THE REAL BOOK of the Philosopher's Stone

OF THE LEGAL SYNESIUS, GREEK ABBOT




How many that the ancient philosophers wrote variously of this science, hiding under an infinity of names the true principles of the art. They didn't do it any time without great considerations that we will represent below. And how much they spoke very differently, for that they were in no way discordant, but tending to the same end, speaking of the same thing, they found it good to name, above all the own agent, of strange name , and sometimes contrary to its nature and quality. Now hear therefore my son, that the great God has created two Stones with this universe, which are the white and the red, which two are under the same subject, and afterwards grow in such abundance that each can take as much as he wants. .

And their material is such that it holds the middle between the metal, and Mercury, and is partly fixed, and partly unfixed, otherwise would not hold the medium between the metals and Mercury, which matter is the instrument which will accomplish our desire, if we prepare it. And because, those who work in this art without this medium, lose all their trouble, but if they know this medium, all things will be possible and favorable to them.

Know that this medium is found to be airy with the celestial bodies, and only therein is it the masculine gender, and strictly speaking feminine, having a firm, strong and fixed, and permanent virtue, of the essence of which (as I told you ) philosophers spoke only by similarity, and figures.

And this so that science was never understood by the ignorant, which in the event everything would perish. But only by patient souls, refined minds, sequestered from the quagmire of the world, and cleansed of the filthiness of earthly, muddy which is avarice, by which the ignorant are tied down their noses to the earth in this world (without that admirable quintessence) abode of all poverty, assured that these divine souls, after having penetrated into the well of Democritus, that is to say the truth of Natures, will undoubtedly know the confusion that it would cause to all orders and trades if each could make gold in such quantity that he would like.

And because they wanted to speak by figures, type and analogies, in order to be heard only by wise and holy souls, and illustrated with Sapience. If, however, in composed works they have given certain path, way and rule, by which the wise can understand all that they have written occultly, and in the end achieve it after a few mistakes like I did, praise God.

And although the ignorant vulgar should hear these reasons, and thus venerate what cannot rise in his brain, on the contrary he has accused the philosophers of falsehood and wickedness, so that art is almost everywhere in contempt of them, because there are few sages. Now I am telling you now, that they have always spoken according to the true truth, but very covertly, and sometimes fabulously, what I clear out clearly in this little book, and in such a way, that anyone desiring knowledge, will hear what has been hidden by the philosophers.

However if he thought I heard without knowing the nature of the Elements and created things, and our rich metal, he would work in vain? But if he knows fleeing and following natures, by the grace of God he will be able to do so. So I pray to God that whoever hears this secret present may work for the glory and praise of his holy Divinity. Know then, my dear son, that the ignorant cannot understand the secret of the art, because he depends on the knowledge of the true body which is hidden from him.

Know then, my son, the Natures, the pure and the impure, the world and the filthy, because nothing can give what it does not have. And because things are not and cannot be done according to their nature, therefore use the most perfect and next member that you will find, and will be enough for you. So leave the mixed, and take its simple. Because he is quintessential. And note that we have two bodies of very great perfection, filled with quicksilver, so from them draw your quicksilver, and you will make medicine of them, called of no quintessence, which is a power, imperishable, permanent, and always victorious, indeed it is a clear light, which exemplifies with true goodness every soul that has once savored it. It is the knot and the bond of all the elements which it contains in itself, and the spirit which nourishes all things, by means of which nature works in the universe.

She is the force, the beginning, and the end of all the work, and so that in one word I manifest the whole to you, know that the quintessence and the occult thing of our stone, is nothing other than our viscous, celestial, and glorious soul, drawn by our magisterium from its mine, which alone engenders it, and that it is not possible for us to make this water by art, but nature is the only one who engenders it, and this water is the very sour vinegar which makes gold be pure spirit, even it is this blessed Nature, which engenders all things, which with putrefaction is very united, and with its Viridity causes many colors to appear.

And I say to you, my son, do not count other things as vain, but only this water, which burns, whitens, dissolves, and freezes, it is this which putrefies and germinates. And because I advise you that all your intention be in the decoction of your water, and do not be angry with the length of time, otherwise you will have no fruit. Cook it slowly little by little until it changes its color into perfect and take care that at the beginning you do not burn its flowers, and its liveliness, and do not rush to be early at the end.

Close your vessel well, so that he who is within cannot come out, and so may come into effect. And note, that to dissolve, to calcine, to imbibe, to cook, to fix, to grind, to dry up, and to distill, are the same thing and mean nothing more than to cook nature until she is perfect. Note again that pulling the soul, or the spirit, or the body, is nothing other than the aforesaid calcinations, because they signify the operation of Venus. So it is with the fire of soul extraction, that the spirit comes out sweet, understand me. It may still be, said, of the extraction of the soul from the body and a former reduction upon it composed, until the whole is drawn into the commixtion of all the four elements.

