Hermetic Phosphorus, or Morning Light, of the Much-Praised Philosophical Medicine,

According to the Experience Conducted by Me,

Alessandro Mezzadri of Ferrara,

Manifested in the Year 1729.

Printed in Ferrara by Bernardino Pomatelli, Episcopal Printer,

With the Permission of the Superiors.




Knowing that arrogant ignorance is older in origin than Virtue, it claims absolute dominion over it; and because darkness existed before light in the great work of Creation, and light was separated from darkness, it pretends that light was born from its own womb and therefore has authority over it as its mother. Thus, unable to challenge the truth of virtue, it denies its very existence with all its might.

The science of Alchemy demonstrates this daily, as it finds itself constantly forced to battle a vast multitude of Sophists and a numerous army of Misochemists, without even being able to unsheathe its weapons. The former obscure its evident truths with their sophistic doctrines and false operations, while the latter deny its manifest existence with mocking derision. Alchemy, for its most weighty reasons, remains hidden with its few Athletes.

Foreseeing, therefore, the great contradictions that this science of Universal Medicine would encounter, the Divine Hermes placed at the beginning of the Emerald Tablet these words: Verum, sine mendacio, certum & verissimum (True, without falsehood, certain, and most true), intending thereby to instill steadfastness in his followers in their study of it and to confound the audacity of the ignorant. Seeing that few possess such great knowledge, and that these few keep the Arcanum as secret as possible, the ignorant take this as an argument to deny its existence.

It is indeed true that this Medicine is one and is made from one thing alone, to which we neither add nor remove anything, but only eliminate its superfluous parts during its preparation. It is also true that the Masters call it ludus puerorum et opus mulierum (a child's game and a woman's work). However, it is equally true that to come to know it requires a keen intellect and deep contemplation, for one must understand its true principles, which are the root and essence of the Work. As Pietro Bono Ferrarese states in his Pretiosa Margarita Novella, 'It is impossible to reach the known from the unknown,' and in imitation of him, I say: he who ignores the principles labors endlessly without ever reaching the goal.

Thus, the most remote principles and the root of this great medicine, according to the great Trismegistus, are the four Elements, and therefore it is called the Quintessence of the Elements. The Arab Geber (Jabir ibn Hayyan) confirms the same, stating that the name derives from the predominant element. Aristotle, Avicenna, Albertus Magnus, and other Philosophers agree, saying that the foundation of all things is Earth mixed with Water, heated by the Sun and the Planets from above, below, within, and without, with their incessant circular motion and the reverberation of their rays.

Therefore, if Art must imitate Nature, no artisan will ever reach what I, by the grace of the Most High Lord, have achieved in the seventy-fifth year of my age—of which I have spent more than forty in continuous contemplation and experimentation—unless he has firmly impressed upon his mind this universal proverb of the science: Patientia ex Deo est, festinantia autem ex Diabolo ('Patience is from God, but haste is from the Devil'). For if, out of greed to reach the goal quickly, he proceeds with hurried steps, he will waste both time and money without ever penetrating the foundation of this great Work.

Let no one persuade themselves that in this small writing I intend to discuss the entire multitude of Arcana that Alchemy holds hidden within itself, for my intention is only to reveal the method of making that Universal Medicine which I have prepared with my own hands. I will do this with such clarity that any skilled practitioner will be able to understand it with ease. But whoever is not a good manipulator of Alchemy should refrain from attempting it, for they will achieve nothing but loss and shame—parvus error in principio, maximus est in fine ('A small mistake in the beginning becomes a great one in the end').

I have already told you that only after forty years of effort in contemplation and experimentation have I succeeded; and therefore, experto in sua arte credendum est ('One should believe an expert in his own art'). However, I hope that my Phosphorus will provide you with such illumination that, if you understand it well, you will not have to struggle as much as I did.

Know, then, my Dearest, that the Philosophers called this most celebrated Arcanum by the name of Universal Medicine, and they spoke rightly, for it is truly capable of healing bodies from any illness, whether caused by heat or cold, dryness or moisture. While this medicine does not restore a severed part of the body, it does heal every member, provided it remains part of a whole body. Thus, the great Trismegistus said: ideo fugiet a te omnis obscuritas ('Therefore, all darkness will flee from you'), meaning every illness.

