Lotteringus – Clarification on Hermetic Philosophy (1750)
CLARIFICATION ON HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY.
Leiden, 1750
The System of the Ancient Philosophers.
The soul and the body of man are bound together by the spirit so that they may enjoy a vegetative, animal, and rational life. God created Man perfect and enriched him with everything necessary to live eternally in the Earthly Paradise. If only he, being able to be satisfied with everything else that had been created for him, had faithfully maintained obedience to the divine command not to eat the one forbidden fruit. But having transgressed, he lost all the benefits that the generosity of a Creator God had granted him.
Without sin, his body and soul would have enjoyed such perfect harmony that, living in innocence, human nature would have delighted in a blessed immortality. This human nature, as considered by the Philosophers, was composed of a radical moisture and a natural heat that were united in perfect harmony, along with an unalterable intelligence that governed all parts, not only of the body but also of all the senses and the spirit.
The unfortunate sin disrupted this harmonious union and had the power to diminish the strength of this heat and partially dry out this moisture. From these two afflictions arose diseases. From the complete corruption and suppression of this radical moisture and heat came death.
Considering this, the Philosophers, reflecting on the infinite mercy of a Creator God—who had granted the first father, Adam, complete freedom to love, obey, and worship Him or to act in opposition through the privilege of free will—saw, all at once, this unfortunate creature fall into an abyss of evil, subjected to original sin.
Nevertheless, they recognized that since this same Creator, though angered against His creature and its posterity, still wished to be appeased by the sacrifice of so precious a Victim—through the Incarnation and death of His only Son—to recover, through His merit, the souls of His creatures, He had also left man with a sufficient medicine, capable of repairing the ills and afflictions to which human nature had been subjected since Adam’s sin.
It was in the pursuit of this medicine that they dedicated themselves. By striving to penetrate the inner virtues of all created natural things, they ultimately, through the infinite mercy of the Creator, succeeded in entering the profound sanctuary of nature and discovering this great mystery—to bring relief to man, who is subject to so many infirmities, until the predetermined time of death.
This is the entire philosophy and study of the ancient Sages. This is the essence of all the writings they have left us, veiled in countless allegories, metaphors, enigmas, and hieroglyphs, so that it has been impossible for ordinary men to attain the knowledge of this great mystery. However, God has granted and inspired some of His Elect with this wisdom, ensuring that such a science would not be lost until the time when all hidden things are destined to be revealed and unveiled before the end of the world.
In the following system presented to the public, one will easily recognize the path to penetrate and decipher the science that the philosophers have left us. I develop it as much as I am permitted so that true lovers of knowledge may readily apply themselves to recognizing the path they must follow to attain it.
But let those who undertake this endeavor first examine themselves and test whether they belong among those who have been called, and not rather among those whom the Latin poet referred to when he sang that the impious, the greedy, the lustful, the ambitious, the slave of the world, and the tyrant should not aspire to it. Instead, it is for the one who loves justice and the poor man who lives in innocence, far from the world and its riches.
The philosophers, therefore, in order to preserve this radical moisture and natural heat, turned to nature itself. They made use of the very same substance that nature employs to sustain individuals, extracting from it a quintessence imbued with the virtues of all bodies it seeks to restore or rectify. They opened these bodies to extract their spirits and unite them with the said quintessence. This is the medicine that the Philosophers so ardently sought—the only remedy capable of repairing, in this life, the afflictions introduced by the curse of sin.
This is the true science that the deceiver Galen and his followers neither could nor wished to recognize, for in denying God as the author of nature, this great mystery remained, and forever will remain, hidden from them.
Therefore, take advantage of the works of the ancients, continually seeking the illumination of the Holy Spirit, that He may teach us and grant us the knowledge of His gifts.
WARNING
The author had initially intended to announce this brief preface before publishing his book, in the journals of Trévoux or Verdun, or in the Mercure of Paris. However, he has had ample means to recognize that their crude ignorance prevents them from incorporating such a sublime and necessary Science into their publications. For many years now, they have been incapable of announcing anything other than trivialities—Pont-Neuf ballads (2), excerpts from comedies or tragedies, old wives' tales or children's stories—or of extolling the virtues of things in which there is no real truth. They merely praise some pedant or impostor who has managed to capture their interest.
Thus, the author is quite pleased not to see his work mixed among so many inferior productions, nor to display this science before Europe through such journals and Mercures. He recalls the ancient maxim: Do not offer lettuce to donkeys when thistles will suffice for them; do not cast pearls before swine.
Therefore, he is content to publish this work separately.
Done in Leiden, 1750.
