Testamentum or coded biblical preface, constitution and secret operations of a Roseae et Aureae Crucis brotherhood according to a german manuscript.
In Archarion’s La Via della Vera Alchimia, ed. Mediterranee 1994, italian translation of the original ” Von Wahrer Alchemie 1983, there is a Testamentum Fraternitatis Roseae et Aureae Crucis as an appendix. I don’t mean here to get into disquisitions whether the document is really the full translation of a single manuscript, that’s to say Cod SN 2897 in the Vienna Nationalbibliothek, with the Ms full title Testamentum Der Fraternitet Rosæ et Auræ Crucis, als gewisse Extases oder geheime Operationes, wodurch das Mysterium eröffnet an unsere Kinder der Weisheit göttlicher Magie und englischer Cabbalae. I.W.R. Anno 580.
That’s to say, Testamentum of Roseae et Aurae Crucis brotherhood, as certainly ecstasies or secret operations, so opens the mystery to our children of Divine Knowledge and English Cabbala. There are known numerous Mss with quite similar, but not identical titles and content spread around in European libraries, among them almost known are Mss. Wien, Darmstadt, Hamburg and Stuttgard. Anyway, the Testamentum Fraternitatis Roseae et Aureae Crucis in this edition of La Via della Vera Alchimia seems complete of the once censured chapters of the second part, including the chapters on Homunculus and that on a Master’s rejuvenation.
I translated from Italian all the thirteen chapters of extases or secret operations, which I have ordered as Testamentum Fraternitatis Roseae et Aureae Crucis. Part 1-6, while the attached images have been almost taken from Ms. Darmstadt. Further numerations will be translated from editions different than those taken from Archarion’s book.
Although very hardly the manuscript (s) can have been written for the alleged inner use of a secret Roseae et Aureae Crucis brotherhood ( how did happen the ms. ended up to be forgotten in a private library and lately donated to public use? And mostly how did happen the testament of a secret group was in a written form and not, more safely, orally transmitted? ) despite all that, the document, or mix of documents, is really interesting and intriguing.
Interesting for it throws light on biblical symbolism and symbolism at large. Intriguing for the allusions to operations considered if not impossible at least forbidden, like immortality, or eternity. And from the constitution we know of the possibility for brothers to pass to eternity.
A last observation: if the document was a real constitution from a secret brotherhood, they talk of modifications and adjustments of the ancient constitution. So humankind, enlightened or not, are always slave of their social custom, which apparently need to be updated as times go by. The great Spirit, if does exist, may be well elastic to cope with us. I said that because, as a woman, I can’t help but noting all the misogyny involved in the document. This leads to the document date issue: the use of the word “concreation“, or creation in collaboration with, takes its origin in the late sixteenth century, and in fact the humankind culture described here fulfill the beginning of european baroque age. We can even be more precise and, because of the mentioning of “tea” as a drink, in the eleventh chapter, the document can not go back to before the end of sixteenth century, so we can take for reliable the date mentioned in Wien manuscript, i.e. 1580.
Here I started with the biblical coded preface, the constitution and extases chapters index. The biblical preface, perhaps used to prove the ancient tradition of the brotherhood, is a coded representation of our alchemical Opus Magnum (“…..But Mary, Moses sister, having become curious about the wisdom, broke the law of the Lord, and the Lord chastised making her sick with leprosy. Then Moses took her and held closed for seven days, a magic number. And after this time she washed away……..Joshua then gathered his priests, twelve in number, ……..ordered to bring the covenant ark. Instead of twelve, after the Jordan was opened and they crossing it arrived in the middle of the river, they had to stop and everyone had to take up twelve stones in numbers and bring them along, to indicate the Lord was with them, and that, after the separation of the water with which all things were created, one can prepare twelve stones in number,…… By virtue of this force Joshua turned around Jericho seven times, which means that the strength of the magic is sevenfold, and Jericho had to fall, because before this spirit could not resist”).
And specifically our preliminary works, those to achieve our Mercurius ( here defined Lilium, Doves) from the black first putrefaction in the second part : “I ‘m black, but really lovable“.
A very last observation: note the contiguity of Biblical and Greek mythological characters, rather blaspheme, for the time. Anyway very hermetic.
So, Testamentum Fraternitatis Roseae et Aureae Crucis: Extases or secret Operations through which are revealed to our children the mystery of divine magic and English Cabala.
Jehovah
Dear brother,
Our beloved old, when after mature reflection, had found a way to keep the mystery hidden for it to be revealed only to the worthy, agreed to seek a certain number of virtuous men and good at the mysterium of nature (to occult works) and even more that they took into high consideration the Almighty and feared him with a true heart, were silent and had their mouth sealed. Furthermore, that they had an aptitude for magic and cabala.
Now, however, being the Almighty to have competence in knowing the hearts, testing the courage and pouring all his properties into men’s heart, it happens that for a strange combination, with the help of the Almighty, they were united around the year 576 from the beginning of the world, just when from the seed of Noah Japheth was born, and from the latter Thubal; Sem kept the wisdom secret up to one hundred years after the Flood, when he generated Arphachsad, who was educated in the mysterium when he came to age.
From Arphachsad that was passed to his son Salah, and from this breed it was kept secret until Abraham and Lot. From Abraham passed to Isaac, from Isaac to Jacob, from Jacob to Joseph and Benjamin, and from this was transmitted to Egyptians, from whom Moses learned and even Aaron. Under Moses and Aaron was educated in the wisdom Bezaleel. He was the first emperor, in the same period the great Jehovah passed on his wisdom not only to his son Asisamat but also to many others.
