TO J.-J.-B. JACOB

Author of the Sketch of the Universal Whole. Jean-Jacques-Basilien Jacob (1794-1870) was a mystical philosopher who influenced the French occult revival.

Permit me to dedicate to you this modest philosophical essay, composed and finalized in the marvelous chalet of the Vosges A mountain range in eastern France where many occultists held retreats. where the devotees of the alchemical mysteries of the Rose A reference to the Rosicrucians, a legendary esoteric brotherhood. unite in such lofty discussions with the ardent knights of the Cross of Christ. Those who choose and do not accept mere applications, those who devote themselves to the spiritual Great Work term: Great Work (original: Grand Œuvre). In alchemy, this refers to the process of creating the Philosopher's Stone, but here it signifies the spiritual transformation of the soul., know how to recognize in you one of their children; and I myself, a poor traveler on the road of mystery, am happy to feel the similarity between your teachings and those of my masters, for the greater glory of Christ come in the flesh.