Alchemy and Remedies — Chemical Recipes

Sal Calos.

It is hot in the first degree, moist in the third. White in the first [degree], fixed in the second; and it has a foreign weight, not through its own, and it has the power to enclose humidity, and the masters are of nature in their degrees.

Common Salt.

It is hot and dry, which does not work much in transmutation as in coloration.

Sal Alkali.

It is hot in the 1st degree, obscure in the first weight, its [weight] in the 4th, dry not by essence; whence it can give all the aforesaid [qualities] to a metal not possessing them.

Sal Alebroth.

It is the master of all masters, and it is by its nature hot, and moist by essence, not fixed, heavy, white internally and red externally; and to briefly explain its nature, know that this salt by itself coagulates Mercury [☿] and retains and converts it into good silver, and into the purest gold [Sol] if Mercury be placed [therein], and in anything else; and by my life, it causes wonders to appear.

We have seen the natures of the planets, of the metals, and of the masters; let us now see their effect. And first, the transmutation of the first planet, namely Saturn [♄], into Luna [☽] and Sol [☉]. And first, how

it may be transmuted into the best Luna. And if you wish to work perfectly, consider the nature of both, and see diligently that the nature itself agrees in some things; consider also in what things it disagrees. And it rightly agrees in coldness and moisture and in whiteness; and it disagrees in weight, and fixity, and whiteness, because Saturn is white with obscurity and Luna [☽] is white with clarity. Therefore, after you have divided the agreements and disagreements, the agreements shall suffice for you, and you shall have that best Luna, than which none better is found.

If you ask who these Masters are, who have from God the power to do this, because you can have the gradations through the things said above—namely, I will now more aptly describe this operation for you: Consider, therefore, that they have the virtue of bringing back the heaviness of the common weight. And certainly this is saltpeter [sal nitrum], and that has the power to give weight; Sal ammoniac [Salarmoniacus] gives whiteness; and these masters being placed with lead [plumbum] at the fire, good Luna will be made. Furthermore, so that you may know how to manage this, know the perfection: that in whatever degree in which nature teaches [that which] you desire to have, place a part of that master which has the power to give that nature.

You ought also to know that salt can be made from all things, even from all animals, and fish, and birds, they being burnt and reduced to ash; and it is made in the same way that salt is made from the ashes of wood or from the lime of stones.