The Lords of the Ring Cosmology

8/3/2019 The Lords of the Ring Cosmology

1/29

Tolkien at the End of Time;Alchemical Secrets ofThe Lord of the Rings

By Jay Weidner and Sharron Rose

IntroductionIt seems a simple story.

At first glance it appears to be nothing more than a very long fairy tale about good and evil.Peopled with Elves, Dwarves, Wizards, Monsters and more, J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings

was not considered a great work of literature when it first appeared in 1954. Now it ishailed as the book of the 20th century. What is it about this book that caused it to be such asensation? Why does it create such a warmth and resonance in the hearts of its readers?Our answer to these and other questions to be discussed in the course of this article is thatTolkien was aware of the hidden esoteric history of humanity and the powerful influence ofthe Great Work of Alchemy on European culture.

Using Tolkien's splendid tale as a tool, this article will reveal that like the great masters ofold, Tolkien is initiating us into a new level of awareness of our past, ourselves and theplanet we inhabit. It will also reveal that Tolkien somehow knew the deepest secrets ofAlchemy and embedded this mysterious knowledge into the heart of his work. This is thereal reason whyThe Lord of the Ringshas such a great and universal appeal, for it is ourtrue history and secret heritage that is being revealed to us through its pages. Tolkien hasmined a deep vein of mythic resonance that rings true to all who delve deeply into thisextraordinary work of Art.

In a fantastic land called Middle-earth a young Hobbit named Frodo becomes entangled inan all-consuming spiritual and political war that ultimately changes the entire face of theworld. As documented in Tolkien's first book, The Hobbit, by way of his uncle Bilbo'sadventures, Frodo has acquired a mysterious Ring. Through the efforts of his friend Gandalfthe Wizard, Frodo comes to understand that this Ring, forged in an earlier Age by the evilSauron in the subterranean fires of Mt. Doom, not only grants its bearer the power ofinvisibility, and possibly immortality, but also holds the key to the dominion of Middle-

earth.


2/29

With all of the odds against him, Frodo, the modest, sincere and good-natured Hobbit of theShire embarks on a quest to destroy this ill-omened Ring of Power. Although he has little to

gain and much to lose by destroying the Ring, Frodo nevertheless is ultimately successful inhis quest. Despite being hunted by thousands of Orcs, lost in an unknown wilderness withonly the assistance of his friend and gardener Sam and the shifty covetous creature namedGollum, Frodo selflessly moves towards the ultimate conclusion of the tale in which the

great Ring of Power and domination is destroyed in the blazing underground inferno of Mt.Doom.

This destruction of the Ring of Power appears to have unintended consequences that bringforth what Tolkien describes as the end of the Third Age of Middle-earth. At the conclusionof this compelling story of good and evil, heroes and villains, magic and mystery, all of thefantastic inhabitants of Middle-earth, Wizards, Elves, Dwarves, and Ents disappear from thelandscape of Middle-earth leaving the next Age, the Fourth Age to be ruled by Men.Aragorn, the most noble of the human race, is crowned King of Middle-earth and Menbecome the ultimate victors of this Great War against Sauron and his agent Sauruman thatends the Third Age of Middle-earth.

When Lord of the Rings was published in 1954 no one, including J.R.R. Tolkien himself everdreamed that his trilogy would go on to sell millions and millions of copies, be translatedinto nearly every language on earth, and turned into one of the biggest motion picture

projects ever undertaken.

What is it about this simple story that could cause such an enormous reaction? How is itpossible that a simple fairy tale of a selfless little Hobbit saving the world from ultimate evilcould be heralded as the greatest work of literature in the twentieth century? Why do thebooks and the subsequent film resonate so vividly in the hearts, minds and perhaps the soulsof nearly all of us? And who is J.R.R. Tolkien? Did he intentionally write this story knowingthe powerful impact it would have on the reader? Our contention is that Tolkien somehow,someway had personal knowledge of the pre-history of our planet and the extraordinaryfact that at this point in time, human history is moving irrevocably towards the end of whatis known by the mystics from many of the world's great spiritual traditions as the Fourth

Age of Humanity, just as The Lord of the Ringsrelates the story of the end of the Third Ageof Middle-earth. In this context you will not only come to understand the fundamental story


3/29

that is being told to us, the mytho-poeic story and its relevance to our lives, but also whyTolkien time and time again insisted that The Lord of the Ringsis not an allegory.

Part One Rings of Time:The Four Ages, the Precession of the Equinoxes and the Quality of TimeIn contrast to the materially based teachings offered to us by today's schools and institutionsof higher learning, the teachings of Alchemy (which flowed from Egypt into the mysticheart of the Hebrew, Islamic and Christian traditions) as well as the Tantric teachings ofIndia and Tibet, present a deeply spiritual view of human history and evolution. Asdocumented in the book, The Path of the Priestess; A Guidebook for Awakening the DivineFeminine, by Sharron Rose, this view is completely at variance with that of the modernscientific Darwinian perspective.1 Rather than perceive past and future from a purely linearpoint of view, the great adepts, and masters of these ancient spiritually based traditions,knew that the flow of time and human experience is not linear but cyclic. In other words, inthe same way that we as human beings experience the ebb and flow of cycles such as theseasons of nature, the phases of the moon, birth, growth, maturation and death, humanity,as a whole, experiences the rise and fall of a larger cycle of existence known as the MahaYuga. This Maha Yuga or Great Cycle is composed of four ages known as the Satya Yuga, orGolden Age, the Treta Yuga or Silver Age, the Dvapara Yuga or Bronze Age and the KaliYuga or Iron Age.

The teachings state that as this cycle begins, the world and all of its inhabitants are totallyaligned with deep spiritual principles, the natural world and shimmering realms ofDivinity. It is a time of unity, splendor, grace and luminosity. However, as the cycle unfoldsand these Ages metaphorically progress, from gold to silver to bronze to iron, the bulk of

humanity moves further and further away from this pure, unsullied, essential knowledgeand experience of spirit. As time moves on, there is a gradual distancing from thePrimordial Source and descent towards an age of total materialization and concretization.With each successive Age, faith, integrity, and allegiance to spiritual values is decreased byone-fourth. The veils between the realms of spirit and matter become thicker, and ourresistance to the forces of darkness becomes weaker. By the final Age of the cycle, the purelight of spirit is all but extinguished. Only a quarter of the original Divine energy of truth,virtue and integrity remains and even that energy diminishes with the unfolding of the finalAge. This final stage of the cycle, in which we now reside, is known as the Iron Age.According to the texts, it is the Age our race has lived in for at least 6000 years. It is theperiod of time known to us today as history.

In the recently published bookMysteries of the Great Cross at Hendaye; Alchemy and theEnd of Time, by Jay Weidner and Vincent Bridges, a mysterious cross in the town of


4/29

Hendaye, in the south of France is deciphered. Built three hundred fifty years ago by analchemist, the Cross of Hendaye encodes detailed knowledge of the Alchemical Revelation ofthe Four Ages.

While the exact details are to be found in that book, it can be generally stated that the Crossof Hendaye reveals that the center of the galaxy's alignment is a giant cosmological clockthat marks the quality of time, the precession of the equinoxes and the Four Great Ages. Aclose reading of Tolkien's books reveals his obsession with these Ages and in particular thetransition from the Third Age to the Fourth Age, the Age of Men, Machines and Power. 2

On the Winter Solstice of 2012, the center of the galaxy will helically rise with the morning

sun.


