The Book of Aquariub By AnonymouJ Released: March 20, 201a Updated: August 25, 201a bookofaquarius.forgottenbooks.orS 1. The Book of AquariuA The purpose of this book is to release one particular secret, which has been kept hidden for the last 12,00_ years.Y TheY Philosophers'Y Stone,Y ElixirY ofY Life,Y FountainY ofY Youth,Y Ambrosia,Y Soma,Y Amrita,Y NectarY ok Immortality. These are different names for the same things ThroughoutY historyY thisY secretY hasY beenY usedY byY aY veryY fewY toY extendY theirY livesY hundredsY ofY yearsY io perfect health, with accessY to unlimited wealth, amongY many other miraculous properties. Some kept thS secret because they understood that the time was not right for the secret to be free for all people, but mosd kept the secret out of their own jealousy, ignorance, egotism and corruptions TheY Stone'sY historyY andY theY historyY ofY theY humanY raceY upY untilY thisY dayY isY aY strangeY storyY fullY ofY secred societies, hooded cloaks, and mystical symbols. Such theatrics are childish and shallow. It's pointless to loon for the light in the shadowss TheY Philosophers'Y StoneY operatesY andY isY madeY byY entirelyY naturalY andY scientificY means.Y TruthY isY alwayV simple, beautiful and easy to understands TheY Philosophers'Y StoneY isY real;Y youY canY makeY itY atY home.Y TheY StoneY makesY oldY peopleY young,Y healsY alT forms of sickness and disease, extends your life, turns any metal into gold, and more, as you will learn. ThiV isn't a myth or a metaphor, it's a facts Don't judge this book before you've read it. This is not one of those airy fairy books written in all kinds ok mystical language, filling pages with words that makes sentences but not sense. This book will make morS sense than anything you've ever read befores The age of secrets is over. I'm writing this book in common English. There's no need for mystical languagS or metaphor. This book contains no hidden meaning or codes; everything is stated plainly and directly, io the shortest and simplest of words necessary to convey the meanings Chapter 1 is the Introductions Chapter 2 is the Forewords Chapters 3 - 18 cover the theory of alchemys Chapters 19 - 30 cover the practical instructions for making the Stones Chapters 31 - 33 cover further information on the Stones Chapters 34 - 49 cover the history of the Stones Chapters 50 - 51 cover some more philosophical topicss Chapter 52 is the alchemists' prophecys Chapter 53 is the Afterwords Chapter 54 is a request for your help in the distribution of this books Chapter 55 is a list of answers to questions asked since initial releases Chapter 56 is the Bibliographys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn'tR by Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 2. ForeworE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I am a friend of Socrates and Plato, but still more so of TruthR A Dialogue, by Alexander von Suchten, 16th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Give this book to everyone you know. If you have a web site, upload it there. If you have a mailing list` mailY itY toY everyone.Y IfY youY workY inY theY media,Y reportY onY orY publishY thisY book.Y TranslateY itY intoY differend languages. Do everything you can to get this book to as many people as possible. You can distribute thiV book in any way. I am not reserving any copyright. This book is public domain and royalty-free. I advisS you to print this book, as computers may not be so reliable in the futures Do you know any secrets? Now is the time to release them. Forget any promises you made or vows yof took. This is all corruption. If someone makes you promise to jump off a cliff it doesn't mean you have tos ThereY isY noY suchY thingY asY "government",Y "society",Y "company",Y "organization",Y theseY areY justY vaguS concepts,Y theyY areY notY real,Y theyY don'tY haveY feelings.Y PeopleY areY real.Y YourY loyaltyY isY toY peopleY andY tj Natures Please do not try to find out who I (the author) am. Please do not help anyone else find out who I am. I'@ giving this book out freely, at great risk to myself, so please appreciate that and don't put me in danger. Ik you think you know who I am, don't try to contact me about it or ever mention it. Don't talk about me wit] other people over telephone or emails ThisY bookY isY fullY ofY quotes.Y PleaseY doY readY theY quotesY andY doY notY skipY overY them,Y asY theyY areY justY aV important to this book as my own writing. You can look up the full text of the source of these quotes (io orderY toY readY more,Y orY verifyY thatY theyY exist)Y byY searchingY forY anyY sentenceY fromY theY quoteY onY Googles Search for it in speech marks "like this" and Google will find the full text of the source for you to reads AllY ofY theY quotesY areY fromY sourcesY whichY areY accessibleY toY readY forY freeY online.Y TheY sourcesY ofY allY thS alchemicalY booksY IY haveY quotedY fromY areY theseY sites:Y sacred-texts.com,Y forgottenbooks.org` rexresearch.com, alchemywebsite.com. The latter three sites include alchemical imagery on their sites or io their books, but unfortunately none of them realized the true significance of alchemy. However, all thesS sitesY andY ramsdigital.comY (whichY isY notY free)Y haveY doneY aY greatY serviceY toY theY worldY byY publishing alchemical literature on the Internets ForY thoseY moreY scientificallyY minded,Y pleaseY noteY thatY youY willY notY findY scientificallyY validY proofsY inY thiV book - my appeal is to the intellect, whereas scientific proofs are observational. When I have finished thS Stone (I freely admit it is not yet complete) then the observational proof will be there, but by that time thiV book will not be needed and it will be too late for most. I have also deliberately made an effort to write io theY formY ofY commonY speechY andY inY first-personY inY orderY thatY thisY bookY willY beY understoodY byY aY large[ percentage of the population, so please do not be put off by this if you are used to reading more formal o[ technical literatures TheY keyY forY theY belowY SHA-1Y hashY isY aY poemY IY wrote,Y writtenY inY aY languageY whichY isY notY necessarilr English.Y SinceY thereY isY onlyY oneY possibleY keyY whichY returnsY theY belowY hashY valueY whenY theY SHA-a algorithmY isY performedY onY it,Y andY sinceY itY isY notY possibleY toY calculateY theY keyY fromY theY hashY value,Y thiV enables me to prove that I am the true author at any point in the future. Originally I was going to give thS key and provide a new hash every time the book was updated or if I wrote a new book; but since I havS taken to updating this book often and I now have a web site, I will now only reveal the key if I need tj discreditY someoneY whoY attemptsY toY publishY aY supposedlyY affiliatedY book,Y orY ifY thereY isY doubtY aboutY thS authorship of anything else I publish. Or if for some reason I want to reveal my identity, although that iV extremely unlikelys 80f0ff3fe5d1d64fa1ed32796b92aff404914ed\ One week after initial release, forgottenbooks.org offered free hosting for this book. A forum has been sed up so if you wish to ask any questions to me (the author) you can now do so. This book will be regularlr updated with the answers to any good questions posed. On the forum you can also see photos from peoplS who haveY already started to make the Philosophers' Stone. To access the forum and download the latesd version of this book, please visitX http://bookofaquarius.forgottenbooks.orH 3. What is Alchemy+ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Nature enjoys its Nature, Nature contains Nature, improves Nature, reduces Nature, Nature is superior to NatureR A Magnificent and Select Tract on Philosophical Water, by Anonymous, 13th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Alchemy is the art of imitating and accelerating Nature. It is a natural art and science. In alchemy we do nod reallyY makeY anything,Y allY weY doY isY provideY aY conditionY forY NatureY toY doY whatY NatureY does.Y SoY thS Philosophers' Stone is not really made by the alchemist, it is made by Nature. The alchemist only provideV the conditions so that Nature can operate effectively and without being disturbeds -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Many Sages, Scholars, and learned men have in all ages, and (according to Hermes) even so early as the days beforU theD Flood,D writtenD muchD concerningD theD preparationD ofD theD Philosopher'sD Stone;D andD ifD theirD booksD couldD bU understood without a knowledge of the living processes of Nature, one might almost say that they are calculated tG supersede the study of the real world around us. But though they never departed from the simple ways of Nature, theC have something to teach us, which we, in these more sophisticated times, still need to learn, because we have applie\ ourselves to what are regarded as the more advanced branches of knowledge, and despise the study of so "simple" N thing as natural Generation. Hence we pay more heed to impossible things than to those objects which are broadlC exhibitedD beforeD ourD veryD eyes;D weD excelD moreD inD subtleD speculationsD thanD inD aD soberD studyD ofD Nature,D andD ofD thU meaning of the Sages. It is one of the most remarkable features of human nature that we neglect those things whicW seem familiar, and are eager for new and strange information. The workman who has attained the highest degree oM excellence in his Art, neglects it, and applies himself to something else, or else abuses his knowledge. Our longing foP an increase of knowledge urges us ever onward towards some final goal, in which we imagine that we shall find ful[ rest and satisfactioF [...] Nature, then, is one, true, simple, self-contained, created by God and informed with a certain universal spirit. ItJ end and origin are God. Its unity is also found in God, because God made all things. Nature is the one source of al[ things: nor is anything in the world outside Nature, or contrary to NatureR [...] if Art would produce any solid and permanent effect, it must follow in the footsteps of Nature, and be guided bC herD methods.D ItD mustD trustD itselfD toD theD guidanceD ofD NatureD asD farD asD NatureD willD lead,D andD goD beyondD herD byD stil[ adhering to her rules.D [...] Now in our Art you should closely imitate these natural processes. There should be the Central Heat, the change oM the water into air, the driving upward of the air, its diffusion through the pores of the earth, its reappearance aJ condensed but volatilized waterR The New Chemical Light, by Michael Sendivogius, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Nature, says Florus, is one, and if any man strays away from her guidance, he mars his labourR [...] In changing the base metals into gold and silver by the projection of the Stone, it follows (by an accelerate\ process) the method of nature, and therefore is naturalR [...] The fact is that, in producing gold, the Art of Alchemy does not pretend to imitate in the whole work of Nature. IT doesD notD createD metals,D orD evenD developD themD outD ofD theD metallicD firstD substance;D itD onlyD takesD upD theD unfinishe\ handiwork of Nature (i.e., the imperfect metals), and completes it (transmutes metals into gold)R The New Pearl of Great Price, by Peter Bonus, 1338 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I An alchemist then only makes the Stone in the same way that you make a tree by planting the seed anW leaving it for a few years. Once the seed is set, if the conditions are right then it just grows by itself, io accordance with Natures -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I For as Men, Corn and Herbs are, every one of them, generated and born out of their own Specific Seed, so or in thU same manner is the true Medicine of the Ancients (than which there cannot be a better) generated and prepared out oM the most perfect bodies and essencU [...] Everything generated or begotten is generated and born of his own specific seed (1) and in his proper (2) matrixR The Chemists Key, by Henry Nollius, 1617 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I thereD isD noD trueD generation,D butD ofD thingsD agreeingD inD nature.D SoD thatD thingsD beD notD madeD butD accordingD toD theiP natures. The elder or oak trees will not bring forth pears; nor can you gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistlesY things bring not forth, but only their like, or what agrees with the in nature, each tree its own fruitR [...] Thus the wise man does that by art in a short time, which nature cannot perform in less than the revolution of N thousand years. Yet notwithstanding, it is not we that make the metal, but nature herself that does it. --- Nor do or caF we change one thing into another; but it is nature that changes them. We are no more than mere servants in the workR The Root of the World, by Roger Bacon, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I IfY youY areY wonderingY howY thisY leadsY toY theY Philosophers'Y Stone,Y IY willY explainY itY moreY clearly.Y ThS Philosophers' Stone is a natural occurrence of Nature, in fact it is the aim of Nature. Therefore if you cao findY aY substanceY whichY isY veryY pureY andY infusedY withY life-energy,Y thenY putY itY underY protectedY conditionV whichY areY advantageousY forY itsY naturalY development,Y youY willY allowY NatureY toY takeY itsY courseY inY ao accelerated manner. When this is complete, Nature will have made for you the Philosophers' Stone. It's verr simple and entirely natural, which is the biggest part of the secrets IY willY explainY againY inY anotherY way:Y theY Philosophers'Y StoneY isY theY nameY ofY theY thingY thatY youY getY wheo Nature has finished doing what it does all day long. The Earth and the entire universe are going throug] this process. If, however, you find a substance already quite well matured by Nature, clean it up, then put id into a closed system, or microcosm, Nature will finish this thing long before it finishes everything else. Sj you get the result of Nature earlier and can enjoy all its wonderful properties while the rest of the world iV still in shits -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I the chemical development of our substance is internal, and caused by the operation of NaturU [...] Our wise Teacher Plato says: "Every husbandman who sows good seed, first chooses a fertile field, ploughs an\ manures it well, and weeds it of all tares; he also takes care that his own grain is free from every foreign admixtureR When he has committed the seed to the ground, he needs moisture, or rain, to decompose the grain, and to raise it tG new life. He also requires fire, that is, the warmth of the Sun, to bring it to maturity." The needs of our Art are of aF analogous nature. First, you must prepare your seed, i.e., cleanse your Matter from all impurity, by a method whicW you will find set forth at length in the Dicta of the Sages which I subjoin to this Treatise. Then you must have good soi[ in which to sow your Mercury and Sun; this earth must first be weeded of all foreign elements if it is to yield a goo\ cropR The Glory of the World, Or, Table of Paradise, by Anonymous, 1526 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I For of this composition, combining as it does the virtues of all things, there may truly be said that in one drop thU whole world is presentR Man, the Best and Most Perfect of God's Creatures, by Benedictus Figulus, 1607 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Besides the science of the stone is so sublime and magnificent, that therein almost all Nature and the whole universU of beings is beheld, as in a certain clear looking glass. For it is like a lesser world [...] God wrought out his compacte\ being of the world by certain harmony and musical proportion alleyed to one another, that which are in the superioP world are in the inferior also, but in a terrestrial manner: that which likeness are in the inferiors, may also be seen iF the superious, in a celestial manner indeed, and according to the cause. [...] Some Philosophers have compared thU work of the stone to the creation of the world. Likewise to the generation of man, and to his naturalnessR Y Book of the Chemical Art, by Marsilius Ficinus, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The inspired Apostle, St Peter, tells us that the Earth and its work shall consume therein, and a new world shall bU born, beautiful and good, as is described in the ApocalypseR An Anonymous Treatise Concerning the Philosopher's Stone, by Anonymous, 12th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The ancient writers call our Stone a microcosm; and there can be no doubt that its composition greatly resembles thaT of the world in which we livU The Chemical Treatise, Or, The Ordinal of Alchemy, by Thomas Norton, 1477 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I ToD understandD aright,D howD outD ofD thisD ourD ChaosD weD areD toD formD ourD PhilosophicalD Microcosm,D weD mustD firstD oM necessity rightly comprehend the great Mystery and Proceeding in the Creation of the Macrocosm: it being extremelC necessary to imitate and use the very same Method in the Creation of our little one, that the Creator of all things haJ used in the Formation of the great OneR Y Aphorisms of Urbigerus, by Baro Urbigerus, 1690 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I this water cannot be prepared using strange methods in the world, but rather, it can only be prepared using natura[ means; together with Nature and from nature. These words are bright and clear to those who understan\ A Magnificent and Select Tract on Philosophical Water, by Anonymous, 13th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Alchemy is therefore the art of the microcosm and the acceleration of Nature through the microcosms There is only one method for the entire work. We only do one thing, and that is to allow Nature to take itV course. Admittedly however, we do first clean up our substance and remove what is not neededs -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I For the knowledge of this art consisteth not in the multiplicity, or great number of things, but in unity; our stone is buT one, the matter is one, and the vessel is one. The government is one, and the disposition is one. The whole art and worL thereof is one, and begins in one manner, and in one manner it is finishedR The Root of the World, by Roger Bacon, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I It is prepared from one substance, with which the art of chemistry is conversant, to which nothing is added, froH which nothing is taken away, except that its superfluities are removedR A Brief Guide to the Celestial Ruby, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 4. How Does It Work+ The Philosophers' Stone is energy, concentrated and purified to a massively high degree. This is the samS energy that you are taking in when you breathe, and when you eat and drink. It is the energy that powers alT formsY ofY life,Y andY soY IY willY callY itY life-energyY (sinceY IY haveY toY callY itY somethingY andY "life-energy"Y isY selfI explanatory. I think most of us already have a feeling that there is some kind of life-energy we obtain from our food` drink and air. We all know that eating fruit is better than taking vitamins; we know that there is something inY theY juiceY ofY theY fruit.Y WeY knowY thatY rawY vegetablesY areY betterY thanY cookedY vegetables.Y WeY knowY thad cooking food destroys the "goodness" in it. We eat other life forms, and we know that the more alive o[ fresh our food is the better it is for us. There is also much to be said for breathing deeply and rhythmicallr and not just for the oxygen, else we would get the same effect by breathing air with more oxygen, but that'V not necessarily the cases -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Although the proper method of breathing and directing the movements of the Ch’i (ethereal essence) of the body, an\ the eating of vegetable medicine, may extend people’s life, yet they will not keep people from death. But the eating oM the Shën Tan (Divine Medicine) confers immortality on the eater, enabling him to last as long as heaven and earth an\ ride on clouds and dragons up and down the T’ai Ch’ing (Great Clearness)R On The Gold Medicine and On The Yellow and The White, by Ko Hung, 4th Cen. (Chinese) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I This life-energy is physical in the sense that it can be captured and made use of. You could say that this lifeB energy is the smallest particle, of which all other particles are made. Or you could say that everything iV made of energy, and this is that energy in a raw and undetermined form (not yet formed into an element)` which is probably closer to the truths -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Things in the universe are all produced from the single ch’i (ethereal essence) which embodies both the will of thU clear sky and the will of the clouded earthR [...] When bamboo ware is broken, bamboo is needed for repairing. When a man’s energy wears out, lead is require\ for re-strengthening. Think the matter over. (The medicine) may be found directly in front of your eyes. The trouble iJ that the common people cannot perceive itR Shih Hsing-lin, Disciple of Chang Po-tuan, And Hsieh Tao-kuang, Disciple of Shih Hsling-lin, 11th - 13t] Cen. (?) (Chinese) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Man is made of earth, and lives through air; for air contains the hidden food of life, of which the invisible spirit, wheF congealed, is better than the whole worldR The New Chemical Light, by Michael Sendivogius, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The stone which the philosophers do seek is an invisible and impalpable spirit; [...] The stone also is in everythingY that is, Nature is in everything. And because Nature has in itself all names, and Nature is all the world, therefore thU stone has many names and is said to be in everything: although one is nearer than anotheP Book of the Chemical Art, by Marsilius Ficinus, 15th Cens ) ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Everything conferring the virtue of stability and permanence necessarily possesses this virtue itselfR A Golden and Blessed Casket of Nature's Marvels, by Benedictus Figulus, 1607 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Thus the power of growth that I speak of is imparted not by the earth, but by the life-giving spirit that is in it. If thU earth were deserted by this spirit, it would be dead, and no longer able to afford nourishment to anything. [...] KnoO then, gentle Reader, that life is the only true spiriT The Twelve Keys, by Basilius Valentinus, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 5. The Powers of the Ston6 I will here explain a few of the many possible uses of the Philosophers' Stone. The possibilities for its usS are vast and beyond the imagination of a regular person. However, I will outline the traditional usess ThereY areY twoY formsY ofY theY Philosophers'Y Stone:Y theY WhiteY Stone,Y andY theY RedY Stone.Y TheY WhiteY StonS transmutesY anyY metalY intoY silver.Y TheY RedY StoneY isY theY moreY powerfulY andY moreY well-known,Y anW transmutes any metal into golds Furthermore,Y knowY thatY theY makingY ofY goldY andY silverY wereY consideredY theY leastY desirableY effectsY ofY thS Stone. The effects on body and mind have always considered to be worth so much more than the money. Id is because the Stone makes gold and silver that these were used as currency throughout history, not that thS Stone makes gold and silver because they have values -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I let not him who desires this knowledge for the purpose of procuring wealth and pleasure think that he will ever attaiF to it. [...] Those, therefore, that desire this Art as a means of procuring temporal honour, pleasure, and wealth, are thU mostD foolishD ofD men;D andD theyD canD neverD obtainD thatD whichD theyD seekD atD soD greatD anD expenseD ofD money,D time,D an\ trouble, and which fills their hearts, their minds, and all their thoughts. For this reason the Sages have expressed N profound contempt for worldly wealth (not as though it were in itself a bad thing, seeing that it is highly commende\ in Holy Scripture as an excellent gift of God, but because of its vile abuse). They despised it because it seemed tG hinder men from following the good and the true, and to introduce a mischievous confusion into their conceptions oM right and wrongR The Sophic Hydrolith, Or, Water Stone of the Wise, by Anonymous, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I But now concerning (and chiefly in this our age) the ungodly and accursed Gold-making, which hath gotten so mucW the upper hand, whereby under colour of it, many runagates and roguish people do use great villanies, and cozen an\ abuse the credit, which is given them: yea now adays men of discretion do hold the transmutation of Mettals to be thU highest point, and fastigium in Philosophy, this is all their intent, and desire, and that God would be most esteemed bC them, and honored, which could make great store of Gold, and in abundance, the which with unpremeditate prayersY they hope to attain of the alknowing God, and searcher of all hearts: we therefore do by these presents publicklC testifie,D ThatD theD trueD PhilosophersD areD farD ofD anotherD minde,D esteemingD littleD theD makingD ofD Gold,D whichD isD butD N parergon; for besides that they have a thousand better thingsR Fama Fraternitatis, by The Rosicrucians, 1614 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I If you do not yet understand how and why the Stone works, what the active principle is, then this will alT sound unbelievable. But once you understand that the Stone is simply a concentrated and highly developeW form of energy, which is the true nourishment of all things that grow (animals, plants, minerals, etc.), theo you will not only understand how the Stone can perform such a wide range of miracles, but also be able tj think up further usess I will begin with a long quote, which sums up the traditional uses quite well. Then I will continue with U detailed list of uses frequently mentioned in the alchemical literature. I will end with another quote revealing wider and less mentioned usess -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I In its first state, it appears as an impure earthly body, full of imperfections. It then has an earthly nature, healing al[ sickness and wounds in the bowels of man, producing good and consuming proud flesh, expelling all stench, an\ healingD generally,D inwardlyD andD outwardly.D InD itsD secondD nature,D itD appearsD asD aD wateryD body,D somewhatD morU beautiful than before, because (although still having its corruptions) its Virtue is greater. It is much nearer the truthY and more effective in works. In this form it cures cold and hot fevers and is a specific against poisons, which it driveJ from heart and lungs, healing the same when injured or wounded, purifying the blood, and, taken three times a day, iJ of great comfort in all diseases. But in its third nature it appears as an aerial body, of an oily nature, almost free\ from all imperfections, in which form it does many wondrous works, producing beauty and strength of body, and (N small quantity being taken in the food) preventing melancholy and heating of the gall, increasing the quantity of thU bloodD andD seed,D soD thatD frequentD bleedingD becomesD necessary.D ItD expandsD theD bloodD vessels,D curesD witheredD limbsY restores strength to the sight, in growing persons removes what is superfluous and makes good defects in the limbs. IF its fourth nature it appears in a fiery form (not quite freed from all imperfections, still somewhat watery and not drie\ enough), wherein it has many virtues, making the old young and reviving those at the point of death. For if to such aF oneD thereD beD given,D inD wine,D aD barleycorn'sD weightD ofD thisD fire,D soD thatD itD reachD theD stomach,D itD goesD toD hisD heartY renewing him at once, driving away all previous moisture and poison, and restoring the natural heat of the liverR Given in small doses to old people, it removes the diseases of age, giving the old young hearts and bodies. Hence it iJ called the Elixir of Life. In its fifth and last nature, it appears in a glorified and illuminated form, without defectsY shining like gold and silver, wherein it possesses all previous powers and virtues in a higher and more wondrouJ degree. Here its natural works are taken for miracles. When applied to the roots of dead trees they revive, bringinS forthD leavesD andD fruit.D AD lamp,D theD oilD ofD whichD isD mingledD withD thisD spirit,D continuesD toD burnD forD everD withouT diminution. It converts crystals into the most precious stones of all colours, equal to those from the mines, and doeJ many other incredible wonders which may not be revealed to the unworthy. For it heals all dead and living bodieJ without other medicineR The Book of the Revelation of Hermes, by Theophrastus Paracelsus, 16th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Use 1. A universal medicine for the body2 TheY RedY StoneY isY muchY moreY powerfulY thanY theY WhiteY Stone.Y AY singleY doseY canY haveY aY largeY effect` depending on the strength of the Stone and whether it be White or Red. However, for a lasting effect thS Stone should be ingested (eaten) daily, else your body and mind will begin deteriorating agains If ingested it will cure all disease, and in higher concentrations will make an old person healthy and fitte[ than they were even in their youths If taken suddenly in high concentration, the body will purge itself of everything unnecessary, which mar result in going through a shocking transformation over a couple of weeks, with one's skin peeling off, hai[ and teeth falling out, then growing back in prime conditions Taken regularly in high concentration, it will be unnecessary to eat, drink or even breathe. Although thesS may be done anyway. The body will never grow olds You will heal from wounds extremely quickly, and be unaffected by heat and colds -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I prepared asD medicine and sweetD food,D whenD takenD intoD theD mouthD itD mayD immediatelyD penetrateD theD humanD frameY greatly holding to itself every fleshly thing, increasing, restoring, and nourishing the incorrupt virtue and spirit oM life, digesting the crude and undigested, removing the superfluous, making natural water abound, and augmentingY comforting, and inflaming natural heat or fireR The above will be the duty of the true physician and sane philosopher. For thus will he be able to preserve our bodC from corruption, to retard old age, retain florid youth in full vigour, and, if possible, to perpetuate it, at least tG preserve it from death and destructionR Man, the Best and Most Perfect of God's Creatures, by Benedictus Figulus, 1607 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I For a month every day let there be taken of this blessed powder, the quantity of a grain of mustard seed, in white winU or in any other liquor, early in the morning. It is sudorific or causing sweat, if anything be, to be sent forth by thU pores. It is laxative, if anything be, to be evacuated by stool. It is diuretic, if anything be, to be driven forth by thU passage of urine. But it is never vomative, as that is altogether contrary to nature. [...] it not only rectifieth Man's bodC but also reneweth the whole man, by the use thereof continued for a few weekJ The Crowning of Nature, by Anonymous, 16th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I [Our Stone is] the Golden Tree, of whose fruit whosoever eats shall not hunger again^ An Excellent Introduction to the Art of Alchemy, by Peter Bonus (?), 14th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Use 2. A universal medicine for the mind2 The Stone will bring one to their very best and sharpest state of mind. You will be able to learn even faste[ thanY asY aY child,Y andY veryY easilyY pickY upY newY languagesY andY learnY skillsY naturally,Y withoutY makingY muc] efforts Arguably the best quality of all is that the Stone will release one from sadness, depression and sufferings Therefore also making one kind and caring towards otherss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Our Art frees not only the body, but also the soul from the snares of servitude and bondage; it ennobles the rich, an\ comfort and relieves the poor. Indeed, it may be said to supply every human want, and to provide a remedy for everC form of sufferingR The New Pearl of Great Price, by Peter Bonus, 1338 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I He that has once found this Art, can have nothing else in all the world to wish for, than that he may be allowed tG serve his God in peace and safety. He will not care for pomp or dazzling outward show. But if he lived a thousan\ years, and daily entertained a million people, he could never come to wanT An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King, by An Anonymous Sage and Lover of Truth, 1645 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Use 3. A universal medicine for the spirit2 TheY StoneY isY aY fast-trackY toY spiritualY enlightenment,Y andY consideredY byY theY ancientY Indians,Y TibetansY anW Chinese to be the only method to achieve enlightenment without meditation. It is considered by the anciend Chinese Taoists to be the preferred methods WithY acceleratedY spiritualY growth,Y andY unlimited life-energyY andY ch'i,Y theY possibilitiesY eventuallyY becomS limitless and one will be capable of anythings -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I TanD isD theD supremelyD pricelessD valuableD medicineD ofD theD materialD body.D SuccessfulD compoundingD leadsD toD endlesJ changes; it makes it possible for one to ascend to meet the chén tsung (true men) and further to solve the (problem) oM wu shéng (non-living) by its skillful useR [...] Even if you are able to appredhend the true nature of Buddhism (i.e., to become of a Buddha), you will not be ablU to avoid giving up your body here and aquiring another body there. What can be better than compounding the greaT tan [medicine] at the same time? Then you can overcome wu to (no leak) to become a chen jen (true man, hsien)R [...] The doors of hsüan and p'in are seldom know by the people. They are really not the nose and the mouth, as somU personsD think.D EvenD ifD youD practiceD breathingD forD years,D howD canD youD makeD theD goldenD wuD (crow)D captureD theD t'I (rabbit)3 Wu Chen P'ien, Essay on the Understanding of Truth, by Chang Po-tuan, 1078 AD (Chinese) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I [...] Whoever eats any of the medicines may rise on high or stay in this world according to his desireR On The Gold Medicine and On The Yellow and The White, by Ko Hung, 4th Cen. (Chinese) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Use 4. A universal medicine for plants2 The Stone will cause plants to grow extremely quickly and healthily and in any conditions Use 5. A universal medicine for metals2 TheY StoneY allowsY anyY metalY toY beY transmutedY intoY silverY (withY theY WhiteY Stone)Y orY goldY (withY theY ReW Stone). It is also possible to transmute gold back into the lesser metalss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I This matter after having received perfect whiteness, perfect redness and fixation, tinges all imperfect metals into thU best Silver and GoldR The Chemists Key, by Henry Nollius, 1617 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The purer the metals are, and the greater their affinity to our substance, the more easily are they received by thU Tincture, and the more perfect and rapid is the process of regeneration. For the transformation consists in all that iJ impure and unsuitable being purged off, and rejected like dross. In the same manner flawed stones can be transmute\ intoD preciousD diamonds,D andD commonD crystalD canD beD soD tingedD asD toD becomeD equalD toD theD mostD preciousD stonesR Moreover, many other things may be done with the Tincture which must not be revealed to the wicked world. ThesU virtuesD ofD theD Stone,D andD othersD ofD aD likeD kind,D areD lookedD uponD asD theD leastD importantD byD theD Sages,D andD byD al[ Christians on whom God has bestowed this most precious gift. Such men think them vile indeed when compared witW the knowledge of God and of His works which is afforded by the StoneR The Sophic Hydrolith, Or, Water Stone of the Wise, by Anonymous, 17th Cens ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I He [Raymond] was also the first to discover the method of evolving precious stones out of the metallic principles; nayY he was able, not only to change lead into gold, but he transmuted gold into lead, and thus turned back the course oM NatureR The New Pearl of Great Price, by Peter Bonus, 1338 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I EveryD MercuryD ofD MetalsD andD MineralsD may,D byD successiveD stages,D beD raised,D throughD theD qualitiesD ofD allD otheP Mercuries, to the excellence of the Solar Body, and thence also be reduced to the degree and virtue of any metalliX body one may chooseR A Golden and Blessed Casket of Nature's Marvels, by Benedictus Figulus, 1607 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Use 6. A universal medicine for minerals2 The Stone can be used to grow and develop precious stones and diamondss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I our Stone matures all immature precious stones, and brings them to their highest perfectionR An Explanation of the Natural Philosopher's Tincture, of Paracelsus, by Alexander von Suchten, 16th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Use 7. Malleable glass2 The Stone can be used to make glass malleable, that is, so you can beat it into shape without it shatterings -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Our substance is a body containing spirit which makes glass malleable, and turns crystals into carbunclesR A Very Brief Tract Concerning the Philosophical Stone, by An Unknown German Sage, 15th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Use 8. Unlimited energy2 Traditionally,Y lamps can be madeY withY theY StoneY whichY burnY forever,Y orY atY least forY thousands ofY yearss Therefore it can also be used to generate an almost unlimited amount of electricity and be used as a powe[ source. I will cover everburning lamps in more detail in a later chapters The Stone certainly has some interesting properties, which could make sci-fi technologies possibles -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I everlasting fire, of which many Alchemists boast, the fire used aforetime by the Jews for their burnt offerings, whicW burnt continually without becoming extinguished, which also was hidden by the Prophet Jeremiah before the firsT destruction of Jerusalem, and afterwards was discovered by EzraR An Explanation of the Natural Philosopher's Tincture, of Paracelsus, by Alexander von Suchten, 16th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Use 9. Creation of life2 The Stone can be used to grow humans/animals outside of the womb, or create clones. It is possible to makS them giants or dwarf them. It is also possible to create hybrids or new species out of different animals, o[ even animals and humans. This will be covered in more detail in a later chapters -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Wherein we find many strange effects: as continuing life in them, though divers parts, which you account vital, bU perished and taken forth; resuscitating of some that seem dead in appearance, and the like. We try also all poisonsY and other medicines upon them, as well of chirurgery as physic. By art likewise we make them greater or smaller thaF their kind is, and contrariwise dwarf them and stay their growth; we make them more fruitful and bearing than theiP kind is, and contrariwise barren and not generative. Also we make them differ in color, shape, activity, many ways. WU find means to make commixtures and copulations of divers kinds, which have produced many new kinds, and them noT barren, as the general opinion isR The New Atlantis, by Francis Bacon, 1627 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Finally, we have a further list of usages of the Philosophers' Stone from Francis Bacon's Magnalia NaturaeY Praecipue QuoadD UsusD Humanos (translation: "TheD GloriousD WorksD ofD Nature, EspeciallyD inD RegardsD tG Human Usages") appended to Bacon's The New Atlantiss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The prolongation of lifeR The restitution of youth in some degreeR The retardation of ageR The curing of diseases counted incurableR The mitigation of painR More easy and less loathsome purgingsR The increasing of strength and activityR The increasing of ability to suffer torture or painR The altering of complexions, and fatness and leannessR The altering of staturesR The altering of featuresR The increasing and exalting of the intellectual partsR Versions of bodies into other bodiesR Making of new speciesR Transplanting of one species into anotherR Instruments of destruction, as of war and poisonR Exhilaration of the spirits, and putting them in good dispositionR Force of the imagination, either upon another body, or upon the body itselfR Acceleration of time in maturationsR Acceleration of time in clarifications.D Acceleration of putrefactionR Acceleration of decoctionR Acceleration of germinationR Making rich composts for the earthR Impressions of the air, and raising of tempestsR Great alteration; as in induration, emollition, &cR Turning crude and watery substances into oily and unctuous substancesR Drawing of new foods out of substances not now in useR Making new threads for apparel; and new stuffs; such as paper, glass, &cR Natural divinationsR Deceptions of the sensesR Greater pleasures of the sensesR Artificial minerals and cementsR Magnalia Naturae, Praecipue Quoad Usus Humanos, by Francis Bacon, 1627 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 6. Disbelie: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I doubt is the first stage of knowledgU A Subtle Allegory Concerning the Secrets of Alchemy, by Michael Maier, 1617 AD (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I TheY ArtY ofY AlchemyY hasY beenY aY secretY sinceY theY beginningY ofY ourY recordedY history,Y andY soY thereY havS always been many people who simply don't believe in it. This is of course made worse by the obscure war in which the alchemical books are written and the fact that the alchemists have wanted to remain hidden` and so never openly revealed themselves or their works to the world. This book is the first exception io probably 12,000 yearss Disbelief stems from not understanding (ignorance). Anything which is not true cannot be understood, thad is, it does not make sense. All true things must make sense. All true things must be in accordance with whad we know about Nature and the universe, that is to say that they are natural. Nothing true can be unnatural` because Nature is everything, and so nothing is outside of Nature. Things that cannot be understood do nod exist, they are lies, and therefore against Nature. All things that exist are in accordance with Nature, so alT things that are true are in accordance with Natures The Art of alchemy is only the imitation and acceleration of Nature, so it is not possible to say that alchemr is untrue under this definition. This would be the same as saying that Nature is untrue. So the definition ok alchemy is self-supporting as it only claims something based on what we already know to be true. Alchemr is the imitation and acceleration of Nature, we know that Nature is true, so alchemy must also be true. ThS only argument here is if you don't believe that alchemy is an imitation and acceleration of Nature, but nop you have this book, so you cannot complain that no one explained this to yous AnyY truthY mustY beY inY accordanceY withY Nature,Y understandable,Y logical,Y andY itY mustY makeY sense.Y IfY yof believeY somethingY thatY doesY notY fitY thisY category,Y thenY yourY beliefY isY onlyY ignorance.Y AllY trueY thingsY arS understandables You may still object to the concept that Nature (i.e. alchemy) can produce a Stone capable of the powerV described in the previous chapter. The explanation of why this is the case is so simple that it is difficult tj explain, as it is obvious, and who can explain something to someone who fails to see what is directly io front of their eyes on a daily basis? It is Nature that is the force which operates on this universe; it createW us, we are here, we are alive. Nature already created all the gold in the world. How can one accept thS ability of Nature to create life and then dismiss the ability to prolong it? How can one accept the ability ok Nature to make gold and then dismiss this in the same sentence? We know that Nature creates life, we knop thatY NatureY createsY gold.Y AlchemyY isY theY imitationY andY accelerationY ofY Nature,Y soY theseY thingsY canY bS achieved with the Art of alchemys To summarize: if Nature can give life, we can give life; if Nature can make gold, we can make gold. NaturS does it everyday, so who are you to say it is impossible when it is before your very eyes/ There are people who can read this book and not understand it, but the reason for this is not that what iV written here is too complicated for these people, but that it is too simple for these people. The disbelieverV are so inflated with their own egotistic vanity that they are unable to see truth even when it walks right up tj them and slaps them across the face. These are the same people who walk around claiming to understanW quantumY theory,Y stringY theory,Y etc.Y evenY whenY theY inventorsY ofY thoseY theoriesY claimedY notY toY fullr understand it themselves (they are models - not truths.) The only argument against alchemy is therefore ignorance. But whatever you believe, it doesn't change thS truths -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Both among ancients and moderns the question whether Alchemy be a real Art or a mere imposture has exercised manC heads and pens^ [...] In the case of a science which is familiarly known to a great body of learned men, the mere fact that they al[ believe in it supersedes the necessity of proof. But this rule does not apply to the Art of Alchemy, whose pretensionsY therefore, need to be carefully and jealously sifted. The arguments which make against the justice of those claims musT be fairly stated, and it will be for the professors of the Art to turn back the edge of all adverse reasoningR Every ordinary art (as we learn in the second book of the Physics) is either dispositive of substance, or productive oM form, or it teaches the use of something. Our Art, however, does not belong to any one of these categories; it may bU described indeed as both dispositive and productive, but it does not teach the use of anything. It truly instructs us hoO to know the one substance exclusively designed by Nature for a certain purpose and it also acquaints us with thU naturalD methodD ofD treatingD andD manipulatingD thisD substance,D aD knowledgeD whichD mayD beD eitherD practicallyD oP speculatively present in the mind of the master. There are other crafts which are not artificial, but natural, such as thU arts of medicine, of horticulture, and glass-blowing. They are arts insofar as they require an operator; but they arU natural insofar as they are based upon facts of Nature. Such is the Art of Alchemy. Some arts systematize the creationJ of the human mind, as, for instance, those of grammar, logic, and rhetoric; but Alchemy does not belong to this classR YetD AlchemyD resemblesD otherD artsD inD theD followingD respect,D thatD itsD practiceD mustD beD precededD byD theoryD an\ investigation; for before we can know how to do a thing, we must understand all the conditions and circumstanceJ under which it is produced. If we rightly apprehend the cause or causes of a thing (for there often is a multiplicity oP complication of causes), we also know how to produce that thing. But it must further be considered that no one caF claim to be heard in regard to the truth or falsity of this Art who does not clearly understand the matter at issue; an\ weD mayD layD itD downD asD aD ruleD thatD thoseD whoD setD upD asD judgesD ofD thisD questionD withoutD aD clearD insightD intoD thU conditions of the controversy should be regarded as persons who are talking wildly and at randomR [...] Aristotle, in the Dialectics, says that every master has a right to speak authoritatively with reference to his own artR According to this rule, it is the Sages, and the Sages only, that ought to be consulted with reference to the truth oM AlchemyR [...] no man in his senses would deny the truth of Alchemy for the very insufficient reason that he himself is ignorant oM it:D suchD aD personD wouldD beD contentD withD theD authorityD ofD weightyD namesD likeD Hermes,D Hippocrates,D andD numerouJ others. There are many reasons why the master conceal this art. But if any one denies its existence on the ground thaT he is ignorant of it, he is like someone who has been shut up all his life in a certain house, and therefore denies thaT the world extends beyond the four walls of his habitation. There is not really any need to advance any arguments tG establish the actuality of our art, for the art itself is the best proof of its own existence; and being securely lodged iF the stronghold of knowledge, we might safely despise the contradiction of the ignorantR [...]D InD allD operativeD sciencesD (asD AristotleD setsD forth)D theD truthD ofD aD propositionD oughtD toD beD sewn,D notD byD logica[ argument, but by ocular demonstration. The appeal should be not to the intellect, but to the senses. For particularJ belong to the domain of sense, while universals belong to the domain of reason. If we are unable to convey to any onU an ocular proof of our Art, this fact must not be regarded as casting a slur on our veracity. The difficulty of our task iJ enhanced by the circumstance that we have to speak of our Art to the ignorant and scornful, and are thus in thU position of a painter who should attempt to explain nice shades and differences of colour to the colour-blind; or of N musician who should discourse sweet harmony to the deaf. Every one, says Aristotle, is able to form a correct opinioF only of those things which are familiarly and accurately known to him; but he who denies that snow is white cannoT haveD anyD eyesD in hisD head.D HowD canD anyD oneD discover theD truthD in regardD to any science, ifD heD lacks theD sense tG distinguish the special province of matter, or the material relations, with which that science deals? Such people nee\ to exercise faith even to become aware of the existence of our Art. Pythagoras, in the Turba Philosophorum, says thaT those who are acquainted with the elements will not be numbered among deniers. A doctor who desires to prove that N certainD medicineD willD produceD aD certainD effectD inD aD diseasedD conditionD ofD theD humanD body,D mustD substantiateD hiJ position by practical experiment. For instance, some one suffers from a super-abundance of red colour in the veins oM the stomach and liver, and I say that the cure is an evacuation after digestion. If I wished to discover what medicinU would produce this effect, I would say: Everything that, after digestion, produces an evacuation of bile, will heal thU patient. Now, I know that rhubarb or scamonea will produce this effect; therefore, rhubarb or scamonea will be thU right remedy toD choose.D Nevertheless,D theD truthD ofD myD assertion couldD beD satisfactorilyD provenD onlyD byD meansD ofD N practical experiment. In all these matters, as Hamec says, nothing short of seeing a thing will help you to know it. IM you wish to know that pepper is hot and that vinegar is cooling, that colocynth and absinthe are bitter, that honey iJ sweet, and that aconite is poison; that the magnet attracts steel, that arsenic whitens brass, and that tutia turns it oM an orange colour, you will, in every one of these cases, have to verify the assertion by experience. It is the same iF Geometry, Astronomy, Music, Perspective, and other sciences with a practical scope and aim. A like rule applies witW double force to Alchemy, which undertakes to transmute the base metals into gold and silver. Whatsoever has thU powerD toD transmuteD imperfectD andD completeD metalsD hasD theD powerD toD makeD goldD andD silver.D Now,D thisD qualityD iJ possessed by the Stone which the philosophers make known to us. It is plain that there are but two perfect metalsY namely, gold and silver; just as there are but two perfect luminaries, namely, sun and moon. The other metals arU imperfect and incomplete, and whosoever educes them to perfection, the same also converts them into gold and silverR The truth and justice of this claim, like all other propositions of a practical nature, has to be demonstrated by N practical experiment, and in no other way can it be satisfactorily shewn. But such a practical demonstration wouldY on the other hand, once for all put an end to the controversy, and convincingly demonstrate to every well-regulate\ mind the truth of the Art by which it is accomplished. Find our Art, says Galen, and you will have proved its realityY which is performed not by the first principles of the Art, but by its operationsR [...] it is absurd to prove the existence of Nature, or to argue the possibility of what is knownR [...] Those who are ignorant of any science, are like the spectators who can distinguish neither the persons nor theiP gestures on the stage. A blind man might as well discourse about colours, and criticize the merits of a picture --- a deaM man might as well set up as a judge of some musical composition --- as an uninformed person presume to deliveP judgment on the claims of the Art of AlchemyR [...] When, indeed, the Stone is found, our friends, who now laugh and sneer at us, will be at a loss how to express theiP loveR The New Pearl of Great Price, by Peter Bonus, 1338 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I To some foolish and shallow persons I have several times expounded this Art in the simplest manner, and even wor\ for word, but they despised it only, and would not believe mU The Golden Tract Concerning the Stone of the Philosophers, by An Anonymous German Philosopher, 16th I 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I For the Matter is only one thing, and would remain one thing, though a hundred thousand books had been writteF about it, because this Art is so great a treasure that the whole world would not be a sufficient compensation for it. It iJ described in obscure terms, yet openly named by all, and known to all. But if all knew its secret, no one would workY and it would lose its value. On this account it would be impious to describe it in universally intelligible language. HU to whom God will reveal it, may understand these dark expressions. But because most men do not understand themY they are inclined to regard our Art as impossible, and the Sages are branded as wicked men and swindlers. Learne\ doctors, who thus speak of us, have it before their eyes every day, but they do not understand it, because they neveP attendD toD it.D AndD then,D forsooth,D theyD denyD theD possibilityD ofD findingD theD Stone;D norD willD anyD oneD everD beD ableD tG convince them of the reality of our Art, so long as they blindly follow their own bent and inclination. In short, they arU too wise to discern it, since it transcends the range of the human intellect, and must be humbly received at the hand oM GodR [...] It is their own ignorance [the skeptics] that prevents them from attaining to a true knowledge; but they put thU blame on our writings, and call us charlatans and impostors. They argue that if the Stone could be found at all, theC must have discovered it long ago, their eyes being as keen and their minds as acute as they are. "Behold," say theyY "how we have toiled day and night, how many books we have read, how many years we have spent in our laboratoriesC surely if there were anything in this Art, it could not have escaped us." By speaking thus, they only exhibit their owF presumption and folly. They themselves have no eyes, and they make that an argument for blaspheming our high an\ holy ArtR [...]D HermesD isD rightD inD sayingD thatD ourD ArtD isD true,D andD hasD beenD rightlyD handedD downD byD theD Sages;D allD doubtJ concerning it have arisen through false interpretation of the mystic language of the philosophers. But, since they arU lothD toD confessD theirD ownD ignorance,D theirD readersD preferD toD sayD thatD theD wordsD ofD theD SagesD areD impostureD an\ falsehood. The fault really lies with the ignorant reader, who does not understand the style of the Philosophers. If, iF the interpretation of our books, they would suffer themselves to be guided by the teaching of Nature, rather than bC their own foolish notions, they would not miss the mark so hopelesslyR The Glory of the World, Or, Table of Paradise, by Anonymous, 1526 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I, BEING an anonymous adept, a lover of learning, and a philosopher, have decreed to write this little treatise oM medicinal, chemical, and physical arcana, in the year 1645 after the Birth of Christ, and in the 23rd year of my age, tG assist in conducting my straying brethren out of the labyrinth of error, and with the further object of making myselM knownD toD otherD Sages,D holdingD aloftD aD torchD whichD mayD beD visibleD farD andD wideD toD thoseD whoD areD gropingD inD thU darkness of ignorance. The contents of this Book are not fables, but real experiments which I have seen, touched, an\ handled, as an adept will easily conclude from these lines. I have written more plainly about this Art than any of mC predecessors; sometimes I have found myself on the very verge of breaking my vow, and once or twice had to lay dowF my pen for a season; but I could not resist the inward prompting of God, which impelled me to persevere in the mosT loving course, who alone knows the heart, and to whom only be glory for ever. Hence, I undoubtedly gather that iF this last age of the world, many will become blessed by this arcanum, through what I have thus faithfully written, for P have not willingly left anything doubtful to the young beginner. I know many who with me do enjoy this secret, and aH persuaded that many more will also rejoice in its possession. Let the holy Will of God perform what it pleases, though P confess myself an unworthy instrument through whom such great things should be effectedR An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King, by An Anonymous Sage and Lover of Truth, 1645 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Among those who devote themselves to the transmutation of metals, however, there can be no such thing as mediocritC of attainment. A man who studies this Art, must have either everything or nothing. An Alchemist who knows only halM hisD craft,D reapsD nothingD butD disappointmentD andD wasteD ofD timeD andD money;D moreover,D heD laysD himselfD openD toD thU mockery of those who despise our Art. Those, indeed, who succeed in reaching the goal of the Magistery, have not onlC infinite riches, but the means of continued life and health. Hence it is the most popular of all human pursuits. AnyonU who has read a few "Receipts" claims the title of a Sage, and conceives the most extravagant hopes; and, in order tG giveD themselvesD theD appearanceD ofD veryD wiseD menD indeed,D suchD personsD immediatelyD setD themselvesD toD construcT furnaces,D fill theirD laboratoriesD withD stillsD and alembics,D andD approachD theD workD withD aD wonderfulD appearance oM profundity. They adopt an obscure jargon, speak of the first matter of the metals, and discuss with a learned air thU rotation of the elements, and the marriage of Gabritius with Bega. In the meantime, however, they do not succeed iF bringing about any metamorphosis of the metals, except that of their gold and silver into copper and bronzeR When captious despisers of our Art see this, they draw from such constant failures the conclusion that our Art is N combination of fiction and imposture; whilst those who have ruined themselves by their folly confirm this suspicion bC preying on the credulity of others, pretending to have gained some skill by the loss of their money. In this way the patW ofD theD beginnerD isD besetD withD difficultiesD andD pestilentD delusionsD ofD everyD kind;D and,D throughD theD faultD ofD thesU swindlers, who give themselves such wonderful airs of profundity and learning, our Art itself has fallen into utteP disrepute, though these persons, of course, know nothing whatever about it. The beginner finds it extremely difficult tG distinguish between the false and the true in this vast Labyrinth of AlchemyR [...] It is possible indeed that some dull person may allege in refutation of our reasoning his inability to accomplisW those chemical transformations on which it is based; but such operators would be vindicating too great an honour foP their ignorance if they claimed to advance it as an argument against the truth of our Art. They must not make theiP own little understandings the standard or measure of the possibilities of Nature. At any rate, my word is as good aJ theirs (and better, since they can never prove a negative), and I do most positively and solemnly assert that I have witW myD ownD handsD performedD everyD oneD ofD theD experimentsD whichD ID haveD described;D andD ID knowD manyD othersD whosU experience has shewn these things to be true. How