The Dwellings of the Philosophers

by Fulcanelli (Pseudonym), Jeffrey Miller (Editor), John Taylor-Convery (Editor)

The Dwellings of the Philosophers is perhaps the most important alchemical work of the past two centuries. This first translation into English brings us a wealth of alchemical philosophy that has hitherto been unavailable. Fulcanelli's sentinel masterpiece takes the attentive reader through the alchemical labyrinth, decoding the monuments and architectural decoration built by those who have actively engaged in the Great Work. Fulcanelli instructs us by showing that history must be interpreted by the monuments that have been left and not by the historians who construct a worldview exclusively through documents, which method gives us an often jaded and unrepresentative view of what transpired. Not only does Fulcanelli decode and interpret the various alchemical symbols of the houses of the alchemist and philosophers, he goes to great lengths to lay bare and explicate the alchemical worldview of past centuries. Fulcanelli presents us with the deep mysteries of the Great Work.

Genres: Alchemy, Philosophy, History, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Occult

550 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1930

About the author

Fulcanelli is almost certainly a pseudonym assumed, during the early 20th century, by a French alchemist and esoteric author, whose identity is still debated. The name Fulcanelli seems to be a play on words: Vulcan the ancient Roman god of fire plus El, a Canaanite name for God and so the Sacred Fire. The appeal of Fulcanelli as a cultural phenomenon is due partly to the mystery of most aspects of his life and works; one of the anecdotes pertaining to his life retells, in particular, how his most devoted pupil Eugène Canseliet performed a successful transmutation of 100 grams of lead into gold in a laboratory of the gas works of Sarcelles at the Georgi company with the use of a small quantity of the "Projection Powder" given to him by his teacher, in the presence of Julien Champagne and Gaston Sauvage.

Reviews

[Les75 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro non per tutti. Anzi, in realtà, è un libro proprio per pochi. Addentrandosi nelle corpose pagine dei suoi due tomi, si comprende sempre meglio in cosa consista la differenza tra ciò che è essoterico e ciò attiene alla sfera esoterica. Inutile dilungarsi sui contenuti: se non si posseggono le chiavi esoteriche di decrittazione non si possono comprendere le forbite allegorie di Fulcanelli, e pertanto (come avviene con qualunque testo alchemico) si corre il rischio di rimanere frustrati dagli oscuri e indecifrabili concetti esposti. È un testo fondamentale (forse IL testo fondamentale) nel lungo e intricato cammino nei meandri del percorso sapienziale dell'Arte Sacra.

[álvaro]

Lo tiene Sergio.

Dice que cuando lo compró, al salir de la librería miró hacia atrás... y el local había desaparecido.

[Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fulcanelli discusses the hidden alchemical symbolism behind various works of art and architecture across Europe, interpreting them as instructions on about the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone. Then at the very end he warns against periodic cataclysms that befall earth, which are primarily extreme climate variations. This part kind of comes out of nowhere and feels like an entirely different book.

He clearly is a highly intelligent person, with a deep knowledge of history, art, and science. It helped me get into the mindset of very different worldview than the one I have.

[Dan Zarfati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting and fascinating book by Fulcanelli, not that difficult to read, but to grasp the inner meaning you must read several times, and for the practical people, you have to do the actual work. Interesting read.

[Catarina PBatista · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing books to understand the clues of past and expectations for the future~

[Saturned · Rating 4 out of 5]

Increíble la cantidad de información que hay en cada página.
Un libro para leer y releer con paciencia.

[Lea]

I feel I would not recommend this book even to the enemy... although I have no enemies.