Although this sublime medicine is one and the same, composed of a single substance, nonetheless, the Wise describe it as being made of many substances and through many operations—namely, sublimation, descension, distillation, calcination, solution, coagulation, fixation, and ceration, as the Arab also states in the fourth part of his Summa, Chapter 39. Others speak in the most subtle and obscure metaphors. Some confuse the operations, speaking of the final operation in place of the first. Others introduce elements that do not pertain to the Work. Still others change the names, calling Sulfur what they should call Mercury and calling Mercury what they should call Sulfur.

However, the sages do all this solely to confound the intellect of the ignorant and to deter them, so they desist from applying themselves to the Great Work and do not waste their time, their lives, and their resources to the great detriment of their poor families, as I have unfortunately witnessed in more than one case. For this reason, they do not deserve to be so harshly accused of envy and malice; rather, their charity should be admired, as they instruct the ignorant not to toil over an operation that is entirely impossible for them. Yet, with such a variety of ingredients, manipulations, and contradictions, they have explained the Work so well to the intelligent that it could not have been expressed better. Contradictions and metaphors sometimes convey their meaning even more effectively than clear words.

This triumphant medicine is composed of a single substance made up of four natures, which are completely and utterly opposed to one another—for two are hot and two cold; two are moist and two dry; two are heavy and two light. These four opposing natures are nothing other than the four elements—Fire, Air, Water, and Earth—which, through the glorious Art of Alchemy, are so analyzed and recombined that they constitute a single, incorruptible, and most perfect nature, as much as can be said. For nothing is lacking in it, nor is there anything superfluous; rather, everything that composes it is so essential that without it, it would no longer be what it is.

Indeed, what natural and created thing can ever resist the voracity of the Air, if not this Medicine alone? What hardest stone, what strongest tower, what brightest steel exposed to the Air can endure without eventually turning to dust over time?

Let the ignorant masses believe that the mere greed of time is what devours all created things. However, the Philosophers say (and very rightly) that this is nothing other than a most cruel spirit existing in the Air, which, impatient for rest, is always in combat and, with its fierceness, destroys all things. Only Gold and this great Arcane are able to resist it and save themselves from its raging fury, due to their extremely strong and steadfast composition.

All other compounds, even when brought to their state of perfection, can still be divided into their constituent parts. But the Compound of this Medicine, once it has been perfected, attains such a level of unity that it becomes utterly indivisible—not because it is simple and entirely devoid of parts, but because its very parts have so tightly embraced one another and become so inseparable that no amount of Fire, no matter how violent, can ever divide them.

In its original composition, this Medicine consists of two parts—one of which is corporeal, and the other spiritual. One part emerges from the other, just as one part governs the other, and one part enhances the other. The Philosophers have named these two parts: one Male, the other Female; one as Quicksilver, the other as Magnesia, that is, the Magnet. Thus, they have said: 'Coagulate the Quicksilver in the body of its Magnesia.'

However, my Most Beloved Brothers, I wish to warn you to be attentive and diligent here, for the Philosophers’ Quicksilver is not the same as the common quicksilver sold in shops. Rather, it is a Quicksilver that they themselves have fabricated, which is nothing other than a certain kind of moisture from which the medicine is made. Thus, the Philosophers do not call it simply ‘quicksilver’ but specify it by adding the word ‘our,’ referring to it as ‘our Quicksilver.’ How mistaken those ignorant Alchemists have been, who twist and manipulate common quicksilver into a thousand forms, and after such mistreatment, call it ‘our Quicksilver’! Indeed, it may be theirs, but neither Nature nor the Philosophers, through Art, have ever thought of tormenting their Quicksilver in such a way.

Similarly, the Magnesia of the Philosophers is not the common magnet that attracts iron, but rather a Compound or Subject that contains within itself the moisture necessary for its transformation. Through this moisture, the Compound blackens, then whitens, and finally becomes red, thus achieving the perfect medicine.

Be very careful, and do not take more substances than necessary, for I repeat once again: the Universal Medicine is one and is made from one thing alone. From this single thing, two are born—namely, Quicksilver and Magnesia. And from these two, three emerge: the black, the white, and the red compounds. Although these things appear different in their accidental properties, in substance, they are one and the same, as they are all contained within a single principal Compound, which, in truth, is nothing other than Air. From this Air arise both Magnesia and Quicksilver, or, in other words, moisture.

