VIII. ALCHEMY AND ASTEOLOGY 



Alchemy and Astrology are sciences which are at the 

 present time very little understood, because they deal 

 with spiritual things, which cannot be known to persons 

 who are not in the possession of spirituality. Chemistry 

 deals with physical matter ; alchemy deals with their 

 astral principles. Astronomy deals with the physical 

 aspect of the bodies of planets and stars ; astrology deals 

 with the omnipresent psychic influences which their 

 souls exert upon each other, and upon the Microcosm 

 of man. 



Chemistry is a science that may be learned by any 

 one who has ordinary intellectual capacities, and a 

 certain amount of skill required for its practical appli- 

 cation. Astronomy may be studied by any one who is 

 able to comprehend mathematics and possesses logic 

 and physical sight. Alchemy is an art which cannot 

 be understood without spiritual or soul knowledge. As- 

 trology is incomprehensible to those who cannot realise 

 the true character of the stars. The books treating of 

 alchemy and astrology will easily be understood by 

 persons who know the things of which they treat, but 

 to those who are not in possession of such knowledge 

 they will be incomprehensible. 



Everything in Nature has a threefold aspect. The 



highest aspect of alchemy is the regeneration of man 



in the spirit of God out of the material elements of his 



physical body. The physical body itself is the greatest 



of mysteries, because in it are contained in a condensed, 



solidified, and corporeal state the very essences which go 



to make up the substance of the spiritual man, and this 



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