Curious Physics

attains a glass-like state, a matter cannot do as much harm as it would with sand and ashes.

CHAPTER VIII.

Concerning the Earth.

Earth is also considered by others to be one of the four elements; however, it is but a part, and serves the air and water as a matrix a womb or formative mold, into which they lead the salt, and within the salt, they carry spirit and air, and therein bring forth all manner of things. Common earth is cursed A reference to the biblical Fall of Man, where the ground was cursed; alchemists believed ordinary dirt was spiritually "dead" or corrupted compared to "virgin" earth and cannot be reconciled with its Creator until it is purified and, as it were, disciplined by the fire of the Last Judgment. For our masterpiece the "Magnum Opus" or Great Work of creating the Philosopher's Stone, common earth is of no use; rather, it must be the earth that comes forth from the World-Slimeoriginal: "Welt-Schleim"; the primordial, chaotic matter or "First Matter" from which the universe was organized of the first visible matter, before that World-Slime has even touched the common earth. This earth descends with the air and has hovered over our heads—not that it was already earth at that time, but because it was a part of that from which the artist, through God’s enlightenment, brings forth the World-Slime. It is the true mineral oreoriginal: "Minera" of the universal Mercury and Vitriol original: "Mercurius und Vitrioli"; here referring to the philosophical principles of fluidity and the acidic/salt-like spirit of nature, of the upper and lower salt, and both are found united within it. It is

snow-white and exceedingly light; and what is a great miracle compared to the previous opinions of the learned: through art, without the addition of any other thing, there is born from such an incredibly light earth in just a few hours quicksilveroriginal: "Qveck-Metall"; liquid mercury, which is the heaviest substance next to gold. This is remarkable because if one were to place gold into this earth for ten years, nothing white or mercurial would appear upon that gold. When the Mercury and Vitriol original: "Mercurius & Vitriolum" are taken from this earth, it becomes red; and yet—because all the Vitriol cannot be separated from it without repeated strong fire and leaching—it remains the most powerful earth in the world. Indeed, from the mere flow of air, so much Universal Spirit-Salt remains caught within it that it births and yields metal from itself without the addition of any other thing. Therefore, I also surmise that God created Adam The name "Adam" is traditionally linked to the Hebrew word for "red earth" or "clay" from this wonderful earth, the likes of which has no equal in the world for magnetic power. For truly, its first birth is from the light, and it was conceived in the innermost part of the universal spirit of light from the seed of light. When the spirit brings it forth, it places it into the air; hence it is called Mercury, and at that point it is not yet earth, but only a spirit in relation to the air, which serves as its body, wherein