This moisture, upon emerging from the womb of its Magnesia, turns black at the bottom of the Vessel.

This blackness, due to its innate heat, fueled by external warmth, passes through various colors until it finally becomes white. The philosopher expressed this very well when he exclaimed: ‘Extract the white from the womb of the black.’ In the same way, the redness must be extracted from the womb of whiteness. Now, I do not speak to you as a philosopher, for I am not one, nor do I pretend to be, but I tell you to trust the words of one who is experienced, for only experience makes me speak on this matter.

Another secret of the Philosophers that I am compelled to reveal to you here is how the Sun and Moon, or Gold and Silver, enter into the great Work. For if these were not part of its composition, it could never possess such a power that surpasses the potable Gold and every other medicine.

Nor would the saying of the Philosophers hold true: ‘Nature contains Nature, Nature rejoices in Nature.’ However, stay away from the common Sun and Moon, for these are dead bodies, tortured by the violence of Fire in their fusion, and thus they are incapable of producing any good effect unless they are first resurrected by the Gold and Silver of the Philosophers, which possess a virtue and activity far more marvelous. The Sun and Moon of the Philosophers are alive and spermatic, suited to generation. Hence, the great Hermes said: ‘Whose father is the Sun, and whose mother is the Moon.’ After the Fire has fulfilled its duty by dissolving the first Compound through Putrefaction, the unnatural and feminine aspect rises, which wanders about until it eventually finds the Fire of nature. With reciprocal and ardent love, they embrace so closely that they delight in each other and give birth to the glorious offspring of the great elixir.

This great union of these two spirits, masculine and feminine, is called by the Philosophers Hermaphrodite, meaning a compound of two natures, masculine and feminine, inseparably joined.

See then, dear Brothers, how the Philosophers extracted their Sun and Moon from the pure Air, which was converted into Water, and then into Earth. Hence, they said: ‘Melt and dry that body until it turns into Water, and then freeze it into Earth,’ and therefore Hermes said: ‘It carried it in the winds in its belly, its nurse is the Earth.’

Thus, only the Air is that which contains the Philosophical Sun and Moon, and for this reason, the Hermetic Tuscan Poet said in his first Song:

‘What else is your unknown Mercury,
But a living universal Spirit inherent,
Descending from the Sun
In the air, or vapor, always agitated,
To fill the empty center of the Earth:
Then it departs,
Among impure sulphurs, and grows
From volatile to fixed, and taking form
Of the radical wetness, it informs itself.’

Thus, it is from the pure Air that we must extract Mercury and Sulfur; Spirit and Body; Water and Earth; the Sun and the Moon. This Air, however, must be taken pure and without any impurity, as the Philosophers say: ‘Do not eat from the son, whose Mother suffers from menstruation.’

Having obtained this, you need nothing more than a good regulation of the fire, as every defect and danger arises from it, for the fire must be between strong and slow (1), until the spirit is separated from the body, and ascends above the Earth, leaving in the bottom of the vessel a dead body without spirit, which, placed upon the fire, does not melt nor give off smoke. The spirit, now reduced to the form of a black cloud filled with water, is then returned over the body from which it came, so that it may vivify it and make it rise to a more glorious life than before. Therefore, Trismegistus said: ‘Its power is complete if it is turned into earth.’ Observe, then, how our sublime spirit mortifies its body and then vivifies it, and thus the Master of the Philosophers continues: ‘It ascends from the earth to the sky, and again descends to the earth and receives the power of the above and the below.’

Always remain vigilant about your fire, which, at the beginning, must be slow, then moderate, and third, strong, gradually increasing until the compound turns white and then red (2). ‘Thus you will have the glory of the entire world,’ says the renowned Hermes; and he assigns the reason for it, saying: ‘This is the strength of all strength, because it will conquer all subtle things and penetrate every solid one.’

