On the Occult Philosophy or the Secret Miraculous Birth of the Seven Planets and Metals

which will be from God into the world, from the heavenly into the sidereal, from the sidereal into the elemental, and from the elemental into the earthly. This is now the comprehensible world, and what has been born from me is a flying being, which in all the languages of the world is held for a god, and this animal is called Mercury, a swift messenger by which all secret letters can be brought to their destination quite nimbly. As all this was accomplished, heaven and earth separated from one another, and the elements joined themselves together again so that the dwelling of the planting would not be destroyed. And Mercury was now a movable spirit, visible and invisible, tangible and intangible, and was able to do everything that was impossible for others. But he made friendship and loved himself wonderfully with others. Thus the elements had cooked Mercury, brought him into form, and made him into a tangible being. This Mercury was named in his baptism an Hermaphrodit hermaphrodite, turned about, and applied himself to further