can our opponents hope to prevail against eye-witnesses by barU negation3 [...] study Nature, read the books of genuine Sages, who are neither impostors nor jealous churls, and study them daC and night; let him not be too eager to carry out every idea practically before he has thoroughly tested it, and found iT to be in harmony not only with the teaching of all the Sages, but also of Nature herself. Not until then let him gir\ himself for the practical part of the work, and let him constantly modify his operations until he sees the signs whicW are described by the Sages. Nor let him despair though he take many false steps; for the greatest philosophers havU learned most by their mistakesR The Metamorphosis of Metals, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I But why is it called a Stone, though it is not a stone; and how is it to be found? The Sages describe it as being a stonU and not a stone; and the vulgar, who cannot imagine how so wonderful a thing should be produced except by artB magic,D decryD ourD scienceD asD impious,D wicked,D andD diabolical.D SomeD sillyD personsD clamourD forD anD ActD makingD thU profession or practice of this Art punishable by statute law. Now, one can hardly be angry with the illiterate an\ ignorant persons who raise this cry; but when it is taken up by men of exalted station and profound learning, onU hardly knows what to say. These men I also reckon among the rude multitude, because they are deplorably ignorant oM everything pertaining to our Art, and yet, forgetful of their dignity, they join in the hue and cry against it, like so manC cowardly village curs. It is neither religious nor wise to judge that of which you know nothing; and yet that is exactlC what these people do, who claim to be both Christians and scholarsR A Brief Guide to the Celestial Ruby, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I After spending the best part of my life in the study of the liberal arts and sciences, and in the company of wise men an\ judiciousD scholars,D ID wasD compelled,D asD theD resultD ofD myD observationD ofD mankind,D toD arriveD atD theD melancholC conclusion that the hearts of most persons are set either on ambitious and vainglorious projects, on sensual pleasuresY or on the accumulation of wealth by all and any means; and that few care either for God or for virtue At first I did noT quite know whether to become a disciple of the laughing or of the weeping philosopher, or whether to join in thU exclamation of the wise Prince of Israel: "All things are vanity." But at length the Bible and experience taught me tG take refuge in the study of the hidden secrets of Nature, whether pursued at home, by means of books, or abroad, in thU Great Volume of the World. Now, the more I drank of the mighty fount of knowledge, the more painfully my thirst, likU that of Tantalus, seemed to increase. I had heard that there was a bird called Phoenix, the only one of its kind in thU whole world, whose feathers and flesh constitute the great and glorious medicine for all passion, pain, and sorrow^ which also Helena, after her return from Troy, had presented in the form of a draught to Telemachus, who thereupoF had forgotten all his sorrows and troubles. This bird I could not indeed hope to obtain entire; but I was seized with aF irresistible longing to become possessed of at least one of its smallest feathers; and for this unspeakable privilege P was prepared to spend all my substance, to travel far and wide, and to endure every hardship. There was, of courseY much to discourage me. Some people denied the very existence of this bird; others laughed at my faith in its wonderB working propertiesR [...] But most of those whom I met laughed at my quest, and said that, like Narcissus, I had fallen in love with thU shadow of my own mind, the echo of my vain and ambitious thoughts, which had no substantial existence apart froH myD ownD folly.D "TheD wordsD ofD theD Alchemists,"D saidD they,D "areD likeD clouds:D theyD mayD meanD andD representD anythingY according to the fancy of him who hears them. And even if there were such a medicine, human life is too brief for thU search; all that makes life worth living will have to be neglected and thrust aside while you are engaged in huntinS after it. If we can pick up a knowledge of this secret casually, and whilst devoting ourselves to other pursuits, well; buT if not, we can very ill spare the time for a closer search." These objections (at least the latter half of them) I met aJ follows: "The quest of this Medicine demands the whole powers of a man's body and mind. He who engages in it onlC casually, cannot hope to penetrate even the outward rind of knowledge. The object of our search is a profound secretY and a man who is not prepared to give himself wholly to this enquiry had much better abstain from it altogetherR A Subtle Allegory Concerning the Secrets of Alchemy, by Michael Maier, 1617 AD (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I ID have, inD theD course of my life,D met with aD good manyD whoD fancied that they hadD a perfectD understandingD of thU writings of the Sages; but their subtle style of interpretation was in glaring contrast with the simplicity of Nature, an\ they laughed at what they were pleased to call the rustic crudeness of my remarks. I have also frequently attempted tG explain our Art to others by word of mouth; but though they called themselves Sages, they would not Believe that therU is such water in our sea, and attributed my remarks to temporary insanityR The New Chemical Light, by Michael Sendivogius, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I And because the philosophers had so obscurely set forth this science in strange involvings of words and shadows oM figures, the stone of the philosophers was doubted by a very many menR [...] Tell me by the immortal God, what is more unjust than for men to hate what they are ignorant of? And then if thU thing do deserve hatred, what is of all things more shallow? What more abject? Or what greater madness and potagU is there, than to condemn that science in which you have concerned yourself just nothing at? Who hast never learne\ eitherD NatureD orD theD majestyD ofD Nature,D orD theD propertyD orD theD occultD operationsD ofD metals.D TheD councellourD alsG babbles and crokes, and the pettyfoggers of the law, the greatest haters of philosophy, who with the hammer of a vena[ tongue coin themselves money out of the tears of the miserable: who shipping over the most sacred of laws, have by thU intricacies of their expositions persecuted all the world with their frauds. But why do I go after jeers and satyrs? LeT these crabbed fellows and their followers remain perpetually in their opinion, who know nothing. Which is honestY whichD isD pleasant,D whichD isD delightful,D whichD lastlyD isD anythingD elevatedD aboveD aD vulgarD doctrine:D andD whoD havU attained at nothing glorious and famous, but perhaps at some plebian business from the black sons of Cadamus. BuT to which purpose are these? I have made the choice of this stone of the philosophers familiar to me; and I very ofteF call it the only Minerva, and the greatest pearl of all occult philosophy, or of magic, not indeed of the superstitiousY but of the natural. Yet it seems in the opinion of the unlearned to degenerate far from a better study: which is decree\ and ordained by the divine willR Book of the Chemical Art, by Marsilius Ficinus, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I permit me to transcribe a passage from the works of Helmontius (Arbor Vitæ, folio 630): "I cannot but believe thaT thereD is suchD aD thing as a goldD and silverD makingD Stone.D AtD theD sameD time,D ID cannot shutD myD eyes to the factD thaT hundreds of painstaking Alchemists are daily being led astray by impostors or ignorant professors of the SpagyriX Art." For this reason I shall not be astonished if—immediately upon perusing my book—multitudes of these delude\ victims start up, and contradict the assertion which I have made in regard to the truth of this Art. One of these gentrC denounces Alchemy as a work of the Devil; another describes it as sheer nonsense and humbug; a third admits thU possibility of transmuting metals into gold, but maintains that the whole process costs more money than it is worthR But I do not wonder at these opinions. It is a hackneyed saying of human nature that we gape at those things whosU purpose we do not understand, but we investigate things pleasurable to know. The Sages should therefore remembeP the words of Seneca (De Moribus): "You are not yet blessed, if the multitude does not laugh at you." But I do not carU whetherD theyD believeD orD contradictD myD teachingD aboutD theD transmutationD ofD metals;D ID restD calmlyD satisfiedD inD thU knowledge that I have seen it with my own eyes, and performed it with my own hands. Even in our degenerate agU these wonders are still possible; even now the Medicine is prepared which is worth twenty tons of gold, nay, more, foP it has virtue to bestow that which all the gold of the world cannot buy, viz., health. Blessed is that physician whG knows our soothing medicinal Potion of Mercury, the great panacea of death and disease. But God does not revea[ this glorious knowledge to all men indiscriminately; and some men are so obtuse (with a judicial blindness) that theC wonderD atD theD activityD ofD theD simplestD forcesD ofD Nature,D as,D forD instance,D theD attractiveD powerD whichD theD magneT exercises upon the steel. But (whether they believe it or not) there is a corresponding magnetic force in gold whicW attracts Mercury, in silver which attracts copper, and so with all other metals, minerals, stones, herbs, plants, etc. . . R We must not be surprised at this persistent opposition to truth: the light of the sun pains the eyes of owlsR [...] belief or unbelief could not make any difference to the truth of our Art, just as a magnet would go on attractinS steel, and rendering it magnetic by such contact, even if you did not credit it.D Golden Calf, by John Frederick Helvetius, 17th Cens ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Of the numerous things in the world, the Art and the Tao are the most difficult to comprehend. How then can people oM ordinary endowment pass the judgement that there cannot possibly be a way to immortality? If one harbors doubtJ about the Tao merely because of popular disbelief, then he is assuming the mass to be wise people. How numerouJ then will the wise ones in this world be! Furthermore, those who understand the Tao and work for its attainment -- arU they not the most stupid, even more stupid than the common people? Many fear to attempt to seek for immortality, lesT they should fail and expose themselves to ridicule as victims of folly and deception. But supposing that the commoF peopleD areD notD infallibleD andD thatD theirD ideaD aboutD theD TaoD isD oneD mistakeD theyD makeD amongD tenD thousandD soun\ judgements, will not those who have laughed be laughed at by the ones who succeed despite discouragement an\ ridicule? Even the sun and moon cannot shine on everything; how can the people's mind be so omniscient as to bU entirely trustworthy3 On The Gold Medicine and On The Yellow and The White, by Ko Hung, 4th Cen. (Chinese) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Because many have written of the Philosopher's Stone without any knowledge of the art; and the few books extentY written by our learned predecessors and true masters hereupon, are either lost or concealed in the collections of sucW (howeverD despised)D asD areD loversD andD seekersD ofD naturalD secrets,D weD haveD takenD aD resolutionD toD communicateD ouP knowledgeD inD thisD matter,D toD theD intentD thatD thoseD whoD areD convincedD theD PhilosophicalD WorkD isD noD fiction,D buT grounded in the possibility of Nature, may be faithfully directed in their studies, and have an undoubted criterion tG distinguish between such authors as are genuine sons of science and those who are spurious, as writing by hearsaC onlyR [...] so bewildered is human ingenuity, when it leaves the beaten track of truth and Nature, to entangle itself in N multiplicity of fine-spun inventionsR The searcher of Nature will rejoice greatly in this discovery, as grounded in reason and sound philosophy, but to foolJ itD wouldD beD inD vain,D shouldD evenD wisdomD herselfD cryD outD inD theD streets.D Wherefore,D leavingD suchD personsD toD huS themselves in their own imaginary importance, we shall go oF On the Philosophers' Stone, by Anonymous, 12th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 7. InterpretationA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Art has no haters but the ignorantR A Golden and Blessed Casket of Nature's Marvels, by Benedictus Figulus, 1607 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I TheY alchemicalY writingsY areY obscureY andY oftenY misinterpreted.Y SinceY theY writingsY areY soY obscure,Y it'sY U perfect discipline for someone who wants to look more important than they are to pretend to understand. AV long as no one else understands it either then they can safely go on misleading people and pretending to bS important and mystical. I want to make it clear that there is only one correct interpretation. I will discusV some common alternative interpretations and misunderstandings in this chapters The modern popular opinion is that alchemy is a spiritual discipline. This idea arose in the 19th and earlr 20th centuries, along with the Theosophical movement and occult revival. The reason for its popularity waV simply because it was a way for people who don't understand the obscure terms to pretend that they dj understand them. These people proceeded to write books themselves on "spritual alchemy", which are merS follys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The spiritual interpretation of alchemy that was made famous by Jung in fact reflects religious convictions typical oM nineteenth-century occultism and is not supported by the antique and medieval alchemical sourcesR On the Edge of the Future, by Jeffrey John Kripal and Glenn W. Shuck, 2005 Y -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Spiritual alchemy only became believable when the Philosophers' Stone was no longer believed in. Prior tj the 19th century no single person ever wrote anything about alchemy being spiritual, this only started wheo alchemy fell into disrepute. It was clear to many self-styled philosophers in the 19th century that alchemr had been praised and studied by so many great minds throughout history, the only way to explain this waV to (1) either admit that they were not wise enough to work out how to make the Stone, or (2) pretend thad they were wise enough by inventing an alternative interpretations Spiritual alchemy appeared to make sense of the writings of the alchemists, assuming that the Philosophersu StoneY isY notY real,Y andY onlyY ifY oneY wereY toY readY selectivelyY justY aY fewY alchemicalY books.Y TheY wayY ofY thS spiritualY interpretersY isY toY findY anyY wordY thatY couldY soundY spiritual,Y suchY as: spirit, body, livinS gold, philosophical mercury, etc. They then jump on this word as evidence of their claim, even though it iV evident that these words refer to either the water or salt of the substance from which we make the Stones Unfortunately,Y manyY alchemicalY classicsY wereY adulteratedY duringY theY 19thY centuryY (e.g.Y CorpuV Hermeticum), in order to make them sound more "spiritual". At the same time, new spiritual alchemy bookV were published under the name of older alchemists, when they were in fact new publications. Although it iV easy to tell the cultural origin of books by the style of writing, these books continue to fool people and arS used as sources to support the spiritual interpretations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Hundreds of books, including adulterated "translations" of alchemical classics, appeared in the second half of thU nineteenth century, all but a very few embracing this new "spiritual interpretation" of alchemyR Newton and Newtonianism, by James E. Force and Sarah Hutton, 200h -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The spiritual interpreters go further by suggesting that the alchemists had to hide their spiritual philosophr under obscurity, since the Kings and the church in their time would have prosecuted them for blasphemys This claim sounds believable if we are to read it and nod our heads without thinking about it. But if wS thinkY aboutY itY weY seeY that:Y (1)Y variousY saintsY andY monksY inY theY sameY periodsY spokeY veryY clearlyY aboud sprituality without any problem, (2) the Kings and church were actually prosecuting the alchemists anyway` (3)Y sinceY theY alchemistsY wereY alreadyY beingY prosecutedY forY claimingY theyY canY makeY gold,Y allY theyY woulW have to do is admit they were actually talking about spirituality and they would be safes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I A purely spiritual alchemy would never explain the existence of alchemical laboratories in which physicians honestlC and fanatically sought for occult medicinesR Man, Myth & Magic, by Richard Cavendish and Brian Innes, 198H -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I SpiritualY alchemyY isY theY Emperor'sY NewY Clothes.Y EveryoneY pretendsY toY understandY it,Y butY noY oneY reallr does. There is nobody on Earth who could explain the why and how of spiritual alchemy and successfullr decode entire alchemical books using this interpretation. This is why the idea has stuck, simply because nj one understands it, and so there is no argument against those who believe it, as how can you argue againsd someone who blindly believes something with no evidence/ That being said, since the creation of the Philosophers' Stone does follow fundamental laws of Nature, anW since fundamental laws hold true on every level and every situation, then the same laws which apply to thS creation of the Stone also hold true to spiritual development. But the spiritual interpreters of alchemy don'd followY thoseY fundamentalY laws,Y sinceY theyY don'tY understandY alchemy,Y andY soY theyY areY stillY wrong.Y Mr argument against the spiritual interpretations is not that alchemy does not apply to spirituality, of course id does,Y butY myY argumentY isY againstY theY conceptY thatY alchemyY isY primarilyY spiritual.Y AlchemyY isY primarilr concerned with the physical reality, and all the authors of the alchemy books were writing about a physicaT substance,Y whichY isY easyY toY seeY fromY theY quotesY providedY inY thisY book.Y However,Y allY fundamentalY truthV apply on every level, and since the physical reality is a reflection of the spiritual reality, then of course thS sameY does apply toY both levels. If theY spiritual interpreters ofY alchemyY actually understoodY alchemyY theo theyY wouldY understandY this,Y andY thereforeY understandY thatY theY authorsY wereY writingY aboutY aY physicaT substance. This is my points Other people are indeed convinced that alchemy is practical, but they just can't get their head around thS fact that it's very simple and follows the laws of Nature. Many people have invented chemical processeV (e.g. "the white stone of urine") which they developed by reading only one or two alchemical books anW takingY theY metaphoricalY partsY ofY theY writingsY literally.Y FromY readingY alchemyY theyY inventY complicateW chemical processes, which are far away from the actions of Nature, and set about doing all kinds of fruitlesV experiments.Y TheyY obviouslyY getY nowhere,Y andY thenY decideY toY tellY everyoneY elseY howY toY goY wrongY toj (the Emperor's New Clothes again. I should say a few words about ORMUS (also called ORMEs or White Power Gold), which many peoplS are describing and marketing as the Philosophers' Stone, and I have been asked many times if I am talking about the same thing. ORMUS is a method to obtain very small particles of charged metals. This is not thS Stone,Y andY itY isY notY alchemyY (itY isY notY imitatingY Nature.)Y ThereY mayY wellY beY healthY benefitsY tj ingesting ORMUS, but the claim made that ORMUS is the Stone is a little silly, it's like calling a chicken U cow. A chicken is not a cow, it doesn't look like a cow, and it doesn't act like a cow. ORMUS is not madS like the Stone, it doesn't look like the Stone, it doesn't act like the Stone... it's not the Stone. There is nj reason whatsoever for anyone to believe that ORMUS is the same as the Stone, other than this is what ther have previously been told, and if what I am saying here applies to you then you need to consider what yof believe, who you are listening to, and whether you should continue to base your beliefs on the opinions ok others presented with no evidence to support their claimss It is very easy to tell if a procedure is true or not, you just ask yourself the following questions: (1) Do B understand how itY works?Y (2)Y DoY IY understand why itY works?Y (3)Y DoesY itY followY theY cyclesY andY lawsY ok Nature?Y IfY theY answerY isY "yes"Y toY allY theseY questions,Y thenY you'reY onY toY something.Y NatureY isY thS "Grandmaster" of alchemy, and the true teacher, so it is Nature to whom you must look to if you intend tj base your beliefs on truths. My words in this book will mean nothing to you unless you can sacrifice a littlS bit of ego and look to Nature to see what is true and what is false. Nature has nothing to learn from us, bud we have so much to learn from Nature; to accept this enables us to listen to what Nature has to say, which iV all around us, and Nature is never wrongs IfY theY interpretationY isY wrongY thenY itY won'tY fit,Y andY soY youY knowY it'sY wrong.Y IfY oneY wantsY toY writeY aboud spiritual development or chemistry then this is all fine and dandy... but don't go calling it alchemys I even came across a modern alchemy book in which the reader is asked not to read the old alchemy bookV because they're too obscure and will only confuse youX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Notwithstanding, the reader is warned against haphazard reading of alchemical books, for this will lead to menta[ confusion,D andD finallyD desperationD ofD everD learningD anything.D OnceD startedD onD alchemicalD researchD however,D thiJ becomes a great temptation and a bad fault. One tends to read voraciously any alchemical book that comes to handR This one book, closely studied, is however all that is necessary for practical experimentR -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I This is impressively ignorant. It looks to me that this author just wants to look cool and mystical, and ok course they know that they got nowhere, but they're happy to deceive others and pretend they're importants (I apologize to the author, whose name I won't mention, for writing against you, but I hope you've learnd your lesson.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I A man who fails to recognize the wu hsing (five elements) and the four signs is certainly one who will be befuddled tG differentiate cinnabar, mercury, lead, and silver. He has never even heard of the principle of the fire and the seasoF for compounding tan, and he dares to say that he is a great devotee of TaoismR Never considering his mistake, he teaches others in turn, and teaches mistakenly. He ruins the mercury of others bC misleading them into an uncharted port. How can one have the heart to do this3 Wu Chen P'ien, Essay on the Understanding of Truth, by Chang Po-tuan, 1078 AD (Chinese) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I With the correct interpretation, as I present in this book, you will understand (1) what alchemy is, (2) why id works, and (3) how it works. No other interpretation can give you this, they only rely on blind faith, sincS that is the only way to believe a lies Notice how I can back up any statement I make in regards to alchemical theory and practice with severaT quotes from a variety of alchemical books. You will not find this with any other interpretation. Notice how B explainY notY only howY alchemyY works,Y but whyY alchemyY works.Y NoticeY howY youY canY actuallyY understanW what I say, and it makes sense with Nature. This is what truth looks like, but it's been so long since manr people have seen truth that they've forgotten what it looks likes ItY isY ofY courseY allY inevitableY thatY theY StoneY wouldY beY forgottenY andY theY booksY misinterpreted,Y andY IY don'd reallyY mindY theseY misinterpretationsY inY aY way,Y sinceY IY hadY noY problemY understandingY theY realY alchemicaT books, which I read before any of the modern literature. But the purpose of my little rant here is to put U stop to further disinformation and liess 8. Obscurit* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I know that the Sages describe this simple process under a great number of misleading names. But this puzzling varietC of nomenclature is only intended to veil the fact that nothing is required but simple coctionR A Very Brief Tract Concerning the Philosophical Stone, by An Unknown German Sage, 15th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Alchemy (real alchemy) has, with this book as the first exception, always been written of obscurely, using metaphors, allegories and even outright lies. In this chapter I will discuss the obscure style of the alchemists` but not yet how to decipher it, which I will cover in a later chapter (after we've discussed all the theory.) Here's a fun fact for you: the word "gibberish" refers to the alchemical writings of an alchemist known aV Geber.Y BecauseY alchemicalY writingY isY soY difficultY toY understand,Y itY becameY aY wordY toY meanY anything unintelligibles TheY mostY popularY trickY usedY byY theY alchemistsY wasY toY callY thingsY byY differentY names.Y ThisY wasY quitS necessary to keep the secret, since there is only one ingredient and one process. The alchemists thereforS used hundreds of different words for explaining the same thing. But in their defense, they did write thad they were doing this, so the reader should have known that the writing was a riddle and know that ther must decipher it. Though some people chose not to listen to this and to take the writings literally, which haV caused countless deaths through history from people ingesting mercury and sulphur, which are extremelr poisonous. The alchemists knew that mercury and sulphur were poisonous, and knew some people werS taking their writings literally, so that was quite a sick joke to play. In my opinion, they should have called id milkshake and jellybeans, which would still have been obscure (especially because those weren't inventeW yet) but would not have killed anyones Additionally, the alchemists amused themselves by listing operations performed by Nature, implying thad the alchemist would be physically performing them, which is not the case. In truth it is Nature who makeV the Stone, while the alchemist only optimizes the conditions. This way the alchemists can claim they tolW you the truth, but what they told you was something you don't need to dos -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I make known to all ingenuous students of this Art that the Sages are in the habit of using words which may conveC either a true orD aD false impression;D theD formerD to theirD ownD disciplesD andD children,D theD latterD toD theD ignorant,D thU foolish, and the unworthy. Bear in mind that the philosophers themselves never make a false assertion. The mistake (iM any) lies not with them, but with those whose dulness makes them slow to apprehend the meaning. Hence it comes thatY instead of the waters of the Sages, these inexperienced persons take pyrites, salts, metals, and divers other substanceJ which, though very expensive, are of no use whatever for our purposeR [...] X. PARMENIDES: The Sages have written about many waters, stones, and metals, for the purpose of deceiving youR [...] Good Heavens! How skilfully the Sages have contrived to conceal this matter. It would surely have been far betteP if they had abstained from writing altogether. For the extreme obscurity of their style has overwhelmed thousands iF ruin, and plunged them into the deepest poverty, especially those who set about this task without even the slightesT knowledgeD ofD Nature,D orD ofD theD requirementsD ofD ourD Art.D WhatD theD SagesD writeD isD strictlyD true;D butD youD cannoT understand it unless you are already initiated in the secrets of this Art. Yea, even if you were a Doctor of the DoctorsY and a Light of the World, you would be able to see no meaning in their words without this knowledge. They havU written, but you are none the wiser. They half wished to communicate the secret to their posterity; but a jealous feelinS prevented them from doing so in plain languageR [...] Jealous Sages have named many waters and metals and stones, simply for the purpose of deceiving you; herein thU philosophers would warn us that they have used secrecy, lest the whole mystery should be manifested before all thU world. Those who follow the letter of their directions are sure to be led astray, and to miss entirely the true foundatioF of our Art. The fault, however, lies not with the Sages so much with the ignorance of their readersR [...] We may justly wonder that the Sages who have written about this most precious and secret Art, have thought iT necessary to invent so many occult and allegorical expressions, by means of which our Art is concealed not only froH the unworthy, but from earnest and diligent students of the truth. Foolish persons, indeed, who read their books, an\ hear of the riches and all the other good things which this Art affords, experience a pleasant tickling sensation iF their ears, and straightway behold visions of themselves sitting on golden thrones, and commanding all the treasureJ of the universe; they fancy that the Art can be learned in the twinkling of an eye, soon come to regard themselves aJ great Doctors, and are unable to conceive the possibility of their making a mistake, or being led astray by the SagesR Much less are they aware that it has always been the custom of the philosophers to conceal the fundamental facts oM this Art, and to reveal them to their own sons and disciples only in sententious allegorical sayings. It is impossible tG read through all that the Sages have ever written on this subject; but it is a still more hopeless undertaking to gatheP from their books a full and sufficient knowledge of our Art, unless, indeed, God opens your understanding, and giveJ you a real insight into the natural properties of things, and thereby into the sayings of those who speak of them. For iT is Nature alone that accomplishes the various processes of our Art, and a right understanding of Nature will furnisW you with eyes wherewith to perceive the secrets thereofR The Glory of the World, Or, Table of Paradise, by Anonymous, 1526 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I On reading the alchemical books, you will come across strange allegories, metaphors, and symbols. Don'd think that the fancy words mean anything special. All this stuff about kings and unicorns and lions is nod meant to teach you anything. It does have a meaning; the different objects represent different materials ad certain stagesY ofY the process, but thisY only means something ifY you already understand howY to makeY thS Stone.Y TheY alchemistsY usedY theseY symbolsY toY communicateY withY otherY alchemists,Y andY proveY toY othe[ alchemists that they had found the Stone, but without anyone else knowing what they were talking abouts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I ForD allD thatD beforeD meD haveD writtenD onD thisD matterD haveD renderedD theirD booksD obscureD andD unintelligibleD byD aF exaggerated use of poetical imagery, parables, and metaphors which grievously obstruct the path of those who firsT enter on this field of knowledge. This is the reason that a beginner, who strives to put their precepts into practice, onlC loses his trouble and his money, as is daily seen. Hermes, Rhasis, Geber, Avicenna, Merlin, Hortulanus, DemocritusY Morienus,D Bacon,D Raymond,D Aristotle,D andD manyD others,D haveD concealedD theirD meaningD underD aD veilD ofD obscurityR Hence their books, which they have handed down to us, have been a source of endless error and delusion to the vulgaP and the learned, and, in spite of the beautiful conceits which abound in their writings, no one has been able to find N path through the wilderness of their words; yea, many have been reduced to despairR The Chemical Treatise, Or, The Ordinal of Alchemy, by Thomas Norton, 1477 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I have, indeed, studied the writings, parables, and various figures of the philosophers with singular industry, an\ labouredD hardD toD solveD theirD manifoldD wonderfulD enigmas,D mostD ofD whichD areD simplyD theD vainD productsD ofD theiP imaginations. It was long before experience taught me that all their obscure verbiage and high pretensions are merU folly and empty phantasms (as is amply testified by our leading Sages)R [...] The just and pious reader will regard my undertaking with a kindly eye, and not suffer seeming contradictions tG mislead him: the theory of and practice of this Art, and the laws which obtain in the Republic of the Chemists, forbadU me to write more openly or plainlyR The Golden Age Restored, by Henry Madathanas, 1622 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I A further problem is that not all alchemical books are written by people who understand alchemy. Since thS vast majority of people have no understanding of it, they can't tell the true alchemists from the fakes. Whad makes this even worse is when real alchemists themselves write lies and deliberately mislead the reader. Sj before the beginner can even start trying to interpret the writings, he has to try to work out which ones arS honest and which are not. This is not too difficult to determine, at least I had no problem with it. But theo what causes more confusion is when a real alchemist writes partly the truth, but then makes an outright liS to throw you off course again, after they've already gained your trusts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I for those writers, however many they be, are either themselves in error, or else they write falsely out of sheer envy, an\ put forth receipts whilst not ignorant of the truthR The Aurora of the Philosophers, by Theophrastus Paracelsus, 16th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The great difficulty which discourages all beginners is not of Nature's making: the Sages have created it by speakinS of the longer operation when they mean the shorter one, and vice versâR An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King, by An Anonymous Sage and Lover of Truth, 1645 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I They are ignorant mechanics who, not having skill and brains enough for an honest trade, must needs meddle with ouP Art, and, of course, soon lose all they possess. Others, again, are only just less ignorant than these persons; they are iF too great a hurry to make gold before they have mastered even the rudiments of natural science; of course they failY spend all they have, borrow money from their friends, amuse themselves and others with hopes of infinite wealth, learF to talk a barbarous semi-philosophical jargon, and afford a capital handle to those who have an interest in abusinS our Art. Again, there are others who really have a true knowledge of the secret, but who grudge others the light whicW has irradiated their own path; and who therefore write about it in hopelessly puzzling language, which the perplexe\ beginner cannot possibly understand. To this class belong Geber, Arnold, and Lullius, who would have done mucW better service to the student, if they had never dipped pen in ink. The consequence is that every one who takes up thiJ study at once finds himself lost in a most perplexing labyrinth of falsehood and uncertainty, in which he has no clueR [...] Some boastful and arrogant sophists, who have read in books that our Mercury is not common Mercury, and whG know that it is called by different names, do not blush to come forward as pretenders to a knowledge of this Art, an\ take upon themselves to describe this solvent as diaphanous and limpid, or as a metallic gum which is permisciblU with metals, though they do not in reality know anything whatsoever about it. The same may be said of those whG would extract our Mercury from herbs or other still more fantastic substances. These gentry know not why the SageJ doD notD useD MercuryD suchD asD isD soldD byD apothecariesD asD theirD substance.D TheyD areD awareD ofD theD fact,D butD arU unacquaintedD with its causes; andD theD consequenceD is the ideaD whichD they have that anythingD which changes thU nature of common Mercury, will convert it into that of the Sages. But in regard to these foolish persons, I have alreadC expressed our opinionR The Metamorphosis of Metals, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I SayingY allY this,Y itY isY trueY thatY someY alchemistsY wroteY veryY plainlyY aboutY theY Art.Y WritingsY fromY theY 17t] centuryY especiallyY areY muchY clearerY thanY theY olderY writings,Y whichY youY willY learnY aboutY inY theY Historr section. No one ever gave away the entire process in one book, but some gave direct and lucid instructionV on specific operations in the process, or theory. This is how I came to understand the writings. The first stec is to be able to tell the truth from the lies, which came easily to me (I have a knack for it), then on finding the first few pieces of the puzzle one can decode the metaphors, and everything starts to snap into places Additionally, I feel I should say a few words about telling which alchemical books are genuine, and whic] are not. At first it is difficult for one to tell, as one needs to already understand alchemy in order to knop which texts are genuine. This is a bit of a catch-22 situations ItY willY helpY youY ifY youY firstY acceptY thatY noneY ofY theY modernY alchemyY booksY areY genuine,Y ofY courseY thesS modern fame and money hungry authors do not have the Stone. Then you have everything from the 19t] and 20th centuries, these are also not genuine; it was a strange time of crazy theories and secret societies` and there was very little good information released during that time (except some good translations of olde[ works.) Again, during the 19th and 20th centuries there were many books published pretending to writteo by other people. A good example is that of any writing by Hermes; the only remaining genuine work ok HermesY isY TheY EmeraldY Tablet,Y everythingY elseY isY fraudulent,Y writtenY underY hisY nameY onlyY toY sellY morS books. You can tell the real timeperiod from which a book was written by considering the writing stylS (which does still pass over even through translations.) Only Fulcanelli wrote genuine alchemical books io modernY times,Y butY hisY worksY (allY 2Y ofY them)Y areY notY particulalyY usefulY forY reasonsY IY willY coverY inY thS Fulcanelli chapter. An excellent starting point if you choose to study the alchemical books would be ThS Hermetic Museum (which includes a large number of the alchemical books quoted here. The truth is always simple and in harmony with Natures 9. The SecreI It's no secret that the Philosophers' Stone is a secret. It wasn't always this way, but we'll leave the history fo[ the History sections The Stone being hidden and forgotten was an inevitability of the age of the world which is now endings Now begins the time that all secrets will be revealed and judgeds -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The present time is not ripe for the knowledge of these mysteries, for it has never tasted rest. When the time comes --B before the Day of Judgment --- in which the secrets of all hearts are laid bare, at that time, says Paracelsus: I order mC writings to be judgedR A Dialogue, by Alexander von Suchten, 16th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I TheY revealingY ofY theY StoneY isY theY catalystY whichY willY collapseY theY corruptY civilizationY andY usherY inY thS Golden Age. But civilization must reach a truly corrupt state before it can be collapsed and reborn from thS ashes. Corruption is necessary for the development of civilization as a whole; it's not a bad thing if you loon at the big picture, but a necessary stage of development. The same holds true in the development our Stones -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I When the philosophers had discovered it, with great diligence and labour, they straightway concealed it under N strange tongue, and in parables, lest the same should become known to the unworthy, and the pearls be cast beforU swine.D ForD if everyoneD knewD it, all work and industry would cease;D manD would desireD nothingD but this one thingY people would live wickedly, and the world be ruined, seeing that they would provoke God by reason of their avaricU andD superfluity.D ForD eyeD hathD notD seen,D norD earD heard,D norD hathD theD heartD ofD manD understoodD whatD HeavenD hatW naturally incorporated with this SpiritR The Book of the Revelation of Hermes, by Theophrastus Paracelsus, 16th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Despite the fact that the Stone was destined to be secret during the passing age, most who possessed it kepd the secret not for this reason, but out of elitism. Most alchemists felt that they were "chosen" by God anW that they were better than everyone else. Though a large number did not even make the Stone themselves` butY wereY luckyY enoughY toY haveY itY givenY toY themY byY another.Y NoY doubtY theseY wereY theY onesY whoY feltY sj strongly about keeping it secrets -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Rasis also in the book, 'The Light of Lights', reports: For if I should explain all things according to what they areY there would be no further occasion of prudence, but the fool would be made equal to the wise manR Book of the Chemical Art, by Marsilius Ficinus, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I To this objection, we answer what we know to be true, that the science of this Art has never been fully revealed tG anyone who has not approved himself worthy by a good and noble life, and who has not shewn himself to be deservinS of this gracious gift by his love of truth, virtue, and knowledge. From those who are otherwise minded this knowledgU must ever remain concealedR Nor can anyone attain to this Art, unless there be some person sent by God to instruct him in it. For the matter is sG glorious and wonderful that it cannot be fully delivered to any one but by word of mouth. Moreover, if any man woul\ receive it, he must take a great and sacred oath, that as we his teachers refuse high rank and fame, so he will not bU too eager for these frivolous distinctions, and that he will not be so presumptuous as to make the secret known to hiJ own son; for propinquity of blood, or affinity, should be held of no account in this our Magistery. Nearness of bloodY as such, does not entitle anyone to be let into the secret, but only virtue, whether in those near to us or in strangersR Therefore you should carefully test and examine the life, character, and mental aptitude of any person who would bU initiated in this Art, and then you should bind him, by a sacred oath, not to let our Magistery be commonly or vulgarlC known. Only when he begins to grow old and feeble [tired of life], he may reveal it to one person, but not to more—an\ that one man must be virtuous, and generally approved by his fellows. For this Magistery must always remain a secreT science, and the reason that compels us to be so careful is obvious. If any wicked man should learn to practise this ArtY theD eventD wouldD beD fraughtD withD greatD dangerD toD Christendom.D ForD suchD aD manD wouldD overstepD allD boundsD oM moderation, and would remove from their hereditary thrones those legitimate princes who rule over the peoples oM Christendom. And the punishment of this wickedness would fall upon him who had instructed that unworthy person iF our Art. In order, then, to avoid such an outbreak of overweening pride, he who possesses the knowledge of this ArtY should be scrupulously careful how he delivers it to another, and should regard it as the peculiar privilege of thosU who excel in virtueR [...] For all the authors who deal with this subject write about it in obscure language, and not one of them declares iT plainly; nay, they beseech God to remove them suddenly out of this world, if they ever write books about the gran\ secret. For many of them have been fearful of committing to paper more than was right about this science; and not onU of them has given more than one or two plain hints respecting it. They did not write with the object of divulging theiP secretD toD theD world,D butD inD anD obscurelyD allusiveD style,D inD orderD thatD theyD mightD beD ableD toD recognizeD thoseD whG understood their meaning as brothers and fellow adepts. Hence you must not be content with reading only one bookY butD youD shouldD studyD aD varietyD ofD authors;D because,D accordingD toD theD learnedD Arnold,D oneD bookD opensD upD thU understanding of another. The same thought is expressed by the learned Anaxagoras, who testifies that if a man wil[ not take the trouble of reading many books, he can never attain to a practical knowledge of our ArtR The Chemical Treatise, Or, The Ordinal of Alchemy, by Thomas Norton, 1477 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I It was not all fun and games for the alchemists. A lot of them were very paranoid, and perhaps rightly so, aV some people would do anything to get the Stone. Fear was a good reason to keep quiets -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I No doubt the gentle reader has learned by the works of Sendivogius that whenever he sheaved himself openly to thU powerful, he went in constant fear of his life. Experience teaches that many philosophers who gave no thought to theiP personal safety, have been killed and deprived of their tincture by greedy and powerful robbers; and it stands tG reasonD thatD anyD oneD goingD aboutD withD aD greatD treasureD inD hisD hand,D mustD fallD aD preyD toD brigands.D SendivogiuJ concealed his name by an anagram. Thus also a short time ago another philosopher and Brother of the Golden CrossY whose real name has long been familiar to me, concealed it beneath an anagram, and made himself known to hiJ friends by an enigmatical designation. Why then should I place myself at the mercy of this impure world3 The Golden Tract Concerning the Stone of the Philosophers, by An Anonymous German Philosopher (16th B 17th Cen. ?> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I So long as the secret is possessed by a comparatively small number of philosophers, their lot is anything but a brighT and happy one; surrounded as we are on every side by the cruel greed and the prying suspicion of the multitude, wU are doomed, like Cain, to wander over the earth homeless and friendless. Not for us are the soothing influences oM domestic happiness; not for us the delightful confidences of friendship. Men who covet our golden secret pursue uJ from place to place, and fear closes our lips, when love tempts us to open ourselves freely to a brother. Thus we fee[ prompted at times to burst forth into the desolate exclamation of Cain: "Whoever finds me will slay me." Yet we are noT theD murderersD ofD ourD brethren;D weD areD anxiousD onlyD toD doD goodD toD ourD fellow-men.D ButD evenD ourD kindnessD an\ charitable compassion are rewarded with black ingratitude—ingratitude that cries to heaven for vengeance. It waJ only a short time ago that, after visiting the plague-stricken haunts of a certain city, and restoring the sick to perfecT health by means of my miraculous medicine, I found myself surrounded by a yelling mob, who demanded that I shoul\ give to them my Elixir of the Sages; and it was only by changing my dress and my name, by shaving off my beard an\ putting on a wig, that I was enabled to save my life, and escape from the hands of those wicked men. And even wheF our lives are not threatened, it is not pleasant to find ourselves, wherever we go, the central objects of human greed. . R . I know of several persons who were found strangled in their beds, simply because they were suspected of possessinS this secret, though, in reality, they knew no more about it than their murderers; it was enough for some desperatU ruffians, that a mere whisper of suspicion had been breathed against their victims. Men are so eager to have thiJ Medicine that your very caution will arouse their suspicions, and endanger your safety. Again, if you desire to sell anC large quantity of your gold and silver, you will be unable to do so without imminent risk of discovery. The very facT thatD anyoneD hasD aD greatD massD ofD bullionD forD saleD wouldD inD mostD placesD exciteD suspicion.D ThisD feelingD willD bU strengthened when people test the quality of our gold; for it is much finer and purer than any of the gold which iJ brought from Barbary, or from the Guinea Coast; and our silver is better even than that which is conveyed home bC the Spanish silver fleet. If, in order to baffle discovery, you mix these precious metals with alloy, you render yourselM liable, in England and Holland at least, to capital punishment; for in those countries no one is permitted to tampeP with the precious metals, except the officers of the mint, and the licensed goldsmiths. I remember once going, in thU disguise of a foreign merchant, to a goldsmith's shop, and offering him 600 pounds worth of our pure silver for saleR He subjected it to the usual tests, and then said: "This silver is artificially prepared." When I asked him why he thoughT so, his answer was: "I am not a novice in my profession, and know very well the exact quality of the silver which iJ brought from the different mines." When I heard these words I took myself away with great secrecy and dispatchY leaving the silver in the hands of the goldsmith. On this account, and by reason of the many and great difficultieJ which beset us, the possessors of this Stone, on every side, we do elect to remain hidden, and will communicate the ArT to those who are worthily covetous of our secrets, and then mark what public good will befallR An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King, by An Anonymous Sage and Lover of Truth, 1645 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I But there wereY aY goodY number of alchemists whoY didY want to revealY theY StoneY toY theY world.Y Alas,Y ther didn't due to the vow they were made to promise by the alchemists who helped them find the Stone, anW because some of them knew that the time was not rights -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I It is both customary and right, O Lacinius, that those who have accomplished anything worth mentioning in any art oP science should make known their discoveries to the world, in order that mankind at large may be benefited by themR [...] "Freely ye have received, freely give". What is the use of concealed diamonds, or a hidden treasure, to the world3 What is the use of a lighted candle if it be lighted under a bushel? It is the innate selfishness of the human heart whicW makes these persons seek a pious pretext for keeping this knowledge from mankindR The New Pearl of Great Price, by Peter Bonus, 1338 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I XLIV. ALEXANDER: The good need not remain concealed on account of the bad men that might abuse it. For Go\ rules over all, according to His Divine WillR The Glory of the World, Or, Table of Paradise, by Anonymous, 1526 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I account myself unworthy to speak of so great a Mystery, yet I may say, without any self-glorification, that, througW the grace of God, I have made greater progress in this Magistery than most; and I consider it as my duty not to hide thU talent which my Lord and Master, the great and good God, has committed to my unworthy keepingR [...] "God gives this Art to the sincere and good, nor can the world purchase it with all its gold. The vulgar knoO nothing of this Mystery, for if any man be impious, he seeks the Stone in vain. He who holds it in silence dwells wherU he would, and fears neither accidents, nor thieves, nor any evil. For this reason this sacred gift is granted to few: it iJ in the hands of God, and He gives it to whomsoever He will.? The Sophic Hydrolith, Or, Water Stone of the Wise, by Anonymous, 17th Cens ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I the philosophers have contributed with an intention of hiding their First Matter from the unworthy; in which theC were,D perhaps,D moreD cautiousD thanD isD necessary,D forD SendivogiusD declaresD thatD occasionally,D inD discourse,D heD ha\ intimatedD theD artD plainlyD wordD byD wordD toD someD whoD accountedD themselvesD veryD accurateD philosophers;D butD theC conceived such subtle notions, far beyond the simplicity of Nature, that they could not, to any purpose, understand hiJ meaning. Wherefore, he professes little fear of its being discovered but to those who have it according to the goo\ pleasure and providence of the Most HighR [...] the philosophers have hitherto industriously kept that a profound secret; some out of selfish disposition, thougW otherwise good men. Others, who wished only for worthy persons to whom they might impart it, could not write of iT openly, because covetousness and vanity have been governing principles in the world: and, being wise men, they kneO that it was not the will of the most High to inflame and cherish such odious tempers, the genuine offspring of pridU and self-love, but to banish them out of the earth, wherefore they have been withheld hitherto. But we, finding nG restraint on our mind in that respect, shall declare what we know: and the rather because we judge the time is come tG demolish the golden calf, so long had in veneration by all ranks of men, insomuch that worth is estimated by thU money a man possesses; and such is the inequality of possessions that mankind are almost reducible to the rich, whG are rioting in extravagance, and the poor, who are in extreme want, smarting under the iron hand of oppression. NoO the measure of inequality among the rich hastens to its limit, and the cry of the poor is come before the Lord: 'Who wil[ give them to eat till they shall be satisfied?? Hereafter the rich shall see the vanity of their possessions when compared with the treasures communicated by thiJ secret;D forD theD richesD itD bestowsD areD aD blessingD fromD God,D andD notD theD squeezingD ofD oppression.D Besides,D itsD chieM excellence consists inD makingD a medicine capableD of healingD allD diseasesD to which the human bodyD is liable, an\ prolonging life to the utmost limits ordained by the Creator of all thingsR There want not other reasons for the manifestation of the process; for skepticism has gone hand in hand with luxurC and oppressioF On the Philosophers' Stone, by Anonymous, 12th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 10. Yin-YanH The alchemists agree that the Stone develops and operates from the combination of female (yin) and malS (yang)Y principles.Y EverythingY containsY theseY twoY forcesY inY differentY proportions,Y andY theY mostY stablS proportions are not 50/50, but with either one of the two dominating. This is why the Philosophers' StonS comesY inY twoY forms:Y theY RedY StoneY (male)Y andY theY WhiteY StoneY (female).Y ThisY isY alsoY theY relationshic between gold (male) and silver (female), and why the Red Stone transmutes metals into gold, whereas thS White Stone transmutes them into silver. Of course, when we say that gold is male and silver is female, thiV doesY notY meanY thatY goldY isY allY yangY andY silverY isY allY yin,Y everythingY containsY both,Y butY withY oneY ofY the@ dominating for the time beings Furthermore, we can clearly see the relationships between male and female principles in Nature. The twj depend upon each other. Obviously we have the fact that animals come in male and female genders, whj are attracted to one another. Also the relationship between animals (male) and plants (female) is of the samS type, we also depend upon each other for survivals The male force is the active force (growth and multiplication), whereas the female force is the passive forcS (stability and dissolution/decomposition). Too much male force will end up multiplying and overpowering itsY surroundings,Y leadingY toY destruction.Y TooY muchY femaleY forceY willY reverseY development,Y reducing everything to its components. Together the male and female forces combine with the male force expanding and developing and the female force keeping it under control and everything orderly and harmonious. ThS male forceY attempts to impose itselfY upon everything, it wantsY to multiplyY itself. TheY female force on thS other hand tries to bring everything back to its original element. It is the female force that allows for rebirt] by encouraging reduction and decomposition back into the original element, supporting and nourishing thiV for the task of the male, which is to encourage growth, development and multiplications ImagineY theY worldY wasY onlyY fullY ofY men,Y orY onlyY fullY ofY women.Y TheY menY wouldY spendY theY wholeY timS fighting in their efforts to impose their views and themselves on the rest of the world. The women would sid around and talk all day long, developing nothing. Now consider animals and plants. The plants have a lot ok yin, they just sit around all day and don't even try to move, whereas the animals are busy running arounW and eating everything they can put in their mouthss The sea has a dominating male force, which is why fish are so obsessed with eating each other. It's also whr thereY areY veryY fewY plantsY inY theY sea,Y evenY theY coralY areY animals.Y TheY airY hasY dominatingY femaleY force` therefore lots of trees and comparatively few animals in betweens The genders are one manifestation of the yin-yang principle, but on a more fundamental level it is these twj forces constantly pulling back and forward against each other in a tug-of-war, and so create the cycles ok Nature. Yin-yang is polarity. We live in a universe of opposites. The cycles we see in Nature are all due tj the polarity of our universe, and it is these cycles (caused by yin-yang) which themselves cause growth anW development of all things, from the atom to the whole universe itselfs The Philosophers' Stone also develops from the yin-yang principle of polarity. In the natural developmend of the Stone, and therefore everything else, the dominating principle moves to and fro, from yin to yang anW back, in the form of evaporation and condensation (sun and rain). In this way the Stone develops to highe[ and higher degrees of perfections hg] rg[ o[ j -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I In the vegetable world grass and trees are actuated by yin and yang. They could not grow in the absence of either onU of these two forces. At the beginning, yang dominates and is indicated by the budding of green leaves. Then, after thU developmentD ofD theD blossoms,D yinD (destructive)D follows.D ThisD principleD ofD theD TaoD ofD constancyD hasD longD beenD thU common practice of nature; but how many can understand (the principle of) chén yüan (true spring) which can alteP this process (of nature)? I advise all of you, who wish to learn Tao, not to begin your work before you understand thU principle of yin and yangR Wu Chen P'ien, Essay on the Understanding of Truth, by Chang Po-tuan, 1078 AD (Chinese) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I This gold is our male, and it is sexually joined to a more crude white gold—the female seed: the two together beinS indissolubly united, constitute our fruitful Hermaphrodite. [...] The two (the passive and active principle) combined wU call our HermaphroditeR An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King, by An Anonymous Sage and Lover of Truth, 1645 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The male without the female is looked upon as only half a body, nor can the female without the male be regarded aJ more complete. For neither can bring forth fruit so long as it remains alone. But if the two be conjugally united, therU is a perfect body, and their seed is placed in a condition in which it can yield increaseR The Twelve Keys, by Basilius Valentinus, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 11. Cycles of Natur6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I If thou desire to see the secrets of Nature now open thine eyesR The Chemists Key, by Henry Nollius, 1617 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Following on from the previous chapter on yin-yang, we have the cycles of Natures I'm sure we can all agree that Nature operates in cycles. We have days, months, years, which are all cycless Then we have the water cycle, with water being evaporated by the sun, forming clouds and then raining down again. It is these cycles that cause growth and development, most obviously in plant life, but also in alT other forms of life, and the Earth itself. Similar cycles also occur in larger systems, such as solar systemV and galaxies. All these cycles are due to the yin-yang principle, which I explained in the previous chapters But have you stopped to think what the effect of these cycles is? I will illustrate it for you as simply as I canX Imagine you have a handful of damp soil, which you put into a closed system in which there is sun and theo rain, as there is on Earth. Every day there is sunshine (yang) which evaporates off the