Leonard Bernstein’s Masterful Lectures on Music

"Delivered in the fall of 1973 and collectively titled “The Unanswered Question,” Bernstein’s lectures covered a lot of terrain, touching on poetry, linguistics, philosophy and physics. But the focus inevitably comes back to music — to how music works, or to the underlying grammar of music. The lectures run over 11 hours. They’re considered masterpieces, beautiful examples of how to make complicated material accessible. And they’re available in full on YouTube."
Leonard Bernstein's Masterful Lectures on Music

Fulcanelli - The puzzle of the inscription RERE RER in the chapel of the Hôtel Lallemant, Bourges

(auto-translation from the French)


Here is a large excerpt of commentary on Fulcanelli RERE RER, in his first book “The Mystery of the Cathedrals”

… The puzzle itself consists of two terms: RERE, RER, which seem to have no meaning and are both, repeated three times on the concave bottom of the niche.

We already find out, thanks to this simple layout, a valuable indication that the three repetitions of a single technical veiled under mysterious expression RERE, RER. However, three grenades igneous the pediment confirm this triple action of a single process, and, as they represent the corporifié fire in this red salt what the Philosophical Sulfur, we can readily understand that we should repeat three times the calcination this body to achieve the three philosophical works, according to the doctrine of Geber. The first step leads first to Sulphur, medicine or the first order, the second operation, exactly like the first, provides the Elixir or medicine of the second order, which is different from the Sulphur in quality and not not in kind, and the third operation, carried out as the first two, gives the Philosopher’s Stone, medicine of the third order, which contains all the virtues, qualities and perfections of Sulphur and Elixir increased in power and scope .. .

… But how to decipher the riddle of empty words? - In a very simple way. RE ablative Latin res, meaning thing, considered in its field; since the word is RERE assembly RE, thing, and RE, another thing we translate two things in one, or a double thing, RERE and thus equivalent to RE BIS. Open an airtight dictionary, flip any book of alchemy and you will find that the word REBIS frequently used by philosophers, characterizes their compost or made ​​ready to undergo successive transformations under the influence of fire. Summarize. RE, a philosophical dry matter, gold, RE, wet, philosophical mercury or RERE REBIS, double material, both wet and dry, gold amalgam and philosophical mercury, which received combination of nature and art dual property occult exactly balanced.

We want to be as clear in explaining the second term RER, but we are not allowed to tear the veil of mystery that covers it. However, to meet, to the extent possible, the natural curiosity of children art, we can say that these three letters contain a secret of the utmost importance, which refers to the vase of the Work. RER used to cook, to unite and radically indissolubly to cause transformations compost RERE …

… What is it that RSP? - We have seen that RE means one thing, material, R, which is half of RE, mean half a thing, matter. RSP is equivalent to an increased for half of another or his own. Note that it is not a question here of proportions, but an independent chemical combination of relative quantities. For us to understand, take an example and assume that the material represented by ROE realgar or natural arsenic sulfide. R, half of RE may be sulfur realgar or its arsenic, which are similar or different, depending on whether one considers the sulfur arsenic separately or combined in realgar. So that RER is obtained by realgar increased sulfur, which is regarded as forming half of realgar, or arsenic, considered as the other half in the same red sulfide.

Some tips yet, looking firstly RER, that is to say the ship. RERE you will then easily knowable …

Original French from where the excerpt is taken http://hermetism.free.fr/Credence%20de%20l%27hotel%20Lallemant.htm

The Dance of Life - Metamorphosis

The art of living is based on rhythm – on give and take, ebb and flow, light and dark, life and death. By acceptance of all aspects of life, good and bad, right and wrong, yours and mine, the static, defensive life, which is what most people are cursed with, is converted into a dance, ‘the dance of life,’ metamorphosis. One can dance to sorrow or to joy; one can even dance abstractly … But the point is that, by the mere act of dancing, the elements which compose it are transformed; the dance is an end in itself, just like life. The acceptance of the situation, any situation, brings about a flow, a rhythmic impulse towards self-expression.

- Henry Miller: The Wisdom of the Heart

 

The Subtle Difference

    After a while you learn the subtle difference

    Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,


    And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning

    And company doesn’t mean security.


    And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts

    And presents aren’t promises,


    And you begin to accept your defeats

    With your head up and your eyes open

    With the grace of a man, not the grief of a child,
    

And you learn to build all your roads on today
    
Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans

    And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
    

After a while you learn…

    That even sunshine burns if you get too much.


    So you plant your garden and decorate your own soul,
    
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
    

And you learn that you really can endure…
    
That you really are strong 

    And you really do have worth… 

    And you learn and learn… 


    With every good-bye you learn…

— You Learn 
— by Jorge Luis Borges