The Philosopher's Stone, How It Recently Changed My Way Of Thinking!
Posted: Monday, September 27, 2010
by Jill Lennon
It is not always an author will proffer a title that gets my head racing on all the pros and cons of their chosen subject. I myself tend to cover societal issues but came across this in my searches.
Yesterday I followed a thread in my comment box to an author who is incredibly sensitive, intelligent, with penmanship I will never surpass. I followed the link to her latest article My Ideas on the Philosophers Stone.
The Philosophers Stone would not raise an eyebrow, God forbid a conversation, with any of my friends; they would think I am asking about the Harry Potter Movie. I rest my case. This title was like magic, drawing me into the realms of mystics, hidden codes and dialect. The last time I read about of these topics had to be at school or college. The Ark of the Covenant, The Holy Grail, The Apocalypse or the Philosophers Stone. I am not a philosopher, theologist nor scientist, but I must it seems have logged and filed this terminology at some point, to be awakened by another of similar interest.
The philosopher’s modern day Stone conjures up magic. Id never heard of Harry Potter books though I've always thought The Stone was associated with chemistry or science. Alchemy that goes right back to the Egyptians or earlier when knowledge was mastered, passed on from the great sage to the student, who then prays for much greater knowledge to be imparted to him. Crudely put I know, I am no professor but recall having the thought if the Great Philosophers had their evidence in front of them, were mostly scientific, why and to whom did they pray? Why did they have secrets, allegory hidden from the rest of their people? What of esoteric men holding the only clues to a Higher Power. Brotherhoods even today like Freemasons. Sound familiar?
I remember also from school, my poor exasperated (with me) Religious Studies teacher, Mr Donnelly. It was heresy to say there was no God. At the time my God, or so I thought, had deserted me and there was no place for him until it was fact He existed. I took great delight in watching my teacher control his frustration with me. My teacher loved to hold debates, and the last one I ever attended was Religion Vs Science. That ended my days in RE. In a fit of rage he fired the blackboard chalk at my head and ejected me from the classroom faster than I could say Amen. What did I say? Nothing of consequence I thought, but I hit a nerve. My last argument for my team the scientists, stated simply that we as a group take a few objects or chemicals in a controlled area, we log the results and we can see the evidence. No matter how much scientific data we have, a scientist cannot prove there is a God. Very naive I know, but enough to earn me a free study period, for the rest of Term.
The Philosopher’s Stone was said to hold the answer to turning base metals into Gold. It was later written and believed to be the key to eternal life. Immortality. Did I not learn similar in my RE class Mr Donnelly? If I devoted my self, my soul and life to prayer I would receive eternal life in Heaven? In every religion, old and gone, reworded, transcribed, translated, all promise something when the end draws near. A metamorphosis, a revelation, enlightenment. It seems to me that if the key to all these promises are kept within the hierarchy, as ancient allegory and history show, then the rest of us had no other choice than follow the words of the wise and believe or be cast out. (Thanks Mr Donnelly)
I need to change the subject quite entirely, please bear with me. The same author that propagated thoughts on this subject also submitted an article on Little Girl Wounded- Cry of the Inner Child. I found this piece on the same day so my thoughts on the Philosopher’s Stone were in danger of getting warped. Memories I had long ago filed never to resurface suddenly registered on the radar screen. The very topic of this, child abuse, is most likely the reason I was expelled from RE studies. What indeed was the likelihood that the same author would pen two completely different articles that would potentially blow any opinions? This second article was written as though about me. Like the writer could see inside my soul and say how it was. It was written with such sensitivity and understanding I almost wished for a moment my mother had said it. My inner child, the abused little girl had not properly been mourned and it is like being in a state of limbo. I could not let go, until I read this article. I cried until I could cry no more and finally a sense of relief. A small word for a major event I know, but pure relief is what it was.
Theology, philosophy and Science proffer terms that all three hold dear. Apocalyptic...I felt that when I cam across these two articles, my world had wobbled on its axis. Transformation or transmutation... again after the symbolic mourning of my inner child I turned into a whole different being, free from a life time of stress, pressure, weight dragging me down in the bowels of the earth, free. Enlightenment...yes this too. A Revelation.
