The Desired Third Beginning of Mineral Things, or on Philosophical Salt; Together with the True Preparation of the Philosophers' Stone and Tincture

That God, who created the world in six days, will, at the conclusion of the great six days, make it entirely new—transforming it into an eternal, crystalline, living, unfading, and imperishable heavenly essence, existing in the indescribably bright splendor of the infinite and omnipresent glory of the Lamb of God and the rising from on high—has not only been spoken of by His own true mouth and that of His servants in the Holy Scriptures, but has also been mirrored in the book of temporal nature, in the Opus Regenerationis Philosophorum (the Work of Regeneration of the Philosophers). Through the sole key of philosophy, which alone opens and closes (granted only to those whom God’s wisdom permits), one may at all times perceive in this work, as in a mirror, the living image of the beginning of creation, the fall of man, the curse of the world, the work of redemption, and the future most blessed restoration of all things.

From Hermes Trismegistus to our present time, many philosophers have written and testified most truthfully about this, as their undeniable testimonies are sufficiently recorded in the magnificent book Turba Philosophorum and other writings of the wise—too numerous to list here. However, this secret mirror of nature (which they have called the Secretum Philosophorum) has, from its first discovery, been kept most hidden and secret due to the unworthiness and misuse of mankind, so that among many thousands, scarcely one has attained it. Yet, in these last times, as the clock of the world nears its end, by the will of the Most High, the long-darkened light of nature has appeared to many, who, with enlightened minds, have written both theologically and philosophically about these wonders of God.

Among them was our dearly beloved father, now resting with God, Sendivogius. His published Novum Lumen Chemicum is well known and cherished among the wise throughout Europe. Many lament that this esteemed fellow, who so gloriously testified to philosophical truth and showed such generosity, was hindered by malicious and unwise slanderers, preventing him from revealing more of his incomparable talent than what he was able to share.

Yet, since divine grace has also granted us knowledge of this great Magisterium, we wish to follow in our father’s footsteps and provide the seekers of truth with the long-desired Third Beginning of Mineral Things, namely Philosophical Salt. (The previous two beginnings, Mercury and Sulfur, have already been thoroughly described in the aforementioned Lumen Sendivogianum.) We will now fully explain and faithfully share this knowledge, not doubting that we will earn the gratitude of those who seek truth—while at the same time making ourselves despised and mocked by those who oppose it.

However, God is our witness that we seek nothing other than to serve our brethren and not, like an unfaithful and idle servant, to bury the talent entrusted to us by the Father of Light, but rather to apply it to the honor of the Most High. Thus, we care little about what men think of us and will never, as long as we live, seek vain glory or earthly wealth—though, through our knowledge, we could easily attain both, more so than those who know nothing of the treasures of nature. We could obtain all the riches of the world from a despicable mire, were we of foolish mind to do so.

But we gladly leave such desires to those who let themselves be led by greed, inflated by pride, or driven by worldly pleasures. Our joy, desire, and entire trust lie in God, our Creator, who reveals His secrets to those who fear Him. He has also made us knowledgeable of this secret mirror of nature, which no unregenerate person can ever behold.

Thus, we will provide herein a report of as much as is appropriate, along with an invitation: If it becomes apparent that the children of mysteries cherish this Third Beginning, then perhaps they may also partake in the Sendivogian Harmony from us. Let them, however, be admonished to seek the inner meaning of this treatise, for all good is found within, not without, and is commonly hidden in that which outwardly appears contemptible.

We have not written this for those who already understand it (of whom there are exceedingly few; in fact, we know of only one other person in the world besides ourselves who is a true possessor of this knowledge), but rather for those who, through divine invocation, wish to learn of such things.

To such a one, we give this most faithful advice: Never cease to humble yourself daily before the throne of divine grace, and fervently implore the Heavenly Father for His Holy Spirit, praying from the depths of your heart:

(Prayer follows...)

From the faithful-hearted reader's
humble servant in love and duty.

Given in Livonia
on the 28th of March, 1656.

I.F.H.S.

Salt is the third principle of mineral things, which contains within itself the other two principles, Mercury and Sulfur. In its original state, it has the severe impression of Saturn as its mother, from which metals receive their body.

However, salt is of three kinds:

1. The Central Salt, which is generated without ceasing in the center of the elements through the influence of the stars by the Spirit of the World and is governed in the Philosophical Sea by the rays of the Sun and Moon.