LOTTERINGUS
CLARIFICATION ON HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY
Hermetic Philosophy is a science so profound and abstract that those who believe they can acquire it with ease and succeed in its practice without first undergoing arduous and difficult study—simply because they have skimmed through some of the works that discuss it, imagining they understand it—are mistaken and will always remain so. The wisest and most prudent course for them is to abandon all their chimerical operations, lest, in addition to wasting their time and effort, they also bring about their own ruin.
Hermetic Science demands assiduous study, deep meditation on the writings of the Philosophers, and complete dedication—I mean a man whose mind is free from all other studies or occupations. It also requires access to a vast number of the best authors, for one book leads to another, where one often finds the explanation one seeks.
This is not about ordinary chemistry books, for those who believe that by following their principles or procedures they might carry out operations in the sense intended by the divine Hermes are utterly mistaken. Neither these kinds of chemists, nor physicians, nor apothecaries, nor mechanical artisans who adhere to conventional methods or special recipes, hold any place in the school of true Philosophers. One must, therefore, renounce—both in heart and mind—this false chemistry, which differs from the true science as much as light differs from darkness.
I say, then, at once that the entire Hermetic Science consists solely of two things: the dissolving menstruum and the soluble menstruum.
The dissolving menstruum acts throughout the entire work, from beginning to end; that is, one starts with it and ends with it. Paracelsus called it the great Alkaest, about which little is found in the writings of the ancient Philosophers, and even Hermes himself seems to speak only of the second operation, performed with the soluble menstruum, by which and through which the Universal Medicine is made.
The dissolving menstruum is a quintessence that possesses the strength and power to dissolve and open all hard, compact, and indissoluble bodies, rendering them as volatile as the dissolvent itself so that they may unite inseparably. Once incorporated together, they are perfected to such a degree that they bring about what are called the miracles of nature. If one does not know this operation, which Hermes mentions in his work, and proceeds in the hope of attaining it, one merely wastes time, for it will never be reached through books and operations alone, which are nothing but illusions; a guide is absolutely necessary—one who is willing to instruct in good faith.
This quintessence, when applied externally, possesses infinite virtues upon human bodies, as well as those of animals and plants. It infallibly cures all diseases of a cold nature and is, ultimately, the near-universal medicine through which one may attain the Universal.
The second part will deal with the soluble menstruum, which consists of the mineral kingdom with the aid of the vegetal kingdom. Hermes teaches this with such clarity and precision in the Emerald Tablet that it is unnecessary to rely on any interpreter to explain or understand it.
All the Philosophers, especially the ancients, have followed Hermes. However, like misers who hoard their treasures for themselves alone, they have written about it with envy, using a style filled with metaphors, allegories, tropes, and figures. At every turn, they employed different names to obscure this science and deprive posterity of the happiness of its explanation. Therefore, one must follow Hermes alone—step by step—and take, at last, the path that he himself took, lest one be deceived and led astray.
Let us now speak of Mercury, for it is with Mercury alone that the entire operation can be accomplished.
One must take Mercury (not the common kind) from the mine where it is to be extracted, and after purifying it of all heterogeneous matter so that it is perfectly and entirely pure, one must further extract and separate from it a most subtle vapor caused by its moisture. This vapor must not, under any circumstances, be introduced into or mixed with the work.
Once separated from this vapor, the Mercury must be placed over an extremely light and gentle fire until it begins to thicken and coagulate, which will not happen until after a long time. At this stage, the Philosophers call it Luna (the Moon). By maintaining the same degree of heat, it transforms into earth, at which point the Philosophers call it Sol (the Sun) or gold, which is fixed and intensely hot.
Next, this earth must be imbibed with a new vapor of Mercury, which, over time, will absorb all the moisture of the Mercury. By continuing in this manner, it will grow in both quantity and quality, continually drawing in that moisture through repeated imbibitions, thereby increasing the dry and fixed mass, which is the true gold of the Philosophers.
This is how the words of Hermes are fulfilled: That which is above is like that which is below, and that which is below is like that which is above. The first earth, in the beginning, was nothing but water and vapor; the second earth and all those that followed were also nothing but water and vapor. This is the mysterious and solid water that does not wet the fingers, so highly sought after by the Philosophers, for with it alone the Universal Medicine can be made.
This is the great secret, which they, under penalty of anathema, have commanded to be well hidden. Here it is, explained in a few words.
