Inner Work Guide's Alchemical Gnosis Yoga of the West

I am sure many of you are familiar with Tarot, especially as it pertains to its modern use in divination.

What many do not know is that Tarot as it is used in the Hermetic Western Inner Tradition is actually a book. Each card of the major and minor trumps are the chapters of that book of. The chapters give details to those who have been given the keys to read it, precise information about the true nature of humanity, the workings of the mind and inner spiritual initiation that leads to what leads to what Hermeticist call illumination, as well as detailed information on the subjects of Alchemy, Qabalah, and Astrology.

With those final words of the Voice, in a flash, the Traveler was back in his physical body, fighting to remain in control of himself. He could see the sun was about to set; he could hear the creatures of the dark howling over the victory of having conquered him. It was just moments before the full curtain of night would fall. On the city's outskirts, he could see an oak grove with a deer running into it.

From inside himself, he again heard the feminine Voice from all those months ago: "The stars coerce and compel the animal man. What other reason is there for this, save that the man does not know or estimate himself or his own powers or reflect that he is a lesser Universe and has the whole firmament with its powers hidden within himself? But the wise man can dominate the stars and is not subject to them.”

Last week's episode touched on the fact that there are two views or levels of understanding regarding astrology and its use in Hermetic science.

When the soliloquy of the Traveler's inner Lunar Intelligence centered on Paracelsus's 'Who rules the stars' and said, "And although the higher stars do give the animal inclination and assign man and other earthly bodies for the manner of their birth, yet that power and dominion are nothing save only a predestined mandate and office in which there is nothing occult or abstruse remaining but the inner force and power put forth through the external signs." it speaks of exoteric astrology that is concerned with virtues or forces immanent and emanative in physical objects.

In the early 1920s, a scientist named Lilian Kolisko embarked on a series of investigations. Her goal was to determine if celestial bodies affected terrestrial matter. This intriguing line of research was sparked by a suggestion from Rudolf Steiner to investigate the workings of etheric formative forces in mineral substances. Kolisko's method of investigation was known as capillary dynamolysis or the 'rising picture' method.

As he reeled in the oblivion of the moment brought on by the tar-like ichor all over and within his body, he entered a trance-like state. He was transported to a past memory, one that had made an impression deep within him and bestowed upon him keys that he had not yet understood how to use. He could feel himself drifting up, up, up, and he was happy just for the relief of leaving his writhing body. Then the memory began...

One of the first things the Centaur had taught him in the cave was about alchemy. "It is," the Centaur explained, an excellent tool for those who knew how to use it, for it could act as a mirror of one's inner life. More than that, it could be used to transmute not only base metals into gold but, more importantly, transmute the profane man into a god-man, allowing him to become homo-spiritualis.

In its simplest form, making a liquid herbal product using plant alchemy is similar to creating any ordinary herbal extract. The herb is macerated in an alcohol/water mixture for several days to extract the plant's healing virtues, just like any herbalist would do. Once this is done, however, the herbal material is dried and then heated until it combusts, turning first into carbon and then into ash, much the same way one would witness a piece of wood being burned in a campfire.

The Traveler emerged from the cave into the light, its blinding rays birthing memories of his first emergence. This time, though, there were no spare moments to adjust his sensorium – the screams of the citizens mixed with those of the denizens of shadow, filling the air and attacking his ears.

The one thing to remember in this work is that the inner experiences feel authentic to the Traveler. Listening to the Traveler's experiences, one can be lulled into the perception of watching a TV show or movie, with no repercussions from viewing it except the diminishing ripples of awareness created by a scintillating or scary scene.

Having traversed much of the cave, the Traveler noticed the path was inclining. The torches, which hung periodically on the cave walls, created light and dark areas. Light, dark, light, dark... He found himself running leisurely, the illuminating transition creating a strobe effect that caused the Travelers’ mind to turn back to his experiences in the Centaur's cave. His time there had seemed like an eternity. Each day, the Centaur drew him deeper into the cave, towards its belly, where the shadows held sway and the light waned. Finally, there were no more shadows – just the dark wet. At first, he could only crawl around on his hands and knees, but gradually, a subtle inherent luminance was revealed.

As the Traveler approached the city, his mind wandered momentarily. After his failure earlier on the road, he was surprised that the Centaur did not berate him for leaving the path. With a twinkle in his eye, the Centaur said, "The dancing trio ensnares everyone."

Within three paces of the city's gates, a leaf being carried an air eddy caught his attention. The leaf moved slower and with a defined motion that looked out of place. The leaf's misdirection continued as a thickening dust coalesced at the periphery of the bottom edge of his vision.

Too captivated by the leaf to lend full attention, it was only when a growing tremulous dissonance whispered repeatedly in his ear that he began to notice the indistinct countenance hiding in the center of the darkening accreting swirl of dust and dirt.