This is not about the translation of 'Tao' in Italian but about the
translation of 'Cammino' in English. Please don't make matters more
complicated than necessary.
And, no, it matters. Words matter, even though our languages are used-
up. In his entire work, Evola has never used the word 'cammino' in an
initiatory context. Not once. In it, 'path' is always 'via'.
Therefore, the use of 'path' for 'cammino' is to be ruled out as
inappropriate without the slightest hesitation.
--- In evola_as_he_is@yahoogroups.com, "Toni Ciopa" <hyperborean@...>
wrote:
>
> In Taosim-which was very important to Evola thought-cinnabar is
associated
> with longevity, immortality, even self-deification.
>
>
>
> In "The Forge and the Crucible", Mircea Eliade tells us:
>
>
>
> "Among the Taoists, whose alchemical furnace is successor to the
ancient
> forge, immortality is no longer the result of the casting of a magic
> utensil, but is acquired from him who has succeeded in producing
the divine
> cinnabar. From that moment there was a new means of self-
deification; it was
> sufficient to absorb drinkable gold or cinnabar in order to become
like the
> gods"
>
>
>
> Clearly, the idea of the "man-god" and self-deification is
fundamental to
> understanding Evola, as it is a constant theme in his writings.
>
>
>
> "Tao" is usually rendered as "via", but Italian commentaries also
use
> "cammino" interchangeably.
>
>
>
> No matter how it is translated, what the title means is something
like this:
> "The way of self-deification" - that is also the most succinct way
to
> describe Evola's entire project.
>
>
>
>
>
> NOTE: Cinnabar is associated with gold, since it is often found in
> goldmines.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: evola_as_he_is@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:evola_as_he_is@yahoogroups.com]
> On Behalf Of vandermok
> Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 5:03 AM
> To: evola_as_he_is@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [SPAM] [evola_as_he_is] CINNABAR (It was: New book by Evola
> announced)
>
>
>
> I would prefer to translate it 'The journey of the Cinnabar'.
Remember
> Dante: "In the middle of the journey of my life, I found myself in
a forest
> dark".
>
> That is not an autobiography, but refers to the development of the
ideas
> rather than of the physical life. Think of the enigmatic title;
what is
> CINNABAR? Cinnabar is sulphide of mercury. I assume we can see here
the
> lunar-mercurial force and the solar-golden one of the sulphur, and
not the
> salt of the physical body.
>