Site Dictionary A

M

Macrocosm, varied meanings, Mercurius Sideribus and Mercurius Universalis, both sky and interior of the earth;
Magisterium, work by a Master, or Magister, volatilization of fixed and fixation of volatile;
Magisterium of Bodies, Spirit-Soul embodiment from a previous body in another prepared body;
Magisterium Corpi, see Magisterium of Bodies;
Magisterium Magnum, see Magisterium of Bodies;
Magnesia, marcasite, magnes-gnetis in latin means both magnet and magnesia, see magnet;
Magnet, varied meanings: Mercurius, Mercurius Philosophorum, Sulphur, see magnesia;
Magnetic Stone, Mercurius Philosophorum, Philosophers Stone;
Magnetization, some argue preparation of the raw matter before the preparatory work submitting it to Mercurius Universalis and Mercurius Sideribus, others Solve et Coagula operations in the preparatory work;
Main work, work performed by Secret Fire by itself on itself, or the work after the preparatory work, Mercurius changing from black to red;
Male, varied meanings: fixed, Sulphur, Mercurius Duplicatus component with metallic Gold inside;
Male Mercurius, a component of Mercurius Duplicatus with metallic gold inside;
Male Seed, some argue fixed part of Mercurius Philosophorum others component of Mercurius Duplicatus with a dissolved metal inside;
Male Sperm, see Male Seed;
Man, see Sun;
Marriage, varied meanings: Solve et Coagula in the preparatory and Main Work, Fixed and Volatile, Spirit and Soul, Mercurius Duplicatus, Microcosm and Macrocosm, Mercurius Philosophorum plus a metal to be dissolved inside, all the Sun and Moon Interactions;
Mars, varied meanings: chemical iron, orange color in Main Work, Sulphur;
Mars Dye, orangish color announcing Red;
Mask, Soul, Sulphur;
Materia, Mercurius;
Materia Prima, varied meanings: Mercurius, Sulphur, Soul, Spirit of Life, an hermetic convention defines it as Mercurius Philosophorum;
Materia Secunda, matter less refined than Materia Prima, Mercurius;
Materia Cruda, raw matter;
Materia Tertia, chemical salts out of raw matter;
Materia Proxima or Proximate, matter out of preparatory works, volatile Mercurius;
Matter Remote, see Mercurius Primitive;
Matter Very Close, matter ready for alchemical works, Mercurius Philosophorum;
Medicine, see Gold Potable;
Medicurius, paronomasia of the two words medicuria and Mercurius. Ancient name for Mercurius;
Menstruum, generally the wet way Dissolvent, also Alkahest
Menstruum, Mineral: a Dissolvent rich in Secret Fire, added with a metal;
Menstruum in Sphaera Lunae or menstruum in the Moon Orbit, Secret Fire/Mercurius in its dissolving action;
Mercurius, varied meanings: generally speaking all things when separating from their bodies, the humid part of metals; Universal Dissolvent and Universal Unifier, Secret Fire extracted by alchemists, Prima Materia, Solve et Coagula solving action, Primitive Mercurius, Volatile, Mercurius Philosophorum, Female Mercurius, Mercurius Duplicatus, White Sulphur, Spirit, Principle of Life, Light from Cosmos, ancient chemists believed minerals to be formed by a mercurius-general humid principle ( see also Virgin) and greasy-waxy matter sulfur; furthermore they called mercurius the humid fumes and sulfur the dry ones;
Mercurius of Bodies, some argue Mercurius Universalis, others Primitive Mercurius, others Materia Remota or Remote Matter;
Mercurius Coralline: Mercurius Philosophorum or fixed Mercurius;
Mercurius Crudus, some argue raw matter others salts from it;
Mercurius Duplicatus, Union of two Mercurii, Marriage;
Mercurius Fourth, see Virgin Philosophical Earth;
Mercurius Metallorum, Mercurius Philosophorum;
Mercurius of Nature, some argue Close Materia or Materia Proxima, others volatile Mercurius before fixation;
Mercurius Orientalis or Eastern, like the rising sun: hot and dry;
Mercurius Philosophicus, some authors use it to distinguish the alchemical Mercurius from the common metallic mercury;
Mercurius Philosophorum, latin for Mercurius of Wises; a Mercurius less volatile and more fixed end of Preliminary Works; the vibratory, universal force, the sonic fluid according to Jollivet-Castellot;
Mercurius Primitive, Secret Fire/Mercurius during the first Putrefaction in preliminary works;
Mercurius Red, Redness, see Sulphur;
Mercurius Sideribus, Secret Fire from Stars, Mercurius Universalis from Stars;
Mercurius Third, volatile Mercurius after fixation, Mercurius Philosophorum;
Mercurius Universalis, Secret Fire/Mercurius from Solar system;
Mercurius Vespertinus or Western, the one extracted from the humid earth;
Mercurius Vitae, see Spirit of Life;
Mercurius, Mercurius of the Wise, see Mercurius Philosophorum;
Metallus Masculus, chemical Zinc;
Metals Tree, Mercurius Philosophorum;
Metamorphosis, from black to red, Secret Fire/Mercurius transmutations inside the vessel;
Middle Summer Sun, temperature for cooking;
Microcosm, varied meanings: our little alchemical “battlefield” the preparation of the virginal Dissolvent/Alcahest, or Mercurius, vessel, Vase, Egg, mixed, Secret Fire/Mercurius extracted from raw matter, also Mercurius extracted from animal reign;
Milk, Mercurius to feed Sulphur;
Mine, Mercurius Philosophorum, Mother;
Minera, latin for Mine;
Mirror, Mercurius is often called a mirror for many reasons: it looks like a white transparent mirror, when it gets duplicated it is called a mirror, it reflects (attracts) light from stars in a way similar to mirrors, as well as awakes from potential to act in a similar way, the Soul is also called mirror;
Mix, being composed by Spirit, Soul, and material body;
Monkey, a symbol of the human mind;
Moon, varied meanings: When opposite to Sun is Volatile, Dissolving Action. Mercurius Sideribus. Astronomical Moon. Primitive Mercurius. Mercurius. In Mercurius Duplicatus is Female Mercurius. Dissolving action. Passive. Frozen. Spirit of Life. Body. Natural Light. Microcosm. The element Air in tabula Smaragdina. What catches the Secret Fire from Sun ;
Moon Caustic, silver nitrate;
Moon Spit, some argue Primitive Mercurius others Mercurius;
Morning at Dawn, see Sun Rising;
Mortification is to destroy the outer form of a mix
Mother, varied meanings: Prima Materia, Dissolving in Solve et Coagula, volatilizing, Female Mercurius, and White Sulfur;
Mother of Metals, component of Mercurius Duplicatus without metallic gold inside;
Multiplication reiterated operations in the Main and Last Work to “perfect” substances;
Mumia, see Evestrum;
Mundus, apparatus;
Mysterium Magnum, latin for Great Mystery, is not as something mysterious, but as related to the mythological sacred Mysteries. It is about the real quintessence which has the power to renovate the human body;