And so what is below is like what is above, and thus there are made two luminaries, one fixed, the other not, of which the fixed remains below, and the volatile above, moving perpetually until that which is below, which is the male, rises on the female and everything is fixed, and then an unparalleled luminary is born. And as in the beginning one was, so in this matter all will come from one and return to one. What is called converting the Elements, and converting the Elements is called, making the wet dry, and the fugitive fixed, so that the thick thing diminishes and debilitates the thing that fixes the others, remaining the fixative of the thing. .

Thus is made the death and the life of the Elements, which compose, germinate and produce, thus one thing perfects the other, and helps it to fight against the fire. the other no, of which the fixed remains below, and the volatile above, moving perpetually until that which is below, which is the male, rises on the female and all is fixed, and then a luminary without equal is born. . And as in the beginning one was, so in this matter all will come from one and return to one. What is called converting the Elements, and converting the Elements is called, making the wet dry, and the fugitive fixed, so that the thick thing diminishes and debilitates the thing that fixes the others, remaining the fixative of the thing. .

Thus is made the death and the life of the Elements, which compose, germinate and produce, thus one thing perfects the other, and helps it to fight against the fire. the other no, of which the fixed remains below, and the volatile above, moving perpetually until that which is below, which is the male, rises on the female and all is fixed, and then a luminary without equal is born. .

And as in the beginning one was, so in this matter all will come from one and return to one. What is called converting the Elements, and converting the Elements is called, making the wet dry, and the fugitive fixed, so that the thick thing diminishes and debilitates the thing that fixes the others, remaining the fixative of the thing. . Thus is made the death and the life of the Elements, which compose, germinate and produce, thus one thing perfects the other, and helps it to fight against the fire. perpetually moving until the one below, which is the male, rises on the female and everything is fixed, and then a luminary without equal is born. And as in the beginning one was, so in this matter all will come from one and return to one.

What is called converting the Elements, and converting the Elements is called, making the wet dry, and the fugitive fixed, so that the thick thing diminishes and debilitates the thing that fixes the others, remaining the fixative of the thing. . Thus is made the death and the life of the Elements, which compose, germinate and produce, thus one thing perfects the other, and helps it to fight against the fire. perpetually moving until the one below, which is the male, rises on the female and everything is fixed, and then a luminary without equal is born.

And as in the beginning one was, so in this matter all will come from one and return to one. What is called converting the Elements, and converting the Elements is called, making the wet dry, and the fugitive fixed, so that the thick thing diminishes and debilitates the thing that fixes the others, remaining the fixative of the thing. . Thus is made the death and the life of the Elements, which compose, germinate and produce, thus one thing perfects the other, and helps it to fight against the fire. And as in the beginning one was, so in this matter all will come from one and return to one.

What is called converting the Elements, and converting the Elements is called, making the wet dry, and the fugitive fixed, so that the thick thing diminishes and debilitates the thing that fixes the others, remaining the fixative of the thing. . Thus is made the death and the life of the Elements, which compose, germinate and produce, thus one thing perfects the other, and helps it to fight against the fire. And as in the beginning one was, so in this matter all will come from one and return to one.

What is called converting the Elements, and converting the Elements is called, making the wet dry, and the fugitive fixed, so that the thick thing diminishes and debilitates the thing that fixes the others, remaining the fixative of the thing. .

Thus is made the death and the life of the Elements, which compose, germinate and produce, thus one thing perfects the other, and helps it to fight against the fire. remaining the fixative of the thing. Thus is made the death and the life of the Elements, which compose, germinate and produce, thus one thing perfects the other, and helps it to fight against the fire. remaining the fixative of the thing. Thus is made the death and the life of the Elements, which compose, germinate and produce, thus one thing perfects the other, and helps it to fight against the fire.

Convenient

My son, you need to work with the Mercury of philosophers and sages, which is not the vulgar, nor the vulgar in everything, but according to them is the first matter, the soul of the world, the cold element. , Holy Water, Water of the Wise, Poisonous Water, Very Strong Vinegar, Mineral Water, Water of Celestial Grace, Virginal Milk, our mineral and corporal Mercury. Because he alone perfects both white and red Stones. Look what Geber says.

That our art does not consist of the multitude of various things, because the Mercury is only one thing, that is to say, only one Stone in which consists all the magisterium, to which you will not add any strange thing, except that in its preparation you will remove from it all superfluous materials, especially since in this matter all things necessary in this art are contained therein. And why in particular he says.

We will add nothing strange except the Sun and the Moon for the white and red tincture, which are not foreign, but are its Ferment by which the work is done. Finally notes my son, that these Suns and Moons are similar to the vulgar Suns and Moons, because our Suns and Moons are better in their nature than the vulgar Suns and Moons.

