Deep Principles of Kabbalistic Alchemy

by David Chaim Smith

"Deep Principles of Kabbalistic Alchemy" elaborates upon an array of symbols designed to guide the reader toward the ground of all phenomena, referred to as En (no) Sof (end) in kabbalah. The material is presented in clear yet esoteric terms, free from the common tendencies of psychologization, new-age dilution, and religious mythology. It is a rare opportunity for a deep consideration of profound mysteries that cannot be summarily addressed with conventional language and theoretical speculation, ultimately offering a living invitation into a rare and powerful style of mystical practice.

• Clothbound hardcover book
• Smyth sewn
• Blocked in red metallic
• French fold dust jacket
• 8 in. x 10 in.
• Custom endpapers
• 280 pages
• 65 full-page images
• 23 vignettes
• 1 folding plate poster

Genres: Alchemy

280 pages, Hardcover

First published September 9, 2017

About the author

David Chaim Smith was born in 1964 in Queens, New York. His early career was as a visual artist throughout the 1980s. In 1990 he began an immersion into the root sources of Alchemy and the Hermetic and Hebrew traditions of the Kabbalah. In 1996 he abandoned visual art for a total dedication to spiritual practice, from which came a unique blend of practical mysticism and creative innovation. This blend coalesced while working with an obscure thirteenth-century text called The Fountain of Wisdom, which he mapped out diagrammatically in notebooks during his ten-year hiatus from visual art. The resulting symbol vocabulary served as the basis for his 2006 return to art, generating the content for several books. He currently lives in the suburbs of New York City with his wife, Rachel.

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book presents a profound and advanced view from which to understand and glimpse the essential ground of all inner and outer phenomena, using abstract Kabbalistic and alchemical metaphors. It is not beginner-friendly, unfortunately. Also, I feel that this book might not make as much sense if one hasn't read The Awakening Ground first.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

DCS is one of the rare people who actually present rather complex material to the esoterically inclined reader. As such, I won't pretend I understand him. In general, maybe, I think so, but certainly far less in the details. That is a problem insofar his growing populrity (is there one?) certainly doesn't coincide with growing udnerstanding of his texts. He certainly couldn't care less, but for everyone who reads this and has read DCS, just a quick reminder: Did you actually get any of that? However, I feel "Deep Principles" to be one of the more accessible volumes he put out. In line with "The Awakening Ground" it is far more theoretical than more contemplative, practically oriented volumes while not a commentary on other sources and goes quite systematically in depth. Especially in the last essays are passages to be found were he might be the most clear of all his writings I've read.

[Ixel Balamke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent work!! I so enjoyed the meditations.