N

Naked Woman, Mercurius, and White Sulphur;
Natural Fire, Mercurius in aggregating action;
Natural Light, Secret Fire/mercurius extracted from raw matter;
Nature, Secret Fire, Light;
Night, Putrefaction;
Nitrous of a substance, when referred to as one of the threefold salts it means with a sulfurous appearance, that’s to say more fixed than the volatile Mercurius;
North Star, some argue it is Mercurius, others the astronomical star;
Nostoc, some argue Secret Fire from Sky others mucilaginous cyanobacteria;
Nymph, Mercurius/Virgin’s Milk;

O

Odor Teter, foul odor during Putrefaction;
Oil of Glass, extraction of viscous liquid from the Antimony Glass by means of a Dissolvent;
Old Man, Mercurius;
Oleum Perpetuae Virentis, Turpentine Oil;
Olympos, Sidereal region of the Universe according to Pythagoreans;
OMO, see Skull;
Opening, sublimating, volatilizing;
Opus Magnum, latin for Great Work;
Opus Maximum, work on humankind through urine, feces, hairs, bones, and blood;
Ore, sometimes mineral raw matter, others Mercurius Philosophorum;
Organ, the series of seven whistles emitted by the philosophical Egg during the last cooking;
Orpiment, Red Sulphur, Philosophers Stone, and Metallic Gold;
Ouroboros, varied meanings: Solve et Coagula in preparatory works, Rotation of Colors in Main Work, Marriage, Volatile and Fixed interactions, Magnet Breathing;
Ouranos, sub-lunar region or universe according to Pythagoreans;
Ouroboros, varied meanings: all Secret Fire interactions, Amalgams, Sun-Moon, Man-Woman, Solve et Coagula, Mercurius Philosophorum, Mercurius Duplicatus, see Marriage;
Owl, bird dear the Athena, it was said to reflect the sunlit;