2. The Spermatic Salt, which serves as the vessel of the invisible seed. In gentle, natural warmth, through putrefaction, it releases its form and growth—unless external heat disperses this invisible seed, in which case nothing further can come from it.

3. The Final Salt, which is the last material of all things, remaining after their destruction.
This threefold salt has existed from the very first moment of Creation, when God said, “Let there be…”, and brought existence forth from nothingness. The original chaos of the world was nothing other than a salty darkness, a cloud or mist of the abyss, which, through the spoken Word, was drawn together out of nothingness and, by the call of God, emerged as the primordial hyle (the primal matter). This hyle was neither dry nor wet, neither thick nor thin, neither light nor dark, neither hot nor cold, neither hard nor soft—it was merely a mingled chaos, from which all that exists was later created and divided.

But let us set aside this broader discussion and focus solely on our Salt, the third principle of minerals, which is also the beginning of the Philosophical Work. The reader must understand that if he wishes to benefit from this and grasp our meaning, he must first thoroughly study the works of other true philosophers, especially the writings of Sendivogius, and gain a deep and complete knowledge of the birth and origins of metals, for they all arise from a single root.

Once he has recognized our fountain of salt, he will then be instructed on how—through earnest prayer and divine blessing—he may obtain the precious, snow-white salt, draw from it the heavenly water of life, and thereby prepare the Philosophical Tincture. This tincture is the greatest treasure in this life, an exceedingly noble gift that God grants to the wise.

Just as our Azoth is the seed of all metals and has been set by Nature in elemental equilibrium and harmony with the seven planets, so too is the greatest strength to be sought only within it and in no other thing in the world. For in all of Nature, there is only one thing from which our Art proceeds:

It is a stone and yet not a stone.

It is called a stone for two reasons:

1. Because its mineral form, when first drawn from the earth, is indeed a stone— a hard and dry substance, which can be crushed and ground like any other stone.

2. Because after its form is destroyed (wherein a foul sulfurous odor must first be expelled) and its parts are separated (as Nature herself had composed them), it is transformed into a single essence. This fire-resistant, wax-like stone is then refined into its most harmonious and lovely state.
If you know what you seek, then you also know our Stone.

For whatever you wish to generate, you must first have its seed.

Therefore, set your mind wholly on the first metallic substance—the one that Nature shaped into a metallic form but left unripe and incomplete. In this, you will find our Salt, Mercury, and Sulfur, all in their purest and most delicate form, as well as the salted mercurial water that surrounds the fountain of our Work.

And although our Stone exists in all seven planets, just as the Philosophers have said—that the poor (meaning the five imperfect metals) possess it just as well as the rich (meaning the two perfect metals)—it is best for our Work when Saturn has encircled it with his ring.

For Saturn holds within him the golden spirit swallowed in his depths.

We cannot describe our Stone more clearly than this.

The Solution is the Key to the Whole Art, and it is threefold: first, the solution of the crude body, second, the solution of the philosophical earth, and third, in the multiplication process.

However, it is necessary that the calcination (the burning or purification process) and destruction of the sulphurous impurities and burnable stench of the body occur beforehand, as calcified materials are more easily dissolved than uncalcified ones. If any auxiliary waters or menstruums (solvents) are used, they must be entirely purged afterward, with no foreign substance remaining. This must be done with the utmost care to ensure that the inner generative and multiplicative power of the stone is not destroyed or driven away by external heat or any harmful accidents, as warned by the philosophers in the Turba Philosophorum (part 1, page 429).

You must be cautious in the purification process, ensuring that the active power is not smothered. No seed can grow or multiply if its generative force is removed by external heat. Once you have obtained the sperma (the essential substance), you can complete the whole work by gentle boiling.

The process involves several steps: first, we gather the sperma from the Magnesia, then we putrefy it, dissolve the putrefied matter, separate the dissolved parts, purify them, and finally unite them. This is the complete work. As the ancient author of the Ritter Krieg (Knight's War) says, the entire process comes from one thing and is completed within it. Nothing more is needed but dissolution and re-solidification, and this must happen without the use of foreign substances.

