Transcendental Magic II: The Ritual (Éliphas Lévi) · 123 of 123 · tr. A.E. Waite
22. The Book Of Hermesp
Magnetism enables us to understand today the miracles of old Magic; the facts of second sight, aspirations, sudden cures, thought-reading, are now admitted and familiar things, even for our children.
But the tradition of the ancients has been lost; discoveries have been regarded as new; the last word is sought on observed phenomena; minds are agitated over meaningless manifestations; fascinations are experienced without being understood.
We say, therefore, to table-turners: These prodigies are not novel; you can perform even greater wonders if you study the laws of Nature.
And what will follow a new acquaintance with these powers?
A new career opened to the activity and intelligence of man, the battle of life reorganized with arms more perfect and opportunity restored to the flower of intelligence of becoming once more the masters of all destinies, by providing true priests and great kings for the world to come!
Themes
◆Cosmic Sympathycosmology
The Stoic and Plotinian doctrine that all parts of the cosmos are bound by hidden affinities, so that a movement in one part resonates through the whole; the metaphysical basis for astrology, magic, and divination.
The passage describes magnetism, second sight, and thought-reading as phenomena relying on hidden affinities between parts of the cosmos.
All passages →◆Pneumatic Electsoteriology
A spiritual elite who possess the divine spark and are predestined for salvation, contrasted with psychic (faithful) and hylic (material) persons.
It identifies a 'flower of intelligence' destined to become priests and kings, distinguishing an elite capable of mastery.
All passages →Related passages · 1 parallel · 2 contrasts
◆renaissance_hermeticism|Paracelsus: The Aurora of the Philosophers|Section 1a
“THE AURORA OF THE PHILOSOPHERS.
BY THEOPHRASTUS PARACELSUS.
WHICH HE OTHERWISE CALLS HIS MONARCHIA.
CHAPTER I.
CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF THE PHILOSOPHERS’ STONE.
ADAM was the first inventor of arts, because he had knowledge of all thing…”
Both passages discuss the rediscovery and understanding of ancient knowledge and its potential to transform society. Passage A emphasizes the understanding of natural laws and magnetism to perform miracles, while Passage B discusses the origin and division of ancient wisdom, particularly in the context of magic and alchemy. Both highlight the importance of studying and mastering these ancient arts for the betterment of humanity.
◆platonism|Plato: Phaedrus|Section 1mCONTRASTS
“For prophecy is a madness, and the prophetess at Delphi and the priestesses at Dodona when out of their senses have conferred great benefits on Hellas, both in public and private life, but when in their senses few or none.
And I might also…”
Both passages discuss the transformative power of divine or mystical experiences, emphasizing that these experiences, though often misunderstood or dismissed as madness, are sources of profound insight and benefit to humanity. They share a conceptual parallel in valuing these mystical states as pathways to greater understanding and improvement of human life.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|Agrippa: The Philosophy of Natural Magic, Chapter LX — Of Madness, and Divinations which are made when men are awake, and of the Power of a Melancholy Humor, by which Spirits are sometimes induced into Men's Bodies|Chapter LX, Section 1bCONTRASTS
“And this thing, they think, happens under a three-fold difference, according to a three-fold apprehension of the soul, viz., imaginative, rational, and mental; they say, therefore, that when the mind is forced with a melancholy humor, nothi…”
Both passages discuss the potential for humans to access and utilize hidden or supernatural powers, whether through magnetism (Passage A) or through the influence of spirits on the mind (Passage B). They share the concept of unlocking greater human potential and understanding through these powers, leading to significant changes in society and individual capabilities.