The Microcosmic Animal Stone, or the Supreme Medicine from the Little World of the Human Body

3
A ij

...joined; original: "conjungiret" namely Water and Fire; for when the Water is joined with it, it will become white, but where the Fire is, it will become red, if it be God’s Will. But we must know that such a division does not happen by hands; therefore, this thing, which all people possess, should be somewhat freed from its remaining phlegmatic moisture In the four humors theory, phlegm was cold and moist; here it refers to the excess, unrefined watery part of the raw material. that rests upon it, and subsequently placed into a chemical vessel Chemical vessel: Likely an "aludel" or a "philosophical egg," a glass flask designed for long-term heating., which must be philosophically sealed original: "Philosophisch sigilliren," meaning hermetically sealed—airtight—so no spirit escapes. and kept for a long time in a moist fire A gentle, indirect heat, such as a water bath (balneum Mariae) or a bed of rotting horse dung., so that it may putrefy original: "putreficire"; the Nigredo or "black" stage where the matter decomposes. into a black and thick matter; then let it be dryly coagulated original: "eincoaguliret" through the fire of the second degree, namely, after many boilings, which will cause much rising Refers to sublimation or distillation, where the vapors rise and condense., in which one will come to see countless colors Known as the "Peacock's Tail" (Cauda Pavonis) stage, signifying the transition from black to white.; and when now everything that is subtle rises in a very white form like fish-eyes A traditional description of the white crystals or "pearls" that appear at the completion of the Albedo (white) stage., then the work is completed in the first part; O most wonderful thing, at which one has more reason to marvel than at any other miracle of nature! But then that same white matter has the nature of white sulfur that does not burn, and is the true sulfur of nature Sulfur of Nature: In alchemy, this is the active, masculine principle that has been purified of its combustible, "stinking" impurities., and it congeals the mercury original: "Quecksilber" when a quantity of silver is added to it, so that it becomes like an amalgam; and it operates exactly the same way in the red to the red Moving from the Albedo (white) to the Rubedo (red) stage, the final perfection of the Stone., and becomes a perfect work for the red, by means of further cooking of the fire; If then, as the philosophers