The Emerald Tablet: Alchemy for Personal Transformation

by Dennis William Hauck

The Emerald Tablet—an ancient document that contains the essence of the alchemical teachings—has had an important influence on many Western spiritual and religious traditions. Ostensibly concerned with turning base metals into gold, alchemy was in fact dedicated to transforming the lead of self into the gold of spirit. This brilliant history of alchemy traces its sources back to ancient Egypt, and presents alchemy as a useful, practical system of self-transformation. Each of the seven steps of alchemical transformation is explained, with hands-on techniques and exercises, treating alchemy as a living discipline for achieving a spiritual awakening.

Genres: Alchemy, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Occult, Magic, Religion

452 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Dennis William Hauck is a researcher, author, and lecturer in consciousness studies. His primary focus is on levels of awareness and the mechanisms of transformation of consciousness. He works to document the evolution of a science of consciousness and merge various philosophical and scientific traditions into a unified theory of consciousness. He has also contributed to related areas, including the history of science, psychology, and the serious study of paranormal and mystical experiences.

Hauck is considered a leading authority on Hermeticism and alchemy. According to Bernard Lightman in “A Companion to the History of Science:” "Dennis William Hauck is a prolific author and has been at the center of efforts to institutionalize modern alchemy through a number of organizations, conferences, and journals. For Hauck, classical science has its limits, in that it can explain only our physical reality, not the deeper hidden reality from which the physical stems. He decided that alchemy offered one path to that hidden reality, and so, decided to discover solid evidence and challenge the dominant Newtonian paradigm."

According to Hauck, the Philosopher’s Stone of the alchemists is consciousness itself: “The Stone exists in the formative realm between energy and matter, suspended in the twilight between what exists and what does not exist. Renaissance alchemists described the mind as a magical touchstone made from a hidden etheric substance that is distributed throughout the universe. That substance is consciousness."

Most of Hauck’s recent works focus on the application of the principles of alchemy to psychology and cosmology. His “The Emerald Tablet: Alchemy for Personal Transformation” presents new revelations about the ancient artifact that became the core document of alchemists. His “Sorcerer’s Stone: A Beginner’s Guide to Alchemy” elaborates the operations alchemists used on all levels of their practical and spiritual work. His “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Alchemy is an introduction to all levels of alchemical work. He has also translated several important German and Latin alchemy manuscripts into English.

Hauck has been interviewed on nearly 300 radio programs, including such national shows as NPR’s "Morning Edition", “Art Bell Show” and many other programs carried by networks such as CBS Radio, CNN Radio, Talk Radio Network and the Wisdom Radio Network. He has also appeared on over forty television programs, including such national shows as “Geraldo,” “Sally Jessy Raphael,” “The O'Reilly Factor,” “Extra,” “CNN Reports,” A&E's "Unexplained", “Sightings,” “Terry Bradshaw’s Home Team,” “America's Talking: and other shows on the History Channel, Travel Channel and Discovery Channel.

Reviews

[Alex Kartelias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best commentary and overview on Alchemy I've read. The explanations were clear and made relatable to contempory life without demystifying it's contents and the alchemical art helped solidify all the steps and concepts. Dennis William Hauck is very knowledgable and has the ability to see many parts of alchemy translatable in different alchemical/esoteric traditions as well as in modern quantitative science. I read it in one day and wrote tons of notes. Even though there are different traditions with different number of steps, seven-staged path of the Emerald Tablet is one of the most famous. Glad I found this book.

[Morgan Blackledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

GHA!

This book is RAD!!!!

Dennis William Hauck’s masterful treatise on the spiritual and transformative aspects of alchemy.

Hauck presents alchemy as a practical system for self-transformation.

Hauck outlines the seven steps of alchemical transformation with exercises and techniques for achieving spiritual awakening.

The book aims to make alchemy accessible as a living discipline.

Most importantly.

This book is FUN AS FUVK.

