The Emerald Tablet

{ The text given here was translated by Drs. Rhodonn Starrus and Betty Jean McCloud Reeves in about 1954. The commentary was done by two of their students, Bishops John Gilbert, Ph.D., D.D. and Rita Baker, D.D. at Universal Seminary during 1962 - 1963. The translation is given in bold print and the commentary in regular print. }

1. True, without falsehood, certain and most true, that which is above is as that which is below, and that which is below is as that which is above, for the performance of the miracles of the One Thing.

The absolute truth is Heaven and Earth are the same thing. Heaven and Earth are created so the Divine can manifest the miracles conceived in It's own mind.

2. And as all things are from One, by the mediation of One, so all things have their birth from this One Thing by adaptation.

Everything that exists is created by the Divine and it is a part of the Divine.

3. The Sun is its father, the Moon its mother, and the Wind carries it in its belly, its nurse is the Earth.

The Sun and the Moon are symbols of the father and mother aspects of the Divine respectively. Father the Divine is the father aspect and it represents the Element of Fire, the Intention of the Divine. Mother the Divine is the mother aspect and it represents the Element of Water, the act of believing. Father and Mother the Divine are the parents of the creation. This means the creation was and is intentional and it was and is being done because the Divine believes it can be done.

The Wind is a symbol for the creative aspect of the Divine and the Earth is the manifested aspect of the Divine. Creator the Divine is the creative aspect of the Divine and it represents the Element of Air, the thoughts and ideas of the Creator. The Earth is the manifested creation itself and it is the Element of Earth.

To say The Wind carries it in its belly is to say the Divine Mind thinks the creation into being. To say the Earth is it's nurse is to say the Manifestation takes care of us and provides all our needs.

4. This is the father of all perfection, or consummation of the whole world. Its power is integrating, if it be turned into earth.

For whatever reason we do not understand, the creation is exactly the way the Divine wants it to be. Whatever the reason, the whole world and everything in it is exactly the way the Divine wants it to be.

The second sentence of this stanza tells us we can integrate anything into our lives if we manifest it and only if we manifest it in our lives. The process to do this is outlined in the third stanza. First, we must think it, we must become aware we can do it. Secondly we must intend to have it happen. Thirdly we must believe it can be done and finally, we must do it.

5. Thou shalt separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross, suavely, and with great ingenuity. It ascends from earth to heaven and descends again to earth, and receives the power of the superiors and of the inferiors.

To separate the Earth from the Fire is to consider what is manifested and figure out what the intention was behind that manifestation. The subtle is our thinking and the gross is what is being manifested. The first sentence of this stanza tells us not to look at any manifestations to find the answers, but to look for the intentions behind those manifestations.

Consider the field of medicine. If we find ways to treat the symptoms, all we're doing is groping around in the manifestation. We're not finding the causes behind what is happening and we're not finding the thought that manifested the situation.

Now consider spiritual healing where the symptoms are used merely to find the intentions causing them. There is no treatment of the physical symptoms, but all of them go away once we address the real issue which is the intention in the mind of the individual with the symptoms. Spiritual healing is an example of what the Emerald tablet tells us to do.

The second stanza is a confirmation that Heaven (the Element of Air which also contains the Elements of Fire and Water) and Earth (the manifestation represented by the Element of Earth) are the same. Then it alludes to the Tree of Life where the superiors are the three spheres above the Abyss and the inferiors are the seven spheres below.

(Note: Serious students are commended to a study of the Qabalah and the Tree of Life.

6. So thou hast the glory of the whole world; therefore let all obscurity flee before thee.

There you have it, that's the whole glorious story; understand it and do not be confused. The whole of creation is contained within the Mind of the Divine. Everything is a mental construct. An act of will can change everything.

7. This is the strong force of all forces, overcoming every subtle and penetrating every solid thing. Divine Mind is everything. It is the strongest force because it is the ultimate cause of everything. Divine Mind is everywhere because everything is within the Mind of the Divine. As a part of the creation, and since above and below are the same, and since we have the Divine right to be a part of the creation, everything we are is exactly the way we want it to be. And, we can change it anytime we intend to do it, believe we can and then just do it.

8. So the world was created. That's how everything was created. That's how everything will always be created. That's how everything is being created today. Whether in the Universe or our own life, this is the way everything is was and will be created.

9. Hence were all wonderful adaptations, of which this is the manner.

We are one of the wonderful adaptations and this is the way we were, are now and will be created and how we did, will and are creating our own life right now. 10. Therefore am I called Hermes Trismegistus, having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world. Hermes Trismegistus ( Her' - meez Try - muh - gis' - tuhss) may or may not have been a real person. He or she may or may not have been the Divine Mercury or the Divine Thoth. The name may or may not have been a title conferred upon the head of a mystery group.

But whatever she or he was, he or she had the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world. These three parts are: Intention, Belief and Action. Once we become aware of the possibility of doing or being anything, we must form an intention to do it, believe we can do it and then just do it. These are the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world. These are the three parts of the philosophy that controls manifestation.

11. What I have to tell is completed, concerning the Operation of the Sun.

That's all there is to say. The operation of the Sun is the function of Father the Divine, the father aspect of the Divine, which is intention. Thus many people say intention is everything. At least, according to the Emerald Tablet, intention is a necessary step to manifest anything.

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