Alchemy texts archives - Kybalion

Date: Wed, 26 Mar 1997 14:32:58 -0700
From: Maria Angeles Alonso

I am a Earth scientist (geologist) and the main reason for which I am
interested in that group is more or less fortuitous.. Three years ago I
found in a Spaniish bookstore in Madrid a book that trapped my attention,
without awareness of how much it would influence on me. The title was
something like "The Kybalion", a study about the Hermetic Philosophy
of Ancient Egypt and Greece", apparently it is a resume of the Seven
Hermetic Principles. Since it was my first contact with Hermetic Philosophy
I wanted to know more about it, but the book was anonymous except for
the final signature: "the three Initiated", no copyrights, no dates, no references,
the only information was that the book was a traslation of the original
text in English "The Kybalion".

Like I was clueless I decided to explore through Internet using the word
Kybalion, and this is how I met The Alchemy Web site. I did not have
access to other sources of information until then, because I like that book
very much I'd like to know who wrote it and what were the original texts
and information as well as to discuss some of its insights. Could anyone
give some information?,

From: Noel Kettering
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 11:24:22 -0500

Maria Angeles Alonso asked about the Kybalion.

The book is available from the Builders of the Adytum

They have a web-site http://www.atanda.com/bota/

I copied this from the catalog page:

-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Kybalion, Hermetic Philosophy by Three Initiates
Ever since its first publication in 1912, this volume dealing
with the seven principles upon which the entire Hermetic
Philosophy is based, has been in constant demand. Its authors
concealed their names, probably with the view that what was
written must stand in its own right without claims of authority.
Hardcover, 223 pages, 5" x 7 1/2". Item #1006 (SW 12 oz) $13.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------
El Kybalion, Traducción al Español Item #1106 (SW 12 oz) $13.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Tradition has it, that one of the "Three Initiates" was Paul
Foster Case, founder of BOTA and former head of the Golden Dawn
in America.

Noel

Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 11:05:57 -0600 (CST)
From: George Leake

>From: Maria Angeles Alonso
>Like I was clueless I decided to explore through Internet using the word
>Kybalion, and this is how I met The Alchemy Web site. I did not have
>access to other sources of information until then, because I like that book
>very much I'd like to know who wrote it and what were the original texts
>and information as well as to discuss some of its insights. Could anyone
>give some information?,

I think this work has been included in anthologies elsewhere. A quick
look at the UT online catalog tells me there's a copy available via
Inter-Library Loan Service which many libraries in the USA participate in.
Please contact me off the list for more info. Although I think Kybalion
might be more easily found.

Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 20:27:11 +0100
From: Michal Pober

>From: Maria Angeles Alonso
>Three years ago I
>found in a Spanish bookstore in Madrid a book that trapped my attention,
>without awareness of how much it would influence on me. The title was
>something like "The Kybalion", a study about the Hermetic Philosophy
>of Ancient Egypt and Greece", apparently it is a resume of the Seven
>Hermetic Principles. Since it was my first contact with Hermetic Philosophy
>I wanted to know more about it, but the book was anonymous except for
>the final signature: "the three Initiated", no copyrights, no dates, no
>references,
>the only information was that the book was a traslation of the original
>text in English "The Kybalion".
>
>Like I was clueless I decided to explore through Internet using the word
>Kybalion, and this is how I met The Alchemy Web site. I did not have
>access to other sources of information until then, because I like that book
>very much I'd like to know who wrote it and what were the original texts
>and information as well as to discuss some of its insights.

Dear MAA
I loved your story of your introduction to this book.
Its apocryphal, or archetypal..
I know mothing of the book whatsoever, except a couple of mentions that
ocurred a while ago on another venue, which I quote for you here:

>Jean,
>I believe the book he is referring to is:
>"The Kabalion of the 3 Initiates" published by Yogi Publishing Society.
>For a short overview of Kabalion principles, check out:

>>http://www.spiritone.com/~skhtmt/skhtmt/mysticism/7hermetic/7hermetic.htm<

>Scott L. Whitman
>>Hi--I'm new to the list, and hoping someone may be able to help me answer
>>a question. I'm a librarian in northern California, and one of our
>>patrons is looking for information about the Kybalion. He says this book
>>is his bible, but he has always wondered about where the title comes from
>>and what it means. He thinks Kybalion may be a Greek or Egyptian word,
>>and would like it translated.
>>I haven't read The Kybalion, and all I know about it came from reading
>>the remarks in the Alchemy Forum archives. Am I correct in thinking that
>>Kybalion may be a varient spelling of Kabbalah? If not, can anyone tell
>>me what the word does mean and where it comes from? This would mean a
>>great deal to our patron, who is a very nice regular customer of our
>>library.
>>Jean Hewlett

Also, I remember Lapis also referring to the Kybalion and I'm sure he'll be
able to give you much more hard info.

