I think this is very strong with us at the moment. I know that you do not like to trust to divination, but it is significant that the first card I draw today is the Magician. The living flame, the Magus, Thoth, Hermes, Mercury. He is the Alchemist, transmutation, he stands at the balance between light and dark. As above so below. It is an omen.
Have you read any of the Corpus Hermeticum? There are shadows in your mind of this.
Locked to the Order and Allies.
There is a saying in Italia; 'Siccome la casa brucia, riscaldiamoci.' - 'As the house is on fire, let us warm ourselves.' Or in better English; 'Let us make the best of a bad situation.'
Locked to the Order of the Phoenix and Allies.aculeatusNovember 17 2007, 20:46:46 UTC
"...the Magician. The living flame, the Magus, Thoth, Hermes, Mercury. He is the Alchemist, transmutation, he stands at the balance between light and dark. As above so below."
I have not read the Corpus Hermeticum, but I have made extensive notes on Rationis Anguigena, which draws on some of the same sources. The idea of base magical signature naturally gravitating towards a serpentine structure is, of course, very attractive to a Slytherin.
Locked to the Order of the Phoenix and Allies.val_viscontiNovember 17 2007, 21:58:35 UTC
I apologise, I should have made my original comment in public.
I have not read Rationis Anguigena, but as you say, the idea seems very attractive. It reminds me of the caduceus again, the universe in equilibrium. All energy and all magic constantly moving and yet also staying the same; the light and the dark woven together. It is not possible to have one without the other. To try to separate them is to deny half of your magical existence. It is so. I have seen it.
On further reading, this might be important - it is from the Lament of Hermes, from the Asclepius in the Corpus Hermeticum;
The purpose of all rituals in ceremonial magic is to unite the microcosm with the macrocosm, to join God, or the gods, when invoked (prayer or concentrated thought) with human consciousness. When such a supreme union is achieved, the subject and object become one.
The magician feels that he is consciously in touch with all elements of the universe, therefore, he can control them.
Locked to the Order of the Phoenix and Allies.aculeatusNovember 17 2007, 23:02:27 UTC
Control, then. As if it could be anything else. But what is He planning to control? He already has an army, and is quite capable of Imperio-ing more slaves. Or, as was discussed elsewhere, He wishes to summon and control something from outside.
Why is the spring important, though?
I've heard of the Lament, but I'm not familiar with the text itself. Do you have it to hand?
Locked to the Order of the Phoenix and Allies.val_viscontiNovember 19 2007, 00:07:36 UTC
Yes. I will quote here directly from the notes which I have copied from the text so that you can see everything in context - forgive if this is very long.
The Lament of Hermes the Egyptian, part of the Asclepius, is a prophecy describing the end of the Egyptian civilisation. It is one of the most quoted relatively ancient Egyptian texts, though it is actually part of the Corpus Hermeticum and thus by some to be considered not Egyptian at all. It is the “extended and unabridged edition” of the dictum “as above, so below”. Some have labelled this the summary of the entire system of traditional and modern magic, while others believe it holds the key to all mysteries. It suggests that the macrocosmos was reflected in the microcosmos, a concept which formed the basis of astrology
( ... )
Locked to the Order of the Phoenix and Allies.aculeatusNovember 21 2007, 01:11:13 UTC
Am I the only one who finds the parallels with our present situation exceedingly disturbing? I am no Diviner, but even I could make a stab at a correlation.
"This All, which is a good thing, the best that can be seen in the past, the present and the future, will be in danger of perishing..."
Hogwarts, perhaps, or the Wizarding world in its entirety?
"For darkness will be preferred to light...the pious man will be thought mad, the impious, wise; the frenzied will be thought brave, the worst criminal a good man..."
Which needs no translation.
"A new justice will be created and new laws... Only the evil angels will remain, who will mingle with men, and constrain them by violence - miserable creatures - to all the excesses of criminal audacity, engaging them in wars, brigandage, frauds, and in everything which is contrary to the nature of the soul..."
One cannot deny that the Ministry have been most enthusiastic redefining justice, offence most definitely no offence intended, Lucius. Evil angels - Dementors or Death Eaters? Both?
I think this is very strong with us at the moment. I know that you do not like to trust to divination, but it is significant that the first card I draw today is the Magician. The living flame, the Magus, Thoth, Hermes, Mercury. He is the Alchemist, transmutation, he stands at the balance between light and dark. As above so below.
It is an omen.
Have you read any of the Corpus Hermeticum? There are shadows in your mind of this.
Locked to the Order and Allies.
There is a saying in Italia; 'Siccome la casa brucia, riscaldiamoci.' - 'As the house is on fire, let us warm ourselves.' Or in better English; 'Let us make the best of a bad situation.'
Reply
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I have not read the Corpus Hermeticum, but I have made extensive notes on Rationis Anguigena, which draws on some of the same sources. The idea of base magical signature naturally gravitating towards a serpentine structure is, of course, very attractive to a Slytherin.
Reply
I have not read Rationis Anguigena, but as you say, the idea seems very attractive. It reminds me of the caduceus again, the universe in equilibrium. All energy and all magic constantly moving and yet also staying the same; the light and the dark woven together. It is not possible to have one without the other. To try to separate them is to deny half of your magical existence. It is so. I have seen it.
On further reading, this might be important - it is from the Lament of Hermes, from the Asclepius in the Corpus Hermeticum;
The purpose of all rituals in ceremonial magic is to unite the microcosm with the macrocosm, to join God, or the gods, when invoked (prayer or concentrated thought) with human consciousness. When such a supreme union is achieved, the subject and object become one.
The magician feels that he is consciously in touch with all elements of the universe, therefore, he can control them.
Reply
Why is the spring important, though?
I've heard of the Lament, but I'm not familiar with the text itself. Do you have it to hand?
Reply
Reply
Reply
The Lament of Hermes the Egyptian, part of the Asclepius, is a prophecy describing the end of the Egyptian civilisation. It is one of the most quoted relatively ancient Egyptian texts, though it is actually part of the Corpus Hermeticum and thus by some to be considered not Egyptian at all. It is the “extended and unabridged edition” of the dictum “as above, so below”. Some have labelled this the summary of the entire system of traditional and modern magic, while others believe it holds the key to all mysteries. It suggests that the macrocosmos was reflected in the microcosmos, a concept which formed the basis of astrology ( ... )
Reply
"This All, which is a good thing, the best that can be seen in the past, the present and the future, will be in danger of perishing..."
Hogwarts, perhaps, or the Wizarding world in its entirety?
"For darkness will be preferred to light...the pious man will be thought mad, the impious, wise; the frenzied will be thought brave, the worst criminal a good man..."
Which needs no translation.
"A new justice will be created and new laws... Only the evil angels will remain, who will mingle with men, and constrain them by violence - miserable creatures - to all the excesses of criminal audacity, engaging them in wars, brigandage, frauds, and in everything which is contrary to the nature of the soul..."
One cannot deny that the Ministry have been most enthusiastic redefining justice, offence most definitely no offence intended, Lucius. Evil angels - Dementors or Death Eaters? Both?
( ... )
Reply
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