| Corpus Hermeticum extraction follows: “Experience teaches that many philosophers who gave no thought to their personal safety, have been killed and deprived of their tincture by greedy and powerful robbers; and it stands to reason that any one going about with a great treasure in his hand, must fall a prey to brigands. Sendivogius concealed his name by an anagram. Thus, also a short time ago another philosopher and Brother of the Golden Cross, whose real name has long been familiar to me, concealed it beneath an anagram, and made himself known to his friends by an enigmatical designation. Why then should I place myself at the mercy of this impure world? “And Richard the Englishman says: “The stone is one, the medicine one, which, however, according to the philosophers, is called Rebis (Two-thing), being composed of two things, namely, a body and spirit [red or white]. But over this many foolish persons have gone astray, explaining it in diverse ways.” Rebis is two things, and these two things are one thing, namely, water joined to a body, by which the body is dissolved into a spirit, that is, mineral water, out of which it was first made; and this body and spirit make up one mineral water, which is called Elixir, that is to say, ferment; for then water and spirit are one thing, of which is composed a tincture and medicine for purging all bodies. And thus, according to the philosophers, we have the nature of sulphur and mercury above ground, while underground they become gold and silver. “And Diomedes says: “Join the male child of the ‘red servant’ to the fragrant spouse, and they will produce the object of our Art. But you must not introduce any foreign matter, neither dust, nor any other thing. The conception will then be perfect, and a true son will be born. “These persons fancy they understand the meaning of a certain passage in the writings of Raymond Lullius, but they exhibit the depth of their folly by the assumption of profound wisdom, and thus only deceive themselves and others. I do not deny that some excellent solvents, indispensable both to the physician and to the chemist, are obtained from these sources; but I do most positively deny that the Philosopher's Stone can be prepared, or its seed elicited, from them, since the Creator has ordained that nothing should overstep the bounds of the natural order to which it was originally assigned. Hence every true disciple of wisdom may gather that the substance of the Stone is to be obtained neither in the animal nor in the vegetable world, seeing that both are combustible. We must therefore look for it among incombustible things, that is to say, in the mineral world, and thence only can we prepare it.” |
Philosophical Emblems of the Secrets of Nature Michael Maier (Latin: Michael Maierus; 1568–1622) was a German physician and counsellor to Rudolf II Habsburg. He was a learned alchemist, epigramist and amateur composer. (23) Michael Maier authored, Atalanta Fugiens - Atalanta Fleeing or Philosophical Emblems of the Secrets of Nature (1617), a book dealing with alchemy, which contains some remarkable verses and descriptions of allegory which reveal mushroom symbolism to the careful observer. We hear of three golden apples, and the captivation of her sight, the symbol of Mercury again, the goddess, along with her rites and shrine, the shrine of Kybele, the plenteous treasures of nature and the splendorous wisdom which she may provide: Three Golden Apples from the Hesperian grove. A present Worthy of the Queen of Love. Gave wise Hippomenes Eternal Fame. And Atalanta's cruel Speed O'ercame. In Vain he follows 'till with Radiant Light, One Rolling Apple captivates her Sight. And by its glittering charms retards her flight. She Soon Outruns him but fresh rays of Gold, Her Longing Eyes & Slackened Footsteps Hold, 'Till with disdain She all his Art defies, And Swifter then an Eastern Tempest flies. Then his despair throws his last Hope away, For she must Yield whom Love & Gold betray. What is Hippomenes, true Wisdom knows. And whence the Speed of Atalanta Flows. She with Mercurial Swiftness is Endued, Which Yields by Sulphur's prudent Strength pursued. But when in Cybel's temple they would prove The utmost joys of their Excessive Love, The Matron Goddess thought herself disdained, Her rites Unhallowed & her shrine profaned. Then her Revenge makes Roughness o'er them rise, And Hideous feireenesse Sparkle from their Eyes. Still more Amazed to see themselves look red, Whilst both to Lions changed Each Other dread. He that can Cybel's Mystic change Explain, And those two Lions with true Redness stain, Commands that treasure plenteous Nature gives And free from Pain in Wisdom's Splendor lives.” (23) Figala, Karin; Neumann, Ulrich (1990). "Michael Maier (1569-1622): New Bio-Bibliographical Material". In Martels, Z.R.W.M. von. Alchemy revisited: proceedings of the International conference on the history of alchemy at the University of Groningen, 17-19 April 1989 (1ª ed.). Leiden: E.J. Brill. pp. 34–50 |