air is that our soul is not limited to our body, it has the ability to leave the body through astral projection, dream travel, and visionary journeying.

This can be better understood when looking at the Sulfur principle within plants, which is reflected in its volatile (essential) oils. The essential oil of a plant is a reflection of its essence. It is that plant’s unique flavor. When one smells an essential oil of Frankincense for example, you are connecting with that plant’s unique identity; there is no other smell on the face of the planet that smells like it. It is the dynamic expression of the life force within that particular plant. Like Fire and Air, the essential oils of a plant volatilize very easily (they disperse through the air) and they are often very heating and intense.

Chemical Sulfur, as most people know, smells very strong and tends to permeate the surrounding space and penetrate sharply (think rotten eggs). It ignites very easily, and puts our a very hot, bright flame.

Salt

So we have the soul (Sulfur) and the spirit (Mercury), and finally we come to salt- the crystallization, the manifestation, the vehicle through which the more subtle principles work through. Each principle progressed through various levels of density, with salt being the most dense. It is composed of the Water and Earth elements.

Salt in the human is reflected as the physical body, and is thus very, very complex. Infinitely complex. Millions of chemical reactions occurring each second, most of which we know nothing about. The human body is one of the most beautiful mysteries we may ever come to know, a microcosm of the universe. It is the anchor for our soul and spirit, the temple in which they reside.

In botanical kingdom, the Salt principle is reflected in the mineral matrix of the plant. These are obtained through certain extraction methods using the Fire and Water elements to crystallize pure mineral salts. As with the human, these minerals are the vehicle through which the Sulfur (essential oil) and the Mercury (alcohol/water solubles) principles work through.

As far as botanical extracts go, it is these three principles that are primarily worked with the their preparation. Each principle of a plant is separated and purified, and then the three are reunited. This is the principle behind spagyrics- to separate and recombine.

Most conventional herbal tinctures contain only the Mercury and Sulfur components of a plant. They macerate the herb in an alcohol and water menstruum for a period of time, filter the liquid material out and compost or throw away the solid plant material. Thus, majority of tinctures are missing 1/3 of a plant’s constituents, the mineral body through which the other constituents work through. It is disembodied medicine.

This is not to say that herbal tinctures do not work, they absolutely work and have provided an amazing service to the world by providing a natural means to palliate symptoms and heal their bodies. But in a sense, they are not able to work as well on our physical bodies as they could because they themselves are missing their physical bodies. The addition of the Salt principle to a tincture greatly enhances its effectiveness and potency and thus lower doses are often needed.

The Three Phases of the Great Work

1. Blackness of Nigredo

What is the first thing you encounter when you close your eyes? Blackness. When you enter your inner world, you enter into darkness. This is the first experience, and the first stage of the Great Work. here the operation of putrefaction takes place. Here the fixed gets dissolved by the volatile. By becoming aware of the volatile mind, the bodily consciousness diminishes. In alchemical symbols Nigredo is always indicated by something black: the raven, the raven's head, the dark jacket, darkness, the night, the Solar or Moon eclipse, the tomb, hell, and death.

When the Matter has entered the stage of blackness, it is called lead or Saturn, or the head of Moorish one.

2. Whiteness or Albedo

This is the perfect putrefaction, when all blackness has disappeared and the color white appears. Then it is said that life has conquered death, that the king has been revived, that earth and water has become air, that the child has been born, that Heaven (the Volatile, the Female) and Earth (the Fixed, the Male) have married. It is the realm of the Moon.

When one has purified his awareness of Self, during meditation, by eliminating thoughts, or otherwise, then at a certain point, light appears. This can be but is not necessary a visual light inside oneself. The light that appears is also metaphoric for an absolute clear, pure awareness of Self. It is something that cannot be described. I have experienced it myself, although for very brief periods. One does not indeed experience the darkness anymore that is there when one closes the eyes.

The alchemists say that in Whiteness, the Matter has attained a degree of Fixedness that fire cannot destroy. In that state one is in a very fixed position, that is, very stable, very much in the here and now, in total clarity of Self.

The Philosophers say that when one has attained this stage, one needs to destroy the books because they become superfluous. From this point on one needs to continue this purification of awareness to the next stage of redness.

3. Redness or Rubedo

The third and last phase is characterized by the color red. When the White stone or the White Elixir has been made, it needs to purified further, sublimated, until the Matter becomes totally Fixed and is completely stable. Then we have the Red Sulfur, the red stone, the Red Elixir, the Stone of the Wise.

