Magick in Theory and Practice (Section 2)

Once again, there is nothing in this exclusively FnagicaP. Rem¬ brandt Van Ryn used to take a number of ores and other crude objects. From these he banished the impurities, and consecrated them to his work, by the préparation of canvasses, brushes, and colours. This done, he compelled them to take the stamp of his soûl ; from those dull, valueless créatures of earth he created a vital and powerful being of truth and beauty. It would indeed be surprising to anybody who lias corne to a clear compréhension of nature if there were any différence in the essence of these various formulas. The laws of nature apply equally in every possible circumstance. We are now in a position to nnderstand wliat alcliemy is. We miglit even go further and say tliat even if we liad ne ver lieard of it, we know wliat it mu si be. Let us emphasize the fact that the final product is in ail cases a living thing. It has been the great stumbling block to modem research that the statements of alchemists cannot be explained away, From the Chemical standpoint it has seemed not à 'priori impossible that lead should be turned into gold. Our recent discovery of the periodicity of the éléments has made it seem likely, at least in theory, that our apparently immutable éléments should be modi¬ fications of a single one. 1 Organic Chemistry, with its metatheses and synthèses dépendent on the conceptions of molécules as geomet- rical structures has demonstrated a praxis which gives this theory body; and the properties of Radium hâve driven the Old Guard from the redoubt which flew the flag of the essential heterogeneity of the éléments. The doctrines of Evolution hâve brought the alchemical and monistic theory of matter into line with our conception of life ; the collapse of the wall between the animal and vegetable kingdoms has shaken that which divided them from the minerai. But even though the advanced chemist might admit the possibi- lity of transmuting lead into gold, he could not conceive of that I. See R. K. Duncan, “The New Knowledge”, for a popularisation of recent results. Aleister Crowley held this doctrine in his teens at a period when it was the grossest heresy. 186