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 6

Introduction: Hermes concludes his sacred guide to the philosopher’s stone, revealing the final stages of transforming the universal essence. In this section, we explore the purification and fermentation of the stone, likened to gold and dough, unlocking its divine power.

Section Five (Continued): The Dragon’s Transformation

Hermes continues, emphasizing the dragon-like essence’s purification: “That born of the crow is the start of this art. I’ve obscured this with circumlocution, calling the dissolved joined, the near far.” The “crow” (the essence in its dark, putrefied state) marks the beginning of the true alchemical work, after preliminary preparations. Hermes deliberately veils the process to protect its secrets, using contradictory terms to guide only the wise.

He instructs, “Roast and boil the matter in what comes from the horse’s belly for seven, fourteen, or twenty-one days. It becomes the dragon, eating its wings, destroying itself. Place it in a furnace, sealed tightly, so no spirit escapes. The periods of the earth are bound in the water until the bath is applied.” The “horse’s belly” symbolizes a nurturing vessel, where the essence (dragon) undergoes cycles of heating and dissolution, consuming its volatility to prepare for transformation. The sealed furnace ensures the spirit remains contained.

Hermes adds, “Melt and burn the matter, then grind its brain in sharp vinegar until obscured. In putrefaction, it lives; the dark clouds fade, and it dies again, then lives.” This process—grinding, dissolving, and putrefying—revives the essence, cycling through life and death to purify it. He explains, “We work with the spirits in their life and death. As it dies by losing its spirit, it lives in its return, rejoicing in revival. What you seek is now apparent, fixing its own body.”

He concludes, “Our ancestors hid this in figures and types. I’ve opened the riddle, revealed the book of knowledge, uncovered hidden truths, and united scattered forms, associating the spirit. Take it as God’s gift.” Hermes unveils the process—dissolution, purification, and unification—as a divine revelation for the diligent seeker.

Section Six: Divine Gratitude and Caution

Hermes urges gratitude: “Give thanks to God, who generously grants wisdom to the wise, delivering us from misery and poverty with His abundant wonders.” The philosopher’s stone, a divine gift, requires humility to avoid misuse, as seekers must align with God’s will to wield its power.

He warns, “Away with unguents from fats, hair, verdigrease, tragacanth, and bones found in our fathers’ books.” These false materials, often cited by lesser alchemists, mislead seekers from the true essence. Hermes emphasizes the stone’s simplicity, requiring only the philosophical Mercury, not common substances.

Section Seven: The Living Gold

Hermes concludes, “Know, sons of Science, there are seven bodies, with gold as the first, most perfect, and king. Uncorrupted by earth, fire, or water, its nature is balanced in heat, cold, and moisture, with nothing superfluous. Philosophers magnify it, likening it to the sun among stars, perfecting all nature. As the sun ripens fruits, our gold, the ferment elixir, vivifies and perfects all metallic bodies.”

He explains, “As dough needs ferment to rise, so must you sublime and purify the body, separating impurities from the residue. Mix them with the ferment, confecting earth with water until the elixir ferments like dough.” This analogy highlights the stone’s role as a ferment, transforming matter by uniting its purified principles. Hermes urges, “Meditate on how the ferment changes natures, preventing combustion, holding the tincture, uniting bodies, and perfecting them. This is the philosophers’ key and the end of their work, consummated with God’s aid.”

Closing: Sections 5–7 complete the Golden Treatise, guiding seekers through the purification, dissolution, and fermentation of the philosophical essence, likened to living gold and a fermenting dough, to create the transformative stone. Hermes’ divine gift unveils a path to wisdom, ready for further exploration in the next chapter’s alchemical insights.