When the divine light has emerged during meditation, one needs to make it last. this demands a continued effort of holding one's attention to this pure awareness, not only for the length of the meditation session, but also during every day life. At a certain point the pure awareness of one's divine self will be permanent

Theosphia and Philosophia

Theosophia is the study of the Divine Knowledge.

Philosphia  is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.The term was probably coined by Pythagoras (c. 570–495 BCE).

Philosophy is closely related to religion, mathematics, natural science, education and politics. Newton's 1687 "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy" is classified in the 2000s as a book of physics; he used the term "natural philosophy" because it used to encompass disciplines that later became associated with sciences such as astronomy, medicine and physics.

In Classical antiquity, Philosophy was traditionally divided into three major branches:

Natural philosophy ("physics") was the study of the physical world (physis, lit: nature);

Moral philosophy ("ethics") was the study of goodness, right and wrong, beauty, justice and virtue (ethos, lit: custom);

Metaphysical philosophy ("logic") was the study of existence, causation, God, logic, forms and other abstract objects ("meta-physika"

VARIOUS THEOSOPHIA

HINDUISM: Of the religions of India the earliest was VEDIC, the worship inculcated by the holy Vedas, of which there are four, the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and the Adiarva Veda. These volumes inculcate chiefly a worship of the powers of Nature under the names of Varuna, Agni, Surya, and Indra; each is composed of two parts, Mantras -which are hymns and prayers -and Brahmanas - ritual instructions.

BRAHMANISM was then developed; it was a Monotheistic faith in Brahma as Creator, as The Word, the Logos of Greek philosophy. The Brahmanic Triad came later, and then we find the acceptance of Brahma as Creator, Vishnu as Preserver, and of Siva as Destroyer.

The BUDDHA, the great moral teacher of India, flourished from about 560 to 480 BC; he was also called Gautama, Siddartha and Sakyamuni.

The Buddha taught the need for self-sacrifice, die gains to be acquired by meditation and subjugation of the passions, and that the final end to be achieved is Nirvana - absorption of the Ego into the Divine

ISLAM

This religion was proclaimed by God through Prophet MOHAMMED, or MAHOMET, who lived from AD 571 to 632. He was an Arabian, born at Mecca at a period when a very indefinite pagan worship was being partly replaced by a degraded form of Christian teaching.

He attributed his visions and revelations to the Archangel Gabriel – a being acknowledged by both Jews and Christians. He proclaimed that Allah (God) is One and One Alone, and condemned the idolatry.

CONFUCIANISM

The CONFUCIANISM of China was a system of political philosophy rather than a religion, for it taught morals without the worship of any god. Confucius, or Kung-fu-tze the philosopher, lived in the Shantung province from 550 to 479 BC; he took part in official life, and married.

His teachings may be described as instruction on how to live like a courteous gentleman; he pleaded for truth, industry, justice, moderation and public duty. His system was not fully approved until after his death, but from that time it spread all over China and has survived to our own times. He erected no temples to a divinity, but temples have been erected in his honour. He spoke of the approval of Heaven, and condemnation by it; he advised sacrifices to ancestors and to the dead in general, but never distinctly referred to a future life. He taught the supremacy of man over woman, and of the official classes over the people.

The TAOISM of China was developed by the philososopher Lao-tse who was born about 550 BC. He is the reputed author of the sacred volume called Tao-teh-king, which teaches a reverence and devotion to Tao, a divine Way to a Supreme Being, Shang-ti. He inculcated compassion, frugality, and humility, and taught that good should be done both to the good and to the bad, and faith should be kept to the faithful and also to the faithless. Modern Taoism bears but slight resemblance to the original institution; it has developed a priesthood and temple worship, recognised monks and nuns, and teaches many superstitions.

ZOROASTRIANISM: In ancient Persia arose the religion of ZOROASTER, from whom was derived the sacred volume called ‘Avesta’ written in the Zend language. At the present time Iran is a Mohammedan country, and the Zoroastrian religion is represented only by the Parsee of India. The characteristic of this faith is the recognition of dual Spiritual Beings contending upon earth for the souls of men; these are the Ahura Mazdaor Ormuzd, and Angra Manyu or Ahriman, and man may in this life fall under the evil sway of Ahriman, but Ormuzd shall be supreme at the end.

