Customer Reviews

The Tower of Alchemy: An Advanced Guide to the Great Work

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(5)
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1 star:		(13)

 

 

It is clear to me that David Goddard is someone who really knows what the Great Work is about and wants us, the readers, to know too. His book, The Tower of Alchemy, is filled with intensely valuable occult principles, which are so often omitted, distorted, or unknown by other authors. In fact, a great deal of these teachings have been, up until now, only available to accepted students of the very best mystery schools, and even then, only after many years of diligent study. The author also provides the reader with a series of profound exercises, which take the aspirant well beyond the scope of intellectual theory by actively involving the various levels of the personality in the practical application of the Ageless Wisdom. This is not the sort of book to be read once and set back on the shelf. It reveals a living tradition, whose aim is real transformation, not the mere accumulation of facts. I whole-heartedly recommend The Tower of Alchemy. It is a wonderful and rare opportunity for advanced spiritual unfoldment.

A friend of mine, who knows much more about these things than I do, once remarked to me as I was looking through several boxes of books in his library, "I'd trade them all for The Tower of Alchemy. There's more in it."

A strange book in that it is only about alchemy in the widest sense. It is the sort of sense touted by BOTA when they talk about alchemy NOT being about test tubes etc and real alchemists only performing exercises in the their minds. This is not entirely true as alchemy does form into two camps -- speculative and practical. Both have good claims to being valid spiritual paths.
Tower of Alchemy, which belongs to the speculative school of Alchemy, is also the course material of SOL of which the Author was a supervisor. As such it reads like a supervisor's notes of that course. Fortunately David was a good supervisor and some of his realisations on the course have appeared in this book. Unfortunately it does not attribute anything to SOL or the course's writer WE Butler (other than a thanks in the acknowlegements). Anyone who has done the course knows the amount of effort Butler put into it and what a good magican he was. Such people will know that specific symbols from it, names of characters, shapes of the castle, certain symbols etc which should have been copyrite have found themselves into Goddard's Tower. For example the name of one of the guides is Oros a name which appears in the course and Tower and nowhere else.
At the end of the tower exercise you are 'crowned'and replace a regent. This was not part of the original course but a later addition by WE Butler's successor Dolores Ashcroft Nowicki. However it too appears (unacknowledged) as part of the Tower.
I have to question the ethics of someone who rewrites other people's course material and then presents it as their own. Goddard has done this with Tower of Alchemy and his earlier Sacred Magic of the Angels where he also lifted Madeline Montalbon's magical system and presented it as his own.
However I do not believe, like other reviewers, that this book was written for the money, but more to establish his presence as a teacher from which he can run his courses.
That being the case the material is very useful as a practical meditation system which works in a similar way to the middle pillar. That it worked within the framework of the SOL course is debatable and I would have thought that it would be easier for a student to perform the middle pillar regularly to get as much from this book.
The other objection I have is that the material mixes Eastern and Western systems far too much. There is a hint that the writer seems to have been typical of many who upon reading a few books has thought they have found Western paralels within the East systems. Yet anyone who has experimented with both systems knows that you are not really comparing like with like. The West has taken far too much Eastern termology into its Mystery Tradition as it is.
The style is in my view a little pompous and imperious and a little inaccessible. Which is strange because David's lectures are extremely accessible.
My biggest gype with the book is it is lack of originality and the fact it is so clearly a rip off of the SOL course material. I would hope that the author's next book will not just be a lift of material that has been given to him as part of a school he has joined.
Certainly buying this book would be a short cut to having to joining that school and as such I still recommend it.

The Tower of Alchemy is a well-written practical addition to one's metaphysical library. The text presents spiritual teachings and practices in a thoughtful and concise manner, and provides appropriate background information and caveats where necessary and appropriate. Although it is clear from the outset that the practical disciplines are part of an advanced practice, and readers are cautioned not to undertake them without first mastering basic disciplines, the teaching portion is of great value in its own right regardless of the readers level of practice, for it outlines in understandable terminology an integrated spiritual philosophy which synthesizes Eastern and Western metaphysical elements into a consistent whole. As a study text, Tower of Alchemy is invaluable. The directions given in the practice section are clear and relevant to the teachings to which they are attached. Exercises are sequentially ordered and build upon one another. Appropriate cautions and warnings are observed throughout the text, there is a mature concern for the safety of the reader/practitioner that duly warns but is not overprotective. As with all practices of this kind, the choices are left to the practitioner. Timelines for the completion of each segment and descriptions of progress and challenge indicators are also given, as a way of giving the practitioner a set of guideposts to get a sense of where they are in the process. The only area that I feel could have used more elaboration was what constitutes the preliminary practice necessary to effectively undertake the disciplines in Tower of Alchemy. While this was addressed in a general sense, enough to establish that there is a body of work to be done before effective use of the practices can be accomplished, slightly more direction would have been useful. Overall, an excellent work.