P

Pan, Greek God allegory for Primitive Mercurius and/or Putrefaction;
Passive Principle, that is being moved by an Active substance, Mercurius to dissolve and Sulphur to fix;
Peacock Tail, Procession of colors, some argue in the Main work, others in the third work;
Pedestal, standing for Vase;
Peg Leg, wooden prosthesis leg, a reminder to plan weighs and measurements, see Rod;
Pelican, a symbol of salts volatilization;
Perfect Mercurius, accomplished, complete Mercurius after right sublimations;
Perfect Red, in greek means to complete, to accomplish, ultimate Red Sulphur;
Perfect Sulphur, see Perfect Red;
Permanent Water, Primitive Mercurius and Mercurius Dissolvent;
Perpetual Caustic, silver nitrate;
Phallus, Spirit of Life, Mercurius;
Philosophers Gold, Mercurius Philosophorum ad Red Sulphur;
Philosophers Silver, White Sulphur;
Philosophical Mortar, melting antimony in a crucible and stirring and beating the crucible;
Philosophical Water, Secret Fire/Mercurius;
Philosophical Separation, Solve et Coagula in Main Work;
Phoenix, the Red Sulphur/Soul out of the cooking of the third work;
Phylactery, a sign of adeptness, light spiraling;
Pilgrimage, search for Mercurius or (of a) Fixed Star;
Poison, Mercurius Philosophorum;
Pontus, Bridge in latin;
Poppy Flower, a symbol of a dimension different from that allowed to mortals;
Precipitation is separating the dissolved mix and letting it fall out as powder at the bottom of the dissolvent;
Priest, see Servant;
Prima Materia, latin for First Matter, Primordial Matter, Spirit or Principle of Life, Secret Fire, Mercurius;
Primaterialistic Subject, see Materia Prima, Soul;
Principle of Life, Mercurius;
Principles, Mercurius-Sulphur-Salt, Dissolve-Sublimate-get a Salt;
Procession, the parade of all colors;
Proteus, some argue Mercurius Philosophorum others Sulphur, Soul;
Psyche, Sulphur/Soul, originally meant “Lifespan-Aion”;
Pulp, a substance resulting from grinding and soaking;
Purge, to get a pure metal;
Purple, the ultimate Sulphur color;
Purple Stone, Philosophers Stone;
Putrefaction, chemical and alchemical, varied meanings: see also Solution, Conjunction, Black and Primitive Mercurius, a body is dissolved by its natural decay through moisture dominating dryness;

Q

Quadrangular, fixation due to the four elements circulation, square;
Quicksilver, varied meanings: Mercurius Philosophorum, chemical mercury, astronomical Moon;
Quinta Essentia, latin for Quintessence;
Quintessence, Secret Fire/Mercurius;

R

Ram, varied meanings: horned animal symbol for fixed Mercurius or Sulphur or earth, Springtime, Mercurius universalis, Mercurius Sideribus;
Realgar, Mercurius Philosophorum;
Rainbow, Peacock Tail;
Rebis, latin for “two things”, some argue it is Mercurius Philosophorum others Mercurius Duplicatus, others again Mercurius Philosophorum plus a metal to be dissolved, Marriage at large;
Rectifying is again distilling spirits, to make them more subtle and extolling their virtues;
Red Earth, see Red Perfect or Adam;
Red Glass, Philosophers Stone when in glass;
Red Perfect, in greek means to complete, to accomplish, ultimate Red Sulphur, red Sulphur in powdery form;
Redness, Sulfur, and Soul;
Reducing is giving back to metals calx the metallic form they had before;
Regulus, some argue a metal extracted from its ore, others Mercurius Philosophorum in metallurgic dry ways;
Resonance, action between two or more Mercurii;
Resurrection, extraction, and fixation;
Red Rose, Ultimate Perfect Red Sulphur;
Regulus, see King, a metal was formerly called the regulus of the ore from which it was reduced;
Reverberation is reducing bodies to calx by strong fire around the area;
Revitalizing is contrary to Mortification;
Rod-Wand, as in Moses’ biblical tale a rod is used to make a spring of water out of a rock, Volatilization in preliminary works, many meanings from latin Radius and greek ράβδος, that’s to say wheel spoke, spur of a cock, master in geometry and mathematics, shuttle for looms, light ray, a gold ingot, and leg radius;
Rose, a red synonym of Perfect Red Sulphur, white of White Sulphur;
Rose in the valley, to be, to be found in the bottom of the vessel;
Rose starts to open when Lilium Artis fades, whiteness is changing color turning to orange-red;
Rosycross, Immortal Master;
Rota, latin for Wheel: rotations of colors in Main Work, see also Ouroboros;
Rotation, sequence of colors in Main Work;
Roots, the fixed and the volatile that both must be raised;
Royal Garment, to reach perfect Red;
Ruins, Tradition;
Rule of three, every allegory and symbol stands for at least three different concepts;
Rust, varied meanings: Calcination, Calcinated Metallic Gold, Mars Dye, Magnet;

