A Modern Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery

Part I: An Overview of Alchemy’s History and Theory

Chapter 3: The Golden Treatise of Hermes Trismegistus, Part 1

Introduction: In this revered alchemical text, Hermes Trismegistus unveils the secrets of the philosopher’s stone, a transformative essence that perfects matter and spirit. Join us as we explore the first section of this ancient guide, a beacon for seekers of wisdom.

Section One: The Divine Gift of Alchemy

Hermes begins with a solemn declaration: “For years, I tirelessly experimented, sparing no effort of mind. This sacred science and art came to me through the inspiration of the living God, who chose to reveal it to me, His servant.” He credits divine guidance, not mere human effort, for his mastery, noting that God grants those with reason the ability to discern truth, but none the excuse to misuse it.

Out of reverence for divine judgment and a desire to save his soul, Hermes shares this knowledge, but cautiously: “I would not have revealed this to anyone, but I owe it to the faithful, as God bestowed it on me.” His words are not for the ignorant, but for those “sons of wisdom” ready to follow his path with study, experience, and divine blessing—three essentials for mastering alchemy.

Hermes explains, “The knowledge of the ancient philosophers’ four elements is not sought physically or rashly. These elements are discovered patiently through their hidden causes and operations.” Unlike ordinary elements, these are spiritual principles, revealed only when compounded and perfected through a cycle of colors—signs of the alchemical process’s completion.

He describes a symbolic division: “The ancient philosophers divided the water into four substances: one part becomes two, and three parts become one. A third of this is color, a coagulating moisture, while two-thirds are the ‘Weights of the Wise.’” This “water” is the philosophical Mercury, the universal essence, split into active and passive roles, then unified as body, soul, and spirit to create all things.

Hermes offers cryptic instructions: “Take one and a half ounces of the humidity, half an ounce of the Southern Redness (the soul of gold), half an ounce of the citrine Seyre, and half an ounce of the Auripigment, totaling three ounces. The vine of the wise is drawn in three, its wine perfected in thirty.” These terms—humidity, redness, Seyre, Auripigment—represent stages of refining the Mercury, distilled seven times and, after an eighth, turned into a fire-resistant powder, the philosopher’s stone.

The process involves “decoction,” which reduces the matter while its tincture grows: “Decoction lessens the matter but augments the tincture, like the Moon waning after fifteen days and waxing in the third.” This mirrors the alchemical cycle of dissolution and growth, leading to perfection.

Hermes assures seekers, “The work is with you and around you. Take what is within, fixed, and find it in earth or sea.” The universal essence is ever-present, hidden in life’s core, awaiting discovery through art. He urges, “Keep your Mercury, prepared in the innermost chamber where it coagulates, for this is the Mercury of the residual earth—a treasure more precious than gold, generating the stone that transforms metals into silver and gold.”

He concludes, “I have revealed what was hidden, disclosing the greatest secret. Search my words, seekers of wisdom.” Symbolically, he describes the Mercury as a “vulture on the mountain,” crying, “I am the White of the Black, the Red of the White, the Citrine of the Red, and I speak truth.” This vulture, the newborn essence, stands in a philosophical furnace, its colors signaling its transformative power.

The “crow,” another symbol of the same essence, appears in the “blackness of night” (putrefaction) and “clearness of day” (resurrection), moving without wings through the alchemical process. From its “bitter throat” comes the tincture, the soul drawn from the body, and from its back, a pure water that dissolves metals into their primal state. Hermes ends, “Accept this gift of God. In the caverns of metals lies a venerable stone, splendid in color, a sublime mind, an open sea. Give thanks to God.”

Closing: This first section of the Golden Treatise introduces the alchemical art’s divine origins and the universal Mercury’s transformative power. Hermes’ cryptic symbols—the vulture, crow, and stone—begin to unveil their secrets, setting the stage for deeper revelations. The journey continues in our next post, exploring further steps in this sacred process.