Good things come in small packages
Think of the Emerald tablet as a zipped file. It's and incredibly compact document which, nevertheless, contains all you need to know about all you need to know about. And then some. It's the bedrock of Western esoteric philosophy, magic and alchemy.
The core message of the tablet, man's intrinsic divinity and his right to a direct relationship with God, has never been popular with the Catholic Church which has very effectively suppressed and discredited it. When the tablet's influence is weakened we have the dark ages and the inquisition, when it is strengthened you have the renaissance and the enlightenment. The great leaps in civilisation, the flowering of the Egyptian and Greek cultures, can be attributed to the influence of the Tablet. The Church continues to work insidiously and industriously against the tablet; and in this it is aided by the increasingly materialistic nature of our society. Nevertheless the tablet is back. And not before time. The philosophy expounded in the Tablet underpinned the 20th century the occult revival. And, with the advent of quantum physics, mainstream science is no longer in in direct opposition.
Physically it is described as a green crystalline tablet with the words appearing in bass relief. That is raised rather than engraved. Its origins are obscure. Alien artefact, relic of Atlantis, a gift from the gods or God. The principal legend has it that it was a gift to humanity by the Egyptian god Thoph (known in the west as Hermes). The earliest records of the Tablet are in documents which escaped the destruction of the Great Library of Alexandria by the Christian hoards. But fascinating though its physical attributes and origins are they should not distract us from the message it contains. Because, whether it was written by the finger of God at the dawn of time, or dreamed up by a second century philosopher, it nevertheless, resonates with integrity and truth.
Many of the greatest minds in history have attempted to 'unzip' the Emerald Tablet. And many have died at the hands of the Inquisition refusing to deny its truths. Countless alchemical and magical works expanding and expounding on the seven rubrics of the tablet have been written in the last two millennia. Much has been lost with the destruction of the great library but the key elements survived through Arabic translations which were preserved in lands where Christians held no sway. Ironically it was during the Crusades that this knowledge was rediscovered. However, due to Christian suppression, the majority of 'Hermetic' literature available to us is encoded and obscure.
The forbidden nature of the Tablet and the myriad exotic artworks it has inspired over the centuries can be undeniably attractive; and there is a danger of the medium continuing to obscure the message even in the (relatively) persecution-free 21st century. Perhaps it is perversity on my part but I see the challenge is to 'walk in the opposite direction' - that is, reducing and simplifying the message of the tablet rather than expanding on it.
Below are four translations of the Tablet. Have a read through and see if you can encapsulate it's message in modern English. There is an entry box below.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/alc/emerald.htm
The core message of the tablet, man's intrinsic divinity and his right to a direct relationship with God, has never been popular with the Catholic Church which has very effectively suppressed and discredited it. When the tablet's influence is weakened we have the dark ages and the inquisition, when it is strengthened you have the renaissance and the enlightenment. The great leaps in civilisation, the flowering of the Egyptian and Greek cultures, can be attributed to the influence of the Tablet. The Church continues to work insidiously and industriously against the tablet; and in this it is aided by the increasingly materialistic nature of our society. Nevertheless the tablet is back. And not before time. The philosophy expounded in the Tablet underpinned the 20th century the occult revival. And, with the advent of quantum physics, mainstream science is no longer in in direct opposition.
Physically it is described as a green crystalline tablet with the words appearing in bass relief. That is raised rather than engraved. Its origins are obscure. Alien artefact, relic of Atlantis, a gift from the gods or God. The principal legend has it that it was a gift to humanity by the Egyptian god Thoph (known in the west as Hermes). The earliest records of the Tablet are in documents which escaped the destruction of the Great Library of Alexandria by the Christian hoards. But fascinating though its physical attributes and origins are they should not distract us from the message it contains. Because, whether it was written by the finger of God at the dawn of time, or dreamed up by a second century philosopher, it nevertheless, resonates with integrity and truth.