Straight up WIVVA THOTH QUEEN REALNESS.

I JUST VOULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.

I’m 100% HOOKED/OBSESSED

5/5 🌟

[Taylor Ellwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a good explanation of the seven stages of alchemy and how they can be applied to a person via psychology. The author does have a tendency to mix in some inaccurate history and also tries to connect alchemy to UFOS, but even with those flaws, this is still a useful book for someone wanting to learn about alchemy and begin applying some of the concepts to his/her life. I recommend it primarily for the explanation of the seven stages of alchemy, which you can apply to your life via your own internal work.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dennis Hauck is pretty much the public face of the alchemy scene. He's a bit too "New-Agey" for my tastes, but his writing is quite detailed.

This book focuses primarily on the topic of spiritual alchemy, which is -- essentially -- one's personal transformation to a higher/purer form by applying the seven stages of alchemy.

I found it to be a little bit too detailed for my tastes, but a lot of it seemed to be rehashing topics I already had a basic understanding of already, so I can't really fault the book for that.

[Samuel Centeno · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an amazing resource for understanding quite in depth the main processes of alchemy. However, I could have done without the last third of the book. The book transitioned from an exposition of alchemical processes and their history to a quite smug critique of religious institutions and very innacurate historical connections. It read more like a conspiracy theorist book instead of “alchemy for personal transformation”.

Without that last third, this book would have been perfect without becoming overly preachy.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the first part of this book with a short history of alchemy and descriptions of the seven stages of the process. The last half lost me with trying to connect the Emerald Tablet and Philosopher's Stone to the Holy Grail, UFOs, and the Founding Fathers of the United States.

[Daniel Wardrop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has given me a valuable framework of how to live, interpret and navigate life, as it unfolds before us.

[Althea Araminta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long has it been since I have been taken on such a journey as Chasing the Wild Pendulum. There is so much to learn from every testimony, every carefully composed line of this literature. One could expound their magnum opus from a single section of this splendor, and I imagine for Mr. Hauck, this is his. I fully intend to complete this course in my lifetime - though I imagine it will require many a frequent reread, detailed annotations and hours of deep, introspective meditation to truly grasp in its entirety. I am simply grateful that a work such as this exists and is in my possession to ceaselessly reference. Eternally and infinitely grateful.

[FY · Rating 1 out of 5]

Genuinely a very bad depiction of what this topic should be. This man has managed to skew almost every aspect of true alchemy and the practice of the Egyptians. From the beginning he starts speaking as if the Greeks were the ones to discover this aspect of the world. Egyptians perfected this practice and through the teachings of Thoth were able to build the lifestyle correctly. Hermes Trismegistus is depicted as an old white European man from Greece. There would be no Greek alchemy without the teaching of the Egyptians. You’re wasting your time if you want to learn the true spirituality of a being. This mediocre, falsified, twisted history book is not the way. The emerald tablets were written by Thoth. Hermes had nothing to do with it. Hermes was the name given my Greeks when they took over Egypt. Do NOT give the Greeks more recognition than they deserve. This book is false and a lie. Do your true research

[Benoit Lelièvre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I was looking forward to read since I started to study Hermeticism. I did not know I wanted to read it until I started it, but it is a wonderful foothold into the domain.

Dennis William Hauck offers us an history of hermeticism, a profound and detail-oriented exegesis of the Emerald Tablet and complete breakdown of each individual steps to alchemical transformation. Hermeticism being a domain of initiates, I'm sure a lot of practitioners rolled their eyes at the teaching of this book, but it provided a shining light of guidance of the Path to late adopters like me. I've always been a method guy and this is exactly what Hauck proposes here: a method to connecting to the universe.

[Ramona P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Hauck takes the reader into the complex and mysterious world of alchemy where hidden messages enscripted in ancient codes reveal the extraordinary human potential. He asks us to open our minds and hearts to an ages old solution that can propel our current limited consciousness into the "golden" one we were destined to have.