It is similar to an egg that, placed over fire, turns into water due to heat. So too does our stone, which requires no more than the help of the artist’s hand and the natural fire. Without external help, it cannot achieve its transformation, even if it were to lie in the earth forever. This is why we must help it, but not by adding foreign or counterproductive substances. Instead, we must treat it as God gives us the grain in the field, which we must grind and bake to turn it into bread.

Similarly, God has created this earth, and we must only destroy the coarse body, gather the good essence within, and remove the excess, transforming it into a medicine.

Thus, you will understand that without the solution, nothing can be achieved. Because Saturn initially draws together the Mercurial water with his cold, causing it to freeze in its bands, it must be decomposed through moderate heat and returned to its original watery state. This allows the invisible, incomprehensible tinging spirit (which is the pure fire of gold) to be released from the frozen salt, made subtle through regeneration, and united with the stone in an indissoluble union.

This process is the core of alchemy’s transformative work.

Because our stone is externally moist and cold,
but its innermost heat is a dry oil or sulfur and a living tincture,
with which the Quintessence must naturally be united:
It is therefore necessary that you separate such opposing natures from each other,
and then correctly unite them and bring them into true concordance,
which all happens through our separation,
which is called in the Philosophical Scale:
A separation of the pure watery vapor and moisture from the feces,
an elevation of the subtle and light part and extraction of the coarse,
a division of the interconnected,
a bringing forth of the beginnings,
a division of the relationship, which must occur in proper baths,
etc. But you must first digest the elements in their mist,
for without putrefaction, the spirit cannot be separated from the body,
and it is this alone that makes it subtle and volatile.
But once sufficiently digested, so that it can be separated,
the separated part can be better purified,
and the Argentum Vivum will be as clear as water.
Therefore, divide the stone into two separate parts of the four elements,
namely into volatile and fixed,
the volatile being water and air,
and the fixed being earth and fire,
of which only earth and water, but not fire and air,
can be seen with the eyes.
These are the two Mercurial substances,
or the double Mercury of Trevisani,
whose names are found in the Philosophical Turba.

In the upper spiritual-volatile part is the life of the dead earth,
and in the lower earthly-fixed part is the nourishing ferment, which forms the stone.
These two parts are from one root
and must be united together in the form of water.
Therefore, take the earth and calcine it in warm, moist horse-mist
until it becomes white and appears fat.
This is the sulfur that does not burn,
and through several digestions, it can become red sulfur.
However, it must first be white before it becomes red,
for there is no passage from the black to the red
without the intermediary, namely the white.
And when the white is present in the vessel,
the red is undoubtedly hidden within it,
and you must not remove it, but only cook it until it becomes entirely red.

The philosophers call our salt the heart of wisdom, and not without reason,
for it is full of divine powers and wonders,
and from it, all the colors of the world can be created.
It is, however, primarily externally snow-white and internally entirely blood-red,
with the sweetest taste, life-giving life, and filled with a heavenly tincture.
Although not all of this actually belongs to the salt,
for salt only provides the sharpness and the binding of coagulation,
but the internal heat is a pure essential fire and light of nature,
a beautiful illuminating oil, so sweet
that no sugar or honey can match it,
if it can be separated from its other properties.
The invisible spirit that dwells within it
penetrates like an unstoppable, all-passing mold.
Now, when all of this is united and formed into a fire-resistant being,
a mighty tincture arises from it,
which, like a strong mold, suddenly passes through bodies
and immediately drives out everything that contradicts the core of life.
Thus, metals are transformed into gold or tinged,
for they were originally gold and emerged from the single gold essence.
But with a sevenfold addition and illness attached,
coming from the curse and wrath of God,
if they are not gold before,
they could not be turned into gold by the tincture,
just as man does not become gold
if he takes in the tincture, even though it drives out all evil from him.
And it is found in the analysis of metals that they are indeed
internally gold,
but externally surrounded by death and curse.
For at first, there is seen in them a destructively coarse and hard essence
from this cursed earth,
understand their stony roughness in their mineral,
secondly, a deadly, stinking water,
and thirdly, in the stinking water, a rotted earth,
and fourthly, a deadly, fierce poisonous quality.
When this cursed impurity is separated from all metals,
the noble gold essence is also found,
namely our blessed salt,
which the philosophers recommend, saying:

Salt brings forth metals without corrosive and need,
so it makes them white and red.
Also, All secret consists in salt, from which our perfect Elixir is made.
Now, because our salt is initially an earthly heavy subject,
rough, impure, chaotic, tough, slimy, and foggy water-like body,
it is necessary that it is dissolved and separated from its impurity
and all terrestrial and aqueous poisonous access and thick shadows,
purified, and sublimated to the highest degree,
so that one may attain the crystalline salt of metals,
which, cleansed from all feces, blackness, and residue,
becomes pure, clear, white as snow,
and as liquid and meltable as wax.