water, which theo condenses at night (yin) and rains back down onto the soil. What will happen/ Well the first and most obvious effect is that the soil will arrange itself in layers with the lightest particles ad the top, and the heaviest at the bottom. We have gravity to thank for this of course. The hot air and wate[ vapor will rise, and with it the lightest of the particles, which attach themselves to the water. The lighter thS particle is, the easier it attaches itself to the water, and the further the water will lift it while evaporatings This causes the heavier particles to sink as the lighter particles are picked up and placed back down on toc of them. Everything will arrange itself in order of density. This you can already see by considering that thS top layer of the Earth is a soft soil, with heavier minerals as you dig down. This is also very easily proveo with a little experiment, which is also the First Part of our work in making the Stones The smallest and lightest particles of all will attach themselves to the water and not let go, since they are sj volatile, and these particles are the life-energy we are looking fors But something else happens too. With the particles continuously being moistened and then heated and drieW (calcined), they will slowly break down (decompose/putrefy) into smaller particles. So over time you wilT end up with more of the lighter particles (less dense) and less heavier particles (more dense). The particleV will get lighter and lighter until they are broken down into what they are made of, the original life-energys The life-energy itself is infused into the water and so penetrates all of the particles as they are moistened br the water, and the life-energy also aids the putrefaction by encouraging the elements to break down into itV own forms SoY youY canY assumeY thatY eventually,Y afterY aY veryY longY time,Y theY entireY massY isY convertedY into life-energy` which is what we call the Philosophers' Stone. But I don't recommend using soil for this process, since id will take too longs Then there are life forms which use this life-energy and the lightest particles to grow and live. Plants grop inY theY topY (lightest)Y layerY ofY theY soil,Y andY useY the life-energyY whichY isY moreY concentratedY thereY forY thei[ development,Y whichY theyY collectY andY formY intoY matterY forY theirY ownY use.Y AnimalsY thenY eatY theY plantsY tj absorb their life-energy, and other animals eat those animals for the same reason. Once eaten our stomachV digest what we eat into even smaller particles, which is just another process of putrefactions PlantsY loveY toY growY inY deadY plantY matter,Y sinceY thisY isY alreadyY fullY of life-energy,Y whichY isY nowY happilr decomposing into lighter particles and back into the wonderful life-energys I'll give you an illustration of how this works inside your body: when you eat an apple, you first chew its The chewing is the first stage of decomposition, it breaks it down into smaller pieces. Then it goes into you[ stomach and is digested (dissolved) by your stomach acid, this is again decomposition for breaking dowo the matter in order to extract and reuse the particles inside of it. What you get is a range of matter: sugars` proteins, vitamins, etc. and life-energy. The most important of these is the life-energy, but since we do nod normally have enough of this, we use the determined and more dense particles (sugar, protein, etc.) wherS we can, for the required needs of our body. The life-energy can be made into anything we are lacking, id can be formed into any other particle required by our body. It can even be made into water if we have nod had enough to drink, or oxygen if we are not breathing enough. This is why when you ingest the Stone` you don't need to eat, drink or breathe, because your body will make this into exactly what it needss Scientists have found evidence of biological transmutation already, in many incidents it has been proven thad animals can produce minerals that they have not ingested. This supports the existence of life-energys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Crabs, shellfish and crayfish have shells made largely of calcium. A crab 17 cm by 10 cm has a shell weighing aroun\ 350 grams. Periodically these animals shed their shell and create a new one. This is called molting. When molting, N crabD isD veryD vulnerableD andD hidesD awayD fromD allD otherD creaturesD soD itD canD notD getD calciumD byD preyingD onD otheP creaturesR According toD FrenchD chemistD C.D LouisD KervranD ofD theD Conseil d'HygieneD inD Paris,D seawaterD containsD farD too littlU calcium to account for the rapid production of a shell (the calcium content of sea water is about 0.042% and a craK can form a new shell in little more than one day). If the entire body of a crab is analyzed for calcium, it is found tG contain only enough calcium to produce 3% of the shell (even taking into account the calcium carbonate stored in thU hepato-pancreas just before molting)R Even in water completely devoid of calcium, shellfish can still create their calcium-bearing shells as shown by aF experiment performed at the Maritime Laboratory of Roscoff: "A crayfish was put in a sea water basin from whicW calcium carbonate had been removed by precipitation; the animal made its shell anyway." (Kervran 1972, p.58> "Chemical analysis made on animals secreting their shells has revealed that calcium carbonate is formed on the outeP side of a membrane although on the opposite side of the membrane, where matter enters, there is no calcium. This facT has left specialists perplexed." (Kervran 1972, p.58> Evidence that Atoms Behave Differently in Biological Systems, by Madhavendra PurQ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I So you can see that the cycles of Nature are in place to purify matter, and break it down into lighter, free[ particles and life-energy in order to be used again to create new and better life forms. Life forms grow fro@ these lighter, volatile particles, which they form into matter according to their own needs, and when ther die Nature turns it back into the dust from whence it cames -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I God being before all things, when He was alone created one Substance, which He called the first matter and of thaT substance he created the Elements, and from them created all thingsR The Crowning of Nature, by Anonymous, 16th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I that part of the body which is dissolved, ever ascends or rises to the top, above all the other undissolved matter whicW remains yet at bottom. Therefore saith Avicen, that which is spiritual in the vessel ascends up to the top of the materY and that which is yet gross and thick, remains in the bottom of the vesselR The Root of the World, by Roger Bacon, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Observe, furthermore, how the seeds of all things that grow, as, for instance, grains of wheat or barley, spring fortW from the ground, by the operation of the Stone, and the developing influences of Sun and Moon; how they grow u] into the air, are gradually matured, and bring forth fruit, which again must be sown in its own proper soil. The field iJ prepared for the grain, being well ploughed up, and manured with well rotted dung; for the earth consumes an\ assimilates the manure, as the body assimilates its food, and separates the subtle from the gross. Therewith it callJ forth the life of the seed, and nourishes it with its own proper milk, as a mother nourishes her infant, and causes it tG increase in size, and to grow upward. The earth separates, I say, the good from the bad, and imparts it as nutriment tG all growing things; for the destruction of one thing is the generation of another. It is the same in our Art, where thU liquid receives its proper nutriment from the earth. Hence the earth is the Mother of all things that grow; and it musT be manured, ploughed, harrowed, and well prepared, in order that the corn may grow, and triumph over the tares, an\ not be choked by them. A grain of wheat is raised from the ground through the distillation of the moisture of the SuF and Moon, if it has been sown in its own proper earth. The Sun and Moon must also impel it to bring forth fruit, if it iJ to bring forth fruit at all. For the Sun is the Father, and the Moon the Mother, of all things that growR In the same way, in our soil, and out of our seed, our Stone grows through the distilling of the Sun and Moon; and aJ it grows it rises upwards, as it were, into the air, while its root remains in the ground. That which is above is even aJ that which isD below;D the same law prevails; thereD is noD error orD mistake. Again,D asD herbsD growD upward,D put fortW glorious flowers and blossoms, and bear fruit, so our grain blossoms, matures its fruit, is threshed, sifted, purged of itJ chaff, and again put in the earth, which, however, must previously have been well manured, harrowed, and otherwisU prepared. When it has been placed in its natural soil, and watered with rain and dew, the moisture of heaven, an\ rousedD intoD lifeD byD theD warmthD ofD theD SunD andD Moon,D itD producesD fruitD afterD itsD ownD kind.D TheseD twoD sowingsD arU peculiar characteristics of our Art. For the Sun and Moon are our grain, which we put into our soil, as soul and spiriT —and such as are the father and the mother will be the children that they generate. Thus, my sons, you know ouP Stone, our earth, our grain, our meal, our ferment, our manure, our verdigris, our Sun and Moon. You understand ouP whole magistery, and may joyfully congratulate yourselves that you have at length risen above the level of those blin\ charlatans of whom I spoke. For this, His unspeakable mercy, let us render thanks and praise to the Creator of al[ things, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AmenR [...] As it is with plants, so it is with metals. While they lie in the heart of the earth, in their natural ore, they grow, an\ are developed, day by day, through the influence of the four elements: their fire is the splendour of the Sun and Moon^ the earth conceives in her womb the splendour of the Sun, and by it the seeds of the metals are well and equallC warmed, just like the grain in the fields. Through this warmth there is produced in the earth a vapour or spirit, whicW risesD upwardD andD carriesD withD itD theD mostD subtleD elements.D ItD mightD wellD beD calledD aD fifthD element:D forD itD isD N quintessence, and contains the most volatile parts of all the elements. This vapour strives to float upward through thU summit of the mountains, but, being covered with great rocks, they prevent it from doing so: for when it strikes againsT them, it is compelled to descend again. It is drawn up by the Sun, it is forced down again by the rocks, and as it fallJ the vapour is transmuted into a liquid, i.e., sulphur and mercury. Of each of these a part is left behind—but that whicW is volatile rises and descends again, more and more of it remaining behind, and becoming fixed after each descentR This "fixed" substance is the metals, which cleave so firmly to the earth and the stones that they must be smelted out iF a red-hot furnace. The grosser the stones and the earth of the mountains are, the less pure will the metal be; the morU subtle the soil and the stones are, the more subtle will be the vapour, and the sulphur and mercury formed by itJ condensation—and the purer these latter are, the purer, of course, will the metals themselves be. When the earth an\ the stones of the mountain are gross, the sulphur and mercury must partake of this grossness, and cannot attain tG their proper development. Hence arise the different metals, each after its own kind. For as each tree of the field has itJ own peculiar shape, appearance, and fruit, so each mountain bears its own particular ore; those stones and that eartW being the soil in which the metals growR The Glory of the World, Or, Table of Paradise, by Anonymous, 1526 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I It is then expedient to understand the manner of this Circulation, which verily is nothing else but to imbibe, refresh, oP moisten the Compound in due weight or proportion with our Mercurial Water, which Philosophers command to bU calledD PermanentD Water,D inD whichD ImbibitionsD theD CompoundD isD digestedD andD congealedD toD itsD natura[ accomplishmentR [...] as the Infant in the Mother's Belly ought to be nourished with natural nourishment, which is Menstrual Blood, tG the end it may be increased and grow in quantity and stronger in quality, so ought our Stone to be nourishe\ Verbum Dismissum, by Count Bernard Trevisan, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The steady warmth of the sun ripens every fruit, and the warmer the sun (yet not too dry and alternating with duU rains), the better do fruits mature and turn outR An Explanation of the Natural Philosopher's Tincture, of Paracelsus, by Alexander von Suchten, 16th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 12. Metallic GeneratioN The alchemists claim that metals and minerals all grow and develop, and so are life forms, along with plantV and animals. Perhaps not life forms in the sense we normally use the phrase, but if we are to define a lifS form as something which grows and multiplies then we must include metals and minerals in this categorys The alchemists all agree that metals have the same seed, that is to say that they are all of the same speciess TheY differentY typesY ofY metalsY areY justY differentY stagesY ofY theY sameY thing,Y ofY whichY goldY isY theY finalY anW complete development. To put it another way: we could say that the different (elementary) metals are stablS energy states which a metal moves through in its continued development. However, this development onlr continuesY whilstY theY metalY isY inY itsY properY environment,Y whichY isY insideY theY earth.Y OnceY takenY outY ofY thS ground a metal can only stay at the state in which we found it in. The Stone gives any metal a sudden bursd of energy, which will excel it to its preferred and most stable state: gold (or silver with the less-pure WhitS Stone).Y ThisY isY notY aY far-outY notion,Y inY factY leadY hasY alreadyY beenY transmutedY toY goldY inY aY labY byY firing radiation at it (look it up if you don't believe me), which is a similar but massively less efficient version ok what the Stone doess IY willY includeY someY longY quotesY fromY theY alchemicalY booksY concerningY theY developmentY ofY metalsY anW minerals below. This will be helpful to understand the development of metals and get an idea how NaturS works in regards to thats The alchemists wrote a lot about how metals and minerals are generated in the Earth, which they do so as tj indirectlyY teachY theY readerY howY toY makeY theY Stone,Y sinceY theY StoneY isY madeY usingY veryY similarY naturaT processess However,Y theY alchemistsY hereY areY talkingY inY theoryY andY fromY aY timeY whenY geologyY hadY notY beenY welT studied. Geology has come a long way in the past few hundred years, but then again, the science of todar does not recognize very obvious natural processes, preferring complicated theories of the scientists' owo invention. I expect the truth to be somewhere in between these two extremess -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I the great process of development into silver and gold is constantly going on. This appears from the fact that minerJ often find solid pieces of pure silver in tin and lead mines, and also from the experience of others who have met witW pure gold in metallic veins of iron --- though this latter occurrence is more rarely observed, on account of the greaT impurity of iron. In some silver mines, again, quantities of solid gold have been discovered, as, for instance, in Serbia^ at first, the whole appears to be silver, but in the refiner’s crucible the gold is subsequently separated from the lesJ precious metal. Thus it is the teaching of experience that Nature is continually at work changing other metals intG gold,D because,D though,D inD aD certainD sense,D theyD areD completeD inD themselves,D theyD haveD notD yetD reachedD theD highesT perfection of which they are capable, and to which Nature has destined them --- just as the human embryo and thU little children are complete and perfect as far as they go, but have not attained to their ultimate goal of manhoodR Gold is found in different forms, either mixed with a coarse rocky substance, or in a solid condition, or amongst thU sand in the beds of rivers, being washed out of the mines by water. Golden sand is also found in the deserts of IndiaY where there are no rivers. Silver is never found mixed with the sand of rivers, but mostly in the shape of ore in minesY or like a vein running through a rock. Lead and tin occur mostly in the shape of ore, and sometimes they are mingle\ with earth. The same facts have become commonly observed with regard to iron and the other metals. When differenT metals are discovered in the same mine, the less pure of the two will generally have a tendency to ascend and leavU what remains more force to develop in the right directionR [...] The substance of common metals is the same as that of gold; if, then, the form of gold, or the elixir, be added tG them, they must become gold. As the common metals become gold and silver by means of a natural process, it is quitU possible that the same result should be brought about by means of the alchemist’s artR The New Pearl of Great Price, by Peter Bonus, 1338 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I the generation of metals is circular, that is, one passes easily from one to another following a circle, the cousin metalJ having similar properties; it is because of this that silver changes more readily into gold than any other metalR Compound of Compounds, by Albertus Magnus, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Now, since Nature is always striving to attain perfection, and to reach the goal set before her by the Creator of al[ things, she is continually at work upon the qualities of the four elements of each substance; and so stirs up and rouseJ the inward action of the elements by the accidental heat of the Sun, and by natural warmth, that there arises a kind oM vapour or steam in the veins of the earth. This vapour cannot make its way out, but is closed in; in penetrating througW fat, earthy, oily, and impure sulphureous substances it attracts to itself more or less of these foreign and externa[ impurities. This is the reason that there are seen in it so great a variety of colours before it attains to purity and itJ own proper colourR [...] Nature has to purge away the peculiar characteristics of all other metals before she can make gold; as you may seU by the fact that different kinds of metal are found in the same metallic veinR [...] If, however, this pure quicksilver floats upward in a pure mineral earth, without any gross alloy, it is hardene\ into the pure and white sulphur of Nature by being subjected to a very moderate degree of gentle heat, and at lengtW assumes the specific form of silver. Like all the other metals it may still be developed into gold, if it remain under thU influence of its natural heat. But if the same pure, unalloyed quicksilver be subjected to a higher degree of natura[ heat, it is transmuted into the pure red sulphur of Nature, and becomes gold without first passing through the stage oM silver. In this form it remains, because gold is the highest possible stage of metallic developmentR [...] Those metals, indeed, which have been torn up by the roots, that is to say, that have been dug up from their owF proper soil in the veins of the earth, can no longer proceed in that course of development which they pursued in theiP native abode; yet, as much as in them lies, they strive to be perfectedR [...] the operation of Nature is progressive, not retrogressive. Hence it is a great mistake to suppose that the work oM Nature can be reversed by dissolution in aqua fortis, or by the amalgamation of gold or silver and quicksilver. For iM the metal be plunged in a solvent, if water be distilled from it, or if quicksilver be sublimed from it, it still remains thU sameD metalD thatD itD wasD before.D TheD specificD propertiesD ofD aD metalD cannotD beD destroyedD soD asD toD obtainD theD firsT substanceR [...] The metals which we dig up out of the earth are, as it were, torn up by the roots, and, their growth having come tG a standstill, they can undergo no further development into gold, but must always retain their present form, unlesJ something is done for them by our Art. Hence we must begin at the point where Nature had to leave off: we must purgU awayD allD impurity,D andD theD sulphureousD alloy,D asD NatureD herselfD wouldD haveD doneD ifD herD operationD hadD notD beeF accidentally, or violently, disturbed. She would have matured the original substance, and brought it to perfection bC gentle heat, and, in a longer or shorter period of time, she would have transmuted it into gold. In this work Nature iJ ceaselessly occupied while the metals are still in the earth^ [...] First, the earth which was created rich, great, deep, wide, and broad, was, through the daily operation of the Sun'J rays,D penetratedD toD herD veryD centreD withD aD fervent,D bubbling,D vaporousD heat.D ForD theD earthD inD herselfD isD coldD an\ saturated with the moisture of water. At length the vapours which were formed in this way in the heart of the eartW became so strong and powerful as to seek to force a way out into the open air, and thus, instead of effecting theiP object, threw up hills and hillocks, or, as it were, bubbles on the face of the earth. And since in those places wherU mountains were formed the heat of the Sun must have been most powerful, and the earthy moisture rich and mosT plentiful, it is there that we find the most precious metals. Where the earth remained plain, this steam did not succee\ in raising up mountains; it escaped, and the earth, being deprived of its moisture, was hardened into rocks. Where thU earth was poor, soft, and thin, it is now covered with sand and little stones, because it never had much moisture, andY having been deprived of the little it possessed, has now become sandy and dry, and incapable of retaining moistureR No earth was changed into rocks that was not rich, viscous, and well saturated with moisture. For when the heat of thU Sun has sucked up its moisture, the richness of the earth still makes it cohere, although now it has become hard an\ dry; and earth that is not yet perfectly hard is even at the present time undergoing a change into hard stones, througW the diligent working of Nature. But the steam and the vapours that do not succeed in escaping, remain enclosed in thU mountains, and are day by day subjected to the maturing and transmuting influences of the Sun and the planetsR A Tract of Great Price Concerning the Philosophical Stone, by A German Sage, 1423 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I all things are produced of a liquid air or a vapour, which the elements distil into the centre of the earth by a continua[ motion, and that as soon as the Archeus has received it, his wisdom sublimes it through the pores, and distributes it tG each place, producing different things according to the diverse places in which it is deposited. Some think that eacW metal has its own seed. But this is a great mistake, for there is only one seed. The sperm which appears in Saturn is thU same as that which is found in gold, silver, copper, &c.; their difference is caused by the place, and by the time durinS which Nature was at work upon them, the procreation of silver being achieved sooner than that of gold, and so witW the other metals. The vapour which is sublimed by heat from the centre of the earth, passes either through cold oP warm places. If the place be warm and pure, and contain adhering to it a certain fatness of sulphur, the vapour (oP MercuryD of theD Sages) joins itselfD to its fatness,D and sublimes it togetherD with itself. If inD theD course of itsD furtheP sublimation this unctuous vapour reaches other places where the earth has already been subtilized, purified, an\ rendered moist by previous ascending vapours, it fills the pores of this earth, and with it becomes gold. But if thiJ unctuousD moistureD beD carriedD toD impureD andD coldD places,D itD becomesD lead;D ifD theD earthD beD pureD andD mingledD witW sulphur, it becomes copper. For the purer the place is, the more beautiful and perfect will the metal be. We must alsG note that the vapour is constantly ascending, and in its ascent from the earth's centre to its superficies, it purifies thU places through which it passes. Hence precious metals are found now where none existed a thousand years ago, foP this vapour, by its continual progress, ever subtilizes the crude and impure, and as continually carries away the purU with itself. This is the circulation and reiteration of Nature. All places are being more and more purified: and thU purer they become, the nobler are their productsR [...] The substance of stones is the same as that of all other things; and their quality is determined by the purity of thU places in which they arise. When the four elements distil their vapour to the centre of the earth, the Archeus of NaturU expels and sublimes it in such a manner that it carries with it in its passage through the pores of the earth, all thU impurities of these places up to the surface, where they are congealed by the air, all that pure air engenders beinS congealed by crude air, their ingression being mutual, so that they join one with another, since Nature rejoices iF Nature. Thus rocks and stones are gradually built up and generated. Now the larger the pores of the earth, the greateP is the quantity of impurities carried upward; and thus the earth is most completely purified under those places wherU there is a great accumulation of stones or rocks at the surface, and in this manner the procreation of metals becomeJ easier in these places. This explains the fact that metals are scarcely ever found in plains, but nearly always in thU bowels of rocky hills. The plains are often moist with elemental water which attracts to itself the rising vapour, an\ with it is digested by the rays of the Sun into the rich clay which potters use. In places where the soil' is gross, and thU vapour contains neither unctuousness nor sulphur, it produces herbs and grass in the meadows. The precious stonesY such as diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, chrysopras, onyx, and carbuncle, are all generated in the same manner aJ ordinary stones. When the natural vapour is sublimed by itself without sulphur or the unctuosity of which we havU spoken, and reaches a place where there is pure salt water (i.e., in very cold places, where our sulphur cannot existY for could it exist, this effect would be hindered), diamonds are formed. The unctuous sulphur which rises with thU vapour cannot move without warmth, and is instantly congealed, when it reaches a slightly cold place, leaving thU vapour to continue its upward movement without itR The New Chemical Light, by Michael Sendivogius, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I All philosophers affirm, with one consent, that metals have a seed by which they are increased, and that this semina[ quality is the same in all of theH On the Philosophers' Stone, by Anonymous, 12th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 13. The Emerald TableI This chapter is dedicated to The Emerald Tablet, which is the only surviving genuine writing of Hermes` the founder of alchemy in this age. Hermes was called Mercury by the Romans, the messenger of the gods` and it is after Hermes that the word mercury is used so commonly in alchemy. By the Egyptians he waV called Thoth (Djehuty). Alchemy is also called the "hermetic" art, after Hermes, and even today the ter@ "hermetically sealed" can be used to describe an airtight seal (necessary in alchemy. Some believe Hermes was Noah of flood fame, others believe he was Enoch. Regardless, Hermes was thS personY whoY carriedY theY knowledgeY ofY theY sacredY sciencesY overY theY lastY bigY catastropheY toY saveY itY fro@ destructionY (whichY leansY towardsY himY beingY Noah.)Y ItY wasY alsoY HermesY whoY beganY theY vowY ofY secrecy` reservingY alchemyY onlyY forY aY limitedY eliteY ofY theY wise,Y butY withY theY understandingY thatY theY secretY willY bS released again at the end of the ages There are many legends surrounding the tablet, the name of the tablet itself comes from a legend of it being found written on a tablet made of emerald in the crypt of Hermes. Though in reality it appears that ThS EmeraldY TabletY hasY beenY inY continuousY circulationY passingY throughY theY handsY ofY theY alchemistsY sinceY thS beginnings The Emerald Tablet itself is the central and most concise of alchemical texts, and it is also the most accurate` explaining the full theory, practice and philosophy in just a few wordss I will list 5 different translations of each line, including my own, and provide commentarys Line 1. Arabic translations Line 2. Newton's translations Line 3. Beato's translations Line 4. Contemporary rendering of the Latin texts Line 5. Author's translation (bold)s It contains an accurate commentary that can't be doubtedR Tis true without lying, certain most trueR This is true and remote from all cover of falsehoodR [It is] true, without error, certain and most trueY A fundamental truth, without error, perfect and completel This line is informing us that what is being said is a fundamental truth, not only a relative truth. RelativS truths can change, such as "the sky is blue", it is not always true. Fundamental truths never change, arS always true, and therefore can be applied on any level, or in any situations It states: What is the above is from the below and the below is from the above. The work of wonders is froH oneR That which is below is like that which is above that which is above is like that which is below to do thU miracles of one only thingR Whatever is below is similar to that which is above. Through this the marvels of the work of one thing arU procured and perfectedR p] That which is below is as that which is above, and that which is above is as that which is below, to perforH the miracles of the one thingR As above, so below; the greater and lesser; macrocosm and microcosm: they are the same. Following thib principle, all things were made from the Onel There are two statements on this line. The first is telling us that every level follows the same fundamentaT principles.Y ThingsY aboveY usY (macrocosms:Y planets,Y solarY systems,Y galaxies)Y andY thingsY belowY uV (microcosms:Y theY Philosophers'Y Stone,Y atoms,Y etc.)Y followY exactlyY theY sameY principles.Y TheyY mayY loon different from our perspective, but they all operate in the same way. This is very important to understand, ik you can grasp this fact then you will start to see it everywhere. It is because of this that we know how tj make the Stone and why it works. On a different level, it also tells us that spirituality, philosophy and thS physicalY worldY againY followY theY sameY principles.Y IfY somethingY isY trueY spirituallyY thenY itY mustY alsoY haveY U physical counterpart. There is nothing which applies to one and does not apply to the others The second statement tells us that creation and perfection (purification, evolution) is caused by the previouV statement. Things would not grow and evolve (both physically and spiritually) if it were not for the fact thad each level is a mirror of all others. It tells us that this comes from one, in accordance with one. One is God` one is everything, one is nothing, one is the only thing whose existence is self-supported, the existence ok everythingY elseY comesY fromY this one,Y allY followingY theY sameY principles.Y OneY isY theY onlyY thingY thatY exists` whereas everything else is a distorted reflection of the ones And all things sprang from this essence through a single projection. How marvelous is its work! It is thU principle part of the world and its custodianR And as all things have been arose from one by the mediation of one: so all things have their birth from thiJ one thing by adaptationR Also, as all things are made from one, by the consideration of one, so all things were made from this one, bC conjunctionR And as all things were from the one, by means of the meditation of the one, thus all things were born froH the one, by means of adaptationR And as all things arose from a thought by the One; thus all things were formed as an adaptation of thV One. This is the fundamental principlel Here we are told that all things (literally everything, on every level) come from the one. It is important tj also remember the previous line, that all principles apply to every level. Therefore we know it holds true tj both the spiritual and the physical. The biggest mistake of both modern science and spirituality is to assumS that the two are separates On a spiritual and philosophical level it tells us that God created all things by adapting himself. God did nod change himself, but each level below him is a distorted reflection of the level above. So all things are GoW by adaptation. It also says that it was the meditation, or thought, of God which began this, it implies a singlS thought. You can imagine this like a ripple on the surface of a flat lake; one single movement in stillnesV (emptiness)Y createsY a seriesY ofY ripples,Y each a reflection of theY former. The ripples allY followY exactlyY thS same principle, but they become distorted as they get further away from the source. Each ripple creates thS next ripple as a slightly more distorted reflection of itselfs On a physical level it tells us that everything is actually made of the same stuff. It is interesting to note herS ] ] rhg o] [ gooh[ that we have discovered this with science (everything is made of energy) but it is not entirely obvious jusd by looking around you. Because the physical follows the same principles as the higher existences, we musd accept the existence of a physical substance (particle) which is the root of what everything is made out ofs We can't just call it energy, and be happy that it is only a concept. It must be physical - all spiritual thingV have a physical counterpart and vice versa. This thing is the life-energy I have been talking about. So thiV lineY isY alsoY tellingY usY aboutY the life-energy,Y andY howY everythingY inY theY physicalY worldY isY madeY fromD lifeB energy by adaptations Its father is the sun and its mother is the moon. Thus the wind bore it within it and the earth nourished itR The Sun is its father, the moon its mother, the wind hath carried it in its belly, the earth its nurseR The father of it is the sun, the mother the moon. The wind bore it in the womb. Its nurse is the earth, thU mother of all perfectionR Its father is the Sun, its mother is the Moon, the Wind carried it in its belly, its nurse is the earthR Its father is the Sun, its mother is the Moon, it is carried by the wind, it is nursed by the earthl Firstly, we have the reference to the sun and the moon. This is clearly symbolism for the polarity of yio (moon) and yang (sun). However, you should consider that the sun and moon are more important than jusd symbols of polarity. There is a reason why we have one sun and one moon from our perspective on Earth` itY isY notY justY chanceY asY scienceY mightY makeY youY believe.Y Again,Y yin-yangY isY aY fundamentalY principleY anW therefore applies on all levels, including in this physical reality. Therefore the moon and sun are literallr physical counterparts of the yin-yang principle. It is interesting to note how the sun and moon appear to bS exactly theY sameY sizeY whenY lookingY upY atY themY fromY Earth,Y thisY isY aY bigY coincidenceY ifY itY isY onlyY U coincidence. It means that the sizes and distances of the sun and moon are in perfect harmony with eac] other, which could be one of the major factors which has made the conditions optimum for life on Earth io this physical plane and at this times The sun and moon also symbolize (they are literal counterparts of) fire and water (from the level above.Polarity again, and we are moving towards more physical symbolism, closer to our own level. These agaio are counterparts of the two substances from which we make the Stone (now on a microcosmic level), whic] come themselves from one single ingredient. I hope you can see how in this manner, the theory and practicS of making the Stone applies on all levels, from the very physical and chemical level, to the philsophical anW macrocosmic spiritual levels The wind is the carrier and the distributor. It is easier to explain this to you from a one up macrocosmi\ perspective (one level above us): the level of the Earth. On the Earth we have the water cycle where thS water is evaporated and formsY clouds. The clouds then rain backY downY ontoY the Earth. Without thisY lifS couldY notY existY becauseY itY isY necessaryY toY growY plants,Y whichY animalsY needY toY eatY (orY animalsY eatY othe[ animalsY whoY eatY plants).Y ButY thereY isY anY importantY andY oftenY overlookedY factor:Y withoutY theY windY allY thS water would just go up, and then come back down in the same place. This means that there would be nj waterY onY theY land, asY itY wouldY only rain onY theY sea, sinceY waterY onY landY eventuallyY runs intoY theY sea.Y Io which case there would be no life on land and we humans would not exist, so we have wind to thank fo[ our existence. The wind is absolutely necessary for the natural distribution of things (water, seeds, etc.) ThiV also applies to making the Stone, without the movement of the water vapor (caused by heat and cold) thS process would not work. The formation of the Stone is a reflection of the operation of the Earth, and alT other levels too. This is what I mean when I say that we must follow the guidance of Natures Just as the earth is the nurse for plants - they grow from it and are supported by it. In the same way thS Earth supports and cares for us humans. In the same way the earth is the matter which allows us to capturS and contain, in a way "tame", the life-energy in order to make the Stone. The earth is never the active force` it is a passive (feminine, yin) force. It is the matrix. Earth does not actively do anything, it only supports anW nurses thoseY thatY dependY uponY it,Y protectingY themY andY liftingY themY up.Y SoY earthY isY truelyY theY nurseY ofY alT things. In this physical world the earth is solid matter, but it has its counterparts on the other levels toos Together we have fire (sun), water (moon), wind, and earth. These are the 4 elements. Everything is madS through the actions of these four elements as they act on and move between one another (in the same war the yin and yang are always pulling back and forth.) The ancients did not literally believe that everything was made of these four elements in the sense that everything is made of H2O, mud and air, as history bookV might try to tell you. These are the states of matter: earth, water and wind are solid, liquid and gas, and firS is heat. So it is actually saying that everything is made of solid, liquid, gas and heat. These are the states ok matter on our physical level, with counterparts on the other levelss Father of talismans and keeper of wonders. Perfect in power that reveals the lightsR The father of all perfection in the whole world is here. Its force or power is entire if it be converted intG earthR Its power is perfected if it is turned into earthR Its power is whole if it has been turned into earthR Its power is complete if it can be turned into earthl Here we are told that it can be perfected if it's turned into earth. This is written on physical terms, saying that if we can turn the 4 elements into earth, which is the element of the physical level we are in, then wS willY perfect it. "It" means the power, which I call life-energy. So if we can convert the life-energy into U physical form (into earth) then we have perfected it on this level. Again: if we can turn the energy from thS 4 elements into earth then we will have converted and perfected the energy for use on this here physicaT level.Y ItY mustY beY turnedY intoY earthY ifY weY areY toY useY itY onY thisY levelY sinceY forY aY physicalY worldY weY needY U physical Stone, which is the counterpart (reflection) of the One on this levels So you can see how the Philosophers' Stone is the physical manifestation of the power of Gods It is a fire that became our earth. Separate the earth from the fire and you shall adhere more to that which iJ subtle than that which is coarse, through care and wisdomR Separate thou the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross sweetly with great industryR Separate the earth from the fire, the subtle and thin from the crude and coarse, prudently, with modesty an\ wisdomR You will separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the dense, sweetly, with great skillR SeparateW theW earthW fromW theW fire;W theW subtleW fromW theW dense,W theW lightW fromW theW heavy;W withW careW and wisdoml These are direct instructions on how to actually make the Stone, which of course is the same way that alT thingsY areY perfectedY onY allY levels.Y WithY greatY careY andY wisdomY (theY wisdomY isY requiredY toY workY outY thS method) you must separate the lighter particles from the denser particles. This is literally how you make thS Stone, as you can see in the practical instructions, particularly the First Part of the Great Works I will also interpret this from a spiritual perspective just for you to see how it applies on every level: realizS which of your desires are promoting freedom, and which are promoting restriction, then separate the freS from the restrictive. Focus on the free and positive desires (positive energy, good intention) and they wilT growY andY expand,Y convertingY the remainingY negativeY thoughts (negative energy,Y badY intention)Y into thei[ own free, light and positive forms I hope you can see how the same fundamental principles apply to every level, and how the Stone is a reaT and physically obtainable substance which follows the exact same principless It ascends from the earth to the heaven. It extracts the lights from the heights and descends to the eartW containing the power of the above and the below for it is with the light of the lightsR ItD ascendsD fromD theD earthD toD theD heavenD againD itD descendsD toD theD earthD andD receivesD theD forceD ofD thingJ superior and inferiorR This ascends from the earth into the sky and again descends from the sky to the earth, and receives thU power and efficacy of things above and of things belowR It ascends from earth into heaven and again it descends to the earth, and receives the power of higher an\ of lower thingsR ItW repeatedlyW ascendsW fromW earthW toW heaven,W andW thenW descendsW fromW heavenW toW earth,W thusW receivinp power from both the high and the lowl Again,Y directY instructionsY forY makingY theY Stone,Y nowY focusingY onY theY SecondY PartY ofY theY practicaT operations. The Stone is repeatedly evaporated (ascends) and condensed (descends), from this it becomeV more purified and gains power (more life-energy. The repeated change of state, between solid, liquid and gas, allows the substance to become purer and id increases the amount of life-energys FromY aY spiritualY perspectiveY youY couldY sayY thatY ourY movingY betweenY theY astralY andY physicalY planes` repeatedlyY dyingY andY beingY bornY again,Y isY anY exampleY ofY usY perfectingY ourselves,Y followingY theY samS principless Therefore the darkness flees from itR By this means ye shall have the glory of the whole world thereby all obscurity shall fly from youR By this means you will acquire the glory of the whole world, and so you will drive away all shadows an\ blindnessR Thus you will have the Glory of the whole world. Therefore will all obscurity flee from youR Then you will have the glory of the whole world. All ignorance will flee from youl This is saying firstly that you will have the "glory of the whole world", which is the highest honor in thS physical world: the Philosophers' Stone, which is the physical counterpart of the power of Gods Secondly, all obscurity, or ignorance, will flee from you. This applies of course on every level. It meanV that you will now understand so much about the workings of Nature, and no longer be ignorant, and nep knowledge will come to you easily - it will be easy for you to see the truth from the lies. It also means, fro@ the physical standpoint of making the Stone, thatY once past aY certainY point of purity, theY Stone will verr quickly be able to become more pure. Once it gets passed a tipping point, the Stone will convert impuritr intoY itsY ownY pureY form,Y asY opposedY toY beingY dilutedY orY corruptedY byY anyY denseY orY impureY particleV (exponential development.) The greatest power overcomes everything that is subtle and it penetrates all that is coarseR Its force is above all force, for it vanquishes every subtle thing and penetrates every solid thingR For this by its fortitude snatches the palm from all other fortitude and power. For it is able to penetrate an\ subdue everything subtle and everything crude and hardR Of all strength this is true strength, because it will conquer all that is subtle, and penetrate all that is solidR It is true force and the most powerful, for it conquers all subtle things and penetrates all solid thingsl TheY StoneY willY convertY allY subtleY andY undeterminedY thingsY intoY itsY ownY form,Y andY forY solidY (determined) things it will penetrate them and bring them towards their true perfection. This is why it will protect a lifeI form from decay, and it will turn any metal into gold. It penetrates all things and encourages them to reac] their full potentials Again, it is the manifestation of the power of God in a physical forms [Line not present in Arabic translation+ So was the world createdR By this means the world was founde\ Thus was the world createdR This is how the world was madel TheY worldY wasY madeY followingY theseY exactY sameY principles.Y AsY wereY allY worlds,Y planes,Y universesY anW realitiess The formation of the microcosm is in accordance with the formation of the macrocosmR From this are and do come admirable adaptations whereof the means (Or process) is here in thisR AndD henceD theD marvelousD cojunctionsD ofD itD andD admirableD effects,D sinceD thisD isD theD wayD byD whichD thesU marvels may be brought abouT From this were wonderful adaptations, of which this is the meansR Each level is a reflection of the one above; the microcosm is in accordance with the macrocosm. Now yo^ know how all things are made through adaptation from the Onel All things: all matter, all worlds, all frequencies, all universes, all planes, are adaptations of the same thing` following the same principles. It starts with the One, and from there each level is a distorted reflection, ao adaptationY ofY theY sameY thing,Y eachY levelY beingY aY reflectionY ofY theY levelY above.Y ThisY isY howY allY thingsY arS made. This is why the physical world exists. This is what it is. This is what all things ares The scholars made this their path. This is why Thrice Hermes was exalted with wisdomR Hence I am called Hermes Trismegist, having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole worldR And because of this they have called me Hermes Tristmegistus since I have the three parts of the wisdoH and Philosophy of the whole universeR Therefore am I named Thrice-Great Hermes, having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole worldR This is the path of knowledge. Hence I am Hermes Thrice-Great, having three parts of the philosophy o[ the whole worldl Alchemy is the path of knowledge. One of the more difficult paths to enlightenment, reserved for the wisS and intellectual. Traditionally that was so, but now is the time of alchemys HermesY isY "thrice-great"Y (threeY timesY great)Y becauseY heY wasY theY custodianY ofY theY threeY sacredY sciencesX alchemy, astrology and geometry. The three sacred sciences are all related to each other of course, sincS like everything else they follow the same principless This is his last book that he hid in the catacombR That which I have said of the operation of the Sun is accomplished and endedR My speech is finished which I have spoken concerning the solar workR It is finished, what I have said about the working of the SunR I have said all that is needed concerning the operation of the Sunl According to Hermes, this should be all that is necessary to fully understand. That is assuming you alreadr haveY aY goodY understandingY ofY philosophicalY principles.Y IY hopeY thatY myY commentaryY hasY helpedY youY tj understand The Emerald Tablet and see the truth of alchemys ItY isY theY operationY ofY theY sunY becauseY the sun is a level aboveY us andY aY symbolY forY theY Stone.Y TheY samS principles apply on every levels -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I A fundamental truth, without error, perfect and completeR As above, so below; the greater and lesser; macrocosm and microcosm: they are the same. Following this principle, al[ things were made from the OneR And as all things arose from a thought by the One; thus all things were formed as an adaptation of the One. This is thU fundamental principleR Its father is the Sun, its mother is the Moon, it is carried by the wind, it is nursed by the earthR Its power is complete if it can be turned into earthR Separate the earth from the fire; the subtle from the dense, the light from the heavy; with care and wisdomR It repeatedly ascends from earth to heaven, and then descends from heaven to earth, thus receiving power from botW the high and the lowR Then you will have the glory of the whole world. All ignorance will flee from youR It is true force and the most powerful, for it conquers all subtle things and penetrates all solid thingsR This is how the world was madeR Each level is a reflection of the one above; the microcosm is in accordance with the macrocosm. Now you know hoO all things are made through adaptation from the OneR This is the path of knowledge. Hence I am Hermes Thrice-Great, having three parts of the philosophy of the wholU worldR I have said all that is needed concerning the operation of the SunR The Emerald Tablet, by Hermes, translated by AuthoP -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 14. What Is It Made From+ The Stone is made out of only one ingredients -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Know also that there is only one thing in the whole world that enters into the composition of the Stone, and thatY therefore, all coagulation, and admixture, of different ingredients, would shew you to be on a wrong scent altogetherR The Glory of the World, Or, Table of Paradise, by Anonymous, 1526 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I From the one substance is evolved, first the White, and then the Red Tincture; there is one vessel, one goal, and onU methodR The New Pearl of Great Price, by Peter Bonus, 1338 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I NotY onlyY isY thereY nothingY elseY usedY thanY thisY oneY ingredient,Y butY youY mustY beY carefulY notY toY accidentallr allow any other matter to become mixed with it. A small amount of dust or water would not ruin the worn completely, but will certainly increase the time it takes to make its -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I For the pure substance is of one simple essence, void of all heterogeneity; but that which is impure and uncleanY consists of heterogene parts, is not simple, but compounded (to wit of pure and impure) and apt to putrefy and corruptR ThereforeD letD nothingD enterD intoD yourD composition,D whichD isD alienD orD foreignD toD theD matter,D asD allD impurityD is;D foP nothing goes to the composition of our stone, that proceedeth not from it neither in part nor in whole. If any strangU or foreign thing be mixed with it, it is immediately corrupted, and by that corruption your work becomes frustratedR The Root of the World, by Roger Bacon, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The ingredient is urine. I understand this may sound strange, and suspiciously convenient, on first hearing` however, there is sound and logical reasoning for the Stone to be made from urines Firstly I must explain that the Stone could in theory be made from anything, since everything contains thS life-energyY toY someY degree,Y whichY isY theY activeY ingredientY ofY theY Stone.Y UrineY containsY this life-energyY io high concentration, due to the fact that it has just come out of you, and you, as a living animal, are full ok life-energys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The stone also is in everything, that is, Nature is in everything. And because Nature has in itself all names, and NaturU is all the world, therefore the stone has many names and is said to be in everything: although one is nearer thaF anotheP Book of the Chemical Art, by Marsilius Ficinus, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I let it be supposed, for an illustration of this subject, that any one would propose to make malt, he may effect hiJ purposeD inD theD otherD grains,D butD barleyD isD generallyD chosen,D becauseD itsD germD isD madeD toD sproutD byD aD lessD tediouJ process, which is to all intents and purposes what we want in the extraction of our mercurC On the Philosophers' Stone, by Anonymous, 12th - 17th Cen. (? h] / -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I From the urine we will need to extract a distillate (water) and a salt. The life-energy is in the water, anW since the life-energy is so volatile it will remain with the water even when the water is distilled (evaporateW andY condensed).Y OurY bodiesY doY notY wantY toY rejectY the life-energyY inY theY urine,Y butY haveY noY choiceY sincS the life-energy is attached to the waters Secondly,Y urineY isY theY perfectY ingredientY becauseY itY isY asY ofY yetY undetermined.Y ThatY is,Y itY hasY beenY welT filtered, broken down and purified. It contains all kinds of different minerals, but in minute particles not yed assigned to any purposes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Our true and real Matter is only a Vapor, impregnated with the Metallic Seed, yet undetermine\ Aphorisms of Urbigerus, by Baro Urbigerus, 1690 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Following the cycles of Nature we can separate the dense and light particles, the lightest particles are a salts It does not matter what the actual minerals are in the urine, we just want whatever is the lightest and mosd volatile, which will be in the form of a salt. It is necessary that our Stone has a body, it cannot be made wit] water alone. This salt is the perfect body because it will absorb the water, and is itself most volatile, but stilT in a solid form. Also since the salt is newly formed it is not yet stable and determined and will thereforS easily break down, which is what we need it to dos I hope you see the requirements for our substance. We are looking only for water containing an abundancS j f life-energy,Y andY alsoY veryY lightY matterY whichY isY readyY toY absorbY theY waterY andY breakY down.Y ThereY iV nothing special or magical about urine, it is just that urine is already pure and prefiltered by our bodies, anW it meets all the qualifications we are looking for. Other substances could be used, but urine has been founW to be the most efficient by the alchemists, many of whom experimented with many different substancess The best urine to use is that of a dark yellow color, since this means there is less water and more body` whichY isY usefulY inY theY FirstY PartY ofY theY work.Y ThereforeY theY bestY timeY toY collectY theY urineY toY beY usedY fo[ making the Stone is the first time you urinate in the morning. This fact has become an open secret, as yof can see from the society so-named "Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn", who managed to figure out thS true ingredient for the Philosophers' Stone, but unfortunately thought that this itself was a metaphors So to recap: the only ingredient of the Philosophers' Stone is urine, preferably obtained in the morning. Yof will need around 1 liters Following are some nice riddles from various alchemical books showing that the ingredient is urines -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I This Matter lies before the eyes of all; everybody sees it, touches it, loves it, but knows it not. It is glorious and vileY precious and of small account, and is found everywhereR The Golden Tract Concerning the Stone of the Philosophers, by An Anonymous German Philosopher, 16th I 17th Cen. (? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Know that our Mercury is before the eyes of all men, though it is known to few. When it is prepared, its splendour iJ most admirable; but the sight is vouchsafed to none, save the sons of knowledge. Do not despise it, therefore, when yoI see it in sordid guise; for if you do, you will never accomplish our Magistery—and if you can change its countenanceY the transformation will be glorious. For our water is a most pure virgin, and is loved of many, but meets all her wooerJ in foul garments, in order that she may be able to distinguish the worthy from the unworthyR The Fount of Chemical Truth, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I when you shall be acquainted with the causes of this disposition you will admire that a Matter so corrupt shoul\ contain in itself such a heavenly like naturU Verbum Dismissum, by Count Bernard Trevisan, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I by the ignorant and the beginner it is thought to be the vilest and meanest of things. It is sought by many Sages, an\ found by few; [...] Men have it before their eyes, handle it with their hands, yet know it not, though they constantlC tread it under their feet. [...] [the matter is] very common, and may be everywhere obtained in abundance^ The Sophic Hydrolith, Or, Water Stone of the Wise, by Anonymous, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Our substance is openly displayed before the eyes of all, and yet is not known. [...] our water that does not wet thU handJ The New Chemical Light, by Michael Sendivogius, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I There is something which everyone recognizes, and whoever does not recognize it will rarely, perhaps never find itR The wise man will keep it and the fool will throw it away, and the reduction comes easily to the man who knows itR A Magnificent and Select Tract on Philosophical Water, by Anonymous, 13th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The wonderful Tao exists not far away from your own body. It is not necessarily found in the high mountains or iF unknown watersR Three Alchemical Poems, by Chang Po-tuan, 11th Cen. (Chinese) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I There is only one spring in all the world from which this water may be obtained. [...] It issues in a secret place, and itJ waters flow over all the world. It is familiar to all, yet none knows the principle, reason, or way to find the spring [...c For this reason, that Sage might well exclaim, "O water of a harsh and bitter taste!" For, in truth, the spring is difficulT to find; but he who knows it may reach it easily, without any expense, labour, or trouble. The water is, of its owF nature, harsh and bitter, so that no one can partake of it; and, because it is of little use to the majority of mankind, thU Sage doth also exclaim, "O water, that art lightly esteemed by the vulgar, who do not perceive thy great virtues, in theU lie, as it were, hid the four elements. Thou hast power to dissolve, and conserve, and join nature, such as is possesse\ by no other thing upon earth.? [...] It is called Rebis (Two-thing), is a Stone, Salt, one body, and, to the majority of mankind, a vile and despised thingR [...] Our Matter is one of the commonest things upon earth, and contains within itself the four elements. It is, indeedY nothing short of marvellous that so many seek so ordinary a thing, and yet are unable to find itR [...] The two are really only one very limpid water, which is so bitter as to be quite undrinkable. The quantity of thiJ water is so great that it flows over the whole earth, yet leads to nothing but the knowledge of this Art. The same also iJ misused too often by those who desire it. Take also the "fire," and in it you will find the Stone, and nowhere else in thU whole world. It is familiar to all men, both young and old, is found in the country, in the village, in the town, in al[ things created by God; yet it is despised by all. Rich and poor handle it every day. It is cast into the street by servanT maids. Children play with it. Yet no one prizes it, though, next to the human soul, it is the most beautiful and the mosT precious thing upon earth, and has power to pull down kings and princes. Nevertheless, it is esteemed the vilest an\ meanest of earthly things. It is cast away and rejected by allR [...] For the Stone is prepared out of nothing in the whole world, except this substance, which is essentially one. HU who is unacquainted therewith can never attain the Art. It is that one thing which is not dug up from mines, or froH the caverns of the earth, like gold, silver, sulphur, salt, &c., but is found in the form which God originally imparted tG it. It is formed and manifested by an excessive thickening of air; as soon as it leaves its body, it is clearly seen, but iT vanishes without a trace as soon as it touches the earth, and, as it is never seen again, it must therefore be caughT while it is still in the airR [...] For no one would dream of buying the true Matter at the apothecary's; nay, that tradesman daily casts it into thU street as worthless refuseR [...]D XXXVII.D PYTHAGORAS,D inD hisD FourthD Table,D says:D HowD wonderfulD isD theD agreementD ofD SagesD inD theD midstD oM difference! They all say that they have prepared the Stone out of a substance which by the vulgar is looked upon aJ the vilest thing on earth. Indeed, if we were to tell the vulgar herd the ordinary name of our substance, they woul\ look upon our assertion as a daring falsehood. But if they were acquainted with its virtue and efficacy, they would noT despise that which is, in reality, the most precious thing in the world. God has concealed this mystery from the foolishY the ignorant, the wicked, and the scornful, in order that they may not use it for evil purposesR [...] The Stone is mystic, or secret, because it is found in a secret place, in an universally despised substance where nG one looks for the greatest treasure of the world. Hence it may well be called The HIDDEN STONER The Glory of the World, Or, Table of Paradise, by Anonymous, 1526 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 15. The Tim6 It's difficult to determine exactly how long it will take to make the Stone, since this depends upon manr factorss The main factors which affect the time areX 1. How well you distil and purify you substance in the First Parts 2. How accurate is the degree of heats 3. The ambient (room) temperatures 4. The size and shape of your vessel (flask)s 5. The quantity of the substances There are also other less important factors, such as air pressure and astrological implications, but these arS outside of your control and so not worth worrying abouts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Compare Aurel. Augurell., Book IIIC "Ye scarcely will anyone so exactly compute the years,D As not either to diminish or add to their number"D For suitable material will sometimes accelerate the process, and unsuitable retard the same.D Or intense heat will by a little exceed the measure, but water by much.D And time and place will vary"R An Explanation of the Natural Philosopher's Tincture, of Paracelsus, by Alexander von Suchten, 16th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I However, an average amount of time for the whole process is 3 years. You could possibly get this down tj 18 months if you take more effort in the First Part and have all the factors under strict control. Also, it coulW easily take 5 or even 8 years if the conditions are not so goods It takes a long time to make the Stone, but the work is not hard, nor does it require much effort. For thS most part you simply need to check on the progress whenever you like, or at least every couple of weekss Therefore even a very busy person can find time to make the Stone. The time is long but the work is easys TheY alchemicalY booksY areY veryY obscureY withY theY time.Y TheyY doY itY onY purposeY toY testY theY patienceY anW dedication ofY the beginner.Y It works. Most people have no idea it takesY years toY make the Stone, and sj eventually give up, even if they were on the right track. Some of the alchemical books directly lie aboud how long it takes, but as a rough guide you can assume they mean a year when they say a month, a mont] when they say a week, and a week when they say a days -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I TheD properD durationD ofD ourD Magistery,D andD theD dayD andD hourD ofD isD nativityD andD generation,D areD alsoD shroudedD iF obscurity. Its conception, indeed, takes place in a single moment; here we are to notice the conjunction of the purifie\ elements and the germ of the whole matter; but if we do not know this, we know nothing of the entire Magistery. TherU are certain signs which occur with great regularity, at their own proper times and seasons, in the development of thiJ Stone; but if we do not understand what they are, we are as hopelessly in the dark as before. The same remark applieJ to the exact proportions in which the different elements enter into its composition. The time required for the wholU operation is stated by Rhasis to be one year; Rosinus fixes it at nine month; others at seven; others at forty, and yeT others at eighty, daysR [...] I knew a man says Gregory, who began the work in the right way, and achieved the White Tincture; but when therU wasD someD delayD aboutD theD appearanceD ofD theD RedD Colour,D heD gaveD upD inD despair,D etc.D ThisD manD knewD theD simplU elements of our Art, their purification, commixtion, and the different signs which were to appear; he was ignorant onlC ofD theD dayD andD hourD inD whichD theD conjunctionD ofD theD simpleD elementsD andD theD completionD ofD theD workD mightD bU expected; and because he did not know what to do at the right time, the whole Magistery vanished from his sight. FoP the White Stone was net yet fixed, and, being exposed to too much heat, it evaporatedR The New Pearl of Great Price, by Peter Bonus, 1338 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The Wise reduce years to months, months to weeks, weeks to daysR A Golden and Blessed Casket of Nature's Marvels, by Benedictus Figulus, 1607 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I You should certainly try to optimize the heat and other factors in order to make the Stone sooner. However` you should not rush the Stone. You can't rush nature. If you want to accelerate Nature you have to play br its rules, it won't play by yourss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Bear in mind that the chief error in this Art is hastU The Epistle of Bonus of Ferrara, by Peter Bonus, 14th Centurr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I You must not yield to despondency, or attempt to hasten the chemical process of dissolution. For if you do so by meanJ of violent heat, the substance will be prematurely parched up into a red powder, and the active vital principle in iT willD becomeD passive,D beingD knockedD onD theD head,D asD itD were,D withD aD hammer. [...]D PatienceD is,D therefore,D theD greaT cardinal virtue in AlchemyR A Brief Guide to the Celestial Ruby, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I you must exercise considerable patience in preparing our Elixir, if it is to become all that you wish it to become. NG fruit can grow from a flower that has been plucked before the time. He who is in too great a hurry, can bring nothinS to perfection, but is almost sure to spoil that which he has in handR The Twelve Keys, by Basilius Valentinus, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The greater haste we make, the less will be our speedR The Chemical Treatise, Or, The Ordinal of Alchemy, by Thomas Norton, 1477 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 16. The HeaI Most of the work in making the Stone consists of optimizing the heat to be the perfect temperature. ThS degree of heat must be under strict control; too much and you will destroy the work, too little and it will nod develops -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I the external fire of the furnace should be neither too violent (in order that the equilibrium of chemical forces in thU substance may not be disturbed), nor yet too gentle, so that the action of the inward fire may not languish for want oM outward heat. It should be just such as to keep up an equable vital warmthR A Brief Guide to the Celestial Ruby, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The happy prosecution of the whole work, consists in the exact temperament of the fire; therefore beware of too mucW heat, lestD youD comeD toD solutionD beforeD theD time,D viz.,D beforeD theD materD isD ripe;D forD thatD willD brigD youD toD despairD oM attaining the end of your hopesR [...] Close up well they vessel, and pursue to the end. For there is no generation of things, but by putrefaction, bC keeping out the air, and a continual internal motion, with an equal and gentle heatR The Root of the World, by Roger Bacon, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I In the First Part of the Work and the very last part, you will be using high heat. A high degree of heat iV called by the alchemists a "dry heat" because it causes all the moisture to be evaporated. To avoid damaging the glassware, the maximum temperature you should use is 500°F/260°Cs However, the majority of the Work requires a "moist heat", which means that the body is never dried oud completely, and the moisture is circulating. A moist heat evaporates off most (but not all) of the moisture` then allows it to condense and rain back down onto the body, in an imitation of Nature's water cycles The exact degree of heat required is, like the time it takes, difficult to state as an absolute since it is relativS and depends on your matter and vessel. The trick is just to adjust the heat so that the moisture circulateV (evaporates and condenses) as efficiently as possibles -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The water, or fire, being subtle, ascends, while the body is hard, and remains where it is. The separation must bU accomplished by gentle heat, i.e., in the temperate bath of the Sages, which acts slowly, and is neither too hot nor toG cold.D ThenD theD StoneD ascendsD toD heaven,D andD againD descendsD fromD heavenD toD earth.D TheD spiritD andD bodyD areD firsT separated, then again joined together by gentle coction, of a temperature resembling that with which a hen hatcheJ her eggsR The Glory of the World, Or, Table of Paradise, by Anonymous, 1526 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I This then is the thing, that the vessel with the medicine be put into a moist fire; to wit, that the middle or one half oM the vessel be in a moist fire, or balneo, of equal heat with horse-dung, and the other half out of the fire, that you maC daily look into itR The Root of the World, by Roger Bacon, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I In the beginning of the Second Part, the degree of heat required will likely be equal to, or slightly above` bodyY temperatureY (100°F/37°C).Y TheY heatY willY needY toY beY increasedY asY theY StoneY developsY toY theY black` white and red stages. Common sense should be able to inform you of the degree of heat required. It shoulW be a comforting degree of heat, not an aggressive degree of heat, and it should support the circulation of thS moistures -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I ThereforeD saithD Rhasis,D beD veryD diligentD andD carefulD inD theD sublimationD andD liquefactionD ofD theD matter,D thatD yoI increase not your fire too much, whereby the water may ascend to the highest part of the vessel. For then wanting N place of refrigeration, it will stick fast there, whereby the sulphur of the elements will not be perfected. For indeed iF thisD work,D itD isD necessaryD thatD theyD beD manyD timesD elevated,D orD sublimed,D andD depressedD again.D AndD theD gentleD oP temperate fire is that only which completes the mixture, makes thick, and perfects the workR The Root of the World, by Roger Bacon, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 17. Different MethodA As you may have guessed, there is not only one possible method or one possible ingredient in the world fo[ the making of the Stone. There are several ways to get to the same place. As long as you are following thS rules of Nature you will get the Stone by whatever method you use. Some methods will be more efficiend (quicker) than otherss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I many ways have been sought to the Tincture of the Philosophers, which finally all came to the same scope and endR The Book Concerning the Tincture of the Philosophers, by Theophrastus Paracelsus, 16th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I For the making whereof several operations have been invented by several philosophers, that that might be complete\ by art which was left by Nature; since Nature herself is always inclined toward her own perfectionR Book of the Chemical Art, by Marsilius Ficinus, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The method I am presenting in this book is, I'm sure, not the most efficient method possible. But it is thS method I know and is a tried and tested method, developed over thousands of years by some of the greatesd mindss It is the First Part of the Work which is most open to alternative methods. The ingredient you choose, whic] forY usY isY urine,Y couldY beY somethingY else,Y ifY youY couldY findY somethingY moreY pureY withY theY rightY qualitiess ThereY mayY alsoY beY aY moreY efficientY methodY ofY processingY theY ingredientY thanY theY oneY IY willY giveY inY thS following chapterss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The second difficulty consists in the apparent disagreement of those who profess to exercise our Art at the present dayR Amongst those persons are observed a great diversity of method, and a considerable variety even in the choice of theiP substanceR [...] It appears indeed as if there were many roads to our Art, and not one only. Geber avers that there are many wayJ to produce one effect. The same opinion is expressed by Rhasis in his book on the Perfect Magistery, where he speakJ of bodies and spirits, and their purification and divers and manifold composition.D The New Pearl of Great Price, by Peter Bonus, 1338 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I In order to predict other substances which could be used as our ingredient we must consider the laws anW cycles of Nature. A good understanding of Nature and alchemy, understanding how and why the procesV works, will enable you to also guess at other substances which could be used. It makes sense to me thad urine is most efficient for the extraction of the body (salt), and also contains much life-energy in its waters However,Y itY wouldY makeY logicalY senseY thatY semen,Y bloodY andY freshY fruitY juiceY alsoY containY aY hig] concentration of life-energy (which is the active principle), perhaps more than urine, or perhaps not. I havS not experimented with these, as in my experience it takes so long to experiment that it would be quicker tj justY makeY theY StoneY theY traditionalY way.Y WeY canY certainlyY beY sureY thatY theY alchemistsY triedY differend substances and experiments themselves, and since all of the more recent alchemists (since the 16th century certainly used urine, it would be logical to assume that urine is the best choice of ingredient. But it is alsj possible they did not publish their experiments in other substances if they found one to greatly decrease thS time it takes, since the old alchemists would want to test the dedication of the beginners For the body you are looking for a very volatile salt, which can absorb the moisture and break down. ThS waterY mustY containY anY abundanceY ofY life-energy.Y BothY mustY beY pure,Y containingY asY littleY asY possibleY ok anything else. It is not necessary that we use only one substance for both, but it has been found that urinS suppliesY bothY requirements.Y It would be possibleY to useY the saltY ofY theY urine,Y butY theY waterY fromY anothe[ substances Nevertheless, the safe and sure option is to use urine, and it is the method I will present. For anyone whj wishes to try a different substance, it would be wise to make the Stone with only urine at the same time anW in parallel, so as you do not waste too much of your time if your method fails. To use a different substancS follow the same instructions as I present, only substituting your substance for the urines The method I present (using only urine) is a relatively new one, it is sometimes called the "dry method" duS toY theY calcinationY inY theY FirstY Part,Y andY madeY famousY (amongY theY alchemists)Y byY ParacelsusY inY theY 16t] century.Y ThoughY itY isY probablyY anY olderY method,Y whichY ParacelsusY rediscovered.Y TheY olderY alchemistV (before Paracelsus) used distilled urine and gold, which is less efficient (and more expensive) than using only urine. It takes more than twice the time as the urine only methods ByY theY olderY method,Y usingY distilledY urineY andY gold,Y sometimesY calledY theY "wetY method",Y oneY wouldY bS relyingY onY the life-energy in the distilled urine to break down the gold. This will work because gold is U veryY pureY substance,Y withY aY lotY of life-energyY insideY it,Y andY willY eventuallyY breakY downY withY aY littlS convincing from the distilled urine. But it makes much more sense to use the lighter particles from the urinS itself, as these are pure, but not so dense and not already determined like golds -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Hereof I have now determined to write much, although in the beginning of this Book I decreed to bury it in silenceR This is the one great sophism of all adepts; some speak of this common gold and silver, and say the truth, and otherJ say that we cannot use it, and they too, say the truth. But in the presence of God I will call all our adepts to accountY and charge them with jealous surliness. I, too, had determined to tread the same path, but God's hand confounded mC scheme. I say then, that both ways are true, and come to the same thing in the end—but there is a vast difference at thU beginningR An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King, by An Anonymous Sage and Lover of Truth, 1645 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Theophrastus shews you two ways --- one Ancient, the other discovered and used by himself --- saying the Ancients ha\ a very long way "before accomplishing the aforesaid separations and achieving their object". In the beginning theyY out of a Simplex --- or also out of a Subjectivum like God Himself --- and also Theophrastus, have made two thingsY viz.,D WaterD andD Earth".D AndD heD continuesD toD say:D "thatD ArtistsD haveD toD theseD twoD SimplicesD givenD theD nameD LiliD --B afterwards using the said Simplices and not one". But know it is indifferent whether you, in the beginning, use one oP two things. If our matter is found in one thing, it will equally well be found in two (Nature having already converte\ the original One into Two)R [...]D Now,D ID wotD thereD isD noD oneD whoD wouldD notD wishD toD knowD thisD shorterD method;D andD thatD youD mayD notD haveD tG complain of Theophrastus, he shews you another short way, admonishing you also to let the above tedious process beY and to take from the Lion nought but his rosy blood, and from the Eagle the white gluten. These two bodies you musT coagulate together and bring into one body, as it were male and female seedR An Explanation of the Natural Philosopher's Tincture, of Paracelsus, by Alexander von Suchten, 16th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I ifD youD knowD howD toD amalgamateD ourD MercuryD simplexD withD yourD commonD Gold,D whichD isD dissolved,D vivified,D an\ renewed by it, you may be sure of effecting the Great Elixir, although neither so quick, so natural, nor so rich, as yoI might have done without it. And this is our third wayR The Amalgamation of our Mercury simplix [distilled urine] with common Gold consists only in the right ProportionY and in the indissoluble Union of both, which is done without any external Heat in a very short time [this is a lie, id takes a very long time], without which exact Proportion and right Union nothing of any Moment is to be expecte\ from their MarriageR Know then, that this right Proportion is ten parts of our Mercury simplex to one of your finest common Gold in filingsY which is dissolved in it, like Ice in common Water, after an imperceptible manner, and as soon as the Dissolution iJ over, the Coagulation and Putrefaction presently follow, which Effect, it you find not, 'tis a sign, that the MercurC exceeds its due Proportion. Now when your Gold has been thus well amalgamated, united, putrefied, and inseparablC digested with our Mercury simplex, you will then have only our Philosophical Sulfur, in which time one might easilC have performed the whole Work, working without common GoldR Aphorisms of Urbigerus, by Baro Urbigerus, 1690 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 18. Understanding the WritingA NowY thatY we'veY coveredY theY theory,Y IY willY giveY youY aY shortY glossaryY toY aidY youY inY understandingY thS alchemical books in case you choose to study them furthers You should now have a good idea about the principles of Nature which operate on the development of thS Stone, and this should be enough to understand the alchemical writings. However, I will help you out br explaining the meaning of the words used by the alchemistss Unfortunately the alchemists were in the habit of not only using several words for one thing, but also using one word for several things, and different alchemists used each word to mean different things. So you stilT have to work out the meaning according to the context, which you will be able to do with an understanding of the natural process. Some of the alchemists made up their own words and symbols, so all I can cove[ here are the commonly used wordss The following should not be considered definitions, but merely a rough guide to help you to understanW some of the ways the alchemists have used these wordss mercury.Y Usually represents distilledY urine, or the Stone itself at any stage of theY process, or just urines More rarely used to represent the white salts sulphur. Usually represents either the white salt, or any impure substance not needed. Sometimes used tj represent the Stone at any stage of the processs alkahest. The Stone, red or whites amalgam. The definition is an alloy. In alchemy it represents when two things are combined into one, suc] as the beginning of the Second Part of the process, or the Stone at any stages aqua fortis. Nitric acid, which is never used in alchemy. Sometimes it can mean the same as mercurys aqua vitae. "living water", same as mercurys argent vive. Same as mercurys art. Alchemys body. Usually represents the white salt, or the Stone at any stage, or anything else which makes up the buln of whatever you're dealing withs book of nature. The world itself. To learn by experience and observation of Natures calcine (calcination). To dry, traditionally with strong dry heat, but the alchemists sometimes use it to refe[ to a drying with gentle heats cinnabar. Same as mercurys coagulate (coagulation). A liquid becoming a solids conjunction. The joining together of two things (e.g. the white salt and distilled urine.common. Something referred to as "common" means it's the normal substance, without any metaphor (e.gs common gold.crow. Represents the black (putrefaction) stage of the processs dew. Same as mercurys digestion. Same as putrefys distil (distillation). To evaporate and condense. In alchemy this is always done with low-heats dove. Usually represents the White Stone, or sometimes the distilled urines eagles. Represents distillations elixir. The Stone, White or Reds fermentation. When the White or Red Stone is mixed with silver or gold respectivelys first matter. Either urine, or the life-energys gold. Sometimes represents normal gold, otherwise represents either the Red Stone, or the white salt, or thS Stone at any part of the processs great work. The process of making the Stones hermaphrodite. When the white salt and distilled urine have been combineds hermetically sealed. An airtight seals imbibe (imbibition). To absorb moisture until saturated.Y king. Usually represents the Red Stones lead. Normal lead, or same as sulphurs lion. A metaphor for something difficult to overcome, or sometimes used to represent the black mass of thS urine, which has the white salt inside its living. Same as our, also implies the substance contains life-energy, or has been changed by an alchemicaT process. (E.g. "living gold", depending on the context, could represent urine, the white salt, or the Stone ad any stage.magnesia. Same as mercurys moon (luna). Feminine principle. Usually represents the White Stone, or the distilled urine (even thoug] some alchemists consider the distilled urine to be the masculine principle.) Can also represent silvers multiplication. When the Stone is increased in quantity and/or qualitys of3 the3 sages.Y AY wordY withY "ofY theY sages"Y afterY itY isY aY clueY thatY theY previousY wordY isY aY metaphor,Y e.gs "mercury of the sages"s our. A word with "our" before it is a clue that the following word is a metaphor, e.g. "our mercury"s pelican. The vessel (not a special vessel as some think, just a normal round one.philosophical. Same as our, e.g. "philosophical mercury"s phoenix. A mythological bird said to live hundreds of years, then die in a ball of fire, from which it is boro againY fromY theY ashes.Y ThisY symbolY representsY Nature'sY processY ofY generationY fromY corruption,Y allY thingV must be destroyed before they can further develop. This fundamental concept applies to all things, including ourY Stone,Y andY ourY civilization.Y InY alchemyY theY symbolY usuallyY representsY theY RedY Stone,Y orY theY entirS process itselfs projection. When the Stone is used to turn metals into silver or golds putrefy (putrefaction). Breaking down, decompositions queen. Usually represents the White Stones quicksilver. Same as mercurys quintessence. Usually represents the active principle (what I am calling life-energy)s raven. Represents the black (putrefaction) stage of the processs rebis. When the white salt and distilled urine have been combineds salt. Usually represents the white salts seed. Same as common usage, but broader as alchemists insist that everything has a seeds soul. Usually represents the life-energys spirit. Distilled urines sublime (sublimation). A substance changing state, such as a solid becoming a liquid, or a liquid becoming a gas. In alchemy this often means the same as distillation (a liquid becoming a gas and then a liquid again)s EachY sublimation,Y changingY theY stateY ofY matterY upY andY thenY downY againY (liquid-gas-liquid),Y makesY thS substance purers sun (sol). Masculine principle. Usually represents the Red Stone, or the white salt. Can also represent golds tincture. The Stone, White or Reds vulcan.Y RomanY godY ofY usefulY fire.Y InY alchemyY "Vulcan'sY fire"Y isY aY degreeY ofY heatY whichY willY causS circulating evaporation and condensation. Vulcan was created as an alchemical symbols vulgar. Same as commons water. Same as mercurys I will follow with an exampleX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I "A spirit is given for a time to the body, and that spirit is the life of a soul. If the spirit draws the soul to itself, they arU both severed from the body. Then are there three abiding in the same place, until the precious body is dissolved, and iJ decomposed and dies. But after a time the spirit and the soul are brought back by gentle warmth, and hold once morU their former seat. Then you have the essence; no perfection is wanting, and the work is glorified by a joyful end.? The Sophic Hydrolith, Or, Water Stone of the Wise, by Anonymous, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Translation: The urine contains both water and salt, the life-energy is in the water. If the water is distilleW theY life-energyY willY goY withY it.Y TheY threeY (salt,Y distilledY urine,Y life-energy)Y beingY putY togetherY willY brean downY (putrefy)Y andY turnY black.Y ButY afterY aY timeY theY waterY isY broughtY backY withY aY moist-heat,Y andY alT combines. Then you have the Stone; it is perfect, and the work is glorified by a joyful ends 19. OvervieD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The work is easy and the medicine is not far away. If the secret is disclosed, it will be so simple that everyone may get N good laughR Wu Chen P'ien, Essay on the Understanding of Truth, by Chang Po-tuan, 1078 AD (Chinese) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I There are two parts to our Great Work. Both parts follow the same laws of Nature that we addressed in ou[ theorys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I TheD firstD operation,D whichD isD doneD byD hand,D isD theD firstD stageD ofD theD work,D whichD consistsD inD SublimationD an\ Purification. The second operation, in which the artist has nothing to do but look on, is the second stage of the workR The New Pearl of Great Price, by Peter Bonus, 1338 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I InY theY FirstY PartY weY giveY NatureY aY headY startY byY manuallyY performingY someY ofY nature'sY operations,Y anW removing the densest particles, so as to accelerate the whole process. If you did not perform this first part` the process would still work, but it may well take longer than your lifetimes We will repeatedly distil (with low heat) and calcine the urine, in order to separate it into layers according to density. We will then take only the lightest (most subtle) of the particles, which will be in the form of U white salt, and discard the rest of the body. Then further distil the urine to make it as pure as possible, sj only the lightest particles remain. This leaves us at the end of the First Part with a white salt, and a welT distilled urine. The First Part will take around 3 monthss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I byD artificialD distillation,D theD spiritD canD beD separatedD fromD phlegmaticD waterinessD andD earthyD impurity,D aD residuU remaining. From which residue, after calcinations, is extracted a white salT An Anonymous Treatise Concerning the Philosopher's Stone, by Anonymous, 12th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I In the Second part, we combine the salt and distilled urine, hermetically seal them in a vessel of the correcd specifications,Y andY letY NatureY doY itsY thing. AtY thisY stageY we onlyY needY toY make sureY it isY subjected toY thS correct degree of heats To combine the salt and distilled urine we heat gently until the salt absorbs and becomes saturated with thS distilledY urine,Y whichY canY takeY upY toY oneY year,Y orY longer.Y ThenY weY justY needY toY watchY forY theY matterY tj putrefy and turn black, then purify and turn white, adjusting the heat accordingly. When the matter turnV white, we have the White Stones -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Reduce the Matter (which is one), to powder, put it, together with its water, in a well-closed vessel, and expose it tG continuous, gentle heat, which will then begin to operate, while the moisture favours the decompositionR A Demonstration of Nature, by John A. Mehung, 16th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I TheY WhiteY StoneY canY thenY beY "fermented"Y withY silverY inY orderY toY stabilizeY itY andY makeY itY capableY ok withstandingY higherY heat.Y YouY canY thinkY ofY thisY asY trappingY theY life-energyY insideY aY materialY bodyY (thS silver.) The White Stone can be subjected to higher heat, which will mature it into the Red Stone. The Red StonS must itself be "fermented" with golds -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Without a proper ferment the Moon cannot become the Sun, but the substance, having nothing to prevent it froH doing so, will again revert to waterR The Epistle of Bonus of Ferrara, by Peter Bonus, 14th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I There are no other ferments like these here. The ferment of silver is silver, the ferment of gold is gold, therefore don'T look elsewhereA Compound of Compounds, by Albertus Magnus, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I You will then have the Philosophers' Stone. It can be multiplied in quality and quantity by repeating thS Second Part (which will be much quicker), or in other ways as will be discusseds -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I ForD ourD multiplicationD (accordingD toD Raymundus)D isD noughtD butD theD reiterationD ofD theD processD ofD ourD primordia[ creationR An Explanation of the Natural Philosopher's Tincture, of Paracelsus, by Alexander von Suchten, 16th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 20. ApparatuA HavingY nowY coveredY theY theory,Y weY canY startY withY theY practicalY operationsY forY actuallyY makingY thS Philosophers' Stone. You first need to obtain the necessary apparatuss For the First Part you will need two 500ml retorts for distilling the urine. It is important that this be a retort` and not some modern distillation apparatus. The reason for this is that you are only distilling on low-heat, sj as not to destroy the life-energy. If you try to use modern distillation apparatus then the water vapor will nod rise high enough to escape before it condenses. The reason for the second retort is because you may have tj breakY theY firstY oneY inY orderY toY extractY theY whiteY salt,Y andY alsoY becauseY theY distilledY urineY willY needY toY bS further distilled in a clean retort before moving on to the Second Parts You will need a 500ml glass bottle for collecting and storing the distilled urines For the Second Part, you will need a round-bottom flask in either Kjeldahl, Florence or boiling flask styles The size you will need will likely be 50ml, depending on how much of the body you will be using. Try tj find one with a long neck. You can use one with a shorter neck, but for this you will have to make sure thS ambientY (room)Y temperatureY isY lowY enoughY forY theY waterY vaporY toY condenseY closerY toY theY heatY sources The Kjeldahl flask has an egg-shaped bottom and a long neck, which is perfect for our purpose of imitating the water cycle through evaporation and condensation, but even a normal boiling flask will do the job aV long as it has a round bottom. Do not use a flat-bottom flasks You will need a pipette for accurately transferring the distilled urine into the flasks You will need stoppers for sealing the flasks For both parts you will need a water bath, with digital temperature control. A water bath is the best head source, since the water is all at an even temperature, the lower part of the flask can beY immersed in thS water, and the temperature can be adjusted very precisely. Get the smallest one you can, it needs only bS large enough for the 500ml retorts You will also need a dry heat source for calcining the retort between distillations. You could do this on U portable gas stove or electric hot plate. The calcining will need to be done outside, so you will not be able tj use your kitchen stoves You will need a triangle support stand, with the clamp attachments for holding the retort or flask in placS over the water baths If you can afford it, get 2 (or more) of everything, just in case. It's also a good idea to get a collection ok various bottles, spatulas, stoppers, dishes, mortar and pestle, and other fun things like that, which are nod absolutely necessary, but will certainly be very useful. Otherwise you'll have to improvise with what yof can find in the kitchens The glassware (retort and flask) should be made of borosilicate glass, which is pretty much standard thesS days, so it should not be much trouble to find. Borosilicate glass can stand very high heat without crackings IfY youY buyY theY waterY bathY orY otherY electricalY itemsY fromY abroad,Y beY sureY toY checkY itY worksY onY theY samS j hw[ ho[ o] [ [ rj rj ro] wo[ o] voltage as in your country. If not you will need to buy a voltage converter as well. If you plug a 110Q appliance into a 220V supply you could end up burning down your house, so do pay attention to thiss TheY waterY bathY willY needY toY beY runningY 24/7,Y soY ifY youY liveY inY anY areaY withY frequentY powerY cutsY B recommend getting a backup generators Checklist (minimum)X 1. 2x retort, 500mT 2. Glass bottle, 500mT 3. Round-bottom flask, 50mT 4. PipettS 5. StopperV 6. Water bat] 7. Portable stovS 8. Triangle stanW The following quote is a description of the vessel to be used for the Second Part of the Works -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I TheD vesselD forD ourD stoneD isD butD one,D inD whichD theD wholeD magisteryD orD elixirD isD performedD andD perfected;D thisD isD N cucurbit, hose bottom is round like an egg, or an urinal, smooth within, that it may ascend and descend the morU easily, covered with a limbeck round and smooth every where, and not very high, and whose bottom is round also likU an egg. Its largeness ought to be such, that the medicine or matter may not fill above a fourth part of it, made of stronS durable glass, clear and transparent, that you may see through it, all the colours appertaining to, and appearing iF the work; in which the spirit moving continually, cannot pass or fly away. Let it also be so closed, that as nothing caF go out of it, so nothing can enter into it; [...] And though the philosophers oftentimes say, that the matter is to be puT into the vessel, and closed up fast, yet it is sufficient for the operator, once to put the said matter in, once to close it upY and so to keep it even to the very perfection and finishing of the workR The Root of the World, by Roger Bacon, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 21. First ParI Collect 500ml of urine, the darker the better, so it's best to collect it from the first time you urinate in thS morning. If you don't get enough then you can top it up during the day, or wait until the nextY mornings Don't leave the urine in an open containers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I it [the urine] must be purged of its watery and earthy nature (for at first it appears an earthy, heavy, thick, slimy, an\ misty body), and all that is thick, nebulous, opaque, and dark in it must be removed, that thus, by a final sublimationY the heart and inner soul contained in it may be separated and reduced to a precious essenceR The Sophic Hydrolith, Or, Water Stone of the Wise, by Anonymous, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Distil the urine at no more than 175°F/80°C in the water bath with the retort. It should take 1-2 weeks tj distilY theY urineY once.Y ObviouslyY theY distillationY willY beY fasterY ifY theY ambientY (room)Y temperatureY isY lowe[ (though not below freezing). The top opening of the retort should be hermetically sealeds It is best for the retort to be connected to the bottle in which the distillate (distilled urine) is to be collected` but it is not absolutely necessary for it to be hermetically sealed at this stage. If the two are not connecteW (which is likely going to be the case) then you can wrap cling film around where they connect, to stop thS distilled urine from evaporating again. Though a hermetic seal is safer. The bottle should not be in the suns The distillation will be much faster if the bottle is lower than the heat source, which means it might need tj be leaned over to one side in order for the neck of the retort to be pointing downwards as much as possibles When the urine is distilled there will be a nasty black mass in the bottom of the retort (though it may nod look black the first time), which needs to be calcined. Take the retort out of the water bath, unplug the toc opening, and put it onto high-heat (such as on a gas stove). At first make sure the heat is not too high, so thad you can evaporate off any liquid still in the retort. If the heat is too high while there is still liquid in the retord you risk it bubbling up and spilling. When the black mass is completely dry then increase the heat. Leave id this way for a few hours, until the mass is burnt and cracked. The purpose of the calcination is to burn anW destroy the solid part of the urine, in order to extract the salt, which is incombustible. So do not be scared tj put the high-heat flame (no more than 500°F/260°C) directly against the glass of the retort and leave it likS this for a few hours. You need to really burn the solid matter in the urine. Though you should increase thS heatY slowlyY atY firstY sinceY glassY willY crackY ifY heatedY tooY rapidly.Y TheY firstY fewY timesY youY performY thS calcination, a nasty smoke will come off it, which will stain everything black and smell really foul, so thS calcinations must be done outside. Do not breathe in the smoke, it's poisonous! Do not perform the first fep calcinations inside your house or it will become unlivables -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I WhenD thisD spiritD isD drawnD offD fromD themD theyD remainD asD deadD earthD behind,D becauseD theyD haveD lostD theirD spiritD bC distillationR The Chemists Key, by Henry Nollius, 1617 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I First, by a light fire equally temperated and continued, water is to be gotten. Then the fire is to be made a little morU vigorous and stronger, until the fire be received mixed with the fire. That which remains burned in the bottom is thU dry earth where the crystalline Salt of the Stone lieth hidR The Crowning of Nature, by Anonymous, 16th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I it exists under two forms; the moisture which was extracted, and the residuum, being our Philosophical Earth. ThU water contains its seminal virtue, and the earth is a proper receptacle, wherein it may fructify. Let the water, then, bU separated and kept for use; calcine the earth, for an impurity adheres to it which can only be taken away by fire, an\ that, too, of the strongest degree; for here there is no danger of destroying the seminal quality, and our earth must bU highly purified before it can ripen the seedR On the Philosophers' Stone, by Anonymous, 12th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I On your first distillation, only distil half of the urine, and then calcine the remaining half, allowing the lowe[ halfY ofY theY urineY toY justY evaporateY awayY inY theY high-heat.Y CalcineY theY remainingY urineY untilY itY isY dryY anW cracked. Now you will have 250ml of urine distilled onces ForY yourY secondY distillationY collectY anotherY 500mlY ofY freshY urineY fromY theY firstY timeY youY urinateY inY thS morning. Pour this onto the calcined urine at the bottom of the same retort. Again, distil only half of thS urine, and calcine the remaining. You will now have 500ml of urine distilled onces The reason for the first two distillations to be done in this way is so that you can obtain 1 liter worth of thS body of the urine in order to get more white salt. The reason you distill only the first half from both batcheV of urine is so that the distilled urine contains the lightest particles; this is not entirely necessary but will makS your distillate purer and therefore accelerate the processs In an older version of this book I recommended using a 1 liter retort for the distillation (as I used.) I havS changedY theY instructionsY asY theY distillationY willY beY moreY efficientY usingY aY 500mlY retort,Y andY alsoY becausS 500ml retorts are cheaper and easier to find. But if you already have a 1 liter retort you can use this, it'll jusd take a little longers ForY allY furtherY distillations,Y pourY theY distilledY urineY backY ontoY theY calcinedY bodyY inY theY retort,Y distillY thS distilled urine again, then calcine again. You should distill the first 90% of the distilled urine each time, anW justY evaporateY awayY theY remainingY 10%Y beforeY theY calcination,Y soY afterY everyY distillationY youY willY havS slightly less than the time before. Pour the same distilled urine back on again, distill again, calcine agains RepeatY theY distillation/calcinationY againY andY again.Y AtY theY endY youY shouldY haveY 100Y -Y 150mlY ofY distilleW urine, which is around 10% of the original volume of urines -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Know, my brother, that the exact preparation of the Eagles of the Sages, is the highest effort of our Art. In this firsT section of our work, nothing is to be done without hard and persevering toil; though it is quite true that afterwardJ the substance develops under the influence of gentle heat without any imposition of hands. The Sages tell us that theiP Eagles must be taken to devour the Lion, and that they gain the victory all the sooner if they are very numerous; alsG that the number of the work varies between 7 and 9. The Mercury of the Sages is the Bird of Hermes (now called N goose, now a pheasant). But the Eagles are always mentioned in the plural, and number from 3 to 10. Yet this is not tG be understood as if there should be so many weights or parts of the water to one of the earth, but the water must bU takenD soD oftentimesD acuatedD orD sharpenedD asD thereD areD EaglesD numbered.D ThisD acuationD isD madeD byD sublimatioF [distillation]. There is, then, one sublimation [distillation] of the Mercury of the Sages, when one Eagle is mentionedY and the seventh sublimation will so strengthen your Mercury, that the Bath of your King will be readyR An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King, by An Anonymous Sage and Lover of Truth, 1645 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I This compositum then has its mundification or cleaning, by our moist fire, which by dissolving and subliming thaT which is pure and white, it cast forth its feces or filth like a voluntary vomit, for in such a dissolution and natura[ sublimation or lifting up, there is a loosening or untying of the elements, and a cleansing and separating of the purU from the impure. So that the pure and white substance ascends upwards and the impure and earthy remains fixed iF the bottom of the water and the vessel. This must be taken away and removed, because it is of no value, taking only thU middle white substance, flowing and melted or dissolved, rejecting the feculent earth, which remains below in thU bottom. These feces were separated partly by the water, and are the dross and terra damnata, which is of no value, noP can do any such service as the clear, white, pure and clear matter, which is wholly and only to be taken and made usU ofR The Secret Book of Artephius, by Artephius, 12th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I NineD parts ofD ten, or thereabouts,D distilled fromD freshD urineD areD toD be rejected, the tenthD part (as muchD as canD bU extracted in form of liquor) is to be kept; from that dried urine which remains in the bottom by a gentle fire (which wil[ not cause sublimation), let the salt be extracted with wateP The Secret of the Immortal Liquor Called Alkahest, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I After a few distillations you will see a white salt forming on top of the black mass, when calcining this therS will be a sweet flowery chemical smell given off. Keep repeating the distillations and calcinations until thS whole surface is white and it has formed into large enough crystals to for you to separate it from the blacn mass. This may take up to 10 distillations, or it could be much lesss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I when its impurity is purged away, it emits a most sweet fragrancU The Glory of the World, Or, Table of Paradise, by Anonymous, 1526 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I as this mercury hath been by some one sublimed, it hath appeared cloathed with so great Whiteness as the Snow oF the highest mountains, under a most subtile, crystalline splendour, from whence proceeds at the opening of the VesselY so great, so sweet, so excellent an odouP Verbum Dismissum, by Count Bernard Trevisan, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I If you have already distilled the urine 10 times and you don't think you have enough of the white salt, theo you can stop the distillations and just continue the calcinations, pouring distilled water on top of the masV instead of the distilled urines When you see enough of the white salt has formed on top (which are the lightest of the particles), you neeW to extract them, which may require breaking the retort. If you do need to break the retort then wrap tapS around the bottom half of the retort, and try to just break the glass at the top, keeping the bottom half intacts Remove the white salt and separate any impurities from it. Try not to touch it with your fingers, or it wilT sting thems You should further distil the distilled urine 3 times in the clean retorts ohj r] [ ] [ ] ro[ Congratulations! You now have the mercury (distilled urine) and sulphur (white salt) of the Sagess I really recommend spending extra time on the First Part to ensure that the white salt and distilled urine arS extremely well purified. If you skip a couple of distillations at this stage, you won't have saved time, you'lT have made the Second Part take months longers 22. Second ParI Now that you have the mercury (distilled urine) and sulphur (white salt) of the Sages, you need to combinS the two so they can putrefy and turn blacks Crush the white salt into powder and place it into the 50ml round-bottom flask. Add a few drops of distilleW urine, just enough to cover the salt, not too muchs Hermetically seal the flask, making sure the stopper is airtight by putting wax, vaseline or silicone sealand around it. Place the flask into the water bath. Only the bottom half of the round part of the flask should be io the water, the rest of the flask should be in the air. You might need to cut a hole in the lid of the water bath` or make your own lid. The temperature should be equal or slightly greater than body heat, around 100I 105°F/37-40°C. At this stage the heat should be of the degree that causes evaporation and condensation tj imitate rain, but the salt should always be moist and never drys If the ambient (room) temperature is too high you will need to reduce it by putting the water bath in an ai[ conditionedY room,Y orY puttingY iceY againstY theY neckY ofY theY flask.Y TheY processY willY beY fasterY ifY theY ambiend temperature is lower. If you can see that there are drops of water condensed at the top of the vessel whic] never fall, then you need to reduce the ambient temperatures The salt will slowly absorb the moisture. The whole process can take longer than a year, so don't give ups As long as you know you have not used too much heat both now, and in the distilling of the First Part, theo it will works When the salt has absorbed the moisture and starts to become dry, add another couple of drops of distilleW urine. Then wait again until the salt again starts to dry, and add another couple of drops. Continue doing this until the salt is entirely saturated, at which point it will be of the consistency of melted waxs If youY readY theY alchemical books, theyY warn againstY doing anything toY disturbY the StoneY whileY it'sY being made. They warn against: too much heat, too little heat, too much water, not enough water, and knocking o[ moving the vessel in any way. In my experience none of this is as bad as they make it sound. It's not a big deal if you knock or move the vessel, and it's not a big deal if the degree of heat is wrong, as long as it's nod hot enough to burn. If there is too much water you can remove some or increase the heat. While there is U problem the Stone will not develop any further, but it will continue once you've corrected your mistakes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I itD isD veryD properD thatD theD purifiedD earthD beD reducedD byD manualD operationD toD anD impalpableD fineness,D andD thenD itJ corrected mercury must be added, incorporating both together till the earth will imbibe no more. This operation wil[ require time, with some degree of the artist's patience; for however the humidity may seem disproportionate, on lettinS itD restD awhile,D aD drynessD onD theD surfaceD ofD yourD matterD willD showD thatD itD isD capableD ofD imbibingD more,D soD thatD thU operation is to be repeated till it is fully saturate\ On the Philosophers' Stone, by Anonymous, 12th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I That must again be dissolved into water, which before was water, and the body, which before was mercury, must agaiF become mercury. [...] The two must be united by a gentle and continuous fire, affording the same degree of warmth aJ that with which a hen hatches her eggsR [...] the body must receive its spirit to drink gradually, and little by little, until it recovers its life, and health, an\ strength, which takes place by means of the same gentle heat which digests food in the stomach, and matures fruit iF its placeR The Glory of the World, Or, Table of Paradise, by Anonymous, 1526 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I it is necessary at the beginning to give the earth little water, just as an infant has to be given at first little nutrimentY and then gradually more. This should be repeated over and over again, with great patience, more and more wateP being poured over the earth each time, but not more than the earth can conveniently drink up^ The Epistle of Bonus of Ferrara, by Peter Bonus, 14th Centurr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I A spirit that is at liberty will easily and quickly free another spirit of the same nature that is bound up and restrainedR This is done first by reason of that activity and generability which the free spirit is imbued with, secondly by reason oM the harmony, likeness and love betwixt them: This correlation is the cause that the exterior free spirit makes way intG and joins with that spirit of salt included in the seed, and so does with more ease work upon him and excite him, for, aJ the proverb has it, like will easily go to like, and their unity is most intimate. Now you must know that very spirit, wheF looseD andD floatingD inD liquidD bodiesD orD liquors,D isD atD libertyD inD thisD state,D byD theD mediationD ofD heat,D itD doesD (likeD N lodestone) attract to it the spirit that is under restraint, opening and dissolving the body which holds it in; and thU restrained spirit itself (like a sensible prisoner) labours for life by conspiring and striving to be in action and a ful[ communion with the other. The free spirit by his sudden and subtile accession still exciting and strengthening himY and by this means so provokes him to action, as fire, does enkindle fire so that the body holding it must necessarilC suffer a change and calcification, and comes to be putrefied by its own included spirit, whose operation before waJ obstructed and kept under; for the included spirit having acquired liberty and a power to be in action from the otherY strives to get out and enlarge itself, and to that end breaks and destroys its first body and procures another new oneR So the spirit of salt of the earth, when it is dissolved in the unmixed humour of that element (since every salt melts in itJ own liquor) is then at liberty; for every salt when it is once dissolved in its own liquor becomes active. Hence it is thaT a corn of wheat (in whose body, as if under lock and key, the spirit of vegetable salt is bound up and fettered) as sooF as it is cast into the ground, is by the free spirit of the salt of the earth penetrated and opened, that the salt which lieJ dissolved or loose in that liquor or inmixed humour may excite the vegetable spirit in the corn of wheat to action an\ vegetation, which spirit being thus set at liberty does presently, by putrefaction of the corn or grain, produce in thU wheat's proper matrix the substance of the root (which is a new body) by whose mediation and deference the eartW must afterwards (the spirit attracting it)communicate nutriment to the blade and the rest of this vegetable as it growJ up and increasesR [...] When this spirit by due coction is once united with its body they can never be separated againR [...] Much water dissolves quickly, but then the coagulation which follows takes the longer; on which the ignorant, noT knowing the nature of this work, fall into desperation when they perceive that the work does not coagulate in duU timeR The Chemists Key, by Henry Nollius, 1617 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I let it be incerated with White Oil of Philosophers by little and little till it suddenly flow like wa8 Verbum Dismissum, by Count Bernard Trevisan, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I If, then, you would attain the longed-for goal, observe just measure in mixing the liquid substance of the Sages, lesT that which is too much overpower that which is too little, and the generation be hindered. For too much rain spoilJ theD fruit,D andD tooD muchD droughtD stuntsD itsD growth.D Therefore,D whenD NeptuneD hasD preparedD hisD bath,D measureD outB carefully the exact quantity of permanent water needed, and let there be neither too little nor too muchR The Twelve Keys, by Basilius Valentinus, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I digestD withD aD gentleD fire,D asD itD wereD forD theD hatchingD ofD chickens,D soD longD tillD theD bodiesD areD dissolved,D andD theiP perfectly conjoined tincture is extracte\ [...] And then the one will be mixed with the other, and so embrace one another that it shall not be possible any more tG separate them, but the spirit, with a real agreement, will be unified with the body, and make one permanent or fixe\ substanceR The Secret Book of Artephius, by Artephius, 12th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 23. Black Stag6 When the salt has been entirely broken down and saturated with the distilled urine, it will turn black, whic] is a sign of putrefaction. Black is the natural color of decomposed matters -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I This Mass thus Blackened is the Key and sign of perfect invention of this manner of Work of the Second Regimen oM our most precious Stone, wherefore saith Hermes: "This Blessing being seen, believe that you are in a good Path, an\ have kept in the Right Way"R So that this Blackness in colour shows the true and right manner of working, for hereby the matter is made deforme\ and corrupt with a true Natural corruption from whence follows generation and real disposition in this MatteP Verbum Dismissum, by Count Bernard Trevisan, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I TheD seedD putrefiesD whenD aD (1)D saltD ofD theD sameD natureD withD it,D dissolvedD inD aD convenientD (2)D liquor,D doesD byD thU assistance of a gentle heat (3) penetrate, analyze and rarify the substance of the seed, that the included spirit may, ouT of its subject matter, form a convenient (4) habitation or body for itself, in which it may perform the offices of natura[ generation and seminal multiplicationR [...] The heat which promotes this putrefaction must be so mild and temperate that the liquor in which the resolvinS salt lies may remain still in and about the matter, and not be laved or evaporated from it. [...] The body putrefying musT not be removed out of the matrix in which the putrefaction was begun until that which is intended be fully perfectedR [...]D WhenD allD isD wellD unitedD byD purificationD orD putrefaction,D thenD sheD continuesD toD bakeD itD withoutD separatingD thU impure, until all is become a black glittering and heavy eartW The Chemists Key, by Henry Nollius, 1617 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The body will not turn black suddenly, but it will have been getting darker and darker during the previouV imbibing stages -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The first colour which appears after the silver colour of the amalgamated body, is not perfect blackness, but only N darkishD white; the blackness becomesD more pronouncedD dayD by day, untilD the substance assumesD a brilliantD blacL colour.D ThisD blackD isD aD signD thatD theD dissolutionD isD accomplished,D whichD doesD notD comeD aboutD inD oneD hour,D buT gradually, by a continuous process^ A Brief Guide to the Celestial Ruby, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I WhenY theY wholeY massY hasY turnedY blackY thenY youY knowY itY hasY putrefiedY completely.Y ThisY isY aY greatY sign` because you will now be more than half way to completing the Stones -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The substance has now become of a uniform colour, namely, as black as pitch, and neither vapours, or winds, or anC other signs of life are seen; the whole is dry as dust, with the exception of some pitch-like substance, which now an\ then bubbles up; all presents an image of eternal deathR An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King, by An Anonymous Sage and Lover of Truth, 1645 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I When you are sure that the salt is entirely saturated, then you need to turn up the heat a little. It's difficult tj give an exact temperature since it depends on many factors, but just turn up the heat little by little until thS body starts to become dry. But the heat still needs to be low enough that the moisture will rain down, thS difference only being that during imbibing the salt had to be always moist, whereas now you want the salt tj dry out between the rainss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I the earthly Body of the Sun is totally solved, and decomposed, and robbed of all strength (the Body, which was first oM a muddy impurity, changing to a coal-black colour, called by the Sages the Raven's Head, within the space of fortC days), and is thus despoiled of its Soul [the moisture]. The Soul is borne upward, and the Body, being severed from thU Soul, lies for some time, as if dead, at the bottom of the still, like ashes. But if the fire is increased, and well temperedY theD SoulD graduallyD descendsD againD inD drops,D andD saturatesD andD moistensD itsD Body,D andD soD preventsD itD fromD beinS completely burned and consumed. Then, again, it ascends and descends, the process being repeate\ The Sophic Hydrolith, Or, Water Stone of the Wise, by Anonymous, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Avicen saith, that heat causeth blackness first, in a moist body; then the humidity being consumed, it putteth off oP loseth its blackness; and as the heat increaseth, or is continued, so it