Many of the greatest minds in history have attempted to 'unzip' the Emerald Tablet. And many have died at the hands of the Inquisition refusing to deny its truths. Countless alchemical and magical works expanding and expounding on the seven rubrics of the tablet have been written in the last two millennia. Much has been lost with the destruction of the great library but the key elements survived through Arabic translations which were preserved in lands where Christians held no sway. Ironically it was during the Crusades that this knowledge was rediscovered. However, due to Christian suppression, the majority of 'Hermetic' literature available to us is encoded and obscure.
The forbidden nature of the Tablet and the myriad exotic artworks it has inspired over the centuries can be undeniably attractive; and there is a danger of the medium continuing to obscure the message even in the (relatively) persecution-free 21st century. Perhaps it is perversity on my part but I see the challenge is to 'walk in the opposite direction' - that is, reducing and simplifying the message of the tablet rather than expanding on it.
Below are four translations of the Tablet. Have a read through and see if you can encapsulate it's message in modern English. There is an entry box below.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/alc/emerald.htm
Isaac Newton's translation
[1] Tis true without lying, certain most true.
[2] That which is below is like that which is above that which is above is like that which is below to do the miracles of one only thing. And as all things have been arose from one by the mediation of one: so all things have their birth from this one thing by adaptation.
[3] The Sun is its father, the moon its mother, the wind hath carried it in its belly, the earth its nurse. The father of all perfection in the whole world is here. Its force or power is entire if it be converted into earth.
[4] Separate thou the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross sweetly with great industry. It ascends from the earth to the heaven again it descends to the earth and receives the force of things superior and inferior.
[5] By this means ye shall have the glory of the whole world thereby all obscurity shall fly from you. Its force is above all force. for it vanquishes every subtle thing and penetrates every solid thing.
[6] So was the world created. From this are and do come admirable adaptations whereof the means (Or process) is here in this.
[7] Hence I am called Hermes Trismegist, having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world. That which I have said of the operation of the Sun is accomplished and ended.
Contemporary rendering from Latin text
[1] [It is] true, without error, certain and most true.
[2] That which is below is as that which is above, and that which is above is as that which is below, to perform the miracles of the one thing. And as all things were from the one, by means of the meditation of the one, thus all things were born from the one, by means of adaptation.
[3] Its father is the Sun, its mother is the Moon, the Wind carried it in its belly, its nurse is the earth. The father of the whole world [or "of all of the initiates"?] is here. Its power is whole if it has been turned into earth.
[4] You will separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the dense, sweetly, with great skill. It ascends from earth into heaven and again it descends to the earth, and receives the power of higher and of lower things.
[5] Thus you will have the Glory of the whole world. Therefore will all obscurity flee from you. Of all strength this is true strength, because it will conquer all that is subtle, and penetrate all that is solid.
[6] Thus was the world created. From this were wonderful adaptations, of which this is the means.
[7] Therefore am I named Thrice-Great Hermes, having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world. It is finished, what I have said about the working[s] of the Sun.
Contemporary rendering from Arabic text
[1] It contains an accurate commentary that can't be doubted.
[2] It states: What is the above is from the below and the below is from the above. The work of wonders is from one. And all things sprang from this essence through a single projection. How marvelous is its work! It is the principle [sic] part of the world and its custodian.
[3] Its father is the sun and its mother is the moon. Thus the wind bore it within it and the earth nourished it. Father of talismans and keeper of wonders. Perfect in power that reveals the lights. It is a fire that became our earth.
[4] Separate the earth from the fire and you shall adhere more to that which is subtle than that which is coarse, through care and wisdom.
[5] It ascends from the earth to the heaven. It extracts the lights from the heights and descends to the earth containing the power of the above and the below for it is with the light of the lights. Therefore the darkness flees from it.
[6] The greatest power overcomes everything that is subtle and it penetrates all that is coarse. The formation of the microcosm is in accordance with the formation of the macrocosm. The scholars made this their path.
[7] This is why Thrice Hermes was exalted with wisdom. This is his last book that he hid in the catacomb.