Many believe that the preparation of the Philosophical Tincture is not difficult; however, when our red servant examines it, it is almost unbelievable how few in the world can withstand it. For where is such a book, in which one could receive perfect instruction about this? The philosophers have kept it secret and wished to keep it so, as even our beloved father left only these few words to the seekers: una res sola mixta aqua Philosophica, for guidance. Undoubtedly, this has caused many philosophers great trouble, as they first attempt to navigate this difficult point in their operations. Thus, the disciple of the author of the little farmer (who inherited the writings of his revered master, now resting in God, and who knew the entire Philosophical Art for thirty years without defect) recounts how his master fared in this matter. For, when he first arrived at this point, the two sulphurs did not want to mix at all, particularly the Sun on the Moon, which caused him great lamentation and made him undertake difficult journeys again to try to learn more about the secrets of the stone's master. However, he eventually achieved something that none of the aforementioned philosophers had accomplished—he reached the completion of the stone in 30 days, while others had to continue cooking for seven or even ten months. This I point out to those who consider themselves philosophers, but have not yet attempted the real hands-on work, as a reminder to check what they may be missing. For, in this process, many well-educated artists must lay down their wings, and there are even some doctors and scholars who completely believe that our digested red servant must be brought through the Mercurial water from the common, precious gold.

This error was previously demonstrated by the highly experienced author of the Ancient Knight’s War, who speaks under the guise of the stone with these words: 'Some have come so far with me that they can extract my tinging spirit and mix it with other metals and minerals. With much work, I gave less of my powers and strength to the metals that had some connection with me. But if the artists had looked after me in my true form and united with me, I could have tinged them a thousand times more.' As for our conjunction, there is a twofold manner of uniting, namely one is moist and the other dry; the Sun has a third part of its water, and its woman has nine, or perhaps two against seven. Just as the seed is placed simultaneously and at once in the womb and is then sealed until the fruit is born, so it is also with our work. We combine two waters, the sulphur of gold and its mercury, soul and body, sun and moon, man and woman, two seeds, two Argentum Viva. From this comes a living Mercury, and from it the Philosopher's Stone.

In the concoction of our salt,
the external heat of the initial work is called elixatio and occurs in the moist;
but the heat of the later work occurs in the dry and is called assatio,
which the Philosophers describe in two ways:
We must boil and roast the stone.
But our blessed work must correspond to the constitution of the four parts of the year;
the first time of winter is cold and moist,
the second of spring is warm and moist,
the third of the warm and dry summer,
and the fourth of the autumn, when it is time for gathering the fruits.
The heat of the first phase should be like that of a hen sitting on eggs to hatch chicks,
or like the heat of the stomach that digests food and nourishes the body,
or like the warmth of manure,
or like the sun when it is in Aries,
which heat persists until blackness appears,
and also until it is transformed into whiteness.
But if this is exceeded and the material becomes too warm and heated,
the desired raven-head will not be attained,
but rather a quick and fleeing redness,
or a red oil floating above,
or the material begins to sublimate. (In this case, the composition must be removed, solved, imbibed with our virgin milk,
and then the previous boiling done more cautiously until such flaws no longer appear.)
When the whiteness appears,
the fire should be increased until the complete drying of the stone,
which heat is compared to the warmth of the sun when it moves from Taurus into Gemini.
When the stone is dried,
the fire should be made stronger again until the stone becomes fully red,
which heat is compared to the warmth of the sun in Leo.

Whoever attains grace from the Father of Light that He grants him in this life the priceless great jewel, the Philosopher's Stone he can not only be certain that he possesses such a treasure that the whole world with all its surrounding princes cannot repay it: but he is also tangibly assured that the Most High loves him and will remain united with him forever in the wisdom of God, which is its gift, as with His now eternal bride which union we wish for every Christian from the heart for it is the center of all treasures which Solomon also affirms in Wisdom 7, when he says: I held wisdom more precious than kingdoms and principalities and riches I held for nothing compared to her. I did not compare her to any precious stone for all gold is like lesser sand compared to her and silver is like dross compared to her. I preferred her to a healthy and beautiful body and chose her as my light for the radiance that comes from her never fades.

