The Circulatum Tree picture in Aphorismi by Urbigerus or Urbigerani represents the Volatile Fixation process in Circulatorium for both Circulatum Maius and Minus.
In Urbigerus’s book frontispiece, we can read: “Aphorismi Urbigerani Or Certain Rules Clearly demonstrating the Three Infallible Ways of Preparing the Grand Elixir or Circulatum Maius … to which are added the Three ways of Preparing the Vegetable Elixir or Circulatum Minus: All deduced from never erring EXPERIENCE” London 1690. As far as experience is concerned, I doubt it is never erring.
Back to our main topic, we, first of all, have to understand what “Circulatum” means, for it is clear enough that Urbigerus has not chosen it without a deep reason. Christophle Glaser writes, in his “Traitè de la Chimie” Paris 1668, that Circulation can fix volatile and volatilize Sal Fixum ( plu. salia fixa) or fixed salts. Nevertheless, he fails to make any allusion to this practice’s difficulty. Rulandus, in his “Lexicon Alchemiae” Frankfurt 1612, dedicates more than one page to circulating practice:
Circulatorium: a Glass Vessel where the liquor is rotated, as in a circle, by alternate ascending and descending. It is used chiefly in rarefactions/making subtle circulations. There are wide varieties in the conformation of this vessel, of which the two most important are the Pelican and the Diota.
Circulatio: is the Exaltation by the agency of Heat of a Pure Liquid through a circular solution and coagulation in the Pelican. It is only for those liquid substances to be resolved or attenuated into the air and brought back into a liquid state… Liquid, when they come out of it, liquids are not weaker but purer, more potent, and more translucid. Several operations concur in its administration, such as digestion, sublimation, vicarious distillation, etc. For example, much trouble and care are required to properly extract the spirit of wine so it may be obtained without any phlegmatic part. As often as it is raised, it always takes some moisture with it… The best wine that can be obtained is taken and poured into a capacious circulating vessel. When the aperture has been sealed up, it is left in the water bath for fourteen days so that it may continually boil in water. Then it is taken out, put in a phial, and is in winter, still hot, into cold snow water, an alembic being at hand with a receiver. But in summer, it is placed in a cellar, in a refrigerating vessel, and the spirit being pure and free from all moisture, passes from the alembic and is discharged into the receiver. When no further ascension occurs, the receiver is removed, and the phial is taken away with the wine, which now contains no true spirit but what Theophrastus terms vinum adustum (1). The spirit of wine is caused to revolve in the circulating vessel until no further liquefaction can occur; a humid elevation then deals with it. When the material on which it is to operate is placed in the receptacle, it absorbs it readily and relinquishes flight.
Wine does contain interesting chemical molecules such as ethanol, which we know is often used to lift substances, otherwise not so willing to raise. Rulandus says liquids coming out of the circulatum are purer, more potent, and more translucid. It is clear enough that we can put wine inside a vas circulatorium, or circulating vessel, and wait for the remaining of our life for a resulting Mercurius or Dianas Tears, as Urbigerus calls it. The first aphorism in his “ Aphorismi Urbigerani” says: “Our Circulatum minus is only a specificated Elixir, belonging to the Vegetable Kingdom, by which without any Fire, or farther Preparation of the Vegetables, we can in a Moment extract their true Essence… ” Thus, it is not a crude matter, as common wine, but already a substance from which we can extract its “ true Essence”. In this blog, you have countless times heard of Secret Fire extraction from crude matter reduced in salts. So important because of their tendency (salts) to be rich in our First Matter. Rulandus warns us that the spirit of wine may be obtained without any phlegmatic part. Of course, salts give no more phlegmatic parts.
Urbigerus, in the second aphorism, tells us: “We call it Circulatum, because, tho never so often used in any Extraction, or Chymical Experiment whatever, it loses nothing of its Quality, or Property: which is a Prerogative, of the Universal Elixir, also called the Circulatum majus… ”. Our matter to be put in a circulatorium is no more to be extracted; that’s to say, salts have already been taken out. We only need to take out Secret Fire. Or Quality, or Property. This prerogative also pertains to Circulatum Maius or Universal Elixir. Maius, or mineral, contains the same Secret Fire/Mercurius from Minus or vegetable, but in larger quantity, due to its mineral quality. But we know that a Minus can also help a mineral dissolve and become a dissolvent (2). People “ Quem Fata Vocant”, or those called by fate, can collect matters from vegetal mines, as seen on the first engraving in Aphorismi Urbigerani.
In the second “Aphorism Urbigerani” we find: “… then it is taken out and put in a phial, and is in winter time placed still hot into cold snow water…”. We have just heard about the need for state changes. That’s not a little value statement. Secret Fire is enhanced by sudden changes of state (3).
In the fourth aphorism, Urbigerus finally points at the subject matter of the frontispiece engraving, that’s to say, our Mercurius Philosophorum (4): “The Determination of our Dianas Tears consists only in their perfect and indissoluble Union with the Vegetable Earth, philosophically prepared, purified, and spiritualized: for the love of which they are forced to leave their first universal undetermined Property, and be clothed with a determined particular one, which is required to this our Circulatum minus.”
We know salt must be dissolved in a liquid to be somewhat raised in our vas circulatorium. Nothing esoteric about it; it is a common ancient chemistry practice. But, mind, no vapor must be lost, and no vacuum must be operated inside vessels. A closed but full of air, Circulation is a challenge quite impossible in modern chemistry. In fact, in modern spagyrics, they frequently open vessels to let vapors out. Be aware that Mercurius can never be attained if we restrain element air. It is not a question of elements of the course but of Secret Fire flying in the air.
Anyway, the liquid will be an obvious environment when circulation is involved. Or at least a fluid one. As we can see in the right picture, “Filius Noster,” our son, is the latin motto. Quite a blaspheme for a seventeenth-century Christian, but very interesting from an alchemical point of view; back at that age, “Spiritus Sanctus” or Holy Spirit was a usual camouflage for our Mercurius or volatile Secret Fire. This image has often been taken as a representation of the wet way Mercurius Philosophorum, see Caduceus symbol. But, in my opinion, we are not here before a “Mutus Liber,” which separately deals with wet and dry ways. We can see Sun and Moon hovering over the scene. So Solve et Coagula. The dissolving Moon alternated with sublimating Sun. A certain number of times, and we can get to Mercurius. In Hermes’ hand, Caduceus is also an allegory for operations to achieve Dianas Tears, as Urbigerus calls the first appearance of Dissolvent. We have already bumped into the nasty rule of three, by which a symbol may stand for at least three concepts. And there are no worse symbols than Sun and Moon (5). Aphorismi Urbigerani engraving number two deals with a dry Hermes entering a cave, bringing along sublimation flowers.
Thus no more watery environment. Here Mercurius has reached a fixation. And now the vessel or Vas Circulatorium can be finally opened. We have our gold mine. We have accomplished that difficult operation called Closed Circulation, or simply Circulation, for closed conditions (without vacuum) are compulsory.
Moreover, we have accomplished what Glaser calls fixation of the volatile. But before that, inside Circulatorium, we performed volatilization of fixed salts. Perhaps it is time to have a glance at the Opus Magnum scheme. Be aware that we are not obliged to circulate inside a Pelican. Other vessels can be used for the purpose. Urbigerus, in his fifth Aphorism, presents another way for vegetable salts volatilization:” Our second way of preparing this our Vegetable Elixir is by a right Manipulation of a Plant of the noblest Degree, standing by itself, or supported by others: after the Preparation of which, and its Putrefaction, Reduction into an Oil, Separation of the three Principles, with their Purification, Union, and Spiritualization, the whole is to be turned into a spiritual ever-living Fountain, renewing every Plant, that shall be plunged in it.” And that seems a real spagyric path, as we commonly are used to. It is the same concept as aphorisms 2-4, but for the method to volatilize vegetable salts: no more salts plus outer liquids, but just a division of a plant into its elemental components, that Urbigerus calls “Principles”, while they are mere elements. To then re-unify them in a closed circulatorium. The basic idea in both methods is getting rid of phlegmatic parts. Which, apart from everything, provides a good closed circulation too.
From all aforementioned, we get that the real secret here is not circulation, but circulatorium, that’s to say, the tool, since without it, a closed circulation is quite impossible.
But this post’s main aim was to explicate the first Aphorismi Urbigerani picture. And now we are. Since we could not understand this picture without plunging a little into Urbigerus’s book. I have often heard of this engraving as a compendium of Mercurius Philosophorum. While in my opinion, it is a beautiful representation of what a Vas Circulatorium is, or better, what a fixation of Mercurius goes about inside a Circulatorium. The tree is a rendition of our special circulating vessel, like a sap continuously moving into a plant’s vascular system. And we know that trees emit bituminous or resinous substances.
We can see Mercurius in its circulating phase on the tree’s right, while Mercurius Philosophorum is on the left. Man-Sun and Woman-Moon are not Mercurius, but Solve et Coagula movements, up and down inside our circulatorium, or fixed and volatile. Someone will object that man is sulfur and women mercurius. Sulfur-mercurius are subjected to the rule of three, and here they are mere Solve et Coagula movements (6). Or better, when Mercurius is in the volatile phase is a woman with a bow, and when in the fixed phase is a man with a sulfurous harp. Both are unripe Mercurius, mind, not unripe Sulphur, which is the Main Work product. In contrast, Mercurius is achieved at the end of preparatory Works.
Take notice of the motto “Virtus unita fortior” on the tree top: « Unified virtue is stronger”. Stronger than what? Stronger than the hovering serpent, moving like a flux, here representing Mercurius in its volatile phase, saying “Nil sine vobis” or nothing without you. That’s to say that a volatile woman is useless without male fixation (alchemical symbolism comes from ancient times). Volatile Mercurius is so beautiful but impossible to be handled, and it tries hard to resist fixation she’s saying: “Ulterus te vinciam”, or I will conquer you later. While he/the fixed is irresistibly attracted by her volatility/dissolving qualities, with a “Pulchritudine tua captus sum” or I’m a prisoner of your beauty. Fixed can’t help but be dissolved by volatile. You will also listen to Love/Amalgamation/One nature delights in another nature… etc. So often, alchemists have used loving/sexual attributes to explain it.
On the left part, a winged dragon is speaking as being plural(union has been performed): “Per Nos omnia” or through us all. The new substance resulting from fixed-volatile is no more like a flowing snake and is challenging to handle, nevertheless conserves a winged dissolving power. Indeed our Mercurius Philosophorum maintains all Mercurius penetrating attributes.
Pay close attention to the last two mottos: “Regeneratio tua in mea potentia” or your regeneration is in my power. And “Per te vivam” or through you, I’m going to live. Because things are getting confusing now, what is this regenerated substance? Very often, the Hermaphrodite allegory has been employed to hide Mercurius Philosophorum and metallic salt decomposition into it (sometimes even Mercurius Duplicatus, but this seems not the case). The substance to be regenerated can be a metallic salt. And sometimes fixed/man/Sun is used to point at a metallic salt (7).
Circulatorium (8) and tree allegory are of main importance. In fact, inside a vas circulatorium, we can perform Mercurius Philosophorum and metallic salt decomposition into it. To regenerate them. That’s to say to extract their huge amount of Secret Fire.
- Adustum, in latin, burned out or marked with fire;
- See also Hollandus Sal Armoniacum;
- See also Archarion and Analysis inside a mortar;
- See also Basilius Valentinus, Azoth, Salt or Philosophers Gold?;
- See also Sun & Moon at the Turn of First Millennium;
- See also Basilius Valentinus & Solve et Coagula Tree;
- See also Atalanta Fugiens & Golden Apples;
- See also Starkey & Volatilization of Alkalis;