Especially since our Sun and our Moon in the same subject are alive, and those of the vulgar are dead, compared to ours existing, and permanent in our Stone. Then you will notice, that the Mercury drawn from our bodies is like the aqueous and common Mercury, and because the thing rejoices in its like, and has pleasure with it, and is better and more readily accompanied, as does the simple and compound, which has been hidden by the philosophers in their books.

So all the benefit that is in this art lies in Mercury, Sun and Moon, and all the rest is in vain. So Diomedes says, use the material into which you must not introduce anything strange, powder or water, because various things do not improve our stone, and thereby he demonstrates to whoever understands it, that the tincture of our Stone derives only from the Mercury of the philosophers, which is their principle, their root, and their great tree from which issue then so many branches.

First Operation

Sublimation

It is not vulgar, but philosophical, with which we remove the surplus of this stone, which indeed is only elevation of the non-fixed part by smoke, and vapor, because the fixed part must remain at the bottom , so we don't want one to separate from the other, but to stay and stay together.

And know that he who will sublimate properly, our philosopher's Mercury, in which is all the virtue of the stone, he perfects the magisterium. And for this said Geber, all perfection consists in sublimation, and in this sublimation are all the other operations, namely distillation, assation, destruction, coagulation, putrefaction, calcination, fixation, reduction of the white and red tinctures procreated and engendered in one furnace and a vessel,

Take, then, in the name of the great God, the venerable matter of the philosophers, named Hylec of the Sages, which contains the aforesaid Philosopher's Mercury, called the first matter of the perfect body, put it in its vessel as it should be, clear, lucid, and round, well stoppered and closed by the seal of seals, and warm it in its well-prepared place with heat tempered by a continual philosophical self, keeping it in the sweat of sublimation until it begins to purify itself, warm itself , coloring, and congealing with its metallic humidity, and settles so long as nothing more can rise by the smoky aerated substance, but which remains fixed at the bottom, altered and deprived of all viscous and black humidity which is called black dress , darkness, or the head of the Raven.

So when our stone is in the ship, And for this there are in our Stone only two Elements formed. To know the earth and the water: but the earth holds in its hope the virtue and the dryness of the fire. And the water contains in itself the air with its humidity. So in our Stone we have only two Elements in view, though indeed we have four.

And by that you can say that the separation of the 4 Elements is quite physical, not vulgar and real, as the ignorant are daily. So continue the decoction over a slow fire, until all the black matter appearing on the surface, is at all delivered by the magisterium, which blackness is by the philosophers called, Tenebrous Robe of the Stone, which afterwards remains clear, and is called Mondified Water of the Earth, or of the Elixir.

And note that the darkness that appears is a sign of putrefaction. And the beginning of dissolution is a sign of putrefaction. And the beginning of the dissolution, is a sign of the conjunction of the two Natures, and this darkness appears several times in 40 days, more or less, according to the quantity, of the material, and the good industry of the worker who helps a lot to the separation of said blackness. But my son, by the grace of God you now have an Element of our Stone which is the black earth, the Raven's head of the others called the dark shadow, on which earth as on a trunk all the rest is based.

And this terrestrial and dry Element is called Laton, Taurus, Black Feces, our Metal, our Mercury. And so by the adjustive moisture privation which is removed by Philosophical sublimation the volatile is fixed, and the soft is made dry and earthy, see according to Geber, the complexion is mutated as Nature cold and wet, angry dry, and liquid in this case according to Alphidius. And thus is apparent the intention of the philosophers when they say that the operation of our Stone, is only change of Nature and revolution of Elements.

So you see how by this incorporation, the wet becomes dry, and the fixed volatile, the bodily spiritual, and the thick liquid, the water fire, and the air earth, and thus certainly change their true nature, and all the 4 Elements circulate one another. is only change of Nature and revolution of Elements. So you see how by this incorporation, the wet becomes dry, and the fixed volatile, the bodily spiritual, and the thick liquid, the water fire, and the air earth, and thus certainly change their true nature, and all the 4 Elements circulate one another. is only change of Nature and revolution of Elements.

So you see how by this incorporation, the wet becomes dry, and the fixed volatile, the bodily spiritual, and the thick liquid, the water fire, and the air earth, and thus certainly change their true nature, and all the 4 Elements circulate one another.

From the second operation

Dealbation

And converts our Mercury into a white stone, and this by fire of decoction. After the earth is separated from its water, then the vessel must be put on the Ashes, as one uses at the distillation furnace, and the water distilled at a slow fire at the beginning, in such a way that the water comes so gently that you may distinctly number up to forty names, or say fifty-six words, and be observed this order by all the distillation of all the black earth, and what is at the bottom of the vessel, which is the faeces left with the new water, then will dissolve, which water will contain three or four parts more than these faeces, so that all will dissolve and convert into Mercury and quicksilver.

