In the process of preparing a presentation about the Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosencreutz, written by Johann Valentin Andrae, I thought it might be fun to blog my reading of it. I’m working through two translations. The first one I’m calling the Fox___ translation, because I found two different versions of the same text, both calling him something else, and I haven’t bothered researching what his name actually is. So far my blogging is off to a rough start, as I initially read this passage two days ago, and am just now getting around to blogging about it. So much for writer/researcher self-discipline.

Anyway, in this passage, Christian Rosencreutz is sitting around one night and receives a mysterious letter from the Blue Fairy.

Yes, as in the same Blue Fairy that visits Pinocchio and helps us wish upon a star. She has wings and wears a blue dress that has gold stars on it. In one hand, she’s holding a bunch of letters, presumably similar invitations to the one that Rosencreutz receives. In the other hand, she holds a trumpet. This is one of two trumpets that signals a major change in the life of Rosencreutz. In a manner of speaking, this Blue Fairy is going to have as much impact in Rosencreutz’s transformation as she did for Pinocchio.

Rosencreutz then prays for guidance and falls asleep. He has an elaborate dream in which he is rescued from among a throng to be elevated from this dungeon to the upper world. He is afraid that he won’t be elevated. Is he wishing to be elevated to a place of recognition? To a higher status? He interprets this dream as suggesting that it is the proper thing for him to do by accepting the invitation to some sort of wedding. Yet, during his dream he says that he prays to God to help deliver him from obscurity. That he views the dungeon in his dream as obscurity suggests to me that he is trying to achieve some degree of known-ness, for a lack of better words.

His alarm? Trumpets. Since trumpets are loud, obnoxious instruments, it seems that anytime they occur in this story, we should pay attention for something important is about to happen.

He dresses for the wedding by putting on a white linen coat, a red ribbon over his shoulder, and by sticking four red roses into his hat. He packs some food and sets off.