5/29

According to scholar John Major Jenkins, this momentmarks the end of the Mayan calendar. 3 Strangely enough,the Cross of Hendaye, also appears to be indicating thissame general time frame. Both of these ancientchronological systems appear to find great importance in

the helical rising of the center of the galaxy in 2012. Theenigmatic French alchemist Fulcanelli, in his classic LeMystre Des Cathdralesunquestionably tells the readerthat the Cross of Hendaye is marking the end of the IronAge, the last of the Four Great Ages. 4 According to ancientlore the Iron Age is an Age where the world turns to steel,black magic becomes religion and Men lust for control anddominion over both human beings and the very earth itself.The earth, the air and the water become polluted. Wars,famines, and plagues envelop the human race. Time itselfspeeds up until exhausted, the world and the Age come toan end and a new cycle begins. These are many of the events

that also occur at the end of each of the Second and ThirdAges ofThe Lord of the Ringsfor each is in essence amicrocosm of the entire cycle. Tolkien uses this concept ofthe upheaval that occurs at the end of each Age as hisbackdrop to the story of Frodo and the Ring.

These Four Ages according to Fulcanelli, the Cross ofHendaye and many ancient texts, are mapped by the twelvesigns of the zodiac. Like the numbers on a clock the GoldenAge begins when the hand passes the twelve. The next age,or Silver Age occurs when the hand passes three, the BronzeAge, or Third Age, begins when the hand passes six and the

Iron Age, or last Age begins when the hand passes nine.Each of these four quadrants is marked by one of the mainsigns of the zodiac, Scorpio, Taurus, Leo and Aquarius.

Perhaps this fact is not well known to all of youbut the twelve signs of the zodiac are actuallymarking the process called the precession of theequinox. The earth is tilted in space at 23degrees. It wobbles slowly on its central axis like

a spinning top. This backward wobble is so slowthat it takes 72 years for it to pass through onedegree of the circumference of the wobble. Inother words, if a certain star such as Sirius wasrising over a certain point, say a nearbymountain peak on the day you were born, itwould take 72 years for the rising of Sirius tomove one degree away from that same point onthat same day of the year.


6/29

The fact that the stars were not fixed in the heaven but were slowly moving backwards isnot only central to understanding the alchemical thesis but was perhaps the greatest singlesecret being taught in the mystery schools of Egypt, Greece and India. The common exotericknowledge was that the sky was fixed and unchanging. But the adepts and esoteric mastersknew that even the heavens were in motion. Since the movement of the stars was so slowthe only possible way to map the precession of the equinoxes was through many

generations, each successive generation continued this extensive and valuable work. Slowly,over many centuries, the exact map of the precession of the equinoxes was drawn. Theseclever priests/scientists/initiates had come to realize that it took an enormous amount oftime, approximately 26,000 years, to go through one complete precession. So they dividedup the nearly 26,000 yearlong cycle into twelve segments affixing a zodiacal 'month' toevery 2,160 years in each of the signs. Therefore, if you begin your precession count atAquarius it will take twelve times 2,160 or 25,920 years for Aquarius to return to itsoriginal position again.

The members of these ancient Mystery Schools also began noticing that a change in thequality of time, i.e. which sign or zodiacal 'month' you were in, also caused a change on the

surface of the earth and in behavior patterns of humans, plants and animals. Being part ofan initiatic organization such as the priesthood or sacred society, whose wisdom washanded down through a direct chain of transmission from master to student, their rituals,studies and training allowed them to be privy to an extraordinary body of knowledge. Thisknowledge enabled them to commune with the forces of nature and the more subtle beingsof their reality. What we refer to today as extra-sensory or paranormal abilities such asclairvoyance, telekinesis, telepathy, and the capacity to journey in dreams and visions acrossthe planet, to the stars, into other dimensions and even through the veils of time itself wereas commonplace to them as surfing the internet is to people of our modern world. 5

Using a combination of observation, meditation, contemplation and discussion, the initiatesof these Mystery Schools chronicled human behavior patterns, plant cycles, animalbehavior, and a sundry of other physical, emotional and mental occurrences, signs andportents that allowed them to recognize the unique nature, quality and characteristics of

each of the twelve signs. From their observations they became aware that each place on thegiant zodiacal clock brought forth its own traits and manifestations just as high noon isdifferent than sunrise. They also noticed that at the cusp of the four great signs these


7/29

changes in behavior, growth, etc. were more clearly pronounced. Indeed, it appeared tothem that each of the four aspects of this great cycle actually brought forth different types ofbeings, different types of behavior. They also observed and chronicled the changingrelationship of humanity to the physical and spiritual dimensions of reality noticing that asthe Ages unfolded, the world and its beings were actuality densifying. As a result of thisdensification, with each successive Age, humanity began to focus to a greater and greaterextent on the material world and lose touch with the more subtle realms of spirit. Theknowledge accrued from these observations eventually became known as the Sacred Scienceof Alchemy.

Alchemical Drawing of the metalsidentified with the planets

To describe the unique qualities and attributes of each of these Ages, these Sacred Scientistsused the symbolic language of metals - gold, silver, bronze and iron. Interestingly, thesefour metals gain molecular density as they move from gold to iron. So it would seem,according to this paradigm that as the Four Ages unfold, gravity is increased and thepacking of molecules becomes denser. And now, if the Cross of Hendaye, the writings ofFulcanelli and the work of John Major Jenkins, as well as our own research into Alchemyand Tantra is correct, we are at the end of the Fourth Age, the Age of Iron. But what does

this really mean? Is it the literal 'end of the world' as chronicled in mystical texts from theBook of Revelations, to the Corpus Hermeticumof the alchemists, to the Tantrasof India,and the teachings of Shamanic cultures throughout the world? Or does it indicate a time of

great change and renewal? If, the ultimate alchemical goal is the transformation of lead intogold, then the end of the Iron Age can only herald the dawn of the Golden Age. This is theAge when the fulfillment of humanities true purpose on earth and the full flowering of theprimary vision of the Creator becomes manifest. For as any alchemist will tell you, out of thedepths of darkness comes the greatest light.

Upon reading The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and other works of J.R.R. Tolkien, it isclear that these questions gave him much fuel for contemplation. There are so manyparallels between Tolkien's work and alchemical knowledge that one cannot help but

surmise that he must have been aware of this ancient view of the Ages with its unique


8/29

perspective on creation, history and the pre-history of humanity and deftly wove it into thevery fabric of his tales.

His epic tale The Silmarillionpresents Tolkien's cosmology from the beginning of Creationto the Third Age of Middle-Earth. The Lord of the Ringstrilogy is really a documentation ofthe transition from the Third Age to the Fourth. According to the alchemical lore, the periodthat we consider 'history' equates with the beginning of the Fourth Age, or 6,500 years ago.Myths and legends that concern the events and experiences that happened prior to this timeperiod are said to have taken pace in 'pre-history'. Tolkien states that imaginatively his'history' is supposed to take place in a period of the actual Old World of this planet. 6

Interestingly, this is nearly the same time that Tolkien dates the events that unfold in TheLord of the Rings.

