Here begins the book called Flower of Flowers by Giovanni di Vasconia on the Philosopher’s Stone and its Practice.
(Ms. VIII D 75 of the Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele in Naples)
I saw an old man of wondrous, shining brightness holding in his hand a sealed book, bound with seven seals, in which—and through which—the lapis (the Philosopher’s Stone) is made. And as I lifted my eyes, I saw that the book was covered with silver plates and golden leaves, and at the top of this book was a spherical golden ring, covered with silver, upon whose circumference was inscribed the following words: Spirit, Soul, and Body.
From this ring extended seven sealed chains, some of silver and some of gold, which encircled the entire book. These chains, revolving in a backward motion, coiled around the book and then returned again to the same ring.
I asked the old man what this meant.
The old man answered me and said that the spherical golden ring, covered with silver, was the Stone, which in its depths is golden and masculine, while in its outward appearance it is silvery and feminine. And though it may be divided into parts, it always remains steadfast.
The seven chains encircling the book are the seven operations, which surround and complete the entire Magisterium (the Great Work).
Again, I asked the old man what the inscription on the ring meant. He answered and said that it was wondrous, for in truth, it contains and comprehends the entire secret of philosophy.
The Spirit signifies Mercury, which, by subtly penetrating the body in its finest form, refines it and draws out the Soul, carrying it upwards into the air. There, it places the Soul in such a state that it becomes the Fifth Essence, simple and pure. Then, through this simple reduction, the Soul is infused back into the Body, and the Body embraces it, rejoices with it, and in turn, the Soul rejoices with the Body. The Soul revives and resurrects the Body, which then lives perpetually—and this is the Philosopher’s Stone, which you must conceal.
The Soul is the non-burning Sulfur, which solidifies Mercury ☿ into a body, whether as Luna (Silver) ☽ or Sol (Gold) ☉, assisting in the work of Nature. This Sulfur is extracted from the Body itself, and it serves as the mediating link between Body and Spirit, for it is what binds them together inseparably. The Spirit cannot unite with the Body except through the Soul, which is the Tincture and the Gold of the Philosophers—for without it, nothing can be completed or perfected.
And so, take note: our Sulfur is not the common sulfur of the vulgar, which is fatty, combustible, and destructive to all things, as it corrupts, dissipates, and renders them imperfect. Instead, the Sulfur of the Philosophers refines and brings things to perfection.
The Body represents Gold or Silver that has been stripped of its Soul—for originally, the Soul was its form and essence. This is said after the Soul has been separated from the Body, leaving it dead until the Soul re-enters. When the Soul returns, the Body is perfected once more. At that moment, the Body is said to be alive, resurrected, and immortal.
And this is the meaning of the inscription on the ring, with which we are satisfied.
Then I saw, on the first part of the golden chain, a seal with silver letters, which read:
"Place me in warmth and moisture, and nourish me with these, for I am weak."
I asked the old man about this, and he said:
"This inscription, my son, signifies the first key, that is, the first operation, which is called digestion and putrefaction. This process takes place over time in a warm and moist fire. For just as one motion cannot be transformed into another without first undergoing digestion, so too our Lapis (Philosopher’s Stone) cannot be converted into its simplest form, nor can the soul be drawn from the body into spirit, except through digestion. For the closer something comes to simplicity, the more perfect it becomes. And so, know this: if it does not decay, it will never reach the secret."
Then I saw the second chain, which was silver at the beginning and gold at the end. In the silver part, there was a seal with the following inscription:
"Once lightly digested, I am animated, so exalt me and raise me above the heavier things."
I asked the old man about this, and he replied:
"Know, my son, that this is the second operation of the Stone, which is called distillation. The first part of the chain, which is silver, signifies that what first distills is the spirit, that is, animated quicksilver (mercury), the white tincture. The second part of the chain, which is gold, signifies that what distills the second and third times is a tinted oil, which is the red tincture, known as the oil of the philosophers. And this is the second key of philosophy."
The third chain was golden and had a seal with silver letters, which read:
"Separate the tincture from the tincture."
The old man said:
"This signifies the separation of air from fire, receiving the air by itself and exalted multiple times in the moist fire. And this is the third part of the work."
The fourth chain, which was silver, had a seal with the words:
"Exalt me, separate me, sublime me, so that I may be reduced to the simple essence."
The old man said:
"This signifies the exaltation of the inanimate spirit, which is to exist by itself alone, and this is the fourth operation and key of the Art."
The fifth chain was both silver and gold but blackened on the surface. Its seal read:
"I am thirsty, give me to drink, make me white."
I asked the old man about this, and he said:
"This is a great secret. It refers to the dead, inanimate, and calcined body, which demands to be imbued and whitened with a part of the animated spirit, so that through the disposition of the animated spirit, it may more swiftly reach its simplest state, the fifth essence. And this is the fifth key of the work."
The sixth chain was both silver and gold, and the seal read:
"We are widows, orphans, and far from our own home, in order to return to our home, so that the body may embrace me amicably."
The seventh and final chain was both silver and gold, sealing everything, and had a seal of golden and silver letters which read:
"Do it gently, with friendly fire, so that no violence can separate us."
The old man said:
"This signifies the final intention and perfection, that is, to make the fixed fluid and the fluid fixed, and this is the seventh and last key of the Philosopher's Stone."
At that moment, I desired to see the book opened. I said to the old man:
"I conjure you by the God of Heaven, through your kindness, to open the book and reveal to me the secrets that are written inside."
