Aula Lucis, or The House of Light

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...philosophical heat, but the white light will lift itself above the water, and there it will swim in its glorious blue garment original: "vetiment" (vestment). The blue color symbolizes a heavenly or spiritual state in alchemy. like the Heavens. But so that I may say something more concerning the Chaos In alchemy, "Chaos" refers to the raw, unformed prime matter of the universe from which all things are created. itself, I must tell you it is not rainwater, nor dew; but it is a subtle mineral moisture—a water so extremely thin and spiritual, with such a transcendent, incredible brightness, that there is no liquid original: "liquor" in all of nature like it, except itself. In plain terms, it is the middle substance of the wise men’s Mercury Philosophical Mercury, not the common liquid metal, but a spiritualized principle of fluidity and transformation.—a water that can be coagulated thickened or solidified and may be hardened by a proper heat into stones and metals. This is why the Philosophers called it their "stone." Or, if it is lawful for me to reveal what the Devil, out of envy, would not disclose to Illardus Likely an obscure or legendary figure in alchemical lore whom Vaughan cites to emphasize the secrecy of the work., they called it a "stone" so that no one might know what it actually was that they were naming. For there is nothing in the world so different from the nature original: "complexion"—referring to the physical constitution or temperament of the substance. of a stone; for it is water, and no stone. Now, as for what water it is, I...