RELIGION OF ANCIENT GREEK AND ROME

Religions of Ancient Greece and Rome are commonly described as PAGANISM, and by some persons as IDOLATRY Polydieism prevailed, and no doubt statues were objects of worship as representing the gods.

The Greeks believed in a family of deities dwelling on Mount Olympus, under the presidency of Zeus the supreme ruler of the world, the wisest and most glorious one, his wife Hera also his sister, his daughters Adiene, Artemis and Aphrodite, and his sons Phoebus, Ares, Hephaistos, and Hermes; Hestia, Poseidon, and Dionysos may be added. These gods were deemed to rule the world, and would grant favours to men who duly propitiated them. The gods and goddesses were generally associated as married pairs, but Zeus the husband of Hera made no dificulty about having descendants by other goddesses and by mortal women. Each god had numerous temples, and in many of these. Oracles were given out by the priests and priestesses on behalf of the gods. Then mere were deities of Hades, the underworld - Pluto and Persephone; the deities of the earth – Demeter who became the Ceres of the Romans; Dionysos, that is Bacchus; and Pan.

The ROMAN MYTHOLOGY accepted these same deities with change of name: Zeus became Jupiter or Jove; Hera, Juno; Athene became Minerva; Phoebus, Apollo; Ares, Mars; Hephaistos, Vulcan; Aphrodite, Venus; Artemis, Diana: Hestia, Vesta; and Poseidon, Neptune. In addition to these, the Romans accepted some gods of the Etruscans and Latins: Saturn and Ops his wife, Janus, Quirinus, Bellona, Lucina, Terminus, Flora and Pomona. They recognised also Family-gods, the Penates, and Ancestor-gods, the Lares, and Manes, the spirits of the recent dead. They believed also in Lemures and Larvae, which we should call ghosts.

JUDAISM

 is the religion of the Hebrew Race; it was at Jerusalem that the Christian Faith was first taught to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. The main principle of Judaism is the worship of One God, Jehovah, as the Creator of the World, but the Jews always considered themselves as His chosen people. The most sacred volume of the Jews is the Pentateuch’ or the ‘Five Books of Moses’

The story of the Jewish people begins with G‑d creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh. Then, He chose Abraham and his children to become His special nation who would dwell in a special homeland (Israel).

After a 210-year stint of slavery in Egypt, G‑d took His people to Mount Sinai, where he made a covenant with them and gave them instructions for life.

After 40 years of wandering, the Israelites entered the Promised Land. In time, they built a Holy Temple (Beit Hamikdash) in Jerusalem, where they could offer sacrifices and connect to G‑d.

The Holy Temple was eventually destroyed by Roman invaders, and the Jewish people went into exile and were scattered all over the world.

CHRISTIANITY

Christianity is a Roman Catholic belief system

There are five universal symbols in Christian Baptism similar to Alchemical Elements of Creation

The Cross, a symbol of Jesus’ crucifixion is a solar glyph in alchemy. The sign of the cross formed by the hand is a symbol of the earth element, the solar glyph of the earth accompanied by prayers performing the element of the spirit Air.

The Oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit representing Air element.  During a baptism, an aspirant is anointed with oil several times as a symbol of bringing the person and the Holy Spirit together.

Water is the composition of the divine life as well as purity and cleansing from the original nature of the element. In baptism, it is the actual pouring of water on the heading while reciting the words,

In Christian baptism, the Holy water signifies, that life is given to man by God.

The Candle Light, a symbol of fire is represented by the passing of a lighted candle from the celebrant to the Godparents. Fire is essential to the survival of life, without the fire of light of the sun nothing would exist on earth. In alchemy, fire is attributed to transformational and purifying powers. It can give warmth and enable life, and it can also burn and destroy. In the spiritual plane, Fire stands for Light and in the physical plane, it is the Sun or Flame.

The White Garment, white as a symbol of purity and wearing a white garment during baptism symbolizes a new man to start a clean life in the eyes of God and his fellowmen.

Other familiar symbols are baptismal fonts, scriptural readings and prayers, and godparents. These represent the philosophies and teachings of the Christian religion patterned from the ancient teachings and traditions.

SHINTOISM

The Shintoism of Japan combines nature-worship with ancestor-worship. Shinto means ‘The way of the Gods’, and the Japanese have prayed to gods innumerable. Chief is the Sun Goddess Ainaterasu, from whom the first Mikado or Emperor claimed to have descended; and there are gods of wind, fire, food, mountains and rivers, the spirits of the notable dead, and household gods. Temples are very numerous, but the priests are not very prominent officials; they are allowed to marry, and often have ordinary avocations as well as religious duties. Officially Japan tolerates all religions; there are Confucians and Buddhists as well as Shintoists, and many Japanese belong to all three religions.

