Archived title – now sold out
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A Facsimile
Frederick Hockley/Golden Dawn
Alchemical Manuscript
Finely bound by hand in a limited edition of 120 numbered copies.
Printed on fine laid paper hand sewn in folio; this new enlarged edition ( 290mm x 225mm ) has each copy in quarter leather using a rich grained dark blue goatskin, a fine cloth in deep wine red, and incorporates French marbled endpapers of non-pareil design showing layers of reds and purples intricately melted together.
‘A Manual Containing the Process of the philosophers stone, and some valuable experiments inventions, astrological ingredients &c Transcribed from The original manuscript By Frederick Hockley January 8th 1833’ Legend of a secret alchemical tradition within the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn has persisted, from the earliest days members were devoted to the practise of a physical and spiritual alchemy that had its roots in the earliest Rosicrucian Societies.
Reproduced here is Hockleys transcription series of alchemical experiments carried out in 1797 by Bacstrom, as part of his work in the Philosophus grade of Chazals ‘Society of Rosicrucians’. Each experiment is accompanied by an astrological chart and detailed observations on the material, apparatus, times and conditions of the work. Diagrams of the flask, burning lamp and seals convey the precision of Bacstroms approach, far removed from the vagaries of published alchemical treatises. Stages of the work are clearly marked, dates and times for all the experiments are given with the positions of the planets at the time, the measure of heat used is given precisely, variations and alterations to the method and apparatus are noted carefully throughout. ‘…may 23rd… there are proofs here that a simple matter without any addition might be brought to perfection…’ The authors exhilaration at witnessing the ‘Peacocks Tail’ (the effective degeneration of the substance) and its producing a most wonderful display of bright colours which ‘..remain as brilliant as before..’ show that this work was clearly part of a much larger and longer series of experiments no doubt undertaken with the direction of his initiator into the Rosicrucian mysteries. ‘…My new subject taken from its mine June 4th 3pm 1797..’
This ‘Animal Stone’ is a precise operation involving much detailed and careful work, it is only given to members of the ‘Internal College’, the inner order of the Rosicrucian Society, and constitutes the real secret of inner alchemy transmitted through the ‘Gold un Rosenkreuz’ order founded in 1580. The manuscript reproduced here is part of that genuine transmission of hidden alchemical lore, Hockley learnt from Bacstrom, who learnt from Chazal. The Comte Luis du Chazal in turn received it through Cagliostro, whose Egyptian Rites were of such great interest to the founders of the Golden Dawn and their teachers in the ‘Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia’, the ‘Fratres Lucis’ of Kenneth Mackenzie and the ‘Society of Eight’ of F.G.Irwin et al. An early member of the Golden Dawn, the Reverend Alexandre Ayton told W.B.Yeats that he had made an elixir of life which he had shown to a French alchemist, undoubtably Eliphas Levi who visited England for that purpose in 1861, Levi himself wote: ‘…I have seen the secret fire produced…I know what can be done with gold, but believe me when I say that I will never do it…’ Percy Bullock himself bought a copy of this manuscript, and showed it to A.E.Waite after Hockleys death, Waite mentions this in his book ‘The Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross’ where he refers to ‘… a very curious manuscript on diurnal proceedings in a laboratory undertaken for the purposes of the Great Work…..’ Appended to our Hockley manuscript on the alchemical operations, is another shorter piece, a certificate and relation of an initiation into the Rosicrucian Society, being: ‘Copy Of the Admission of Dr Bacstrom By Transcribed by
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