On the Philadelphian Gold: Now Available!

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"On the Philadelphian Gold" is mostly a Socratic-style dialogue related to philosophy as opposed to alchemy, but it is an alchemical work nonetheless, insofar as  it relates to the several types of matter and body posited to exist by one member of this same dialogue; Philadelphus, speaking with the materialistic Philochrysis on the topic of spiritual gold.

This work was made by the Philadelphian Society many centuries ago. This edition has been rendered from older English usage to mostly modern English, save for a few references which have no other proper counterpart.

38 pages.

A Work of Saturn: Now Available!

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Isaac Hollandus delivers again with one of the better alchemical works I have read.

Largely revolving around the use of lead for medical purposes (something I cannot recommend!) "A Work of Saturn" is a bit less veiled and difficult to understand than most texts on alchemy- Hollandus fails on only one account, for while referring to the lead of the philosophers as antimony, the text describes a process which quite clearly involves rudimentary, normal lead- as in, the toxic element, which Hollandus unwisely recommends the alchemist taste in order to make sure the process is working.

It is essentially one long process for distilling powdered lead to make elixir- the resulting material (a red oil from a strange sort of compounded mineral deposit) is said by Hollandus to allow the projection (multiplication) of metals, as well as being used in dissolved and ingested form to cure all ailments, or injected into wounds to resolve infections.

30 pages.

Rosary of the Philosophers Update: Illustrating Begins... Notes on Alchemy

One of the illustrations present in the Rosary of the Philosophers.

 
Illustrating has begun for the Rosary of the Philosophers and is now approximately half completed. Many of the woodcuts present show the typical Sol and Luna being combined; the process by which the philosophical (alchemical) arts are completed. The work explains that for both pure sulfur and pure mercury, the solar and lunar element are present; in sulfur the physical outward appearance is that of the sun while the inward, hidden mercurial element is its true nature, and likewise the reverse is true for pure mercury, argent vive, in which the solar element is hidden within, while it presents its lunar, silvery nature tangibly.

It should be noted that alchemy and most alchemical works (including this one) are essentially steganographies- the foliated earth so often alluded to here is nothing more than organic material (compost) that has been leeched of its saltpeter content, such that the nitrates begin accumulating as a crust upon its surface- a process in altered form used in the production of the base matter from which gunpowder was and still is made (black powder, that is.) A true alchemical secret since such acts were, in those days, little other than wizardry to most.