Through a unique constellation of innate gifts, experiences and other factors, which led to adeep philosophical understanding of the forces that shape our reality, J.R.R. Tolkien wasable to become a witness to, and documenter of, the deeply profound spiritual history ofhumanity, especially that of the English, Celtic and Northern Peoples of Europe. He

describes these gifts as a 'sensibility to linguistic patterns', which have an emotional effect onhim in the same manner as color or music; the 'passionate love of growing things' and a'deep response to legends that have what he called the North-western temper andtemperature.' 7 Having being drawn to and immersing himself in the beauty and power ofthe great epics of Greece, Scandinavia, Finland, Germany and more, he wanted to ' restore tothe English an epic tradition and present them with a mythology of their own."8 In a letter tohis friend Milton Waldman dated 1951 that can be found at the beginning ofTheSilmarillion, Tolkien states,

" I was from early days grieved by the poverty of my own beloved country: it had no storiesof it's own (bound up with it's tongue and soil), not of the quality that I sought, and found(as an ingredient) in legends of other lands.". "Once upon a time, I had a mind to make a

body of more or less connected legend, ranging from the large and cosmogonic, to the levelof romantic-fairy-story the larger founded on the lesser in contact with the earth, the lesserdrawing splendour from the vast backcloths which I could dedicate simply to: to England;to my country. "

From the tremendous response to The Lord of the Ringsthat continues to grow and swellwith time, it is clear that in this noble and heroic task, J.R.R. Tolkien has achieved his goal.For in this monumental work he has struck a chord that resonates deep within the hearts ofso many of us.


9/29

The Language of the BirdsWhat is it about The RingsTrilogythat touches our hearts so deeply? It is the subtlety, grace

and eloquence of Tolkien's language, the manner in which it speaks to us of wistfulmemories of an Age gone by. That is really what makes the books so appealing. Fromchildhood, Tolkien had a gift for creating 'imaginary' languages. This gift, which lay at theroot of his work, this ability to attune his ears and inner sensibility to those of a more subtlevibratory frequency, naturally led him to take up philology (the study of language) as hisprofession. This scholarship allowed him to trace words, expressions and vernacularbackwards through history and culture to their root source. This research into the roots oflanguage, known in the alchemical lore as the 'Language of the Birds' or 'Language of theGods', would logically lead him to ponder the hidden mysteries or secret messages whichhave been passed down from the ancients through the vehicle of the spoken and writtenword.

In Le Mystre des Cathdrales, Fulcanelli describes this sacred language or argot as, " thelanguage which teaches the mystery of things and unveils the most hidden truths." He tellsus that it was the 'parent and doyen' of all languages, that it was the "knowledge of thislanguage which Jesus revealed to his Apostles, by sending them his spirit, the Holy Ghost, "and that "tradition assures us that men spoke it before the building of the Tower of Babel, "an event which Fulcanelli describes as causing this "sacred language to be perverted and tobe totally forgotten by the greater part of humanity". 9 Fulcanelli also tells us that this arcanelanguage of the spirit uses the law of phonetics in which the ear of the listener and eye ofthe reader is focused upon sound and meaning rather than spelling.10 Through his lifetimeof research and attunement to the sacred origins of language, through the art of 'listening'and pondering the relationship of sound to manifestation, communication and the origins ofthe root language of a race, Tolkien came to realize that each name, word and descriptivephrase was the current manifestation of a cultural tapestry that wove itself backwardsthrough thousands of years of history.

In other words, his study of the history of language placed Tolkien at the paragon of arcaneknowledge that, once decoded, revealed the secret history of our race. The Bible, tells usthat," In the beginning was the word" and it was through his studies into the origins anddevelopment of words and language, as well as the great legends of ancient civilizations thatTolkien came to understand the way that a culture is shaped and re-shaped through history.The 'quality' of time would also have been revealed to him through his study of the historyof linguistic meaning. As words are reshaped they reflect the 'quality' of their era. Likeanyone who delves ever more deeply backwards into history, Tolkien came upon the

essential questions; Who/what are the forces that shape and re-shape history? What is theirsource? What is their fundamental purpose? What is our relationship to these powerfulforces? Who are we?


10/29

While pondering questions such as these, Tolkien came to understand that it was very likelythat, once upon a time, what we today would consider strange and magical forms of

sentient beings, did exist in our world. Elves, Dwarves, Wizards and possibly even Hobbits,or creatures very much like them, appeared to be embedded in the languages that hestudied. Whether Tolkien actually believed that these creatures existed in our past is not asimportant as the fact that his understanding of philology revealed their presence. Did hisattunement to the subtle vibratory frequencies of sound, an attunement more refined thanthe majority of humanity cares to experience in this Age of the Machine, allow him to travelback in time to a former Age of our world to perceive the presence of creatures such asthese?

Tolkien himself describes the process by which he created/documented his story as alinking together of tales that arose in his mind as 'given' things, a record of "what wasalready 'there' somewhere, not of 'inventing'." 11 By listening to and contemplating the

fundamental sounds or seed syllables of words drawn from ancient European culture, wasTolkien tuning in to the essential spirit of Old Europe and the voices of his ancestors? In aletter dated 7 September 1955, Tolkien tells us,

"..the name Frodo is a real name from the German tradition. Its Old English form was Froda.Its obvious connection with the old word frod, meaning etymologically 'wise by experience',but it had mythological connexions with legends of the Golden Age of the North."

From his philological research, and immersion into the teachings of Catholicism, whichhave their root source in the Old Testament of the Hebrews and the story of Genesis, Tolkienmust have become aware that each sound has a corresponding essence/ vibratory

frequency that brings thought into manifestation. He could even have known about thedebate on the nature of sound and words that took place in the Middle Ages between theRealists and Nominalists on the metaphysical significance of language. As eloquentlydocumented by philosopher and cultural historian Jeremy Naydler in his bookTemple of theCosmos, the Realists argued from the perspective that all sounds are sacred, having theirorigins in the Divine. For them as for the great Alchemical and Tantric adepts, andKabbalistic, Sufi and Christian mystics, words, express by their very nature, the spiritualessence of a thing. In contrast, the secularly oriented Nominalists insisted that words aremerely a product of human convention, arbitrarily created by human beings for thepurpose of convenience and communication. From their viewpoint, words have noconnection whatsoever to the inner nature of things. 12 Due to this 'victory' of theNominalists, the vast majority of Europeans lost their connection to one of the greatest

mysteries of their tradition, and heritage - knowledge of the truly sacred nature of soundand language. But Tolkien, whose years of linguistic research and decipherment had re-


11/29

tuned his sensibilities, clearly had intimate knowledge of this ancient spiritually orientedview of the role of sound in the creation and manifestation of reality. In The Silmarillionhedescribes the process of creation in a manner that corresponds to creation myths fromnumerous ancient cultures across the planet,

"In the beginning, Eru, the One, who in Elvish tongue is named Ilvatar, made the Ainur ofhis thought; and they made a great music before him. In this Music the World was begun:for Ilvatar made visible the song of the Ainur, and they beheld it as a light in the darkness.And many among them became enamoured of its beauty, and of its history which they sawbeginning and unfolding as in a vision. Therefore, Ilvatar gave to their vision Being, andset it amid the Void, and the Secret Fire was sent to burn at the heart of the World. "

