Dwellings of the Philosophers

I really like the content, but the product itself is extremely disappointing for the price. This is just a paperback book glued into a hardcover. Binding is garbage. Photos are blurry. Dont buy this one, get an older used one.

The premise of this book is Fulcanelli is a keeper of ancient and mystical knowledge that goes back thousands of years to people like Pythagoras. In some places Fulcanelli refers to himself as 'we' like he was speaking for that entire group of mystics.Fulcanelli saw alchemical symbolism in everything from mythology to the bible to the so called Gnostic gospels to children's fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood.Fulcanelli felt that certain statues, artwork, and architecture reveal the secrets of alchemy for those rare few who know how to interpret them. And in fact it does seem that those artifacts are trying to convey some sort of mysterious message.This is a strange book because the author intentionally omitted certain details about the very subject he was trying to explain. The idea is the secrets of alchemy can only be revealed to a chosen few. How those chosen ones would find out those missing details I don't know.Alchemy involves the Philosopher's Stone and something called the universal solvent.My own personal belief is alchemy is a legend which has a basis in reality.I say that because of other books I have read including the Edgar Cayce material and Initiation by Elisabeth Haich. Edgar Cayce told how in a past life in ancient Egypt as the Atlantean priest Ra Ta he 'threw off the years of toil and strife'. In other words Ra made himself young again which is one of the alleged powers of the Philosopher's Stone.Elisabeth Haich said alchemy was one of the subjects the Egyptian initiates learned about.Fulcanelli seemed to be very knowledgeable about certain subjects including medieval architecture and history.He also seemed to have a solid understanding of conventional chemistry and other sciences.I would say an understanding of conventional chemistry would be helpful for understanding this book although alchemy and chemistry are not the same thing.What all of this means I really don't know.It's an interesting question about whether there are certain individuals alive today who are in possession of mystical knowledge that goes back to places like ancient Egypt.Here's some other books about mysterious subjects and ancient Egypt.Joseph Farrell's books are more for entertainment purposes.The Mystery of the Cathedrals by Fulcanelli (Author), Daniel Bernardo (Translator)Initiation by Elisabeth HaichInitiation in the Great Pyramid by Earlyne ChaneyThe Giza Power Plant: Technologies of Ancient Egypt by Christopher DunnEgyptian Heritage: Based on the Edgar Cayce Readings by Mark LehnerEdgar Cayce's Egypt by Edgar Cayce (Author), A. R. E. Press (Editor)The Giza Death Star by Joseph P. FarrellThe Philosopher's Stone: Alchemy and the Secret Research for Exotic Matter by Joseph P. Farrell

This is a must read for any self respecting historian, architect, Medieval scholar, or lover of intellectual conundrums. You have seen this referred to many times and probably did not realize where to find the foundational help. It's like medicine. Read it. It's good for you.