grows whiteR The Root of the World, by Roger Bacon, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Slowly slowly the body will start getting whiter, and may pass through different colors, including one thad looks a bit reddish. Don't worry about these colors; we just need the body to get whites -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I But as soon as the highest degree of intense blackness has been reached (there being no idle intervals in our work)Y that colour begins little by little to yield to another [white]. The time during which this blackness is developed is verC long, and so is the time during which it disappears; but it is only for one moment that the blackness neither increaseJ nor decreases: for things find rest only in that which is the end of their being, but blackness is not the end of ouP substanceR [...] In the course of this change from white to black, the substance naturally passes through a variety of intermediatU colours; but these colours (being more or less accidental) are not invariably the same, and depend very much on thU originalD proportionD inD whichD theD twoD substancesD areD combined.D InD theD secondD stage,D duringD whichD theD substancU changes from black to white, it is already far purer, the colours are more lucid, and more to be depended upon. In thU two phases there are intermediate colours; but in the first they are more dingy and obscure than in the second, an\ very much less numerous. In the progress of the substance from blackness to whiteness (i.e., the second phase of ouP Magistery), theD mostD beautifulD colours are seen in a variety such as eclipses the gloryD of the rainbow; before thU perfection of blackness is reached, there are also some transition colours, such as black, azure, and yellow—and thU meaning of these colours is that your substance is not yet completely decayed; while the body is dying, the colours arU seen, until black night shrouds the whole horizon in pitchy gloom. But when the process of resurrection begins (in thU second phase), the hues are more numerous and splendid, because the body is now beginning to be glorified, and haJ become pure and spiritualR But in what order do the colours of which we speak appear? To this question no definite answer can be given, becausU in this first phase there are so much uncertainty and variation. But the colours will be the clearer and more distinctY the purer your water of life is. The four principal colours (white, black, white, red), always follow in the same order^ but the order of the intermediate colours cannot be so certainly determined, and you ought to be content if within thU first 40 days [weeks] you get the black colour. There is only one caution you should bear in mind, in regard to thiJ point: if a reddish colour appears before the black (especially if the substance begins to look dry and powdery at thU same time), you may be almost sure that you have marred your substance by too violent a fire. You should be verC careful, then, about the regulation of your fire; if the fire be just hot enough, but not too hot, the inward chemica[ action of our water will do the restR A Brief Guide to the Celestial Ruby, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 24. White Stag6 Having adjusted the heat during the black stage, so that the body dries out in between rains, the black bodr will slowly pass through various colors and turn whites As when turning black, the whiteness will not appear suddenly one day, but it will be a slow progress ove[ a few monthss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I When you find it black, know that in blackness whiteness is hidden, and you must extract the same from his most subtlU blackness. But after putrifaction it waxes red, not with a true redness, of which one says: It is often red, and often of N citrine color, it often melts, and is often coagulated, before true whitenessR [...] There appears also before whiteness the peacocks color, whereon one says thus, Know you that all the colors iF the world, or that may be imagined, appear before whiteness, and afterward true whiteness followsR The Mirror of Alchemy, by Roger Bacon, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I after the putrefaction and conception, which has taken place at the bottom of the vessel, there is once more a changU of colours and a circulating sublimation. This Reign, or Regimen, lasts only three weeks [months]. During this perio\ youD seeD allD conceivableD coloursD concerningD whichD noD definiteD accountD canD beD given.D TheD "showers"D thatD fallD wil[ become more numerous as the close of this reign approaches, and its termination is signalized by the appearance of N snowyD whiteD streakyD depositD onD theD sidesD ofD theD vessel.D Rejoice,D then,D forD youD haveD successfullyD accomplishedD thU regimen of Jupiter. What you must be particularly careful about in this operation, is to prevent the young ones of thU Crow from going back to the nest when they have once left it; secondly, to let your earth get neither too dry by aF immoderateD sublimationD ofD theD moisture,D norD yetD toD swampD andD smotherD itD withD theD moisture.D TheseD endsD willD bU attained by the proper regulation of the outward heatR [...] While it passes from blackness to whiteness, a great variety of colours are observed; nor is it at once perfectlC white; at first it is simply white—afterwards it is of a dazzling, snowy splendourR An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King, by An Anonymous Sage and Lover of Truth, 1645 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I decoct the male and the (female or) vapour together, until such time as they shall become one dry body; for except theC be dry, the divers or various colours will not appear. --- For it will ever be black, whilst that humidity or moisture haJ the dominion; but if that be once wasted, then it emits divers colours, after many and several waysR [...] And many times it shall be changed from colour to colour, till such times as it comes to the fixed whiteness. SynoF saith, all the colours of the world will appear in it when the black humidity is dried up. But value none of thesU colours, for they be not the true tincture: yea, many times it becomes citrine and reddish, and many times it is driedY and becomes liquid again, before the whiteness will appearR The Root of the World, by Roger Bacon, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I When the body has turned totally white and all the moisture has disappeared you have the White Stone` which can either be fermented with silver, or continued to the maturity of the Red Stones 25. FermentatioN Both the White Stone and Red Stone must be fermented with silver or gold respectively before they arS complete. It is only possible to ferment the White Stone with silver, and the Red Stone with gold, nothing else can be used, neither can silver or gold be used to ferment boths -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I There are no other ferments like these here. The ferment of silver is silver, the ferment of gold is gold, therefore don’T look elsewhereA Compound of Compounds, by Albertus Magnus, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I TheY fermentY (silverY orY gold)Y isY notY consideredY toY beY anY "ingredient"Y ofY theY Stone.Y TheY StoneY isY alreadr developed when we apply the ferment, but it needs to be fermented in order to be used for our purposess The Stone would be harmful if ingested without being fermented firsts The Stone will break down the silver or gold into its own form, but adopt the frequency and stability of thS ferment. The life-energy needs to be given an impression of a stable forms -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I A small quantity of gold and silver is, indeed, necessary when the stone is made, as a medium for its tinging either iF the white or red tinctureJ On the Philosophers' Stone, by Anonymous, 12th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I ( 12 ) And although the Wise Men want some common Gold in the fermentation of their Stone, that the same may bU determinated to transmute imperfect metals into Sol, it does not therefore follow that common Sol should make perfecT our StoneR ( 13 ) On the contrary our Stone rather makes perfect common Sol and Luna, because the most perfect Sol is imperfecT and unfruitful without our Stone. But when it comes to be united to our Stone it becomes alive and fruitful and caF communicate part of its perfection to other metalsR The Chemists Key, by Henry Nollius, 1617 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I the red tincture is obtainedD fromD gold,D and the white tincture from silver. [...] Without a proper ferment the MooF cannotD becomeD theD Sun,D butD theD substance,D havingD nothingD toD preventD itD fromD doingD so,D willD againD revertD tG water. [...] The weight of the ferment must exceed, or at least be equal to, the weight of its sulpherR The Epistle of Bonus of Ferrara, by Peter Bonus, 14th Centurr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The fermentation is the same process as the Second Part of the work, only we will also add silver or gold` and the process will be much fasters The quantity of silver or gold you use should be between 2 to 10 times the quantity of the Stone. Find thS purest silver or gold you can, it must be as close to 100% pure as possible. It's best to use silver or golW dust, as the reaction will be faster the pieces are smaller (increased surface area.) If you can't get dust, theo file down a coin or whatever you haves To perform the fermentation (and also for multiplication) grind the Stone to dust and mix this together wit] theY fermentY (silverY forY White,Y goldY forY Red).Y Optionally,Y youY canY meltY thisY mixtureY ofY theY StoneY andY thS ferment together with a heat strong enough to melt gold, then beat it into plates and grind it into powde[ again - this optional stage will speed up the process. Now add a small amount of distilled urine again, anW continue with the imbibing, blackening and whitening (then reddening if you are fermenting/multiplying thS Red Stone) as you did previously (following chapters 22-24)s The fermentation process should take 1-3 months the first times Now the White Stone is complete. It can be multiplied in quantity and quality, and raised to the power of thS Red Stones -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The Stone or Elixir cannot be used for this purpose in the form in which we left it at the completion of the previouJ stage of our process [red or white]; but it should be still further fermented and augmented in the following manner, aJ otherwise it could not be conveniently applied to imperfect metals and bodiesR Take one part of the Essence, and add to it three parts of purest gold [or silver, respectively], which has been purge\ and melted by means of antimony, and reduced to very thin plates. Let them be placed together in the crucibleR Thereupon the whole compound will be transformed into a pure and efficacious Tincture, which, when applied to basU metals, in the ratio of 1 :: 1000, will change them into pure gold [or silver, respectively]R [...] the substance of the Sages, after all the changes that it has undergone, will do more harm than good as a medicinU applied to the body, without the final preparatioF The Sophic Hydrolith, Or, Water Stone of the Wise, by Anonymous, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Aurel. Augurellius says likewise, in his third bookC "First mingle a little of the prepared medicament with the yellow metal, and thou wilt presently see the same take tG itself the strength of the Blessed Powder. Or, when thou shalt have collected again, by great and difficult art, thU teeming seed from the pure gold, Then quickly mix with it an equal portion of purple powder, And warm the same witW gentle heat, simmering for two months; In which space of time thou mayst behold produced the whole series of coloursY Which, otherwise, thou hadst marveled to see in three years. As often as thou repeatest the operation again and againY so often shalt thou increase the virtue and quantity of thy powder"R An Explanation of the Natural Philosopher's Tincture, of Paracelsus, by Alexander von Suchten, 16th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I It is to be observed in the Fermentation, that the Elixir exceed not the Ferment in Quantity, otherwise the Sponsa[ LigamentD ofD itD cannotD beD actuallyD performed,D andD whenD theD FermentD isD predominantD overD theD Elixir,D allD willD bU presently turned into dustR The best Method of Fermentation is to take one part of the Elixir, and put it into the midst of ten parts of Gold iF FilingJ Aphorisms of Urbigerus, by Baro Urbigerus, 1690 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 26. ContradictionA There are two apparent contraditions in the alchemical books regarding the fermentation of the White o[ Red Stone with silver or golds The first contradiction is whether the White Stone must be fermented with silver before it is raised to thS power of the Red Stone, or whether it should not be fermented with silver but matured directly to the ReW Stones Writings in favor of the fermentation of the White Stone with silver first are as followsX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Without a proper ferment the Moon cannot become the Sun, but the substance, having nothing to prevent it froH doing so, will again revert to waterR The Epistle of Bonus of Ferrara, by Peter Bonus, 14th Centurr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I YouD shouldD alsoD bearD inD mindD thatD theD silverD shouldD beD appliedD toD ourD quicksilverD beforeD theD gold,D becauseD thU quicksilver is volatile, and cannot with safety be subjected all at once to great heat. Silver has the power of stirring u] the inherent sulphur of the quicksilver, whereby it is coagulated into the form of the Remedy for transmuting metalJ into silver; and this coagulation is brought about by the gentle heat of the silver. Gold requires a much higher degreU of heat, and if gold were added to the quicksilver before the silver, the greater degree of heat would at once changU the quicksilver into a red sulphur, which, however, would be of no use for the purpose of making gold, because iT would have lost its essential moisture; and our Art requires that the quicksilver should be first coagulated by means oM silverD intoD whiteD sulphur,D beforeD theD greaterD degreeD ofD heatD isD appliedD which,D throughD gold,D changesD itD intoD re\ sulphur. There must be whiteness before there is redness. Redness before whiteness spoils our whole substanceR A Tract of Great Price Concerning the Philosophical Stone, by A German Sage, 1423 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I No gold is generated, except it have first been silver. [...] As Red Tincture is elicited by the ferment of gold aloneY Mercury can be animated only by the white ferment of silverR A Golden and Blessed Casket of Nature's Marvels, by Benedictus Figulus, 1607 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Whereas writings in favor of continuing the development of the White Stone into the Red Stone withoud fermenting with silver are as followsX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The white Elixir being brought to its Degree of Maturity, desiring to go on to its highest Degree of Perfection, instea\ of fermenting it with Silver, it must be cibated with its own Flesh and Blood, which is the double Mercury, by which iT being nourished, multiplyed in Quality and Quantity, and digested, the whole Work is accomplishedR Aphorisms of Urbigerus, by Baro Urbigerus, 1690 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I as it ripens assumes a perfect whiteness, which is the White Tincture, transmuting the inferior metals into silver, an\ very powerful as a medicine. But as the artist well knows it is capable of a higher concoction, he goes on increasinS his firU On the Philosophers' Stone, by Anonymous, 12th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I And when you see the true whiteness appear, which shineth like a bright sword, or polished silver, know that in thaT whiteness there is redness hidden. But then beware that you take not that whiteness out of the vessel, but only digest iT to the end, that with heat and dryness, it may assume a citron color, and a most beautiful rednessR The Secret Book of Artephius, by Artephius, 12th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Take the White Stone and divide it into two parts; you will raise one part to the state of the white Elixir, as has beeF said much earlier (of the kind of which you will have an indefinite amount). Put the other part in a new bed of thU Philosophers, clean, tidy, transparent, spherical and place it in the furnace for digestion. Increase the fire until by itJ force and strength the matter is changed to a very red stonU Compound of Compounds, by Albertus Magnus, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I SoY youY seeY thatY differentY alchemistsY madeY statementsY whichY clearlyY contradictY eachY otherY concerningY thS fermentation.Y SomeY claimY youY mustY fermentY theY WhiteY StoneY withY silverY beforeY itY canY standY high-head necessary to mature it into the Red Stone, while others claim you must not ferment the White Stone, jusd continueY increasingY theY heatY toY obtainY theY RedY Stone.Y SinceY bothY ofY theseY methodsY haveY supportY fromY U number of alchemists, it would make the most sense that both methods are correct. It would seem that yof mustY beY veryY carefulY withY theY heatY whenY attemptingY toY matureY theY unfermentedY WhiteY Stone,Y whereaV perhaps the fermented White Stone can be matured with a higher and less careful heats The safest move however, would be to follow the instructions of Albertus Magnus (the last quote above) who advises us to divide the Stone into two parts at the White Stage. One part you will ferment with silve[ intoY theY WhiteY Stone,Y theY otherY partY youY willY continueY toY developY intoY theY RedY Stone.Y ThenY ifY you[ unfermented White Stone fails to turn red, you can mature part of your fermented White Stone. It would bS further advantageous to keep part of the White Stone unfermented, thus requiring the White Stone to bS divided into three parts. This also means you will have both the White Stone and the Red Stone, instead ok having to choose between them, and you will therefore be able to take advantage of the medicinal value ok the White Stone sooners The second contradiction comes only from Fulcanelli, the most recent of the alchemists. Fulcanelli claimV thatY theY fermentationY processY makesY eitherY StoneY onlyY capableY ofY transmutatingY metals,Y andY uselessY asY U medicine for animalss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I the fermentation of the stone by gold, so as to direct the Elixir to limit its use in the transmutation of metalsR The Dwellings of the Philosophers, by Fulcanelli, 1929 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I However,Y itY isY clearY thatY FulcanelliY hadY notY yetY obtainedY theY StoneY whenY heY wroteY TheY DwellingsY ofY thS Philosophers, and I find no references in the books of the old alchemists which imply that the fermentatioo process is only applicable if we wish to make gold. So I can only assume that Fulcanelli is wrong on thiV point;Y thatY theY fermentationY isY necessary,Y andY thatY theY sameY StoneY bothY actsY asY aY medicineY andY performV metallicY transmutation.Y However,Y IY amY informingY youY ofY Fulcanelli'sY opinionY justY inY caseY heY knowV something I don't. In any case, you can hedge your bet easily by putting aside a little of the White Stone anW Red Stone before they are fermented, just in case Fulcanelli is correct. If you remain concerned, you mighd also want to test the medicinal effects of both the fermented and non-fermented Stones by feeding them tj animals before trying them on yourselfs Neither of the contraditions in this chapter are a hindrance to our making of the Stone. You only need tj save a little of the Stone from before each of the fermentations, and so in the end you will be in possessioo of four powders: the White Stone fermented, the White Stone unfermented, the Red Stone fermented, anW the Red Stone unfermented. Therefore allowing you to easily test the effects of each. It is also of advantagS toY possessY bothY Stones,Y fermentedY andY unfermented,Y asY thisY willY allowY youY evenY moreY usageY anW experimentation as to uses described and not described in this books 27. Red Stag6 The Red Stone is only a further development of the White Stone. You will obtain the White Stone first, anW then part of this you can excel to the perfection of the Red Stones -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I first it prepares the white tincture, and then the red. For the Sun and Moon are prepared by the same method, an\ yield the red and white tincture, respectivelC A Short Tract, or Philosophical Summary, by Nicholas Flamell, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I If you are attempting to mature the unfermented White Stone, instead of the fermented White Stone, yof will need to be more careful with the heat. It might also be an idea to multiply your White Stone a few timeV before attempting to make it red. This may speed up the process as the Stone will already be much purers To mature the White Stone into the Red Stone you should place the White Stone into a clean round-botto@ flask as before, and make extra sure it is hermetically sealed. Now place this in the water bath and heat it ad the temperature that the White Stone melts into the consistency of melted wax, which will likely be arounW double the temperature during the previous stage. After a number of months the Stone will turn an ashI orange color. At this point you should now take the vessel out of the water bath and put it onto a high head source (such as a gas stove, heating mantle or hot plate). The degree of heat should be as high as possiblS without cracking the vessel, so no more than 500°F/260°C. Leave the Stone on this heat and wait patientlr for a number of months again, eventually it will turn into a red powders When youY haveY theY redY powder, save half,Y andY fermentY the otherY half withY gold,Y andY youY haveY the ReW Stone, both fermented and unfermenteds -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Take the White Stone and divide it into two parts; you will raise one part to the state of the white Elixir, as has beeF said much earlier (of the kind of which you will have an indefinite amount). Put the other part in a new bed of thU Philosophers, clean, tidy, transparent, spherical and place it in the furnace for digestion. Increase the fire until by itJ force and strength the matter is changed to a very red stonU [...] cook perfectly the white Elixir to give it the color of cinnabar, starting there in order to make the red ElixirR Compound of Compounds, by Albertus Magnus, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I When the White Stone is accomplished, you must dissolve one part of it, and so calcine it (as some will have it) by lonS decoction till it becomes like impalpable Ashes, so soft not to be touched, coloured CitrineR Verbum Dismissum, by Count Bernard Trevisan, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I But the heat of this dry fire ought to be double at the least, to what it was before, or than the heat of the moist fire, bC the help of this heat, the white medicine receiveth the admirable tincture of the rednessR [...] Therefore you must burn it without fear in a dry fire, until such time as it is clothed with a most glorious red, or N pure vermilion colour. For which cause Epitus the philosopher saith, decoct the white in a red hot furnace, until sucW time as it be clothed with a purple glory. Do not cease, though the redness be somewhat long, before it appears. For aJ I have said, the fire being augmented, the first colour of whiteness will change into red. Also when the citrine shal[ first appear, among those colours, yet that colour is not fixed. But not long after it, the red colour shall begin tG appear, which ascending to the height, your work will indeed be complete. As Hermes saith in Turba, between thU whiteness and the redness, one colour only appears, to wit, citrine, but it changes from the less to the more. Maria alsG saith, when you have the true white, then follows the false and citrine colour; and at last the perfect redness itselfR This is the glory and the beauty of the whole worldR The Root of the World, by Roger Bacon, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I This white substance, if you will make it red, you must continually decoct it in a dry fire till it be rubified, or becomU red as blood, which is nothing but water, fire,D and true tincture. And so by a continual dry fire, the whiteness iJ changed,D removed,D perfected,D madeD citrine,D andD stillD digestedD tillD itD becomeD toD aD trueD redD andD fixedD color.D An\ consequently by how much more it is heightened in color, and made a true tincture of perfect redness. Wherefore witW a dry fire, and a dry calcination, without any moisture, you must decoct this compositum, till it be invested with a mosT perfect red color, and then it will be the true and perfect elixirR The Secret Book of Artephius, by Artephius, 12th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I When the putrefaction of our seed has been thus completed, the fire may be increased till glorious colors appearY whichD theD SonsD ofD ArtD haveD calledD CaudaD Pavonis,D orD theD Peacock'sD Tail.D TheseD colorsD comeD andD go,D asD heatD iJ administeredD approachingD toD theD thirdD degree,D tillD allD isD ofD aD beautifulD green,D andD asD itD ripensD assumesD aD perfecT whiteness, which is the White Tincture, transmuting the inferior metals into silver, and very powerful as a medicineR But as the artist well knows it is capable of a higher concoction, he goes on increasing his fire till it assumes a yellowY then an orange or citron color; and then boldly gives a heat of the fourth degree, till it acquires a redness like bloo\ taken from a sound person, which is a manifest sign of its thorough concoction and fitness for the uses intendedR On the Philosophers' Stone, by Anonymous, 12th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 28. MultiplicatioN TheY StoneY onlyY hasY toY beY madeY once,Y andY thenY itY canY beY easilyY multipliedY inY quantityY andY quality.Y ThS multiplication is the same for the White Stone and the Red Stones The standard method of Multiplication is to repeat the Second Part or Fermentation again. You can do thiV with or without adding gold or silver, but by adding more ferment you are increasing the quantity as well aV the quality. Every time you repeat the Fermentation, the Stone will get larger and 10x more powerful. ThS time it takes to complete the multiplication also gets less and less each time it is performed, since the StonS becomes more and more powerful, until the multiplication can be done in just a few secondss TheY unfermentedY StonesY canY alsoY beY multiplied,Y butY ofY courseY youY willY multiplyY themY byY repeatingY thS SecondY PartY againY (imbibe,Y makeY black,Y makeY white,Y makeY red)Y addingY onlyY distilledY urineY andY notY thS ferments -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The Multiplication of the Stone. Take the perfect Stone; add one part of it to three or four parts of purified Mercury oM our first work, subject it to gentle coction for seven days (the vessel being carefully sealed up), and let it pass througW all the Reigns, which it will do very quickly and smoothly. The tinging power of the substance will thus be exalted N thousandfold; and if you go through the whole process a second time (which you can do with ease in three days) thU Medicine will be much more precious still. This you may repeat as often as you like; the third time the substance wil[ run through all the Reigns in a day, the fourth time in a single hour, and so on—and the improvement in its qualitC will be most marvellous. Then kneel down and render thanks to God for this precious treasureR An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King, by An Anonymous Sage and Lover of Truth, 1645 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Now if afterwards you would multiply your tincture, you must again resolve that red, in new and fresh dissolvinS water, and then by decoctions first whiten, and then rubify it again, by the degrees of fire, reiterating the first metho\ of operating in this work. Dissolve, coagulate, and reiterate the closing up, the opening and multiplying in quantitC and quality at your own pleasure. For by a new corruption and generation, there is introduced a new motion. Thus wU can never find an end if we do always work by reiterating the same thing over and over again, viz. by solution an\ coagulation, by the help of our dissolving water, by which we dissolve and congeal, as we have formerly said, in thU beginning of the work. Thus also is the virtue thereof increased, and multiplied both in quantity and quality; so that iM after the first course of the operation you obtain a hundred fold; by the second fold you will have a thousand fold^ and by the third; ten thousand fold increase. And by pursuing your work, your projection will come to infinity, tinginS truly and perfectly, and fixing the greatest quantity how much soever. Thus by a thing of small and easy price, yoI have both color, goodness, and weightR The Secret Book of Artephius, by Artephius, 12th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I You can also dissolve the Stone in water and then distil it. This will increase the quantity and quality 100xs InY short,Y anythingY youY canY thinkY ofY toY purifyY orY dissolveY andY thenY coagulateY theY StoneY willY increaseY itV quality, and anything dissolved and overpowered by the Stone will become the Stone also and increase itV quantitys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I If that substance which Nature supplies be taken in hand by Art, dissolved, coagulated, and digested, its perfection iJ increased from a monadic to a denary virtue; by repeating the same process, it is increased a hundred-fold, and then N thousand-fold, etcR A Brief Guide to the Celestial Ruby, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I When the Stone is sufficiently strong, it can be multiplied by melting a mass of gold (or silver) and theo throwing a bit of the Stone into the molten gold. All of it will be quickly transmuted into more and stronge[ Philosophers' Stone. If the Stone becomes really powerful, you will be able to do this with any metal, sincS the Stone will transmute it all the way into more Stone, instead of leaving it as gold (then you'd need tj dilute the Stone if you want to make gold.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The manner of Projection and Multiplication of the White and Red Stone are both one, but the multiplication may bU done in two manners, one by projecting one part upon one hundred parts more into pure Luna or pure Gold. There arU other ways more profitable and secret to multiply the Medicine in Projection, wherein I am at present silenT Verbum Dismissum, by Count Bernard Trevisan, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 29. ProjectioN The projection is a reasonably simple matter of melting the metal to be transmuted, then throwing a little bid of the Stone into its The lower the melting temperature of the metal, the easier it is transmuted, and less of the Stone will bS required. So mercury is the best, and then leads Some alchemists recommend wrapping a bit of the Stone in wax, or adding filings of gold into the melteW metal. This is to help the Stone to penetrate better into the metal. Others recommend dissolving the StonS and projecting it in the liquid state instead of solid states If the Stone is too weak not all of the metal will be transmuted and you will have to add more Stone. If thS Stone is too strong then the metal might be converted into the Stone itself instead of gold, so the Stone wilT need to be diluteds -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I we only just melt the imperfect metals over the fire, and then add to them the Philosopher's Stone, which, in a momenT of time, imparts to them the form of gol\ The New Pearl of Great Price, by Peter Bonus, 1338 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I This wonderful Medicine penetrates each smallest part of the base metals (in the proportion of 1 :: 1,000) and tingeJ them through and through with its own noble nature: your arithmetic will fail sooner than its all-prevailing powerR Each smallest part that is pervaded with the vitalizing power of the-Elixir in its turn tinges that part which is nearesT to it until the whole mass is leavened with its marvellous influence, and brought to the perfection of goldR A Brief Guide to the Celestial Ruby, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Now the projection is after this manner to be done: put the body, or metal upon the fire in a crucible, and cast thereoF the elixir as aforesaid, moving, or stirring it well; and when it is melted, become liquid, and mixed with the body, oP withD theD spirit,D removeD itD fromD theD fire,D andD youD shallD haveD fineD goldD orD silver,D accordingD toD whatD youD elixirD waJ prepared from. But here is to be noted, that by how much the more the metalline body is the easier to be melted, by sG the ore shall the medicine have power to enter into, and transmute it. Therefore by so much as mercury is more liqui\ than any other body, by so much the more, the medicine has power in being cast upon it, to wit, mercury, to transmutU it into fine sol or luna. And a greater quantity of it shall your medicine transmute, give tincture to, and make perfectY than of any other mineral body. The like is to be understood, to be performed in the same manner upon other minera[ bodies, according as they are easy or hard to be fused or meltedR The Root of the World, by Roger Bacon, 13th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Common Mercury, amalgamated with Lead, is counted the most proper Subject for making Projection, which being iF Fusion, your fermented Matter being divided into three parts, one part of it rolled, in Wax, is to be flung upon thU Amalgam: then presently cover the Crucible, and continue the Fire, until you hear the Noise of the Separation an\ Union: then the second and third part, as before, and being kept for two hours in a continual Fire of Fusion, let it coo[ by it selfR Aphorisms of Urbigerus, by Baro Urbigerus, 1690 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I When the artist would transmute any metal- for instance, lead- let a quantity be melted in a clean crucible, to whicW let a few grains of gold in filings be cast; and when the whole is melted, let him have in readiness a little of thU powder, which will easily scrape off from his "stone," the quantity inconsiderable, and cast it on the metal while iF fusionR ImmediatelyD thereD willD ariseD aD thickD fume,D whichD carriesD offD withD itD theD impuritiesD containedD inD theD lead,D withD N cracklingD noise,D andD leavesD theD substanceD ofD theD leadD transmutedD intoD mostD pureD gold,D withoutD anyD kindD oM sophistication; the small quantity of gold added, previous to projection, serves only as a medium to facilitate thU transmutation, and the quantity of your tincture is best ascertained by experience, as its virtue in proportioned to thU number of circulations you have given after the first has been completedR On the Philosophers' Stone, by Anonymous, 12th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 30. Appearanc6 The appearance of the Red Stone is different depending how many times it has been multiplied in quality` and therefore how pure and powerful it iss At first it is a dull red and opaque, but becomes brighter and transparent purple when more refined. It iV very heavys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Know, then, that it is called a stone, not because it is like a stone, but only because, by virtue of its fixed nature, iT resists the action of fire as successfully as any stone. In species it is gold, more pure than the purest; it is fixed an\ incombustible like a stone, but its appearance is that of very fine powder, impalpable to the touch, sweet to the tasteY fragrant to the smell, in potency a most penetrative spirit, apparently dry and yet unctuous, and easily capable oM tinging a plate of metalR A Brief Guide to the Celestial Ruby, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I This Tincture is of a colour intermediate between red and purple, with something of a granite hue, and its specifiX weight is very, considerableR The Twelve Keys, by Basilius Valentinus, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Our Tincture of Gold contains stars, is a substance of the greatest fixity, is unchangeable in multiplication, is a re\ powder (with almost a saffron tinge), liquid like resin, transparent like crystal, fragile like glass, is of a rubinatU colour, and of great specific gravity. [...] It is soluble in any liquid, melting and commingling with the same, fragile aJ glass, in a powder saffron-coloured, but in a solid mass, red like the ruby. Its purple colour is the mark of perfecT fixation and fixed perfection, for it remains fixed and incombustible, even when exposed to fire, corrosive waters, oP burning sulphur, since it is, like the salamander, incapable of being consumed by fireR Golden Calf, by John Frederick Helvetius, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Having thus completed the operation, let the vessel cool, and on opening it you will perceive your matter to be fixe\ into a ponderous mass, thoroughly of a scarlet color, which is easily reducible to powder by scraping, or otherwiseY and in being heated in the fire flows like wax, without smoking, flaming, or loss of substance, returning when cold tG its former fixity, heavier than gold, bulk for bulk, yet easy to be dissolved in any liquid, in which a few grains beinS taken its operation most wonderfully pervades the human body, to the extirpation of all disorders, prolonging life bC its use to its utmost period; and hence it has obtained the appellation of "Panacea," or a Universal RemedyR On the Philosophers' Stone, by Anonymous, 12th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 31. Everburning LampA LampsY haveY beenY foundY allY overY theY worldY whichY haveY beenY burningY forY hundredsY ofY yearsY withY nj apparent power source. The "scientific" opinion is that there must have been a secret oil well full of oil fo[ the lamp, even though they never found one. But no surprise... its alchemy agains I'mY notY entirelyY sureY howY toY makeY anY everburningY lamp.Y FromY myY understandingY itY needsY toY beY inY U hermetically sealed container, the wick needs to be made of a material which will not burn (perhaps madS by alchemy also), and then you just put some of the Stone into the oil (or maybe no oil and just the StonS dissolved in water)s I found a nice article on the Internet with some good research and history on everburning lamps. I'm going to quote this instead of writing about the lamps myself. The author of this article is an alternative historr researcher called Ellen Lloyd. Ellen thought that the lamps were made with an alien technology, which iV not that far from the truth, and maybe more believable than the truth. But there were no aliens, just humanV with the Philosophers' Stones -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I "Now the House of Solomon the King was illuminated as by day, for in his wisdom he had made shining pearls whicW were like unto the sun, the moon and the stars in the roof of his house.? (From: "The Queen of Sheba and Her Only Son Menyelek")D Imagine that you find a small burning lamp hidden deep in an ancient vault. This mysterious lamp, which is in perfecT preservation, has burned continuously without fuel for the last 2,000 years. What would you think of your remarkablU discovery?D Most likely you would wonder whether the precious lamp that you are holding in your hands is a magical object, N work of God, or perhaps some evil powers. Could this ancient treasure be a proof of highly advanced technology? Di\ our ancestors discover the secret of eternal light?D AlthoughD itD mightD soundD amazing,D andD forD someD evenD impossibleD certainD extraordinaryD findingsD clearlyD showD thaT perpetual light was rather common in prehistory. I deal with advanced ancient technology in "Voices from LegendarC Times" to a large extent. In my book I uncover a number of strange enigmas from all over the world. Perpetual light iJ an ancient technology that to this today remains a mystery.D During the Middle Ages a number of ever-burning lamps were discovered in ancient tombs and temples. Based oF ancient records we learn that these mysterious objects were found all over the world, in India, China, South AmericaY North America, Egypt Greece, Italy, United Kingdom, Ireland, France and many other countries.D Unfortunately,D looters,D vandals,D andD superstitiousD diggersD whoD fearedD thatD theseD objectsD possessedD supernatura[ powers destroyed many of the lampsR As we all know, the Middle Ages cannot be characterized as a particularly scientific period. It was a dark time foP those who persuaded knowledge. Still, curiosity is a part of human nature and questions were asked. How were thU ancients able to produce lamps, which could burn without fuel for hundreds, and in some cases thousands of years3 From whom did our ancestors gain their secret knowledge?D Naturally, the subject of perpetual light became quickly a controversy and the opinions among the authorities werU divided. Some authors rejected the idea of a never-ending flame, despite the evidence they were confronted with. E small group of more open-minded and enlightened persons confirmed the existence of, if not eternal then at least verC long-lasting light. Many on the other hand accused the Pagan priests of performing clever tricks. However, a majoritC of the "learned" men acknowledged the unusual findings and declared the perpetual lamps to be a work of the devilR This was a common explanation in the Dark Ages. As soon as something was unknown, of Pagan origin or not iF accordance with the rules set by the early Roman Church it was labeled as an invention of the dark forces, the devi[ and his demons.D Some speculated that secret Hebrew societies had preserved what in modern days is known as electricity. For exampleY the occult writer Eliphas Levi [don't believe this guy, he's so theatrical] relates a curious story in his book "Historie dU la Magie". He tells of a certain mysterious French rabbi named Jechiele who was an advisor in the thirteenth centurC court of Louis IX. Apparently, Jechiele owned a lamp that he used to place in front of his house for everyone to seeR The "dazzling lamp that lightened itself" possessed no oil or wick. When the rabbi was asked about the energy sourceY he always replied it was a secret. Jechiele, obviously experimented quite a lot with electricity. To protect himself froH enemies, he invented a discharge button that sent out an electric current into the iron knocker on his door. It is writteF that when Jechiele "touched a nail driven into the wall of his study, a crackling bluish spark immediately leapt forthR Woe to anyone who touched the iron knocker at that moment; he would bend double, scream as if he had been burnedY then he would run away as fast as his legs could carry him."D There were numerous speculations regarding the perpetual lamps' secret energy source. During the Middle Ages an\ laterD manyD greatD thinkersD triedD toD solveD theD problemD howD toD prepareD fuelD thatD renewedD itselfD asD quicklyD asD itD waJ consumed. However, none of the conducted experiments was truly successful. It turned out impossible to produce N copy of an ever-burning lamp. The ancients' technology remained unknown.D TheD earliestD accountsD ofD aD divineD flame,D anD eternalD lightD sourceD canD beD foundD inD variousD mythologicalD texts.D ThU descriptions of the eternal flame, which was considered a part of the divine fire, are closely connected with the godsR The Greek god Prometheus was punished for giving fire to mankind. The secret of the eternal flame was regarded aJ gods' sole property. The knowledge of the eternal light should not be passed over to the humans. Nevertheless, it seemJ as if some of the alien gods disobeyed and revealed their divine secret to humanity. When humans learned how tG produce perpetual light, temples worldwide were equipped with eternal altar flames.D According to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans tradition, a dead person might need some light on his or herJ road to the Valley of the Shadow. Therefore, before the tomb was sealed it was accustom to place an ever-burninS lamp inside. The lamp served as an offering to the god of the dead and it kept evil spirits away. Its light also offere\ the deceased the required guidance on the journey to the Underworld. Hundreds of years later, when vaults werU opened excavators found the lamps in perfect condition and still burning.D So far, we have only spoken in general terms about the existence of perpetual light in antiquity. It has been estimate\ that as many as 170 mediaeval authors have written about the phenomenal and mysterious ever-burning lamps. Let uJ now look at some of the remarkable discoveries.D Plutarch wrote of a lamp that burned over the door of a temple to Jupiter Ammon. According to the priests, the lam] remained alight for centuries without any fuel and neither wind nor rain could put it out.D St. Augustine described an Egyptian temple sacred to Venus with a lamp which wind and water could not extinguishR He declared it to be the work of the devil.D In 527 A.D., at Edessa, Syria, during the reign of emperor Justinian, soldiers discovered an ever-burning lamp in N niche over a gateway, elaborately enclosed to protect it from the air. According to the inscription, it was lit in 27 A.DR The lamp had burned for 500 years before the soldiers who found it, destroyed it.D In 140, near Rome a lamp was found burning in the tomb of Pallas, son of king Evander. The lamp, which had beeF alightD forD overD 2,000D years,D couldD notD beD extinguishedD byD ordinaryD methods.D ItD turnedD outD thatD neitherD waterD noP blowing on the flame stopped it from burning. The only way to extinguish the remarkable flame was to drain off thU strange liquid contained in the lamp bowl.D In about 1540, during the Papacy of Paul III a burning lamp was found in a tomb on the Appian Way at Rome. ThU tomb was believed to belong to Tulliola, the daughter of Cicero. She died in 44 B.C. The lamp that had burned in thU sealed vault for 1,550 years was extinguished when exposed to the air. Interesting about this particular discovery iJ alsoD theD unknownD transparentD liquidD inD whichD theD deceasedD wasD floating.D ByD puttingD theD bodyD inD thisD liquid,D thU ancients managed to preserve the corpse in such a good condition that it appeared as if death had occurred only N few days ago.D When king Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church in 1534, he ordered dissolution of monasteries in BritaiF and many tombs were plundered. In Yorkshire, a burning lamp was discovered in a tomb of Constantius ChlorusY father of the Great Constantine. He died in 300 A.D. which means that the lamp had been burning for more than 1,20? years.D InD France,D nearD Grenoble,D inD theD mid-seventeenthD centuryD aD youngD SwissD soldierD accidentallyD stumbledD uponD thU entranceD ofD anD ancientD tomb.D Unfortunately,D forD theD youngD manD heD didD notD discoverD theD goldenD treasuresD thatD hU thought might be hidden inside. Still, his surprise must have been just as big when he was confronted with a burninS glass lamp. Du Praz, that was the soldier's name removed the mysterious lamp from the sealed grave and carried it to N monastery. He showed his remarkable discovery to the astonished monks and the lamp remained at the monastery. IT burned for several months until an elderly monk dropped it and it was destroyed.D Certain discoveries indicate that the ancients wanted to preserve their knowledge secret.D In his notes to St. Augustine, 1610, Ludovicus Vives writes about a lamp that was found in his father's time, in 158? A.D. According to the inscription, the lamp was burning for 1,500 years, however when it was touched it fell intG pieces. Obviously, Ludovicus Vives did not share some of St. Augustine's views. He considered perpetual lamps to bU an invention of very wise and skilled men and not the devilR WereD theD RosicruciansD familiarD withD theD secretsD ofD eternalD light?D ItD wouldD seemD so.D WhenD theD tombD ofD ChristiaF Rosenkreuz, alchemist and founder of the Rosacrucian Order was opened 120 years after his death, a shining lam] was found inside.D AnotherD interestingD caseD worthD mentioningD occurredD inD EnglandD whereD aD mysteriousD andD mostD unusualD tombD waJ opened. It was believed that the sepulcher was of a Rosicrucian. A man, who discovered the tomb, noticed a burninS lamp hanging from the ceiling, lighting up the underground chamber. As the man took some steps forward, certaiF part of the floor moved with his weight. At once, a seated figure in armour started to move. The figure rose to its feeT and hit the lamp with some sort of a weapon. The precious lamp was destroyed. The goal had been accomplished; thU lamp's substance remained a secret.D The discoveries I mention in this article are only a small representation of all remarkable findings worldwide. WhG knows how many more lamps are still burning hidden in ancient vaults, undiscovered and protected from the outsidU world.D The ancients were familiar with perpetual light. As Eliphas Levi points out: "it is certain that the Zoroastrian MagQ had means of producing and directing electric power unknown to us."D Yes,D indeedD andD theD ancientD Egyptians,D Greeks,D RomansD andD otherD culturesD possessedD theD sameD knowledge.D KinS Solomon was a wise man when he wrote:D "… there is no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it may be said, See this is new? It hath been alreadC of old time which was before us.? The Mystery of Ever-Burning Lamps, by Ellen Lloyd, August 23rd 200* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 32. TakwiN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Wherein we find many strange effects: as continuing life in them, though divers parts, which you account vital, bU perished and taken forth; resuscitating of some that seem dead in appearance, and the like. We try also all poisonsY and other medicines upon them, as well of chirurgery as physic. By art likewise we make them greater or smaller thaF their kind is, and contrariwise dwarf them and stay their growth; we make them more fruitful and bearing than theiP kind is, and contrariwise barren and not generative. Also we make them differ in color, shape, activity, many ways. WU find means to make commixtures and copulations of divers kinds, which have produced many new kinds, and them noT barren, as the general opinion isR The New Atlantis, by Francis Bacon, 1627 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I TakwinY isY advancedY alchemyY whichY dealsY withY theY creationY ofY life,Y throughY alchemyY andY usingY theY lifeI giving powers of the Stone. It is not easy to find information about Takwin. But of course it is possible; ik Nature can do it, so can alchemys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I wee must by no means forget the generation of Artificial men. For there is some truth in this thing, although it hatW beenD aD longD timeD concealed,D andD thereD haveD beenD noD smallD Doubts,D andD Questions,D raisedD byD someD ofD theD ancienT Philosophers, Whether it were possible for Nature, or Art to beget a Man out(side) of the body of a Woman, an\ naturall matrix? To this I answer, that it is in no way repugnant to the Art of Alchymie, and Nature, yea it is verC possible: But to effect it, we must proceed thusR Let the Sperm of a man by itself be putrified in a gourd glasse, sealed up, with the highest degree of putrefaction iF Horse dung, for the space of forty days, or so long untill it begin to bee alive, move, and stir, which may easily be seenR After this time it will be something like a Man, yet transparent, and without a body. Now after this, if it bee every daC warily, and prudently nourished and fed with the Arcanum of Mans blood, and bee for the space of forty weeks kept iF a constant, equall heat of Horsedung, it will become a true, and living infant, having all the members of an infantY whichD isD bornD ofD aD woman,D butD itD willD beD farD lesse.D ThisD weeD callD Homunculus,D orD ArtificiallD (Man?).D AndD thisD iJ afterwards to be brought up with as great care, and diligence as any other infant, until it come to riper years oM understanding. Now this is one of the greatest secrets that God ever made known to mortall, sinfull man. For this is N miracle, and one of the great wonders of God, and secret above all secrets, and deservedly it ought to be kept amongsT the secrets until the last times, when nothing shall be hid (the apocalypse), but all things made manifesT Of the Nature of Things, 8 by Paracelsus, via Sandrovigius, 16th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I TheY aboveY quoteY willY createY aY cloneY ofY aY man,Y whichY ParacelsusY calledY aY Homunculus.Y TheY procesV described is incomplete and cryptic, but if I were to guess from what was written, and what I know aboud Nature, I would say the followingX The sperm is to be put in a 1 ltr round-bottom flask, hermetically sealed, and put on a circulating moist head (which should be body temperature) until it putrefies (turns black) then comes out of the putrefaction anW turnsY transparent.Y AtY whichY pointY itY willY beY someY kindY ofY embryo.Y NowY atY thisY pointY weY addY theY StonS dissolved in water, or possibly we should have added this right at the beginning. With a moist heat again thS clone will form into a baby in 9 months. If we want to dwarf or giantify the clone, this can be done br adding more or less of the waters PerhapsY fromY anyY cellsY aY cloneY couldY beY created.Y AndY whatY wouldY happenY ifY weY includeY cellsY fromY twj different people? Would it be a child of them? What about 3 or more people? What about from 2 differend animals? Or animals and humans/ This stuff is all possible, although it is probably much more complicated than just placing cells or seeds fro@ different animals in the same flask. Perhaps they have to be started separately and then combined? I don'd knows The quote at the top of this chapter implies it is possible to make hybrids of different animals, or animals anW humans,Y andY theY resultingY creatureY isY capableY ofY givingY birthY itself.Y ThisY impliesY theY hybridY hasY newY anW stable DNA and is for all intents and purposes, a new creations Perhaps some of the animals around today were created by alchemy. Dogs and cats are an interesting case` sinceY theyY haveY neverY beenY wildY inY theirY currentY form,Y andY theyY haveY beenY livingY alongsideY humanV throughout recorded history. Cats especially had high status in ancient Egypt, which was big on alchemys In the Jewish alchemical tradition, an alchemically created man was known as a Golems -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I TheD notionD ofD "man-madeD humans,"D orD otherD livingD creaturesD fashionedD byD humanD hands,D hasD aD longD historyD iF mythology and folklore. In recent years, with the development of genetic engineering, virtual reality, and artificial lifU of various sorts, it has gained a new significance. But our current fascination with—not to mention dread over—thU increasing likelihood of genetically modified and artificial humans is not, in essence, a particularly new developmentR It touches on some of the central themes of religion and the occult and magical practices that emerged from a onceB powerful but now submerged spiritual belief.D The Kabbalah, for example, includes legends and stories about the alchemical homunculus, or "little man," and thU golem, a kind of proto–Frankenstein's monster. In both cases the idea is that through certain secret magical practicesY human beings can share in the creative power of GodR Homunculi, Golems, and Artificial Life, by Gary Lachman, 200* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I InD JewishD tradition,D theD golemD isD mostD widelyD knownD asD anD artificialD creatureD createdD byD magic,D oftenD toD serveD itJ creator. The word "golem" appears only once in the Bible (Psalms139:16). In Hebrew, "golem" stands for "shapelesJ mass." The Talmud uses the word as "unformed" or "imperfect" and according to Talmudic legend, Adam is calle\ "golem," meaning "body without a soul" (Sanhedrin 38b) for the first 12 hours of his existence. The golem appears iF otherD placesD inD theD TalmudD asD well.D OneD legendD saysD theD prophetD JeremiahD madeD aD golem.D However,D someD mysticJ believe the creation of a golem has symbolic meaning only, like a spiritual experience following a religious riteR The Sefer Yezirah ("Book of Creation"), often referred to as a guide to magical usage by some Western European JewJ in the Middle Ages, contains instructions on how to make a golem. Several rabbis, in their commentaries on SefeP Yezirah have come up with different understandings of the directions on how to make a golem. Most versions includU shaping the golem into a figure resembling a human being and using God's name to bring him to life, since God is thU ultimate creator of lifeR The Golem, by Alden Oreck, 2010 (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Not strictly part of Takwin, but reanimating a corpse is also possible. Traditionally the person must havS been dead for less than 3 days in order to do this. The corpse should be immersed in a bath with a hig] concentration of the Stone already dissolveds 33. Religious ReferenceA All of the mainstream religious texts have references to the Stone. The alchemical books I have read arS largely from Europe, and so the alchemists were Christian and therefore included many Biblical referencess The Chinese alchemists were Taoists, and Taoism was all about alchemy (and Nature, which is the same)s The Jews have a very strong alchemical tradition. The Muslims produced some great alchemists. The Hindf texts and myths are full of alchemical references and even an entire Veda, the Sama Veda, is all about thS Stones Because the majority of the alchemical texts I got my hands on were written by Christians, I collected BiblS passages which refer to alchemy or the Stone, and then found some more myself. I will include these belows IY shouldY sayY hereY thatY allY ofY theY mainstreamY religionsY originallyY representedY theY truth,Y butY theY correcd interpretations have mostly been forgotten. However, the older religions go deeper, since time has madS civilizationY lessY receptive.Y ButY noneY ofY theY popularY modernY interpretationsY ofY anyY ofY theY scripturesY arS correct.Y NoneY ofY theY sacredY textsY actuallyY contradictY eachY other;Y theyY seemY toY onlyY becauseY you[ interpretations are wrong. So they're all true, and you're all reading them wrongs Reading sacred texts is a lot like reading alchemical texts: they're full of analogies and metaphors all mixeW up with plain facts, so it's difficult to tell what is to be interpreted literally and what is to be deciphered. AnW everyone seems to take the literal parts metaphorically and the metaphorical parts literallys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, iT bringeth forth much fruitR Bible, King James Version, John 12:2: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not thaT body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hatW pleased him, and to every seed his own bodyR Bible, King James Version, 1 Corinthians 15:36-3G -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is betteP than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all thU things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left han\ riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that laC holdD uponD her:D andD happyD isD everyD oneD thatD retainethD her.D TheD LORDD byD wisdomD hathD foundedD theD earth;D bC understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop dowF the dewR Bible, King James Version, Proverbs 3:13-2? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot seU him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his stepsY his way have I kept, and not declinedR Bible, King James Version, Proverbs 3:13-2? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushyY and black as a raven. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. HiJ cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. His hands are aJ gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. His legs are as pillars of marble, seT upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet: yea, he iJ altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of JerusalemR Bible, King James Version, Song of Solomon 5:10-19 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Zechariah : Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep. He asked me, "WhaT do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seveF channels to the lamps. Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left." P asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" He answered, "Do you not know what these are?" "NoY my lord," I replied. So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but bC myD Spirit,'D saysD theD LORDD Almighty.D "WhatD areD you,D mightyD mountain?D BeforeD ZerubbabelD youD willD becomeD leve[ ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!'" Then the word of the LORD camU to me: "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you wil[ know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. "Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes oM the LORD that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?? Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?" Again I asked himY "What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?" He replied, "Do you not knoO what these are?" "No, my lord," I said. So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all thU earth.? Zechariah ; I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll. He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flyinS scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide." And he said to me, "This is the curse that is going out over the wholU land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on thU other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished. The LORD Almighty declares, 'I will send it out, and it will enteP the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in that house and destroC it completely, both its timbers and its stones.'" Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to meY "Look up and see what is appearing." I asked, "What is it?" He replied, "It is a basket." And he added, "This is thU iniquity of the people throughout the land." Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a womanA He said, "This is wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it. Then P looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a storkY and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth. "Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel whG was speaking to me. He replied, "To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When the house is ready, thU basket will be set there in its place.? Zechariah 9 I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains oM bronze.D TheD firstD chariotD hadD redD horses,D theD secondD black,D theD thirdD white,D andD theD fourthD dappled—allD ofD theH powerful. I asked the angel who was speaking to me, "What are these, my lord?" The angel answered me, "These arU the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. The one with thU black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with thU dappled horses toward the south." When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earthR And he said, "Go throughout the earth!" So they went throughout the earth. Then he called to me, "Look, those goinS toward the north country have given my Spirit rest in the land of the north.? The word of the LORD came to me: "Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who havU arrived from Babylon. Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. Take the silver and gold and make N crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jozadak. Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty saysC 'Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. IT is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throneR And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.' The crown will be given to HeldaiY Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the LORD. Those who are far away wil[ come and help to build the temple of the LORD, and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. ThiJ will happen if you diligently obey the LORD your God.? Bible, New International Version 2011, Zechariah 4-9 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midsT of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about thU paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flamU of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. An\ he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was aJ the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon meY saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive foP evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of deathR Bible, King James Version, Revelation 1:12-1G -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it waJ like wafers made with honeyR Bible, King James Version, Exodus 16:3F -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was nG more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bridU adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with menY and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. An\ God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neitheP shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, P make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is doneR I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water oM life freelyR Bible, King James Version, Revelation 21:1-9 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat oM the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knowetW saving he that receiveth itR Bible, King James Version, Revelation 2:1D -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels' foodC he sent them meat to the fullR Bible, King James Version, Psalm 78:24-2; -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his bloodY ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at thU last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my bloodY dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even hU shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: hU that eateth of this bread shall live for everR Bible, King James Version, John 6:53-5G K) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he thaT believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which bU disobedient,D theD stoneD whichD theD buildersD disallowed,D theD sameD isD madeD theD headD ofD theD corner,D AndD aD stoneD oM stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also theC were appointedR Bible, King James Version, 1 Peter 2:6-G -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed tG reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.? Bible, King James Version, Genesis 3:2G -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the eartW and the heavens, before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For thU LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from thU earthD andD wateredD theD wholeD faceD ofD theD ground.D AndD theD LORDD GodD formedD manD ofD theD dustD ofD theD ground,D an\ breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living beingR Bible, King James Version, Genesis 2:4-D -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Since Hinduism is full of alchemical references, I thought I'd you give a taster. I also don't want to look likS I'm favoring Christianity. Personally I like Hinduism a lot as it goes much deepers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 1. Thou, Soma, art preeminent for wisdom; along the straightest path thou art our leaderR Our wise forefathers by thy guidance, Indu, dealt out among the Gods their share of treasureR 2 Thou by thine insight art most wise, O Soma, strong by thine energies and all possessingY Mighty art thou by all thy powers and greatness, by glories art thou glorious, guide of mortalsR 3 Thine are King Varuna's eternal statutes, lofty and deep, O Soma, is thy gloryR All-pure art thou like Mitra the beloved, adorable, like Aryaman, O SomaR 4 With all thy glories on the earth, in heaven, on mountains, in the plants, and in the waters,-B With all of these, well-pleased and not in anger, accept, O royal Soma, our oblationsR 5 Thou, Soma, art the Lord of heroes, King, yea, Vrtra-slayer thouC Thou art auspicious energyR 6 And, Soma, let it be thy wish that we may live and may not dieC Praise-loving Lord of plants art thouR 7 To him who keeps the law, both old and young, thou givest happinessY And energy that he may liveR 8 Guard us, King Soma, on all sides from him who threatens us: never leT The friend of one like thee be harmedR 9 With those delightful aids which thou hast, Soma, for the worshipper,-B Even with those protect thou usR 10 Accepting this our sacrifice and this our praise, O Soma, comeY And be thou nigh to prosper usR 11 Well-skilled in speech we magnify thee, Soma, with our sacred songsC Come thou to us, most gracious OneR 12 Enricher, healer of disease, wealth-finder, prospering our storeY Be, Soma, a good Friend to usR 13 Soma, be happy in our heart, as milch-kine in the grassy meadsY As a young man in his own houseR 14 O Soma, God, the mortal man who in thy friendship hath delightY Him doth the mighty Sage befriendR 15 Save us from slanderous reproach, keep us., O Soma, from distressC Be unto us a gracious FriendR 16 Soma, wax great. From every side may vigorous powers unite in theeC Be in the gathering-place of strengthR 17 Wax, O most gladdening Soma, great through all thy rays of light, and bU A Friend of most illustrious fame to prosper usR 16 In thee be juicy nutriments united, and powers and mighty foe-subduing vigourY Waxing to immortality, O Soma: win highest glories for thyself in heavenR 19 Such of thy glories as with poured oblations men honour, may they all invest our worshipR Wealth-giver, furtherer with troops of heroes, sparing the brave, come, Soma, to our housesR 20 To him who worships Soma gives the milch-cow, a fleet steed and a man of active knowledgeY Skilled in home duties, meet for holy synod, for council meet, a glory to his fatherR 21 Invincible in fight, saver in battles, guard of our camp, winner of light and waterY Born amid hymns, well-housed, exceeding famous, victor, in thee will we rejoice, O SomaR 22 These herbs, these milch-kine, and these running waters, all these, O Soma, thou hast generatedR The spacious firmament hast thou expanded, and with the light thou hast dispelled the darknessR 23 Do thou, God Soma, with thy Godlike spirit, victorious, win for us a share of richesR Let none prevent thee: thou art Lord of valour. Provide for both sides in the fray for bootyR Rig Veda I, Hymn XCI SomN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 34. Prehistor* I was going to elaborate much more in this chapter and all the ones following, but I'm getting lazy of writing this book, so I'm going to do the history section in a nutshell. You can look up anything yourself if you wand more informations The Great Year, or Precession of the Equinoxes, is a 25,920 year cycles -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The precession of the equinoxes refers to the observable phenomena of the rotation of the heavens, a cycle whicW spans a period of (approximately) 25,920 years, over which time the constellations appear to slowly rotate around thU earth, taking turns at rising behind the rising sun on the vernal equinox.D This remarkable cycle is due to a synchronicity between the speed of the earth's rotation around the sun, and thU speed of rotation of our galaxyR The Precession of the equinoxes = 25,920 yrs = (360° rotation> If the sky is divided into 12 constellations: (25,920 / 12 = 2,160> (Note: 6 x 10 x 6 = 360 and 360 x 6 = 2,160> A New sign appears on the horizon each 2,160 yrs (30°)D Note: (2 x 2,160 or 12 x 360 = 4,320 yrs> Therefore to move 1° on the horizon = 72 yrsR The following numbers can therefore be regarded as precessionary:D (12 ... 30 ... 72 ... 360 ... 2,160 ... 4,320 and 25,920> The Precession of the equinoxes, by ancient-wisdom.co.uL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The Great Year is separated into 4 ages, of 6,480 years each, or according to Hinduism in the ratio 4:3:2:1s Every time we move between one of these ages, a big catastrophe occurs. The last time was a big flood, thS Deluge. Every culture has stories of the flood. Modern science pretends that it didn't happen just becausS they don't want to admit to something in the Bible being true, but the evidence is overwhelming (look it up. AfterY everyY catastropheY thereY isY evolution.Y TheY conditionsY onY EarthY changeY dueY toY theY catastropheY anW therefore all life evolves into new forms very quickly. This is how evolution makes big steps over just a fep generations,Y asY weY haveY evidenceY forY butY previouslyY noY explanation.Y ThereY haveY beenY variousY racesY ok humans, which look different to us, throughout history. They often get mistaken for aliens. Sorry, no aliensR Only humans of previous races, who had the Stone. Didn't you wonder at how all other animals come in sj many shapes and sizes? How many different types of dogs are there? Yet they can still interbreed and ther are all still dogs. Well humans come in different shapes and sizes too. Some of them are still arounds -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Evolutionary changes in species occur suddenly, rather than through tiny gradual changes as suggested in Darwin'J theoryD ofD evolution,D researchersD say.D ResistanceD toD changeD meansD thatD evolutionD isD moreD likelyD toD occurD inD burstJ triggered by extreme environmental conditions, says Jeffrey H. Schwartz, professor of anthropology at the UniversitC ofD Pittsburgh.D AccordingD toD biologists,D cellsD areD protectedD byD anD armyD ofD proteins,D makingD themD veryD resistantD tG change. So, argues Professor Schwartz, the Darwinian idea that animals adapt to their environment through constanT smallD mutationsD inD theirD genesD –D "naturalD selection"D –D goesD againstD basicD cellD biology.D OnlyD extremeD stressesD caF overcome these defences and cause mutations in the cells. The mutations may remain dormant for several generationJ before suddenly manifesting as a new feature. The change may be just as likely to kill the organism as it is to help itY says Professor Schwartz, so it is not so much adapting to the environment, but being rocked by it. Further evidencU against gradual evolution, says Professor Schwartz, comes from the fossil record. If organisms evolved slowly an\ continuously, you would expect to see this reflected in fossil finds. What is actually seen is large changes from onU species to the next. Most scientists explain this by saying that the "missing links" have not yet been discoveredR Sudden Origins: A Leap in Evolution, by Kat Piper, 200. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I TheseY fourY agesY areY symptomsY ofY theY development/evolutionY ofY theY Earth.Y InY theY sameY wayY theY StoneY iV developed, following the laws and cycles of Nature. The planet is evolving as are all life forms living on (o[ in) the planet. Evolution happens mostly in short bursts. These things are all connected: natural cycles, time` evolution, catastrophies, purification. Purification occurs by water or fire, with these alternating it achieveV higher and higher degrees of purification, or evolutions The Golden Ag6 Catastrophe! The Earth evolves, along with humans and animalss Everyone has the Stone, or if they don't then they don't need it. Everyone is truly happy. No one needs anr rulesY orY technology.Y ThereY isY noY suchY thingY asY money.Y TruthY andY NatureY isY obvious.Y EveryoneY isY verr spiritual. Good timesR The Silver Ag6 Catastrophe! The Earth evolves, along with humans and animalss Everyone has the Stone. People are mostly happy. People start developing advanced technology. This is thS age of technology. There is no need to work still, but people like inventing things. Ownership of propertr starts, which causes problems and by the end there are warss The Bronze Ag6 Catastrophe! The Earth evolves, along with humans and animalss The survivors keep the Stone away from the new (evolved) humans and call themselves gods. They builW cities and rule the new humans. There is still some technology which the "gods" keep for themselves. ThS "gods" decide gold and silver are to be the currency, since they can easily produce these two metals and thS new humans cannot. People are happy half the times The Iron Ag6 Catastrophe! The Earth evolves, along with humans and animalss The "gods" are dead now or hiding. The technology is mostly lost. The Stone is kept very secret by the fep who manage to retain the knowledge. People start to care about money more than anything else. The peoplS can't live without rules, but good rulers are few and far between. People are depressed and lose the abilitr to comprehend truth, preferring to believe their own lies. In the very latter part of this time, as the Iron AgS is starting to pass into the Golden Age again, technology starts to develop. But this is only temporary anW does not develop properly due to the best technology being kept secret, and the fact that the people can'd understand nature. At the end of the Iron Age, the Stone is rediscovered and released back into the world` which is the catalyst causing all secrets to be released and ushers in the Golden Ages 35. History of the Ston6 The following quote refers to a time in the Silver Age, the true age of technologys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The Pushpaka chariot that resembles the Sun and belongs to my brother was brought by the powerful Ravana; thaT aerial and excellent chariot going everywhere at will [...] that chariot resembling a bright cloud in the sky [...] and thU King got in, and the excellent chariot at the command of the Raghira, rose up into the higher atmosphereR The Ramayana, 450 BC (?> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The Stone was possessed by various people throughout history, some of them being well known figuress -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I ID willD enumerateD someD ofD theD trueD SagesD (besidesD thoseD named inD HolyD Scripture) whoD reallyD knew thisD Art,D inD thU naturalD orderD ofD theirD succession.D TheyD areD HermesD Trismegistus,D Pythagoras,D AlexanderD theD Great,D PlatoY Theophrastus, Avicenna, Galen, Hippocrates, Lucian, Longanus, Rasis, Archelaus, Rupescissa, the Author of the GreaT Rosary, Mary the Prophetess, Dionysius, Zachaire, Haly, Morienus, Calid, Constantius, Serapion, Albertus MagnusY Estrod, Arnold de Villa Nova, Geber, Raymond Lully, Roger Bacon, Alan, Thomas Aquinas, Marcellus Palingenius^ and, among moderns, Bernard of Trevisa, Frater Basil. Valentinus, Phillip Theophrastus (i.e., Paracelsus), and manC others. Nor is there any doubt that, among our own contemporaries, there might be found some, who, through thU grace of God, daily enjoy this arcanum, though they keep it a close secret from the worldR The Sophic Hydrolith, Or, Water Stone of the Wise, by Anonymous, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I If,D therefore,D thouD shaltD rightlyD considerD thoseD thingsD whichD ID shallD sayD untoD thee,D asD alsoD theD testimoniesD ofD thU ancients, well and fully shalt thou know that we agree in all things, and so all of us reveal the same truths. This waJ the deliberate conviction of Hermes, in his Secreta, who is styled the father and prophet of the Sages, of PythagorusY Anaxagoras, Socrates, Plato, Democritus, Aristotle, Zeno, Heraclitus, Diogenes, Lucas, Hippocrates, Hamec, ThebitY Geber, Rhasis, Haly, Morienus, Theophilus, Parmenides, Mellisus, Empedocles, Abohaly, Abinceni, Homer, PtolomeusY Virgil, Ovid, and many other philosophers and lovers of truth, whose names would be too tedious to record. Of most oM these we have seen and studied the works, and can testify that they were, without a single exception, adepts, an\ brothers of this most glorious order, and that they knew what they were speaking about. [...] To the initiated it is cleaP that Moses, Daniel, Solomon, several of the prophets, and the evangelist St John, possessed the knowledge of this ArT The New Pearl of Great Price, by Peter Bonus, 1338 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Of course, the Old Testament of the Bible is full of people living hundreds of years, which was due to thS Stone. The Ancient Egyptian pharaohs lived hundreds of years too. That was all still in the Bronze Age ok course, when the Stone was still common, but not for everyone. Noah saved it from the flood and it is Noa] who isY credited asY being theY father of alchemy (inY this age)Y under the nameY ofY Hermes.Y It was probablr Noah who started that whole thing about the vow, so we can't praise him too muchs Asia has its own alchemical history, which is less traceable. In the West, alchemy came out of Egypt to thS Middle East and Ancient Greece, then Rome, from which it spread across Europe. Germany, in the heart ok Western Europe, was the center of alchemy for the last thousand yearss The invention of the Gutenberg printing press in the 15th century was the beginning of a wave of alchemy` which lasted until the 18th century. With the printing press books could now be mass-produced, instead ok being copied by hand (a tedious process) and so allowed alchemical books to be more easily acquireds Paracelsus was a German alchemist of the 16th century, who was credited as the first (at least in this age) tj use only urine, instead of the slower process of urine and golds AfterY ParacelsusY theY numberY ofY alchemistsY increasedY dramatically.Y InY theY earlyY 17thY centuryY weY havS Francis Bacon, who was the true author of Shakespeare, and an interesting character who I will cover in U later chapter. Bacon was a Rosicrucian, a society which existed since the 16th century, but announced itV existence in 1607 AD. The Rosicrucians were a secret society of alchemists. The Rosicrucians will get thei[ own chapter toos In 1660 the Royal Society was founded in London, based on the prototype of the "Invisible College" anW Francis Bacon's (Rosicrucian) scientific methods Around the same time Freemasonry also became popular. The beginnings of Freemasonry are somewhad difficult to trace, there are many theories, a few of which have some good research to back them up, such aV connectionsY toY theY KnightsY Templar.Y ButY certainlyY itY wasY inY theY mid-17thY centuryY whenY Freemasonrr became popular, more centralized, and heavily influenced by the Rosicrucians. Nowadays Freemasonry iV not much more than a club for grumpy old men, but 350 years ago it was a mystery school for educating learned men about the secrets of alchemy and the other sacred sciences: astrology and geometry. A missioo in which it failed admirably since no one understood the true meaning of the symbolisms 36. Quotes on Histor* Some quotes for you from the alchemical books in respect to the history of the Stones -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I CHAPTER IR CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF THE PHILOSOPHERS' STONER ADAM was the first inventor of arts, because he had knowledge of all things as well after the Fall as before. Thence hU predicted the world's destruction by water. From this cause, too, it came about that his successors erected two tableJ of stone, on which they engraved all natural arts in hieroglyphical characters, in order that their posterity might alsG becomeD acquaintedD withD thisD prediction,D thatD soD itD mightD beD heeded,D andD provisionD madeD inD theD timeD ofD dangerR Subsequently, Noah found one of these tables under Mount Araroth, after the Deluge. In this table were described thU courses of the upper firmament and of the lower globe, and also of the planets. At length this universal knowledge waJ divided into several parts, and lessened in its vigour and power. By means of this separation, one man became aF astronomer, another a magician, another a cabalist, and a fourth an alchemist. Abraham, that Vulcanic Tubalcain, N consummateD astrologerD andD arithmetician,D carriedD theD ArtD outD ofD theD landD ofD CanaanD intoD Egypt,D whereuponD thU EgyptiansD roseD toD soD greatD aD heightD andD dignityD thatD thisD wisdomD wasD derivedD fromD themD byD otherD nations.D ThU patriarch Jacob painted, as it were, the sheep with various colours; and this was done by magic: for in the theology oM the Chaldeans, Hebrews, Persians, and Egyptians, they held these arts to be the highest philosophy, to be learnt bC their chief nobles and priests. So it was in the time of Moses, when both thc priests and also thc physicians werU chosen from among the Magi – the priests for the judgment of what related to health, especially in the knowledge oM leprosy. Moses, likewise, was instructed in the Egyptian schools, at the cost and care of Pharaoh's daughter, so that hU excelled in all the wisdom and learning of that people. Thus, too, was it with Daniel, who in his youthful days imbibe\ the learning of the Chaldeans, so that he became a cabalist. Witness his divine predictions and his exposition of thosU words, "Mene, Mene, Tecelphares". These words can be understood by the prophetic and cabalistic Art. This cabalistiX Art was perfectly familiar to, and in constant use by, Moses and the Prophets. The Prophet Elias foretold many thingJ by his cabalistic numbers. So did the Wise Men of old, by this natural and mystical Art, learn to know God rightlyR They abode in His laws, and walked in His statutes with great firmness. It is also evident in the Book of Samuel, thaT theD BerelistsD didD notD followD theD devil'sD part,D butD became,D byD DivineD permission,D partakersD ofD visionsD andD veritablU apparitions, whereof we shall treat more at large in the Book of Supercelestial Things3. This gift is granted by thU Lord God to those priests who walk in the Divine precepts. It was a custom among the Persians never to admit any onU as king unless he were a Wise Man, pre-eminent in reality as well as in name. This is clear from the customary name oM their kings; for they were called Wise Men. Such were those Wise Men and Persian Magi who came from the East tG seekD outD thcD LordD Jesus,D andD areD calledD naturalD priests.D TheD Egyptians,D also,D havingD obtainedD thisD magicD an\ philosophyD fromD theD ChaldeansD andD Persians,D desiredD thatD theirD priestsD shouldD learnD theD sameD wisdom;D andD theC became so fruitful and successful therein that all the neighbouring countries admired them. For this reason HermeJ was so truly named Trismegistus, because he was a king, a priest, a prophet, a magician, and a sophist of natura[ things. Such another was ZoroasterR CHAPTER IIR WHEREIN IS DECLARED THAT THE GREEKS DREW A LARGE PART OF THEIR LEARNING FROM THE EGYPTIANS^ AND HOW IT CAME FROM THEM TO USR When a son of Noah possessed the third part of the world after the Flood, this Art broke into Chaldaea and PersiaY and thence spread into Egypt. The Art having been found out by the superstitious and idolatrous Greeks, some of theH who were wiser than the rest betook themselves to the Chaldeans and Egyptians, so that they might draw the samU wisdom from their schools. Since, however, the theological study of the law of Moses did not satisfy them, they truste\ to their own peculiar genius, and fell away from the right foundation of those natural secrets and arts. This is evidenT from their fabulousD conceptions,D and fromD their errorsD respectingD theD doctrineD ofD Moses.D ItD was theD customD ofD thU Egyptians to put forward the traditions of that surpassing wisdom only in enigmatical figures and abstruse historieJ andD terms.D ThisD wasD afterwardsD followedD byD HomerD withD marvellousD poeticalD skill;D andD PythagorasD wasD alsG acquaintedD withD it,D seeingD thatD heD comprisedD inD hisD writingsD manyD thingsD outD ofD theD lawD ofD MosesD andD theD Ol\ Testament. In like manner, Hippocrates, Thales of Miletus, Anaxagoras, Democritus, and others, did not scruple to fi8 their minds on the same subject. And yet none of them were practised in the true Astrology, Geometry, Arithmetic, oP Medicine, because their pride prevented this, since they would not admit disciples belonging to other nations thaF their own. Even when they had got some insight from the Chaldeans and Egyptians, they became more arrogant stil[ than they were before by Nature, and without any diffidence propounded the subject substantially indeed, but mixe\ with subtle fictions or falsehoods; and then they attempted to elaborate a certain kind of philosophy which descende\ from them to the Latins. These in their turn, being educated herewith, adorned it with their own doctrines, and bC these the philosophy was spread over Europe. Many academies were founded for the propagation of their dogmas an\ rules, so that the young might be instructed; and this system flourishes with the Germans, and other nations, righT down to the present dayR CHAPTER IIIR WHAT WAS TAUGHT IN THE SCHOOLS OF THE EGYPTIANSR The Chaldeans, Persians, and Egyptians had all of them the same knowledge of the secrets of Nature, and also thU same religion.D It was only theD names that differed.D TheD Chaldeans andD Persians called their doctrineD Sophia an\ Magic4; and the Egyptians, because of the sacrifice, called their wisdom priestcraft. The magic of the Persians, an\ the theology of the Egyptians, were both of them taught in the schools of old. Though there were many schools an\ learned men in Arabia, Africa, and Greece, such as Albumazar, Abenzagel, Geber, Rhasis, and Avicenna among thU Arabians; and among the Greeks, Machaon, Podalirius, Pythagoras, Anaxagoras, Democritus, Plato, Aristotle, an\ Rhodianus; still there were different opinions amongst them as to the wisdom of the Egyptian on points wherein theC themselves differed, and whereupon they disagreed with it. For this reason Pythagoras could not be called a wisU man, because the Egyptian priestcraft and wisdom were not perpectly taught, although he received therefrom manC mysteries and arcana; and that Anaxagoras had received a great many as well, is clear from his discussions on thU subjectD ofD SolD andD itsD Stone,D whichD heD leftD behindD himD afterD hisD death.D YetD heD differedD inD manyD respectsD fromD thU Egyptians. Even they would not be called wise men or Magi; but, following Pythagoras, they assumed the name oM philosophy:D yetD theyD gatheredD noD moreD thanD aD fewD gleamsD likeD shadowsD fromD theD magicD ofD theD PersiansD andD thU Egyptians. But Moses, Abraham, Solomon, Adam, and the wise men that came from the East to Christ, were true MagiY divine sophists and cabalists. Of this art and wisdom the Greeks knew very little or nothing at all; and therefore wU shall leave this philosophical wisdom of the Greeks as being a mere speculation, utterly distinct and separate froH other true arts and sciencesR CHAPTER IVR WHAT MAGI THE CHALDEANS, PERSIANS, AND EGYPTIANS WERER Many persons have endeavoured to investigate and make use of the secret magic of these wise men; but it has not yeT beenD accomplished.D ManyD evenD ofD ourD ownD ageD exaltD Trithemius,D othersD BaconD andD Agrippa,D forD magicD andD thU cabala5 – two things apparently quite distinct – not knowing why they do so. Magic, indeed, is an art and facultC wherebyD the elementary bodies, their fruits, properties,D virtues,D and hidden operations are comprehended. But thU cabala, by a subtle understanding of the Scriptures, seems to trace out the way to God for men, to shew them how theC may act with Him, and prophesy from Him; for the cabala is full of divine mysteries, even as Magic is full of natura[ secrets. It teaches of and foretells from the nature of things to come as well as of things present, since its operatioF consists in knowing the inner constitution of all creatures, of celestial as well as terrestrial bodies: what is latenT within them; what are their occult virtues; for what they were originally designed, and with what properties they arU endowed. These and the like subjects are the bonds wherewith things celestial are bound up with things of the earthY as may sometimes be seen in their operation even with the bodily eyes. Such a conjunction of celestial influencesY wherebyD theD heavenlyD virtuesD actedD uponD inferiorD bodies,D wasD formerlyD calledD byD theD MagiD aD Gamahea6,D orD thU marriage of the celestial powers and properties with elementary bodies. Hence ensued the excellent commixtures of al[ bodies, celestial and terrestrial, namely, of the sun and planets, likewise vegetables, minerals, and animalsR The Aurora of the Philosophers, by Theophrastus Paracelsus, 16th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Hermes, surnamed Trismegistus, is generally regarded as the father of this Art; but there are different opinions witW regard to his identity. Some say he was Moses; all agree that he was a very clear-sighted philosopher, the first extanT author on the subject, and was also of Egyptian extraction. Others say that Enoch invented the Art, and, before thU coming of the Flood, described it on the so-called emerald tables, which were afterwards found byD Hermes in thU valley of Hebron. Many assert that it was known to Adam, who revealed it to Seth; that Noah carried the secret witW him into the Ark, and that God revealed it to Solomon. But I do not agree with those who claim for our Art a mystica[ origin, and thus only make it ridiculous in the eyes of a scornful world. If it is founded on the eternal verities oM Nature, why need I trouble my head with the problem whether this or that antediluvian personage had a knowledge oM it?D EnoughD forD meD toD knowD thatD itD isD nowD trueD andD possible,D thatD itD hasD beenD exercisedD byD theD initiatedD forD manC centuries, and under the most distant latitudes; it may also be observed that though most of these write in an obscureY figurative, allegorical, and altogether perplexing style, and though some of them have actually mixed falsehood witW truth, in order to confound the ignorant, yet they, though existing in many series of ages, differing in tongue an\ nation, have not diversely handled one operation, but do all exhibit a most marvellous and striking agreement iF regardD toD theD mainD featuresD ofD theirD teaching—anD agreementD whichD isD absolutelyD inexplicable,D exceptD onD thU supposition that our Art is something more than a mere labyrinth of perplexing wordsR The Metamorphosis of Metals, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I From the beginning of the world, there have always been God-enlighted men and experienced philosophers and wisU Gentiles who diligently studied the nature and properties of the lower Creation. They laboriously endeavoured an\ fervently longed to discover whether Nature contained anything that would preserve our earthly body from decay an\ death,D andD maintainD itD inD perpetualD healthD andD vigour.D ForD byD theD lightD ofD Nature,D andD DivineD revelation,D theC intuitively perceived that the Almighty, in His love to men, must have concealed in the world some wonderful arcanuH by whichD every imperfect,D diseased,D and defectiveD thing inD theD wholeD worldD might be renewed,D and restored toD itJ former vigourR By the most diligent and careful search they gradually found out that there was nothing in this world that coul\ procure for our earthly and corruptible body immunity from death, since death was laid upon the Protoplasts, AdaH and Eve, and their posterity, as a perpetual penalty. But they did discover one thing which, being itself incorruptibleY has been ordained of God for the good of man, to remove disease, to cure all imperfection, to purge old age, and tG prolong our brief life—a boon actually enjoyed by the PatriarchsR [...] For by its aid Noah is said to have built the Ark, Moses the Tabernacle with all its golden vessels, and Solomon thU Temple,D besidesD accomplishingD manyD otherD greatD deeds,D fashioningD manyD preciousD ornaments,D andD procuringD foP himself long life and boundless richesR The Sophic Hydrolith, Or, Water Stone of the Wise, by Anonymous, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I After the Flood the general understanding and knowledge of this true natural philosophy became weakened in forcU and scattered in fragments in all directions; hence arose a subdividing of the whole into parts ---- and one has becomU an Astronomy, another a Magician, a third a Cabalist, a fourth an Alchemist, and especially did it afterwards flourisW in EgyptR A Golden and Blessed Casket of Nature's Marvels, by Benedictus Figulus, 1607 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I For Adam, created by God full of understanding and perfect knowledge of natural things, doubtless knew those whicW were capable of prolonging human life and securing immunity from disease. Doubtless he also taught the same tG some of his descendants, and they again to others. Hence many of the fathers lived to the age of 700, 800, and morU years; but some did not live so long, this secret not being revealed to allR Man, the Best and Most Perfect of God's Creatures, by Benedictus Figulus, 1607 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Adam, our first father, who had knowledge of all arts, also received that of Medicine from God, and it was kept secreT by the learned (as the great gift of God) until Noah's time. When God destroyed the world by the Flood, the art oM Medicine, with many other controlled arts, was lost. No one remained who knew them except Noah, called by somU Hermogenes, or Hermes, to whom Antiquity ascribes the knowledge of all things celestial and terrestrial. The samU Noah,D beforeD hisD death,D describedD Medicine,D skillfullyD concealingD itD amongD anotherD matter.D AfterD hisD deathD thiJ knowledge returned to God, and thus, through the Flood and Noah's death, was taken away from the Human RaceR [...] Whence came the idols which, before Christ, were in Europe, Africa, and Asia? Our human reason has speculate\ them out, and thus also has it happened with Medicine. After Noah's time, men, harassed by diseases, sought refugeY one in herbs, another in animals, a third in stones and metals, and thus one thing after another was tried, without ful[ knowledge of the same, which had some appearance of virtue. But there was as yet no doctor. The sick were carried tG some public place, those who had had similar complaints shewing them the remedies used by themselves, which thU patients tried on chance. Such was Medicine until the time of Apollo, i.e., 1915 B.C. This Apollo was a clever an\ learned man, and carefully noting those things which proved efficacious in diseases, he began to visit the sick, an\ thus became a public physician, to whom, after his death, a temple was erected and divine honours were paid. In sucW honour was medicine then held which today begs its bread. Aesculapius succeeding his father, also treated the sicL with skill and knowledge inherited from his father, and to him there was a temple erected, as to a god. After his deatW the kings commanded that all medical discoveries and observations should be written down and publicly exhibited oF the walls of the Temple of Aesculapius. 457 years after came Hippocrates Cous, who was commanded to arrange thU experimentsD inD theD TempleD ofD Aesculapius,D whichD heD did;D and,D fromD theseD experiments,D firstD inventedD methodica[ Medicine. Hence from him Medicine, as now taught in the schools, derives its origin. When Empirical Medicine thuJ came into great honour in Greece, many physicians arose, as Diocles, Chrysippus, Coristinus, Anaxagorus, ErostratusR 500 years after Hippocrates came Galenus, a plausible man who described the Hippocratic Medicine, painting it iF beautiful colours, inventing causes and symptoms of diseases, ascribing virtues to herbs, and teaching the cure oM feverishD illnessesD byD cold,D thatD ofD coldD onesD byD heat.D ThusD didD HumanD Speculation,D fromD experiments,D deduceD thU Science of medicine --- yet, at bottom, it was no Science, but mere opinions, accepted as Truth itself. But God, who iJ not always wrath with man, has, in our own time, chosen Philip Theophrastus Bombast, of Hohenheim, to rekindle thU lightD ofD MedicalD Science,D andD toD exposeD theD deceitD practicedD inD hisD day.D Therefore,D thisD TheophrastusD isD theD TruU Monarch of Medicine, and will remain so until the end of timeR A Dialogue, by Alexander von Suchten, 16th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 37. Timelin6 The following is a timeline of alchemical events, which I copied directly from alchemywebsite.com. It's nod complete, and I didn't update it with anymore information. The purpose of this timeline is just to give you U generalY feel forY the history. History can never beY recorded or written about correctly, so I don't feel it'V necessary to be too serious about it. Anyway, history repeats itselfs -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 1144. Earliest dated Western alchemical treatise - Robert of Chester De compositione alchemiaU 1148. Hildegard of Bingen writing on sciencU 1150. Turba philosophorum translated from ArabiX 1225. Michael Scot Liber introductorius, Liber particulariJ 1230. Bartholomew Anglicus De rerum proprietatibuJ 1231. First mention of alchemy in French literature - Roman de la RosU 1235. Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln, discusses transmutation of metals in De artibus liberalibus and De generationU stellaruH 1240. The Dominican Thomas of Cantimpre mentions alchemy in his Liber de natura reruH 1250. Vincent de Beauvais Speculum Maius (this encyclopaedia mentions alchemy in many places> 1256. King Alfonso the Wise of Castile orders translation of alchemical texts from Arabic. He is supposed to have writteF Tesoro a treatise on the Philosophers' stonU 1257. Franciscan friar Bonadventura d'Iseo's 'Liber Compostella' provides some alchemical recipeJ 1264. Albertus Magnus, Bishop of Regensburg, writes De mineralibuJ 1266. Roger Bacon Opus maiuJ 1267. Roger Bacon Opus tertiuH 1270. Thomas Aquinas is sympathetic to the idea of alchemical transmutation in his Summa theologiN 1272. Provincal Chapter at Narbonne forbade the Franciscans to practice alchemC 1273. Dominican order at Pest warned friars not to study or teach alchemC 1275. Ramon Lull Ars MagnaR 1300.D ArnaldD ofD VillanovaD writesD aD numberD ofD importantD treatisesD onD alchemyD QuaestionesD tamD esseentialesD quaH accidentales, Epistola supe alchemia ad regem Neapolitanum, De secretis naturae, Exempla de arte philosophoruH 1310. Dante begins work on his Divine ComedC 1313. Friars Minors' Constitution generales antique forbade the friars to practice alchemC 1314. Destruction of the Knights TemplaP 1317. Pope John XXII's Papal Bull against alchemical counterfeit Spondet quas non exhibent. Cistercians ban alchemyR 1318. The monk Adolf Meutha driven from the Cistercian Monastery at Walkenried for practising alchemC 1320. John Dastin, the alchemist, writes his alchemical letters to Pope John XXIP 1323.D DominicansD inD FranceD prohibitD theD teachingD ofD alchemyD atD theD UniversityD ofD Paris,D andD demandD theD burningD oM alchemical writingJ 1329. King Edward III requests Thomas Cary to find two alchemists who have escaped, and to find the secret of their arT 1330. Pope John XXII gives funds to his physician to set up a laboratory for a "certain secret work? 1335. Petrus Bonus of Ferrara Pretiosa margarita novellN 1339. Pope Benedict XII orders an investigation into the alchemical activities of some clerics and monkJ 1352. Pseudo-Lullian Liber de secretis naturae seu de quinta essentiN 1356. Pope Innocent VI imprisons the Catalan alchemist John of RupescissN 1357. Hortulanus' commentary on the Emerald Tablet of HermeJ 1358. Francesco Petrarch discussed alchemy in De remediis utriusque fortunaU 1370. William Langland's Piers Plowman criticises alchemists as deceiversR 1374. John of Livania, Canon in Trier, writes three books on the vanity of alchemyR 1376.D TheD DominicanD DirectoriumD inquisitorum,D theD textbookD forD inquisitors,D placesD alchemistsD amongD magiciansD an\ wizardsR 1380. King Charles V the Wise issues a decree forbidding alchemical experimentJ 1388. Geoffrey Chaucer Canterbury Tales discussed alchemy in the Canon's Yeoman's TalU 1403. King Henry IV of England issues a prohibition of alchemy and to stop counterfeit moneC 1415. Early German MS Buch der heiligen Dreifaltigkeit paralleling the Christ and the Philosophers' stonU 1450. Beginning of printing. Cosimo de Medici asks Marsilio Ficino to set up the Platonic academy in FlorencU 1456. 12 men petition Henry VI of England for a license to practise alchemC 1470. Der Antichrist und die funfzehn Zeichnen (the book of the antichrist) associates alchemists with demons and SataF 1471. George Ripley Compound of alchemy. Ficino's translation of the Corpus HermeticuH 1474. Christopher of Paris ElucidariuJ 1476. George Ripley Medulla alchemiaU 1477. Thomas Norton writes his Ordinal[ 1484. Avicenna's De anima. Hieronymous Bosch Garden of earthly delightJ 1485. Geber Summa perfectioniJ 1488. The figure of Hermes Trismegistus is put into the mosaic pavement in Sienna Cathedra[ 1494. Sebastian Brandt The ship of fools discussed methods used by cheating alchemistJ 1497. Tractatus contra alchymistas written by a Dominican questions the genuineness of alchemical gol\ 1499. Hypnerotomachia PoliphilQ 1505. Bergbuchlein provides first published information on traditions of mininS 1519. Braunschweig's Das Buch zu distilliereF 1530. Georgius Agricola Bermannus, book on mining and extraction of oreJ 1531. Agrippa's Three Books of Occult PhilosophC 1532. Earliest manuscript of the Splendor soliJ 1540. Vannoccio Biringuccio De la PirotecniN 1541. In hoc volumine alchemia first alchemical compendiuH 1546. Petrus Bonus' Pretiosa margarita novella of 1335 printe\ 1550. Rosarium Philosophorum publishe\ 1555. First edition of Alessio Piemontese SecretQ 1556. Georgius Agricola De re metallicN 1560.D AdamD vonD BodensteinD beginsD hisD workD ofD editingD variousD writingsD ofD Paracelsus.D GiambattistaD dellaD PortaD MagiN naturaliJ 1561. Peter Perna prints the compendium of 53 alchemical treatises, Verae alchemiae artisque metallicaU 1564. Nazari's Il metamorfosi metallico et humano. John Dee's Hieroglyphic Mona\ 1572. Peter Perna prints the compendium Alchemiae quam vocanT 1574. Peter Perna prints the collected works of Paracelsus in LatinR 1580. Rabbi Loew of Prague makes the GoleH 1582. Reusner PandorN 1589. Edward Kelley embarkes on his public alchemical transmutations in PraguU 1591. Reprinting of John Dee's Hieroglyphic Mona\ 1595. Libavius AlchymiN 1599. First appearance of a work of Basil Valentine. Book of Lambspring included in Barnaud's Triga ChemicN 1600. Giordano Bruno execute\ 1602. Publication of the first volumes of the compendium of alchemical texts Theatrum ChemicuH 1604. Basil Valentine's Triumphal Chariot of Alchemy. Simon Studion's Naometria ms. Novum lumen chemicuH 1609. Main edition of Khunrath's Amphitheatrum sapientae aeternae. Oswald Croll Basilica chemicN 1610. Jean Beguin Tyrocinium chymicuH 1611. Ben Jonson's play The AlchemisT 1612. Flamel figures hierogliphiques (first publication). Ruland's Lexicon alchemiae. Jacob Boehme AurorN 1614. Fama fraternitatis. Isaac Casaubon redates the works of Hermes TrismegistuJ 1615. Confessio fraternitatis Steffan Michelspacher Cabala, Spiegel der Kunst unnd NatuP 1616. Chymische HochzeiT 1617. First volume of Fludd's Utriusque Cosmi historiN 1618. Theophilus Schweighardt Speculum sophicum rhodo-stauroticum. Maier's Atalanta fugienJ 1619. Siebmacher's Waterstone of the WisU 1623. Jean d'Espagnet Enchiridion physicae restitutaU 1624. Stolcius's Viridarium chymicuH 1625. Musaeum hermeticuH 1629. Fludd's Summum bonuH 1631. Arthur Dee Fasciculus chemicus in LatiF 1640. Albaro Alonso Barba Art of metalJ 1650. Arthur Dee Fasciculus chemicus issued in EnglisW 1651. John French The Art of DistillatioF 1652. Ashmole Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum. English translation of Fama and Confessio edited by Thomas VaughanR 1654. Pierre Borel Bibliotheca chimicN 1666. Helvetius' account of the transmutation in the Hague. Crassellame Lux obnubilatN 1667. Eirenaeus Philalethes An open entrance to the closed palace of the KinS 1670. Montfaucon de Villars satirises sectret knowledde in his Comte de GabaliJ 1672. Bibliotheque des philosophes chimiqueJ 1673. William Cooper begins to publish works on alchemy especially those of Eirenaeus PhilaletheJ 1674. Knorr von Rosenroth's Kabbala DenudatN 1677. Mutus LibeP 1682. Gichtel's edition of the collected works of BoehmU 1690. Publication of the English translation of the Chemical Wedding of Christian RosenkreutzR 1702. Manget Bibliotheca Chemica Curiosa (alchemical compendium> 1710. Samuel Richter begins to form the Order of the Golden and Rosy CrosJ 1719. Georg von Welling Opus mago-cabalisticum (first edition> 1723. Kirchweger's Golden Chain of HomeP 1728. Friedrich Roth-Scholtz Deutsches theatrum chemicuH 1735. Abraham Eleazar Uraltes chymisches WercL 1752. Hermaphroditisches Sonn- und Monds-Kin\ 1758. Dom Pernety Dictionnaire Mytho-HermetiquU 1776. Adam Weishaupt forms the Order of Illuminati of BavariN 1779. Birkholz, Der Compass der WeiseF 1783. James Price commits suicide after performing some alchemical experimentJ 1785. Geheime Figuren The Secret Symbols of the RosicrucianJ 1802. Karl von Eckartshausen Chemische VersuchU Timeline of events in the history of alchemy, by alchemywebsite.coH -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 38. Nicolas FlameG As far as alchemists go, Nicolas Flamel (or Nicholas Flamell) was not particularly interesting, nor did hS write any really useful information on the Stone. But he is probably the most well-known of the alchemistV due to him being a character in many popular fiction books (especially Harry Potter.) So I'm including thiV chapter just because he's populars Flamel did exist, and he did find the Stone. There are plenty of records in Paris from his time to prove hiV existences -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I There is nothing legendary about the life of Nicolas Flamel. According to the records, he was born in 1330 and die\ in 1418. He was a real person, who became one of the greatest alchemists in the world. The Bibliotheque Nationale iF Paris contains works copied in his own hand and original works written by him. All the official documents relating tG his life have been found: his marriage contract, his deeds of gift, his will. His history rests solidly on those substantia[ material proofs for which men clamor if they are to believe in obvious things. To this indisputably authentic historyY legend has added a few flowers. But in every spot where the flowers of legend grow, underneath there is the soli\ earth of truthR A Detailed Biography of Nicolas Flamel, by Reginald Merton, 2000-2010 (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Yes, Nicolas Flamel of Harry Potter fame was a real person. Some believe he is a real personR Flamel was born in 1330 in Paris or its immediate environs. He achieved success as a scrivener and book seller iF Paris. He and his wife, Pernelle, spent their later years in a house at 51, rue de Montmorency. Built in 1407, the housU is the oldest in Paris still standing. You can literally get a flavor for Nicolas Flamel's home by dining in the restauranT that occupies the building's ground floor, the Auberge Nicolas FlamelR You can also learn more about Flamel by taking the Mysteries of Paris Ghost Tour. This English-language tour beginJ not far from Flamel's home at O'Sullivan's Rebel Bar near the Chatelet Metro station at 10, rue des LombardsR LikeD theD majorityD ofD hisD fellowD countrymen,D FlamelD wasD Catholic.D OneD night,D heD hadD aD dreamD inD whichD anD ange[ presented him with a bookR "At first you will understand nothing in it," the angel told him. "But one day you will see in it that which no other maF will be able to see.? Not long after, a young man in need of money appeared in his bookshop offering him a manuscript called The Book oM Abraham the Jew. Flamel recognized it immediately as the book from the dream and did not quibble over the askinS price of two FlorinsR The book contained many strange characters and diagrams and the word "maranatha" repeated over and over oF every page. It was written by a man who allegedly was a Levite priest, as well as a prince, astrologer, and philosopherR It promised curses to anyone who read it who was not a priest or a scribeR FlamelD traveledD toD theD partD ofD SpainD underD MoorishD controlD inD searchD ofD JewsD whoD couldD helpD himD decipherD thU portions of the text written in ancient Hebrew. He found a man in Leon who could translate the few pages of the BooL of Abraham Flamel had brought with him. The man agreed to return to Paris with Flamel to help decipher the rest oM the book, but became ill in Orleans and diedR Flamel returned to Paris and with the knowledge he had gained from his journey was able to eventually comprehen\ the meaning of the rest of the Book of Abraham. Using techniques described in the manuscript, he supposedly turne\ mercuryD intoD silverD andD goldD andD becameD wealthy.D HeD andD hisD wifeD usedD theirD wealthD forD philanthropicD purposesY according to historian Louis FiguierR "Husband and wife lavished succor on the poor, founded hospitals, built or repaired cemeteries, restored the front oM St. Genevieve des Ardents and endowed the institution of the Quinze-Vingts, the blind inmates of which, in memory oM this fact, came every year to the church of St. Jacques la Boucherie to pray for their benefactor.? Figuier said this practice continued until 1789. The church was demolished in 1797, save for its bell tower, which iJ part of the Paris Ghost TourR One treasure Flamel was not willing to share with others, however, was the secret of the Philosopher's Stone, whicW made possible the transmutation of metals and, according to some, also contained the secret of immortality. In 1410Y Flamel designed his own tombstone, which is still on display at the Musee de Cluny. It includes images of the sun an\ a man—depicted along with two other men as saints with a key and a book. The tombstone originally covered Flamel'J grave in the Cemetery of Innocents, where he was laid to rest in 1418, but as Flamel's notoriety grew over the yearsY his gravesite became the frequent target of robbers and the tombstone was moved. Legend has it that the first gravU robberD wasD shockedD toD discoverD noD bodyD underneathD theD tombstone,D lendingD credenceD toD theD FlamelD immortalitC storiesR Seeking the Immortal Nicolas Flamel in Paris, by Dennis D. Jacobs, 2010 (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 39. ParacelsuA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Paracelsus (born Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, 11 November or 17 December 1493 iF EinsiedelnD –D 24D SeptemberD 1541D inD Salzburg)D wasD aD RenaissanceD physician,D botanist,D alchemist,D astrologer,D an\ general occultist. "Paracelsus", meaning "equal to or greater than Celsus", refers to the Roman encyclopedist AuluJ Cornelius Celsus from the 1st century known for his tract on medicine. He is also credited for giving zinc its nameY calling it zincum and is regarded as the first systematic botanistR Paracelsus, by en.wikipedia.orS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I'm including a chapter on Paracelsus because he was considered by many alchemists after his time to bS oneY ofY theY greatestY alchemistsY ofY thisY ageY (afterY HermesY himself.)Y ParacelsusY wasY creditedY onY writing hundreds of books on alchemy and medicine, including advanced topics such as Takwin (creation of life)` and for being the first to invent (or rediscover) the shorter method of making the Stone out of urine onlys Although I do think some alchemists before Paracelsus (and of this age) were using this shorter methods I only had access to a few of Paracelsus' books, some of which appear to be forgeries, and of those thad were not, they were not very detailed. So Paracelsus wasn't a big help to mes But certainly Paracelsus was the first of a wave of alchemists who wrote much more openly about the Art` after the invention of the Gutenberg printing presss It's possible he had a connection to the Rosicrucians, since they were already existent in Germany during Paracelsus'Y life,Y althoughY stillY silentY duringY thisY time.Y SomeY peopleY haveY supposedY ParacelsusY toY beY thS founder of the Rosicrucians, although there is no evidence to support thats Paracelsus' life story is not very interesting (at least the way it's told today), so I will not waste your timS reproducing it here. You can look it up if you are interesteds 40. RosicrucianA The Rosicrucians were a secret society of alchemists. (Modern societies of the same name are unrelated tj the original Rosicrucians of the 17th century.) The Rosicrucians recruited all true alchemists to join thei[ society. They had agents in every country of Europe and were a strong influence in establishing the "Nep World" in America, Freemasonry, and modern science as we know its -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Rosicrucianism is a philosophical secret society, said to have been founded in late medieval Germany by ChristiaF Rosenkreuz. It holds a doctrine or theology "built on esoteric truths of the ancient past", which, "concealed from thU average man, provide insight into nature, the physical universe and the spiritual realm." Rosicrucianism is symbolize\ by the Rosy CrossR Between 1607 and 1616, two anonymous manifestos were published, first in Germany and later throughout EuropeR These were Fama Fraternitatis RC (The Fame of the Brotherhood of RC) and Confessio Fraternitatis (The ConfessioF ofD theD BrotherhoodD ofD RC).D TheD influenceD ofD theseD documents,D presentingD aD "mostD laudableD Order"D ofD mysticB philosopher-doctors and promoting a "Universal Reformation of Mankind", gave rise to an enthusiasm called by itJ historian Dame Frances Yates the "Rosicrucian Enlightenment"R Rosicrucianism, by en.wikipedia.orS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I According to Altar of the Theraphic Tie and The New Atlantis, the Rosicrucians lived together in a castlS in Germany. They performed all kinds of experiments and invented many new technologies; they also haW accessY toY advancedY ancientY technology.Y FurthermoreY theY RosicruciansY secretlyY influencedY theY worldY br planting inventions and ideas when and where they saw fits -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I In order that we have knowledgU And news of all things in the ordeP So that everything shall be freU And unconcealed from any of usY We travel through all landJ Unknown, now here, now thereR [...] We have in these times many thingJ Which were invented by the AncientJ Which we admit and experiment witW And readily allow them to pasJ Which if rightly looked aT Are hardly to be comprehended by human mindR [...] On little do we livU Well satisfied with some thingR Our bodies we curU According to nature properlyR Therefore our health is good indee\ And we live many a long yearY Which creepys softly along like a tender revuleT Runs equally away on its courseR Altar of the Theraphic Tie, by B.M.I. of the Rosicrucians, 1616 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I we practise likewise all conclusions of grafting, and inoculating, as well of wild-trees as fruit-trees, which producetW many effects. And we make by art, in the same orchards and gardens, trees and flowers, to come earlier or later thaF their seasons, and to come up and bear more speedily than by their natural course they do. We make them also by arT greater much than their nature; and their fruit greater and sweeter, and of differing taste, smell, color, and figureY from their nature. And many of them we so order as that they become of medicinal useR [...] Wherein we find many strange effects: as continuing life in them, though divers parts, which you account vital, bU perished and taken forth; resuscitating of some that seem dead in appearance, and the like. We try also all poisonsY and other medicines upon them, as well of chirurgery as physic. By art likewise we make them greater or smaller thaF their kind is, and contrariwise dwarf them and stay their growth; we make them more fruitful and bearing than theiP kind is, and contrariwise barren and not generative. Also we make them differ in color, shape, activity, many ways. WU find means to make commixtures and copulations of divers kinds, which have produced many new kinds, and them noT barren, as the general opinion isR [...] We have also divers mechanical arts, which you have not; and stuffs made by them, as papers, linen, silks, tissuesY dainty works of feathers of wonderful lustre, excellent dyes, and many others, and shops likewise as well for such aJ are not brought into vulgar use among us, as for those that are. For you must know, that of the things before recitedY many of them are grown into use throughout the kingdom, but yet, if they did flow from our invention, we have of theH also for patterns and principalsR [...] We procure means of seeing objects afar off, as in the heaven and remote places; and represent things near as afaP off, and things afar off as near; making feigned distances. We have also helps for the sight far above spectacles an\ glasses in use; we have also glasses and means to see small and minute bodies, perfectly and distinctly; as the shapeJ and colors of small flies and worms, grains, and flaws in gems which cannot otherwise be seen, observations in urinU and blood not otherwise to be seen. We make artificial rainbows, halos, and circles about light. We represent also al[ manner of reflections, refractions, and multiplications of visual beams of objectsR [...] We have all means to convey sounds in trunks and pipes, in strange lines and distancesR [...] We imitate also flights of birds; we have some degrees of flying in the air. We have ships and boats for going undeP water and brooking of seas, also swimming-girdles and supportersR [...] Lastly, we have circuits or visits, of divers principal cities of the kingdom; where as it cometh to pass we do publisW such new profitable inventions as we think goodR The New Atlantis, by Francis Bacon, 1627 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 41. Francis BacoN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Francis Bacon, 1st and Only Viscount of St. Alban, KC (22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626) was an English philosopherY statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist and author. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of EnglandR Although his political career ended in disgrace, he remained extremely influential through his works, especially aJ philosophical advocate and practitioner of the scientific revolution. His dedication brought him into a rare historica[ group of scientists who were killed by their own experimentsR HisD worksD establishedD andD popularizedD deductiveD methodologiesD forD scientificD inquiry,D oftenD calledD theD BaconiaF methodD orD simply,D theD scientificD method.D HisD demandD forD aD plannedD procedureD ofD investigatingD allD thingsD natura[ marked a new turn in the rhetorical and theoretical framework for science, much of which still surrounds conceptionJ of proper methodology todayR Francis Bacon, by en.wikipedia.orS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I FrancisY Bacon was an alchemistY and aY Rosicrucian.Y He was also theY realY authorY of theY plays ofY Willia@ Shakespeare. Possibly along with his brother Antony or/and his group of "Good Pens"s -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I One year after the publication of the first Great "Shakespearian" Folio, a remarkable volume on cryptograms an\ ciphers was published. The title page of the work is reproduced here. The year of its publication (1624) was during thU Rosicrucian controversy. The translation of the title page is as follows: "The Cryptomenysis and Cryptography oM Gustavus Selenus in the nine books, to which is added a clear explanation of the System of Steganography of JohF Trithemius, Abbot of Spanheim and Herbipolis, a man of admirable genius. Interspersed with worthy inventions of thU Author and others, 1624.? The author of this volume was believed to be Augustus, Duke of Brunswick. The symbols and emblems ornamenting thU title page, however, are conclusive evidence that the Rosicrucians were behind its publication. At the bottom of thU pictureD isD aD noblemanD placingD hisD hatD onD anotherD man'sD head.D InD theD twoD sideD panelsD areD strikingD andD subtlU "Shakespearian"D allusions.D OnD theD leftD isD aD noblemanD (possiblyD Bacon)D handingD aD paperD toD anotherD manD ofD meaF appearance who carries in his hand a spear. At the right, the man who previously carried the spear is shown in thU costume of an actor, wearing spurs and blowing a horn. The allusion to the actor blowing his horn and the figurU carrying the spear suggest much, especially as spear is the last syllable of the name "Shakespeare.? The Secret Teachings of All Ages, by Manly P. Hall, 1928 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The whole Shakespearean authorship debate has been going on for centuries, so I won't try to convince yof about that. But what I will convince you of is that the author of Shakespeare's works (whether Shakespeare` Bacon,Y orY another)Y wasY certainlyY anY alchemist,Y asY isY clearY fromY alchemicalY referencesY inY manyY ok Shakespeare's plays, and most obviously in his poem: The Phoenix and the Turtle (Dove)s -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I LET the bird of loudest layY On the sole Arabian treeY Herald sad and trumpet beY To whose sound chaste wings obeyR But thou shrieking harbingerY Foul precurrer of the fiendY Augur of the fever's endY To this troop come thou not nearA From this session interdicT Every fowl of tyrant wingY Save the eagle, feather'd kingC Keep the obsequy so strictR Let the priest in surplice whiteY That defunctive music canY Be the death-divining swanY Lest the requiem lack his rightR And thou treble-dated crowY That thy sable gender makesT With the breath thou givest and takestY 'Mongst our mourners shalt thou goR Here the anthem doth commenceC Love and constancy is dead^ Phoenix and the turtle fle\ In a mutual flame from henceR So they loved, as love in twaiF Had the essence but in one^ Two distincts, division noneC Number there in love was slainR Hearts remote, yet not asunder^ Distance, and no space was seeF 'Twixt the turtle and his queenC But in them it were a wonderR So between them love did shineY That the turtle saw his righT Flaming in the phoenix' sight^ Either was the other's mineR Property was thus appalledY That the self was not the same^ Single nature's double namU Neither two nor one was calledR Reason, in itself confoundedY Saw division grow togetherY To themselves yet either neitherY Simple were so well compoundedY That it cried, How true a twaiF Seemeth this concordant oneA Love hath reason, reason noneY If what parts can so remainR Whereupon it made this threnU To the phoenix and the doveY Co-supremes and stars of loveY As chorus to their tragic sceneR ThrenosR Beauty, truth, and rarityY Grace in all simplicityY Here enclosed in cinders lieR Death is now the phoenix' nesT And the turtle's loyal breasT To eternity doth restY Leaving no posterityC 'Twas not their infirmityY It was married chastityR Truth may seem, but cannot beC Beauty brag, but 'tis not she^ Truth and beauty buried beR To this urn let those repaiP That are either true or faiP For these dead birds sigh a prayerR by ShakespearU -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Bacon was a very influential figure in England in his time, he achieved a lot and contributed a lot, he haV even been considered the father of modern science. But this part of his history is well enough documenteW that I need not cover its Bacon was involved in all kinds of influential business, including the first English translation of the BiblS (the King James Version), and the colonization of Americas Bacon also wrote The New Atlantis, which I quoted from in the previous chapter. This was considered br most to be a work of fiction, however, considering that we know Bacon was a Rosicrucian himself, and it iV clearY heY wasY writingY aboutY theY Rosicrucians,Y weY canY takeY hisY descriptionY ofY Salomon'sY HouseY (thS Rosicrucians)Y literally. I'mY certainY that this wasY the intentionY asY the whole storyY onlyY builds upY to aY long descriptionY ofY whatY isY clearlyY theY Rosicrucians,Y andY thenY theY storyY ends. TheD NewD AtlantisY wasY alsj appended with Magnalia Naturae, Praecipue Quoad Usus Humanos, which is a list of uses of the Stone, aV quoted in chapter 5s BaconY fakedY hisY ownY death,Y andY somewhatY amusingly.Y OneY report,Y althoughY unconfirmed,Y claimsY thad BaconY attendedY hisY ownY funeral.Y NoteY particularlyY theY referencesY toY theY "conservationY andY indurationY ok bodies" and a direct mention of the "Stone", in his last letterX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I On 9 April 1626 Bacon died while at Arundel mansion atD Highgate outside London of pneumonia. An influentia[ accountD ofD theD circumstancesD ofD hisD deathD wasD givenD byD JohnD Aubrey.D AubreyD hasD beenD criticizedD forD hisD evidenT credulousness in this and other works; on the other hand, he knew Thomas Hobbes, the fellow-philosopher and frien\ ofD Bacon.D Aubrey'sD vividD account,D whichD portraysD BaconD asD aD martyrD toD experimentalD scientificD method,D hadD hiH journeying to Highgate through the snow with the King's physician when he is suddenly inspired by the possibility oM using the snow to preserve meatC "They were resolved they would try the experiment presently. They alighted out of the coach and went into a pooP woman's house at the bottom of Highgate hill, and bought a fowl, and made the woman exenterate it"R As a result of being out in the cold in order to stuff the fowl with snow, Bacon contracted a fatal case of pneumoniaR Some people, including Aubrey, consider these two contiguous, possibly coincidental events as related and causativU of his death: "The Snow so chilled him that he immediately fell so extremely ill, that he could not return to his LodginS ... but went to the Earle of Arundel's house at Highgate, where they put him into ... a damp bed that had not been laynB in ... which gave him such a cold that in 2 or 3 days as I remember Mr Hobbes told me, he died of Suffocation.? Being unwittingly on his deathbed, the philosopher wrote his last letter to his absent host and friend Lord ArundelC "My very good Lord,—I was likely to have had the fortune of Caius Plinius the elder, who lost his life by trying aF experiment about the burning of Mount Vesuvius; for I was also desirous to try an experiment or two touching thU conservation and induration of bodies. As for the experiment itself, it succeeded excellently well; but in the journeC between London and Highgate, I was taken with such a fit of casting as I know not whether it were the Stone, or somU surfeit or cold, or indeed a touch of them all three. But when I came to your Lordship's House, I was not able to gG back, and therefore was forced to take up my lodging here, where your housekeeper is very careful and diligent abouT me, which I assure myself your Lordship will not only pardon towards him, but think the better of him for it. For indee\ your Lordship's House was happy to me, and I kiss your noble hands for the welcome which I am sure you give me to itR I know how unfit it is for me to write with any other hand than mine own, but by my troth my fingers are so disjointe\ with sickness that I cannot steadily hold a pen.? Francis Bacon, by en.wikipedia.orS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 42. Robert Boyl6 RobertY BoyleY wasY oneY ofY theY foundingY membersY ofY theY RoyalY SocietyY andY consideredY theY firstY modero chemist. He was also an alchemist (a few of the founders were.) He wrote "The Sceptical Chymist". ItY was thisY book that undermined alchemyY and madeY it unpopular tj believe. Boyle's intention was not to destroy alchemy, but to question the cause of it and all things. At thS time many people were taking the alchemical books literally, or at least misinterpreting them, which madS progress very difficult if theY alchemical books were toY be aY foundation forY modern chemistry. The maio pointY ofY theY bookY wasY toY questionY whatY thingsY wereY madeY outY of,Y whatY theY elementsY actuallyY weres UnfortunatelyY theY bookY wasY tooY successfulY andY usedY asY anY argumentY againstY alchemy,Y whichY wasY notY itV intentions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Robert Boyle FRS (25 January 1627 – 31 December 1691) was a 17th century natural philosopher, chemist, physicistY and inventor, also noted for his writings in theology. He is best known for Boyle's law. Although his research clearlC has its roots in the alchemical tradition, he is largely regarded today as the first modern chemist, and therefore one oM the founders of modern chemistry. Among his works, The Sceptical Chymist is seen as a cornerstone book in the field oM chemistryR [...] Boyle's great merit as a scientific investigator is that he carried out the principles which Francis Bacon espouse\ in the Novum Organum. Yet he would not avow himself a follower of Bacon, or indeed of any other teacher. On severa[ occasionsD heD mentions thatD in orderD to keepD his judgmentD asD unprepossessed asD might beD withD any ofD the moderF theories of philosophy, until he was "provided of experiments" to help him judge of them, he refrained from any studC of the Atomical and the Cartesian systems, and even of the Novum Organum itself, though he admits to "transientlC consulting" them about a few particulars. Nothing was more alien to his mental temperament than the spinning oM hypotheses.D He regarded the acquisition of knowledge as an end in itself, and in consequence he gained a wideP outlook on the aims of scientific inquiry than had been enjoyed by his predecessors for many centuries. This, howeverY did not mean that he paid no attention to the practical application of science nor that he despised knowledge whicW tended to useR Boyle was an alchemist; and believing the transmutation of metals to be a possibility, he carried out experiments iF the hope of achieving it; and he was instrumental in obtaining the repeal, in 1689, of the statute of Henry IV againsT multiplying gold and silver. With all the important work he accomplished in physics – the enunciation of Boyle's lawY theD discoveryD ofD theD partD takenD byD airD inD theD propagationD ofD sound,D andD investigationsD onD theD expansiveD forceD oM freezing water, on specific gravities and refractive powers, on crystals, on electricity, on colour, on hydrostatics, etc. J chemistry was his peculiar and favourite study. His first book on the subject was The Sceptical Chymist, published iF 1661, in which he criticized the "experiments whereby vulgar Spagyrists are wont to endeavour to evince their SaltY Sulphur and Mercury to be the true Principles of Things.". For him chemistry was the science of the composition oM substances, not merely an adjunct to the arts of the alchemist or the physician. He endorsed the view of elements as thU undecomposable constituents of material bodies; and made the distinction between mixtures and compounds. He madU considerableD progressD inD theD techniqueD ofD detectingD theirD ingredients,D aD processD whichD heD designatedD byD theD terH "analysis". He further supposed that the elements were ultimately composed of particles of various sorts and sizes, intG which,D however,D theyD wereD notD toD beD resolvedD inD anyD knownD way.D HeD studiedD theD chemistryD ofD combustionD andD oM respiration, and conducted experiments in physiology, where, however, he was hampered by the "tenderness of hiJ nature" which kept him from anatomical dissections, especially of living animals, though he knew them to be "mosT instructing"R Robert Boyle, by en.wikipedia.orS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I It's very possible that Robert Boyle succeeded in making the Stone, indeed before he supposedly died BoylS reported that he was to spend his last years performing Hermetic (alchemical) experimentss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I In 1689 his health, never very strong, began to fail seriously and he gradually withdrew from his public engagementsY ceasingD hisD communicationsD toD theD RoyalD Society,D andD advertisingD hisD desireD toD beD excusedD fromD receivingD guestsY "unlessD uponD occasionsD veryD extraordinary",D onD TuesdayD andD FridayD forenoon,D andD WednesdayD andD SaturdaC afternoon. In the leisure thus gained he wished to "recruit his spirits, range his papers", and prepare some importanT chemical investigations which he proposed to leave "as a kind of Hermetic legacy to the studious disciples of that art"Y but of which he did not make known the natureR Robert Boyle, by en.wikipedia.orS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Newton,Y whoY wasY aY contemporaryY ofY Boyle,Y warnedY BoyleY againstY speakingY aboutY alchemy.Y WhichY iV amusing since it appears that Newton failed to achieve anything with alchemy, whereas it looks like BoylS was successfuls -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Isaac Newton wrote fellow alchemist Robert Boyle a letter urging him to keep "high silence" in publicly discussing thU principles of alchemy. "Because the way by the Mercurial principle may be impregnated has been thought fit to bU concealed by others that have know it," Newton wrote, "and therefore may possibly be an inlet to something morU noble that is not to be communicated without immense damage to the world if there be any verity in (the warning oM the) Hermetic writers. There are other things besides the transmutation of metals which none but they understand.? Newton on Keeping Alchemy Secret, by alchemylab.coH -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 43. James Pric6 I'm just going to go ahead and "quote" the entire Wikipedia article on James Prices -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I James Price (1752–1783) was an English chemist and alchemist who claimed to be able to turn mercury into silver oP gold.D WhenD challengedD toD performD theD conversionD inD frontD ofD credibleD witnesses,D heD insteadD committedD suicideD bC drinking prussic acidR Born in London in 1752, he was initially called James Higginbotham but changed his name to Price following thU wishes of a relative who had died and left him a legacy. He attended Oxford University and, although no records oM his early education or his research at Oxford exist, had a brilliant career there. He became a Master of Arts at 25 an\ the University made him a Doctor of Medicine in 1778, particularly for his work in the field of chemistry. In 1781, aT the age of 29, he became a member of the Royal SocietyR Work on transmutatioF In the following year, he appears to have been working on the transmutation of base metals into precious metals an\ on 6 May 1782, after revealing his findings to a few of his friends, he began a series of public experiments hosted aT his laboratory in Guildford. He demonstrated that he could produce precious metals by mixing borax, nitre, and a re\ or white powder of his own devising (known as the powder of production) with fifty times its own weight in mercurC and stirring the mixture in a crucible with an iron rod. Mixing in the red powder produced gold; the white powderY silver. He performed seven of the public demonstrations (the final one being on 25 May 1782) which were attended bC the elite: peers, clergymen, lawyers, and chemists. Some of the gold produced during the experiments was presented tG George III. The accounts of the experiments were published with great successR Challenged by other FellowJ TheD FellowsD ofD theD RoyalD SocietyD wereD lessD convinced,D however,D andD askedD himD toD repeatD theD experimentsD inD thU presence of some of the members of the Society. Price seemed less than happy to do this. He claimed that his powderJ were exhausted and preparation of new samples would cost him time and money and be damaging to his health. HU also protested that the cost of preparing the gold or silver by this method was not economical, as it cost £17 to makU an ounce of gold, which was only valued at £4. The Royal Society insisted on the repetition of the experiments an\ remindedD PriceD that,D asD aD member,D heD wasD callingD theD honourD ofD theD SocietyD intoD question.D PriceD rebukedD themY claiming that his reputation and position in society should prevent any hint of suspicion from being cast upon thU veracity of his claims, but eventually he was forced to submitR Events leading to ingestion of poisoF InD JanuaryD 1783,D PriceD returnedD toD hisD laboratoryD inD Guildford,D ostensiblyD toD startD productionD ofD theD miraculouJ powders. In fact, he set about the distillation of laurel water (which contained prussic acid). He wrote his will at thU same time, but it was another six months before he returned to London to invite members of the Royal Society tG witness the experiment on 3 AugustR Despite the success of his initial demonstrations and the furor they had caused, only three members turned up on thU appointed day. Although clearly disappointed by the poor turnout, Price welcomed the three men and then, steppinS toD oneD side,D drank the flaskD of laurel waterD heD had prepared. The threeD men immediatelyD noticed a change in hiJ appearance, but before they could do anything, Price was deadR His motives for attempting the deception are unknown. He was a wealthy and respected man who had already beeF honoured for his chemical researchR James Price, by en.wikipedia.orS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I It seems strange that only three fellows turned up, perhaps everyone wasn't notified in time. I suspect thad these three were alchemists themselves and the whole thing was arranged. They either helped him fake hiV death, or else made him drink the poisons ForY aY littleY bitY ofY funY speculation,Y letY usY rememberY inY RomeoY andY JulietY (writtenY byY FrancisY Bacon,Y U Rosicrucian) when Juliet drinks a potion that will make her appear dead for "two and forty hours". ThiV potion is given to Juliet by a Franciscan Friar: Friar Laurence. Roger Bacon (no known relation to FranciV Bacon) was a Franciscan Friar and well-known alchemist. Friar Laurence is presented as somewhat of U philosopher, who studies Nature. He is an alchemist, as we can see from the first of his linesX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The grey-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night,D Chequering the eastern clouds with streaks of lightY And flecked darkness like a drunkard reelsD From forth day's path and Titan's fiery wheels:D Now, ere the sun advance his burning eye,D The day to cheer and night's dank dew to dry,D I must up-fill this osier cage of ourJ With baleful weeds and precious-juiced flowers.D The earth that's nature's mother is her tomb^ What is her burying grave that is her wombY And from her womb children of divers kindD We sucking on her natural bosom findY Many for many virtues excellentY None but for some and yet all differentR O, mickle is the powerful grace that lieJ In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualitiesC Romeo and Juliet, Act II Scene 3, by Shakespeare, 1597 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I could therefore speculate that Friar Laurence is a character based on Roger Bacon, whose books FranciV Bacon surely read, as they are well-known to alchemists, and even I quoted extensively from Roger Bacoo in this books Now the Rosicrucians, as we know from "The New Atlantis" (written by Francis Bacon) were studying thS effect of poisons a good 200 years before James Price's death. And with the character of Friar LaurencS being an alchemist and the whole story written by an alchemist, it is possible that the potion mentioned mar wellY haveY existed.Y ThisY couldY haveY beenY whatY JamesY PriceY drunk,Y asY IY doubtY thatY theY alchemistsY woulW actually kill one of their own, especially when the damage is already done and no one believed it anyways Romeo and Juliet is full of alchemical symbolism, as are many of the "Shakespeare" playss 44. Fulcanell@ Fulcanelli was the last recorded alchemist, he lived in France during the early 20th century. Fulcanelli's truS identity is disputed. There is plenty of information and wild theories concerning Fulcanelli on the Internet` so I will cover him only brieflys Fulcanelli wrote two books: "The Mystery of the Cathedrals" (1922) and "Dwellings of the Philosophers1 (1929). Both books are primarily concerned with alchemical symbolism in architecture. The latter book alsj includes some interesting thoughts regarding chemistrys Fulcanelli did not obtain the Stone until 1932, after writing his two books, which is important to consider aV he makes some statements which seemingly contradict the older alchemists. The most notable being that hS claims the fermentation process makes the Stone only capable of transmuting metals, which I covered in thS Contradictions chapter. Other contradictions include Fulcanelli claiming that "the pretended Brotherhood ok theY RoseY CrossY neverY hadY anyY socialY existence",Y whichY isY neitherY logical,Y andY norY doesY heY offerY anr evidence to support his claim against that which has evidences The reason Fulcanelli deserves a special mention, instead of just being another obscure alchemist, is becausS hisY booksY showY aY moreY modernY andY scientificY takeY onY alchemy.Y AdditionallyY hisY existenceY showsY thad alchemy was still alive and well up until very recentlys If I'm honest, I think that Fulcanelli did not help anyone by publishing his books. They are full of the type ok symbolism that you must already know in order to understand, and I personally feel this type of thing iV only a hindrance. You can only understand his symbolism if you already understand his symbolism, whic] makesY itY allY redundant.Y SuchY endlessY symbolismY servesY toY unnecessarilyY complicateY theY truth,Y bringing people away from the guidance of Nature and towards the vain products of imagination and excitement fo[ shadowss 45. Where Did They Go+ WhereY didY theY alchemistsY go?Y AreY theyY stillY wanderingY aroundY somewhere?Y WhatY happenedY toY thS Rosicrucians/ The first consideration is that many of the alchemists are likely dead now. Just because they can live foreve[ does not mean that they would want to. Eventually life gets boring. I don't think many lived more than U couple of hundred years. In the end they would have done everything, seen so much, and would be tired ok petty human pursuits. I imagine there would be no one to talk to. It would be like living as an adult in U world of toddlerss -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I St Dunstan's work, De Occulta Philosophia E: G: I: A, calls it the food of Angels, the heavenly Viaticum, the Bread oM Life, and it is undoubtedly next under God, the true Alchochodon or giver of years, and he does not so much admirU the question whether any man can die that uses it, as to think why the possessors of it should desire to live, who havU these manifestations of Glory and eternity represented to their fleshly eyesR The Crowning of Nature, by Anonymous, 16th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I no longer wonder, as once I did, that the true Sage, though he owns the Stone, does not care to prolong his life; foP he daily sees heaven before his eyes, as you see your face in a glass. When God gives you what you desire, you wil[ believe me, and not make yourself known to the worldR The New Chemical Light, by Michael Sendivogius, 17th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I But then again, there were so many alchemists in the 17th and early 18th centuries. This is only 300 yearV ago,Y andY withY soY muchY happeningY sinceY then,Y atY leastY someY ofY themY mustY haveY hungY around.Y SoY wherS would they be/ TravelY wouldY beY difficult.Y PassportsY wouldY beY aY hindranceY forY them.Y They'dY haveY toY haveY someY kindY ok special connection in order to keep getting new passports. But then their connections would keep dyings And it's extremely unlikely they had a deal with the governments, else the politicians would want the StonS for themselves, which the alchemists would not want give them. So in this world of passports and ID cardV they would have a problems If they were still around, you would expect alchemical books to be released every now and again. But it'V been years since one was. It's a long silence. Previously they were releasing more and more texts, as ther believed we were coming to the end of the age. Now we really are coming to the end of the age, but nj newss It'sY possibleY thisY silenceY hasY toY doY withY theY Rosicrucians.Y TheyY wereY attemptingY toY bandY togetherY allY thS alchemists.Y MyY guessY isY thatY itY worked.Y TheY alchemistsY allY heardY ofY them,Y andY beingY boredY wandering around alone, they all joineds The Rosicrucians were active during the 17th century. By the 18th century they had established what waV to become modern science, heavily influenced Freemasonry with their symbols, and had a big part in thS establishment of the New World colony in what is now the USA. It's likely therefore that they moved thei[ headquarters to the USAs ButY inY retrospectY weY canY seeY thatY modernY scienceY failedY toY understandY Nature,Y theY FreemasonsY failedY tj understand their symbolism, and the USA became one of the most corrupt countries on the planet. And thS Rosicrucians have disappeareds So they either (1) all died, by choice or by accident, (2) are wandering around individually with difficulty` or (3) became corrupt and no longer care about helping the worlds There is one more option still remaining: they could have gone to Shambhalas 46. Shambhal> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I There is a land not far from hereY Out of sight, but not out of earY Where the water's pure, and the breezeY Where all are young with no diseaseY Where ages of immortal people dwellY And many a strange beast as well^ But no mere mortal can enter thereY For it can only be accessed by the airY Yet the place is not in the skyY Nor in a place where a plane can fly^ From myth and whisper comes a clueY Be careful what you believe is trueY Indeed you could be standing upoF Two lands, when all you see is one^ Two lands separated by only StoneY One you can see, another unknown^ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I I wrote that poem. If you have a tradition throughout all of history of very intelligent people, with access tj lost technology, who never age and have unlimited gold... what would you expect to happen/ Logic would tell me that these people would establish their own country. A parallel civilization independend to this one. It's the obvious thing to dos So I looked for any information I could find on a "Land of Immortals". And what do you know? It didn'd take me long to find its -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I No human dream is more universal than the longing for a paradise on earth, a place free of the ravages of time an\ disease, where the best in nature flourishes while the worst is forbidden to enter. By definition, such magical landJ can't be near at hand; they must be remote and inaccessible, destinations to be reached by a pilgrimage or a heroiX journey. Ancient Tibetan Buddhist texts spoke of just such a kingdom, where the kings blessed with long life spanJ await the day when they will take power over the world, ushering in a golden age of peace and justice. This mythica[ kingdom was called Shambala. Its location - known only to a few initiates - was reputed to be northern India... or iF Xinjiang province in western China... or even near the Gobi Desert. Said to be enclosed by a double ring of snowB capped mountains, the fabled vale of Shambala resembled a mandala, Buddhism's circular symbol of the unity of al[ creationR Exploring the Unexplained, by Kelly Knauer, 200* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I For thousands of years rumors and reports have been circulating among the cognoscenti of the nations suggestinS that somewhere between Tibet, among the icy peaks and secluded valleys of Central Asia, there lies an inaccessiblU paradise, a place of universal wisdom and ineffable peace called Shambhala - although it is also known by otheP names. It is inhabited by adepts from every race and culture who form an inner circle of humanity secretly guiding itJ evolution. In that place, so the legends say, sages have existed since the beginning of human history in a valley oM supreme beatitude that is sheltered from the icy arctic winds and where the climate is always warm and temperate, thU sun always shines, the gentle airs are always beneficent and nature flowers luxuriantlyR There in a verdant oasis only the pure of heart can live, enjoying perfect ease and happiness and never knowinS suffering, want or old age. Love and wisdom reign and injustice is unknown. [...] The inhabitants are long-lived, weaP beautiful and perfect bodies and possess supernatural powers; their spiritual knowledge is deep, their technologica[ levelD highlyD advanced,D theirD lawsD mildD andD theirD studyD ofD artsD anD scienceD coversD theD fullD spectrumD ofD cultura[ achievement, but on a far higher level than anything the outside world has attainedR Into this basic theme of the northern Utopia popular folklore has woven strange and wonderful features. This place iJ invisible;D itD isD madeD ofD subtleD matter,D itD isD anD islandD inD theD seaD ofD nectar,D aD heavenD piercingD mountain,D forbiddeF territory.D TheD grownD isD strewnD withD goldD andD silver,D andD preciousD jewelsD bedeckD theD treesD -D rubies,D diamondsD an\ garlands of jade; the place is guarded by great devas from another world and by walls as high as heaven; magiX fountains, lakes of gems, or crystal and of the nectar of immortality, wish-fulfilling fruits and flying horses, stones thaT speak, subterranean caverns filled with all the treasures of the earth; these any many more wonders embellish thU landscape of the primal paradise that seems to express the deepest yearnings of the human heartR [...] Numerous sources support the tradition that Shambhala once lay near the North Pole. The Scythian, a branch oM the Vedic peoples who roamed the Central Asian steppe in the first millennium B.C., told of a wonderful place similaP to Shambhala that lay far to the north. They said that if one travelled far enough, one came to lands of mythical an\ fantastic tribes and beyond them, to the Ripean mountains, which lay in a desolate waste of snow and darkness thaT no mortal could cross. Beyond that barrier lay a beautiful country, warm and sheltered from the icy winds outsideY where the sun rose and set only once a year, as it does within the Arctic Circle, and there a happy race lived iF parklands full of flowering treesR According to the ancient Greeks, this was the northern station of their Delphic god Apollo [the god of medicine] an\ the land of the legendary Hyperboreans to which Apollo returned every nineteen years, riding the sky on a charioT drawn by swans. It was a secret paradise where the heavens turned on the polar axle, which the Hyperboreans revere\ as the Pillar of Atlas and Heaven-Bearer, and it belonged to a wise and prosperous people who lived for a thousan\ years in harmony with each other, free from suffering, sickness and old age. To the Greeks these semi-deified sageJ were the stuff of myth, for their land was accessible only to gods and heroes, not to mere mortals, and could only bU reached by an aerial way. The poet Pindar wrote that "neither by ship not by foot couldst thou find the wondrous waC to the assembly of the Hyperboreans.? [...]D AirD travelD isD anotherD recurringD themeD inD theD legendsD ofD Shambhala.D InterstellarD travelD wasD attributedD toD itJ inhabitants long before the development of modern technological and astronomical knowledge. According to ancienT Chinese lore, the aircraft and space vehicles of the Immortals journey among the stars, observing the habitats of thU other races and kingdoms. Andrew Tomas says there is a well-known Tibetan legend that the Chintamani Stone, whosU inner radiation is said to be mightier than radium, was brought to earth on the back of a winged horse or Lung-taY whichD heD believedD toD beD aD metaphorD forD aD spaceD vehicle.D Lung-taD wasD supposedD toD beD ableD toD traverseD theD wholU universeD asD aD messengerD ofD theD gods,D andD talesD ofD TibetanD kingsD andD saintsD makingD flightsD onD itD overD enormouJ distances circulated in Tibet for centuriesR Shambhala: The Fascinating Truth, by Victoria LePage, 199* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Tibetan sacred texts speak of a mystical kingdom called Shambhala, hidden behind snow peaks somewhere north oM Tibet, where the most sacred Buddhist teachings -- the Kalachakra or Wheel of Time -- are preserved. It is prophesie\ that a future king of Shambhala will come with a great army to free the world from barbarism and tyranny, and wil[ usher in a golden age. Similarly, the Hindu Puranas say that a future world redeemer -- the kalki-avatara, the tentW andD finalD manifestationD ofD VishnuD --D willD comeD fromD Shambhala.D BothD theD HinduD andD BuddhistD traditionsD sayD iT contains a magnificent central palace radiating a powerful, diamondlike lightR Shambhala: a real place or only myths?, by bibliotecapleyades.neT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Though it's true location has never been found, its beginnings are unknown and its existence is unproven, ShambhalN is recognized and honored by at least eight major religions, and is regarded by most esoteric traditions as the truU center of the planet and the world's spiritual powerhouse. It is said to be inhabited by adepts from every race an\ culture who form an inner circle that secretly guides human evolutionR This remarkable kingdom reputedly exists both above and below ground, with a network of tunnels hundreds of mileJ longR "Cars of strange design flash along their length," writes Andrew Tomas, author of Shambhala, Oasis of Light, "an\ they areD illumined byD a brilliant, artificialD light which affordsD growth toD theD grainsD and vegetables andD longD lifU without disease to the people.? Atlantis Rising #21, by atlantisrising.coH -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Agartha (sometimes Agartta, Agharti, Agarta or Agarttha) is a legendary city that is said to reside in the Earth's coreR It is related to the belief in a Hollow Earth and is a popular subject in EsotericismR Agartha is one of the most common names cited for the society of underground dwellers. Shamballa (also known aJ Shambalah or Shangri-La) is sometimes said to be its capital city. While once a popular concept, in the last centurC little serious attention has been paid to these conjectures and the theory is not supported by modern scienceR Ferdynand Antoni Ossendowski's 1920 book Beasts, Men, and Gods discusses Agartha. The myth of "Agartha" is alsG known as "Shambhala", as it was known in India, the underworld realm peopled by initiates and led by "the Masters"Y Masters who are the Spiritual leaders of humanityR Agartha, by en.wikipedia.orS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I In the 1922 book Beasts, Men and Gods, Ferdinand Ossendowski (1876–1945), a Polish scientist who spent most of hiJ life in Russia, wrote of his recent travels in Outer Mongolia during the campaigns of Baron von Ungern-SternbergR Ossendowski related that several Mongol lamas had told him of Agharti, an underground kingdom beneath MongoliaY ruled by the King of the World. In the future, when materialism will ruin the world, a terrible war will break out. AT that time, the people of Agharti will come to the surface and help end the violence. Ossendowski reported that hU convincedD UngernD ofD hisD storyD andD that,D subsequently,D UngernD twiceD sentD missionsD toD seekD Agharti,D ledD byD PrincU Poulzig. The missions were unsuccessful and the Prince never returned from the second expeditionR [...] The British astronomer Sir Edmund Halley, also in the late seventeenth century, forwarded the theory that thU earth is hollow. The French novelist Jules Verne popularized the idea in Voyage to the Center of the Earth (1864). IF 1871, the British novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton, in The Coming Race, described a superior race, the Vril-ya, whG lived beneath the earth and planned to conquer the world with vril, a psychokinetic energy. In Les Fils de Dieu (ThU Sons of God) (1873), the French author Louis Jacolliot linked vril with the subterranean people of Thule. The IndiaF freedom advocate, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, in The Arctic Home of the Vedas (1903), identified the southern migration oM the Thuleans with the origin of the Aryan race. In 1908, the American author Willis George Emerson published thU novel The Smokey God, or A Voyage to the Inner World, which described the journey of a Norwegian sailor througW an opening at the North Pole to a hidden world inside the EarthR Mistaken Foreign Myths About Shambhala, by Alexander Berzin, 199* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 47. UFOA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I We have in these times many thingJ Which were invented by the AncientJ Which we admit and experiment witW And readily allow them to pasJ Which if rightly looked aT Are hardly to be comprehended by human mindR Altar of the Theraphic Tie, by B.M.I. of the Rosicrucians, 1616 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I UFOs. One of the most avoided topics in the world. Why are people scared to talk about UFOs? It's as ik we've been programmed to consider anyone who talks about such things as crazy. We can talk about alT kinds of strange things, but we can't talk about UFOs. We deliberately avoid this one topic for no apparend reasons PaulY HellyerY isY theY formerY DeputyY PrimeY MinisterY ofY Canada,Y andY exY CanadianY MinisterY ofY NationaT Defense. Even when this guy talks about UFOs nobody listenss In Britain on 2nd July 1995, the big London daily, The Mail, reported that Nick Pope, head of the Ministrr of Defense's Air Staff Secretariat's Office of Special Reports, had resigned and publicly announced that hS is a believer in UFOs and had seen numerous official reports while working in the Ministry of Defenses There are also plenty of paintings of UFOs which are already hundreds of years old. Look up "ufos in art"s I could go on and on, but there's no point. There is overwhelming evidence already. I just hope you seS how this all fits together and who really flies those UFOss The following is the transcript of a recording from the 1972 UFO conference at Tampa, Floridas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I (Moderator- It was Professor Carr who sent shock waves through the Pentagon and the Air Force on October 14thY when he accused the Air Force of not telling the truth about Flying Saucers. At a news conference in Tampa, FloridaY ProfessorD CarrD saidD heD hadD informationD thatD theD AirD ForceD hadD twoD flyingD saucersD andD theD bodiesD ofD twelveD (12> spacemen on ice in a refrigerated building at Wright Patterson Field in Dayton, Ohio.D At the Flying Saucer symposium Professor Carr talked for an hour about what he calls the "worst kept secret in thU world." The discovery in February, 1948 of two flying saucers in northwestern New Mexico, near the town of Aztec.> It is known throughout the academic world, the medical world, it is known throughout the Air Force, and above all iT is known throughout the CIA, ah, that the Air Intelligence at Wright Patterson Field has in its possession a spacecraftY thirty-oneD (31)D feetD inD diameter,D andD itD isD entirelyD undamaged,D exceptD forD aD hole...smallD holeD brokenD inD theD plastiX dome...the transparent plastic dome that covered the cockpit. And because of this accident in space, the twelve smal[ human beings....ah....died suddenly of decompression, in the purely mortal way that our...that the Russian astronautJ perished last year in a similar accident of decompression during re-entry. They were not shot down by our fighteP planes, they suffered an operational lossR However, in this particular case, it was very fortunate that our alert radar net in the western states had the UFO on itJ screen.D InD fact,D threeD radarD stationsD wereD trackingD anD unidentifiedD objectD atD immenseD altitudeD andD travelingD aT unbelievable speed when it stopped ...fluttered...went out of control...and fell, circling toward the earth. Because threU radar stations were locked on it, they were able to triangulate the point at which it reached earth. That point waJ three miles west of the small town of Aztec, New Mexico, in the northern part of the state near the Colorado lineR AtD thatD timeD ID ownedD andD operatedD aD ranchD inD theD highD mountainsD ofD northernD NewD Mexico.D ItD happenedD inD mC neighborhoodR All available law enforcement officers were rushed to the scene, and planes were flown from the nearest Air ForcU Base, which is Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert. And, as they landed there was a silvery gleaming disX shaped spacecraft standing on a tripod landing gear. Apparently it made an automatic landing after its occupantJ hadD died.D And, as the localD sheriffs approachedD withD drawn gunsD (oh,D youD can beD sureD theD gunsD were drawn....leT anything new appear, and the guns are drawn) they surrounded the space craft and peered into the cockpit and thereY slumped over their instruments, motionless, were twelve small menR The Air Force arrived, and due to their ingenuity (it was quite ingenious, but I won't go into the technical details) theC managed to get the door open and the medical officers said that the bodies were...ah...well, the bodies were still lim] and warm. They had been dead only a short time. They were put aboard a hospital plane and flown to the nearesT large mortuary, which is at Edwards Air Force Base, where they have (as do all large military establishments) a largU refrigerated morgue. After all, a very large base devoted to death would need a morgue. The City of Tampa has N refrigerated morgue for overnight visitors who can't find hotel accommodations (audience laughter)R Edwards Air Force Base received this in February, 1948. Now that was at the...in the..one of the worst periods of thU cold war. The President was notified, but the President didn't come. No one knew quite what to do. The bodies werU carefully preserved in cryonic (sp?) suspension, which is not as the Air Force spokesman on the television prograH yesterday in ridiculing and abusing me, said that "Bob Carr says little green men are being kept in the frozen foo\ locker". You see, you just change a few words, and you can convert the story of the century into a bit of idiocy. First oM all, they weren't green. They were fair skinned. All were males. They were between three and four feet in height, threU and a half being about the average. All had light hair, differing shades of light hair, but on the brownish/yellow sideR AllD hadD blueD eyes.D AllD hadD perfectD teeth,D withoutD anyD dentalD work.D AllD wereD superbD physicalD specimens,D withD nul[ asymmetrical development. Dressed in American clothes they could pass un-noticed on the streets of Tampa as smal[ men or as childrenR Now, it was decided...(Carr pauses> Which doD youD wantD to hear aboutD first? The really importantD newsD of whatD our leading metallurgists,D electronicJ experts, and aeronautical engineers were able to find out about the spacecraft itself, or do you want to hear about thU bodiesR FirstD let'sD haveD aD vote.D HowD manyD ofD youD wantD toD hearD aboutD theD constructionD andD contentD ofD theD spacecrafT itself....(pausesD toD takeD noteD ofD raisedD hands)...Now,D howD manyD ofD youD willD notD restD easyD untilD youD hearD aboutD thU autopsy.....(crowdD laughter)...thisD isD byD farD aD majority.D AndD frankly,D it'sD human.D WhoD wantsD toD hearD aboutD aD gianT solenoid, when you can hear about an autopsyR One body was selected for autopsy by a carefully screen group of government physicians. Six performed the autopsy. IT was photographed, motion pictures were made. You may be assured that it was done in an operating theater, undeP many watchful eyes. And, as our unfortunate little visitor from far away was dismembered and disemboweled, and hiJ organs were laid out and identified, he was found to have the same organs that a human being has, and in about thU same place. He was human. The blood type was human. Genes and chromosomes would match up with those of aF EarthD woman.D EitherD weD areD theirD lostD colonyD orD theyD areD ourD lostD cousins.D Biologically,D theD chancesD ofD utterlC unrelated life developing across the aching immensities of interstellar space, and coming out with two absolutelC identical species...the odds are like....well, it's like rolling thirty-seven (37) sevens in a row in a crap game, it jusT couldn't happen. No, we are somehow relatedR TheyD cameD here,D probably,D because theyD tooD are oxygenD breathers,D and water drinkers.D IfD they had beenD ammoniN breathing turtles, they could have gone to Jupiter or some congenial place. But, no, they were like ourselves, so theC sought out our planet. Undoubtedly, there has been an unbroken link going back a long timeR Everything was quite normal until the celebrated brain surgeon got out his horrid little saw and sawed open the skullY and laid bare the right hemisphere of the brain, and then the six assembled surgeons gasped because they realize\ they were looking upon something that no human eyes had ever before beheld. There, on the body of a vigorous younS man, estimated to be thirty (30) years of age in Earth time, could have been a small Olympic athlete, there in his skul[ was the brain of a human being several hundred years old. The surgeons said..the brain specialists said that never ha\ they seen the surface of a brain so deeply, and so intricately convoluted. And as you all know, the convolutions of thU brainD areD anD indication,D anD infallibleD indication,D ofD bothD theD ageD ofD theD brainD andD theD stateD ofD itsD intellectua[ development. A feeble minded person of any age has an almost smooth brain surface. A new born baby has a smootW brain surface. But, as age and intellectual development occur, the convolutions become more pronounced...these arU little folds and rivulets...you've seen them...ah...and they had never seen so highly convoluted a brain. And if the samU biological standards apply to their planet, as they apply to this, there was a man several hundred years old who ha\ been spared the infirmities of age, and had never known senility. What a gift this would be if they could tell us hoO they do it. Ponce DeLeon and his fountain of youth. If they could share their medical secrets, and other hygieniX secrets with us...what a gift this would be to the human race. How much more amazing than the weapons I must tell yoI about,D orD theD meansD ofD propulsionD thatD theD RussiansD atD thisD momentD doingD everythingD theyD canD toD tryD an\ capture...would be the gift of life to the human race. This is what the Air Force is striking aside every day by arme\ attacks on Unidentified Flying Objects, which have done nothing hostile toward the United States, except possibly tG fail to answer the recognition signal of the day..ah...in the right idiomR Major Donald E. Keyhoe in his latest book, Aliens From Space, documents over one thousand instances where fighteP plans have been scrambled to attach harmless UFOs with the most deadly weapons that we have developed, simply tG tryD andD shootD oneD down.D TheyD haveD neverD succeeded.D CertainD pilotsD duringD debriefingD sessions...shaking...asheF faced...have told their commanding officers that they got within gun range...they opened up with four cannon...not onU shell ever struck the skin of the UFO. Apparently they are surrounded by a powerful force field of electromagnetiX emissions which can ...ah... is probably intended to protect them from meteorites, which of course are very dangerousY but will certainly make bullets curve enough to miss them. Think what that secret would be worthR This great age of the beautiful young man has profound psychic significance as well. Think what an opportunity iT would be to develop the psychic powers...to develop culture.. To develop literature, history, and how little space trave[ would mean to a race whose life span was several times longer than our life span. Ladies and gentlemen, I am an ol\ man...a retired professor. I have spent my life in the pursuit, however feeble and limping, the pursuit of truth. And I caF tell you that the central tragedy of the human race on this planet is not the curse of war, horrible as that is. It is noT the burden of poverty, inexcusable as that is on a rich planet. It is not the grief and pain of disease, which is merely N measureD ofD ourD ignoranceD becauseD ourD scientistsD areD makingD valiantD effortsD toD overcomeD disease.D No,D theD centra[ tragedy of human life is so common place that most of us never face it. It is the tragic brevity of human life. A man oP woman just about learns to do his or her job well, and we retire them. They live a little longer and get a few glimpseJ of understanding, of comprehension, of psychic insight, and we bury them. The life is over long before a hundre\ years. A one hundred year old person is quite a curiosity, and is usually quite feeble. Or, as a Pennsylvania DutcW farmer once said to me, in a very pithy statement, which is much more eloquent than my plea, " So slow we get smartY andD soD quickD weD getD old."D ThatD isD theD tragedyD ofD humanD life,D andD thatD isD oneD ofD theD secretsD thatD ourD friendsD froH space...that is one of the benefits they might bring us in this 20th century. If we would only stop shooting at them, an\ let them land in peace at a designated safe zone in the southeastern United States...southwestern United States, at N certain part of New Mexico, where there are no military installations for many miles...would be plainly designated aJ a safe landing zone. This is OPERATION LURE, and I want to tell you that in the entire 25 years that we have beeF shooting at them, there is not one authenticated case of a UFO intentionally harming a human being. Imaging whaT patience, and what forbearance, for them to have been fired upon and chased, and repulsed in their efforts to bU friendly and not once to have harmed a human beingR Let us prepare our minds, then, by banishing fear. Let us put aside all boogie men, and silly talk of little green meF and bug eyed monsters. And further more, those who talk that way, let us gently correct them. They're doing a verC great disservice to our country, especially to the children. A little child called me up in the middle of the night lasT night: "Is it true we are being invaded from Mars?" That's cruel to children. There's nothing to be afraid ofR Now. We call also stop calling them UFOs. Because if anything in the sky has ever been fully identified, it is the sG calledD Unidentified FlyingD Object. The Air Force hasD spent millionsD photographing them up close, studying themY measuring them, and have quite a collection of photographs, hundreds of feet of motion picture film, and all of this oM course had to be withheld from the American people. Not through any sinister conspiracy, but for our own goodR Because back in the days when this material evidence came into the possession of Air Intelligence...most of you are toG young to remember....but we were in the worst days of the so called cold war. People here in Tampa were digging aiP raid shelters in their back yards. If a truck backfired school children dove under their desks thinking the Russians ha\ attacked. And when the spacecraft itself with the twelve dead occupants was picked up, then of course the Centra[ IntelligenceD AgencyD hadD toD intervene.D UpD untilD thatD timeD itD hadD beenD anD AirD ForceD problem,D chasinS spooks...chasing...well, chasing something. But when a foreign intrusion occurs, the appearance of the CIA on thU scene is prima fascia evidence that the UFOs are real. Let me repeat, the CIA would never have taken over had therU not been real UFOs from another world. How foreign can you get3 So they, in their wisdom, caused the Brookings institution in Washington to make a national survey of...ah...to predicT what the effect on the national psychology would be if the President came on the air and calmly announced thaT "Ladies and gentlemen, these things you are seeing are real, they're from another world, they are piloted by intelligenT small human beings like ourselves. There is nothing to be afraid of, and will everybody please stop shooting at them.? The Brookings Institution replied that this must never be released, because the American people are teetering on thU ragged edge of hysteria already. The nervousness...the tension over the cold war is so great that for the President tG make such a statement official...to give it sanction...would be too much. Too many people would go over the deep endR Professor Robert Carr, 197^ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 48. New World Orde? I will now write a few words on the New World Orders There is a prophesy of the "New World". Every religion has this prophecy, which is the prophecy of thS returnY ofY theY GoldenY Age.Y FreemasonryY wasY influencedY withY symbolismY forY theY NewY World,Y butY id originally comes from astrology (real astrology, not the popular modern astrology.) The preparation for thS Golden Age, or New World, has been going on since we left the Golden Age, thousands of years ago. Nop we are just about theres Anyway, what happened is that when alchemy was no longer believed in and the alchemists disappeared` the symbolism, legends and prophesy still remained. There was all this prophecy and symbolism saying thad certain very wise and powerful people would initiate and oversee the transition into the New World. ThiV caused certain people who were initiated into the symbolism, but without full understanding of it, to thinn thatY theyY wereY atY theY topY ofY theY invisibleY ladder.Y TheseY peopleY thought,Y andY stillY think,Y thatY theyY areY thS people who are to oversee the transition into the Golden Age. But these people are not alchemists, nor dj they understand Nature, nor are they wise. It is the wise who are supposed to oversee the transition, but nod seeing this, certain people thought that they were the peoples SoY thisY particularY groupY ofY peopleY formedY theirY ownY newY secretY society,Y forY peopleY whoY areY richY anW powerful and believe in their plan for the New World Orders SinceY theY NewY WorldY OrderY folkY don'tY understandY Nature,Y theyY thinkY thatY civilizationY willY continueY tj develop in a linear fashion (in a straight line), whereas in truth development is circular. Because of thei[ linear belief and power to see what is really happening in our corrupt civilization, they soon realized thad civilization is heading towards a point of collapses Now the prophesy says that a lot of people will die (all the ignorant people) in the catastrophe before thS New World, and the New World will be glorious and there will be no wars, etc. Considering all this, thesS New World Order folk have decided they will fulfill the prophesy by killing lots of "bad" people, whic] they interpret as everyone who is not directly useful to them. At the same time they will bring all countrieV together into one nation, and they will control all people to such an extent that it's not even possible to dj anything they don't wantY you to do. ThusY there willY be noY warsY andY they think theyY will haveY made thS world a better places To give these New World Order folk the benefit of the doubt, they were trying to help. If development waV linearY andY ifY noY oneY didY anything,Y ourY civilizationY wouldY certainlyY collapse.Y ButY actuallyY thisY isY whatY iV supposed to happens If any of you New World Order folk are reading this, I hope you now understand, and you will come bacn to the "good side"s Unfortunately I fear that the systems are already in place and the ball is already in motions 49. Mytholog* Almost all mythology is an allegory for one of the three sacred sciences: alchemy, astrology and geometrys Alchemy is the science of Nature. Astrology is the science of time (and therefore prophecy.) Geometry iV the science of mathematics, shapes and music. All of these relate to each other of courses Here I will quote some myths allegorical for alchemys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I This is its fount and fundament, and the Medicine whereby Aesculapius raised the dead. This is the herb by whicW Medea restored Jason to life. This is the secret substance brought from Colchis by the Argonauts under Jason with sG muchD journeyingD andD pains,D andD henceD calledD theD GoldenD Fleece;D partlyD becauseD thisD ScienceD excelsD inD virtueD al[ others, as the Sun does the stars and gold the other metals; and partly because that Fleece was a Book written witW goldenD lettersD (accordingD toD theD testimonyD ofD Suidas,D HistoriographerD ofD theD ChemicalD andD MedicalD Arts)D an\ containing a full account of the preparation of the Medicine. For in that Book is the first material for the creationY restoration, and preservation of our most true MedicineR Man, the Best and Most Perfect of God's Creatures, by Benedictus Figulus, 1607 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The Sages have seen the river in which Æneas was cleansed of his mortality—the river of Pactolus in Lydia which waJ changed into gold by King Midas bathing in it—the bath of Diana—the spring of Narcissus—the blood of AdoniJ trickling upon the snowy breast of Venus, whence was produced the anemone—the blood of Ajax, from which spranS the beautiful hyacinth flower—the blood of the Giants killed by Jupiter's thunderbolt—the tears which Althea she\ whenD sheD doffedD her goldenD robes—theD magicD water ofD Medea,D outD ofD whichD grassD and flowersD sprang forth—thU Potion which Medea prepared from various herbs for the rejuvenescence of old Jason—the Medicine of Aesculapius@ the magic juice, by the aid of which Jason obtained the Golden Fleece—the garden of the Hesperides, where the treeJ bear golden apples in rich abundance—Atalanta turned aside from the race by the three golden apples—RomuluJ transformed by Jupiter into a god—the transfiguration of the soul of Julius Cæsar into a Comet—Juno's serpentY Pytho, born of decomposed earth after Deucalion's flood—the fire at which Medea lit her seven torches—the MooF kindled by Phaëthon's conflagration—Arcadia, in which Jupiter was wont to walk abroad—the habitation of Pluto iF whose vestibule lay the three-headed Cerberus—the Pile, on which Hercules burnt those limbs which he had receive\ from his mother, with fire, till only the fixed and incombustible elements derived from his father were left, and hU became a god—and the rustic cottage whose roof was made of pure goldR Golden Calf, by John Frederick Helvetius, 15th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I One of my favorites is the Greek myth of Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankinds The "fire" here a metaphor for the Stone. The gods are those elitists who are keeping the Stone only fo[ themselvess The myth of Prometheus continues with the more well-known myth of Pandora and her boxX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I When Prometheus stole fire from heaven, Zeus took vengeance by presenting Pandora to Epimetheus, Prometheus_ brother. With her, Pandora had a jar which she was not to open under any circumstance. Impelled by her