Fulcanelli calls the secret fire an 'occultagent, which to give a hint about its form, is morelike water than flame." He states that, "This fire or burning wateris the vital sparkcommunicated by the Creator to inert matter, it is the spirit enclosed within things. "13 Healso refers to the secret fire as "the universal spiritthat allows the artist or alchemist, the'imitator of Nature and of the Divine Great Workto separate in his little worldthe

luminous, clear, crystalline parts from the dark, course and dense parts. "14

Gandalf the Wizard was very likely modeled after the tales of the Alchemical Masters of old.He plays a prominent role in the story of the Third Age of Middle-earth. During hisconfrontation with the monstrous Balrog in the depths of Moria, he refers to himself as the'servant of the secret fire'. Tolkien in a letter to Robert Murray, dated 4 November 1954,describes Gandalf as well as the other wizards as 'incarnate angels' sent to Middle-earth inthe Third Age as stewards and emissaries to assist Elves and Men in their resistance to theforces of darkness as the next challenge for its dominion by the Dark Lord Sauron begins tomaterialize. Reminiscent of the primary goals of the great Alchemical Masters, thefundamental role of the Wizards as conceived by Tolkien is to foster, nourish andstrengthen this universal spirit within humanity by educating them, advising them andkeeping their hearts and minds continuously focused upon the ' Way of the Light'. They are,in essence, the 'Hermetic Brotherhood' of Alchemy. Through this sacred endeavor, the


12/29

courage and fortitude to resist the enticements of the dark forces that inevitably arise bothwithin and without will be reinforced, and the essential mission of the Divine Great Work,that of keeping the vital spark of the secret fire pure and uncontaminated will be fulfilled.

In Tolkien's tale, as in our world, even the great masters are capable of error with itsinexorable descent into darkness. The wizards Gandalf and the powerful leader of his orderSaruman, like those that adorn the pages of the alchemical lore, are not exempt from beingtested. By weaving the story of Gandalf's continuous struggle towards the light asdemonstrated in his self-sacrificing acts contrasted with the egregious, self-aggrandizingacts of the fallen Sauruman, Tolkien is again bringing into focus the unavoidable choice thatbefalls each and every one of us no matter how far we rise in knowledge, power andinfluence. But by sacrificing himself Gandalf not only saves Frodo, the Ring and theFellowship but he is turned from Gandalf the Grey to Gandalf the White. It is this selfless actthat transforms him and gives him a greater degree of wisdom and power than ever before.For this battle with and victory over the Balrog through the depths of the underworld allowshim to become an even greater 'servant of the light' who can more effectively challenge thedark, corrupted power of Sauruman. 15

Is it possible that through his research, Tolkien uncovered the magical 'Language of theBirds', and discovered that the fabled lore of Alchemy also appeared to resonate throughthese languages? It is clear that through this knowledge of alchemical lore, Tolkien alsocouldn't have helped but notice that the weave of language appeared to be growing tighteras these languages approached the Modern Age, that language, like our culture, our bodiesand the earth itself appears to be densifying through time and the Four Ages of Humanity.

Tolkien's Cosmology

The Story of the Ages and the Perpetual Battle of Good and Evil" I believe that legends and myths are largely made of 'truth', and indeed present aspects of itthat can only be received in this mode; and long ago certain truths and modes of this kindwere discovered and must always reappear. There cannot be any ' story' without a fall allstories are ultimately about the fall "

-J.R.R. Tolkien from the Preface to The Silmarillion


13/29

In Tolkien's cosmology, which takes us from the moment of creation to the beginnings of theFourth Age of Middle-earth, the essential philosophical concerns that lie at the core of ourreality are brought forward and elucidated upon through the story line, thoughts andactions of his characters, whether they be Elves, Wizards or Men. By being bequeathed the

gift of 'free will' by the Creator, Tolkien's characters, like each and every one of us, is giventhe opportunity to choose between good and evil, egotism and selflessness, God and Satan-to follow the path of the light or fall into darkness and corruption. As in the epic legendssuch as the Ramayana and Mahabharata of India, the Kalivala of Finland and Norsemythology, in every Age of the world, there is a seduction by and fall towards darkness,with a corresponding battle between the forces of good and evil to set the world arightagain for the people of the coming Age. The story of Tolkien's world, like that of our own, isone of the continuous battle of opposing forces, of light and darkness, good and evil, beautyand horror, magic and the machine.

To gain a greater perspective on The Rings Trilogy, one must take a look at Tolkien's historyof the Ages. As in all great creation tales, the unfolding and development of the Ages beginswith what he refers to as a cosmological myth. As documented in The Silmarillion, from the

harmonic convergence of the Valar, (Primal Powers of the Creator) the creative vision of theEarth appears. In the same manner as the alchemical teachings of the Ages relates the storyof the First or Golden Age as being the Age when the gods inhabit the earth, Tolkien's Valar,in order to fully manifest their vision, descend from the heavens and dwell upon the Earth,sometimes as beings of light, sometimes in material bodies. 16 At the utmost West of theworld they create their home or Paradise known as Valinor and begin to prepare the Earthfor the coming of God's Children, the Elves known as the 'First-born' and Men, known as the'Followers'. But in Tolkien's ontology, as in many of the great epics, almost immediately thereis a 'fall' by the greatest of the Valars named Melkor who later became known as Morgoth inthe Elvin tongue. He was the original dark force who, during this First Age, pervertedSauron, one of the inhabitants of Valinor to his service, taking him as his chief servant andrepresentative of evil. In his tale entitled Valaquentafrom The Silmarillion, Tolkien

describes this first 'fall' of Melkor,

" From splendour he fell through arrogance to contempt for all things save himself, a spiritwasteful and pitiless. Understanding he turned to subtlety in perverting to his own will allthat he would use, until he became a liar without shame. He began with the desire of theLight, but when he could not possess it for himself alone, he descended though fire andwrath into a great burning, down into Darkness. And darkness he used most in his evilworks upon Arda (Earth) and filled it with fear for all living things. " (S 31)

So from the beginning of the actual formation of the earth out of the music and vision of theGods the corruption of the Divine Art of Creation began. Having fallen from grace in amanner reminiscent of the Demiurge of the Christian Gnostics, Melkor could never createof his own accord but merely produce counterfeit versions of pre-existing beings bytwisting, distorting and manipulating those created by the One. In this way, he broughtforth a rift into the world. For from the moment that he 'fell' and turned his face towardsegotism and tyranny, Melkor became an irritant that could not be ignored.


14/29

With the coming of the spirit of Melkor into the world, the great epic of Middle-earth trulybegins. Tolkien's First Age is primarily concerned with the story of the awakening, activitiesand 'fall' of many of the First-born Elves and their battles with Melkor and Sauron. Thisultimately sets the stage for the expulsion of many of the Elves from Valinor/ Paradise and

their first contact with the Men of Middle-earth. The First Age ends with the arousal of thePower of the Gods against Melkor and Sauron (inspired by the vision of Ragnarok fromNorse mythology), the destruction of their realm and Melkor's expulsion from the Worldinto the Void. As in the alchemical story of the Ages, the veils between the worlds begin tofall, and the sight of Paradise although still visible to the banished Elves from their BlessedLand of Eressa is removed from the sight of Middle-earth.

Nmenor/Atlantis and The Second Age of Middle-earthThe history of Tolkien's Second Age is primarily concerned with the rise and fall ofNmenor, a tale that obviously corresponds to the story of the mythic isle of Atlantis that isso prominent in alchemical lore. Tolkien weaves this legend into his tale for a number ofreasons but to a great part due to what he refers to as his 'Atlantis haunting'. In a letter toW.H. Auden, he describes his tale of Nmenor as a "personal alteration of the Atlantic mythand/or tradition, and accommodation of it to my general mythology."He tells him,

"Of all the mythical or 'archetypal' images this is the one most deeply seated in myimagination, and for many years I had a recurrent Atlantis dream: the stupendous and


15/29

ineluctable wave advancing from the Sea or over the land, sometimes dark, sometimes greenand sunlit."17

This dream of the great catastrophe that brings on the end of the Second Age, whichhaunted Tolkien from childhood, is given to Faramir of Gondor in The Lord of the Rings.Here again, Tolkien's design parallels that of Alchemy, for in the lore it is the fall of Atlantisthat ends the Second Age or Silver Age known as the Age of Ritual.