 RELIGION OF ANCIENT EGYPT

under the Pharaohs, very little can be said that is definite, for although we find proofs that the sun under various names was worshipped from the earliest times throughout the Upper and Lower country, yet in each name or division and in each city there was at least one special divinity and generally also a group of secondary gods. The Sun as the chief god was called Ra at its rising, and Toum as it set, and for a short period the worship of Aten, the god of the Sun’s disk, was prevalent. At a later date we find a general recognition of Osiris, with Isis his sister and wife, and Horus the son as the predominant Trinity. Notable local deities were Amen Ra, Ptah, Khem, Kneph and Set. From the old papyri still existing many curious legends have been read, such as the history of the murder of Osiris by his brother Set or Typhon, and the recovery of the body by Isis and Horus.

PHILOSOPHERS

PYTHAGORAS

The systems of MENTAL and MORAL PHILOSOPHY which have become notable in the history of the development of the human intellect in Europe, our attention must be given first to Pythagoras who flourished in the sixth century before Christ. He was a Greek born at Samos, but taught at Crotona in Italy; becoming unpopular and opposing the rulers of the city he was obliged to flee to Tarentum: and he subsequently went to Metapontum where he died, it is said, from starvation about the year 500 BC.

He originated a school of philosophy which attained to great eminence; none of his writings have come down to us, and only the fragments of his teaching, as recorded by his disciple Philolaus, have survived. The notable basis of this philosophy was the assertion that without Number all would he Chaos, and that by means of Numbers all things existed, and could be recognised and explained. Harmony makes the cosmos, and there is a Music of the Spheres. He is said to have been the discoverer of the Octave of the musical scale. Another of his ideas was the transmigration of souls and he taught also the notion of a central solar fire with the planets moving around it in regular order. The proof of the forty-seventh proposition of Euclid is said to have been due to Pythagoras, and he appears to have insisted upon the profitable nature of a simple ascetic life in contradistinction to a life devoted to politics or pleasure.

SOCRATES,

was born at Adiens in the year 469, and survived until 399 BC. He was perhaps the most famous man in the history of Greek culture. He left no writings, but his doctrines have been preserved by the Dialogues of Plato, and the Memorabilia of Xenophon. Socrates served many years in the Greek Army, and subsequently was notable as a politician, resisting nobly the popular clamour which demanded acts of injustice. In a conversational manner he taught philosophy, the theory of ethics and laid down rules for correct conduct which strongly appealed to persons earnestly desirous of knowledge, but which were resented by men who were deemed to be readers and learned, until at last he was formally charged with teaching undesirable innovations to the inhabitants and especially to the youth of the city. He was tried, condemned to death, and drank the poisonous draught, a decoction of hemlock, which was the mode of capital punishment then in use. It is related that Socrates was marked by personal ugliness, and he himself jested with his students upon his want of comeliness. He suffered much from the bad temper of his wife, but made light of the daily troubles of life, appearing to recognise that he had a great duty to perform, and alleging that he received inspiration from above, as from a spiritual being -a daimon, orangelic instructor.

PLATO,

who was born 427 BC and belonged to an aristocratic Adienian family, became a pupil of Socrates, adopted and vastly extended the scope of his philosophy, and to him the world owes a debt of gratitude for recording the Socratic method of tuition and the great principles it expounded. The teaching of Socrates was largely related to the morals of life in practice; Plato extended the doctrines and methods to metaphysical speculations.

The death of Socrates led to a dispersion of his pupils and we find that Plato went away to Megara, and then made a prolonged tour through Egypt, visited Cyrene, the Greek colonies, and taught at Syracuse. From thence he fled to escape persecution, and at last settled at Adiens, and founded the Platonic School of Greek philosophy. Plato has left to us a considerable literature, but during his lifetime he seems to have considered oral teaching much preferable to writing and some of his treatises are composed in conversational form. The three earliest of these were named Laches, Charmides and Lysis, and appear to be mainly records of the Socratic teachings.

