What is Refuah as taught by Salomo Baal-Shem?

Refuah (רפואה) is Hebrew and simply means "healing". Refuah as taught by Salomo Baal-Shem is a spiritual healing system based on the Western Mystery Tradition in particular on the Holy Qabbalah. The Refuah system is inspired by the inner plane Masters, but also deeply rooted in time proven traditional western healing methods and further includes modern leading edge concepts of alternative therapy. It is now offered to humanity in order to enable those who seek to study and practice spiritual healing on the highest level to fully access the ancient wisdom of the tried and tested spiritual healing methods taught and practiced within the Western Mystery Tradition.

What is the Holy Qabbalah?

Qabbalah (קבלה) means "[esoteric] Tradition". The Holy Qabbalah is said to be the source of King Solomons Wisdom and of Moses' power of prophesy. It is the backbone of the Western Mystery Tradition. The Holy Qabbalah is said to be the source of King Solomons Wisdom and of Moses' power of prophesy. It is the backbone of the Western Mystery Tradition. Amongst the great initiates of the Holy Qabbalah and the Western Mystery Tradition are such people as the legendary Agrippa of Nettesheim (1486-1535), the personal physician of Louise of Savoy, the mother of King Francis I of France and such as John Dee (1527-1608 or 1609), the great mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, and adviser of Queen Elizabeth I.
John Dee, Engraving by Robert Cooper (late 18th to early 19th century)

John Dee, Engraving by Robert Cooper (late 18th to early 19th century)

The Holy Qabbalah is also the key to the Tarot. Arthur Edward Waite, the co-creator of the most famous Tarot deck (usually called the Rider-Waite Deck) was another famous initiate of the Holy Qabbalah, and so were all the great experts on the Tarot.

Another aspect of the Holy Qabbalah is angelology, the doctrine Lehre of angels. Again another branch is the art of making amulets and talismans for healing and protection that draw down the astrological powers of the stars and planets, because the deeper levels of Astrology are intimately based on the Qabbalah.¹

Yet other aspects of the Qabbalah are the real meaning of the Holy Scriptures, the mysteries of the universe and of the soul, the art of divination and prophesy. The Holy Qabbalah is however much more than even this, for it is in itself a complete path to spiritual mastership and enlightenment.

What is the connection between Qabbalah and spiritual healing?

Paracelsus, woodcut
by Tobias Stimmer (1541)

The famous healer Paracelsus (1493-1541) was a 'lay scholar' of the Qabbalah (being perhaps introduced to it by the mystic Johannes Trithemius, who was also the mentor of Agrippa of Nettesheim). Even though Paracelsus was never initiated into the deeper mysteries of the Qabbalah (which he also called Cabalia or ars caballistica and occasionally completely misspelled it as 'Gabalia') he considered the Qabbalah to be the true foundation of the art of healing without which no one could be a true healer², and it surely was the secret of his success. In his own, perhaps a little immodest manor, he praises the Qabbalah:

And all ye, who art religious (here in the meaning of "spiritually inclined"), to divine to the people about things future, past or present, who seek the far country and read hidden letters and locked books, seek in the earth and in ruins that which is buried, to learn much and great wisdom, behold, if ye want to make use of all things that ye assume the religion of the Gabalists (i.e. teachings of the Qabbalists) and walk upon its path. For gabalia (Qabbalah) is set upon this foundation: "Ask, and it shall be given you; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." From this giving and opening flows that which ye desire. You will see into the depth of the earth, into thedepth of hell and into the third heaven. Ye will attain more than the wisdom of Solomon and have more communion with God than Moses and Aaron, than Abraham and Josuae snd Gedeon. If ye will first seek the kingdom of God all the things will come to you. Thus the art of Gabalia (i.e. Qabbalah) is promised by God and based upon the word of Christ. […] for upon the foundation of the Gabalists (i.e. Qabbalists) stood all the wisdom and all the religion of the things that are known, and [whoever seeks it] may be beatifically drawn to the beatified life. For then by Divine Power the people will make happen and invent great things, more even than Samson, more even than Gedeon, more even than Moises (i.e. Moses), and many such tales, which here we do not have the time to tell them. Moses and Samson etc. are however build upon the rock, upon which Gabalia (i.e. Qabbalah) stands. Attainment upon the same foundation makes you great before God. (Paracelsus, Liber de religione perpetua)³

Nostradamus, copperplate print by Jean Boulanger (1608-1680), published by Odieuvre (Paris ca. 1742)

Another famous lay scholar of the Western Mystery Tradition, who studied the Qabbalah was the famous writer and healer Nostradamus (1503-1566), who - despite the publication of his famous prophecies - tried to hide his occupation with esoteric and Qabbalistic philosophy from the eyes of the public. Only from a letter to his Cesar do we know the source of his knowledge.⁴

This portrait is often believed to be of the Baal-Shem-Tov, (but in fact it shows Chaim Samuel Jacob Falk, the Baal-Shem of London).

