What’s so Secret about Mystery Schools?

We all have freedom of thought. At least until the Digital Goddess begins thinking for us. That hasn’t happened yet, has it?

Most people think of codes and symbols when they hear the word Occult, or Mystery School.
That’s partly correct. The truth is most mystery schools encourage their members to study famous works in the traditions of Hermetic and Pythagorean philosophies, and through experiment and research endeavor to apply these good and moral principles into their lives.

alchemy earth air water fire

One such famous author of these works is philosopher, physician and theosophist Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, better known as Paracelsus.

Paracelsus was also an alchemist, astrologer and an unorthodox Christian. He relied on nature, observations, reason and experiments to achieve success in the healing arts. He believed and taught that wearing talismans for healing succeeded because if the mind believed it so, it would materialize. Modern medicine is finally beginning to realize this through placebo experiments and the importance of having a healthy immune system through positive visualizations.

He used astrology in much of his work using mysticism and science to form his opinions. He taught that Astrological signs are influence only, which influence can be resisted.

Astrological signs

He spent much of his life trying to help the sick through toxicological study. Paracelsus' disgust for his medical peers is indicated in his writings:

You have entirely deserted the path indicated by Nature, and built up an artificial system, which is fit for nothing but to swindle the public and to prey upon the pockets of the sick. Your safety is due to the fact that your gibberish is unintelligible to the public, who fancy that it must have a meaning, and the consequence is that no one can come near you without being cheated.

Your art does not consist in curing the sick, but in worming yourself into the favour of the rich, in swindling the poor, and in gaining admittance to the kitchens of the noblemen of the country. You live upon imposture, and the aid and abetment of the legal profession enables you to carry on your impostures, and to evade punishment by the law. You poison the people and ruin their health; you are sworn to use diligence in your art, but how could you do so, as you possess no art, and all your boasted science is nothing but an invention to cheat and deceive?

You denounce me because I do not follow your schools; but your schools can teach me nothing which would be worth knowing. You belong to the tribe of snakes, and I expect nothing but poison from you. You do not spare the sick: how could I expect that you would respect me, while I am cutting down your income by exposing your pretensions and ignorance to the public?

This is not applicable to the medical profession of our day as a whole; not because that profession has of itself risen to a higher standard, but because physicians are human beings, and humanity as a whole has been somewhat improving in morals. There are, however, numerous well-intentioned fools in the medical profession, knowing nothing whatever about the real nature of man, and their mistakes are not less injurious if committed in ignorance than if they were intentional. Moreover, their folly is the more dangerous as it is protected by the authorities of the State.
Life of Paracelsus

Reproduction 1927 of etching by A. Hirschvogel, 1538

My accusers complain that I have not entered the temple of knowledge through the right door. But which one is the truly legitimate door - Galen and Avicenna, or Nature? I have entered through the door of Nature. Her light, not the lamp of an apothecary’s shop, has illuminated my way.” - Paracelsus

One of his most famous writings is preserved in this book translated into Old English. It can be downloaded at archive.org Follow arrows to the right.

I personally believe that following the below advice will draw goodness into one's life. Finding humility is difficult.

Additional research:

Paracelsus Physician Philosopher
The Dose Concept in a Complex World