[Video Class] The Emerald Tablet and the Creative Act with Brian Cotnoir

The Emerald Tablet and the Creative Act
Teacher: Brian Cotnoir
Length: 2.5 hours

Alchemy is the art and science of bringing something to its final perfection, that is, completion in the sense that a work of art is completed or perfected.  

The Emerald Tablet, famous for its declaration “as above, so below,” is a cornerstone text of alchemy and, as such, it embodies all aspects of alchemical work and so can be read as both a physical and non-material process. The challenge in the practice of alchemy is in the union of these two views. Working with a new translation from the oldest known version of the Emerald Tablet, this talk will examine this text in light of the actual inner and outer practices of alchemy and its implications and possibilities for any creative work. 

Go to https://khepripress.com/translations/ to download a free DIY booklet of the translations used in this class. 

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Brian Cotnoir is an alchemist, artist, and award-winning filmmaker. A contributor to Frater Albertus’ Parachemy, he is also the author of a series of Alchemy Zines. His books include Alchemy: The Poetry of Matter (2017), The Weiser Concise Guide to Alchemy, Alchemical Meditations, On the Quintessence of Wine, and the Emerald Tablet, his translations of and commentary on, the earliest Arabic and Latin versions of this seminal text. His Emerald Tablet was part of the Language of the Birds: Occult and Art show in 2016 in New York City. 

He occasionally gives talks and has presented workshops and seminars around the world on various aspects of alchemical theory and practice based on his research. 

His film work has been screened at Museum of Modern Art, Sundance Film Festival, HBO, PBS and other international venues. 

Khepri Press, launched in 2014 with the publication of the Emerald Tablet, is the vehicle and portal for his alchemical work.