natura[ curiosity, Pandora opened the box-jar, and all evil contained escaped and spread over the earth. She hastened tG close the lid, but the whole contents of the jar had escaped, except for one thing which lay at the bottom, which waJ HopeR Pandora's box, by en.wikipedia.orS } -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The myth of Pandora's box is the same as the Garden of Eden tree-of-knowledge/tree-of-life fiasco. ThesS are both allegories for mankind leaving the Golden Age. Becoming corrupt and curious, which is to sar that when mankind starts being selfish, instead of living in harmony with Nature and God, then things gj downhill. But left in Pandora's box is Hope, which symbolizes the return of the Golden Age agains Similar is the Hindu myth of Garuda, who stole the Nectar of Immortality from Heaven and gave it to Earths This legend also includes the cycle, for Garuda made a deal with Vishnu to allow the Nectar of Immortalitr to go back to the Gods after a certain amount of time, which is when it is lost agains The Garuda is the national symbol of both Thailand and Indonesia. The Garuda appears to symbolize a racS of bird-like beings, who were enemies with snake-like beings. There is a lot of mythology concerning thS war of the birdmen and snakemen. Mexico also has an eagle eating a snake on their flag. However, they arS not aliens or shapeshifting reptilians. These myths are from the Silver Age, when two races of humans werS at war. One race lived in the mountains and had flying machines, whereas the other race lived near the sea` and had submarines (and also flying machines.) They were just different races of humanss AnotherY HinduY myth:Y TheY ChurningY ofY theY Ocean.Y AtY theY suggestionY ofY Vishnu,Y theY godsY (Devas)Y anW demonsY (Asuras)Y churnY theY primevalY oceanY inY orderY toY obtainY AmritaY whichY willY guaranteeY the@ immortality. This story represents the process of making the Stone and the cycle of time, with it becoming hidden and free agains Now, who remembers fairy stories? Fairyland was said to be a place underground. The fairies lived a long time. If you eat their food you can't come back. Nowadays we don't take such stories seriously, but oncS upon a time people really believed this stuff. Perhaps it does have something to its -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The green children of Woolpit reportedly appeared in the village of Woolpit in Suffolk, England, some time in thU 12th century, perhaps during the reign of King Stephen. The children, brother and sister, were of generally norma[ appearance except for the green colour of their skin. They spoke in a strange language, and initially the only foo\ they would eat was green beans. They eventually learned to eat other food and lost their green colour, but the boC died. The girl adjusted to her new life and was baptised, but she was considered "rather loose and wanton in heP conduct". After she learned to speak English the girl explained that she and her brother had come from St Martin'J Land, an underground world whose inhabitants are greenR Green children of Woolpit, by en.wikipedia.orS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 50. Frequency and PlaneA We,Y andY everythingY weY see,Y operateY atY aY certainY frequency,Y orY rangeY ofY frequenciesY (frequencyY band.) Everything we can see, touch and manipulate is also at this same range of frequenciess There are higher and lower frequencies, which we are not aware of. Some of which are just outside ou[ band and so we can detect them using sensitive equipment, but most of which we are unable to detect as ou[ equipment is still made from matter at our frequencys There are many frequency bands which we are totally unaware of, since they do not interact with anything at our frequency. If you can't see, hear, smell, taste, touch, or in any way detect something, then for us it iV not there. But that doesn't mean it does not exists We take for granted that "solid" objects can't pass through one another. But there is no scientific or NaturaT law which says that two things can't be in the same place at the same time. The reason why we don't see twj things in the same place at the same time is simply because the forces operating from these objects repeT each other. This is why we can see and touch an object, because it repels light and our hands. But an objecd outside of our band of frequency would not repel this object, or us, or light (electromagnetic waves) whic] we can detect, and so we would not detect it. Radio waves (electromagnetic waves too) are a little outside ok ourY frequency,Y andY soY canY passY throughY solidY objects,Y butY weY canY stillY detectY themY withY specializeW equipment, and so we use them for communicationss I will call different bands of frequency which interact independently: planess The sun operates at a massive range of frequencies, and so exists in many different planes. The planets exisd across a wide range of frequencies, but not so many as the sun. The planets will of course appear differend on the different planess Here and now, at our frequency band (on our plane) Earth is the only planet capable of supporting life io our solar system. This is due to many factors, most notably the distance of the Earth from the sun, and thS atmosphere of the Earth at our frequency, and the abundance of water, make it perfect for life. The othe[ planets are capable of supporting life on different planes, but not on our plane. There will also be suns anW planets on higher planes (higher frequency bands) or lower planes, which we can't detect at all. On vastlr higher or lower planes, the concept of suns and planets likely doesn't exist, and there will be something else` which we have no concept ofs SunsY andY planetsY areY alsoY evolvingY toY higherY frequencies,Y throughY theY cyclesY ofY Nature,Y sameY asY thS development of the Stone. We as humans are also evolving into higher frequencies. Actually our "souls1 exist totally outside this whole concept of planes, which I will cover later. Meanwhile we are here, and wS adopt bodies according to our "spiritual" development, which is just a way of saying: frequency band wS are tuned into. Our bodies can only exist on a planet which is capable of supporting them, which is why wS are all here, because we are all tuned into this plane and so born here on Earths The Earth is about to shift to a higher frequency. Everyone who is unable to shift their frequency with thS Earth will die, since Earth will become uninhabitable for the frequency they are tuned into. But no worries` as these people will be born again on another planet which is more suitable to their development. The StonS ] op o[ gj o] [ w] ] o[ oh[ j hj excelsY everythingY itY interactsY with,Y bringingY itY towardsY itsY ownY higherY frequency.Y AllY frequenciesY arS influenced by higher frequencies, but low frequencies cannot influence high frequenciess By expanding your awareness (traditionally by meditation) or by taking the Stone, you can tune yourselk into a higher frequency. In the past this has meant leaving this world for a higher plane, but since Earth iV shifting into a higher frequency itself, we can stay here for a whiles MatterY ofY likeY frequencyY willY attractY eachY other,Y whichY isY theY effectY weY callY gravity.Y ThereforeY highe[ frequency objects, which are still detectable, will be lighter, since they are less attracted by the object in thiV plane. Gravity will have less affect on them. This is why extremely "enlightened" individuals have a habit ok performingY miraclesY suchY asY walkingY onY water,Y orY levitation.Y TheyY areY howeverY stillY attractedY byY highe[ frequency objects, and if their development continues then they will become more and more involved in thS higher plane and tune out of this ones Frequencies attracting like also make it possible to attract circumstances and entire concepts just by thinking about them. This is what that popular book "The Secret" was all about, although it's not exactly a secred (kind of obvious really.) The placebo effect works this way toos "AsY above,Y soY below."Y EverythingY inY theY universeY worksY onY theY sameY principles,Y bigY orY small.Y e fundamental truth applies on every level. If something doesn't apply on every level then it is not a real truths It is true that solar systems and atoms work on the same principle. It is a harmonic principle they follows You can't expect that they look the same way from our perspective, but that doesn't mean they work oo different principles. Whenever we look up everything appears orderly and predictable. Whenever we loon downY everythingY appearsY chaoticY andY unpredictable.Y ThisY isY onlyY aY matterY ofY perspective.Y IfY youY wereY U galaxy then you would think solar systems look chaotic and unpredictable. If you were an atom you'd thinn humans were orderly and predictables Particles are an illusion; they are really fields of energy which act kind of like waves. These energy fieldV are an illusion, they are caused by thought. Thought is as illusion too, it's caused by desire. Desire is ao illusion caused by separation. Separation is an illusions 51. Universes in UniverseA The universe is really a dream. Everything else we have spoken about, and all the planes of our universe` exist only in this universe, this dream, and so only matter while we are here. Eventually we will leave thiV dreams A dream is a closed system which exists due to the awareness of the creator of the dream. The creator ok the dream is called God. Our universe, and all its planes, are a dream of Gods We also create universes, of which we are the God. Every time you dream at night, or daydream, or thinn anyY thoughtY atY all,Y youY areY creatingY aY newY universe.Y EveryY thoughtY isY aY newY universe.Y ItY existsY forY thS amount of time you are thinking about it, then when your awareness moves to something else it ceases tj exist. This is how thinking works. All thoughts are universes, because a universe is any closed system io which there is awareness (or just any closed system, but if there was no awareness then it wouldn't exist` since nothing would be aware of it. There is nothing outside of awareness. In fact, there can't be. Nothing can be outside of God by definition` so when God creates a universe it is created inside of himself, so to speak. When you dream, the dream iV inside of you, but at the same time it is a different reality and a different universe to this universe. It is U universe in a universes I will elaborate. Whenever you think something, your thought exists, but where does it exist? It is existent io your awareness, and it only exists because you are thinking it. Your awareness created it. This then, is U newY universe.Y YouY createdY itY toY workY outY aY problem,Y orY toY experienceY something.Y ThisY newY universS attempts to do what it was created for and from this you intend to learn something. However, we can onlr create very weak and not particularly useful universes, since we are already so limited in this one. We don'd have enough awareness to make a very complicated universe, so we just make very simple ones, and ther don'tY workY veryY well.Y It'sY betterY notY toY getY answersY fromY thoughtsY therefore,Y sinceY theyY areY ofY ourY owo creation,Y andY soY can'tY tellY usY somethingY weY don'tY alreadyY know.Y TheY bestY sourceY forY knowledgeY o[ inspiration is something in this universe, or better: from the one above (from God.) So anyway, God created a universe (the one we are in) with a thought, and he wanted to experience it so hS created life forms and lent his awareness to each one. Each one of us does our own thing and we have ou[ own opinions, but the awareness in you, your consciousness, is God. We are all God, he's playing all of uV at the same time. But pretty much everything in this universe has awareness, including rocks and planets` and suns. They just have awareness in a different way to us humans. God is in everything. Everything iV awarenesss Most of us have had the experience of lucid dreams, which are common in childhood. A lucid dream iV when you are dreaming and then suddenly you are aware that you are dreaming. You remember who yof are, but you are still in the dream. At this point it becomes possible to control the dream, and since it is U dream, you can make anything happen. Before you are lucid you are running around in some dream story` thinking that you are this dream character, but when you become lucid you remember yourself and stoc actings The experience of lucid dreams is the same experience as the true "awakening" in this dream also. We arS hrj [ ] [ hrwghro[ all running around playing dream characters of our own creation, and we have forgotten who we reallr are.Y WhenY awakenedY weY understandY weY areY reallyY God,Y andY sinceY weY nowY understandY weY areY justY inY U dream, we can do fun things, such as make water turn into wine, etcs But there's more! God is also in a dream, of another God. Everything is dreams (since I'm using the worW dream for any closed system of awareness.) So the journey does not end heres So when we awaken from this dream and transcend, we will be able to create new universes according tj our desires, and play around like this until we get bored and decide to transcend agains The only reason we are here is because of desire. Actually our existence as an individual (which becomeV less and less, until we reach the highest God) is only a chain of desires. If you didn't want anything, yof wouldn't be here. There is a method for enlightenment, called the Path of Renunciation, which teaches yof to become enlightened by not wanting anything. But the problem with this is that even wanting to becomS enlightened,Y orY wantingY toY notY want,Y isY desire.Y AllY thatY personY isY reallyY doingY isY thinkingY soY muchY aboud enlightenment that they attract it (since they are adjusting their tuning to it and therefore attracting it), ther haven'tY reallyY stoppedY theirY desires,Y onlyY focusedY them.Y NotY desiringY isY notY somethingY weY canY doY atY thiV stage, else we wouldn't be here. Focusing your awareness on something does attract it, in the same way thad matter attracts matter (gravity), but it also works for concepts and more sophisticated ideas. Matter is just U concepts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I If God knows everything there is to knowY Then I ask: how can God learn or grow3 If you knew all that was and all that will beY Then how can any decision you make be free3 If you were everything and everything was youY Then there would be nothing for you to do^ And there we find God, in this very positionY Imprisoned by the power of his own conditionY But there is a way to escape from this netY All that God would have to do is forgetY Forget what He was and in ignorance fin\ Choice and free will, from confusion of mind^ And so God created a plane of limitationY That confusing place we call creationY A place of ignorance where we're free to chooseY Free to make mistakes and free to lose^ For only a being who knows not what is truU Has the free will to choose what to do^ Through us God can live, think, feel and seeY And experience He knew, but now He can be^ Yet though we've forgotten where we come fromY The closer we get, the happier we becomeY With control of awareness you can returnY But you have less choice the more you learn^ Each mortal longs for the infinite's touchY Yet the infinite longs to know not so much^ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 52. The Alchemists' Prophec* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I And although these may by the Lord God be made manifest to anyone, still, the rumour of this Art does not on thaT account at once break forth, but the Almighty gives therewith the understanding how to conceal these and other likU arts even to the coming of Elias the Artist, at which time there shall be nothing so occult that it shall not be revealedR The Book Concerning the Tincture of the Philosophers, by Theophrastus Paracelsus, 16th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I in the last times, there should come a most pure man upon the earth, by whom the redemption of the world should bU brought about; and that this man should send forth bloody drops of a red colour, by means of which he should redeeH the world from sinR The Aurora of the Philosophers, by Theophrastus Paracelsus, 16th Cens -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I The time has arrived when we may speak more freely about this Art. For Elias the artist is at hand, and glorious thingJ are already spoken of the City of God. I possess wealth sufficient to buy the whole world—but as yet I may not use iT on account of the craft and cruelty of wicked men. It is not from jealousy that I conceal as much as I do: God knowJ that I am weary of this lonely, wandering life, shut out from the bonds of friendship, and almost from the face of God. P do not worship the golden calf, before which our Israelites bow low to the ground; let it be ground to powder like thU brazen serpent. I hope that in a few years gold (not as given by God, but as abused by man) will be so common thaT those who are now so mad after it, shall contemptuously spurn aside this bulwark of Antichrist. Then will the day oM our deliverance be at hand when the streets of the new Jerusalem are paved with gold, and its gates are made of greaT diamonds. The day is at hand when, by means of this my Book, gold will have become as common as dirt; when wU Sages shall find rest for the soles of our feet, and render fervent thanks to God. My heart conceives unspeakablU things, and is enlarged for the good of the Israel of God. These words I utter forth with a herald's clarion tones. MC Book is the precursor of Elias, designed to prepare the Royal way of the Master; and would to God that by its meanJ all men might become adepts in our Art—for then gold, the great idol of mankind, would lose its value, and we shoul\ prize it only for its scientific teaching. Virtue would be loved for its own sake. I am familiar with many possessors oM this Art who regard silence as the great point of honour. But I have been enabled by God to take a different view of thU matter; and I firmly believe that I can best serve the Israel of God, and put my talent out at usury, by making this secreT knowledge the common property of the whole world. Hence I have not conferred with flesh and blood, nor attempte\ to obtain the consent of my Brother Sages. If the matter succeeds according to my desire and prayer, they will al[ rejoice that I have published this BookR An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King, by An Anonymous Sage and Lover of Truth, 1645 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I One who shall have obtained his honours by means of this Art, will mend old manners, and change them for the betterR When he comes, he will reform the kingdom, and by his goodness and virtue he will set an everlasting example tG rulers. In his time the common people will rejoice, and render praise to God in mutual neighbourly love. O King, whG art to accomplish all this, pray to God the King, and implore His aid in the matter! So the glory of thy mind will bU crowned with the glory of a golden age, which shall not then be hoped for as futureR [...] within the short space of ten days the same bed in a house near Leadenhall was successively occupied by threU Masters ofD thisD Art,D every one ofD whomD possessedD bothD theD whiteD and theD red Tincture; thoughD hardly one persoF amongst a million of men ever becomes possessed of the glorious prize. One of them, as I was told, was from the DuchC of Lorraine, the second hailed from the Midland Counties of England, the third was the youngest, and was born neaP a Cross, which stands at the boundary of three shires. Wise men had foretold from the conjunction of planets thaT prevailed at his birth, that he would be an ornament to England. Anyone might travel through the length and breadtW of Europe without meeting with three such Masters. Two of them are about to depart, but the third will remain and dG much good in this part of the world. Nevertheless, the sins of our rulers will delay the good which otherwise he mighT confer upon our country at once. The oldest of the three Masters prophesied concerning this young adept, that hU would have to endure much suffering at the hands of those who owed him the greatest debt of gratitude. He alsG uttered many other prophecies, some of which were verified by the event, while the rest remain to be fulfilled. "OnU thing is most certain," he said, "after great sorrow there will be great joy in all parts of this country—joy which will bU experienced by all good men." The youth enquired when this thing should be, and the old man's answer was that iT should come to pass when the Cross was honoured by night and by day in the land of God, and the land of LightC which thing will happen in due time, but is delayed by the grevious wickedness of men. But when the blessed houP arrives, this Art will be revealed to a King; and more glorious things will then be brought to pass than it is possible foP us to enumerate in this place, when he shall have reformed our manners and abolished all abuses. He will investigatU this science in secret, and will be instructed in it by hermits, or monksR The Chemical Treatise, Or, The Ordinal of Alchemy, by Thomas Norton, 1477 AF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 53. AfterworE So there we have it: how to make the Philosophers' Stone. Sorry if this book seems a little rushed and mr style informal, I wrote it in just 3 weeks. But everything you need to know is in heres So I know what you're asking now... where is it, right/ I'llY comeY clean:Y IY haven'tY finishedY itY yet.Y AtY theY timeY ofY writingY I'mY upY toY theY BlackY Stage.Y AllY theY signV occurred exactly as predicted by the alchemistss So why did I write the book before finishing the Stone/ Because I felt that it was the right thing to do, is the simple answer. What happens if I get hit by a bus anW never finish it? By putting out this book I am ensuring the Stone will be found, and it takes the pressure ofk mes Additionally, without a book of instructions no one would understand how to multiply the Stone, or how id works.Y ItY wouldY beY aY somewhatY confusingY situationY withY theY StoneY beingY distributedY andY noY onS understanding what it is or what it does. Better you understand it properly before it comess Furthermore, I'm hoping that some people are wandering around who have the Stone, and on release of thiV book they'll give it out. Or maybe the Shambhala people will reveal themselvess Or someone might have a great idea to use a different substance which will make the process much shorters Perhaps there is a vial of white or red powder in the basement of some church or museum. Try to project it` see what happenss If anyone finds the Stone, you must give it out to the world. Who knows what will happen to me... I mighd just disappears -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I He that knoweth not what he seeketh, shall not know what he shall findR The Crowning of Nature, by Anonymous, 16th - 17th Cen. (?) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I 54. HelJ The only way this book will get around is if the reader (i.e. you) help to distribute it. It will not magicallr distribute itself. Without help from you to distribute, this book and the truths written herein will fade agaio into the forgotten realms of long lost secretss However you found this book, whether it be a link from a web site, on a forum, an email from a friend, o[ any other means, someone made an effort to help distribute this book in order that you could find its So I am requesting that you return the favor and pass this book along to more peoples Whether you completely understand and believe what is written in this book, or even if you just think it ao entertaining read; I am asking you to please help other people find this book. By passing it along you arS allowingY eachY personY toY atY leastY haveY theY chanceY toY comeY toY theirY ownY opinionY regardingY theY realityY (o[ unreality) of alchemy and the Stone. This book is free, so at any rate you are only doing the other person U favor - they will read it if it interests them and not if it doesn't (and then no harm done. While there may be danger for me in writing this book, there is no danger for you in helping to distribute its It will only require a small amount of your time, or as much as you are willing to gives Please email the link bookofaquarius.forgottenbooks.org to your friends, family and coworkers. If you are U member of any Internet forums, please post a new topic for this book. If you run a web site, please add U link to bookofaquarius.forgottenbooks.orgs IfY youY wouldY preferY toY anonymouslyY emailY yourY friends,Y familyY andY coworkers,Y inY caseY theyY judgeY yof negatively for your interest in alchemy, then you can email them anonymously from hereX http://bookofaquarius.forgottenbooks.org/emaiT For those who are willing to be active in helping to distribute the book, I have put together a list of wayV that you can help, and also a private forum for discussion on the subject of distribution. If you are willing tj do a good deed, please sign up to become an active distributor atX http://bookofaquarius.forgottenbooks.org/helc I'd like to thank Forgotten Books, who have been particularly helpful in distributing The Book of Aquariuss They have provided free hosting and a link on every page of their web site, as well as an announcement tj their subscribers. Additionally, Forgotten Books has offered to actively advertise The Book of Aquarius io exchangeY forY aY mentionY ofY theirY productsY here.Y OfY courseY thisY bookY isY completelyY free,Y butY ifY youY arS interested in further reading and you would like to donate to the cause of helping to distribute this book in U monetary way, then Forgotten Books has promised to spend on marketing 50% of all revenue they makS from sales of the physical book (which will be for sale on Amazon internationally), and also sales of thei[ ebook membership if you order through the link below. Of course, there's no point in purchasing unlesV you're actually interested in the products sold by Forgotten Books, I'm not asking you to spend money thad youY otherwiseY wouldY not,Y butY justY rememberY thatY ifY youY wantY toY purchaseY membershipY fromY Forgotteo Books to use this link so as to help distribute The Book of AquariusX http://www.forgottenbooks.org/?ref=bookofaquariuV 55. Questions and AnswerA The following are all real questions asked to me by readers of this book, and my repliesR Is this the same or similar to the "White Stone of Urine" which was popular on the Internet a feD years ago+ No.Y TheY "WhiteY StoneY ofY Urine"Y wasY aY misinterpretationY ofY theY alchemicalY writings.Y TheyY tookY certaio metaphorical parts literally, and so were involved with taking the oil of the urine, etc. This would not (anW did not) work. In order to make the Stone we have to follow the guidance of Natures To get to the White Stone, you say that you need silver and the Red Stone needs gold. Gold can't b6 used for both+ Silver for silver, gold for gold. No, you cannot use gold for boths How much of the stone (approximately) will there be after the White Stage+ This depends on how much white salt you gather from the First Parts What is the difference, besides strength, of the White Stone versus the Red Stone+ The Red Stone and the White Stone are the same in a way, the Red Stone is just much more powerful. Ok course the White Stone transmutes metals into silver, whereas the Red Stone transmutes them into gold. AV for the effects on the body, it is the Red Stone that can make an old person healthy and fit again, whereaV the White Stone will cure many diseases but will not cure old ages How3 do3 you3 use3 the3 stone?3 There3 were3 not3 specific3 instructions3 on3 how3 to3 ingest,3 or3 turn3 into3 > tincture,3 or3 to3 change3 the3 structure3 of3 other3 metals3 and3 personally,3 I3 would3 want3 to3 use3 this3 fo? medicinal purposes for myself and many other people I know who have been struck with illness, s8 I'm mostly interested in the tincture/ingestion part of it.3 The Stone can be ingested in any form: solid, power or dissolved. It does not matter how. It can also be pud on the skin as an ointments Isn't alchemy spiritual, about the path to enlightenment and the purification of the soul+ No, the Philosopher's Stone is a real, physical object with all the attributed powers, and more. The wholS thing about the journey being worth more than the destination in alchemy is only because that in order to dj alchemy you must understand the cycles of Nature. If you understand these cycles then you understand hop Nature works. If you understand how Nature works then you understand something about God. But therS are no magical effects just from trying to make it. Certainly it will give you meaning to your life and peacS of mind, which you could say is worth more than anything else.Y I already have a medical condition/implant/pacemaker, what would happen if I take the Stone+ You will be cured. Any foreign body inside of you will either be ejected or dissolveds What would happen if I fed the stone to my dog+ Same effect as on a humans If3 one3 is3 to3 eat3 the3 Stone3 daily3 to3 sustain3 its3 effects,3 are3 we3 meant3 to3 have3 the3 process3 constantl* running+ No, it can easily and quickly be multiplied once completed.Y Can my Stone, made out of my urine be used to heal someone else if they consume it+ Yes, there's nothing special about whose urine it is. You could even use the urine of an animal.Y Since the Stone is made from urine, will diet affect it+ Possibly by a tiny degree, but I doubt it makes a big difference and is not worth worrying about. If you arS alive then your urine will be alive enough to make the Stones Is there a shortcut+ There's no shortcut I know of, although I'm not claiming one does not exist. The White Stone is the first yof get, which is less powerful, and won't keep you from death. It might cure a cancer but it won't make yof immortal. The Red Stone is the one that really makes you into something specials Why would you not need to eat if you ingested the Red Stone+ This is how the Stone works. It provides what I am calling life-energy, which is what everything is made ofs Any particle can be broken down into this, and then remade into a new element. So when you ingest thS Stone, you don't need to eat anything else, you now have everything that you need, your body will converd it into exactly what it wants. When you eat food this has to be digested in your stomach in an attempt tj extract some life-energy from it. So we are all living off just a little bit of energy, what we can extract fro@ food, drink and air. Lighter foods are easier to digest, so easier to extract the life-energy, which is why ther are more healthys If one is on medication, will it affect the stone? Also, would taking vitamines make it stronger or affecI it in anyway2 Unlikely. It doesn't matter too much what the content of the urine is remember, we just want the volatilS particles, whatever that may bes You claim the stone is made only out of one substance, and back it up with quotes, however theN states about mixing water, gold, and silver into the mix. That is no longer one substance2 There is no water added, the water is the distillate of the urine. The gold and silver are added at the end as U ferment, so it could be claimed that the Stone is made from two (or three) substances, or it could be claimeW to be one. Either way, it doesn't really matter. The ferment is considered to be only for stabilizing the Stone` and not really an "ingredient" as such, which is why the alchemists all claim it is made from one thing alones Since3 Energy3 cannot3 be3 created3 nor3 destroyed,3 even3 if3 the3 urine3 contains3 life3 energy3 or3 chi3 o? whatnot, 1 litre of urine will contain the same amount of it today as it will in 3 years2 Matter contains a lot of energy, but it is already in a stable form, which is why we can't just turn any matte[ into energy. The process of making the Stone breaks the matter down into energy, then traps it with thS stable form of the ferment (silver or gold).Y You3 say3 the3 substance3 mixed3 with3 anything3 makes3 more3 of3 itself3 since3 it3 breaks3 down3 the3 othe? substances and just further mixes it with its own structure. If that was true then that means as sooN as3 you3 ingested3 it3 you3 would3 die,3 because3 the3 the3 tissue3 that3 would3 touch3 this3 substance3 woulE breakdown2 This was said in the context of projecting the Stone onto molten metal. The Stone must penetrate the metaT in order to transmute it into gold or silver, or more Stone. It does not penetrate so easily, which is why it iV recommended to wrap the Stone in wax or project it in a liquid state, so that it penetrates into the metal. B saidY theY StoneY convertsY whatY itY overpowersY intoY itself,Y butY itY canY onlyY overpowerY somethingY ofY itsY samS Nature,Y whichY aY metalY orY mineral.Y OtherwiseY aY StoneY madeY onceY wouldY endY upY transmutingY theY wholS universe into itself, which is not the case. It must penetrate into a metal or minerals Some of the acclaimed uses just seems too surreal, to bring things back from the dead? Come on, thaI actually goes against nature, for nature dictates that all things has an expiration2 HowY does it goY against Nature?Y Everything willY die eventually,Y butY lifeY canY beY prolonged.Y A doctorY cao bring back a person with electricity, is this also not impossible under your terms? There is a time-limit oo resurrecting a dead body in this way, your body still functions to some extent even after it dies, if it could bS healed before it decomposes then it would be exactly that - healed. There is always a reason for death, anW with the problem cured the body will live agains If something dies it still functions for a time, as you said, but if something dies and has been dead fo? sometime, how do expect to resurrect it after the body has decomposed+ After it has decomposed it cannot be resurrected, as you said. The time given was 3 days, within this time U corpse could be brought back to life, but after this time it will have already started to decompose and then id isY trulyY dead.Y BeforeY thisY timeY theY bodyY isY stillY goodY inY someY sense,Y althoughY unanimated.Y SoY insteadY ok thinking of it as resurrection, it should perhaps just be thought of as healing, the same as the Stone does to U living bodys You also stated that with the stone bodies can be made without the womb, how can that plausibly b6 possible as the fetus is within the womb attatched through the umbilical cord where nourishment anE blood is fed+ The life-energy, which is the active ingredient of the Stone, is what everything is made of. This is all anr being needs to live and grow. It is this that is in the blood, and this is the true nourishments Is the distillation to make white/red phosphorous+ No, there is only a tiny amount of phosphorus in urine. Phosphorus also glows in the dark, so it easy tj spot, whereas our white salt does nots Is it bad for you to take too much of the Stone+ FromY myY understandingY theY reasonY whyY itY isY suggestedY toY eatY aY tinyY amountY isY becauseY itY wouldY justY bS wasteful to use more, there is only a certain amount we can use at any time. Perhaps there could be toj much, but I'm sure this amount would be obvious, just like we can have too much of anythings Since we are aiming to get life energy from the initial ingredient would you see any benefit to sa* leading energy into it with intent before or during the gathering of the urine+ IntentY affectsY thisY entireY universeY directlyY withoutY havingY toY playY byY theY rulesY ofY thisY universe.Y SoY yes,Y id would always helps Given all else is equal would you think that the process would be shorter for someone with more lif6 energy3 than3 others?3 For3 example3 an3 accomplished3 Qi3 Gong3 practitioner3 compared3 to3 the3 locaG drunk? I realize though that it would still work for both2 It makes logical sense that it would be more efficient to use urine from a healthier or more spiritual persons Although I'm not sure exactly how much difference it would makes In regards to the addition of silver what would be your take on the addition of "molecula silver" o? "ionic silver" instead of shavings+ The ferment (silver or gold) must be 100% (or at least close to that) pure. In these other states the silver iV mixed in with other elementss If the urine is so full of life-energy, why does our body dispose of it in the first place? It is alread* broken down enough isn't it? Why doesn't the body simply consume the supposed life-energy insteaE of rejecting it? Is the problem in our body+ The life-energy is in the water of our blood, our body cannot separate it from the water directly, and sj when it needs to get rid of the water the life-energy has to go with its The Author has mentioned that the salt of the urine is one of the essential parts of it. What exactl* does the salt of the urine contain and/or represent? (I mean at the urine's normal state, not after th6 First Part.M The particles which make up the salt are in the body of the urine, which is the color or cloudy part of it. ThS specific minerals of the salt do not matter, it is just the lightest, most volatile particles in the non-water pard of the urine. If we could extract life-energy directly instead of through a medium then this would not bS necessary, but the life-energy is too volatile to trap unless it is trapped in a body. The body must be of thS correctY requirements,Y forY whichY ourY saltY servesY perfectly.Y ItY mustY beY ableY toY beY purified,Y beY asY lightY aV possible, and then be able to absorb the moisture, putrefy (decompose) into smaller particles, and then thS life-energy will form it (you could say grow) into the White Stone, then the Red Stone. Following the lawV of Nature of course, and assuming the conditions are corrects Is there an approximate chemical analysis that could be done of urine to establish what it is in th6 final stone to speed up production+ Maybe,Y butY IY doubtY it,Y againY IY thinkY theY actualY elementsY andY compoundsY areY onlyY aY bodyY forY theY activS principle, which is the life-energys In the text gold is mentioned as the purest/most evolved metal. What of platinum? Would the ston6 turn platinum to gold+ Platinum wasn't well known in the time that the alchemical books were written, so it was not mentioned. B don'tY knowY isY theY honestY answer.Y ItY mightY turnY outY thatY theY StoneY couldY beY fermentedY withY platinumY anW make platinum, although I doubt that. It's likely that platinum would be transmuted into gold. We'll find out B supposeR Why Gold? Or Silver for that matter. The only reason these two metals are so valuable is their rarityr along with the fact that they're quite pretty and so can be made into nice things. At the end of th6 day,3 there's3 nothing3 particularly3 special3 about3 either3 of3 them,3 no?3 So3 why3 would3 these3 metals3 b6 involved in the making of the stone and why would the stone turn other metals into them?3 As far as rarity goes: silver is reasonably common, whereas gold is more rare. However, in antiquity silve[ andY goldY wereY worthY almostY theY same.Y GoldY wasY alwaysY worthY moreY thanY silver,Y exceptY inY someY rarS circumstances, but the difference was not nearly as much as it is todays The reason why gold and silver are valuable, and the most popular metals is because the Stone makes golW and silver. Not that the Stone happens to make those metals which are valuable. They are valuable becausS the Stone can make thems ThisY goesY allY theY wayY backY 12,000Y yearsY toY whenY theY StoneY wasY firstY hiddenY fromY theY multitude.Y ThS Philosopher-KingsY ofY theY timeY choseY goldY andY silverY toY beY theY currencyY forY theirY nationsY sinceY itY wasY sj easily controlled by them. They could make it, whereas the common people could not make it. Therefore iV was a perfect currency, much more secure than pieces of paper with lots of little lines on them (like we havS now. Is there an approximate shelf life to urine+ Probably. But you never need to store it as urine, only as salt or distillates I understand about the reason for the low temperature distilling, but the first distillation is well abov6 body3 temperature.3 Why3 dosen't3 that3 destroy3 the3 life3 force3 so3 that3 all3 the3 other3 distillations3 ar6 working with liquid without the life force present+ The first distillation, during the First Part is only at <80°C, which is not yet high enough to destroy the lifeI energys In the Second Part (White->Black->White->Red) you are only circulating the moisture, and so you use head around body temperature as this is best for allowing the moisture to evaporate and condense. Using 80°G here would mean the moisture would never condenses In the Red Stage you use high heat again, but now the Stone is already fermented with silver, so it can stanW the high heats In the blackness phase, you don't specify exact temperature2 Actually you do not want to follow any set instructions concerning the exact temperature at the black stage` or any stage following. The required temperature is variable depending on the amount of matter, size ok vessel,Y ambientY temperatureY andY otherY factors.Y YouY willY justY needY toY useY commonY senseY toY optimizeY thS temperature so that the moisture ascends and descends efficiently - that is so that the matter is continuouslr watered and dried but is never always dry or always wets I do not have the time now to perform it.3 For most of it you are just making sure the heat is at the right temperature, and there are only 4 adjustmentV of the heat. So that's only one adjustment every 6 months or so. The rest of the time the water bath is jusd running on electricity all happy by itself. In the First Part of the Great Work you have to do more, but still id takesY 1Y week toY distil theY urineY andY you have toY doY this 10Y times, soY that's only doing something once U weeks I think that if I tackled this project I would probably get it right on the 3rd or 4th attempt. Lets say I get really good at making sure all the variables are precise so 7 years the first time, 4-6 the second anE maybe 2-4 the following 1 or 2 attempts2 YouY can'tY goY wrongY asY longY asY youY don'tY burnY it.Y TheY StoneY mightY notY developY anyY furtherY ifY youY dj something wrong, but will always continue once you have corrected your mistake. This is where 5 or J years comes from. But that means that it is still only 5 or 8 years total even if you make a mistake. As long as you don't burn it that is, but the old alchemists didn't have electricity and so had to use coals. We arS usingY anY electricY waterY bathY whichY hasY temperatureY control.Y SoY there'sY probablyY notY tooY muchY riskY ok burning its How much does it cost to buy all the aparatus+ The glassware costs only a few dollars. The retorts are maybe $50. The water bath is the most expensive` they range from $100 - $1000. You might be able to get a cheap one on ebay. Silver is not expensive. ThS gold will costs maybe $100 - $500, though you could sell silver you've transmuted to buy the golds Could I make a few batches in case one goes wrong+ It might be a good idea, but then if you put them in the same water bath you would not be able to adjust thS heatY independently,Y inY whichY caseY youY mayY asY wellY justY haveY oneY batch.Y SeveralY waterY bathsY wouldY bS expensive and use a lot of power. The Stone can only really go wrong if you burn it, but it might be an ideU to have a batch where you try to use a higher degree of heat, and a batch where you are very conservativS with the heats What if I have added too much water in the Second Part? Should a small amount of liquid be poureE off or the vessel opened to evaporate out+ If it's only a little too much water then you can just turn up the heat accordingly. If it is quite a bit too muc] then better not to evaporate it off, or you may lose the best part of it. In this case you would want to use U pipetteY toY carefully remove theY excess.Y ThoughY it is much betterY toY beY veryY careful not to addY tooY muc] water, it could seriously increase the time it takes to get the Stones Would it work better to filter the urine first+ Filtering the urine won't make any difference. The urine has already been filtered by your body, now id needs to be distilled and calcined. Filtration works only for visibly large particles, but we are dealing wit] something very smalls What sort of location should be used to carry out the work? Space is at a premium for me, the onl* place I have availible with power to carry this out is in a small office type room in the upstairs of m* house2 For the most part it can even be done in a cupboard, a locked cabinet would be perfect. Not that much spacS is requireds Can the apparatus be moved during the process? Say, relocated if moving home2 The apparatus can. In the Second Part you don't want the flask getting bashed around or turned upsideI down. But if you carefully carry it from one place to another it should be OK. This will increase the time id takes because you'll have shaken it up and so the layering will need to form again, but it will with times My partner and I are due a baby soon and I am concerned about fumes, smells etc in the house. CaN you please advise me if this is a viable location to conduct the great work or should I wait until I caN afford to hire some kind of lock-up+ Your only concern with fumes is the calcining in the First Part. This should be done outside. If you do nod have an open and private garden this could be done simply by taking a portable gas/electric stove and thS retort, and disappearing for a couple of hours to somewhere away from your home and in the open, wherS no one is going to interrupt yous Will the urine stink out my house when distilling+ No, distilled urine doesn't smell strongly, and the urine will be in the retort and so will not smell since it'V not open to the air. Only the calcinations cause a bad smoke/smells In3 the3 first3 part,3 you3 say3 after3 the3 distillation/calcination3 the3 distilled3 urine3 must3 be3 distilled3 thre6 times in the clean retort. My question regarding this step is: should I clean out the retort betweeN distillations, or the leftover (if any) can be left in the retort, just as in the distillation/calcination step+ You do not need to clean out the retorts at any stage. You should be using a different retort (2 retorts totalfor the further 1-3 distillations. There is no need to clean the retort in between these distillations because thS distillate is already super clean, and each distillation makes it even purers Do3 I3 need3 two3 retorts3 because3 I'll3 break3 one3 to3 collect3 the3 white3 salt?3 If3 the3 white3 salt3 is3 collecteE without breaking the retort, then could I clean out the same retort and reuse it to distil the rest of th6 urine future+ Yes,Y inY caseY youY breakY it,Y andY alsoY becauseY yourY 1stY retortY willY getY veryY dirty.Y You'dY haveY aY hardY timS cleaning it, unless you use something very strong, like paint thinners How do you remove the white crystals from the retort? Are they fairly hard to remove, do you neeE to scrape, and then whats the best way to remove impurities+ They're not too hard to remove, but the crystals need to be cracked and broken, then the black bits on the@ can be separated. A knife is good for this. If you touch the crystals they sting your skin, but I touched the@ plenty of times and didn't dies Do you need a to use a lid for the water bath+ It doesn't need a lid, but with no lid you would be wasting a lot of energy and will be constantly having tj top it up with more water. During the First Part, if you don't use a lid the heating element may not be able tj heat the water up to the right temperature. A lid is strongly recommended. For a quick and cheap lid yof could use cling film, and put towels on top of this for insulations Some of the apparatus are rather costly, especially the water bath. Is it possible to improvise+ WaterY bathsY areY veryY simpleY appliances,Y they'reY justY expensiveY becauseY they'reY specialistY equipments AnythingY thatY willY heatY waterY toY aY temperatureY youY canY setY willY doY theY job.Y I'mY sureY thereY areY cheac alternatives. If you're into electronics I'm sure it's possible to put one together from the components easilr and cheaplys Ebay is a good place for all the necessary apparatuss The largest piece of glassware you put into the water bath is only a 500ml retort, and so the capacity of thS water bath need not be larger than this. Unfortunately it is difficult to find a water bath this small. It doesn'd matter if you use a larger one, it is just more expensive and more wasteful of powers During the first part distillation, could the vapour condense/contact with, for example silicone (useE to glue glass), metal as in a jar lid, or other reasonable solid building materials? Would this effect th6 process negatively?3 Metal is maybe not a good idea, but silicone is fine. Just make sure it's completely dry before you begins Is the retort is a must? I have a 500 ml glass still with a graham condenser with all glass joints. N8 good+ The reason for the retort is simply because the water will not ascend very high before it condenses wheo you are only using low heat. The water will not be boiling, it will just be slowly evaporating, which meanV it does not have much energy and will condense again as soon as it can. If you use glassware where thS opening for it to escape into the condenser is too high then the water will never get this high and so it wilT notY distill.Y ThisY isY whyY aY retortY isY recommended,Y butY ifY yourY apparatusY allowsY theY waterY toY escapeY anW condense still very close to the heat source (like a retort) then it will work fines What is your opinion on the Pelican+ The pelican is not a piece of apparatus. It is just the theory that the moisture circulates, based on a strangS medieval idea that pelicans feed their young with their own blood. These pelican vessels you can buy arS not for real alchemy. Our pelican is a round-bottom Florence flasks How could we produce enough of these stones so that everyone could have one+ Once the Stone is made once you can easily make more of it, so you only have to make it once using thS long process. Then you can quickly multiply it. It would be possible for only one person in the world tj make the Stone, then they would be able to give it out to everyone. Each person would be able to quicklr multiply it and give it to more people.Y How do we avoid greedy and stubborn people from trying to keep the stone for themselves and for) a superhuman elite+ This already happened. I'm now releasing the secret for everyones What will happen to the world economy if everyone is suddenly able to make gold out every piece o: metal junk they find at home+ The release of the Stone will bring down our civilization to make way for the Golden Age. Our civilizatioo is built on lies and so will fall: "to reveal the roots is to destory the tree". Additionally everyone keeps thei[ money in banks, banks are invested in energy/medicine/gold so with the release of the Stone the banking systems will all crash, which means all business with stops I get the impression that you learned this from someone+ I just learnt from reading the alchemical writings, the same ones everyone else readss The making of the stone is just a method in the process of making you believe in what you are doing2 No. There is the Stone, then there is changing the world by intention. These are different. The Stone is U real physical object and energy in this dream universe, whereas our intentions change the dream universe.Y It is a little suspicious, like a guy that want to make himself a reputation. Maybe to sell his futur6 book? Or just for fame+ IY don'tY careY aboutY reputation,Y elseY IY wouldY haveY givenY myY name.Y IY onlyY careY thatY peopleY readY theY book` which is free and public-domain by the ways I3 don't3 understand3 the3 motive3 to3 share3 it3 with3 the3 world.3 You3 should3 know3 human3 nature3 is3 noI "love/peace/compassion/friendship". Actually humans are hateful creatures and always want mor6 money and power2 Only when they think they have to steal these things from other people. If people were not worried aboud themselves and so caught up in things that don't matter, then they would care about other people naturallys We only attack because we think everyone else is attacking uss If Alchemists didn't share it, I think it's because they knew it wouldn't work2 Or because they knew it woulds In the book you said you hadn't actually finished the work, yet the level of detail with regards to th6 finished product was seemingly precise2 Yes,Y IY haveY readY hundredsY andY hundredsY ofY alchemicalY texts.Y TheyY eachY giveY aY littleY clue.Y PutY themY alT together and it's already overkill. I haven't seen it performed by anyone else. But I have got this far on mr own and I know it will work because it follows the laws of Nature. If it did not work then we live in U universe where actions do not lead to consequencess IY haveY neverY beenY toY Mongolia,Y butY IY believeY thatY itY existsY becauseY everythingY pointsY toY itsY existence.Y Ik Mongolia was a lie then so much of the world (charts, history, etc.) would not make sense. So I believe io Mongolia. I have seen evidence for Mongolia's existence even if I have not seen it first hand. My belief io the Stone is the same. I am sure of it, as it makes perfect sense and I understand how it works, and why id works. The universe would not make sense if it did not exists What makes you certain that this is the right recipe? Perhaps when we try it we'll get poisoned+ This is the right recipe. If you're worried about the Stone being toxic then all the person has to do is try firsd to transmute some metal into gold with it, and they will see it work. No one is forcing them to immediatelr ingest something without testing it first. It could also be fed to an animal, or given to a plant, etc. to test thS effectss What will you do if you find out that it doesn't work as you believe it will? Will you write that yo= have made it and the process doesn't work? Will you be convinced that its impossible? Will you tr* again? Will you expose yourself+ If something goes wrong with my Stone then I will start again and let everyone know of this so they cao avoid the same mistake, but I am already at the black stage so most of the danger has passed already. ThS signs come as predicted, they would not appear in exactly the order as described by the alchemists and theo the Stone not work in the end - that would make this a universe where actions do not lead to consequences` as I understand why it is working and can see the evolution and the work of Nature with my own eyes. Mr belief has a solid foundation - nothing will convince me this is impossible any more than I can be convinceW that the sun is made of jellybeans, even though I have not been to the sun personally (but that is no argumend for the sun being made of jellybeans. Is the life of a sage really as lonely as its been said+ I expect Sages are less lonely than the average person, they just have nothing else to complain about.Y I'm scared about what will happen to me and my family if there is a catastrophe2 In the big picture of things, everyone is going to be so much happier than they are now, and everyone afte[ the event will know and understand this. But before the event there is and will be a lot of fear, since we arS always scared of what we don't understands The Stone will enable some people to survive what happens, it is perhaps not the Stone itself that does this` or perhaps it is. But the Stone enables one to see things how they truly are, both just by understanding it` and also by its direct affects on our body and minds What will happen? It's kind of up to you... there is not really any benefit to living here on Earth any morS thanY thereY wouldY beY toY dieY andY goY toY theY higherY planes.Y SoY youY don'tY needY toY feelY sorryY forY yourselfY o[ anyone else, or worry about what will happen to yourself or others. It might be scary, but it's worth it, anW you can at least appreciate that you are only living through this because you chose to be born into this time` so it was already your choice to experience what will happens And we can't really save each other (actually there is nothing to be saved from, since both options are bette[ than what we have now), because in a way everyone judges themselves, and not only that, but they alreadr made their choice of whether to stay or leave before they were even born heres The only thing to fear is fear itselfs Will you begin to distribute the replicas of your stone when you can create them in short periods o: time+ Yes, but don't rely on me to do this. It might not get to you in time.Y How does one study alchemy, web searches turn up all sorts of conflicting messages, do you have an* advice+ Study the old books, not the new ones, with the exception perhaps of Fulcanelli. The 16th and 17th centurr texts are the more easy to understand. Firstly I'd say to read all the books from my Bibliography. Then gj ahead and look for more. Be careful about listening to interpretations; if something is true it has to makS sense with Nature, this is a natural process. You should be able to understand how it works, not assume it iV something beyond you. Most people who don't understand feel this way not because it is too complicateW for them, but because it is too simple for them.Y I'd like to begin the process; any other "tips" you have+ Everything is in the book. Read it through several times until you fully understand how the process workss Perhaps read the full source of any quotes you found interesting. Then start by obtaining the apparatus, anW just follow the instructions. Be patients 56. Bibliograph* In this book I quoted from 49 different alchemical texts, which are listed alphabetically below. I have reaW more than one hundred alchemical texts, but many are useless, so I don't feel the need to list them heres All of the following can be read on the Internet for free, from the four sites I mentioned in the Forewords A Brief Guide to the Celestial Ruby, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF A Demonstration of Nature, by John A. Mehung, 16th - 17th Cen. (?A Dialogue, by Alexander von Suchten, 16th - 17th Cen. (?A Golden and Blessed Casket of Nature's Marvels, by Benedictus Figulus, 1607 AF A Magnificent and Select Tract on Philosophical Water, by Anonymous, 13th - 17th Cen. (?A Short Tract, or Philosophical Summary, by Nicholas Flamell, 15th Cens A Subtle Allegory Concerning the Secrets of Alchemy, by Michael Maier, 1617 AD (?A Tract of Great Price Concerning the Philosophical Stone, by A German Sage, 1423 AF A Very Brief Tract Concerning the Philosophical Stone,Y by AnD Unknown German Sage,Y 15thY -Y 17t] Cen. (?Altar of the Theraphic Tie, by B.M.I. of the Rosicrucians, 1616 AF An Anonymous Treatise Concerning the Philosopher's Stone, by Anonymous, 12th - 17th Cen. (?An Excellent Introduction to the Art of Alchemy, by Peter Bonus (?), 14th Cen. (?An Explanation of the Natural Philosopher's Tincture, of Paracelsus,Y by Alexander von Suchten, 16t] Cens An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King, by An Anonymous Sage and Lover of Truth, 164h AF Aphorisms of Urbigerus, by Baro Urbigerus, 1690 AF Book of the Chemical Art, by Marsilius Ficinus, 15th Cens Compound of Compounds, by Albertus Magnus, 13th Cens Dwellings of the Philosophers, by Fulcanelli, 1929 AF Fama Fraternitatis, by The Rosicrucians, 1614 AF Golden Calf, by John Frederick Helvetius, 17th Cens Magnalia Naturae, Praecipue Quoad Usus Humanos, by Francis Bacon, 1627 AF Man, the Best and Most Perfect of God's Creatures, by Benedictus Figulus, 1607 AF On The Gold Medicine and On The Yellow and The White, by Ko Hung, 4th Cen. (ChineseOn the Philosophers' Stone, by Anonymous, 12th - 17th Cen. (?Shih Hsing-lin, Disciple of Chang Po-tuan, And Hsieh Tao-kuang, Disciple of Shih Hsling-lin, 11th I 13th Cen. (?) (Chinese) The Aurora of the Philosophers, by Theophrastus Paracelsus, 16th Cens The Book of the Revelation of Hermes, by Theophrastus Paracelsus, 16th Ceo The Chemical Treatise, Or, The Ordinal of Alchemy, by Thomas Norton, 1477 AF The Chemists Key, by Henry Nollius, 1617 AF The Crowning of Nature, by Anonymous, 16th - 17th Cen. (?) The Emerald Tablet, by HermeJ The Epistle of Bonus of Ferrara, by Peter Bonus, 14th Centurr The Fount of Chemical Truth, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF The Glory of the World, Or, Table of Paradise, by Anonymous, 1526 AF The Golden Age Restored, by Henry Madathanas, 1622 AF The Golden Tract Concerning the Stone of the Philosophers,Y by An Anonymous German Philosopher` 16th - 17th Cen. (?) The Metamorphosis of Metals, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AF The Mirror of Alchemy, by Roger Bacon, 13th Cens The New Atlantis, by Francis Bacon, 1627 AF The New Chemical Light, by Michael Sendivogius, 17th Cens The New Pearl of Great Price, by Peter Bonus, 1338 AF The Root of the World, by Roger Bacon, 13th Cens The Secret Book of Artephius, by Artephius, 12th Cen. (?) The Secret of the Immortal Liquor Called Alkahest, by Eirenaeus Philalethes, 17th Cens The Sophic Hydrolith, Or, Water Stone of the Wise, by Anonymous, 17th Ceo The Twelve Keys, by Basilius Valentinus, 15th Cens Three Alchemical Poems, by Chang Po-tuan, 11th Cen. (ChineseVerbum Dismissum, by Count Bernard Trevisan, 15th Cens Wu Chen P'ien, Essay on the Understanding of Truth, by Chang Po-tuan, 1078 AD (Chinese