| Now we read from the text of the book, wherein we learn about all kinds of wonderful allegories like the “Philosophical Infant,” the Philosophical Water,” the feces within it which will be purged, the “Philosophical Subject,” The Philosophic Fire,” “Philosophic Toad” (which BTW, is adorned, not on the outside, but on the inside with a gold stone), and finally, the “Philosophical Dung”: “Mercury, therefore, is Wind, which takes Sulphur, or Dionysius, or (if You please so to call it) Asculepius, being yet an imperfect Embryo out of the Mother's belly or out of the Ashes of the Mother's body burned, & carries it thither where it may be brought to maturity. And the Embryo is Sulphur, which by the celestial Sun is infused into the Wind of Boreas, that he may bring it forth in maturity. Who, after the complete time of his Teeming, does bring forth twins, one with white Hair, Called Calais, the other with Red, named Zethes.” (24) So far we have the red and white qualities of A. muscaria mentioned, and next we will read about the earth and dung from which the psilocybin grows: “But a doubt may [be] raised how the Earth may be said to be the NURSE of the Philosophical Infant, seeing it is the Element which is most dry & void of Juice, insomuch that Dryness appertains to it as its proper quality.” (25) In the next section we read about the purification that occurs within the mushroom and how it takes up water from the soil and cleans and purifies itself from the dung and also how the water becomes “philosophic water” and “fire” mentioned along with a “philosophic subject.” “When Linen Clothes are soiled & made dirty by earthy Filth, they are cleaned by the next Element to it: Namely Water; & then clothes being exposed to the Air, the moisture together with the Faeces is drawn out by the heat of the Sun as by fire, which is the fourth Element, & if this be often repeated, they become clean & free from stains. This is the work of women which is taught them by Nature. For we see (as Isaac remarks) that the Bones of Beasts if they are often wet with Rain & as often dried by the heat of the Sun will be reduced to a perfect whiteness. The same is to be observed in the Philosophick Subject, for whatever faeces or Crudities are in it will be purged & taken away by the infusion of its proper Waters, & the whole body will be brought to a great perfection & cleanness. For all Chemical preparations, as Calcination, Sublimation, Solution, Distillation, Descension, Coagulation, Fixation, & the rest are performed by washing only. For whoever washes a thing unclean with waters does the same thing as He that runs through all these Operations. For, as the Rosary of the Philosophers [Rosarium Philosophorum] saith; ‘The Inner Clothes Prince Divinick, being soiled by sweat, are to be washed by Fire & burned in Waters, so that Fire & Water seem to have interchanged their mutual Qualities, or else the Philosophic Fire is not to be supposed of the same kind with the common Fire” & the same thing is to be said of the Philosophic Water’.” (26) |
The next part is most interesting as we get to the “Philosophical Toad,” which has embellished inwardly with natural gold, of which the toad is adorned. “But here the Philosophers say that a Toad must be put to the Woman's breasts, that she may Nourish him as an infant with her Milk. This is a miserable & horrid spectacle, & indeed, an impious thing, that milk designed for an infant should be given to a Toad, being a Venomous beast & contrary to the Nature of Man. We have heard & read of serpents and Dragons sucking the Teats of Cows, & Toads perhaps might do the like if they could gain an opportunity.” (27) “Such also is this Toad, for it is embellished, although not outwardly, with an artificial chain, but inwardly with natural Gold, to wit: that of the Stone which some call Borax, Chelonitus, Batrachites, Crapaudina, & Garatronium, for this far excels Gold in Virtue against the poison of all animals, & is commonly set in Gold as a case or Cover, that it may not be hurt or lost. Regularly it ought to be had out of an Animal.” (27) “For in these the Philosophical Toad is really found, not in the Quarry (as that fabulous author asserts), & has Gold in itself, though its pomp does not outwardly appear. For to what end should a Toad adorn himself, seeing he lurks in darkness & secret places? Perhaps that he might be very magnificently accosted by the Beetle, if by chance he should meet him in the Twilight. What Subterranean Goldsmith should make him that Golden Chain?” Now we read about a “House of Dew” and fruit from the tree and the recovery of youth and once again, we read about the mixing of red and white colors. “But here the Philosophers say that if the Old Man would become Young, he must be shut up in a House of Dew, & then he will eat of the fruit of the Tree, & so recover Youth. It is scarce believed by the Vulgar that such Trees can be in Nature. - But as for the Tree which is to restore the Old Man, the fruit of it is sweet, red & full ripe, turning into the best blood, as being easy of digestion, & affording the best Nutriment, leaving nothing in the body that is faecal or superfluous. But the Old Man abound with white Phlegm, has white Hair & Complection, which Humours, Color, & Hair are changed into that Red which appears in Youth & Vigor.” (28) (24) Atalanta Fugiens - Atalanta Fleeing or Philosophical Emblems of the Secrets of Nature (1617), Michael Maier, p. 5 (25) Atalanta Fugiens, p. 8 (26) ibid, p. 9 (27) ibid, p. 14 (28) Atalanta Fugiens, p. 22 |