I do not wish to speak to you, dear Brothers, like those envious philosophers, who, with their pompous and boastful speech, go around exclaiming against their predecessors for having covered the truth too much in their writings, and then they speak with even greater obscurity than the first ones, to the point where the poor students are more confused by their doctrine than before. I always wish to repeat that I am not a philosopher, but a poor ignorant who cannot make so many syllogisms or metaphors, but only knows what experience has shown me with my own hands. I do not wish to deceive you with riddles and contradictions, but as a faithful friend and brother, I want to show you the pure truth as I have experienced it.

I have made this discourse to let you know that I did not find this secret by chance, but that I have always operated with the rule of the true Philosophers, of whom I have read more than one. I have made many experiments and also many errors, but considering that learning comes from errors and that one who does not make mistakes does not learn, I have never grown weary on the path I have undertaken. Therefore, pay attention, for I will speak to you briefly, yet with as much clarity, for in this I owe nothing to anyone except the Supreme Giver of Lights, to whom be glory forever and ever.

I tell you, therefore, with all sincere fidelity, that this glorious secret lies in the Air, which must be converted into Water. To do this, I will show you at the end of this writing the shape of the Furnace and the Vessel. From this Water, you will extract ash in the manner most suitable to your capacity. From this ash, you must extract the Salt. From the salt, extract the Spirit, and from this Spirit, you must again extract the Salt. The more you multiply this operation, the more sublime and triumphant your Medicine will be over every illness, and it will maintain the human body in perfect health. Therefore, Hermes said: ‘The father of all the Telesmic secrets of the entire world is here,’ that is, the father of all Secrets.

However, I seem to see you somewhat hesitant in considering the manner of this operation, and that you may fear encountering a reproach similar to the one made by the Hermetic Italian Poet in his third Song, to those inexperienced alchemists, who, in order to make Gold, with incessant sweat, consume the moisture of their brains with so many distillations, instead of finding the radical moisture, to whom he says:

O you, who tirelessly drag The endless flames from a constant carbon, And your mixtures in many ways, and many Now stop, now dissolve, Now all dissolved, now frozen in part, From there in a remote part You’re smoking butterflies, and night and day You stay watching the foolish fires around.

Therefore, I want my Phosphorus to illuminate you still, so that you know that although all time is good for collecting the Air, the best, however, is in the three Celestial Signs of Aries, Leo, and Scorpio, that is, in the months of April, August, and October. In these times, it is much purer and more suitable for the operation, when the weather is good, clear, and without any cloudiness.

To collect this Air, you must equip yourself with six glass vessels, each one arm high and a palm wide, with a glass tube at the top, six fingers long, as you will observe in the furnace design that I will show at the end. Each vessel must have its container in which the Air, reduced to Water, can pass. You must also provide the same number of unglazed clay vessels, which should fit into the glass vessels, and these should be a palm high and shaped like a pine cone. Once the glass vessels are fitted with the clay ones and their containers and covers, the joints should be sealed well with a good clay, and left to dry. The furnace should be large and round, with seven openings, as you will see in the design. The central opening is for the charcoal, and the other six are for placing the vessels. The furnace must be placed in a high place so that the Air can more easily pass through the tubes in the glass vessels and then into the containers.

Once the furnace is arranged with its vessels and containers, and the joints are well sealed, you will begin to apply heat under the clay vessels, but the fire should not be too intense. You will see the Air enter through the tubes into the glass vessels, and from there, it will pass into the containers in the form of water. This fire should be continued every other day to allow the vessels to cool, until you have collected forty pounds of this water. This will not happen quickly, but you will need patience for fifteen or twenty days, unless you are working with another furnace and similar vessels, alternately cooled.

Having obtained this water, you must place it in a large glass vessel and cover it with its blind cap, sealing the joints well so that the spirits do not escape. Place this vessel to rot in the warm heat of horse manure or warm ashes for forty days, with the condition that the vessel be covered two-thirds with clay or ashes, always ensuring that the vessel remains warm during these forty days. If it feels cold, you will lose the true putrefaction, and in that case, you cannot blame my malice for not instructing you well, but rather your ignorance or carelessness for not having understood or considered my words carefully.

During these forty days, your water will turn black, very black, so that you will visibly witness that nigrum nigrius nigro (blacker than black), so much praised by Filaleta in his Introito aperto, which will be the true sign of perfect putrefaction. This is also taught by the Tuscan alchemist poet in his second song, saying:

'But every useless seed is seen If incorrupt, and whole Does not rot, and becomes black Corruption precedes generation. Such is nature's way In her lively works, And we, her followers, If we do not want to produce miscarriages in the end, We must first blacken, then whiten.'