[Josette Leblanc · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for all aspiring alchemists

Dennis William Hauck has the unique ability to describe the subtle world of the unseen in such a way that it is clearly seen. As someone who is deeply curious about the alchemical process of self-transformation, this book is essential. I'll be referring to it for years to come. I'm looking forward to reading more of the author's books.

[Heather Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating introduction to the ancient teachings of alchemy, a method of psycho-spiritual transformation. Clear, organized, and erudite, Hauck is a practicing alchemist who knows whereof he writes.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nifty book. Very accessible, very applicable. Definitely a favorite.

[Marie]

fun!

[Andreia Luísa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. I recomend.

[Kenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually read books on alchemy that describe it as a tool or philosophy that can be applied to life regardless of your beliefs; this book is more clearly defining alchemy as a belief system with a long history of transmission. I found this perspective really interesting, although I don't think most scholarship would support this book's claims.

The book was also more autobiographical than I expected. Although I don't intend to pattern my life after the author's, I really appreciated his openness and felt encouraged to let alchemy work in my life in an equally individual way.

I agree with other reviewers that the explanations of the steps themselves are really clear. For just learning about the alchemical processes, I think this book is a great introduction. When I bought the book, I thought I might work through the exercises for each step, but the more I read, the more I realized that I'm interested in developing my own.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...if we can clear ourselves of all the falsity, fantasy, and ignorance around us, if we can return to our most innocent essences, we too can work the miracles of Hermes."

The complex mythological figure of Hermes features heavily in this amazing introduction to spiritual alchemy. Messenger of the gods, he also loves trickery and playfulness. He could be seen as the god of divine inspiration, intuition, and creativity...

I can't fully explain it, but this book was truly inspiring. It was like remembering something I already knew, but was starting to forget.

[A Yilmaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lent to me by a friend. Strikes a great balance between being readable and staying true to the complexity of its topic. One of the few books which I immediately began my second read-through upon finishing. Hauck gives the reader a lot of material to unpack, without boring them to bits, or oversimplifying what deserves to be a rich and nuanced topic.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this when it first came out and enjoyed it. I decided to reread it this year after a recent conversation about Alchemy.
The first third is really interesting about ancient alchemy's history, personas, and writings. I found the illustrations fascinating. The second third was overly autobiographical and less informative. The third part was just plain old 90's New Age Woo.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book of knowledge and insight into the past. It's a wonderful read for anyone who is interested in Alchemy. This book will help you gain the knowledge you need to transform your life.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important read

While reading the words, information downloads directly into you. Affected many aspects of my like and transformed my life. One of few books that have had this affect on my reality.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easier to read than most other books on the Emerald Tablet, but didn't draw me in

[RK Byers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked a lot of this but some of it left me completely lost.

[Rhonda Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book! It's you!

[Jon Rosier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb

If you are ready to hear what this book has to say, it will change your life. Great explanation of Hermetic philosophy and how it has influenced many great minds.

[Kellybiney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alchemy (and Aliens!)
I learned a lot, and appreciate the connections he made between Tarot, the fool’s journey and the alchemical journey.

[Chelsea Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely brimming with information on Hermeticism, alchemy, and esotericism! I will always keep it as a reference, and will most likely read it again at some point in order to assimilate it all better.

[Deborah Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author manages to combine several different areas, including mythology, archetypes, the writings of the Emerald Tablet - and even the journeys of several celebrities. He organizes these in the seven steps of alchemical personal transformation. If you are interested in incorporating this kind of information into your spiritual journey, you may be interested in this book. It is a good introductory text for understanding alchemy.

[Louise Ceres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accessible and easy to read analysis of the Emerald Tablet, its' history, alchemical interpretations and uses in the modern world.
I enjoyed it and Hauck has a depth and breadth of knowledge that spans a wide range of philosophical frameworks and disciplines which made it easy for me to relate to the stages of alchemical transformation he describes in his book.