Keats.
INSPIRATION AND KNOWLEDGE: EXPERIMENTS ON SENSITIVES: GEMS AND COLOUR ATTRACTIONS: ANCIENT GEM CLASSIFICATION: SCIENCE HERMETIC AMONG ANCIENT NATIONS: PUNISHMENT OF THE PEACH TREE: MODERN CLASSIFICATION.
The study of the precious and semi-precious stones of the earth has commanded the attention of man from the mists of ages when, according to Enoch, the angel Azazzel came to the earth plane to teach him the use of them. Hence man considered the actual benefit to himself of these stones until his natural curiosity led him to study more deeply the marvel of their existence. There can be little doubt that the indicated use was talismanic, and that the pure wisdom of divine inspiration and a clear faith rendered man’s intuition so keen that he was quite able to know the virtue of various stones without chemical analysis. Dr. Ennemoser has recorded the effects of precious stones on certain psychic subjects, giving the opinion that “it is not improbable that in the early ages the belief in the virtues of talismans was induced by similar observations.” This, no doubt, is true and indicates to us that certain observed phenomena compelled a closer study. We are then reminded of the experiments which have been attributed to the schools of Pythagoras and of the observed effects of certain stones in the hands of sensitives by Baron Reichenbach in the middle of the nineteenth century and of the still more recent experiments in the schools at Nancy. There are records of these experiments being carried out on magnetic somnambulists when diamonds, emeralds, rubies, loadstones, beryls, jaspers and other stones were found to produce varied and strange effects. Gems in common with all manifestations of nature have the power of attracting certain colours to themselves: and so persistent are these colours that it has been observed that when they are changed by art they are liable to revert slowly (for the action of the stone world is slow) to their original colours. This can be noticed especially with Topaz which may on this account alone have been identified with the stubborn and indomitable Mars. The attraction of diverse colours by the various chemical compounds which are cohesive in the various stones must be a certain indication of vibratory power. Indeed, the ancients have indicated that the rates of vibration in the gems differ with the needs of the chemical entities composing them, and it may as well be emphasized here that life exists in a gem just as it does in another form in a plant or an animal. It need scarcely be repeated that colour is vibration. Colour is crystallized in a gem and immense vibration defies the material senses of man. A violet amethyst vibrates at the enormous rate of 750 trillions per second whilst a red ruby vibrates at 460 trillions. Hence we can scientifically demonstrate distinct powers by the evidence of known vibratory action. The people of antiquity classified gems in a manner different from that of the people of to-day, for they regarded colour of primary importance and bracketed stones of similar shades thus establishing the first points of agreement in the department of vibratory power. It is inconceivable however, that the great masters were unacquainted with chemical components, for chemistry was one of the secret arts, and it is well known that the priests of Egypt experimented secretly in their temples and that the betrayal of scientific secrets was followed by the mysterious “punishment of the peach tree” (supposed to be death from prussic acid). Modern groupings are arranged with regard to chemical affinities so far as can be traced by close analytical investigations and experiments.
CHAPTER II
THE MOST ANCIENT SCIENCE
“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the Heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.” Genesis 1:14.
ASTROLOGY: COLOURS OF THE HEAVENS.
The old science of Astrology was known amongst the Hebrews as the Wisdom of Foreknowledge (HOK MAT HA NISSAYON), and with it was included Astronomy or Star Knowledge (HOK MAT HA HOZZAYON). It is spoken of as of heavenly origin having been communicated to man by the angels after he had lost Eden. It was written that:
Kokabel communicated Astrology, Wisdom of the Stars.
Rakiel or Barakel communicated Astronomy, Star Gazing.
Shehakeel communicated The Wisdom of the Clouds.