It is in Nmenor/ Atlantis that we first truly encounter the crucial issue of Death andImmortality, an issue of monumental importance in both Tolkien's work and the GreatWork of Alchemy. In his cosmogony, Tolkien's deep-seated reflections on this subject arearticulated through the relationship between God/the One and his Children, the 'First-born'Elves and Men the 'Followers'. In their creation he gives each race a natural life span that isunique to their biological and spiritual nature. To the Elves he gives extraordinary grace,insight, wisdom, and loveliness of face and form along with a corresponding ability to"conceive and bring forth more beauty than all my Children." In addition, the Creator givesthem the much-coveted gift of immortality and states that, "theirs shall be the greater bliss

in this world." 18

But in the end, this precious gift actually contains their doom. Tolkien tells us,

"The doom of the Elves is to be immortal, to love the beauty of the world, to bring it to fullflower with their gifts of delicacy and perfection, to last while it lasts, never leaving evenwhen 'slain', but returning and yet, when the Followers come, to teach them, and make wayfor them, to 'fade' as the Followers grow and absorb the life from which both proceed."

Although they can be slain and return to the Blessed Lands, the Elves must remain in theworld until the 'end of days', corresponding to the end of the Cyclic Ages of Time, and donot ultimately die until the world itself dies. And in this there is a great sorrow andpoignancy. For as Tolkien states, in the end the Elves "live ultimately only by the thin line ofblood that was mingled with that of Men, among whom it was the only real claim tonobility."19

From this perspective, in Tolkien's world, at the end of the day, mortality, which manyconsider the curse of humanity is perceived as a crucial gift. In his tale entitled, Of theBeginning of Daysfrom The Silmarrilion, Tolkien states,

"It is one with this gift of freedom that the children of Men dwell only a short space in theworld alive, and are not bound to it, and depart whither the Elves know not. The sons of


16/29

Men die indeed, and leave the world; wherefore they are called the Guests or the Strangers.Death is their fate, the gift of Ilvatar, which as Time wears even the Powers shall envy. Yet,of old, the Valar declared to the Elves in Valinor that Men shall join in the Second Music ofthe Ainur; whereas Ilvatar has not revealed what he purposes for the Elves after theWorld's end."

From this statement we may infer that it was Tolkien's belief that even though we aremortal, human beings hold a unique and powerful position in the cycles of creation. Forfrom his viewpoint human beings will not only continue to intertwine their energy andessence with that of the earth until the end of the current cycle, but will ultimately play apart in the creation of the next great cycle.

This theme of death and immortality supplies the focal point for Tolkien's tale ofNmenor/Atlantis and the Second Age. In discussing his tale of the rise and fall of this greatkingdom of Men he tells us that there were three distinct stages, which have clear parallelsin the Atlantian myth. At the dawn of the Second Age, the good Men who had assisted theElves in their battle against Melkor and Sauron were gifted with great wisdom and an

extension of their life-span to that of three times of most mortals. However, understandingthe innate weakness of Men, the nature of Time and how achievements in the materialworld may lead to attachment and corruption, the gods placed a ban on the Nmenreans;that they could never set foot on the 'immortal lands' or even sail towards them.

At first, the Men of Nmenor, obedient to the laws of the Creator, did not attempt to sailWest to the 'immortal lands' but throughout Middle-earth renewing and expanding theirknowledge of the truth and the scope and nature of the World. All good Nmenreans, liketheir descendant the Dnedain Aragorn, lived in alignment with the laws of the One andunderstood that death was not a punishment but an intrinsic part of the Creator's originaldesign for them and like Aragorn died of 'free will' when they felt it was time to do so. 20 Yet,as the Second Age unfolded, and their knowledge of artistry, craftsmanship, and magic

grew, rather than accept the beauty of this gift with grace and gratitude, many of theNmenreans slowly began to perceive it with revulsion even coveting the gifts of theimmortals. Living on an island, amidst the wide sea, they became masters of the art of ship-building and sea-craft. Restricted from sailing Westward to the Blessed Lands of theimmortals, they began to set their sights to the east, south and north.

Therefore, the Nmenreans journeyed throughout Middle-earth bringing knowledge ofagriculture, tool making, and more to the Men of Middle-earth, who came to look uponthese tall and long-lived Sea Men as gods. But as their delight in the nature of their lives

grew, so did their desire for life-everlasting and always at the back of their minds was ayearning for the undying lands of Elves and gods. And so their inner turmoil increased and

their bliss was diminished. As their fear of death increased, their wise men spent their daysin seeking out ways to prolong life, but like the ancient Egyptians, could only discover theart of mummification or the preservation of dead flesh. They began to build great tombs andtheir minds turned with increasing frequency towards power and wealth in the materialworld.


17/29

By the time Ar-Pharazn, the twenty-fifth King of Nmenor came to power, theNmenreans had established great settlements upon Middle-earth and set themselves up asKings and Lords of Men. But all this time, the influence of the Dark Shadow began to spreadover Middle-earth, for even though Melkor had been physically imprisoned in the Void, hiswill remained active and the seeds of corruption he had planted continued to grow in hisfollowers and especially his servant Sauron who, in this Second Age of Middle-earth,created and began to wield the One Ring, binding many to him. Hearing of Sauron's

growing threat, desiring to have power and dominion over Middle-earth for himself, Ar-Pharazn decided to make war upon Sauron and to take Sauron as his own servant.

Seeing the might of Nmenor arrayed against him, Sauron who still retained beauty ofform, power of persuasion and immense knowledge of the Black Arts, cleverly allowedhimself to be taken hostage and brought to the great kingdom where after three years hehad ingratiated himself with Ar-Pharazn to the extent that he became the closest of the hiscounselors. Perceiving the desire for immortality, which lay at the core of the Kingsdiscontent, Sauron spoke to him of the powers of Melkor the Dark Lord who could offerpower beyond that of the Valar. Such was Sauron's gift of persuasion that Ar-Pharaznturned his kingdom to the worship of Melkor and the dark, building a great temple where

ghastly sacrifices were made to Melkor so that he should release them from Death. ButDeath did not depart from the Nmenreans, in fact amidst this evil it came sooner and a

great madness came over the land. Ar-Pharazn, now fully under the influence of Sauron,

decided to sail to the land of the immortals to make war upon them. But as in every Age, theforces of goodness and truth still lived in the hearts of some. These were the ancestors ofAragorn, known as the Faithful. Amandil, their leader bid his family, Elendil, Isildur and theFaithful to collect all the artifacts, heirlooms, books and treasures created in the days ofwisdom and take them onto great ships and sail from Nmenor.

It was at this time as the prayers to the Dark Lord increased and Ar-Pharazn and his fleetmoved Westward to the Blessed Lands, terrible storms and earthquakes appeared inNmenor. And at the moment he stepped upon the shore of Valinor, the Creator

"showed forth his power and changed the fashion of the world; a great chasm opened in thesea between Nmenor and the Deathless Lands, and the waters flowed down into it."21 Intheir ships the Nmenreans were drawn into the abyss. As in the legend of Atlantis,Nmenor itself was overtaken by a great wave and disappeared forever. The shape of the


18/29

world was changed. The sight of the Blessed Lands of the immortals was removed from theEarth. The Earth became round and Men could only travel within its circles, never againphysically perceiving what Tolkien refers to as the 'Straight Way'.