I tell you that you will do this so many times that only the Mark remains. In this distillation there is no fixed time, but is done according to the large or small quantity of water, always observing the quantity of fire. Afterwards you will take the earth that you will have reserved in its glass vessel with its distilled water, and thus with slow and gentle fire, as was that of distillation, or purification, or else a little stronger, you will continue, until until the earth is dry and white, and has drunk up all its water as it dries.

This done, put the aforesaid water on it, and thus as at the beginning you will always continue your decoction, until this earth is entirely white, hushed, and clear, and has drunk all its water. And note that the said earth will thus be washed from its blackness by its decoction, as I told you, because it easily purifies itself with its water and becomes mundified, which is the end of the magisterium, and then keep this white earth diligently.

For she is the white Mercury, white magnesia, leafy earth. Afterwards you will take this white earth rectified as above, and put it in its vessel on the ashes to the fire of sublimation, to which you will give strong fire, until all the coagulated water which will be in it, comes into the Alembic, and that the earth, the water, and the air, and though the earth contains in itself the nature of fire, nevertheless it is not yet apparent indeed, as you will see, when by greater decoction will cause it to become red, so much so that then you will clearly see the fire in appearance, and thus one must proceed to the Fermentation of the white earth, so that the dead body comes alive, and is vivified, and that its virtue multiplies in infinity.

But note that the ferment can only enter the dead body by means of the water which makes the marriage and conjunction between the Ferment and the white earth. And know that in all Ferment one must observe the weight so that the quality of the volatile does not overcome the fixed, and the marriage does not go up in smoke. For says Senior, if you do not convert the earth into water, and the water into fire, the spirit and the body will not join together.

And to do this, take an inflamed lamina, and put on it a drop of our medicine, it will penetrate, and will be colored with perfect color, and will be a sign of perfection. And if it happens that it does stain, repeat the dissolution and coagulation, until it is staining and penetrating. And note that seven imbibitions are sufficient at most, and five at least, for the matter to liquefy, and be smokeless, and then the matter is perfect to white. The more so as the matter is fixed sometimes longer, and sometimes less, according to the quantity of the Medicine. And note that our Medicine, from the creation of our Mercury, requires the term of seven months until the whiteness, and until the red five, which makes twelve.

From the third operation

Rubification

Take White Medicine as much as you want, and put it with its glass on the hot ashes, as long as it is dried up like here. Then give him water from the Sun, which will have been kept aside for the said task, and continue the fire of the second degree, until it becomes dry, then give him again the aforesaid water, and thus successively soak and dries up, until the matter rubifies, and liquefies like wax, and flows over the red lamina, as is said, and then will be the perfect matter to the red.

But note, that every time you have to put more Solar water than what is needed to cover the body, and no more, and this is done so that the Elixir does not submerge, and drowns, and so the fire must continue until it dries up,


PROJECTION

The more you dissolve and coagulate, the more will multiply its virtue to infinity. But note, that the Medicine multiplies later by solution, than by Fermentation. By which the solute thing does not operate well, if first it is not fixed in your Ferment.

Nevertheless, the multiplication of Solute Medicine is more abundant than Fermented, especially as there is more subtilization. Again I advise you that in multiplication you put one part of the work on four of the other, and in a short time will be powder, according to the Ferment.

Epilogue following Hermès

So you will separate the earth from the fire, the gross from the subtle, gently with great spirit, that is to say, you will separate the united parts in the oven, by the dissolution and separation of the parts, as your earth from the fire, the subtle thick, etc. To know the purest substance of the Stone, until you remain clean, without any stain and filth.

And when said, it rises from earth to Heaven, and then another time returns to earth, you have to hear the sublimation of bodies. Again to explain the distillation well, he says: Let the wind carry it in its belly, to know when the water distills by the Still, where it rises first by the smoky and vaporous wind, and then returns to the bottom of the vessel still in water. Still wanting to show the freezing of matter, he says: Its strength is complete if it returns to the earth, that is, if it is converted by decoction.

And to generally demonstrate all the aforesaid things, he says: And will receive the inferior and superior force, that is to say from the Elements, especially as if Medicine receives the force from the light parts, namely from air and fire, it will also receive the most serious and heavy parts, which change into water and earth, and it is thus that the materials thus perpetually united have permanence, residence, firmness and stability.

Praise be to God. it will also receive the most serious and heavy parts, which change into water and earth, and it is thus that the materials thus perpetually united have permanence, residence, firmness and stability. Praise be to God. it will also receive the most serious and heavy parts, which change into water and earth, and it is thus that the materials thus perpetually united have permanence, residence, firmness and stability. Praise be to God.


END