This portrait is often believed to be of the Baal-Shem-Tov, (but in fact it shows Chaim Samuel Jacob Falk, the Baal-Shem of London).

Less known in our times, but much more important for our matter are the miracle powers of the Jewish Qabbalists which for many centuries were legendary throughout Europe. Their reputation as healers and wonderworkers has been the matter of thousands of legends. The most famous of these healers was perhaps the great Israel Baal-Shem-Tov (1698-1760).

A tale about a patient whom a great Jewish doctor had given up (i.e. he had given up any hope to cure him), and [the illness was that] the patient could not speak. The Baal-Shem-Tov came to the same place and called the aforementioned patient, and told [those who cared for him] to cook a soup of meat [for him], and soon he would begin to speak. They gave him soup to eat and [thus] healed him until he was [completely] recovered. The doctor asked him: "How did you cure him? I knew that his vocal chords (lit. tendons) were damaged and those vocal chords (lit. tendons) they cannot be healed." The Baal-Shem-Tov said to him: "You approach the patient physically, and I approach the patient spirituality. For a man has 248 organs and 365 tendons corresponding [to them] there are 248 positive commandments and 365 negative commandments. If a man God forbid violates [a commandment], the corresponding organ or tendon is damaged, but if he transgresses many negative commandments, many tendons are damaged, and there is no blood flowing in them thus the man is in danger. And I spoke with the soul (Neshamah) to receive from it repentance (Teshuvah) and received it and like this, all the organs and the tendons were fixed and I could cure him.⁵

Is spiritual healing a miracle?

There are a number of terms occasionally used in connection with spiritual healing. These are: miracle healing, faith healing, magic, esoteric and occult. Whether these terms are appropriate or not depends entirely on what you mean by them.

Jesus: Healing the Blind, woodcut by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld (1794-1872) A miracle (Greek: thauma) is an event of supernatural origin. (This does not imply that a miracle has to be in conflict with nature.) A miracle is sometimes believed to be caused by a miracle worker (such as a saint or prophet). The act of causing miracles is often referred to as Thaumaturgy "wonderworking" in philosophical or theological literature.⁶ If the miracle is brought about by calling upon higher divine or celestial beings is called Theurgy "Divine Work".⁷ Accounts of miracle healing are numerous in the Bible and other religious texts, but should we generally think of spiritual healing as a miracle or is only a saint or prophet capable of such a deed? Many of the sages whom we consider as saints or prophets today, were not considered to be saints or prophets when their miracles happened, but they were in contact with higher powers and were - with the help of God - able to cause certain effects, and so can you if you study and practice the wisdom of the Holy Qabbalah. Many lesser and sometimes greater miracles have been brought about by the initiates of the past and present.

Elisha raises the Shunammite's Son, woodcut by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld (1794-1872) Is spiritual healing the same as faith healing? Faith is certainly an important component of healing as the great Agrippa of Nettesheim confirms:

We must therefore in every work, and application of things, affect vehemently, imagine, hope, and believe strongly, for that will be a great help. And it is verified amongst Physitians (physicians), that a strong belief, and an undoubted hope, and love towards the Physitian (physician), and medicine, conduce much to health, yea more sometimes than the medicine it self. For the same that the efficacy, and vertue of the medicine works, the same doth the strong imagination of the Physitian (physician) work, being able to change the qualities in the body of the sick, especially when the patient placeth much confidence in the Physitian (physician), by that means disposing himself for the receiving of the vertue of the Physitian (physician), and Physick (=medicine).⁸

However, we must not make the mistake to believe that, just because faith is one of the components of healing, that this makes spiritual healing any less real. The modern term placebo is often used to indicate that any healing that is not caused by influences that can be measured is not valid. This is however not true. Patients, who could not be cured by conventional medicine, were healed, by what has been disparaged to be a mere 'placebo-effect'. But then does this really lessen the healing? The materialistic physician cures a bacteriological infection by the application of antibiotics. The spiritual healer will activate the body's own self-healing powers in order to boost the immune system. No influence is measurable that does not origin in any other source than whatever the body could achieve on its own. The difference is that spiritual healing might activate these powers, when conventional medicine failed to do so.⁹ (Best results will often be achieved if medicine and spiritual healing are combined in an intelligent way.)