It is interesting to note that the information decoded from the Cross of Hendaye parallelsthis imaginative vision of human history. Dividing time into four sections of about 6,500

years each, the cross also bears an inscription that leads one to discover the origins ofAtlantis at Teohuanoco in Bolivia. As documented in The Mysteries of the Great Cross ofHendaye, Bolivian professor Arthur Posnansky examined the ancient ruins there andconcluded that they were built around 13,000 B.C. The high waters of Lake Titicaca beardeep-sea creatures. If the end of the Second Age was 13,000 years ago, then it is possiblethat the ancient civilization that occupied Peru was somehow wiped out during the shiftfrom the Second to the Third Age of the precession of the equinoxes. 22

The Third Age of Middle-earthThis is the age of the Great War of the Rings, as documented in The Rings Trilogy. It beginswith the founding of the Kingdom of Gondor by the Faithful of the Nmenreans, the defeatof Sauron and the taking of the One Ring by Isildur. It concludes with the destruction of theRing of Power and the coronation of Aragorn as King of Middle-earth. This signals the endof the Third Age and third phase of the bid for ultimate power by the forces of evil.

In each Age, these opposing forces are pitted against each other and ultimately a great battleensues between them, which becomes the transitional phase between one Age and the next.There is a simultaneous cleansing of the world and suppression and binding of the

manifestation of evil. At the same time at the end of each Age there is a separation or veilthat arises and the pure lands of the Gods and immortals disappear from the sight of thosebeings who still dwell in Middle-Earth.

In Tolkien's cosmology, as in the Alchemical and Tantric teachings on the Ages the veilsbetween the worlds of spirit and matter grow ever denser as the ages unfold. With the fallof Nmenor (Atlantis), at the end of the Second Age, Tolkien tells us,

"there is no visible dwelling of the divine or immortal on earth. Valinor , the dwelling placeof the gods (or Paradise) is removed, remaining only in the memory of the earth." Men maynow sail West as far as they may but will return only into the east and so back again. For theworld is round and finite, [like the Ring] -a circle inescapable save by Death. Only the'immortals', the lingering Elves, may still, if they will, wearying of the circle of the world,


19/29

take ship and find the 'Straight Way', and come to the ancient or True West and be atpeace."23

According to The Lord of the Ringsand The Silmarillion, each group of sentient beings that

inhabit Middle-earth not only has a place but also a time. As the Third Age ends, Tolkienmakes it quite clear that the Age of the fantastic beings that occupy Middle-earth, the Elves,Dwarves, Wizards and more is also ending. The 'immortal' Elves are heading for the Westand 'fading' from the sight of humanity. In alchemical terms this means that they areleaving this plane of existence. The Elves are not leaving Middle-earth because they want to,they are exiting this mortal plane because they have no choice. And so Men are left alone atthe end of the book. They have learned the ways of war, the ways of metallic magic we callAlchemy through Sauron and Saruman's cunning. It could even be argued that the purposeof Sauron's war was to destroy the world of Men and forestall the oncoming Iron Age and toattempt to abort the final dissolution of the Third Age. In this context, the Great War of theRing is not so much the genocide of Men, but a struggle by a mighty sorcerer to halt theinevitable approach of the dreaded Iron Age.


20/29

Magic, and the MachineSub-creation, the 'Fall', and The Ring of Power

"Anyway, all this is mainly concerned with the Fall, Mortality and the Machine.. With theFall inevitably, and that motive occurs in several modes. With Mortality, especially as itaffects art and the creative (or as I should say sub-creative) desire. This desire is at oncewedded to a passionate love of the real primary world, and hense filled with the sense ofmortality, and yet unsatisfied by it. It has various opportunities of 'Fall'. It may become

possessive, clinging to the things made as' it's own', the sub-creator wishes to be the Lord

and God of his private creation. He will rebel against the laws of the creator especiallyagainst mortality. Both of these (alone or together) will lead to the desire for Power, formaking the will more quickly effective, - and so to the Machine (or Magic).

-J. R.R. Tolkien, The Letters of J.R.R.Tolkien

Here we come upon another major theme found in Tolkien's work the relationship betweenCreation, Art, desire, power and immortality. True adepts from the great esoteric traditionsof humanity speak of the trap of personal power and the grasping nature of theindividuated ego that desires its own dominion and therefore, immortality above all else. Foras the adept, spoken of in the alchemical lore as the artistand imitator of Nature and thedivine Great Work, rises in knowledge and aptitude, as he/she delves into the heart ofnature and the elements, seeking the elusive prima materia, philosophers stone, and 'elixirof life', there is always the opportunity for a 'fall' or error. Too often, like the wizardSaruman in The Rings Trilogy, the aspiring adept becomes the victim of a type of mentaldistortion and disequilibria, which Tolkien describes as a perversion of their Art into Power.Seduced and perverted by his/her ever growing communion with 'forces' that promiseendless treasures, extraordinary physical and psychic abilities, power over men and'phenomena', and of course, immortality, the alchemist, having forsaken the essentialinterior or spiritually oriented aim of this Divine Art becomes ensnared in an ever-tightening net of darkness and delusion that is essentially antithetical to the ultimate goal ofthe Great Work.


21/29

Tolkien tells us that the Elves are placed in his works to demonstrate the difference betweenpure unsullied magic and what we refer to as black magic or sorcery. He states that their'magic' is Art, "delivered from many of its human limitations; more effortless, more quick,

more complete (product and vision in unflawed correspondence). And its object is Art notPower, sub-creation, not domination and tyrannous re-forming of Creation." 24

Here let us spend a moment on the subject of the Magical Arts. Magic in its essential form isthe communion and resonance with and phenomenal display of a spiritual power, energy orforce. At its root it is a pure unsullied creative force. In Tolkien's world, as in our own, sincethe time of the first 'fall' there have been two main opposing streams of this 'sub-creative'magical force. The first is the development of innate powers or talents for the purpose of a

growth and flowering of the original seed essence or pure vision of the Divine. This magicor Art, filled with divine light and healing power is that of those whose hearts remain trueto the light such as Galadriel, Elrond, Gandalf, and Aragorn. The second and contrarystream as defined by Tolkien is "all use of external plans or devices (apparatus) instead of

developments of these inherent inner powers or talents - or even the use of these talentswith the corrupted motive of dominating; bulldozing the real world, or coercing otherwills." 25 This is the dark magic of the Machine, the black magic of Sauron, and all thosebeings that he bred through genetic manipulation, or the corrupted magic of the Elves, Menand Wizards, whose minds they poisoned and swayed with their dark nefarious promisesand temptations.

Masters of all great initiatic traditions such as Alchemy tell us that the acquisition of 'thedark powers' such as demonstrated by Sauron and Saruman are but a distraction that diverthim/her from the true goal of gnosis, communion and reunion with the Divine Source. Yet,as one gains in knowledge and power, as one comes to understand the essence of the forcesof creation, there is always the lure of the darkness and the time of testing. Tolkien, in theFellowship of the Ring, illustrates this test that ultimately exists for each one of us with everychoice that we make. For, having been gifted with 'free will' like the characters of the RingTrilogy, it is up to us to choose which path we will follow. Galadriel, who has taken part inthe drama of the Earth since the Elder Days of the First Age, is given the ultimate test of herdevotion to the Divine Path of the Light, when she is offered the Ring by Frodo in TheFellowship of the Ring;


22/29

" For many long years I had pondered what I might do, should the Great Ring come into myhands. And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely!"

