Nicolai Soleæ,
an Ancient German Master of the Art,
Philosophical Fundamental Principles
concerning the Improvement of Metals,
set forth in the shortest, yet clearest and most infallible manner.

He who does not labor in Venus and Mars,
Is a fool in the Art.

If you despise Venus and Mars,
You shall not escape folly in the Art.



Extracted from the book:
"Drey curieuse Bißher gantz geheim gehaltene Nun aber Denen Liebhabern der Kunst zum besten An das Tages-Licht gegebene Chymische Schrifften : Als I. Nicolai Soleae Philosophische Grund-Sätze, II. Herrn C. L. V. L. Chymischer Catechismus, III. CXXX. Grund-Sätze aus dem Toscanischen in das Teutsche übersetzet / Von Einem Liebhaber Philosophischer Geheimniße"

Philosophical Fundamental Principles

Concerning the Improvement of Metals

1.
The root of the metals is a most subtle spirit, brought forth by the power of fire, and yet it partakes as much of water as of fire.

2.
This spirit dwells in two metals, namely in ♂ (Mars) and ♀ (Venus), and is the key of the Art.

3.
In ♂ Mars and ♀ Venus there lies hidden a most widely extending tincture of ☉ (Gold).

4.
The spirit drawn from ♂ Mars and ♀ Venus is a food and drink for ☉ Gold.

5.
All metals are generated and preserved by this fiery spirit.

6.
The spirit, or ☿ (Mercurius) of the wise, is not the common quicksilver, but the spirit from two metals or salts.

7.
This spirit dissolves all metals into their first essence.

8.
The whole key of the Art lies hidden within it.

9.
Its origin is the heavenly water, and its medium the dew or acidic water.

10.
The 🜍 (Sulphur) of ♀ Venus, together with the 🜔 (Salt) of ♂ Mars, are accustomed to a very close friendship with this acidic water; therefore it is called the Mother of Metals.

11.
The spirit or 🜍 (Sulphur) of ♀ Venus has a dwelling in common with Gold.

12.
Mars is the man, Venus the woman; after they have, through the power of fire, taken on the subtle form.

13.
The Salt of the wise is our Mercurius and little fountain, which unites itself with Gold.

14.
This Salt dwells in the attracting or magnetic North-Star.

15.
This Salt is the heaven of the wise; its spirit dissolves Gold and perfects it.

16.
This spirit, Spirit, or water is called Salpeter, and yet in its nature it is no common saltpeter.

17.
This water is called a spirit of ♀ Venus, which loves Gold as a beloved loves her lover.

18.
This water of our great sea comprehends the whole art in itself.

19.

The spirit of Gold and the water of our sea, once joined together in the closest and most intimate union, can never again be separated for all eternity; and this is our great secret.

20.
This water is a living water, and is called our Moon, or also our Silver.

21.
This ascending water is our Salt, and the Mercurius of the ancient wise.

22.
Gold is the most perfect of all metals, and the seed of our Art.

23.
When Gold is completely and thoroughly dissolved, then it is no longer common gold, but the materia of the Stone.

24.
The soul, or 🜍 (Sulphur) of Gold, becomes the Tincture, and is called our Stone.

25.
He who knows our water also knows our Stone, and all power and might is hidden therein.

26.
The very smallest part of this water is our fire, and dissolves Gold.

27.
When one has this water, nothing further is lacking in the Art.

28.
The power of this fiery water is the mother, or our field; but Gold is the seed.

29.
He who draws the seed from the imperfect metals labors in vain.

30.
The imperfect bodies give an imperfect seed.

31.
Yet sometimes Gold is brought forth from imperfect bodies.

32.
But this seed is not a seed of the imperfect, but of the perfect body.

33.
The whole essence of Gold is dissolved into a seed of the Art.

34.
This is the greatest work in the Art: to dissolve Gold completely from its foundation.

35.
Our dissolving water is no Aqua fortis nor Aqua regis (nitric or royal water).

36.
The whole work consists in the dissolution of Gold, so that it can no longer be turned back into Gold.

37.
The Stone of the Wise is brought forth from Gold through their Mercurius, and is otherwise found in no other metal.

38.
A pure Gold also brings forth a pure medicine.

39.
Therefore, convert Gold into the Mercurius of the Wise, and you have the Art.

40.
The mineral Mercurius is the Vitriol of the Wise; this cannot be prepared by the corrosive waters of the metals.

41.
There are two dissolutions in the Art:

When the metal is converted into Mercurius.

When it is transmuted into Vitriol — from this the Mercurial Water is born, which is the first root of the Universal Medicine.

42.
The metallic Vitriol is a mercurial body; when it is transformed through its own Sulphur in Water, it will be the most excellent Medicine.

43.
The Mercurius of Metals is the Vitriol of Metals, and conversely.

44.
The Magnet of the Wise is the Salt of Metals.

45.
The Soul of the Magnet is its own Salt, and within this the Art is concealed.

46.
The Magnet of the Wise is their Mercurius, yet it is nourished by the most noble Sulphur, which lies hidden in our ore.

47.
Unite the Sulphur with the Mercurius of the Wise, and you possess the Mercurial Water.

48.
From Gold and Salt our Stone is begotten.

49.
The Azoth or Vinegar of the Wise has its origin from the ores and the imperfect metals.

50.
There is no Medicine without Gold and Silver.

51.
The conception of the metals is in ♀ (Venus), and when this is united with Gold and Silver, then our Medicine is complete.

