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 7

Introduction: Hermes concludes his sacred guide to the philosopher’s stone, unveiling its final perfection as a universal ferment, while Atwood reflects on its veiled wisdom. In this section, we explore the stone’s transformative power and the art’s deliberate mystery.

Section Seven (Continued): The Universal Ferment

Hermes clarifies that the philosopher’s stone’s color points to redness, not sweetness, marking its fiery, transformative nature. He instructs, “We make sericum, or elixir, from this golden matter, creating an encaustic that seals the day with the color of heaven, enhancing vision.” The “sericum” (elixir) is the stone’s perfected form, its radiant tincture imprinting divine order, like a royal seal, on the transformed matter.

Maria, a revered alchemist, advises, “Take the white, clear herb from the little mountains, grind it fresh at its destined hour. Its body resists fire and evaporation. Rectify Kibric and Zibeth—the soul and spirit—upon this body, uniting the two fumes in the luminaries to perfect the tinctures.” This “herb” is the purified Mercury, ground and united with its active (Sulphur) and spiritual principles, creating the stone’s radiant essence.

Hermes warns, “Negligence or false understanding perverts the process, like bad leaven in dough or curds in cheese.” An unskilled artist risks failure by misjudging the matter or method, emphasizing the need for precise knowledge.

He describes the stone’s glory: “It is the most precious gold, unblemished, uncorrupted by fire, air, water, or earth, perfectly balanced in heat, cold, and moisture. As the sun outshines stars, this universal ferment rectifies all things with its yellow, citrine hue.” The stone, likened to living gold, perfects metals and beyond, its balanced nature making it supreme.

Hermes explains, “Concocted with fiery water, this gold becomes the elixir, heavier than lead, yet tempered. Without a kindred ferment, dough cannot rise; similarly, purify and mix the body with its ferment, confecting earth with water until it ferments like dough.” The stone’s ferment transforms matter, uniting its principles to prevent combustion, fix the tincture, and perfect bodies.

He concludes, “The ferment whitens the confection, unites bodies, and completes the work with God’s aid. Meditate on how this changes natures, as the key to the philosophers’ art.” The stone’s white stage precedes its red, perfecting form, achieving the alchemical goal.

Reflections on the Golden Treatise

Atwood reflects, “The seven sections of the Golden Treatise exemplify alchemical writings, less deceptive than many, though veiled with an obnoxious obscurity.” Hermes conceals the true art—its matter, method, and vessel—under ambiguous metaphors, protecting it from the unworthy. The text, a “problem of contradictions,” mirrors the Sphinx’s riddles, its abundant evidence burdensome due to its complexity.

In an era of easy reading, few are inclined to study such enigmatic traditions, especially without modern precedent. Yet, Atwood sees promise in the “theoretic possibility” of alchemy’s wisdom, observing that its doctrines and enigmas unfold through an experimental clue. She aims to reveal the “disjecta membra” (scattered parts) of this wisdom, seeking the abode of Isis, the divine feminine who restores their original beauty.

Closing: Section 7 concludes the Golden Treatise, celebrating the philosopher’s stone as a universal ferment, transforming matter like dough into elixir. Atwood reflects on its veiled wisdom, urging patient study to uncover its truths. The alchemical journey continues in the next chapter, exploring further mysteries of this sacred art.