But having contemplated the possible results of this situation, having seen firsthand the

horrific results of this type of dark magic, she recognizes the spiritual corruption thatpossession of the Ring would bring her;

"In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark but beautiful andterrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon theMountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightening! Stronger than the foundations of theEarth. All shall love me and despair!"

Galadriel makes her choice - to align herself with the forces of universal beauty andharmony. It is a selfless and melancholy choice for she knows that with this choice her timein Middle-earth will be at its end. Now she will diminish, go into the West and 'fade'.

Throughout alchemical lore one finds story after story of this type of testing of the adept. Asthe Ages unfold and the forces of darkness and densification spread, there are constantwarnings given concerning the use of power for personal gain. The seduction of the Satanicforces and the implanting of the desire to close oneself to wonders of the world of spirit andreign supreme in the material world are recurrent themes in the literature. The agonizingresults of corruption of the soul of the adept by the dark powers are constantly elucidated.This degeneration in our current Age of a deeply spiritually oriented and genuine sub-creative Art, handed down through the Ages from Master to student in an unbroken line oftransmission into a mere display of power and dominion over the forces of nature forpersonal benefit and aggrandizement, is what has given the Great Art of Alchemy such anegative connotation in some circles.


23/29

But for the true alchemical adept, turning lead into gold is merely a metaphor for theprocess by which the lead or prima materia of the psychophysical body is transformed intothe pure gold of enlightenment, in which the adept comes into total alignment and harmonywith the Divine. Genuine masters and adepts who, as a by-product of their devotion toDivine Principles and 'inner' spiritual work have acquired certain powers that we wouldcall magical or miraculous, refrain from exhibiting these powers except under the mostserious of circumstances. Why is it that Galadriel, Gandalf , Elrond, Aragorn and Faramirrefuse to take up the Ring? Filled with wisdom, love, and virtue, they know in the depths oftheir beings that their task is to be of service to the continuance of the ever-unfolding visionand laws of the One True Creator.


24/29

The Power of the One RingThe chief power (of all the Rings alike) was the prevention or slowing of decay (i.e. 'change'viewed as a regrettable thing), the preservation of what is desired or loved, or its semblance.But also they enhanced the natural powers of a possessor thus approaching 'magic', a

motive easily corruptible into evil, a lust for domination.'

-J.R.R. Tolkien from the Preface to The Silmarillion

The Three Rings of Power were brought forward into this world through the Elves innatepowers of creative envisioning for the distinct purpose of preserving beauty in the world.These Rings did assist in the slowing of aging and deterioration, but unlike the One Ring,they did not confer the power of invisibility. At the same time, in the depths of thesubterranean fire of his Evil Kingdom, Sauron secretly forged the One Ring that held withinit the power of all the Rings. The One Ring gave him ultimate control over the other Rings,for it granted him the ability to read the thoughts of anyone who used them, influence theiractions, and in the end bind them to his will. Due to the fact that Sauron had the one Ring

he easily gained control over the minds and wills of the largest part of the Nmenreans,which led to the downfall of this first great Kingdom of Men.

To cement his dominion over Middle-earth, Sauron had secretly forged the One Ring. But asTolkien tells us, in order to do this he was "obliged to let a great part of his own inherent

power pass into the One Ring."Here Tolkien brings us to a subject that is much discussed inalchemical circles. That of the residual impact or imprint of one's vivifying energy, life forceor personal power (called the Ka by the ancient Egyptians) left on objects, places and evenin the minds of those one has come into contact with in a way that will have a certainpsychic influence upon them. By placing so much of his own Ka into the One Ring, Sauronwas able to infect the minds, disturb the hearts and influence the actions of all those whopossessed it with his evil intentions. His Ka, or psychic residue contaminates all who touchthe Ring, binding them to him bending their will, twisting their minds. Like a vampyre fromthe ancient tales, Sauron, through the vehicle of the Ring, inserts within them the stain ofhis dark force and indelible fingerprint of evil. While the Ring may for a time, lengthen thedays of a living being, slowly and inevitably it sucks up their life force and will to resist him.Tolkien tells us that "so great was the Ring's power of lust that anyone who used it becamemastered by it; it was beyond the strength of any will (even his own) to injure it, cast itaway or neglect it."26


25/29

Gollum, Bilbo, Frodo and most likely all of the others that bore the Ring, made the happydiscovery that they would not age as long has they had it in their keeping. Bilbo's agecatches up with him nearly immediately after he gives the Ring to Frodo. This is the 'falseimmortality', or as the eminent scholar and historian Robert Lawlor calls it, 'prematureimmortality,' that is both an indication of our desires for the Golden Age and a trap that willcondemn our souls. This false immortality destroys the true gift of humankind, which lies inthe possibility of the ultimate re-union with the Divine.

It cannot be overemphasized that Tolkien equates the Ring with the Machine. Today, at theend of the Fourth Age, the Ring encircles us like the fence that surrounds the unicorn in thefamous French tapestry. Bewildered by its beauty and astounded by its power, it seduces usinto its trap. Like the Ring, technology offers us a 'false immortality'. Like Sauron and thecorrupted wizard Sauruman, unashamed of their audacity, our technocrats promise us thatthis 'false immortality' equals freedom and life. Just open your eyes and look around. Thepurveyors of technology constantly promise a world of free energy and genetic miracles thatwill extend life and feed the world. Indeed one of their main promises is that they caneventually create an immortal human being. Technocratic philosophers even preach that it

will one day be possible to download the human soul onto a microchip. This is the finalseduction of the Ring or Machine that Tolkien knew would herald the end of this Age.

But one must realize that the Ring, or the Machine, is an addiction, just as evil is anaddiction- and like every addiction- it is filled with denial. As soon as Boromir touched the

Ring, he could not resist its call. The pitiful creature Gollum, whose name and nature ismost likely derived from the legends of the golems created by the dark alchemists cumsorcerers of Seventeenth century Europe, is practically consumed by it. 27 Bilbo, for amoment turns almost demonic in his desire to keep the Ring and the closer he gets to Mt.Doom, the more the bright selfless spirit of valiant Frodo becomes weighted down by it andobsessed with it. This power of the Ring is clearly made evident with the weakening ofFrodo's body and spirit in each successive time he chooses to put it on his finger. In TheReturn of the King, he describes this experience,

"No taste of food, no feel of water, no sound of wind, no memory of tree or grass or flower,no image of moon or star are left to me. I am naked in the dark, Sam, there is no veilbetween me and the wheel of fire. I begin to see it even with my waking eyes, and all else

fades."


26/29

It is the insertion of Sauron's Ka into the One Ring and its subsequent invasion of andsupremacy over the 'free will' of both Gollum and Frodo that in the end lead to Sauronsdemise. For even though Frodo, as he stands at the Crack of Doom, is overpowered bySauron's dark force embedded in the Ring and chooses to deny the quest and keep the Ringfor himself, it is his pity, generosity and compassion towards the miserable creature,coupled with Gollum's all-consuming greed that brings about the destruction of the Ring.With this destruction, comes dissolution of Sauron's power.

