The Most Secret Rosary of the Philosophers

Art human craft therefore administers movement like an instrument of nature; it indeed acts of itself when it is turned toward its own perfection. Every body, therefore, is either an element or composed of elements; but the generation of every composition consists of four simple elements. Wherefore it is necessary that our stone the subject of the work be brought back to the first origin of its sulphur the masculine principle, and Mercury the feminine principle be divided into elements; otherwise it cannot be purified, nor joined, because its smallest parts cannot enter into the smallest parts of the body. But when divided, it is purified and joined again, and the Elixir the transformative agent that we seek is worked. For the experiment destroys its specific form, introducing a new species. Truly, after the division of the elements, nothing is seen or touched of them except earth the heavy element and water the fluid element. Because air and fire are nowhere seen, nor are their virtues known except in the prior elements; for they are entirely rare and simple, wherefore they cannot be seen by the eyes of the body at all. Therefore, do not worry about them, since it is sufficient for you to reduce the stone to simple purity.