Blessing and Invocation of the Three Holy Kings (19 Century)

Blessing and Invocation of the Three Holy Kings (19 Century)

Is spiritual healing something magical? First of all magic must be distinguished from sorcery. The later being the application of spiritual power in order to harm others, which was condemned by most ancient cultures. A lot of misunderstanding is caused by confusing the words magic and sorcery. In the Bible a clear distinction is made between a magician and a sorcerer. While sorcerers (Latin: "malefici") are those who cause harm to others, the term "magicians" (Latin: "magi") is used for wise men such as the Three Holy Kings from the East (See: Mathew 2:1).¹⁰ In the old times the term magic was often associated with higher wisdom and the ability to cause miracles. Even today we use the term to describe events in which we feel closer to the spiritual world. We speak of the 'magic of love' or the 'magic of a moment'. Why not speak of the 'magic of healing' if healing comes from a higher source? Is spiritual healing not something magical, in a certain way?

The term esoteric derives from the Greek word "esoterikos" (ἐσωτερικός), meaning "inner" or "internal" and is distinguished from its antonym exoteric, from the Greek word "exoterikos" (ἐξωτερικός) meaning "outer" or "external". The term is recorded by Lucian of Samosata in his "Sale of Creeds" (Greek: Βίων Πρᾶσις), §26, written around 166 CE. The distinction between is said to origin in Platos works and has been applied by Aristotle onto his own writings. His popular writings (dialogues in the style of Plato) are called exoteric because they were meant for a general audience outside his school, while his treatises (pragmatia) that were meant for the inner circle of students within his school (i.e. the Lyceum) were called esoteric.
Today the term esoteric is generally understood to be a kind of teaching not generally available to the public or an inner kind of teaching that looks beyond the surface. True spiritual healing certainly does look at the deeper aspects of the healing process and while the basic levels are not kept in utter secrecy anymore its more advanced levels are certainly only available to those few, who enter the higher levels of the mysteries.

The term occult is Latin and means 'hidden'. It was used in the renaissance to describe the hidden laws of nature.¹² Many forms of alternative healing would have been considered occult in that time. While today this word is often associated with superstitious or dubious practices, in the original meaning spiritual healing, which is of course based on the hidden laws of nature, might indeed be called 'occult'.

Who is Salomo Baal-Shem?

Salomo Baal-Shem has been studying and practicing the Western Mystery Tradition for over twenty years. He is an Initiate and Adept of the Western Mystery Tradition, a personal student of Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and he is the Grandmaster of the Brotherhood of the Eternal Light. He was introduced to the spiritual lore of Judaism, the tradition of his ancestors, by his own father. He has studied Philosophy and Judaism specialising in the Qabbalah and Hermetic philosophy. He is considered by many experts to be one of the world's leading authorities on the practical Qabbalah and the Western Mystery Tradition. He is the author of Qabbalistic Magic: Talismans, Psalms, Amulets, and the Practice of High Ritual and has published articles in "The Magical Use of Thought Forms" by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and in "Illuminations" by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki.

Salomo Baal-Shem's Vision

Woodcut of Ezekiel's vision, from the Bear Bible (sixteenth
century)

Some months after his first degree initiation he was in deep mediation and the Masters of the Inner Planes revealed a vision of the Throne of the Divine Glory (i.e. the Merkavah) and of the four pillars of the firmament and thus he realized that the mysteries must be build upon four pillars and each of these pillars is personified by one of the Four Holy Beings which carry the Throne upon which the Divine Glory rests.¹³ And each of these pillars is guided by one of the four great archangels. And each of these Archangels guides one aspect of the work of the mysteries. And the Archangel Raphael is set over the work of healing.

