lost amidst the mass of religious superstition, cults, creeds and “gods.”  So it was with Ancient Greece and Rome.  So it was with the Hermetic Teachings of the Gnostics and Early Christians, which were lost at the time of Constantine, whose iron hand smothered philosophy with the blanket of theology, losing to the Christian Church that which was its very essence and spirit, and causing it to grope throughout several centuries before it found the way back to its ancient faith, the indications apparent to all careful observers in this Twentieth Century being that the Church is now struggling to get back to its ancient mystic teachings.

But there were always a few faithful souls who kept alive the Flame, tending it carefully, and not allowing its light to become extinguished.  And thanks to these staunch hearts, and fearless minds, we have the truth still with us.  But it is not found in books, to any great extent.  It has been passed along from Master to Student; from Initiate to Hierophant; from lip to ear.  When it was written down at all, its meaning was veiled in terms of alchemy and astrology so that only those possessing the key could read it aright.  This was made necessary in order to avoid the persecutions of the theologians of the Middle Ages, who fought the Secret Doctrine with fire and sword; stake, gibbet and cross.  Even to this day there will be found but few reliable books on the Hermetic Philosophy, although there are countless references to it in many books written on various phases of Occultism.  And yet, the Hermetic Philosophy is the only Master Key which will open all the doors of the Occult Teachings!

In the early days, there was a compilation of certain Basic Hermetic Doctrines, passed on from teacher to student, which was known as “The Kybalion,” the exact significance and meaning of the term having been lost for several centuries.  This teaching, however, is known to many to whom it has descended, from mouth to ear, on and on throughout the centuries.  Its precepts have never been written down, or printed, so far as we know.  It was merely a collection of maxims, axioms, and precepts, which were non-understandable to outsiders, but which were readily understood by students, after the axioms, maxims, and precepts had been explained and exemplified by the Hermetic Initiates to their Neophytes.  These teachings really constituted the basic principles of “The Art of Hermetic Alchemy,” which, contrary to the general belief, dealt in the mastery of Mental Forces, rather than Material Elements-the Transmutation of one kind of Mental Vibrations into others, instead of the changing of one kind of metal into another.  The legends of the “Philosopher’s Stone” which would turn base metal into Gold, was an allegory relating to Hermetic Philosophy, readily understood by all students of true Hermeticism.