Regards,
michal

From: Noel Kettering
Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 02:58:41 -0500

There is a question as to the origin and meaning of the
word "KYBALION".

It is an artificially coined word of Greek derivation,
chosen because, by sound, it resembles both Qabalah and
Cybele (Asiatic mother of the gods.)

The Kybalion has to do with the Great Work of equilibrating
the powers of the Spiritual Sun, so as to produce the Stone
of the Wise.

When spelled with Greek letters, some of the gematria of the
word KYBALION would be:

583 (TMYRA DTMYRYN) Temira De-Temirin (Hebrew)
Concealed of the Concealed - a title of Kether

583 (MSThGP) misetageyph (Hebrew)
A hidden body; Hermit

583 (elektron) (Greek)
Alloy of Gold and Silver

That which is concealed within every form is the ONE THING,
the ONE Identity, the ONE Life - in perfect solitude, hidden
within every thought, every action, every form - a perfect
UNITY, the complete Union of Super-consciousness and Sub-
consciousness, held in a perfect Self-conscious balance.

Noel

From: Pat Zalewski
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 96 07:28 NZDT

>From: LeGrand Cinq-Mars
>
>This is a bit of a digression -- but I have heard that Paul Case
>was one of the auhtors of the Kybalion; now Pat Zalewski says that
>all three were expelled by Moina Mathers. Who were the other two?
>Is there any good material available on the authorship and background
>of the _Kybalion_?

They were Michael Whitty and Charles Atkins, the other two chiefs of the
Thoth Hermes temple.
Pat Zalewski

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 17:08:48 -0600 (CST)
From: George Leake

>Noel Kettering writes
>There is a question as to the origin and meaning of the
>word "KYBALION".
>It is an artificially coined word of Greek derivation,
>chosen because, by sound, it resembles both Qabalah and
>Cybele (Asiatic mother of the gods.)

Wow, I've never heard this before.

Who, exactly, did this "choosing"?

My guess is some historian presented this speculation in some book in the
last 100 years or so.

George Leake

From: Noel Kettering
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 18:00:34 -0500

> >There is a question as to the origin and meaning of the
> >word "KYBALION".
> >It is an artificially coined word of Greek derivation,
> >chosen because, by sound, it resembles both Qabalah and
> >Cybele (Asiatic mother of the gods.)

George Leake wrote:

> Wow, I've never heard this before.
> Who, exactly, did this "choosing"?

I have studied with the Builders Of The Adytum since 1973.

Paul Foster Case started the Builders and wrote extensively.

Dr. Case is purported to be one of the "Three Initiates" that
authored the book (along with, as was recently mentioned in
this ALCHEMY-TEXTS group, Michael Whitty and Charles Atkins)

Noel

Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 09:41:54 -0600 (CST)
From: George Leake

>> >There is a question as to the origin and meaning of the
>> >word "KYBALION".
>> >It is an artificially coined word of Greek derivation,
>> >chosen because, by sound, it resembles both Qabalah and
>> >Cybele (Asiatic mother of the gods.)

>George Leake wrote:
>> Wow, I've never heard this before.
>> Who, exactly, did this "choosing"?

>From: Noel Kettering
>I have studied with the Builders Of The Adytum since 1973.
>Paul Foster Case started the Builders and wrote extensively.
>Dr. Case is purported to be one of the "Three Initiates" that
>authored the book (along with, as was recently mentioned in
>this ALCHEMY-TEXTS group, Michael Whitty and Charles Atkins)

I don't see how this answers the question. Are you then implying that Case
asserts this connection? And what about the "choosing"? Or is that the way
Case puts it (i.e. another one of his historical speculations presented as
fact)?

