The Sophic Nucleus: An Interpretation of the Tincture of the Physicists of Paracelsus

...be. Peter mentions in his second Epistle in the 3rd Chapter these three principles original: "principiorum"; the fundamental components of matter. briefly: that the Earth existed out of water and in water according to God's Word. Ezra original: "Esdra"; referring to the apocryphal book of 2 Esdras or 4 Ezra. in the 4th chapter, last [verse], also says that God hung the earth over the water through His word.

This shall now also be the first work of the Artist in his art: that he also divides his Matter original: "Materiam" into two parts; one he leads upward through distillation original: "destillationem"; the process of heating a substance to create vapor and then condensing it back into liquid to purify it. to make from it a clear, heavenly, spiritual, volatile water, which is called a whitish Eagle here. Just as no bird among all birds can fly so high or, in turn, have such a sharp vision as the eagle, so we know no water so volatile or so sharply penetrating as this one; for it rises up to the heavens and also pierces through the marrow and bone of this Lion, as his son and father, as you will hear. Thus this Eagle of ours is also the right key to the whole of human regeneration original: "regeneration"; in an alchemical context, this refers to both the chemical renewal of a substance and the spiritual rebirth of the practitioner. and the bath of rebirth and rejuvenation according to...