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 3

Introduction: Hermes deepens his guide to the philosopher’s stone, revealing the intricate process of refining the universal essence. In this section, we explore the interplay of active and passive principles, symbolized as sulphur and Mercury, as the art unfolds.

Section Two (Continued): Refining the Essence

Hermes continues his instructions for refining the philosophical Mercury, urging patience and precision: “Return the extinct coal to the water for thirty days, as I instruct, and you’ll be a crowned king, resting over the fountain, drawing forth the dry Auripigment without moisture.” This “coal” is the essence’s fiery core, purified through repeated cycles of dissolution and coagulation, transforming into a radiant tincture—the philosopher’s stone. The “fountain” is the inexhaustible source of this essence, and the “Auripigment” its multiplicative power.

He describes the process poetically: “The spirit joins the body, uplifting the soul with art. If the spirit draws the soul to itself, it remains inseparable. They unite in one place until the noble work dissolves, putrefies, and dies, then rises anew through intense heat, each holding its place with gravity. Perfection comes, and the work shines with boundless glory.” This reflects the alchemical cycle—dissolution, putrefaction, and resurrection—leading to a perfected essence, as celebrated in the Aquarium Sapientum’s enigma.

Hermes advises, “The water was first in the air, then in the earth. Restore it to the heavens through its cycles, skillfully altering it before collecting, then rejoin it to its red spirit.” This describes cycling the essence through its volatile and fixed states, purifying it to merge with its fiery soul, achieving harmony.

He explains the essence’s forms: “The fatness of our earth is sulphur—auripigment, siretz, colcothar—all sulphurs, some purer than others. This includes the fat of gluey matters like hair, nails, hoofs, and brain, or the lion’s and cat’s claws, and the fat of white bodies and two oriental quicksilvers, which pursue the sulphurs and bind the bodies.” These terms symbolize the essence’s active principle (sulphur) in various states, interacting with the passive Mercury to transform matter.

Hermes clarifies, “This sulphur tings and fixes, connecting all tinctures. Oils also tinge but flee unless held by sulphurs and albuminous bodies, which detain the fugitive essence.” The sulphur (active force) stabilizes the volatile Mercury, creating a unified substance for transformation.

He compares the essence to a hen’s egg: “The disposition philosophers seek is one in our egg, but not in a hen’s egg, though its composition mirrors the four elements.” Unlike a hen’s egg, the philosophical egg holds a universal spirit, with a golden tincture binding its elements.

A dialogue ensues: The son asks, “Are the sulphurs celestial or terrestrial?” Hermes replies, “Some are celestial, some terrestrial.” The son suggests, “The heart in the superiors is heaven, in the inferiors earth.” Hermes corrects, “No, the masculine is the heaven of the feminine, the feminine the earth of the masculine.” Each needs the other, forming a balanced medium. The son asks about this medium, and Hermes explains, “In every nature, there are three from two: the needful water, the oily tincture, and the earthy residue below.” These are the alchemical trinity—Mercury, Sulphur, Salt—unified in the essence.

Section Three (Beginning): The Dragon’s Habitation

Hermes introduces a new symbol: “A dragon inhabits all these and is their habitation. The blackness is in them, and by it, the dragon ascends into the air.” The dragon represents the essence in its dynamic, transformative state, carrying the blackness of putrefaction as it rises to a new form.

Closing: Section 2 completes Hermes’ instructions for refining the philosophical Mercury, cycling it through dissolution, putrefaction, and resurrection to create the stone’s radiant tincture. Section 3 begins with the dragon, hinting at further transformations. The essence’s journey through these mystical stages continues in our next post, unveiling deeper alchemical secrets.

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