S

Sacrifice, some argue it is Fixation others extraction of Soul/Sulphur from body/Salt;
Saffron, Golden, according to Lemery is fulminating gold;
Salamander, according to chemists is a spirit of niter out of the Saltpeter distillation by means of very hot fire, to alchemists, it is the product of reiterated volatilizations, also a symbol of a skillful operation of fire in the Last Work;
Salamander Blood, according to chemists is the red vapor of the spirit of niter, to alchemists, it is the perfect Redness from Salamander, or from a skillful operation of fire;
Salarmeniac, see Sal Armeniacum;
Salmiac, english for Sal Ammoniacum;
Salt Alkali, when referred to as one of the threefold salts can also signify the “foundation of all the bodies”, a substance that is not strictly of alkaline origin, but the future foundation of our Stone (as we will need at least a small amount of “alkaline” texture for a certain hardening final phase);
Salt Ammoniacum, Ammonium Chloride;
Sal Armeniacum, according to ancient chemists a volatile salt extracted from urine, see also Sal Armoniacum ;
Sal Armoniac Lemery, volatile salt extracted from urine salts;
Sal Armoniac Flowers of Lemery, volatilized and/or sublimated salts out of sal armoniac;
Sal Armoniacum, according to ancient chemists a volatile salt extracted from urine, Mercurius at large and specifically a spirit when separating from its body to Hollandus Sal Armoniacum is extracted from vegetables, or even the salt of Harmony, that salt that unites fixed and volatile and makes marriage possible because it has intermediate characteristics between the two;
Sal Armoniacum Philosophorum, Mercurius Philosophorum;
Sal Circulatum, Mercurius Philosophorum, Universal Dissolvent;
Sal Circulatum Maius, Mercurius Philosophorum from mineral reign;
Sal Circulatum Minus, Mercurius Philosophorum from vegetal reign;
Sal Gemmae, rock salt;
Saltpeter, some argue being chemical saltpeter others Mercurius Philosophorum;
Sal Sapientiae, latin for Salt of the Knowledge, Mercurius Philosophorum when the philosophical matter comes from the crushing and melting of crystals, especially in the texture of wax;
Sal Saturni, see Saturnus Salts;
Salt, Mercurius Philosophorum, Azoth;
Salts-two, Mercurius Duplicatus;
Salts-threefold, Mercurius Duplicatus plus the addition of another Mercurius Philosophorum to unify;
Salt Volatile, see Volatile Salt;
Saturation, see Unification;
Saturn, varied meanings: Mercurius Crudus, Primitive Mercurius, Mercurius, Mercurius Philosophorum, Soul to be extracted, Materia Tertia, chemical Lead, earth, blackness;
Saturn Belly, Primitive Mercurius;
Saturn Cinders, see Saturn Salts;
Saturn Salts, some argue the chemical residual salts or Materia Tertia, others Mercurius Philosophorum;
Saviour, Secret Fire;
Scala Transmutationis, latin for stairs of transmutations, ancient alchemical works layout;
Scarab, see Heart;
Scent, so that my garden makes dropping its scents, symbol of the accomplishment of the second degree of fire;
Sea of the Wise, some argue it is Secret Fire/Mercurius, others Mercurius Sideribus from Stars;
Secret Fire, varied meanings: Ineffable Substance from the Stars, Suns and extracted from raw matter, Mercurius;
Secretum Artis, latin for the secret of the art: making volatile fixed, see also Calcination and Volatilization;
Seed, varied meanings: reduction to Secret Fire/Mercurius, unity of alchemical substance extremely abundant with Secret Fire, a single component of Mercurius Duplicatus;
Serpens, the latin way to hide the number seven;
Serpent, varied meanings; Primitive Mercurius, Mercurius in its dissolving function, Mercurius in its fixing function, Secret Fire extracted from matter, Mercurius Philosophorum, Spirit of Life, Unripe Sulphur, Mercurius Sideribus, Mercurius Universalis, also a way to hide the number seven;
Servant, Mercurius Philosphorum set apart for a particular use;
Shadow, to be in the, to be found in the heart of the mountains, in dark places;
Shadow, to be in the, to be found in the inner of mountains, in dark places;
Sheep, follow the footsteps of, you should look for the element Earth, to obtain salt;
Sigillum Hermetis, Mercurius Philosophorum;
Sigillum Salomonis, some argue the Mercurius Philosophorum out of a volatile fixation, others the ultimate fixation of Perfect Red;
Signatures; Some argue they are weights others External Influences, others the right period of day and solar-lunar year;
Silver, varied meanings: metallic silver, Moon, Woman, Mercurius, Female Mercurius, White Sulphur;
Skin, see Spirit of Life;
Sky, volatile:
Sky Terrestrial, according to W. Lavinius the fixation of volatile;
Skull, see also OMO, in metallic Alchemy Red Sulphur-perfect red, in human Alchemy the area between eyes involved in immortality practices;
Sleepiness, Mercurius condition before being extracted;
Smoothing, the most solid mixed, either vegetables or animals and minerals to better open them and facilitate their dissolution;
Snow, color reached by Mercurius inside the vessel;
Soak, see Immersion and Washing and Tinging property;
Sol, latin for Sun;
Solidification, fix, harden, make solid;