But all good things came to me with it, and countless riches with its hand. Now, as for this Stone, in it the highly praised Triune God and the works of His creation, redemption, and regeneration, as well as the future glorious state, can truly be seen. Secondly, it drives away all diseases, no matter what they may be, until the appointed goal of life, when the spirit of man, like an extinguishing light, gently departs and passes into the hand of God. Thirdly, it turns all metals into gold, which is better than what nature could otherwise bring forth. Also, with it, base stones and poor crystals can truly be turned into the most precious stones; however, the Stone must first be fermented with the best gold if it is to turn the lesser metals, for otherwise, the lesser metals cannot endure its great subtlety and would be damaged during the projection. Furthermore, the lesser metals must first be purified if it is to be of benefit; the Stone, however, can be fermented with gold for red or silver for white, and this can be done with a small quantity of gold or silver, without needing to worry about what will follow for further projection. If this medicine is also multiplied, and with the water of its white or red mercury from which it is made, it is again dissolved and coagulated, then its great power to transmute is increased tenfold, which can be repeated as often as desired.

To the Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of Hosts,
the only wise and immortal King, who has taken away the power of death
and brought eternal being to light,
be honor and power forever and ever. Amen.

Here you have the brief summary of the philosophical work. If something still lacks, and you wish to explore more from the writings and sayings of the ancient philosophers, which are entirely true, and a good portion of which can be found in the Turba Philosophorum, you may investigate. Also, some of the newer philosophers' treatises, such as those of Water Stone of the Wise, Gloria Mundi, Bernhard Trevisan, Nicolas Flamel, Denis Zacaire, Hollandi, and others, will provide some explanation. Above all, however, you must diligently research the foundation and root of nature. If you can grasp the deepest essence from the highly illuminated works of Jacob Böhm (the German philosopher), in which the whole of nature and its circulation are plainly laid bare, you can seize it. Unless, by certain special causes, your eyes are kept from seeing it, and your hard-earned understanding cannot comprehend it, it is made so clear that one might almost be frightened that such high mysteries are openly revealed, though all the ancient wise men strongly warned to hide the pearls of wisdom and knowledge from the unworthy, as each of them strives to wrap these secrets in a special cover and keep them hidden. However, we notice that God now wants these secrets to be revealed and, by His will, has brought forth these writings, with their simple equipment, to light. There is providence in this, for while the author, during his life, was so severely opposed in his excellent work by Satan’s influence, he has awakened some Christians in Holland who have brought it into their own language, where it is now also available. It would be desirable if they were printed in High German for all lovers of wisdom, as their benefit cannot be overstated. We would have gladly informed you about all aspects of the philosophical art, but we are concerned that it might fall into unworthy hands (for whom this would be utterly inappropriate and rightly should remain hidden).

Therefore, we have written no more. However, if it happens that a righteous lover of God and the art comes to us and expresses his earnest desire to fully disclose these secrets, we will not refuse to serve him, to the honor of God and the welfare of others. As mentioned above, the author’s disciple (who, as stated, knows the philosophical art as well as Hermes or any philosopher ever knew it and converses with us in the highest trust) is also not unwilling to assist a worthy lover, by means of assured gratitude, as such a person may perhaps be taught verbally.

1. On the True and One Distinct Material, Demonstrating It
- Through philosophical reasoning and arguments that criticize the nature of things.
- Through the authority and agreement of philosophers.
- Through experience or practice, for the crude spirit must also be able to transmute.
2. On the Salt of the Philosophers.
3. On the Solution of the First Work.
4. On the Water or Mercury of the Philosophers.
5. On the Rectification of Spirit and Body.
6. On the Coagulation of Spirit or Water.
7. On the Separation of the Elements in Our Stone, Philosophically Understood.
8. Weight and Time of the Birth of the Stone.
9. The True Furnace or Athanor of the Philosophers.
10. A Notable Seal of Hermes.
11. On the Laton and Its Use and Operation.
12. On the First Regulation of Fire.
13. On the Second, Third, and Fourth Stages of Fire.
14. On Fermentation, Sublimation, Distillation, and All the Stages Which the Philosophers Propose to Deceive the Ignorant Readers.
15. On the Series of Multiplication.
16. On the Benefit of Projection, Which Must Be Noted.
17. On the Effect and Virtues of the Stone, Not All Are Known.
18. On the Method of Application or Cure in General and in Specific, for Humans, Metals, and Stones.
19. On the Quality of the Stone, Which Is Heavy in Weight and Sweet in Taste, and Consequently, at the Beginning, It Also Has Gravity and Sweetness, Reflecting the Ultimate Matter to the First and Vice Versa.
20. On Possession, Along with the Universal of All Particulars, Like the Tree with Its Branches.

