Welcome to our newsletter, dear reader,
• We begin our monthly selection with a life of one of the Desert Fathers, St Bishoy (Paisios) of Scetis (5th century), known in the Coptic Church of Alexandria as the “Star of the Desert”.
He prayed constantly, without rest and without interruption, just as the Apostle Paul commanded. And he persisted in fasting and vigils. He loved the words of God more than honey or the honeycomb. Every day he advanced in virtue, and he increased and flourished like a tree planted by streams of water, which brings forth fruit, and its leaves do not wither.
• Next we present the treatise on Symbolic Colours by Frédéric Portal, a landmark in modern studies of traditional art, widely informative and subtle in its treatment of the universal metaphysics embodied in religious symbolism.
In the symbolic generation of colours there are three degrees : 1st, Self existence; 2nd, Manifestation of life; 3rd, Action resulting therefrom. In the first, love or the will presides, indicated by red; in the second intellect appears, designated by blue; finally, in the third, action exhibits its symbol in green. According to the prophets, three spheres emanate from God, which occupy the three heavens; the first, or sphere of love, is red; the second, or sphere of wisdom, is blue; the third, or sphere of creation, is green.
Chartres south ambulatory window detail: Notre-Dame de la Belle-Verrière (12th c.).
• And we complete our selection with chapter 167 from Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi’s Futuhat al-Makkiyya. Being a treatise on alchemy in general, and what is called in particular the alchemy of happiness or alchemy of bliss, this chapter puts in a Qur’anic and cosmic setting the parameters, methods and aims of the “sacred art”, including doctrines shared with medieval astrology.
The science of alchemy, which is knowledge of the elixir, has two parts, I mean in terms of its action. On the one hand, there is the originating of something, like gold ore; and on the other hand, there is the eliminating of a defect and ailment, like alchemical gold, which is classed as equal to natural gold—this is like the development of the other world and this world in the search for equilibrium.
