The Golden Fleece or Golden Treasure and Art Chamber

Splendor Solis.

B

...it is not the philosophers The "philosophers" refers to the ancient and medieval alchemical authorities who established the principles of the Art. but their putrefaction original: "feulung"; the decomposition of matter, which alchemists viewed not as death, but as the essential first stage of rebirth and transformation. that is a moistening or an imbibing original: "eintruckung"; the process of a solid absorbing liquid until it is saturated., through which dry things reach their fiery state, so that they may turn green and grow. In putrefaction, the moisture is united with the dryness and not destroyed, so that the moisture holds the dry parts together; and this is properly a trituration original: "zerreibung"; the process of grinding a substance into a fine, integrated powder.. However, if the moisture is completely separated from the dryness, it is necessary to cut away the dry parts and transform them into ashes. The philosophers do not desire this incineration original: "incernatyon"; likely a variation of incineration/turning to ash. The text warns against over-heating which destroys the "life-giving" moisture. either; rather, they want their putrefaction, their imbibing, trituration, and calcination original: "calcinierung"; the process of heating a substance to a high temperature to purify it of volatile or "superfluous" elements. to occur in such a way that the natural moisture and dryness are united with one another, separated from superfluous moisture, and dried—those parts that are destructive having been drawn out. This is much like the food that enters the animal belly: it is cooked and broken down, and from it the nourishing power and moisture are drawn, by which nature is sustained and increased, and its superfluous parts are separated. Nevertheless, every thing desires to be fed according to the quality of its nature; this should be

An ornate woodcut tailpiece consisting of symmetrical botanical scrolls, acanthus leaf flourishes, and a central diamond-shaped ornament with decorative cross-hatching.