Jacob Bhme: The Teutonic Philosopher This was presented at 24 th Convocation of Ontario College Monday April 5 2004 All truly dogmatic religions have issued from the Kabalah and return to it: everything scientific and Grand in all the religious dreams of all the illuminati, Jacob Bhme, Swedenborg, Saint-Martin, and others, is borrowed from the Kabalah; all the Masonic associations owe to it their Secrets and their Symbols Albert Pikes Morals and Dogma P 744 Knight of the Sun 1871 Who Lifted it from Eliphas LØvi’s The Doctrine of Transcendental Magic P 12 of the introduction 1855 Why do a paper on Jacob Bhme? He appeals to the Practi because he used Alchemy to describe the nature of Man and God, as were the Rosicrucians speculative Alchemists. He appeals to the Phosphi because he was the Genius for the Christian Mystics. He appeals to Masons that want the craft degrees to transcend human experience. Many Masonic writers refer to Bhme because he achieved one of the goals of the high degrees. Bhme was one of the adepts at a time when Rosicrucianism was just getting started. (Fama Fraternitatis Kassel 1614 Confessio Fraternitatis Kassel 1615 Chemical Wedding Strasburg 1616) Biography Jacob Bhme (pronounced Yah Cob Bur May) was a just a simple shoemaker that only had a remedial education, he wrote twenty-nine books and tracts that where on average 500 pages. He has influenced great minds and thinkers, for instance the Pietists and mystics, George Fox’s Quakerism, Jane Leade, Louis Claude de Saint Martin, and Carl Gustav Jung. Paul Tillich makes many references. He was born April 24, 1575 at Altseidenberg, near Grlitz, Germany. His Mystic life started when a stranger entered the shop asking to buy some shoes; Jacob explains that he is not permitted to sell shoes in the absence of his Master. The stranger decides to leave. When he is outside he calls him. "Jacob, come hither" "Jacob, thou art yet but little, but the time will come when thou shalt be great and become another man and the world shall marvel at thee, therefore be pious fear god and reverence his word, especially read diligently the Holy Scriptures, where thou wilt find comfort and instruction, for thou must endure much misery and poverty and suffer persecution, but be courageous and preserver, for God loves and is gracious unto thee" It is believed that the stranger was his first vision.