Solution, varied meanings: to free from impurities in the preparatory work, to dissolve, Putrefaction-Fermentation-Digestion-Circulation-Extraction are involved, the third level of Scala Transmutationis, before Main Work, Conjuntion or Coitus;
Solve et Coagula, varied meanings: all the chemical and alchemical processes in the preparatory and Main Work, one is dissolving and the other is sublimating, see also volatilization and calcination, Magnetization through Fixed-Volatile, a passage from solid to liquid-gaseous and back;
Soul, varied meanings: Sulphur, the denser Spirit, Mercurius out of the second Putrefaction;
Soul of the Universe, varied meanings: Secret Fire from Universe, the psyche of the universe or denser part;
Sowing, dissolving Gold in Mercurius Philosophorum;
Spear-wooden, see stick-piercing;
Sperm, single component of Mercurius Duplicatus;
Spider, Soul-Sulphur;
Spindle, a symbol of spinning, Terrestrial Secret Fire, Earth;
Spirit, Chemical meaning: A spirit in ancient chemistry is sometimes a liquid, sometimes a sublimate, or a flower. In fact, it is the final product of salt volatilization. Alchemical meanings: Mercurius/Secret Fire from Cosmos, Mercurius out of the first Putrefaction in the vessel, the final product of reiterated salt volatilization ;
Spirit of Life, Secret Fire, Mercurius, keeps things alive and extracts Sulphur;
Spirit of Philosophical Wine, Mercurius Philosophorum out of wine distillation, not mere Brandy, tartar involved;
Spiritual Elixir, Mercurius;
Spiritualizing is reducing compact bodies in spirits;
Spiritus Albus, latin for White Spirit, it has been indifferently used for white after the first and second putrefaction;
Spiritus Combustibilis, latin for combustible spirit, some argue being products of distillation, others Secret Fire;
Spiritus Magneticus Universalis, see Mercurius Universalis;
Spiritus Vini, Mercurius from wine distillation, phonetically can be translated as Divine Spirit;
Spiritus Vitae, latin for Spirit of Life;
Spiritus Vini Lulliani, see Spirit of Philosophical Wine;
Spiritus Universalis Magneticus, see Mercurius Universalis;
Sponge, texture featuring Mercurius Philosophorum;
Spoke, see Rod;
Spring, see Fountain;
Square, see Embodiment, Dry, Quadrangular;
Starry Fingerprint, see External Influences;
Star, varied meanings: appearance of Mercurius, white Sulphur, and the star in the cosmos where Secret Fire comes from;
Star, six-pointed: the union of a downward triangle and an upward triangle, or dissolution and sublimation triangles, Mercurius Philosophorum, Philosophers Stone;
Starry Regulus, strange starry formations in a dry way;
Stars, a phenomenon inside the vessel during Main Work;
Steel, see Sword;
Stellar Matter, Mercurius Sideribus;
Stibium, varied meanings: the metal antimony, gold marcasite ( metallic zinc), Mercurius Philosophorum at large;
Stick-Baton, thrashing tool allegory for alchemical Solve et Coagula;
Stick, piercing tool used in the metallurgic dry way;
Stoned Serpent, Primitive Mercurius;
Stratifying is done by placing a portion of some powder, or corrosive matter at the bottom of a crucible or the vessel calcinatorium or over any part of the material to cement it.
Subjectum Crudum, see Materia Tertia;
Sublimation, some argue chemical letting exhale and raising dry body other coming out of Secret Fire from Raw matter. Sublim, in latin, does not mean to sublime or pass from solid to gaseous form, but instead to raise, to lift, to elevate;
Sulfur, varied meanings: the dry part of metals; a denser Mercurius, Materia Prima, in Solve et Coagula is the sublimating or raising or coagulating actions, Fixed matter, Male Mercurius, Gold, the Mercurius Duplicatus component with metallic gold inside, Soul, Redness, Philosophers Stone, sometimes Mercurius Sideribus, a synonym for Sun, ancient chemists believed it to be the greasy matter-sulfur forming minerals together with the humid matter-mercurius, furthermore they called sulfur the dry fumes and mercurius the humid ones ;
Sulphur Combustible, spagyric substance;
Sulfur Living or Soufre Vif, a term neglected by alchemists, was often (been) used by iatrochemists to define the alchemical sulfur, or even arsenic, since they are sometimes called sulfur some combustible oils, alchemically can be synonymous with Red Sulphur;
Sulphur Philosophorum, Perfect Sulfur at the end of Main Work;
Sulphur White, white before the red in main Woks, unripe, Moon;
Sun, varied meanings: when opposite to Moon is the Fixing, Active, Sublimating action. In Mercurius Duplicatus it is Male Mercurius. Sulfur. Active. Hot. Mercurius Philosophorum with a metal inside. Astronomical sun. Secret Fire from the astronomical sun. New alchemical Body. Union of Soul and Spirit of Life. Soul. Alchemical Light. Macrocosm. Element Fire in tabula Smaragdina;
Sun in Earth, varied meanings: Mercurius, Sulphur, and Philosophers Stone;
Sun Path, see Ecliptic;
Sun Rising, varied meanings: appearing of Mercurius, of White Sulphur, of Red Sulfur, and the very natural daytime before dawn;
Syngeneia, see Marriage;
Swan of Basilius, strange squeaks in the metallurgic dry way;
Sword, that which stirs the Mercurius, Sulphur, sometimes Male Mercurius Philosophorum;