THE TOWER OF ALCHEMY by David Goddard is a wonderful and powerful book. It has brought about amazing changes in my life--and I have only finished the first seven chapters. I know the Great Work is possible for those who persevere diligently and joyfully, focusing their energies carefully, and bringing a spirit of joyful service to those around them as they make a body of light for their own higher evolution. Preliminary preparation is exceedingly important before one begins these simple exercises. Intellectual preparation is necessary--specifically, a working knowlede of the esoteric Tarot as explained by BOTA and familiarity with the Tree of Life of mystical Kabbala, and some basic knowledge of the Arthurian legends. Far more important, however, is the life preparation necessary for these practices. One needs to be orderly and disciplined in one's daily living, with a high level of integrity and responsibility. One needs to have a cheerful attitude about life, not whining or complaining but positive in accomplishing what one sets out to do. And above all, one must live from the heart. The practitioner much make a habit of connecting with the good--the Godliness--in every person one meets--and ignoring that which is less than godly, unless circumstances demand dealing with it. The practitioner must bring joy and vitality to all the lives he or she touches. And the practitioner must truly love and respect him/her self, forgiving past mistakes but showing a decided ability to change, for one cannot become an adept and remain the same. Goddard's diretions are clear and specific as to how to go about this task. Individuals may evolve at different rates, and Goddard allows for this variations by being specific at times as to how often a certain practice should be repeated and at other times being less precise so that individuals may find their own rhythms. The material is so powerful that some individuals may need to stop for a while before proceeding, finding other paths to help them be better prepared for the challenges of these powerful practices. Goddard's book is truly a remarkable tool which will help to bring about a New Age.

The Tower of Alchemy is in a class of its own because it accomplishes two goals. First, the reader is introduced to the core Praxis or practices of applied Esoteric work. The book is not a tiresome reworking of fundamental ideas and basic practices as presented by other popular souces on western esotericism. Rather, it delivers a seasoned balance between theory, direct application and integration, and takes the dedicated and experienced practitioner to new levels of experience in the work. It also does not attempt to mire the reader in a bewildering array of symbols and complex "academic" associations typical of many books on esoteric Alchemy. The practices are presented in language that is clear and direct, with the goal of guiding the reader through a personal experience with the work. Readers will discover that the exercises in the book will provide a treasure house of tools that are fundamental to personal growth. Second, Goddard attempts to bridge traditions by drawing from symbolisms, methods and philosophies from a variety of traditions including classical Qabalah, the Grail legend, Yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism. Most importantly, he builds bridges between western and eastern esoteric traditions. This synthesis brings clarity to the technique, and emphasizes the universal nature of the divine work. In this sense, the book initiates dialogue between worlds. This reader hopes that this dialogue will be the lasting legacy of the book.

After a decade of ill-informed customer reviews, here is the REAL background of my book "Tower of Alchemy"
As to my use of a Castle, a Round Table, a Grail, and Arthurian myth, etc - I was introduced to the `Interior Castle' of St Teresa of Avila in my teens; and later, as a priest in the Liberal Catholic Church (as was W. E. Butler), I received the teachings and lineage of Bishop Robert King re: the Round Table formula, etc. During my training in the Western Mystery Tradition, I studied Khunrath's: The Hermetic Fortress, Fludd's Fortress of Health, and the Paracelsian Castle of Health. And, of course Dion Fortune - and later Gareth Knight - also worked with the Arthurian mythos - with Spiral staircases, etc (see `The Arthurian Formula', and `Magical Images', and `The Secret Tradition in Arthurian Legend: the archetypal themes, images and characters of the Arthurian Cycle, and their place in the Western Magical Traditions' - both by Gareth Knight).

So, the symbols of Arthur, Grail Round Table, and Tower have long been used in the Western Tradition, and do not `belong' to any single Order or School. These eidola have been used by masters of the Tradition since medieval times. As Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki (the present head of SOL) herself wrote about the magical image of the Castle:

"Students working in my own school of the SOL will recognize the idea of working through the chambers of a castle as being part of their own course work, and indeed the SOL is far from being the only school that uses such a method." Page 132, `Highways of the Mind', Aquarian Press, 1987.

Any instructed practitioner in the Mysteries knows that, the image and use of the Ten-chambered Castle (tower, citadel, or palace) is the Hekaloth discipline of the Qabalah, which dates from the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE.

For several years I was a Supervisor, the Master of Lodges and the Assistant-Director of Studies of the SOL. At a meeting of British supervisors Dolores asked me to rewrite the SOL course - but I declined. And later, in the 1990's, like hundreds of other members, I left SOL.