Therefore, dear reader, if you are inclined to take our service with the best regard, and in hope and complete trust in God, fearing Him alone, remaining calm, diligent, loving, and charitable toward your neighbor, then God will withhold nothing from you.

As the assembly or synod of alchemists and distillers, described above, was broken up by an unexpected storm before reaching their desired conclusion, and they were scattered to all lands, each left with their previously conceived opinion of the failed conclusion, an innumerable amount of sophistical processes and alchemical errors arose, because each person continued to follow their own delusions and deeply rooted ideas.

Indeed, some learned alchemists who had been at such a council had read the true writings of philosophers, where soon Mercury, Sulfur, and Salt were considered as the material for the Stone. However, these alchemists only understood common mercury, sulfur, and salt, and thus chose them as the material for the Stone. They worked with these substances, taking on all conceivable labor according to their own misunderstanding.

From this idea, one had also extracted a thoughtful saying, where he wrote:
‘The ancient wise conclude from salt, who call it the soap of the wise and the key which locks and opens, and again locks and no one opens, without which key, they say, no one in this world can reach perfection, that is, unless they know how to calcine the salt after its preparation, and then the salt is said to be fusible.’

And from the Rosary:
‘He who knows salt, and its solution, knows the secret hidden by the ancient wise.’

From these sayings, the aforementioned alchemist was prompted to labor with common salt, learning to make a spirit from it with which he dissolved common gold and extracted its tincture. He intended to unite it with the lesser metals to transform them into gold. However, these processes, as he began them, did not succeed. Then he remembered Hermes' saying: ‘The salt of metals is the Philosopher’s Stone.’ Therefore, he thought that common salt could not be the same as what the philosophers meant, and that it must be calcined from the metals with strong fire, solved with waters, distilled, and prepared as salts. He imagined many kinds of fluxes to melt the metals, and other countless futile attempts, but through all of them, he could not achieve the purpose of his desire. Thus, he began to doubt all such salts and materials, but once again, he leafed through some philosophical books, hoping to find a clear direction that would reveal the material to him, until he finally came across the following saying: ‘Our Stone is Salt, and our Salt is Earth, and it is virgin Earth.’

As he pondered this more deeply, it was as if a light suddenly went on in him, and he understood that his earlier efforts had failed because he had not had virgin salt, and that such virgin salt could not be found on the surface of the earth, because the earth there is covered with useless plants, grass, and flowers, whose roots draw such virgin salt into themselves and grow from it, thereby losing the virginity of the salt, and it would become impregnated in the same way.

Therefore, he decided to dig in good, firm earth, down to the root of the plants, and take virgin, unimpregnated earth from there. Especially since the Cosmopolitan writes: one must dig a pit up to the knees to obtain the living saltpetre water. This misguided opinion not only led him to act, but he also published it publicly, claiming that this was the true understanding of the philosophical writings. However, he proceeded in such foolishness that he lost all his wealth and fell into great poverty and sorrow. He began to lament his lost expenses, time, and effort, which kept him from any rest and grew his sadness day by day, until he finally went to the place where he had dug for the supposed philosophical earth. There, he threw himself down in despair upon the earth, cursing and condemning everyone who had ever written about the Philosopher’s Stone. He cursed and lamented so long that sleep, which he had lacked for several days due to his sorrow, finally overtook him.

As he slept deeply, a great group of shining men appeared to him, and one of them approached him with these words: 'Friend, why do you curse and speak ill of the Philosophers who rest in God?'

The alchemist answered, shocked and frightened: 'Sir, I have read their books and saw the great praise they give to their Stone, which awakened in me an intense desire for it. I worked with the greatest effort to achieve the Stone, but I have been deceived by all their words and have lost everything, even my livelihood.'