T

Tantalus, see Phoenix;
Tartar, varied meanings: potassium carbonate or hydroxide and compounds, these substances volatilized until Mercurius is achieved, salts from wine distillation;
Tartarized Wine, Spirit of wine prepared on Tartar Salt, In order to better rectify the spirit of wine it is usually distilled on a well-calcined tartar salt;
Tartarus Crudus, is treated with charcoal, clay, and heat (classic alchemists propose tiles powder) to ‘purify’ the tartar, which thus becomes Tartarus Depuratus, also called cream of tartar, with no more calcium tartrate inside, in fact, it is composed of about 99% of potassium hydrogen tartrate. The latter is not soluble in alcohol, but in water heated at 100 C. (for example, one may dissolve 1 part of tartrate in 20 parts of water);
Tartarus Depuratus Calcinatus, the result obtained by the calcination of Tartarus Depuratus. This substance has already little in common with tartar, it makes a black alkaline substance (the roasting and baking are intended to coagulate and insolubilize the protein nature of impurities);
Tartarus Crudus is the salt of dextrorotatory tartaric acid formed by the replacement of a hydrogen atom with potassium. This is potassium bitartrate or potassium hydrogen tartrate, which is dextrorotatory and can be found in the free state of nature. Alchemists simply called it Tartar, with little or no importance given to the purity of the original matter. We have also seen that the solubility of potassium acid tartrate is reduced by the alcohol which arises during the fermentation, thus the salt precipitates as red or raw tartar;
Tempest, see War;
Temple, see Firmament, body;
Terra Adamica comes from Adam the alleged first man, the exact meaning of Terra Adamica is not equal to all alchemists. In fact, for some it is a synonym of Terra Foliata, for others of Red Powder;
Terra Dannata, what remains in the bottom of the vessel after preparatory works distillation and sublimation, according to Glaser moderates the Salts flowing;
Terra Alba Foliata, White substance, Mercurius Philosophorum, see Terra Foliata;
Terra Foliata, varied meanings: some argue Acetates others Primitive Mercurius, others a bristled or sponge-like substance before the appearance of Mercurius Philosophorum, Mercurius Philosophorum;
Terra Hispanica, according to some ancient authors it means either vitriol or V.I.T.R.I.O.L;
Terrestrial Body, the raw matter before alchemical works;
Thrashing, to beat with a Stick, alchemical Solve et Coagula, see Stick;
Theophania, Embodiment Day;
Thunder, varied meanings: Secret Fire, Acoustics;
Time, according to Pherecydes of Syros, the Fountain of Life, an element before Fire, Air, and Water;
Tincture, Mercurius Philosophorum, or Sulphur able to be immersed, wash, and regenerate;
Tinging property, to be rich in Secret Fire, Immersion, washing property, Regeneration;
Tradition, philosophical Alchemy;
Transmutation, some argue metamorphosis of colors inside vessel others chemical change from a metal into gold or silver;
Tree, varied meanings: Mercurius Philosophorum as a connection between Earth and Sky, Seed, an allegory for Circulation;
Throne, Hieroglyph for Isis as Primitive Mercurius;
Thunder, according to some “constructor of fire”;
Triangle, three Principles, see Principles, Solve et Coagula chemical and philosophical separation;
Triangle of Dissolution, downward triangle;
Triangle of Sublimation, upward triangle;
Turtle, Secret Fire to be extracted breaking the hard armor shell of Materia Tertia or raw matter;
Two Columns, Solve et Coagula;
Tutia, in some cases Mercurius Philosophorum, in others chemical substances like grey arsenious anhydride or zinc oxide;

