SYMBOLISM: THE LANGUAGE OF THE BIRDS

Symbols are the gateway to the psychic realms. The currency we pay to enter these realms is consistency. Symbols are often called the "language of the soul," and like any language of earth, symbols reflect a specific culture, history, and collective experience of the path they communicate. If you wish to be fluent in the use of symbols, you must treat them as you would any language or specialized area of study, and that means a consistent use of their meanings, colors, shapes, and forms.

The great strength of oriental iconography lies in its mathematical proportions and its use of color. Through a regular and repeated use of specific shapes, sizes, and colors, artists of different traditions pass on from generation to generation a symbolic language that connects them across the centuries. The same is true in any esoteric system, and no less so in alchemy.

In alchemy, this language became known as the "language of the birds" or the "green language." The symbolism is clear when we remember that the bird, or more specifically the dove, is the symbol of the Holy Spirit, the messenger of God, our intuition, and that green is the color of rebirth and vitality, one of the colors of the alchemist. The language's artistic high point was during the construction of the great Gothic cathedrals across Europe. It is not surprising that many of these cathedrals were built upon pre-Christian (specifically Druidic) sites, as well as what dowsers call ley lines, or magnetically sensitive areas of the earth. In Points of Cosmic Energy, Blanche Metz details these various connecting points between the invisible and visible on the earth's surface and demonstrates how current research has been able to identify the unique energetic qualities of them and their surrounding water supplies. In Cathedral of the Black Madonna, Jean Markale, a specialist in Celtic studies and author of over forty books, details the relationship between the early Druid priesthood of ancient France and the many architectural and spiritual mysteries surrounding Chartres, one of the greatest cathedrals of the High Middle Ages. However, it is the enigmatic alchemical author Fulcanelli that unites all of this information in a meaningful and practical manner for the aspiring alchemist.

Nothing is absolutely known about Fulcanelli. He is said to have been, or is, a French alchemist who wrote two books published in the early twentieth century: The Mystery of the Cathedrals and The Dwellings of the Philosophers. Both books discuss alchemical symbolism as it appears in architectural representations across France. Much speculation has grown up around Fulcanelli, including suggesting that he had completed the Great Work and lived in an alchemical retreat in Spain. Other suggestions are less dramatic, such as saying that Fulcanelli is the nom de plume for an author or group of authors seeking to preserve alchemical knowledge. Even his name-Fulcanelli-can be seen as a verbal symbol or play on words, combining "Vulcan," the ancient god of the forge and fire, and "El," a Hebrew word for God, thereby giving us the meaning "the forge of God." Regardless, the tradition of authors of alchemical works desiring anonymity is well established, and Fulcanelli follows in this tradition. Of his two books, The Mystery of the Cathedrals is the most impressive and useful to the beginning student of alchemical symbolism.'

Alchemical symbolism and dreams often use a play on words, in which "sounds like" is the meaning rather than "looks like." For example, in English, the third letter of the alphabet, a large body of salt water, and the act of vision all sound alike: C, sea, and see. According to Fulcanelli, this ability to play with words creates a "phonetic cabala" or symbolic language that could be found in art, song, poetry, dreams, and mystical experiences.

This kind of transposition of sounds, meaning, and images is important when we deal with psychic phenomena, as the astral world is synthetic. Images and sounds are our chief forms of obtaining information in the material world. In the psychic, additional methods come into play that can be chaotic and confusing by mundane standards.

This is why it is impossible to interpret dreams if they are taken literally. The very nature of a dream is to be nonliteral. Other forms of psychic communication are more direct; however, time, patience, and experience are needed to be able to recognize and use them reliably.