If anyone still doubts this, let them study and meditate seriously on the writings of the true Philosophers, and they will be convinced of the truth. Moreover, if one wishes to understand the truth and the reason behind the secret they have so vehemently insisted upon, it is because, if this science were made known to all, it is to be feared that the wicked and the immoral would misuse it, without giving glory to God or using it for the good of others. It would be easy to prove all this through the texts and judgments of the Philosophers, but this task is left to the lovers and curious minds of this Science. Here, we will only refer to the divine Hermes.
Here is the clear and distinct explanation of all the texts contained in his Emerald Tablet:
It is certain that what is above is like what is below, and what is below is like what is above.
It has already been seen that the entire work is completed and perfected with Mercury alone. This Mercury must be composed of two seeds, one masculine and one feminine, namely, the Moon and the Sun, or the dissolving menstruum and the soluble menstruum; such Mercury is called Rebis.
Now, this Mercury, which at first is in liquid form, or in water, when placed on a very light and gentle fire, by virtue of its inner fire, will gradually begin, after about forty days, to thicken and transform into earth—what is called the head of the Raven or the blackness. When this earth is completely dry, new water or new Mercury will be poured over it, which will be attracted all at once by the first, due to their perfect homogeneity.
This imbibition will continue for several times, and the more this earth or Mercury is dissolved and coagulated, the more it will gain strength and virtue for the transmutation and healing of bodies.
Here is what proves what Hermes says, namely that the entire work is perfected with Mercury alone, composed of two Mercuries: one dissolving and the other coagulating.
You will separate what is subtle from what is thick gently and carefully, so that it may rise from the earth to the sky, and then descend again to the earth until the two Mercuries are perfectly united together.
This sublimation is completed when the new Mercury is poured over that which has already been transformed into earth, because the dissolving Mercury carries it to the sky, or upwards, since it is nothing but a vapor and smoke that, heated by external heat, receives movement in proportion to its volatility. Thus, united with its earth down to the smallest parts, it rises up carrying the earth with it, because they are now inseparable forever. This is why it is said that it ascends to the sky and later descends again to the earth.
This is the sublimation of the Philosophers and of Hermes himself. This earth is their Sun, just as Mercury, when imbibed, is their Moon. They are the male and female who have united inseparably to create an infinite lineage.
This work is carried out gently with a very light fire, as if one were trying to hatch eggs, which is why it is called the fire of the wings. With it, the subtle is separated from the thick, and thus sublimated, because once the moisture has been dried out, all the Mercury becomes fixed and turns into earth. The sublimation of Hermes is nothing more than the thinning of the bodies, as when he says to sublimate what is subtle and separate it from what is thick gently, with a very light fire, so that the subtle rises from the earth to the sky in vapor and then descends again to the earth, thereby gaining the strength and virtue to penetrate what is fixed and make it subtle. This is how we must understand the sublimation of the Philosophers. In this way, our water vivifies the bodies and then mortifies them, leading them westward and bringing them back eastward. When it mortifies the bodies, only a black color appears until they are transformed into earth by corruption; then, by vivifying them, an infinity of colors can be seen, which ultimately becomes a stable and permanent white. This is how this water nourishes and is nourished; it becomes putrid and corrupt, then germinates, is resurrected, and vivifies itself, and then the work is certain.
Therefore, cook it with its body until all its moisture has been dried out by the fire, and it is entirely dry; then the repeated infusion of new water, which vivifies the dead bodies, causes it to germinate. It is the mother of all colors and all planets, as the spirit is joined to the body and the soul, for the spirit is the seat of the soul extracted from the bodies in the tincture of water (this must be understood philosophically). This is why Hermes said to sow gold in foliated earth and all that is spiritual in strong water; in the body, that is to say, in the earth, remains the soul, which is the tincture of the Sun, for it is like a subtle smoke that only appears through its effects or in what it produces in its action, which is the manifestation of colors.
The fire is generated by fire and nourished by fire, and it is the son of fire; this is why it must be reduced to fire in order not to fear it. This earth, once coagulated and fixed, is called fire, and it has all the qualities and properties of fire; this fire, if nourished by Mercury, can be multiplied infinitely, and this is the way you will always have it in your home. This is what is the nourishment, the encasement, and the multiplication of the Philosophers. Use it for the glory of God, and you will be happy.
Here is the summary of the explanations I have given to the public in my small treatise titled Urim & Thummim, to teach the public the Hermetic Science. The curious seeker of this science will find in this small treatise the entire philosophy of the philosophers clearly and faithfully explained, without figures, allegories, and metaphors. I have nothing more to say except to warn the reader that, if they truly wish to succeed, they must necessarily and sincerely abandon all ordinary operations of vulgar chemistry, and work philosophically with a study and attention that occupies their whole being.