George Leake

Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 16:11:23 -0500 (EST)
From: Grethe Livingstone

Noel Kettering wrote:

> I have studied with the Builders Of The Adytum since 1973.
> Paul Foster Case started the Builders and wrote extensively.
> Dr. Case is purported to be one of the "Three Initiates" that
> authored the book (along with, as was recently mentioned in
> this ALCHEMY-TEXTS group, Michael Whitty and Charles Atkins)

Noel,

To associate The Kybalion with Paul Foster Case and company seems almost
preposterous. The pure Beauty of The Kybalion, and the utter simplicity which
which the teachings of the Seven Hermetic Teachings were laid out, shows me
that I am reading the words of someone who truly Knew. To associate the
Kybalion's perfect Teaching with someone who promulagted sexual practices in
order to arrive at enlightenment, is no better than to say that Alistair
Crowley wrote the Bible. Although I am quite certain that all of these
characters would happily take the credit for these writings, I will most
adamantly not give it to them.

Yours absolutely sincerely

Grethe Livingstone.

Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997
From: George Leake

>From: Grethe Livingstone
>To associate The Kybalion with Paul Foster Case and company seems almost
>preposterous. The pure Beauty of The Kybalion, and the utter simplicity which
>which the teachings of the Seven Hermetic Teachings were laid out, shows me
>that I am reading the words of someone who truly Knew. To associate the
>Kybalion's perfect Teaching with someone who promulagted sexual practices in
>order to arrive at enlightenment, is no better than to say that Alistair
>Crowley wrote the Bible. Although I am quite certain that all of these
>characters would happily take the credit for these writings, I will most
>adamantly not give it to them.

First of all, I don't think anyone was giving credit to Case or
Crowley--in fact it was impossible to discern what Noel's point was in the
first place. What is not preposterous is that Case might have said
something about the Kybalion/Kabbalah/Cybele connection--which frankly
seems reminiscent of Scientology.

On the other hand, to characterize Crowley as "someone who promulagted
sexual practices in order to arrive at enlightenment" is reductive and
selective in the extreme! Thelema has more to do with free will, and
developing a discerning mind.

George Leake

From: Noel Kettering
Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997

Noel Kettering wrote:
>There is a question as to the origin and meaning of the
>word "KYBALION".
>It is an artificially coined word of Greek derivation,
>chosen because, by sound, it resembles both Qabalah and
>Cybele (Asiatic mother of the gods.)

George Leake wrote:
>> Wow, I've never heard this before.
>> Who, exactly, did this "choosing"?

Noel Kettering wrote:
>I have studied with the Builders Of The Adytum since 1973.
>Paul Foster Case started the Builders and wrote extensively.
>Dr. Case is purported to be one of the "Three Initiates" that
>authored the book (along with, as was recently mentioned in
>this ALCHEMY-TEXTS group, Michael Whitty and Charles Atkins)

George Leake wrote:
>>I don't see how this answers the question. Are you then implying
>>that Case asserts this connection? And what about the "choosing"?
>>Or is that the way Case puts it (i.e. another one of his
>>historical speculations presented as fact)?

Grethe Livingstone wrote:
>>>To associate The Kybalion with Paul Foster Case and company seems
>>>almost preposterous. The pure Beauty of The Kybalion, and the
>>>utter simplicity which which the teachings of the Seven Hermetic
>>>Teachings were laid out, shows me that I am reading the words of
>>>someone who truly Knew. To associate the Kybalion's perfect
>>>Teaching with someone who promulagted sexual practices in
>>>order to arrive at enlightenment, is no better than to say that
>>>Alistair Crowley wrote the Bible. Although I am quite certain
>>>that all of these characters would happily take the credit for
>>>these writings, I will most adamantly not give it to them.

To George Leake,

I'm sorry that my answer wasn't clear - yes, I'm implying that
Paul Case asserts this connection. I don't know who did the
"choosing", however, IF these three authors wrote the book (as
purported), I imagine that they may have had something to do
with that choice.

As for the 'historical speculations presented as fact', I feel no
need to defend the scholarship of Dr. Case, nor his writing style
(which, it may be noticed, has influenced my own.)

I would be happy to provide 'a grain of salt' if needed.

To Grethe Livingstone,

I agree, the Beauty and Simplicity with which the Kybalion is
presented, does, indeed, give the impression of 'True Knowledge.'
It is a quite remarkable work. The credit for authorship is given
to 'Three Initiates', and I, for one, am inclined to believe that
this is, indeed, the work of Initiates.

Ultimately, of course, the implication of this statement is that
the writers were in contact with a 'Higher Source', and acted as
agents for that source in the dissemination of this material.

Perhaps, if the credit for authorship had been given to 'Hermes'
we would be able to discuss the work and not the purported authors.

As for the 'promulgation of sexual practices', all I can say is
that, having read everything by Paul Case that I could find, I
have only ever found him to be slightly less than Victorian in
his presentation of those topics.

To All,

I apologize, humbly, to all who might perceive my writing as
pedantic and/or authoritarian. It is not my intention. Indeed, my
intention is learn from you, and to share that modicum of insight
that has been granted to me, by the "Grace of God."

With my most sincere Respect, deepest Love, and a grain of salt,

Noel Kettering

From: Dan
Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997

Grethe,

In a message dated 97-04-03, you write:

>To associate The Kybalion with Paul Foster Case and company seems
>almost preposterous. The pure Beauty of The Kybalion, and the utter
>simplicity which the teachings of the Seven Hermetic Teachings were
>laid out, shows methat I am reading the words of someone who truly Knew.
>To associate the Kybalion's perfect Teaching with someone who
>promulagted sexual practices in order to arrive at enlightenment, is no
>better than to say that Alistair Crowley wrote the Bible. Although I am quite
>certain that all of these characters would happily take the credit for these
>writings, I will most adamantly not give it to them.

Are we speaking about the same Paul Foster Case?
I know his writing style well, and there is little doubt in my mind that he
authored the book, in fact was probably the main author (IMO).
I think you know much less about Dr. Case than you imagine.
The book itself is really very 19th century; helpful, but now badly in need
of revision.

Blessings,

Dan

From: Grethe Livingstone
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 16:57:50 -0500 (EST)

George Leake,

I agree that it was hard to discern Noel's point in the beginning, but he
clarified it admirably when he stated :

"I have studied with the Builders Of The Adytum since 1973.
Paul Foster Case started the Builders and wrote extensively.
Dr. Case is purported to be one of the "Three Initiates" that
authored the book (along with, as was recently mentioned in
this ALCHEMY-TEXTS group, Michael Whitty and Charles Atkins)"

And yes, to : "....to characterize Crowley as "someone who promulgated
sexual practices in order to arrive at enlightenment" is reductive and
selective in the extreme!" I was being both reductive and selective, and
did not have the enthusiasm or energy to go back to Crowley's writings for
further examples and evidences why he did not write the Bible.

As for Paul Foster Case being one of the authors of the Kybalion (and again
you are correct when you say that I am not too familiar with his works,
having read more ABOUT him than BY him), I feel, all the same, that to
"devolve" from writing the Kybalion to searching for the Truth within the
Tarot ( am I being reductive and selective again?) shows me that Mr Case
could have benefitted by taking a closer look at the work he supposedly
co-authored.

To end, I would like to know if anyone has ever come across, or are in the
possession of any of Dr. I. Kenealy's works....in particular "The Book of
Enoch" and "The Book of Fo" ?

Grethe Livingstone.

Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997
From: George Leake

>From: Grethe Livingstone
>George Leake,
>
>I agree that it was hard to discern Noel's point in the beginning, but he
>clarified it admirably when he stated :
>"I have studied with the Builders Of The Adytum since 1973.
>Paul Foster Case started the Builders and wrote extensively.
>Dr. Case is purported to be one of the "Three Initiates" that
>authored the book (along with, as was recently mentioned in
>this ALCHEMY-TEXTS group, Michael Whitty and Charles Atkins)"

But this of course does not apply or answer in any way the question at
hand. Its as if he answered the question by stating that Marilyn Albright
is the Secretary of State. Or that John Major will be having further
meetings with ministerial colleagues and others.

>And yes, to : "....to characterize Crowley as "someone who promulgated
>sexual practices in order to arrive at enlightenment" is reductive and
>selective in the extreme!" I was being both reductive and selective, and
>did not have the enthusiasm or energy to go back to Crowley's writings for
>further examples and evidences why he did not write the Bible.

Is anybody debating this point? Is there any relevance to the question at
hand? I don't think so.

Now, perhaps Crowley or Case wrote about the Kybalion--if they did, and
it's relevant to alchemy (and while its not the *all* or even the main
emphasis of his philosophy, sex is part of ritual in the OTO, and
apparently symbolizes more mystic union, thus relevant to alchemy by way of
the Chymical Wedding), well then let's hear about it.

>As for Paul Foster Case being one of the authors of the Kybalion (and again
>you are correct when you say that I am not too familiar with his works,
>having read more ABOUT him than BY him), I feel, all the same, that to
>"devolve" from writing the Kybalion to searching for the Truth within the
>Tarot ( am I being reductive and selective again?) shows me that Mr Case
>could have benefitted by taking a closer look at the work he supposedly
>co-authored.

No debating there. On a personal note, I've had a difficult time taking
Case seriously ever since hearing about some of his Atlantean ideas
(speculation presented as history and not myth, mind you), not to mention
the whole Fez Morocco idea...

Anyhow, though, did Case in fact write on the Kybalion? If he did and its
relevant to alchemy, let's at least bring those ideas to light.

George Leake

Date: Mon, 07 Apr 1997
From: Maria

I am getting more and more intrigued about the identity of the
authors of the Kybalion. How come it is so difficult to know for sure who
wrote it if the book was published for the first time in 1912? Does
anybody know the city and Publisher Company of the first edition?. If
don't, I'll try to find it.

Concerning the authors opinion (whoever they were) about sexual
practices they made a very clear assessment at the end of Chapter II of The
Kybalion, when they warn against "degraded teachings that have a tendency
towards lust and perversion of the VII Hermetic Teaching", Hermetic Teachings is
nothing to do with them they said. But I find very intriguing the
next sentence: For the pure everything is pure, for the impure
everything is impure. What does this mean, specially after the warning?.

I am just starting to learn about alchemy, so maybe I am in a
mistake but I feel that the Kybalion is a kind of beautiful creative
writing that summarizes previous hermetic writings and adds new things,
maybe from the personal vital experiences of the authors. For example, I
quote from the book I am reading :"The Zohar in Moslem and Christian
Spain" (Bension, Ariel; 1974):

- about the creation of the universe: "In the beginning, the sound of the
word struck the void and formed an imperceptible point, the origin of
light. This point was his THOUGHT". Doesn't The Kybalion say that the
universe is a mental creation of the Oneness?: "The Oneness is mind; the
universe is mental" (The Kybalion").

- about the nature of God: "The glory of God is so sublime and so far
above the human understanding that it must remain an eternal mystery",
"....so far above the intelligence of men or of angels that none can come
near enough to understanding it". Similar ideas can be found in The
Kybalion.

and so on.... The Zohar was published by the first time in the 13th
century...

What is this first universal substance made of? For me it is difficult to
swallow that photons and elemental atomic particles have conscience... but
on the other hand it seems almost logical, any idea?

Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997
From: Art Kunkin

>From: Maria
>I am getting more and more intrigued about the identity of the
>authors of the Kybalion. How come it is so difficult to know for sure who
>wrote it if the book was published for the first time in 1912? Does
>anybody know the city and Publisher Company of the first edition?. If
>don't, I'll try to find it.

Yes, that would be very useful. Last year we had a thread about the
authorship of the Kybalion and I asked the same question. During that
thread I contributed the information I had learned many years ago (from an
unremembered source), namely that the three authors of the Kybalion were
Paul Foster Case, William Walker Atkinson and Marie Corelli.

Paul Foster Case was the founder of BOTA (Builders of the Adytum)
and an impressive scholar. William Walker Atkinson was the editor of some
New Thought publications at the turn of the century and wrote a
comprehensive library of metaphysical books under his own name. Under the
pseudonym of Yogi Ramacharaka he wrote still another comprehensive library
of metaphysical books that are still in print. His output was amazing! My
third candidate for the Kybalion is Marie Corelli, another prolific author
who wrote dozens of metaphysical novels. I was always satisfied that these
three had the talent to write the Kybalion.

Then in February 1996, during our alchemy list thread, our good
friend Pat Zalewski (zirdo@ramhb.co.nz) in New Zealand said that he had
heard from Paul Clarke and a few other BOTA members in New Zealand that the
three authors of the Kybalion were William Walker Atkinson ("a former
Golden Dawn chief"), "Michael Whitty and Charles Atkins, the other two
chiefs of the Thoth Hermes temple." Pat also added that all three were
expelled from the GD by Moina Mathers and suggested that it would be useful
to talk to Paul Clarke about this, which I have not pursued. So, Marie,
please look into this further. I suspect that the present publisher of the
Kybalion (I believe that is The Yogi Publication Society of Chicago,
Illinois) may well be the original publisher.