ConclusionIn the ancient teachings on the Four Ages, as the cycle of time unfolds, the world and itsinhabitants take on greater and greater density and therefore 'magic' localizes into more andmore dense material. The Ring is the perfect embodiment for the densification of these

magical energies. Indeed, as Frodo gets closer to Mt. Doom the Ring grows heavier andFrodo grows more tired. Frodo himself begins to show signs of corruption the longer hebears the Ring. This corruption carries its weight all the way to the end when despiteoverwhelming odds, Frodo, Sam and Gollum actually make it to the brim of Mt. Doom. Atthis point Frodo apparently abandons his quest to destroy the Ring. For now the band ofmetal has become a prison from which Frodo cannot escape. It is only through the greed ofGollum that the Ring falls into Mt. Doom.

And this is in essence Tolkien's message. That even though the odds are overwhelminglyagainst us, even though greed and corruption consume our very souls in this Final Age ofthe cycle, even though everything appears to be lost and the forces of darkness are about tolay claim to victory, somehow, someway good triumphs. Tolkien appears to be saying that

there are superior forces that have our interests at heart and that these superior forces areguiding our race and our species. These forces, that occupy what we might refer to as'upper earth', wield their invisible hand to insure that Frodo succeeds and that we survive.Tolkien tells us that even the smallest of us is important. That creatures like the HobbitsFrodo and Sam can virtually alone defeat the powers of darkness and that they have aninvisible ally that makes sure that they succeed.

It is no coincidence that the film version ofThe Lord Of The Ringswas released in 2001,2002 and 2003. The Cross of Hendaye marks the Autumnal equinox of 2002 as the climaxof history. Utilizing the Magical Alchemy of Light and sound, Peter Jackson's filmicrepresentation ofThe Rings Trilogybookends that year perfectly. A few months before theinitial release of the first film, the end of the Fourth Age was inaugurated by the destructionof the Two Towers in New York City. Fulcanelli warns us in Le Mystere des Cathedralesthatthe end of this Age will soon be upon us and that the northern hemisphere will be tried by


27/29

fire. 28 As we are writing this article, the northern hemisphere is just completing its hottestsummer in 500 years. As an anomaly this would not be disturbing, but the fact is, that in thelast 11 years since 1992, each summer has grown hotter than the one before. Due toGreenhouse gasses, output from the sun, or perhaps just because it's the end of the Age ourplanet is being burned up just like the Ring in the fires of MT. Doom.

As a boy, Tolkien watched the beloved forest that surrounded his home in England beingdestroyed by the consuming maw of the Industrial Revolution. By the time that he left to gofight in the Great War, the smokestacks and fires of the hellish Iron Age had completelyconsumed the rustic village where he grew up. He then saw all of his childhood friendsmurdered and destroyed by the machine guns, poison gasses and barbed wire trenches ofWWI. As he recovered from his wounds he sat beneath a giant oak tree in the South of

France and conceived the genesis for TheLord of the Rings. He later told many writers,readers and critics that The Lord of the Ringswas not an allegory for WWI, WW2 oranything in a modern sense.

As Tolkien nursed his wounds he contemplated his personal experience of the terrors of thisAge of Iron, death and destruction. His deep Catholicism and his intuitive artistic spiritcombined to create this story of the end of the Third Age and the dawn of the Fourth Age.The Lord of the Ringsalso acted as a warning that our Age was also going to end soon. Thisis why Tolkien bristled whenever a critic or reader attempted to imply that The Lord of theRingswas an allegory. To Tolkien, Lord of the Ringswas a mythical reimagining of thehistory of Europe 6,000 7,000 years ago.


28/29

From the alchemical perspective of the cyclic flow of time, out of the darkness of this Age of

Iron, a new Golden Age of humanity will begin. The 'quality of time' will be altered and inan instant our reality will be transformed. The true Masters and adepts of spiritualtraditions from around the world will tell you that the seeds of this transformation existwithin each and every human being, in fact it is for this reason that they call the humanbody the 'sacred alchemical vessel of transformation'. For having been gifted by the Divinewith 'free will', in every moment, we have the power to choose our own path. As Frodo,Gandalf, Sam, Aragorn and their friends did in The Lord of the Rings, we must open ourhearts and walk the Path of the Light. Not because it is easy, but because we know that it isright. We are all Frodos, each and every one of us. Like Frodo, we have within us thepotential for great deeds of courage and self-sacrifice. Despite everything, Frodo doesdestroy the Ring of Power. Sauron's dominion is ended, the world is cleansed and a new Agebegins. This is the beauty of Tolkien's tale. Through this eloquent and powerful work of Art,

Tolkien proves that he is of the lineage of great artists who have graced the Age of Iron.Steeped in alchemical principles and an ancient spiritual tradition that reaches back into theThird Age, both Tolkien's and Jackson's Lord of the Ringsare harbingers of where we arefrom and also where we are headed.

Endnotes1. For greater insight into the Alchemical/Tantric view of the unfolding of the Ages seeRose, Sharron, The Path of the Priestess; A Guidebook for Awakening the Divine Feminine(Rochester, Vt.: Inner Traditions International, 2003) pp.124-147.

2. Weidner, Jay and Bridges, Vincent, Mysteries of the Great Cross at Hendaye; Alchemy andthe End of Time(Rochester, Vt.: .Destiny Books, 2003)

3. See Jenkins, John Major, Maya Cosmogenesis 2012, (.Santa Fe, NM: Bear and Co., 1998)

4. Fulcanelli, Le Mystre Des Cathdrales (Las Vegas, NV: Brotherhood of Life, 1984)pp.170-171

5. Rose, pp.131-134

6. Carpenter, Humphrey, ed., The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien(Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Company, 2000) p.246

7. Ibid, p. 212


29/29

8. Ibid, p.231

9. Fulcanelli, p.44

10. Johnson, K.R., The Fulcanelli Phenomenon(Jersey, Great Britain: Neville Spearman Ltd,

1980) p. 215

11. Tolkien, J.R.R., The Silmarillion(New York, Houghton Miflin Co. 2001) p. xii

12.Naydler, Jeremy, Temple of the Cosmos(Rochester, Vt.: Inner TraditionsInternational, 1996) pp.139-140

13. Fulcanelli, p.83

14. Ibid, p.14

15. For more on Tolkiens perspective on Gandalf see The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien,

201-203

16. For a description of the Golden Age see Rose, pp.128-130

17. Carpenter, Humphrey, ed., The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, p.361

18. Tolkien, J.R.R., The Silmarillion, pp. 41-42

19. Carpenter, Humphrey, ed., The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, p.176

20. In the story of Aragorn and Arwen from The Return of the King, Aragorn states, I am the last of the Numenoreans and the latest King of the Eldar Days: and to me has been

given not only a span thrice that of Men of Middle-Earth, but also the grace to go at my will,and give back the gift. Now, therefore I will sleep.

21. Tolkien, J.R.R., The Silmarillion, pp.278-9

22. For more on Posnansys work on Teonaco and the discoveries of Atlantis in the Andes byJ. W. Allen see Weidner, Jay and Bridges, Vincent, Mysteries of the Great Cross at Hendaye;Alchemy and the End of Time, Chapter 12, Catastrophe and Refuge, pp.372-374

23. Tolkien, J.R.R., The Silmarillion, p.xxiii

24. Ibid, p. xiii

25. Ibid, p.xiii

26. Ibid, pp.xx-xxi

Documents

The Lords of the Ring Cosmology