Israel Regardie & The Philosopher's Stone: The Alchemical Arts Brought Down to Earth Paperback – February 2, 2023

I loved this book! I didn't want it to end! I got more from this than i ever imagined ! Did I mention I liked the book? Lol

This book adds new information that paints a broader picture of this famous man along with others who were close to him during his time in the United States.

This is good complement as a biography of Israel Regardie and his relationship with Frater Albertus (Albert Richard Riedel), and the author, Joseph C. Lisiewski. The instructions provided for some alchemical process are valuable. There are several important points we can identify in this relationship such as: (1) the dependent relationship between Israel and Frater Albertus. Israel needed Frater for his Alchemical knowledge, and Frater needed Israel for his healing and psychotherapy knowledge. (2) Frater did not accept Magic. He was furious when Joseph and his roommate performed the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) at Paracelsus Research Society, “there are two here who know better than to do Magic on these premises. A Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, that foolishness has never been permitted here and never will be. How dare you two do such a thing in this special place”. (3) Regardie’s interest in alchemy began about the year 1933, as he explained to Joseph in 1976. Israel spent more than 50 years trying to advance in Alchemy without a successful end. This research caused him lung problems due to inhalations and exposures to toxic vapors (antimony trisulfide). (4) Israel was a student of AMORC. (5) the creation of the Gur-Water combination and the crustacean-like creature that was generated by the Homeric process. (6) How the individual Inner Realm was responsible for the final success in Alchemy. (7) The Israel’s idea that a physical (sciences) thinking was essential to be successful in Alchemy and his wish of have been taken his education in physics, chemistry or even astronomy. (8) Albert’s Christian morality as an obstacle to fully practice Alchemy in his pursuit to the creation of the Homunculus. (9) etc.The saddest thing found in the book was the Israel recognized at the end of his life that Magic and psychotherapy was not what he was looking for all his life: “But what really bothers me about this psychotherapy business is the same thing that bothers me about Magic. You can never really know whether your actions cause a given effect, if the whole damn thing is a science as some claim, or if it’s something no one really understand. Because the truth is, no one really knows”. This means that his teacher’s (A. Crowley) maxim, “Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with the Will” was not true. Israel spent all his life using Magic and he could not be successful in Alchemy even though he put all his effort and will in it, more than 50 years. What really failed?

Finally. I had waited to get my hands on this book for at least the past year, mainly because of my reading of other Lisiewski books. This is part memoir, part biography of two of the most prominent thinkers (Regardie) and doers (Albertus) that have been part of the broader history of the occult in the last century.Both were known for their attempts to de-mystify the detailed workings of the universe and present the results clearly and openly. Despite a well deserved reputation for such clarity, these two men have managed to remain mysteries themselves, whose acquaintance has often been cited as evidence of knowledge by self proclaimed experts in the field. If only all of these self-anointed geniuses were willing (or actually had the substance) to write a book like this one. As much as purported masters of this kind of work proclaim the need for secrets to preserve real knowledge, too often these "secrets" have been used to obscure a lack of real depth and mastery of the subject.The author here, however, goes beyond the telling of the stories of two other greats. He creates a detailed account of what happened as he took what he had learned from these teachers and applied it practically. The chronicling of the work required, with complete focus, over months and years, sometimes completely wasted, should be an eye opener for would-be practitioners.Armchairs, it seems, are much more comfortable (and safer) than the lab. New agers, take note.What I found most intriguing in the book was the unstinting eye of the writer. Each of the two great figures in the book, under the magnifying glass, show cracks and flaws that here are not removed out of some hagiographical impulse. They made mistakes, often huge ones. They spent years working on projects that at root they did not believe would work. They avoided unpleasant but necessary situations which had disasterous outcomes for their life's work. And yet, this is a work written by a long time, (now older) friend of both with an emphasis on who they were, good and bad.After reading, I think that this book, as a record of practical knowledge in a field known and loved by many for the exact opposite reason, will be a landmine for many who read it. I suspect that this was intent of the author. I am glad to find that it is available now to shake up that brittle confederacy of charlatans and liars who maintain that they alone (or in a group) have the last word on what is or is not real, but who have yet to show any results. For the few serious seekers that remain, this book is an open door, and if you do your work, you may find what you seek.Lisiewski should get a medal for this one. I trust most in the occult world will now despise him, if they don't already. How nice for him.

The only way this is not a waste of time is if you were about to attempt to spend 9 months or whatever trying to create a homuculous. After reading this book, you would figure if these Einsteins of occultism can't pull it off, why should I try.Oh, you weren't planning on doing that anyway? Well, then like me, you completely wasted your time and learned nothing of any real use about alchemy or magic or the occult.