God Calls Samuel, woodcut by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld (1794-1872) And Salomo Baal-Shem was instructed by the Inner Plane Teachers to establish the mysteries in the western world on a new and higher level. And he was inspired by the Inner Plane Teachers and by the Archangel Raphael to establish the ancient wisdom of healing in a coherent system in order to guide the seekers in the wisdom of the Holy Qabbalah and the Western Mystery Tradition. After having worked spiritually with the Archangel Raphael - the angel of healing - intensively for about fifteen years the time has now come to pass this knowledge to those who are willing to carry it on. And the Archangel Raphael gave his blessing to this work.

As part of this spiritual mission Salomo Baal-Shem and his senior students also offer a free one year online course in the basic theory and principles of the Mystical Qabbalah and the Western Mystery Tradition. (The course requires no fee, because it is offered in order to further the spiritual development of the western world and to enable true seekers from all over the world to explore the western path towards the Light.)

How is Refuah different from other healing systems such as Reiki?

Perhaps no one in the west has grown up with legends about Devas or Bodhisattvas, but with tales about angels - this is our tradition, yet a lot of people look for wisdom and spiritual guidance in the Eastern Traditions such as Yoga or Buddhism, because they are disappointed by the dogmatic views of the church, and the seeming lack of a true spiritual path in the western world. It is due to the inquisition that the Western Mystery Tradition is not as well-known even in the western world as its eastern equivalents. There have always been a few great initiates such as Agrippa of Nettesheim, John Dee or Israel Baal-Shem-Tov, but apart from those special people the tradition itself was kept in secrecy.

Due to this fact still today the Qabbalah is relatively unknown and many seekers have invested their hopes in Yoga or Buddhism and not seen the riches the Western Mystery Tradition has to offer.

Today Reiki is perhaps the most popular system of esoteric healing. In a few weekend workshops you can become a master of the system. But is that really all there is to spiritual healing?

How did Usui Mikao develop Reiki? Did you know that he was a lay priest of the Tendai Mikkyo Tradition (later called Taimitsu) which is a Japanese Form of esoteric Buddhism? Reiki is very strongly based upon Japanese Esoteric Buddhism, much stronger than most people even realise. The deeper secrets that lie behind Reiki are only available to the student of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism.

As an interesting coincidence Salomo Baal-Shem's very first meditation teacher was a priest of the Tendai Mikkyo Tradition, with whom he studied for many years until he was eventually offered Initation into the Tendai Mikkyo Tradition, but refused to take it because by then he had realised, that his path lies in the Western Mystery Tradition. Nevertheless this early training in Japanese Esoteric Buddhism is an excellent foundation to better understand the true nature of Reiki. (It is a bit like someone who has studied medicine can explain the deeper aspects of a First Aid Course.) Of course, later Salomo Baal-Shem became an initiate of the Western Mystery Tradition, one of the few true third degree initiates of this tradition.

What is the meaning of Initiation into the Western Mystery Tradition?

Initiation into the Western Mystery Tradition, is not the same as initiation into Reiki. A true initiate (first degree) of the Western Mystery Tradition is a priest of the mysteries, who has studied and trained for many years and this rank is thus perhaps comparable to the more well known rank of a Lama in the Tibetan tradition, which is usually awarded after a three years retreat. (Becoming a true initiate of the Western Mysteries, usually takes a bit longer - a minimum of four years is more likely, but on the other hand it does not require a retreat for the duration of the training.)

So what happens to the student of Reiki after they have completed their three or four weekend workshops? Well, usually they have two choices: They may continue to refine what they have learned, and then either they are stuck or they look out for other esoteric systems or try to combine Reiki with other things such as angelic work. In either case they are stuck, because unless they become Buddhists and study Japanese Esoteric Buddhism, they cannot go deeper into the secrets behind Reiki. Esoteric Buddhism is a true path to spiritual mastership and enlightenment, but Reiki offers only a very limited aspect of this path.

In the Refuah-Training we will not only offer you powerful western spiritual healing techniques, we will also teach you the underlying principles of every system of spiritual healing. (Even your understanding of Reiki may benefit from your training in Refuah.) Further you will be offered a spiritual system that covers all aspects of the mysteries and offers a fully accessible and complete path of spiritual development, should you ever desire to truly enter into the deeper levels of the mysteries.

How is Refuah structured?