The man replied: 'You are doing them great wrong, for the ones you curse and accuse of deceit are blessed men who never wrote lies but left the pure truth behind, though in secret terms, so that not every unworthy person would understand, thus causing great harm in the world. You should not interpret their writings literally but according to the effect of nature. Nor should you have begun working with your hands until you had first laid a foundation through humble prayer and diligent reading, understanding where they all come together, which is only one thing, namely the wise men’s salt, sulfur, and mercury.'

Alchemist: 'How can salt, sulfur, and mercury be one thing? Are they not three things?'

The man replied: 'Now you see your foolishness, and that you understand nothing yet. The wise men only have one thing, which has body, soul, and spirit, and they call it salt, sulfur, and mercury. All three are in one subject, and the subject is their salt.'

Alchemist: 'Where can one obtain such salt?'

Visage: In the dark prison of metals, you can perform wondrous works and see all the colors of the world, also tint all the lesser metals into gold, if they are fixed beforehand.

Alchemist: I had previously attempted such work with metals, but could not achieve it.

Visage: You sought it in the dead metals, where the power of the philosophical seed is not present, just as you cannot replant baked bread in the earth or bring forth a chicken from a boiled egg. You must have uninjured, living seed for generation. But the metals of the common man are dead and have no life. What do you seek in the dead, when the living is required?

Alchemist: Can gold and silver not be revived through dissolution?

Visage: Philosophically, gold and silver are life itself, and do not require revival. They are also available without cost, but the gold and silver the common man has are expensive, dead, and remain dead.

Alchemist: By what means does one obtain that gold?

Visage: Through dissolution.

Alchemist: How does it proceed?

Visage: In itself, through itself, without any foreign things. For the dissolution of the body happens in its own blood.

Alchemist: Does the body become entirely water?

Visage: Everything is dissolved, but the wind also carries the fixed son of the sun within it. This is the fish without a scale, which swims in the philosophical sea.

Alchemist: Are other waters not also like this?

Visage: The philosophical water is not cloud water or common spring water, but a salty water and white gum, a permanent water that remains with its body when it is united and cooked. Afterward, it cannot be separated from it. This water is the essential life force of nature, which attracts the magnet of gold to itself, and is then resolved by the artist into a pure water that no other water in the world can produce.

Alchemist: Can this water also bear fruit?

Visage: Since it is the metallic tree, the solar branch can be grafted onto it, which, when it grows, can make all imperfect metals resemble it in its fragrance.

Alchemist: How should one handle it?

Visage: Not otherwise than by continuously cooking it, first wet, then dry.

Alchemist: Does it always remain together?

Visage: In the preliminary work, you must separate body, soul, and spirit from each other and then reunite them. But when the sun and moon unite, the soul itself separates and returns to the body by its own will.

Alchemist: Can one separate the body, soul, and spirit individually?

Visage: Worry only about water and the layered earth. You will not see the spirit, for it always hovers above the water.

Alchemist: What is this layered earth?

Visage: Have you not heard that in the philosophical sea, a small island appears? You must grind and seal this earth. It will break itself in its prison from thirst and become a thick water mixed with oil. This is the terra foliata (layered earth), which you must afterward know how to unite with water in the proper weight.

Alchemist: What weight?

Visage: The weight of water should be plural, but the weight of the layered earth should be singular.

Alchemist: Oh Lord, your words are still too dark for me from the beginning.

Visage: I use no other words or names than those the philosophers invented, named, and described. The men of this blessed group whom you see here were true philosophers in their lives, and many of them were ruling kings, governing princes, and mighty rulers who did not shy away from exploring nature through their own hands. They wrote the truth about it, and you should read their books diligently. Do not slander them anymore, but rather take their wise teachings to heart and avoid all the sophistries and deceitful alchemists. Then, in the end, you will attain the hidden mirror of nature.

With that, the strange figure disappeared from the alchemist in an instant, and his spirit roused him from sleep, unsure what to make of it, although all the words of the former philosopher still hovered in his memory. He then went to his chamber and wrote down the vision and all the words, reflecting carefully on the philosophical writings. From this, he realized his previous error and gradually came to understand the true foundation, which he summarized in the following poor rhymes as a memorial: