“After in the fiery Sun, dry as long as the Stone is done. Rosarium (Philosophorum): The sun’s heat is an excellent aggregate (complexionem), with which sometimes the fire can be imitated etc.
On the other hand, about the proceeding method to set a process, two for us are the Works to accomplish this opus, of them one is the Olympic fire of the Sun, according to some is the natural fire, according to Paracelsus is called the invisible fire of the Sunbeams. This fire occurs by means of a mirror made from either steel or crystal, visible by eyes, is sensitive to the remaining senses, and significantly demonstrates its efficacy, as metals and other flowing and greasy things on a table can liquefy. On this subject, the ancient … wrote (De qua re veteres ne gry quidem scripserunt… I miss who does in earth “ne gry” mean).
The second is required the vessel in which, or upon which this opus is carried out to perfection, of which the text is about, how vitreous and closed must be since this is what it says.
You should be on guard and watch out for any fumes not to escape and when it will be open and chilled out.”
The following paragraph is side-noted as ” Use of the mirror”.
“So I push as in the second and third part of this opus separately (Unde conicio quamvis secunda & tertia pars huius operis separatim. I cannot see a precise point where to insert the adverb “separately”. It is up to you), whichever performed by its self. Nevertheless nobody can carry out both together at the same time. As in the previous process the calx of “monticulorum” ( see above for eggshells and calx of eggshells) has to be placed with moisture Elzarog gum in an oblong glass phial, and add on the joined Mercurius of Sun and Moon, and this done close tightly the vessel’s opening, as over the said fire will be heated, perfectly fulfilled. The use of this fire is otherwise not in a closed vessel but usually on cinders, evidently together with the frozen-fixed Mercurius Saturni (see above) or similar easy medicine powders get placed over cinders (super cineritio) with a winch, and in removal, I put, under full Sun when in summer its heat is of extreme force.
Then a concave, triangular, or round, smooth, and clean incendiary mirror, from steel, air, even prepared from heated air, you to have, and that even of the Sun must hold hands to place in front and align, to be increased the collecting of many rays in it, and in the center joint, rebounding hits the cinders, so the brightening of the Sun and mirror hits your matter with rays, then as Mercurius causes your medicine to move and begins to turn around, this done to check the golden Ungarian calx, or something else whether the opus is active according to the process of your work, step by step and when can receive bring into.”
Orthelius, like Johann Isaac Hollandus, uses the word “cineritio” to mean “cinders”. This is a neologism from Italian composed of the real latin word cinis-cineris (cinders) and the ending “itio”, a typical ancient Italian to indicate a whatever apparatus. Orthelius here seems to mean that the Sunbeams must also hit the cinders. He doesn’t mention whether or not those cinders must be already hot before being exposed to the Sun.
Look at this with wonder so the God’s work you are allowed to contemplate, on that the text so states: linger beside the vessel, watch inside. It is prodigious how the matter is moved from color to color. “Thus, in front of the mirror ( Sicque sub speculo. Unfortunately, the preposition sub also means: under, before, just after, in the bottom, close to, inside, all with ablative case) to turn, you will finish, as long as the sky of Saturnus (Saturni coelo) by itself evaporates-vanishes or its matter rests motionless.
We know that our matter goes from color to color in the Main, or second, Work. And also in the third, the matter being given the Cauda Pavonis, peacock tail. As Orthelius talks of a marriage to be done between two Mercurii and celebrated by a third, the matter probably enters the rotations from black to red through white, that’s to say, the Main Work. In many paths, the alchemist performs this color rotation with exhausting operations and ordinary fire. In some paths, the amount of Secret Fire inside the matter is so powerful to do a part of the work. In this case, the sunlight helps with cooking a lot.
“Only in this way through an incendiary mirror, many other things, actually almost hard mineral things, the beast of their unripeness is torn by the Sun, brought to maturity in the amount of sweet honey, and useful for health, is reduced.
Even this operation is not achieved, but because of the internal power of the external Sun, a matter naturally implanted, the only way to be brought from power to act: But at the same time, its extrinsic virtue gets pushed inside the matter. If, in fact, only from the external heat and internal form is moved. Why does the hypocaust furnace, or lazy Henricus as they called it, not offer a similar effect and impregnation? Therefore just like grapes and fruits cooked in the hypocaust heat, they have nothing to do with those completed under the Sun. Therefore everything I say of this work is rational. As what is said of wine can endorse. This is usually done in wine by heat and light, from which it drew down and shifted. While this happens, there is no way to refuse digestion, which by artificial and material fire used powerfully to be, and to many useful functions is necessary, to Maria Prophitissa’s practice is not required.
This paragraph is side-noted as ” Preparation of Regulus of Antimonium by the Sun”: In the same way, Suchten makes his regulum Martial Antimonii digest, liquefy, and get to perfection, as for the second instead it is derived that Hercules proved to be a strong hero and conqueror of all evil. “
The labors of Hercules are a synonym with preparatory works, that’s to say, the operation to achieve our Volatile Mercurius, the part described in the previous article. Those works take the raw matter to salts and then volatilize. See Carlo Lancillotti’s commentary on Basilius Triumphant Chariot of Antimony.
“On that, they wrote:
Just like the apple, grapes’ acidity and sour taste are unpleasant. Unless first they get cooked and ripened from the sun, the same it is understood on the starry Regulus Antimonii that when raw, there is nothing less mature as medicine. And therefore, by means of the sky, this opus has to maturate, neither by our invented first, second, third, or fourth heat degrees nor in balneum, cinders, or sand.
Take the following example. Look at the fire lighted on a tree, and wish to eat, nevertheless an unripe stony, and hard is. If the tree remains, with time, it softens. Eat fittingly it will be: what will you do if it really extinguishes and into your furnace, even another heat turns on by itself? What if I ask the difference between the fire you have lighted and the other that in the time was growing up?”
The other fire Orthelius mentions is our Secret Fire/Mercurius extracted from the raw matter.
“Certainly the most remarkable difference; the same felt by alchemists, who varied furnaces have made and find out subtle digestions, nevertheless some (who do not lack artificial fire) set up, even convince themselves, I ask for advice on how I can prepare a subtle artificial fire, which the degree and efficacy of natural fire be matching, but they completely mistake, since they don’t consider his fire, that is not because of it that God is less effective.
So why is their own fire not an instrument of the God Creator, for this reason, therefore, they attempt to operate with that, that to them is not given, but it is due as a divine and universal tool, since only by virtue of this divine it receives. How does a wheat field ripe? How is the fruit in the garden? How do the grapes in the vines? God demonstrates himself by heaven, which is his instrument. “
The last paragraph is side noted, “Mercurius maturation”.
“If even with our fire we can do, we will indeed be estimated. But God does not like it; therefore, even this is forbidden. Meanwhile, however, we are debtors, and it is necessary that we do mature Mercurius since we are forbidden to make ( noster ignis hoc efficere nequeat), so to hunt the real fire for us is necessary. At the same time, we will take and try to get.
Perhaps we must ascend to heaven and subtract this fire from God’s hands. Not at all. But we have to implore the grace of God and do what they did. It is a gift from God. It is that a creature of God, therefore not of humankind. Anyone can give to anyone; this is not ours, but to indicate where to search. What do you think?
Instead, from the highest degree of heaven, will come down? Not at all? This is a great job and challenging; they studied that before, and now they are understood. Not without cause, they even wrote about this in different ways, and parables, allegories, and metaphors that they threw in their books, in accordance with their minds of that handles.
To humankind, it needs to be sensibly easy; a great mystery is contained in these things, you can not know, words of Suchten, so I finish by this short interlocutory sentence.”
You can find the first part in Orthelius Commentary on Maria Prophitissa. Part 1.
- See also Symbola Aureae Mensae and the Supreme Purpose , Hortulus Hermeticus and Love Between Fumes ;
- See also The Zuretti Anonymous and Matters for a Good Sublimation .