Die geheime Naturlehre der hermetischen Wissenschaft

An ornamental woodcut headpiece depicts a landscape scene with trees and a rising sun or radiant eye. It is framed by elaborate baroque scrolls and floral garlands.

The First Main Section.

On Nature.

This first main section contains two parts:
1. On the primordial birth original: "Urgeburt" of the creation of all things.
2. On the natural birth or daily production of things.

A philosopher a seeker of wisdom and alchemical truth who wishes to learn the principles of truth and certain rules must know both. For as art imitates nature, so nature imitates creation, with this difference: creation requires nothing but the divine ideas and the will of God. Nature, however, requires the elements as active principles original: "Principia". Art, on the other hand, requires the principles produced by the elements as its starting point. Therefore, the knowledge of art depends on the knowledge of both the primordial birth and the daily natural birth.