by Mastering the Elements
This is the final exercise in the Fifth Level Soul Series, which aims to refine and finalise the techniques we’ve covered previously. Initially, we focused on the condensation and accumulation of the elements within the body, and their externalisation through the solar plexus. Later, we progressed to the direct reception of the elements from the universe.
Now, instead of diffusing the Elements into the environment, we can focus our imagination to condense a small sphere of 10 to 20 centimetres, or any form of our choice, using the Element we have recalled. This form embodies all the characteristics of the Element itself and generates corresponding sensations within us. For instance, a form representing Fire will produce noticeable warmth, while a form representing Air will create a feeling of lightness.
We follow the usual order of the Elements: Fire, Air, Earth, and Water. After spending a few minutes concentrating on the form, we conclude the practice by dissolving it back into the universe. By the end of this cycle of practices, you should learn to condense the Element from the universe and compress it into any desired form.
Upon reading specific passages from the chapter where Bardon describes this exercise, one gets the impression that the practitioner is expected to achieve impressive results, even to the extent of condensing the Elements into a physically tangible form. Here are some excerpts from the Ruggeberg edition:
Magicians trained in this line can condense an element to such a degree that it becomes a material power. That is why you can light a fire with the help of the fire element at the greatest distance.
— Franz Bardon – Initiation Into Hermetics – Wuppertal 1987, p. 72
This section describes a technique for lighting a cotton ball soaked in a flammable substance, such as alcohol or gasoline. First, you condense the Fire Element to the size of a small pearl and place it inside the cotton. Next, you do the same with the Air Element. When the two elements come into contact, the Air acts as an oxidiser, causing the cotton to catch fire.
Bardon discusses other equally impressive phenomena that one can achieve through mastery of the elements. However, he consistently concludes with phrases like, “The true magician will not waste his time dabbling in these things,” or, “The true magician… will prefer to pursue his development further because he firmly believes he can accomplish much more over time.”
The meaning behind these seemingly conflicting statements needs careful consideration. We face a choice between the potential benefits of these exercises and what is realistically achievable at our current stage of development. Bardon presents the student with an important decision: to pursue a goal that demands dedicated and sustained effort, which may lead to an inflated sense of pride and ego, or to continue on the evolutionary path that fosters spiritual maturity and enables more meaningful achievements over time.
The situation resembles the ancient alchemical quest for the production of gold. Alchemy is a spiritual science that employs metallic and metallurgical symbols to represent the processes that facilitate the integration of essence and substance. Alchemists refer to those who focus on creating physical gold rather than the more subtle and transcendent type as “coal blowers.” The analogy with the search for the visible effect in hermetic practices is quite evident.
Alchemy, as a hermetic art, involves a transformation in one’s state of being. This transformation does not rule out the possibility of achieving metal transmutations, certainly not for profit or the will to power, but as evidence of the achievement.
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