“This law of the universal mixture of the animated and inanimate, of the subtle and the coarse, of the spiritual and the corporeal, is the foundation of all operations of Nature. For Nature always works by uniting what is opposite: the warm and the cold, the moist and the dry, the fixed and the volatile. Thus the Artist must imitate her. He must prepare the matter by dissolving its exterior hardness, by opening its pores, so that the interior virtue can be manifested. But he must do it with prudence, without violence, without destroying the natural bond which unites the three principles. When the matter is thus softened, penetrated, and disposed, its internal Sulphur awakens, the Mercury rises, the Salt becomes purified. These three, united in harmony, form the true substance of the Philosophers. This is why the ancient sages said that our Stone is made of one thing and yet of three; of one root, yet of three aspects; one nature, three substances; three in one and one in three.” “When the prepared matter receives the celestial influence – that is, the gentle fire of the philosophical furnace – it begins its first operation, which is the blackening. This darkness is necessary, for no seed can grow unless it dies first. The body must decompose so that the spirit may be freed.” “When the darkness begins to clear, colors appear: green, blue, purple, finally the whitening. This whitening is the sign that the inner fire has penetrated the whole substance. Then the matter becomes like a heavenly earth, receptive to perfection. At this stage, one must maintain the same fire, neither increasing nor diminishing it, until the matter becomes solid, fixed, and luminous.” “When we say that the four elements enter into our composition, it must not be understood in the vulgar sense. Our Fire is not common fire; our Water is not common water; our Earth is not the crude earth of the ground; our Air is not the air we breathe. These names signify qualities, not the gross bodies of the world. Thus Fire means the subtle, penetrating, active principle. Water means the dissolving and uniting virtue. Air means the volatile spirit. Earth means the fixed and tangible part.” “The three principles of the philosophers — Salt, Sulphur, Mercury — correspond to the body, soul, and spirit. Salt is the foundation, the base, the permanency. Sulphur is the virtue, the color, the life. Mercury is the movement, the union, the mediation.” “The first operation is the dissolution of the body. The second is the purification of the spirit. The third is the union of the purified parts. This union produces the rebirth of the matter, which appears under new forms, shining and subtle.” “Alchemy is thus the knowledge of the hidden properties of Nature and the art of directing her workings. The wise man does not force Nature; he accompanies her, helps her, guides her with gentle fire and patient vigilance.” “This figure shows the Work in the heart of the substance: at the base, the wheel with Sun and Moon — the two natures; in the middle, the vessel rising like a column — the purification; above, the winged disk — the spirit liberated.” “The Artist must know how to raise the fire of Nature, without burning the matter nor chilling it. Balance is the key of the entire Work.” FM-ICONOGR-ATLAS, c. 1813, François-Nicolas Noël, BnF, département des Manuscrits
"The center of God, or the Depth, will be manifested in man, insofar as God will bring it into action within his spirit; and man will bring into action, according to the heavenly Word, the mystical wisdom, the mysteries of the divine Light manifested in nature."
Here is the register of the 12 houses: The first house contains the matter, the seeds, and the foundation of all things. The second house — the operations, the preparation of the Philosophers' Stone, etc. The third house — separation, dissolution, sublimation (alchemical processes). The fourth house — purification and the washing of the matter. The fifth house — putrefaction, corruption, decomposition. The sixth house — generation, multiplication of the Seed and the Life. The seventh house — coagulation and fixation. The eighth house — distillation, spiritualization. The ninth house — circulation, perpetual movement. The tenth house — projection, the Great Work completed. The eleventh house — multiplication, augmentation. The twelfth house — perfection, stability. “These twelve are the universal order of the operations according to the Ancient Philosophers.” Similar list, but more detailed: “When I speak of Fire, I mean natural heat contained in the matter.” “When I speak of Water, I mean the inner humidity of the matter.” “When I speak of Air, I speak of the spirit that animates the mixture.” “When I speak of Earth, I mean the body, the fixed part.” Then a list of weights, proportions, and balances: – “3 parts of the volatile” – “2 parts of the fixed” – “6 parts of the spiritual moisture” – “10 parts in total” “The Artist must join the body with the spirit, and the spirit with the soul, by means of the natural heat and the secret fire.” “The number 10 contains all; it is the perfect number.” “Matter, its seed, the four elements… the operations necessary for generation” “Nature teaches the Artist; he must imitate her in all things. The Fire is the master, the Light is the guide.” FM-ICONOGR-ATLAS, c. 1813, François-Nicolas Noël, BnF, département des Manuscrits
