sopher's stone, the red
tincture, as a pelican; for by its projection on the baser metals it
sacrificed itself and, as it were, gave its blood to tincture them. The
Christian and the hermetic symbolism are concurrent as in higher sense the
stone Christ, i.e., the Messiah, is on our hearts.] That is the rose of
our master with color of scarlet and red dragon's blood, written of by
many, also the purple mantle of the highest commanders in our art, with
which the Queen of Salvation is clothed, and by which all the poor metals
can be warmed. Keep well this mantle of honor."

It is interesting that dream parallels can support us in both directions
on the path of hermetic interpretation. I have in the second section of
this volume reported the "dream of the Flying Post." I must now complete
its interpretation. Stekel writes (l. c, p. 399): "If we examine the birth
and uterus phantasies, Mr. X. Z., the dreamer, turns out to be a base
criminal. He struggles with conscious murder ideas. He is afraid he may
kill his uncle or his mother. He is very pious. But his soul is black as
the coal-dust-strewn street. His evil thoughts (the homosexual) pursue
him. He enters the mill. It is God's mill that grinds slowly but surely.
His weight (his burden of sin) drives the mill. He is expelled. He enters
the Flying Post. It is the post that unites heaven and earth. He is to
pay, i.e., do penance for his sins. His sins are erotic (three heller =
the genitals). His sins and misdeeds stink before heaven (dirty feet). The
conductor is death.... The wheel room refers to the wheel of criminals.
The water is blood." The perilous situation in the dream, God's mill, the
blackness, the water or blood, which are their analogues, are found in the
parable without further reference being necessary. Especially would I
select the unusual detail of the stinking, dirty feet, for which probably
no one would see any association in the parable. It is found in the
episode of the rotting of the bridal pair in the receptacle. It is
expressly stated that the putrefying corpses (i.e., the disintegrating
sinful bodies of men in the theosophic work) stink. The opposite is the
odor of sanctity. Actually this opposition recurs frequently in hermetic
manuals. The conductor in the dream is described hermetically as a
messenger of heaven [Symbol: mercury], Hermes, conveyor of souls. His
first appearance in the life of man is conscience. This causes our sins,
which would be o