The EMERALD TABLETby Dennis William Hauck

The Emerald Tablet is atthe center of Western alchemy andcontains concepts crucial tounderstanding alchemy as it ispracticed around the world. Thealchemists believed the EmeraldTablet was an artifact brought toEgypt by mysterious visitors over12,000 years ago. The tabletcontains the essence of alchemicalphilosophy and has been credited asthe source of both alchemy and thescientific method. The Emerald Tabletis also said to contain a formula forthe perfection of anything, whether itbe a metal or the human soul. Nearlyevery medieval alchemist had a copyof it hanging on his laboratory walland constantly referred to the secretformula it contained.

It is not just the ancients whoappreciated the tablet. “The EmeraldTablet,” said noted Jungian author Dr.Edward Edinger, “is the crypticepitome of the alchemical opus, arecipe for the second creation of theworld.” Esoteric scholar John

Matthews wrote: “Whatever one chooses to believe about it, there is no gettingaway from the fact that the Emerald Tablet is one of the most profound andimportant documents to have come down to us. It has been said more than oncethat it contains the sum of all knowledge – for those able to understand it.”Explorers of consciousness Terence McKenna believed that the Emerald Tablet

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contained “a formula for a holographic matrix” that is mirrored in the humanmind and offers our species its only hope for future survival.

The secret formula contained in the Emerald Tablet became known as theEmerald Formula. It consists of seven consecutive steps that lead to a new levelof creation no matter what the “substance” of transformation may be. Thealchemists interpreted these steps in terms of seven chemical operations thatthey performed on the “matter” of their work to perfect it. We will examine thisformula in detail in the ensuing chapters. For now, however, we are going todevote some time to gaining a deeper understanding of the Emerald Tablet. What the Emerald Tablet Tells Us The Emerald Tablet is organized in seven rubrics or paragraphs. They arecalled rubrics (from the Latin rubeo, meaning “red”) because, in the Latintranslations, the first letter of each paragraph was highlighted in red ink. Itshould be noted that when the tablet refers to the “Universe,” it is talking aboutthe material universe in which we live. When it speaks of the “Whole Universe,” itis referencing not only the material universe (Below) but also the spiritualuniverse (Above). See if you can sense the secret formula hidden in the words ofthe Emerald Tablet as you read the following version.

The Emerald Tablet

In truth, without deceit, certain, and most veritable. That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and thatwhich is Above corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish themiracles of the One Thing. And just as all things have come from thisOne Thing, through the meditation of One Mind, so do all createdthings originate from this One Thing, through Transformation. Its father is the Sun; its mother the Moon. The Wind carries it in itsbelly; its nurse is the Earth. It is the origin of All, the consecration ofthe Universe; its inherent Strength is perfected, if it is turned intoEarth. Separate the Earth from Fire, the Subtle from the Gross, gently andwith great Ingenuity. It rises from Earth to Heaven and descendsagain to Earth, thereby combining within Itself the powers of both

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the Above and the Below. Thus will you obtain the Glory of the Whole Universe. All Obscuritywill be clear to you. This is the greatest Force of all powers, becauseit overcomes every Subtle thing and penetrates every Solid thing. In this way was the Universe created. From this comes manywondrous Applications, because this is the Pattern. Therefore am I called Thrice Greatest Hermes, having all three partsof the wisdom of the Whole Universe. Herein have I completelyexplained the Operation of the Sun.

The first rubricsimply sets the tone ofthe documents and asksus to come to a higherawareness and becomeopen to deeper truths.The second rubricpresents the Doctrine ofCorrespondences, whichdescribes a verticalrelationship betweenthe realm of spiritAbove and the realm ofmatter Below. This isthe so-called VerticalAxis of reality, which thealchemists felt theycould enter in their

meditations. The Horizontal Axis is our normal material world. A wonderfulexample of experiencing the Vertical Axis is a work in the Corpus Hermeticumcalled the “Divine Pymander” (or “Divine Mind”). It is allegedly written byHermes Trismegistus and describes his meeting with the Divine Mind and what itrevealed to him about the nature of reality. The third rubric elaborates on the nature of the One Thing, which is thesubject of the tablet. The alchemists have usually interpreted the One Thing tomean the First Matter or Universal Life Force, and this rubric describes its

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characteristics. The first two sentences of this rubric present the Four Elementsin the order of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. Associated with each of these elementsare the first four operations of alchemy: Calcination, Dissolution, Separation, andConjunction. The fourth rubric is the most mystical part of the Emerald Tablet andseems to be telling us how to enter the spiritual realm Above. It also describesthe last three alchemical operations of Fermentation, Distillation, andCoagulation. The fifth rubric describes the result of the previous conditions,which is the purified Quintessence. The sixth rubric suggests that the previous rubrics have described aspecific universal Pattern that leads to transformation on all levels of reality. It isnot only the formula that the alchemist follows in his work, but also the overallpattern of nature in perfecting matter. The seventh and last rubric, identifies the author of the tablet as “ThriceGreatest Hermes.” Hermes is the Greek name of Thoth, who in the Romantradition was known as Mercury. His Latin name is Hermes Trismegistus, whichmeans “Thrice Greatest Hermes.” Hermes (or Thoth) is thrice-greatest becausehe has gained knowledge on all three levels of reality: the physical plane, themental plane, and the spiritual plane. He is now free of the cycle of rebirth andexists outside time. The Operation of the Sun is the complete explanation of theworkings of the universe. It is best not to over-analyze the Emerald Tablet but rather seek adeeper connection with its truths by reading it many times until it beginsresonating with you in some way. Carry a copy of the tablet with you and read itat various times of the day to see how the meanings change. You may want torewrite in a way that makes more sense to you. It seems that just about everyalchemist from Albertus Magnus to Isaac Newton had their own personaltranslation of the tablet.

© Dennis William Hauck

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