After the forty days, remove the blind cap from the vessel and place the distilling cap with its recipient, sealing the joints well. Distill half of the putrefied water, and you will see a clearer water enter the recipient, more transparent than a tear; this you must keep in a sealed glass vessel because it will be needed for another operation, as I will tell you in due course.

Then take the dead black head that remained at the bottom of the vessel, and place it in a round glass vessel like a ball, with the neck about one and a half arms long. Place the distilling cap on it, and place it over a charcoal stove with its recipient, sealing the joints well, and let your material dry out.

If, during this time, any water distills, keep it well preserved, for the virtue of this water must be decanted by the wise, who can test its miraculous virtue in their healing.

Next, you must place your dried material in a fire-resistant clay vessel and calcine it until it becomes a fine, white ash, as white as chalk. Place this ash in a small glass vessel, and pour the previously distilled water from the large vessel over it, enough to cover the ash by a third. Seal the small vessel with a blind cap and place it on warm ashes until the water has absorbed the salt and has turned white. When this point is reached, decant it into another small vessel and add more water, always using the same distilled water, repeating this process several times until the water no longer turns white after being poured over the ashes. Finally, unite all the decanted waters.

Now take all the water that you have decanted from the ashes and place it in a glass container with its recipient well sealed, and distill the water, which you should reserve separately. Then remove the salt that remains at the bottom of the container and place it in another well-sealed vessel, as if you were preparing strong water to separate the Gold. Place the large recipient with the well-sealed joints and gradually apply heat: first light, then stronger, and finally intense. In this way, you will extract the spirit from the salt.

Next, take the remaining salt at the bottom of the vessel and place it in a well-sealed small container, and add a little of the spirit you just extracted from it. Seal the small container well so that the spirit does not escape, and place this container over warm ashes day and night, for as long as necessary, until the salt has absorbed the spirit.

You must repeat this operation of immersing the salt in its spirit until your salt becomes white, and then red. By carefully adjusting your operations, do not forget to give humble thanks to the Almighty Lord for granting you the grace to make this triumphant Medicine, which surpasses every ailment with its natural curative virtue, purging alone the Bile, Phlegm, Pituita, and Melancholy. Also, do not forget to pray to the same Lord for the friend who has been so faithful in teaching you everything precious they have learned in forty or more years of constant reflection and arduous operations.

Although I have described the entire operation of this great Secret to you, do not trust too much in the sharpness of your intellect, nor in your long practice in the art of working, but imitate the Angelic Doctor Thomas Aquinas, who asserted that he learned more through prayer than through study. Thus, the most celebrated writers of this science wrote: 'Pray and work,' because it is a science that is learned more in prayer than in the laboratory. Many great alchemists can attest to this, who, thinking they could reach the goal with the depth of their intellect alone, after spending their life, time, and resources, ended up as the laughingstock of the ignorant crowd."

The use of this medicine should be the weight of a grain each month in a cup of wine for those who wish to purify the mass of blood from any malign quality and maintain it purified.

The sick, of whatever illness, can take it twice a month in a cup of warm broth. It can be freely taken by anyone, of any age, gender, or condition, because it will be beneficial to all and harmful to none. However, everyone should be cautious not to use it too often or in too large a quantity at once, because in such a case, it would increase the innate heat so much that it would consume the radical moisture and lead to death. As the philosophers say, 'Many have been killed by medicine,' meaning the excess of its use.

Here, O most beloved Brothers, is the most sincere and pure sentiment of my Heart on this matter. Here is manifested the most sublime of my labors. Here is finally unveiled the great Secret of the Philosophers without adulterated documents, without deceitful Recipes, without diabolical Oracles. If from this writing you derive some good, thank the Supreme Giver of Lights. If you find something poorly explained, I ask you not to blame my malice, but rather to excuse my ignorance, as I have not been able to better explain the meaning of the Heart, for (as I repeat once more) I am not a Philosopher, and so I will conclude my discourse with the words of the divine Hermes: 'It is complete, that which I have said about the Operation of the Sun.'

The End.