52.
Every metal has its own seed.

53.
When one possesses the seed or sulphur of Gold, then necessarily Gold will be generated.

54.
Mercurius is also the sulphur of the metals, and is brought forth through Art.

55.
Whatever is sown in our Water grows according to its nature; but whoever sows Lead will reap Lead.

56.
A pure Mercurius contains within itself a pure Sulphur.

57.
The seed of Gold is thereby propagated.

58.
A volatile produces only a volatile.

59.
What has no stable nature nor enduring essence, that will never make the volatile stable.

60.
Like is joined with like, and Nature loves her own Nature.

61.
Our Water or Fountain of Gold is as clear as crystal.

62.
This Water is a vaporous mist, wherein Gold dissolves as ice melts in warm water.

63.
Whoever possesses this Water is a master of the Art. But where this ☿ (Mercurius) is lacking, the whole Art is deficient.

64.
This is a Water from the Water, a Salt from the Salt, a Spirit from the Spirit, Gold from Gold, Sulphur from Sulphur, and yet it is but one thing.

65.
This Water contains a Gold within itself, which turns the common Gold into Water.

66.
In this Gold is the power and tincture of all metals.

67.
Gold is the Stone of the Wise.

68.
Gold is our ore, which contains a red Sulphur within itself.

69.
Gold cannot be tinged, unless it is dissolved.

70.
Our Water burns Gold more than a common fire.

71.
Our Water is prepared from stones, and is green and sky-blue, and is called the Water of our Sea.

72.
Our Water is of a sulphurous power.

73.
Two fumes are distilled into a Water, which is called our own.

74.
The Mercury of the metals is born from it.

75.
O thou blessed sour Water, through thee is dissolved the firm bond of Gold, and the Sulphur of Mercury.

76.
The metallic-mineral Salt is the foundation of the Art.

77.
Gold is destroyed by nothing but its Mother.

78.
The Mother of Gold, and the first Matter, therefore our Mercury is from the nature of the Salts.

79.
The Seed of Gold comes from this Water and its Spirit.

80.
Vitriol has the middle nature of the metals.

81.
Vitriol is to be opened with our secret Key, if one wishes to obtain its consecrated Spirit.

82.
The Azoth is the metallic Seed.

83.
The Sulphur or the Fire of Vitriol is its own key.

84.
Vitriol is the best among all salts.

85.
In this Salt a white Spirit is hidden, which is our Sulphur.

86.
Our Sulphur is hidden in the Gold-tree; in ♂ (Iron) and ♀ (Copper) it is not to be found, unless the Crocus of Mars and Venus is implanted into ☉ (Gold). For as much ☉ (Gold) as is in Copper and Iron, so much also is Gold-Sulphur therein. But in and of themselves, ♂ (Iron) and ♀ (Copper) are of no use, and are not fit.

87.
But in Gold is the true tincture of the metals. The other metals, however, as such, are of no use, and have not the tincture.

88.
Draw forth the Fire from the Salt, that is, our Water, which is nothing else but our Vitriol, and you have the Art.

89.
The First Matter is a fiery flame, and has been a water, in which everything subsists.

90.
The vitriol of the ores must be transformed into a crystalline fiery water, by means of which the sulphur is dissolved.

91.
Everything must be salted with fire.

92.
He deserves to be called an artist who can transform fire into water.

93.
The salt-spirit is the noblest work.

94.
If you soak the gold in the watery fire, then it will be enlivened in its powers.

95.
Our Mercury transforms the bodies into an oil.

96.
Gold is the purest body and wholly Mercury throughout.

97.
Whatever is killed by art must also, through the help of art, be awakened again to a better life.

98.
Instead of the Mercury, we always understand the vitriolic salt and its spirit.

99.
In the Vitriol there are two spirits, which love the Gold, by means of which all is accomplished.

100.
Through the water of our copper, Gold and Silver in our Art are united with one another.

101.
Our Water is called heavenly, because it is drawn from a sky-blue stone.

102.
The white Spirit is the true Mercury of the Wise, and it is the spirit of metals, indeed the beginning of the Art.

103.
The spirit of Mercury with salt and gold gives the Medicine.

104.
Mars and Venus have within them the seed of Gold, yet still unripe.

105.
The true Sulphur of the Wise is found in the Gold.

106.
Our antimonial extract is the true Stone of the Wise.

107.
All metals are called minerals; therefore Gold and Silver are also dissolved by minerals, in order to prepare the Medicine.

108.
Vitriol prevails more than all salts; therefore it is to be preferred to them.

109.
Unite the spirit of the Gold with the spirit of the Vitriol, that is, with the spirit of Mercury; so you will possess the Art of the Wise.

110.
Lead becomes Gold, and this again is called Lead, because from both our Stone is born.

111.
The Salt from those perfect bodies is the Sulphur of the Wise, as also in the rest.

112.
From Antimony (Spieß-Glas) through the mediation of the Spirit of Mercury, a great Medicine is prepared.

113.
Sulphur and Mercury are our Matter, and this is Gold and Salt.

114.
Mercury is an ancient honorable tree; whatever is grafted upon it, that is tinged, and it tinges with the same.

115.
The Sulphur of Gold is its Fire, thus also to be understood of Venus and Mars.

116.
The whole Art is nothing else but that Gold and Silver are dissolved, so that they cannot be brought back into their body again. And this is the Song with the—

End.