One additional point, not on the topic but a general suggestion for
the entire list now that I have stopped lurking for the time being. It
would be very useful if those contributing would append their email address
in the body of their message so they could be contacted off-list if that
seemed desirable. Since the nastiness of last year, Adam now strips the
email of the header addresses and, I believe, all identifying signatures,
so the mail is more impersonal than I like. Maybe now that the
argumentative souls seem to have left the list Adam could even go back to
having the complete list of subscribers publicly available.

In that spirit, I sign off with my usual identifying signature,

Art Kunkin

Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997
From: Grethe Livingstone

>George Leake,
>I agree that it was hard to discern Noel's point in the beginning, but he
>clarified it admirably when he stated :
>"I have studied with the Builders Of The Adytum since 1973.
>Paul Foster Case started the Builders and wrote extensively.
>Dr. Case is purported to be one of the "Three Initiates" that
>authored the book (along with, as was recently mentioned in
>this ALCHEMY-TEXTS group, Michael Whitty and Charles Atkins)"

>But this of course does not apply or answer in any way the question at
>hand. Its as if he answered the question by stating that Marilyn Albright
>is the Secretary of State. Or that John Major will be having further
>meetings with ministerial colleagues and others.

No, of course it does not answer the question at hand. I expect I was being
rather flippant when I stated that "he clarified it admirably later on." To
justify a claim by stating that you are a member of the group which takes the
credit, makes the claim suspect to say the least. If we have no more "proof"
than that Noel has studied with The Builders Of the Adytum, I prefer to keep
my chips rather than throw them on the table.

> Now, perhaps Crowley or Case wrote about the Kybalion--if they did, and
>it's relevant to alchemy (and while its not the *all* or even the main
>emphasis of his philosophy, sex is part of ritual in the OTO, and
>apparently symbolizes more mystic union, thus relevant to alchemy by way of
>the Chymical Wedding), well then let's hear about it.

Perhaps it would be better to go straight to the horse's mouth for accounts
of The Chymical Wedding instead of getting second-hand accounts from a crew
who were clearly NOT alchemists. And since Alchemy is a science which uses
rich symbology and abstract thinking, I do not think that to actually take
part in the sexual rituals of any order will lead us to a greater
understanding. None of the great alchemists suggests rituals as a way of
arriving at any answers. We are told repeatedly that the ultimate answer can
only be given to the worthy by the Higher Powers. - And if Crowley and
Case wrote about the Kybalion, then, so be it. Many have also written about
Alchemy who clearly know no more about it than to quote other people's
accounts. ( George Leake says: " Anyhow, though, did Case in fact write on
the Kybalion? If he did and its relevant to alchemy, let's at least bring
those ideas to light.") Personally I prefer to read the accounts of those who
seem to have a first-hand knowledge of their subject rather than dither
around with the ramblings of those who wanted to appear to know. The works of
the real Alchemists alone is the study of a lifetime and I am reluctant to go
to the "thin end" of the subject in order to democratically give everyone a
so-called fair hearing.

>As for Paul Foster Case being one of the authors of the Kybalion (and again
>you are correct when you say that I am not too familiar with his works,
>having read more ABOUT him than BY him), I feel, all the same, that to
>"devolve" from writing the Kybalion to searching for the Truth within the
>Tarot ( am I being reductive and selective again?) shows me that Mr Case
>could have benefitted by taking a closer look at the work he supposedly
>co-authored.

No debating there. On a personal note, I've had a difficult time taking
Case seriously ever since hearing about some of his Atlantean ideas
(speculation presented as history and not myth, mind you), not to mention
the whole Fez Morocco idea...

I must plead ignorance about the Fez Morocco idea.....but yes, to take the
speculations of any self-proclaimed Adept or Initiate is never a wise thing
to do. The trick is though, to know how to tell truth from myth and
speculations. A very tricky trick. It takes discernment. We are repeatedly
told in Alchemy to take our cue from the operations of Nature, and to not
deviate from this Path. But, true to nature, Nature loves to hide!!