U

Ubiquity, condition reserved to Immortal Masters;
Unicorn, an allegory for Dissolvent, Volatile Mercurius, and /or Mercurius Philosophorum;
Universal Solvent, Mercurius in its dissolving action;
Universal Unifier, Mercurius in its unifying or saturating action;
Unification, varied meanings: see Mercurius Duplicatus, saturation with Mercurius;
Union, varied meanings: see Mercurius Duplicatus, to saturate with Mercurius Philosophorum;
Unripe, Mercurius, and White Sulphur;
Urim, Jewish jeweled breastplate;
Urine, some argue physiologic liquid, others Mercurius extracted from the urine;
Urn, see also Womb-Grave, a place for the alchemical embryo to develop;

V

Vannus, winnowing fan, an agricultural tool for winnowing seeds by means of air currents, a symbol of Dionysus’s mystery rites;
Vapor, always the element water ( it flows), the dwelling of Spirits, the tendency to adhere to flowing substances does become very important, the vapor called Mercurius by Philosophers adjusts and gets attached to the grease, the vapor is Sulphur if goes through warm to which it tends to adhere if through cold is Saturnus;
Vas Hermetis, Secret Fire/Mercurius Universalis, and Mercurius Sideribus, also the Philosophical Egg in the last cooking;
Vase, last and ultimate vessel made out of fixed Mercurius, for composition see also Egg;
Vase of Art, see Vessel of Art;
Vase of Nature, see Egg;
Vegetative Power, some argue power to give birth others Soul, see also Tree;
Venom, Purple color;
Venting, air injection inside the vessel and through pipes to dry or calcine Mercurius;
Venus, some argue first White others second one, varied meanings: Mercurius, White Sulphur, Soul, Solve Phase in Main Work, Vegetative Power;
Verbum Dismissum, Mercurius, Mercurius Philosophorum;
Vessel, container or Microcosme, see also Egg;
Vessel of Art, the container into which the philosophical Egg does cook;
Vessel of Nature, see Egg;
Vetrifying, is reducing stones, metals, minerals, ashes, and others into a mass clear and hard as glass, by means of a very violent fire;
Victim, some argue Soul to be extracted from the body, others Sulphur-Soul Fixation;
Virgin, varied meanings: Primitive Mercurius, Mercurius, or White Sulphur, state of Mercurius after being separated from a greasy matter mistakably called mineral sulfur;
Virgula Rubra, red Rod, see Rod but red;
Virgin Philosophical Earth, state of Mercurius after being separated from a greasy mineral matter, during preliminary works, called mineral sulfur;
Virgin’s Milk, Some argue Mercurius Philosophorum from Wet Way, often agreeably smelling, others whiteness after the second Putrefaction, Matter to feed Embryo, Matter which performs Washings;
V.I.T.R.I.O.L., varied meanings: Mercurius to be extracted, Vase;
Vitriolum Microcosmi, Mercurius Philosophorum from crystallizations and rectifications of salts rich in Secret Fire;
Vitriolum Vegetabile, melt Mercurius Philosophorum in liquor then add some gold;
Vinegar, see Acetum;
Vineyard, see Phoenix;
Volatile, in a chemical meaning, impossible to handle;
Volatile Salt, Materia Prima, Mercurius Philosophorum with a metal dissolved;
Volatilization, causing a substance to evaporate or disperse in vapor, opening a mass, causing to disperse [a] fixed, opposite to calcination;