The two first teach of the duties of course and temperance, and that knowledge leads to virtue; the last is concerned with the beauty of friendship. The Apology narrates the defence of Socrates made at his trial. Then follow the Euthyphro, the Crito and the Phaedo. These are concerned with a defence against the charge of impiety, the resignation of Socrates to his death, and an essay upon the immortality of man.

The Timaeus contains theories of the universe, and the origin of our world and other very abstruse concepts. The other most notable works are named Theaetetus, Philebus, Protagoras, Gorgias, the Symposium, and the Republic. The Republic is a monumental work reflecting stages of mental progress, and it discusses justice, ethics, politics, theology, psychology and metaphysics.

ARISTOTLE

of Stagira was born 384 BC, of a family notable for its physicians; he came to Athens when about seventeen years of age and studied in the school of Isocrates, and later was a diligent pupil at the Academy of Plato, when that philosopher was about sixty years old. Aristotle always referred to Plato with reverence, and was largely indebted to him for a general knowledge of ethics and metaphysics, but in his full development he differed from Plato in his notions concerning ideas and forms.

Aristotle became a student and teacher of more material objects than ideas, and devoted himself to researches into human, animal, and vegetable life. He collected a vast number of observations, and based his system upon recorded facts, and from them he deduced the general principles which govern vital processes, development, and decay. His immediate followers continued to collect data, but failed to carry on his realisation of principles. His true successors are the scientific investigators of our own times.

Aristotle, when he had become possessed of great knowledge, held classes at the Lyceum, and from his habit of teaching as he walked about an arcade his School became known as that of the peripatetic philosophers. He was threatened with a prosecution for impiety, and so fled to Chalcis in Euboca, where he died 322 BC. The lectures of Aristotle have come down to our times, but only small portions of his published works.

One great collection of his doctrines is called Organon; it contains the science of Logic or the theories of mental action. These are included in the tract called The Categories, which methods have formed the basis for scientific arguments and deductions regarding the cause and effect of all processes and events.

Science, as we understand the word today, arose with Aristode, who said ‘Science was to be studied in theory and in practice’. His Science had three branches: mathematics, physics, and philosophic theology or metaphysics. To these he added practical teaching as to how to carry out public affairs for the common good; such was the study of politics.

Of the first - Mathematics - he has left no teachings; Physics he has fully developed; but of Metaphysics he appears to have failed to present a completely coherent doctrine.

By Physics he meant the study of all organic life in the light of four causes -material, efficient, formal and final -reducible to two, matter (ule) and form (eidos) He also dealt with time, motion and space. He had tracts on generation and decay, on the Universe, on Meteorology, and DeAnima (on the Soul of Vitality). His Historia Animalium is a great storehouse of observations of living things.

The Nicomachean Ethics, written by his son, treats of intellectual and practical goodness as a means to attain to happiness in this life, and declares that sophia or true wisdom is the loftiest ideal of man.

 CYNIC PHILOSOPHY

was taught by Antisdienes to the Greeks about 400 BC. The Cynics professed to be careless of themselves and of their environments; they despised riches, neglected the comforts of life, and made light of the rules of moral order. Diogenes was the most notable adherent; he had great strength of character, lived as an ascetic, and taught that it is wise to have a supreme contempt for one’s neighbours, and to be careless of time and place under all circumstances.

The CYRENAICS were the followers of Aristippus of Cyrene, who was a pupil of Socrates; he taught about 360 BC. The principal doctrine of the school was that prudent personal enjoyment was the true aim of life, and that all human knowledge is relative to the individual.

EPICURUS, an Adienian citizen born in the island of Samos 342 BC, was at first a grammarian and taught at Mytilene and Lampsacus.

In 306 he removed to Adiens, and established a School of Philosophy in his famous gardens in the middle of the city, remaining there until his death in 270 BC. He left behind him the reputation of being a good citizen, a kind friend, and a temperate and just man who never concerned himself with politics. The Epicurean philosophy taught that human life should be one of enjoyment, not of dissipation, but by reason of a wise appreciation of calm and tranquil peace of mind, freedom from pain and strife could be acquired by self-control and simplicity of conduct, and by the association with friends of like desires.

The modern word Epicurean - meaning a love of pleasure and a pandering to the lusts of the flesh and the passions of the mind - entirely misrepresents the ancient teachings of Epicurus.