Did Case write the Kybalion? I not only have doubts, I even think such a
suggestion is to be swept aside with an irritable "argh". My proof? It's in
the pudding. Case's and Crowley's puddings seems to me to have been made with
green, unripened fruits, and has not the maturity necessary for a digestible
dessert fit to be served at the Alchemical Wedding Feast.

>Anyhow, though, did Case in fact write on the Kybalion? If he did and its
>relevant to alchemy, let's at least bring those ideas to light.

And even if Case wrote ABOUT the Kybalion......all I can say is that many a
person of great retrobular vacancy has also quoted Shakespeare.

Grethe Livingstone.

From: Dan
Date: Wed, 9 Apr 1997

Maria,

I wrote to Pat Zalewski to ask him about his source of information. He wrote
back and said he was told this by Israel Regardie when he visited New
Zealand. He said this was before Paul Case was a Chief of the order. He also
suggested contacting BOTA for more information.
Their web address is: BOTA Home Page

I initially read this book in '73, and immediately suspected the is was
written by Dr. Case, as anyone familiar with his writing would.
My edition has the copyright 1904, which given its content seems about right.

Dan

Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997
From: artemis desol

Actually, I just picked this up at a used bookstore in the East Village in
Manhattan. I haven't read it yet, but I'll take a look through my copy when
I get home and see if there is any more information.

artemis

Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997
From: Dan Denlinger

In an effort to get to the bottom of the problem of the authorship of the
Kybalion, I wrote to Robert Word, a well-known figure in these circles, who
has a wealth of knowledge and documentation relative to such matters.
In response, he has asked me to post this letter with his address,
WORD@tiw.com, to TEXTS:

> From: Art Kunkin
>
> >From: Maria
> >I am getting more and more intrigued about the identity of the
> >authors of the Kybalion. How come it is so difficult to know for sure who
> >wrote it if the book was published for the first time in 1912? Does
> >anybody know the city and Publisher Company of the first edition?. If
> >don't, I'll try to find it.
>
> Yes, that would be very useful. Last year we had a thread about the
> authorship of the Kybalion and I asked the same question. During that
> thread I contributed the information I had learned many years ago (from an
> unremembered source), namely that the three authors of the Kybalion were
> Paul Foster Case, William Walker Atkinson and Marie Corelli.

There is indeed a tradition within BOTA that Atkinson was the author of
the Kybalion, and that Case assisted him in the editing of the text
(becoming a co-author in the process.) I don't recall encountering the
name Marie Corelli, but living in the LA area and with many occult
contacts, Art Kunkin could undoubtedly have obtained some
authentic information on this.

The Kybalion is mentioned in the BOTA lessons, but the lessons
themselves do not ascribe the authorship to Paul Case. Instead, this
was a tradition transmitted privately and orally within BOTA (perveyed
in particular by Ann Davies, Paul Case's student.)

> Paul Foster Case was the founder of BOTA (Builders of the Adytum)
> and an impressive scholar.

Paul Foster Case is often referred to by BOTA as "Dr. Case." However,
this assignation is a fraud. Paul Foster Case never completed high
school (few did in those days.) He never acquired a higher degree from
any accredited institution of learning. The origin of the title "Dr."
is as follows: Paul Case started a "School of Ageless Wisdom" (later
BOTA) which at one time awarded "degrees" such as "doctor of
metaphysics." Paul Case's "Dr." degree was a degree he conferred upon
himself. Also, Case conferred the degree of "Doctor of Metaphysics"
upon Ann Davies (I saw her certificate hanging in her office once, at a
time when BOTA no longer conferred academic-sounding degrees of any kind
on anyone, but instead had become a "church.") Ann Davies also never
completed high school (but then she had a very difficult life being a
divorced invalid with a child and a painful polio-like illness.)

> William Walker Atkinson was the editor of some
> New Thought publications at the turn of the century and wrote a
> comprehensive library of metaphysical books under his own name. Under the
> pseudonym of Yogi Ramacharaka he wrote still another comprehensive library
> of metaphysical books that are still in print. His output was amazing! My
> third candidate for the Kybalion is Marie Corelli, another prolific author
> who wrote dozens of metaphysical novels. I was always satisfied that these
> three had the talent to write the Kybalion.

Art, I agree that this is entirely possible, and that it accurately
reflects a tradition within BOTA. What we are lacking though, is actual
proof that these were the authors. Don't forget that BOTA also claims
that Paul Case met a 400 year old Master in New York (but later had to
resort to the Ouija Board in order to communicate with him.)

> Then in February 1996, during our alchemy list thread, our good
> friend Pat Zalewski (zirdo@ramhb.co.nz) in New Zealand said that he had
> heard from Paul Clarke and a few other BOTA members in New Zealand that the
> three authors of the Kybalion were William Walker Atkinson ("a former
> Golden Dawn chief"), "Michael Whitty and Charles Atkins, the other two
> chiefs of the Thoth Hermes temple."

Pat is probably misquoting an ill-recollected comment to him from Paul
Clark. I have a first edition of the Kybalion; it was published in
Chicago in 1908, years before Case met Whitty. Michael Whitty and Paul
Case were not both involved together in any manner of production of the
Kybalion. Also, in 1908, Whitty had not yet moved to New York City from
Australia.

>Pat also added that all three were expelled from the GD by Moina Mathers

Only Paul Case was expelled. Michael Whitty remained a faithful AO
member until death, and he was Praemonstrator of Thoth-Hermes Temple no.
9 (Temple no. 8 according to S.L. MacGregor Mathers minute book of
Ahathoor Temple) until his death in Los Angeles. Paul Case succeeded
him as Praemonstrator of that Temple, but resigned from the office after
a few months, and within a year, Case was expelled from AO by Moina
Mathers for trying to cause dissension within the Order.

> that it would be useful to talk to Paul Clarke about this, which I have
> not pursued. So, Marie, please look into this further.

Paul A. Clark is still alive in California.

>I suspect that the present publisher of the
> Kybalion (I believe that is The Yogi Publication Society of Chicago,
> Illinois) may well be the original publisher.

As I recall, the first edition was ascribed to a masonic temple in
chicago.

There are a number of aspects of the "Kybalion" which remain an actual
mystery. In spite of the BOTA tradition, we are lacking actual
documentary proof of authorship. Then there is the difficulty of the
actual source of "Kybalion," which claims to be an ancient oral
tradition. But an authentic ancient oral tradition should have appeared
in history prior to a 1908 publication, and this is not the case. One
of the modern french Memphis-Misraim rites mentions the Kybalion in one
of its degrees (which is probably why the original spanish quesioner
posed the question: he may be a member of a spanish branch of that
rite); but it appears this is a modern incorperation. I possess
nineteenth century manuscripts of Memphis-Misraim rituals, and there is
no reference to Kybalion. Count Cagliostro did not use the term
(although Case claimed he did!) The Bederides brothers never heard of
it either. Ragon, who had received the High Grades of Misraim
(including the ARCANA ARCANORUM) never made a single reference to the
"kybalion" in his "Maconerie Occulte." The book "Histoire Pittoresque
de la Francmaconerie" which mentions in 1836 the "Konx Om Pax" of much
later Golden Dawn fame, does not even allude to the Kybalion. The
Founder of the Rite of Memphis, Marconis de Negre, did not even know the
term Kybalion; the Italian General Garibaldi, liberator of Italy from
the tyrrany of the Vatican, and International Hierophant of
Memphis-Mizraim (he united the two rites) could not make any use of the
term "kybalion," for he did not know it. Ditto Seymour, Yarker, Papus,
etc., etc.

So all we are left with is a book published in "1908" called the
"Kybalion" and claiming to reflect an "ancient oral tradition," the
claim of BOTA that Paul Case wrote it (along with having personally met
a 400 year old Master in 1922), and Case's own statement that the term
Kybalion was invented by Cagliostro! So you pay your money and you can
place your bets!

REW

Date: Fri, 25 Apr 1997
From: George Leake

>From: Dan Denlinger/Robert Word
>There are a number of aspects of the "Kybalion" which remain an actual
>mystery. In spite of the BOTA tradition, we are lacking actual
>documentary proof of authorship. Then there is the difficulty of the
>actual source of "Kybalion," which claims to be an ancient oral
>tradition.

There is a persistent tendency to link newer works to older ones--at least
we're in on Crowley's joke about the title of his book explaining the the
system behind his Tarot deck, i.e. The Book of Thoth. Grimoires of Solomon
are part of the same tradition--are these duplicitous forgeries or works
meant as homage? In many ways these questions really are just academic

George Leake