This brought to light many wonders in the mysterium because Moses taught them and unveiled about the nature of the fire, which is the center of the mysterium. In fact, he took the worshiped calf and broke to pieces, poured over it the fire he had prepared and with this burned the metallic form, reduced it to a red powder and gave it to the children of Israel, who were punished by God for their sin.
And there on the top he erected a cross with a bronze serpent, a symbol of magic. The children of Israel, to be freed from the pains they were afflicted in their illness, had to look at him; and by the power of the Almighty many other wonders occurred.
But Mary, Moses sister, having become curious about the wisdom, broke the law of the Lord, and the Lord chastised making her sick with leprosy. Then Moses took her and held closed for seven days, a magic number. And after this time she washed away.
From Moses, Aaron, Bezaleel passed to Joshua. To them for their sin, having turned away from the Lord, the wisdom was taken away and given to others, because the Almighty wants us to keep his secrets well hidden, and if any, used with fear of God. Joshua then gathered his priests, twelve in number, which added a further twelve men who the Almighty had given wisdom. To these, as priests endowed with strength and wisdom, ordered to bring the covenant ark. Instead of twelve, after the Jordan was opened and they crossing it arrived in the middle of the river, they had to stop and everyone had to take up twelve stones in numbers and bring them along, to indicate the Lord was with them, and that, after the separation of the water with which all things were created, one can prepare twelve stones in number, a wonder for the children of wisdom, who go after the wisdom, love and aspire to it. For this reason the Lord commanded him to show it and teach to descendants. By virtue of this force Joshua turned around Jericho seven times, which means that the strength of the magic is sevenfold, and Jericho had to fall, because before this spirit could not resist. The powerful Jehovah was moved to do so because he had to pull down Jericho.
At that time, according to what says our secret tradition, we find many, nay a very large number of priests and learned in magic, in fact after Joshua were skilled in magic Judah and Simon. Here the Mysterium stayed by the children of Israel for long time and from them was transmitted to pagans, because among them there are many talented in magic and to which the Spirit of the Highest reveals his secret. From Joshua passed also to Gideon. Here too Cooperation of the great Spirit of Jehovah is present; in fact the Lord taught Gideon who was able to lap the water (philosophic) with tongue. This one chose them because they were born for magic. In so doing Gideon defeated his enemies: an image taken from the number three of Cabala. From Gideon the Mysterium passed to Jephta and from Jephta to Samson. At Heli time, the high priest, the beloved old got separated and many Sages died. At that time the Spirit of the Lord was transmitted to Samuel and to many, nay a very large number; among them even to king Saul, a man very skilled in magic; but he became superb and abandoned the Lord. After him David was chosen, a hero son of Jesse. To him the power of Spirit was given with profusion, and like any other before; he was helped by the prophet Nathan. Nevertheless he didn’t stay within Spirit border, so he didn’t receive the sacred priesthood, but his son Solomon, being born from his loins. Here many mages were born because Solomon got powerful, and as such that, as first master and sage, describes the secret in its high chant with clear words: the dissolution of the dense one in the subtle one, the discover of the hidden, the transformation of the humid in the dry and the volatile in the fixed, he calls the matter by its name and indicates the form of the same with the following words:
I’m black, but really lovable; daughters of Jerusalem don’t look at me because I’m black as though I have been burned by the sun. The children of my mother, whose I’m the eighth ( she is the real minera, bismuth), that’s to say the seven metals, are angry at me. I was awarded custody of the vineyards, but I haven’t looked after my vineyard, that’s to say I got dissolved in grapes juice and you neglect me as subjectus universalis. So when he (Salomon) says: you are the more beautiful among the beautiful, you don’t know yourself, follow the footsteps of sheep and graze your goats by shepherds houses. As Hermes says: what is below is as what is above. Furthermore he points the Lilium or Columba Dianae, when he says: as is an apple tree among wild trees, so is my friend among the children, i.e. the seven metals. I’m in the shadow, that’s to say I’m found in the mountains, in a dark place. Those who are looking for me will find that my fruit is sweet to their palate. This is the Lilium Artis, which in the dry path sublimes and in the humid path congeals as crystals, as the dry and humid path actually teach. And she means the red flower when says: I’m a flower at Saron in the rocky valley. By the words ” I’m a rose in the valley”, she means: I’m in the bottom and am withheld like by a hard rock the worm resistant to fire, the salamander. But when the white Lilium fades, the rose gets to open, through two paths. Before, when she says: I get dissolved in the grapes juice; then when she says: You are the most beautiful among the beautiful, you don’t know yourself, follow the footsteps of the sheep; she means: look for an earth, the one you step over, virginal and pure, whose has to be extracted the lower part; with it must be prepared the pure virgin and poured on that old, grey and black boy: this is he humid path. But it clearly teaches the humid path also below, saying: she takes me to the cellar. In this juice is got hidden in fact the thing we must extract, as well as all the separation of the pure from the impure. Even Solomon explains how to manage the fire during the conjunction, when says: Oh daughters of Israel, who are in the field with roes and hinds, i beg you: do not wake up and reanimate my friend until she doesn’t want to. That’s to say: I warn you that in the preparatory work you should not hurry up, that’s to say you have not to pollute or wake up the work with the fire before it is time. In fact Hermes says: dissolve her gently and smartly; and also in the main work mind not to wake up my friend.