The School of STOIC Philosophy was founded at Athens by Zeno a Cypriot about 300 BC. The name is derived from the Greek word stoa, a porch or colonnade, at which Zeno spoke to his pupils. This philosophy became notable also among the Romans at a later date and was adopted by Seneca, Epictetus and by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius AD 120 to 180. The Stoics taught practical ethics, and also metaphysics, declaring a pantheistic materialism. They recognised a high, active, animating, yet finely material principle, a god of reason, and a passive material world; and considered that man had a soul akin to the active principle and derived from it. Man should so live as to be in conformity with the order of the higher principle, and should realise that all events are right and just to man, who should not permit himself to be swayed by his passions, but seek to be wise and, therefore, calm and indifferent to the pains as well as the delight of existence.

The Stoicism of Epictetus shows a high spirit of ancient morality: man is to be guided by his reason and conscience which come from the great principle, and perfect trust should be placed in the benevolence of the great active power which presides over men’s character and conduct.

MODERN PHILOSOPHY

Modern philosophy began with the assertion made by Luther and the Reformers of the Principle of Freedom, when a break was made with Scholastics and with external authority.

The opposition of conscience to external authority led to the Philosophy of Experience which may still be said to hold the field. The first exponent was Francis Bacon (1551-1626), Keeper of the Great Seal and Lord Chancellor.

Descartes (1596-1650), a French mathematician, who is placed by all metaphysicians at the head of the purely deductive movement, and who started an evolution complementary to that of Bacon, advanced towards the same goal, but Descartes propounded a theory of consciousness expressed in the well-known phrase ‘Cogito ergo sum’ — ‘I think, therefore I am’.

LEONARDO DA VINCI

Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519), the painter of the Last Supper was once associated with the Rose Cross Movement during the Rennaisance Period. It was in  1495 to 1498  in Milan, Italy when he was commissioned by the Duke of Milan Ludovico Sforza to do a mural painting of the Last Supper on the refectory of the city’s Monastery of Santa Maria Delle Grazie based on the Gospel of the Bible’s Passover Dinner.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper

Benedict Spinoza (1633-1677). a Dutch Jew, who found it insufficient and unsatisfactory. A charge of atheism was brought against him which was unjust, and this has lessened his influence.

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) started the materialistic principle that we know nothing except by sense. Imagination which is the faculty of ideation he called ‘decaying sense’. He saw in the intellect nothing but what was previously in the sense. Like Bacon he sought to lay down the principles of a thorough unification of knowledge.

John Locke (1632-1704), who treated the problem in a different manner from Hobbes, is the first of the psychologists. He excluded from the enquiry into the nature and origin of ideas the consideration of their physical conditions or accompaniments and made philosophy the problem of knowledge to enquire into the origin of our thoughts, ‘whence has the mind all the material of reason and knowledge?’ He answered in two words, ‘From experience’, in that our knowledge is founded on it.

David Hume (1711-1776) represents another development from Locke. He protested against concepts that cannot be shown to be justified by an appeal to Experience and Common Sense, which are the sole bases of knowledge.

Leibnitz (1647-1716) had previously criticised Locke. He wrote Our differences are important, the question between us being whether the soul is itself entirely empty, like a tablet on which nothing has been written according to Aristotle and Locke, and whether all that which is there traced comes wholly from the senses and experience, or whether the soul originally contains the principles of several notions and doctrines.

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) tended to re-state Kant. He believed that the world is essentially intelligible, Hegel’s logic sums up the whole idealistic movement in a doctrine of Christian optimism, based on the view that not only is the intelligible world essentially related to the intelligence for which it exists but is, as a consequence, nothing but the manifestation of intelligence.

The philosophy of Artur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) has tended to pessimism and a denial of action, which are more akin to Hinduism and Buddhism than to Christianity.

Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961), one of the fathers of modern psychiatry, unlike his colleagues never lost sight of the spiritual dimension of humanity. Using the natural-historical approach to observe the workings of the mind, he realised the importance of the ‘sub’-conscious, where much of the true activity of the self goes on, and also the ‘collective’ subconscious, common to mankind, inhabited by archetypes which appear to have an existence of their own. Jung’s acknowledgement of the spiritual dimension has led some to consider him a mystic.

OTHERS

SECRET SOCIETIES PHILOSOPHY

            FREEMASONRY

            ROSICRUCIAN

COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY PHILOSOPHY

            ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE

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Prepared by:

Frater Gabriel C. Comia, Jr.   VII Grade, Pearl of the Orient College, SRICF, Manila, Philippines.

Presented on June 17, 2019 Summer Solstice In-gathering at Scottish Rite Temple Manila