There are three practitioner levels, in which the basic methods of healing are taught. (An exact comparison to Reiki may not be possible, as both systems are based on a different tradition, but roughly speaking the first two practitioner levels confer perhaps similar abilities as the three degrees of Reiki, albeit the methods are of course different and a lot of additional information is also given. The third level provides further skills about the deeper levels of healing and also includes an understanding of working with angels and making amulets.)

The levels will build upon each other and have to be taken in sequence, that is, you can only participate in practitioner level two if you have completed level one, and you need level two in order to participate in level three, etc…

For those who want to go even deeper these three practitioner levels are followed by three teacher levels. Teachers will not only acquire the necessary skills to pass on the system effectively but also gain a much deeper understanding of the system itself and a great deal of the training of a teacher will also be spend on training more advanced techniques such as trance work and developing the deeper aspects of their skills.

We believe that (unlike in some other systems) a teacher should not only understand what they are teaching, but they should have access to a much greater level, so that they are a fair bit ahead of their students, thus being able to answer even more advanced questions and present the entire system based on their deeper understanding.

Additionally the training of a teacher will prepare them to eventually become a true spiritual counselor, which is the main focus of the three expert levels which are beyond the levels of the teacher. The highest and final level is the master level, which includes matters such as exorcism.

Thus there is a total of ten levels which offer a wealth of knowledge for those who wish to study the mysteries of healing in full depth yet even to those only seek a basic understanding will find a valid system, that will always enable them to go deeper should they wish to do so at a later point in time.

How does Refuah work?

Refuah as taught by Salomo Baal-Shem is based on a holistic concept of body, soul, mind and spirit. A human being can be ill on three levels. The body can be ill, such as if a bone is broken. The soul can be ill, as in case of depression (which was known as melancholia in the old times). And the mind can be ill as in the case of delusions. The spirit is never ill, but a human being may lose their connection to the spiritual world and become ill as a result, as in the case of a personal or spiritual crisis. Often these different levels or planes all have some influence upon each other. For example if you have delusions you may panic and stumble and thus break your leg or a spiritual crisis may cause a depression the depression may then cause stomach trouble or a heart problem. True healing has to consider these aspects in order to be complete. (Remember the story of the Baal-Shem-Tov, who healed the soul in order to bring about a cure of the body.)

In the early stages of the Refuah System we will mostly, but not exclusively, focus on the lower levels and explore the western system of energetic healing. Later more work will be done on the higher planes as well. However we will always integrate all levels of a human being and all planes of existence into the healing process, and thus perhaps cause some little miracles every now and then.

Refuah offers highly effective techniques of energetic healing, aura work, distance healing, healing by power of the word, working with crystals and (other) energy catalysators and energy containers (such as amulets), angelic healing, healing meditations and trance work, prayer and ritual work, spiritual protection, spiritual counselling, and much more … (All this in one consistent system of healing!)

What is the connection between Working with Angels and the Holy Qabbalah respectively Refuah?

Gideon's Call, woodcut by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld (1794-1872)

All knowledge about angels came from the Holy Qabbalah, the Hebrew Mystery Tradition, and was - according to tradition - given to humankind by the angels themselves. This secret knowledge was handed down to us via the ancient Prophets of the Jews and the early sages and then spread by the Initiates of the Western Mystery Tradition. This is why all the well-known Names of the Angels (such as Raphael, Michael, Gabriel and Uriel) of the Hosts of Angels (such as the Seraphim or the Cherubim) are Hebraic.

Can I work with angels, without knowing the Refuah-System or the Qabbalah?

Yes, you can. The difference is a bit like one who uses a computer or who is a programmer. The programmer really understands what is going on and he will be able to be much more effective. In small matters the difference may not be apparent, but in big matters it will certainly be. Therefore it is advisable to learn from the experts and become an expert.

What about Reiki Systems working with Angels?

The Tarot card XIV Temperance from the so-called Rider-Waite tarot deck by Pamela Colman Smith after instructions by Arthur Edward Waite (The Angel is often identified as the Archangel Michael.)

