Another Similitude

Hermes the greatest Workman and the first master of this Art, says that the water of the air, which is between Heaven and Earth, is the life of every thing, for by means of these two particular and natural qualities, hot and humid, it unites these two contrary Elements, Water and fire, as a necessary medium to accord these two extremities; and the Heaven begins to clear itself as soon upon the Earth as this water has infused itself from above serving it as fertile seed introduced into the neck of its womb, from which it has conceived a sweetness like honey, and a certain humidity, which make it produce a diversity of colors and fruits, from which has risen still and grown as by succession of lineage in the vestiges of their secret ways; a tree of admirable height and thickness with a silvery trunk, which extends amply and widely through the places and corners of the world. On the branches of this tree rested various kinds of birds, which all flew toward the day, then there appeared Crows the crow often represents the nigredo or black stage of the work in abundance; an infinity of other and rare properties still were found there, for it bore many kinds of fruits, of which the first were like small seeds, and the other is called

by all the Philosophers terra foliata foliated earth, a stage where the matter becomes white and flaky, the third was of the purest gold, interspersed with many fruits that are called those of Health, reheating what is cold, cooling what is hot, and that which has contracted by an extraordinary intemperance some excessive heat, making the dry humid, and the humidity dry, softening what is hard, and firming what is soft. Now all these conversions of contrary essences are the most assured pilings of the hope of our work; original: "nostra operatio est naturarum mutatio"; meaning: "our operation is a change of natures", they commonly say.

This is the Loadstone, the perfect circle where the point of the magistery the mastery or successful completion of the alchemical process rests in safety, and the beginning of the intended end of all our artifice. This maxim is true that the assurance of a good principle serves not a little to console the assured spirits, who nevertheless embark in fear of not being able to rise to the harbor of salvation of a good hope, seeing themselves assailed by so many reefs that they most often cause the best Sailors to abandon the prize. If however we envision some sweet Halcyon a mythical bird signifying calm and peace in the midst of our Storm, we assure ourselves at least of having remained in the true route of our intentions, and by this good omen we begin