The SOL course is an introduction to Qabalah. In the 50 lessons of the SOL course W. E. Butler mentions Alchemy just twice - only a sentence or two each time. "Tower of Alchemy""it is not a copy of the SOL course. It is the praxis of Alchemy and the Fiery Serpent Power.

The Alchemical teachings in "Tower of Alchemy" were taught to me by other Western and Tibetan sources, and directly from Inner Plane Contact. The only real connection is that the `Master of Magic' who was W. E. Butler's Inner Plane contact (Maggid) later became my own. In truth, it is He alone who is the true `author' of all these teachings, and has been so down the centuries.
Dr David Goddard

You can spend years searching through classic texts, orstruggling away with other chewy volumes which are full of bluffs andblinds to throw you off track. Not so with Tower of Alchemy. It is obvious and understandable with the emphasis on practical work which any dedicated practitioner can use to bring about profound change. Its not a baby book, so some less experienced readers may find the going a little tough but the rewards from this little gem far outweigh the pain of the effort needed to actually complete its lessons. I found it very revealing, I found out alot more about myself and what I am doing, and whats more - for the first time I think I understood it! This book should not be on the shelf, it should be in your heart.

Goddard's book is an excellent practical manual of The Great Work. Alchemy and its symbols can be quite difficult territory to navigate without a guidebook. I believe that Tower of Alchemy is the best such guidebook written to date. By use of practical exercises and contemplations, the complex imagery of the alchemical tradition is absorbed into the psyche of the practitioner, where the science of alchemy is really worked. If you are looking to unleash the potent powers of the Qabalisitic-Hermetic tradition, this is the advanced manual you need.

This book represents an important step in bringing the esotericknowledge that has been kept secret behind veils of secrecy andsymbolic language to light. It necessarily borrows from a wide rangeof topics and references authors who also knew what they were talking about.

The book is profoundly successful in drawing upon the most powerful portions of the entire tradition of Western spiritual and magickal egregores, including astrology, tarot, qabalah, numerology, magick, hermeticism, and Arthurian Lore. Goddard brings the diverse currents into a fusion that is a very powerful way of study for spiritual seekers.

Any who charge Goddard with plagiarism does not take into account the fact that the knowledge of the true alchemy is known Goddard and the authors Goddard references. This knowledge doesn't change, so his reporting of the facts need not be different except in wording. Also, Goddard makes no attempt to cover up his indebtedness to authors and thinkers such as Paul Foster Case and Dion Fortune, who revealed aspects of the royal art of alchemy in the past. He footnotes all material taken from these and other books; thus he is not a plagiarist.

I cannot recommend the book highly enough.

Obviously, a number of readers have taken a strong dislike to this book -- and that's certainly their right. I thought you might like my opinion, for something different. I'm not a wizard, a semi-transcended adept, nor Blessed Provacateur of the Hidden Priory. I'm a guy in my early 30s who about a decade ago, used to really like reading magic(k)al books and engrossing myself into the isolationist mystique of the occult. I still have a soft spot for these kinds of books, and I really secretly ardently enjoy reading through them now and then.

And Goddard's a fine read -- certainly a more prodigious vocabulary than most of the self-important slush out there. His introduction makes pretty clear that he understands alchemy as a psycho-social process for playing with cognitive processes. On this account, he's directly following Jung, whose shadow looms large in these pages. Sure, it's a bit of a wish-fantasy for the starry-cloaked archetype . . . but it's a mythology no better or worse than thinking that the little wafer actually becomes God's body, and far more interesting than rampant consumerism, or any other bizarre fairy tale one can find in 'Vogue' magazine.

Anyone who has got through a first year Sanskrit course or a few books on theology will no doubt roll their eyes at a lot of Goddard's syncretic musings. My personal favourite is that the paraclete of Christianity is the exact same as kundalini in 'Eastern traditions'. THere's a lot of this cross-cultural categorization which willy-nilly ignores geographic differences in favor of some transcendental truth. Well, ok -- I mean, it's a book on 'magick' after all. Having just read Christopher Lehrich's tediously academic treatise on 'the occult', I'd much prefer Goddard's vision of ruby red splendor. At least he's got the bottle to admit he's enjoying his magic carpet, whilst Lehrich is busy channeling his broom-closet interests into a bid for tenure.

As for the Grail meditations . . . they are what they are, visualization techniques -- no more silly than the roleplaying I've seen (Sala el-Din) with certain über fraternities.

So, if you like versatile, imaginative books on mythopoetic thought, then you'll enjoy Goddard. I did -- I don't care if I transform my own consciousness into pure prajna epiphanies of the Gnostic Elite; but I enjoyed his thrilling prose and its wild allegories. Definitely more well written and stimulating in its content than a lot of stuff out there . . . and much more fun than sitting through a boring OTO initiation, and without all the interpersonal infighting!