The Qabbalah is the foundation of the Western Mystery Tradition and it is the inner essence of angelology. If working with angels were a language the Qabbalah would be the grammar of that language. Reiki is a system based on the Tendai Mikkyo Tradition in other words on Japanese esoteric Buddhism. Using Reiki as the foundation for angelic healing is a bit like trying to teach or speak English (or Hebrew¹⁴) based on Japanese grammar. Why would anybody do such a thing, unless he was totally unaware that such a thing as English grammar does exist? And if he is totally unaware of the existence of English grammar, would he be qualified to teach English? Any system that claims to teach western methods while being based on Reiki is obviously nonsense. Of course some might say it does work however, does it not? Well, you can learn a few words and arrange them as you would do in Japanese grammar. For example in Japanese grammar the verb is last. If you go into a restaurant and say "cake want" you will probably be recognized as a foreigner and the polite British waiter will serve you a piece of cake, but just because you were lucky, this does not mean that this is the correct or even a good way to do it. It may work t a certain degree for an amateur, but it is not the way of the expert.

Furthermore not all angels are nice. Tradition teaches there angels of mercy and angels of justice. While the angels of mercy will generally recognise a good intention the others will not tolerate your mistakes and judge you upon what you did, not what you hoped to do.

Tobias and Sara Sleep (Protected by the Archangel Raphael), woodcut by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld (1794-1872) Can we not just work with the angels of mercy then? Well besides the fact that even those may only help to a certain degree. If you do things wrong, they may lessen the negative effect for you, but you will still not get the same results you would get if you did everything right.

But what if someone has done you wrong and you need spiritual protection and justice? The angels of mercy may not be any good for that, so unless you have learned to work with both, you are in trouble.

Some may find this example to farfetched, because they think the outer form does not matter when you work with energy. Here is another example, one about energy: Think about electricity. It does matter whether you work with continuous current or alternating current. A tool meant for one will not work with the other. The same applies for Angels and Devas, Archangels and Bodhisattvas. They are more intelligent than electrons therefore they may try to adjust (as mentioned above only some of them will - others will not), but in any case they will be much more effective if worked with in the appropriate form.

That which summons the devas of the East will not invoke the angelic hosts of the West, nor will the banishing formula which sends Hindu devils about their business give protection in a European country, as many an English chela has found to his cost. The very mantrams, spells and Words of Power are put together upon different principles. To borrow a metaphor from music, the Rays are played in different keys, and if transposition is to be effected, it must be done by a skilled master who understands the correspondences; horrible effects are produced by merely playing sharps as flats. (Dion Fortune)¹⁵

(More to come...)

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¹"Learn, therefore, astronomiam magicam (i.e. Astronomic Magic), which otherwise I call cabalisticam (i.e. cabbalistic), thus you will ascend the steps (i.e. levels) and make recipes (i.e. prescriptions) against this and other diseases." (Paracelsus, De Pestilitate, Tract I. / Theophrast Paracelsus: Werke. Herausgegeben von Will-Erich Peukert. Bd. 5, Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, p. 208) Original: "Daum lerne astronomiam magicam, welche ich sonst cabalisticam heiße, so wirst du die Staffeln aufsteigen, dadurch du wider diese und andere Krankheiten ein Rezept machen wirst."

² "Thus there is need that we shall further seek the foundation of remedy (i.e. medicine), in order to be freed of the abovementioned erring; for it is obvious that, having not penetrated the cabalia and magia, they were feigned physicians without knowledge of the origin of this disease." Original: "[...] so ist not das wir weiter dem grunt der arznei zustreichen, auf das wir der obgemelten irrsal entledigt werden. dann dieweil offensichtlich befunden ist, das sie der cabalia und magia nicht ergrünt seind gewesen daraus zuspüren, das sie vermeintliche artzte gewesen one wissen dieser krankheit ursprung." (Paracelsus, Philippi theophrasti Paracelsi - zwei bücher von der pestilenz und iren zufellen, Liber secundus Vorred, Sämtliche Werke 8,385)

