Amphitheater of Eternal Wisdom

The heptagon is divided into seven major segments, each containing dense text in Latin and Early Modern German. These describe various alchemical processes and the pitfalls of false paths.

• The top-most segment is labeled FIXATION original: "FIXATIO".
• Moving clockwise: MERCURY original: "MERCURIVS", UNIVERSAL REMEDY original: "CATHOLICON", ARTIFICIAL HUMAN original: "HOMUNCULUS", CONFUSION original: "CONFUSIO", VAIN DREAMS original: "SOMNIA VANA", and USELESS LABOR original: "LABOR INANIS".

At the very center of the heptagon is a mountain peak labeled ROCK of Wisdom original: "PETRA Sapientiæ". A small figure of a man stands before a narrow entrance at the base of this central mountain, which is labeled Pray Theosophically: Work Physico-chemically original: "Theosophice ORA: Physico-chymice LABORA". Above the entrance, a text block describes the child of philosophy and the Salt of Wisdom.

The surrounding landscape outside the heptagon depicts various scenes. At the top left, there is a hilltop castle and a village. At the top right, there is a busy harbor with sailing ships and figures on the shore. At the bottom left, there is a walled city, and at the bottom right, an elaborate palace or civic building. Scattered throughout the outer margins are small figures engaged in various activities: a man being led to a gallows (symbolizing the False Way), figures climbing ladders, and chemists working with their equipment.

At the bottom of the plate is a large, multi-line block of text in Latin, interspersed with Greek and German. This text provides the theological and philosophical context for the image. In the bottom right corner, a small square contains the initials E P and the date 1602.

REPRESENTATION original: "ΥΠΟΤΥΠΩΣΙΣ" OF THE CITADEL of the First-Material, Universal, and Natural, which is Mercurial in its entire Matter, Form, Constitution, and Essence. It is the most powerful MAGNESIA, called as if it were the Magnet of the Lord original: "Magnes-JAH", or the Great Bronze of the Lord original: "AES-JAH". Within this place, the One and Only JEHOVAH has placed the UNIVERSAL MEDICINE, also known as the Philosophers' Stone. This is the highest Good of NATURE, offered to the human race by the Grace of His Goodness, which He sells for nothing. This Citadel is barred to all Sophists, whose character is to love vanity and rejoice in lies original: "Das eittele sehr lieb haben und die Lügen so gern had".

Those Artists who are moved by Theosophy a form of esoteric philosophy aiming at direct knowledge of the divine shall be distinguished. To the Sophists, this Citadel remains unknown and unconquerable, having been sought by them in vain for a long time. To approach it and to know it Philosophically—to truly know it and rightly recognize it original: "Breywerdthaftig kennen und recht erkennen"—is the first secret of the Art. This does not happen for just anyone.

Only a few can penetrate into the pure center of this Citadel: the Tri-material, Universal, and Mercurial remedy. This is the MERCURY of the Philosophers, the first-material, universal, and saline substance. It is the only thing in the nature of things that triumphs among natural objects. It is the SALT of WISDOM, of NATURE, of the ART, and of the MERCURIAL WISE MEN. One reaches it through the preparations of Fire and Water original: "Vulcanica atq; Neptunica", which is the second secret of the Spagyric the alchemical process of separating and recombining elements art. This substance can be truly obtained and raised to a degree beyond perfection through Physical Regeneration with the help of the Art.

Only those Wise Men taught by God original: "Θεοδιδακτοι" and the faithful sons of their DOCTRINE are chosen, called, and sent by God for this Work. They succeed by Praying Theosophically and Working Physico-chemically. These are the Philosophical and Theosophical exercises. Either the FIRST step Which, for true Philosophers and Artists who love wisdom, is not primarily about making silver or gold like the unphilosophical world. It is a certain truth in Universal Knowledge: the first highly hidden secret, or the beginning of the excellent Art, to reach the Universal Medicine according to God's will. The matter is thus, and not otherwise, no matter how much you, Sophist, might snarl by the instinct of a seductive spirit. or BOTH together can be achieved by those who persevere according to their gifts.

This image graphically shows and demonstrates the true FOUNDATION and use of the ART, which is to KNOW and rightly PREPARE (by God's grant) the Universal Stone of the Philosophers. It shows the genuine FRUITS through the narrow and central path of TRUTH, while exposing the ABUSE and its consequences through the wide and circular path of FALSEHOOD. Created by HEINRICH KHUNRATH of Leipzig, faithful lover of Theosophy and Doctor of Medicine. In the year of the Christian era, 1602.