W

Wake up, do not, keep the matter out of the fire during preparatory works;
War, some argue Metamorphosis or transmutations of Secret Fire/Mercurius inside vessel others the difficult interaction between volatile and fixed;
Washing, varied meanings: grey phase from black to white, Distillation, raising and laying down, tinging property, Immersion;
Water, varied meanings: when understood as the water element, is everything that can flows; Volatile fumes inside vessels or whatever can flow according to alchemists (not chemists, see Air). An element denser than air and less dense than Earth ; Mercurius; the spirit is hidden in the fixed salt;
Water Heavy: in operations like distillation and sublimation, it is a median substance in which body and spirit are joined together;
Water that doesn’t wet Hands: according to LeBreton: although Sulfur is called the dryness of metals, there can be abundance of humidity, which is not yet fixed, but only coagulated; Secret Fire, Mercurius Philosophorum, see also Sal Sapientiae;
Waters from Sky, Secret Fire coming down from Olympos, Cosmos, Ouranos;
Water of Life, Brandy according to chemists, Mercurius according to alchemists ;
Waxy Mercurius, see Enamel;
Week of the Weeks, the Spring week during which Nature and man work together during the last cooking, in latin Hebdomas Hebdomadum;
Well, Mercurius Extracted from raw Matter, but also a real well;
Well-Tower, some argue Philosophers Stone, others a strange building where the external height corresponds to the depth in the earth;
Wheel, various meanings: six-spoked: some argue the symbol of both astronomical Sun and Moon, others Secret Fire working ( see also Rota), eight-spoked: the partitions of the year;
Wheel Spoke, see Rod;
Whiteness, Mercurius, light out of darkness, White Sulphur;
White Star, Mercurius getting out of Black;
White Stone, Philosophers Stone from White Sulfur, Silver;
White Sulphur, some argue it is white appearing after Mercurius Duplicatus union and putrefaction in Main Work, others Mercurius Philosophorum;
Wind, varied meanings: sublimation, calcination with air injections, Volatilization of Mercurius, Dry Mercurius, White Sulphur, Mercurius Sideribus, Mercurius Universalis, Mercurius/Spirit of Life, and Sulphur/Soul around each other in Embodiment/Magisterium Corpi. The element Water, or flowing, in Tabula Smaragdina;
Wind-North, to let rise, some argue to protect from hot fire, just allow the first degree of fire, others to let the matter dry (north winds are dry);
Wind-South, comes and blows across one’s garden, some argue to gently cook the matter at a degree not superior to the south wind, the second degree of fire, others mean to let the matter get humid ( south winds bring humidity);
Vineyard, don’t look after the, to be dissolved into grapes juice
( alcohol or vinegar);
Winter passed, the four months ( of philosophy) in the main work, when one says: see, the winter has passed, the rain has gone; meaning: the darkness has disappeared because the spring has arrived, and in our land, we hear the chant of the Dove (whiteness).
Withheld, to be, to become fire resistant like a salamander;
Woman, see Moon;
Woman, naked: volatile Mercurius;
Womb, see also Grave, a place for the alchemical embryo to develop;
Women Turning into Men, Mercurius into Mercurius Phillosophorum, and White into Red;
Wool, some Dry Ways Mercurius Philosophorum;
Wrench, see Hammer;

Z

Zaybech, Mercurius as fume, see Orthelius;
Zephirus, varied meanings: chemical air action to dry Mercurius, drying and sublimating action at large, White Sulfur.

Greek Terms

Αἰών, see Aion;
ἄπειρον, see Apeiron;
Εχενηίϛ, see Echeneis;
εν το παν, one the whole, accompanying Ouroboros;
πῦρ [pyr] = fire;
σπαο y αγειςω, dissolve and unify, greek for Solve et Coagula;
σημεῖον, semeion seed and sign;
θεῖος, Theîos”, meaning Sulphur;
θεῖον, Theion, divine – from the gods – sacred, as adjective, and god – nature or divine being as a noun;
Θεοφάνια, see Theophania;
Ουραβσρσς, greek for Ouroboros, end – Ουρα and devourer – βσρσς;
δεκάς, Tetraktys;
Θ, see Sulphur and θεῖον, Theion;
Θειον πυξ, greek for Sulphur Living, Theion;
χ, see cross;
ποντος, sea or distillatory cauldron;
ἐριον, erion wool;
Ειρεσιωνη, Eiresione, the Zeus Mind, Wool;
Ύλην, the raw part of a human being that greeks called the first indefinite shapeless matter of things, see Hyle ;
ράβδος very simile to Latin “radius”: wand, rod, baton, ray, beam, ingot, shuttle;

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