³ Translated from: Paracelsus, Theophrastus, Bd. : Vita beata: 1 (Neue Paracelsus-Edition) von Theophrastus Paracelsus und Urs L. Gantenbein von Gruyter 2008, p. 311-313. Original: "Und ihr alle die do ihr religion führen, weiszusagen den leuten zukünftig ding, vergangen und gegenwärtigs, die do sehnt in weite land und lesen verborgen brief und verschlossen bücher, suchen in der erden und in mäuren, das vergraben ist, die do viel groß weisheit künst lernen, gedenket, so ihr die ding alle wellen gebrauchen, dass ihr die religion der gabalier an euch nehmen und in derselbigen wandlen. Dann gabalia ist gesetzt uf den grund: "Bitten, so werden ihr gewährt, klopfen an, so werden ihr erhört und euch wird ufgeton." Aus dem gewährn und uftun fleußt heraus das, so ihr begehrn. In das tiefest der erden sehent ihr, in die tiefe der hellen (=Hölle), in dritten himmel. Ihr erlangen mehr, den die weisheit Salomonis ist, ihr werden mehr gemeinschaft mit gott haben dann Moses und Aaron, dann Abraham und Josuae und Gedeon. So ihr werden am ersten suchen das reich gottes so werden euch die ding alle zugestellt. Also ist die kunst gabalia gegen[-über] gott versprochen und in bündnus uf das wort Christi wohl gegründt. [...] dann uf den grund der gabalier stand alle weisheit und alle religion deren dingen, so jetz gemeldet seind, und mag seliglich zu dem seligen leben gezogen werden. dann do werden durch die menschen us göttlicher kraft groß ding beschehen und erfunden, noch mehr Samson, noch mehr Gedeon, noch mehr Moises, und viel solcher großen geschichten, die hie zu erzählen die zeit nit hat. Moses aber, Samson aber etc., dieselbigen seind uf den felsen gebauen, uf dem gabalia steht. Das erlangen im selbigen grund, so seind ihr groß vor gott."

⁴ "Fearing lest this occult philosophy be condemned, I did not therefore wish to make known its dire import; also fearful that several books which had lain hidden for long centuries might be discovered." Original: "Et combien que celle occulte Philosophie ne fusse reprouué, n'ay oncque voulu presenter leurs effrenees persuasions, combien que plusieurs volumes qui ont esté cachez par longs siecles me sont este manifestez." (Preface de M. Michel Nostradamus a ses Propheties. Ad Caesarem Nostradamus filium,)

⁵ Shivchey Baal-Shem-Tov #125

⁶Greek Thaumaturgia (θαυματουργία) from thauma (θαῦμα) "miracle" or "wonder" and ergon (ἔργον) "work".

⁷ Greek Theurgia (θεουργία) from Theos (Θεός) "God" and ergon (ἔργον) "work".

⁸ Henry Cornelius Agrippa of Nettesheim, De occulta philosophia, book I, chapter 66

⁹ If placebo-effects are so easy to produce (and is supposed to explain every success of alternative healing) as modern science wants us to believe, why are conventional physicians unable to use this effect every time a patient seeks their help? Why is it even that a "nocebo-effect" (i.e. a negative placebo effect) that causes harmful responses in the patient, is created frequently by conventional medicine?

¹⁰ In most catholic areas of Central Europe there is still a custom that reminds us of the magical powers for blessing of the Three Holy Kings when every house is blessed in the Star Boys' Singing Procession. Most people do not know, why a blessing is performed by three boys personifying the three Magi - but think about it, who else would have such a power, but magicians?

¹¹ The noun "esotericism" seems to origin only in the early 19th century and was later popularised by the occultist Eliphas Lévi.

¹² The term "occult" was introduced by Agrippa of Nettesheim in his De occulta philosophia in which he describes both the application of 'natural methods' such as herbs and crystals as well as astrological and spiritual practices.

¹³ Compare to the Vision of Ezechiel in Ezechiel 1:1

¹⁴ Hebrew would be a better analogy, but we use English in the example, because that makes the analogy easier to understand.

¹⁵ Dion Fortune, Esoteric Orders and Their Work, Aquarian, 1987, Chapter 3, p. 12

We are an internationally recognized mystery school and magical lodge and offer serious magical training based on the principles of the mystical Qabbalah (Kabbalah, Kabbala, Kabala), Hermetic magic and the Western Mysteries. Magical training in an authentic mystery school (or magic school, and/or magical order) of the Western Mystery Tradition is the spiritual and mystical preparation for initiation of the student of the mysteries. Like every true magical lodge or magic school and every true Hermetic order we take training in magic very seriously. We stand in the spriritual tradition of the Rosicrucians and do not only teach the ancient ritual magic (or ceremonial magic), the Egyptian magic, the Celtic magic and the Greek Mysteries, but also the classical pillars of the Hermetik Tradition such as astrology and Tarot.

as taught by Salomo Baal-Shem

Introduction