Hidden Symbolism of Alchemy and the Occult Arts

Section I.. The Parable.

The Parable.

In an old book I discovered an extraordinary narrative entitled Parabola. I take it as the starting point of my observations because it affords a welcome guide. In the endeavor to understand the parable and get a psychological insight into it, we are led on to journey through these very realms of fancy, into which I should like to conduct the reader. At the end of our journey we shall have acquired, with the understanding of the first example, the knowledge of certain psychical laws.

I shall, then, without further prelude introduce the example, and purposely avoid at the outset mentioning the title of the old book so that the reader may be in a position to allow the narrative to affect him without any preconceived ideas. Explanatory interpolations in the text, which come from me, I distinguish with square brackets.

. As once I strolled in a fair forest, young and green, and contemplated the painfulness of this life, and lamented how through the dire fall of our first parents we inherited such misery and distress, I chanced, while thinking these thoughts, to depart from the usual path, and found myself, I know not how, on a narrow foot path that was rough, untrodden and impassable, and overgrown with so much underbrush and bushes that it was easy to see it was very little used. Therefore I was dismayed and would gladly have gone back, but it was not in my power to do so, since a strong wind so powerfully blew me on, that I could rather take ten steps in advance than one backward.

. Therefore I had to go on and not mind the rough walking.

. After I had advanced a good while I came finally to a lovely meadow hedged about with a round circle of fruit bearing trees, and called by the dwellers Pratum felicitatis [the meadow of felicity], I was in the midst of a company of old men with beards as gray as ice, except for one who was quite a young man with a pointed black beard. Also there was among them one whose name was well known to me, but his visage I could not yet see, who was still younger, and they debated on all kinds of subjects, particularly about a great and lofty mystery, hidden in Nature, which God kept concealed from the great world, and revealed to only a few who loved him.

. I listened long and their discourse pleased me well, only some would break forth from restraint, not touching upon the matter or work, but what touched upon the parables, similitudes and other parerga, in which they followed the poetic fancies of Aristotle, Pliny and others which the one had copied from the other. So I could contain myself no longer and mixed in my own mustard, [put in my own word], refuted such trivial things from experience, and the majority sided with me, examined me in their faculty and made it quite hot for me. However the foundation of my knowledge was so good, that I passed with all honors, whereupon they all were amazed, unanimously included and admitted me in their collegium, of which I was heartily glad.

. But they said I could not be a real colleague till I learned to know their lion, and became thoroughly acquainted with his powers and abilities. For that purpose I should use diligence so as to subdue him. I was quite confident in myself and promised them I would do my best. For their company pleased me so well that I would not have parted from them for a great deal.

. They led me to the lion and described him very carefully, but what I should undertake with him none could tell me. Some of them indeed hinted, but very darkly, so that the (Der Tausende) Thousandth one could not have understood him. But when I should first succeed in subduing him and should have assured myself against his sharp claws, and keen teeth, then they would conceal nothing from me. Now the lion was very old, ferocious and large, his yellow hair hung over his neck, he appeared quite unconquerable, so that I was almost afraid of my temerity and would gladly have turned back if my promise and also the circumstance that the elders stood about me and were waiting to see what I would do, had allowed me to give up. In great confidence I approached the lion in his den and began to caress him, but he looked at me so fiercely with his brightly shining eyes that I could hardly restrain my tears. Just then I remembered that I had learned from one of the elders, while we were going to the lion’s den, that very many people had undertaken to overcome the lion and very few could accomplish it. I was unwilling to be disgraced, and I recalled several grips that I had learned with great diligence in athletics, besides which I was well versed in natural magic [magia] so I gave up the caresses and seized the lion so dextrously, artfully and subtlely, that before he was well aware of it I forced the blood out of his body, yea, even out of his heart. It was beautifully red but very choleric. I dissected him further and found, a fact which caused me much wonder, that his bones were white as snow and there was much more bone than there was blood.

. Now when my dear elders, who stood above around the den and looked at me, were aware of it, they disputed earnestly with each other, for so much I could infer from their motions but what they said I could not hear since I was deep down in the den. Yet as they came close in dispute I heard that one said, “He must bring him to life again, else he can not be our colleague.” I was unwilling to undertake further difficulties, and betook myself out of the den to a great place, and came, I know not how, on a very high wall, whose height rose over 100 ells towards the clouds, but on top was not one foot wide. And there went up from the beginning, where I ascended, to the end an iron hand rail right along the center of the wall, with many leaded supports. On this wall I came, I say, and meseems there went on the right side of the railing a man several paces before me.

. But as I followed him awhile I saw another following me on the other side, yet it was doubtful whether man or woman, that called to me and said that it was better walking on his side than where I went, as I readily believed, because the railing that stood near the middle made the path so narrow that the going at such a height was very bad. Then I saw also some that wished to go on that path, fall: down below behind me, therefore I swung under the railing; holding tight with my hands and went forward on the other side, till I finally came to a place on the wall which was very precipitous and dangerous to descend. Then first I repented that I had not stayed on the other [right] side and I could not go under to the other side as it was also impossible to turn round and get on the other path. So I risked it, trusted to my good feet, held myself tight and came down without harm, and as I walked a little further, looked and knew of no other danger, but also knew not what had become of wall and railing.

. After I came down, there stood in that place a beautiful rose bush, on which beautiful red and white roses were growing, the red more numerous, however, than the white. I broke off some roses from the bush and put them on my hat. But there seemed to be in the same place a wall, surrounding a great garden. In the garden were lads, and their lasses who would gladly be in the garden, but would not wander widely, or take the trouble to come to the gates. So I pitied them. I went further along the path by which I had come, still on the level, and went so fast that I soon came to some houses, where I supposed I should find the gardener’s house. But I found there many people, each having his own room. They were slow. Two together they worked diligently, yet each had his own work. [The meaning may be either that working alone they were slow, but in twos they worked diligently; or two of them worked together and were diligent. Both amount to the same thing as we shall later realize.] But what they did, it seems, I had myself done before and all their work was familiar to me. Especially, thought I, see, if so many other people do so much dirty and sloppy work, that is only an appearance according to each one’s conceit, but has no reason in Nature, so it may also be pardoned in you. I wished, therefore, because I knew such tricks vanished like smoke, to remain here no longer in vain and proceeded on my former way.

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