The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-14

August Strindberg. Swede. residing In
Austria, author Of several hermetic es-
says. There are two classes Of members,
masters (maitres), who are che sen from
the ordinary members Of the council
after an examination of their writings,
and ordinary members (membrss adher-
ents), Of which the number is unlimited.
"L'Hyperchimie, the organ CT the asso-
citation, is a monthly review of alchemy
and hermetism, founded in 1896
The councillors of the Alchemical Asso-
citation have combined with the active
members of the other societies named to
establish University Libre des Hautes
Etudes. At present this includes these
faculties:
1. Faculte des Sciences Hermetiques, Of
which the Association Alchimique forms
a section. The director Of this faculty
is DR.. G. Encansse. and the course Of
instruction embraces the study of the
Tarot, alchemical philosophy and prac-
tice. occultism. mysticism. Hebrew. etc.
2. Faculte des Sciences Magnetiques.
represented by the Ecole de Magnetisme
de Paris, and under the direction of N.
Durville. 1t has branches at Lyons. Bor-
deaux, and other cities.
3. Faculte Spirite, comprising several
sections of spiritism.
Each faculty preserves complete indie
pendence. being united only by moral
bonds destined to hasten expansion of the
spiritualistic movement
The nature of the investigations carried
on by these secret societies may be gath
cred from their published treatises. Among
these may be noted Elementary Treatise
on Practical Magic" THE Worship Of
Isis, The Problem of Evil The Temple
of Satan, "B!ack Art" etc. works dealing
with sorcery, the astral light in man. and
other mysteries. Marius Descrespes essay
on Les Microbes de rAstral' astral Mi
crobes), Paul Sedir's Les Nominations
crobes). Paul Sedir's Differentiation de
la Motucite" are few more Of the same
class.
One of the oldest members of the AL
chemical Association is the master" The
odore Tiffereau. In 1S5i-55 he sent to the
French Academy OF Sciences six memoirs,
in which he claimed to have discovered a
method of converting silver into gold. Tiff
fereau had made his experiments in Mex
leo at great expense. supporting himself
meanwhile by taking tintypes of the pic
turesque wearers OF the sombrero. His
process was actually repeated in secret at
the mint In Paris before the Government
assayer. NJ Levol. but with little success,
it is said. Tiffereau has never abandoned
his claim, and only few years ago he ad-
uTSsSeu diOtueT ~ the dCdueuy,
in which he attempted to prove that alu-
minum is not pure metal. but CON-
pound.
In Tiffereau's recent writings he attri-
butes the transmutation of a base metal
into the most precious one to the action
OF the "microbe Of gold
Modern alchemists accept all the tradi-
lions of their predecessors Of bygone ages,
but Intervene Herewith the recent dis
coveries OF pure science. Astral light, So
called. is an important factor in modern
alchemy. and is closely related to the
radiant matter Of chemists and the
ether" of physicists. Astral light in
the words of profound student Of the
subject. lis the universal agent, the uni
versal plastic mediator. the common re-
ceptacle of vibrations of motion and OF
the phantoms of form. 1t is the Cd Of the
Hebrews and of Baron Won Reichenbach:
1t Is the great Thelesma OF the ancient al
chemist Hermes Trismegitus. and tho
control of this force constitutes the great
arcana of practical magic; the "Labora.
Opera, Ora ct Invenies."