THE ZODIAC OF THE PHILOSOPHERS

BY JEAN D'ESPAGNET

STONE TIME



The figure described here is the zodiac of the philosophers: to each planet the Ancients assigned two domiciles, except for the Sun and the Moon, which have only one: and even their two houses are close. In this figure each planet occupies its own houses. The philosophers in the regime of their philosophical work begin their operation in winter; that is, from Capricorn, which is the first house of Saturn, and pulling to the right, there is the second house of Saturn in the sign of Aquarius, at which time Saturn, that is, the blackness of the work, begins to dominate. What happens after the forty-five or fiftieth day. The Sun arriving in Pisces, the work becomes very black, and blacker than black itself: and then the crow's head begins to appear.The third month completed, and the Sun entering Aries the sublimation begins to take place, or the separation of the elements. The Sun being in the following sign, up to the Crayfish, they whiten the work; and being in the Crayfish, the work receives its brilliance, and its perfect splendour; and there end the days and the time of the entire accomplishment of the stone, or of the white sulfur, or of the lunar work of the sulfur, the Moon reigning for that time gloriously in her throne, and in her house, the Sun being in Leo, which is her own house, the solar work begins: but having arrived in Libra, the work is changed into a red stone, or perfect sulfur. For the other two remaining signs, Scorpio and Sagittarius, they are dedicated to the fulfillment of the elixir:


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