The Opened Philosophical Father-Heart

Cap. 3. Concerning the Virgin

abundantly. Hence it is also called a soul and life-giving spirit of the elemental earth, for it has locked within it the generative or begetting power—yes, all colors and properties of every thing in nature. And what is more important regarding our precious matter: without it, nothing could live. The wise often call our earth their Androginam androgynous one and their Hermafroditen hermaphrodite, because it has two natures—that is, because the sulfur and the mercury of the wise are extracted from it. Of these two, one is taken for the male and the other for the female. It is also called the Protheus Proteus and Cameleon chameleon of the wise, because it transforms and changes itself in many ways; yes, it is capable of many forms and shapes, and is so changeable that even the sun and the air change it in a natural instant, regardless of whether one or the other does its part during the bringing forth of our precious matter. This is solely and only enough for a Philosopho philosopher to learn to recognize our virgin earth and learn to distinguish it from common earth.

However, so that I teach you to recognize it rightly and without error, I tell you once more that our matter is nothing other than earth, but not the one upon which we walk, but that which floats above our heads