Brother Gary,
Thank you for the great post! I have not gone far beyond the surface level of any of the three schools of thought that you cover, but have a few thoughts to share on them if you will indulge me.
Alchemy: My understanding is that Operative Alchemy was not, despite common perception, about turning base metals into gold, but rather removing impurities from a “base” and distilling it into its purest form. This is the process of transmutation. Certainly, Gold could be one of the objectives, I suppose, but I know that there were many other desirable outcomes for the Operative Alchemists. This, in my mind, makes the Speculative Alchemy piece much easier to understand. We are seeking to remove impurities from ourselves, rough edges of the ashlar, or “vices and superfluities”. This is certainly a process, as you have called out, as we learn what those impurities are, seek to understand how to control them, and finally teach others to do the same. The aforementioned WB Timothy Hogan has a great thread on Operative Alchemy and how it relates directly to our ritual on the TSS forum here (
The Sanctum Sanctorum).
Hermetics: There are Seven Hermetic Principles (from the Kybalion) that I am aware of: Mentalism, Correspondence, Vibration, Polarity, Rhythm, Cause/Effect and the Principle of Gender. These can each be found in the three degrees of Blue Lodge Masonry and the working tools that we are given. I think you hit the nail on the head, however, with “As above, so Below”. This is the overriding theme and if a Mason takes only one thing (knowingly) from Hermetics, it should be this concept. Also symbolized all throughout the degrees(d-g of an EA is the easiest to see), it teaches us that there must be Balance and that we aspire to perfect below (earth) what has been perfected above (heaven).
Kabbalah: Like many of the other posters here, I have tried a few times to research this further but have been overwhelmed thus far. I hope to push a bit deeper into it as time allows, but see it happening much further down the path I am currently on.
I agree with your perspective that the three schools should be approached in order. This has been proven to me by my several attempts at studying Kabbalah without success. It simply reminds me that I have yet to complete the work in the other two that will give me the keys to understanding the third.
Sorry if this is long-winded Thank you for bringing the topic up and I look forward to more discussion.
Your Brother,
Jason