The old man said:
"Know, my son, that the wise men have placed many things in the work, and many ways of operating, such as dissolving, freezing, and fixing, and many vessels and weights, and they did this to blind the ignorant and to reveal it to the intelligent. And note that the philosophers have manifested the work under brief, non-literal, but metaphysical words, and although they have added many other words, they did this so that they would not be understood except by the wise."
The philosophers have said that the stone is something composed of four natures, which are earth, water, air, and fire. This stone, in similarity and in all respects, is a stone, but not in its true nature, and it is called a stone because it breaks. It is not a stone because it melts, and it is also called lapis (stone) or composite, because it is a matter composed of body and spirit by nature, and when made by the right path, it becomes what it seeks.
In this lapis, there is no superfluous thing within it, nor anything lacking, but rather all the things present in this stone are necessary, and it does not need anything else from the world. Or, composite and of a root or nature, it is called one thing, that is, a composite matter, which, during decoction, has different colors, before it becomes a perfect white lapis stone.
And note that the longer the said lapis remains in the fire, the more its virtue and goodness increase, which does not happen with other things, because all other things burn in the fire and lose their radical moisture. But the said lapis, all by itself, always improves in the fire, and its goodness and virtue grow. For the fire and the nourishment of this lapis are this, as evident signs show that the stone can be recognized, which is well understood: Therefore, note, my son, that this composite lapis is divided in the work into two parts, that is, into two things, because one is corporeal, and the other is spiritual, and one comes out of the other and is united, and one is supported by the other, and one improves the other, and one conquers and kills the other. And thus the philosophers have named one male and the other female.
And note that when the philosophers said and named quick silver with the body of magnesia, they did not mean that quicksilver was the moisture of this stone, and that magnesia is not what is commonly referred to. But by magnesia, they meant the whole composite in which this moisture, which is quicksilver, is present, as the philosophers have called it. This moisture is not like other moisture, because this moisture runs in the fire, and in its own fire, the entire composite dissolves and freezes, it blackens and whitens, and finally it turns red and solidifies.
And note that in the work, no different things should be added, but only one thing at a time. Nor is there any need for manual triturating (grinding), nor should anything else be added to the said stone. And note that the white earth is called the perfect white stone, and likewise the red earth is called the perfect red earth. This white earth in the said work, without the addition of anything else, but through the management of the fire, converts into ruby; but the water, or the moisture of this stone, is called quicksilver, as stated above.
And note that the water, or the moisture mentioned earlier, as it exits from the said composite, or stone, leaves all the composite at the bottom of the vessel in blackness. And thus, continuing the fire, this blackness, in which the said moisture remains, changes into various colors, then into whiteness, and finally into redness. This moisture is also called air, which, or moisture, mixes with its own earth and with the other elements, remaining in the said stone until they become one thing. Although this moisture is very small, it is nonetheless sufficient to nourish the entire stone, from which this moisture proceeds and exits.
And note that in this compound, or stone, there is sun and moon in virtue and power, and even in nature, because if these were not in this compound with it, neither the sun nor the moon could be made. And yet, the sun and the moon, existing in this compound, are not like the common sun and moon, because the sun and moon existing in this compound are of greater power and virtue, and are much better than the common ones. Because the sun and the moon of this compound are alive and green, whereas those of the common world are dead in comparison to the sun and moon existing in this compound or stone. And for this reason, the philosophers have called the said lapis the sun and the moon, because in this compound, they are present in virtue and power, but not visibly.
And note that the said stone, or compound, is one thing only, and of one nature, and in it is everything that is necessary for it, and in it is everything that improves it and reduces it to perfection, as said above, and without any other thing. And note that this compound does not require any animated or vegetative nature, but it is a pure and clear nature drawn from its own natural mines, which is transmuted under the guidance of fire and becomes putrefied, turning black, white, and red, and shows many other colors.
And note that the aforementioned moisture, which is called quicksilver, is the corruption of this stone because it makes it blacken, then whiten, and finally redden, as said above.
And note that the philosophers have said that the water is converted into air, which means that the said water is frozen, and, when returned, is reduced back into the body it was before, and that the body stays so long in the regulation of fire that it becomes a subtle body and is reduced to perfect whiteness. Then it is also called air.
But when they say that the air is converted into fire, they mean that the said compound, reduced to whiteness, called air, stays so long in the stronger fire that it becomes red, and then it is called fire or sun. And note that all water is made solely from one compound, as said above, and not from anything else, which compound must be regulated with slow fire and its materials until they mix together into one, and this is done in the first regulation of the fire, because in this lies the whole defect and danger, and when it is thus properly done, nothing can later be lacking, nor can it have any defect.
And note that the purification and extraction of the spiritual parts of the body must be done with moderate fire, between slow and strong, until the spirit separates from its body and ascends above its earth. When the spirit ascends above its body like black clouds rising above their earth, the dead body will remain at the bottom of the vessel without any spirit remaining in it. The sign of this is ash, upon which, if placed in the fire, it should neither melt nor smoke, and then this step will be completed.
And while it is like this, return the spirit above the body from which it came. This spirit is similar to the black clouds that carry water; nevertheless, this spirit is called acquavita (living water), by which the body is sustained, along with pure water.
And after death, it revivifies.
And note that in this compound, there is everything that mortifies and revivifies the compound, and with it, everything that makes it black, white, and red, without the aid of anything foreign.
And note that the fire in the beginning of the work should be slow, then moderate, and on the third time it should be strong, gradually increasing the fire until the stone is white, and finally becomes red. Then it is projected onto every metal and imperfect body, and even on quicksilver, and all of them are reduced to the most perfect gold, with the help of Almighty God, who will always be blessed and praised.
Thanks be to God and to the Virgin Mary forever, Amen!