If I am made in Gods imagine or I am a mutation of Gods Image, then God is in me. God did not desert me when I was being abused. I stopped listening. I looked to the stars because they were full of hope. Not only in the cosmic beauty more in the belief God would hear my little girl praying for help God was within. I stopped listening to his teachings. I stopped believing.
Definitively faith is the belief in something that is not seen, does not exist on my plane like My God or in the ancient sages Philosophers Stone. Fundamentally, Faith must be the core step to understanding my God, what can my God be if I have no faith?
I don't know if any of this makes sense to my readers, I am recalling school lessons from thirty years ago, and philosophers will all but giggle, but is seems ironic, (magical to myself) that all I needed was Faith. My mind and body had to halves, victim - survivor never feeling whole, conflicting halves working against each other for the truth.
Today, I am neither victim nor survivor. I am Jill. That is my miracle.
Special Thanks To Ella
Jill is 46, Irish, living in Brighton since she was 16. Jill set up the first ever internet based self help group as a registered charity in the UK. The group is there to support survivors of child abuse. Jill is currently writing her bio titled - Devoid Of A Moral Compass. The book is centered on who she is now and what she has been through being brought up in an Irish Catholic family with the secrecy of child abuse. Jill Loves to write and welcomes your comments.
Jill Lennon
SearchWarp.com
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Jill Lennon
SearchWarp.com
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More commentsInteresting article Jill. Thanks for writing it.I sincerely apologise for uploading a draft, the spelling errors are terrible. Thank you for reading. Jill
It makes perfect sense. It's wonderful Ella's words could bring you such peace. Yes, SearchWarp is the place to be.It is the place to be. Ella's work is profoundly responsible for making me see sense. Many thanks for reading, so sorry about the spelling errors, I upload a hastily written draft by mistake.
Hi Jill.Though I didn't remember the specifics, I was fairly certain it was Ella you were talking about. She can write very eloquently on these topics as can you.I will not claim to understand all that you wrote, but your passion is clear nevertheless.Thank you so much for sharing something so personal.Hugs,DianneHi Dianne, it was Ella, and thank you. Your writing is brilliant, its like your'e talking straight to my face, and so funny.. keep it up, I am big fan.
Hugs backJill
A lovely topic explored with the innocence of the inner spirit. "Suffer them to come unto me." Love your point of view and your sense of wonder.Many thanks, appreciate your comments......Jill
I believe that he does exist in each of us if we have faith. Without faith, prayer, and execution, we have nothing.
I believe that now, a pity it took so long to register, but hey, go there in the end, Thanks James.
Eloquently written Jill ~ GraceThank you Grace, that is truly appreciated.
Wonderfully written story about your journey to finding yourself. Congrats on the end results.Thank you so much for reading Linda, very much appreciated.
Being new I never read the article you referred to. This was a little difficult to follow but to me the Philosopher's Stone always meant something unatainable, that you could not create something from nothing.Well it is written that it would provide eternal life, but as I said God provides that after we die, when in Heaven, so it is said. Thank you for reading, I was comparing fabled searches for the truth, elightenment which I had lost belief in.
Proving God is like trying to prove you were born as a result of your parents and simply not evolved by similar genetics. Of course your parents are your parents. All it takes is a little logic to figure it out. Just because they have similar genetics is not proof they are your parents. You rely on witnesses to your birth. You rely on a birth certificate.It is much the same with God. You rely on witnesses who have had life altering encounters with Him. Creation also testifies of Him. One maybe two planets working together okay. But billions? This requires thought and action. Any logical mind can see this. That God exists is not to be proven by someone's test tube.It is to be proved through a personal relationship with Him. Much like a relationship with one's parents is proven by love shared between them. You cannot prove the love you have for your parents to someone else yet it still exists and anyone who doubts it is nonetheless wrong for doubting it. Only you can testify that the love between you and your parents is there. NO one can bottle it to test it. But it is a personal testimony you have and it is true nonetheless. Love cannot be proven in a scientific community.It exists because it exists. What you see is the evidence of the love that exists. Much like the wind you cannot see. You see the evidence. This makes your logical mind know of its existence. It is the same with God.God bless.
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