The Emerald Tablet, also known as Tabla Smaragdine, or Tabula Smaragdina is an ancient text that is said to contain the secret of raw material and its transmutation.
Highly regarded by the alchemists of the whole world as the basis of his art and hermetic tradition, the original source of this mysterious writing remains a mystery, it is believed that Hermes Trismegistus was the author of the text. His first known appearance is in a book written in Arabic between the sixth and eighth centuries. The text was first translated into Latin in the 12th century. Numerous translations, interpretations and comments followed.
The exact author of the text is still debated. Many authors point to Hermes Trismegistus, while others suggest that it was written by Balinas Kitāb sirr al-ḫalīqa in the 8th century. Although the Emerald Tablet was written in Arabic, it is said to be a Syriac translation of a previous Greek text.
The layers of meaning in the Emerald Tablet have been associated with the creation of the philosopher's stone, laboratory experimentation, phase transition, the alchemical magna work, the classical and ancient element system and the correspondence between the macrocosm and the microcosm .
The impression of an artist from the Emerald Tablet. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons.
1) It is true without lying, true and truer.
There are probably no better ways to present an article in which we analyze ancient scriptures that seek to reveal, among many other things, how the world was created.
The above is the first part of the text that is composed of a total of 12, 13 or 13 depending on the translation that makes up the Esmeralda tablet: a revealing guide wrapped in mystery. You can not understand it until you understand it.
Although the meaning is the same, there are several versions of this first line and the rest of the text.
It is one of the most mysterious writings ever created. We do not know where it is located, it is written with an unknown alphabet but similar to the old Phoenician script and, depending on the source you consult, it is between 1,200 and 36,000 years old.
What we do know is that the content of what is known as the Emerald Tablet has not only survived the passage of time when it was written, but it has also left its mark on several spheres of knowledge and personalities such as the great Isaac Newton, and therefore it must have been of great importance.
2) What is below is like what is above and what is above is like what is below to do the miracles of a single thing.
The phrase " as above is below " was and continues to be considered by many as the key to all mysteries.
It is the maxim that guides the faithful to the philosophical and religious tradition of hermeticism.
According to this, what happens at any level of reality, whether physical, emotional or mental, also happens at all other levels.
It is often interpreted as the relationship between the macrocosm, the Universe and the microcosm, the human being; Within each one is the other, so if you understand one, you can get to understand the other.
On the other hand, those four words capture the essence of alchemy: the sky is a mirror of the Earth and all things correspond to each other.
Interestingly, Alchemy was adopted by intellectually extraordinary figures, from Robert Boyle, the father of chemistry, to Isaac Newton.
It is believed that the Emerald Tablet contains a summary of all the art of the Great Work, the main goal of alchemy.
Alchemy is the art of perfection and the Great Work implies its fulfillment, perfection.
The Emerald Tablet contains in its few lines the secret of the Great Work; it is a direct passage for the achievement of perfection.
This message is expressed in a symbolic way; its mere reading does not reveal its meaning.
Some authors believe that access to the Great Work requires transcending our rational limitation, therefore, each alchemist implies a parallel personal transmutation that allows him to access the language of the Symbol.
The All, the One, only expresses itself symbolically, and it is of great importance to learn the hermeneutics of the Symbol. Otherwise, its mere simplicity will generate disbelief.
In short, the cryptic expression of the Table is not intentional, but requires the right person, trained for the Great Work.