Die Alchemie. Das ist die Lehre von den grossen Geheim-Mitteln der Alchemisten und den Speculationen, welche man an sie knüpfte

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Alchemy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
The Arcana and their Preparation. . . . . . . . . . . 2
Number of the Arcana. Philosophy of Numbers . . . . . . . . . 7
On the Colors of the Arcana . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Alchemy among the Indians . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Indian Alchemy from the Perspective of Cosmology. . . . 12
Indian Alchemy from the Perspective of the Arcana. . . . . 17
Indian Philosophy of Numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Indian Cosmogenesis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Alchemy among the Egyptians. The Water Management Experiment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
The Creation Story in the 1st Chapter of the 1st Book of Moses The Book of Genesis. . . 49
The Creation Story in the 2nd Chapter of the 1st Book of Moses. . . 49
Comparison of the Creation Stories and God as Creator of the World: The Six-Day Creation. . 51
Jewish Cosmogenesis in General. . . . . . . . 56
Cosmogenesis of the 1st Book of Moses in General. . . 61
Specific Cosmogenesis of the 1st Part of the 1st Chapter in the 1st Book of Moses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Jewish Philosophy of Numbers. . . . . . . . . . . 67
Alchemy among the Greeks. . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Thales of Miletus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Anaximenes of Miletus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Pythagoras. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Heraclitus of Ephesus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Atomism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Empedocles of Agrigentum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Plato of Athens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Plato's Writing: Timaeus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Introduction to the Timaeus . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Interpretation of the Timaeus . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Plato's Writing: Critias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Interpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Aristotle of Stagira. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Greek Alchemy in Alexandria. . . . . . . . . . 157
Jewish Alchemy in Alexandria. . . . . . . . . . 162
The Three-Part Water Management Experiment. . . . 166
New Interpretation of the Biblical Creation Story. . . 166
The Arcanological Experiment in Jewish Partial Alchemy in Alexandria: Striving for Unity. . . . 167
General Preliminary Remarks on the Tabula smaragdina Emerald Tablet. . 183
The Latin Text of the Tabula smaragdina. . . . . 186
German Literal Translation. . . . . . . . . . . 188
The Text of the 1st Redaction of the Tabula smaragdina. . . 190
Jewish Interpretation of the 1st Redaction of the Emerald Tablet. . . 191
Greek Interpretation of the 1st Redaction of the Emerald Tablet. . . 192
The Numerical Arrangement of the 1st Redaction of the Emerald Tablet, according to Jewish and Greek Interpretation. . . . . 202
Egyptian-Cosmological Interpretation of the 1st Redaction of the Emerald Tablet. . . 208
Egyptian-Spiritual Interpretation of the 1st Redaction of the Emerald Tablet. . . 209
The 2nd Redaction of the Tabula smaragdina. . . . . . . 211
How the 7 Rubrics of the 2nd Redaction of the Emerald Tablet arise. 212
The Egyptian Character of the 2nd Redaction of the Emerald Tablet. . . 215
Jewish Interpretation of the 2nd Redaction of the Emerald Tablet. . . 217
Greek Interpretation of the 2nd Redaction of the Emerald Tablet. . . 218
Egyptian Spiritual Interpretation of the 2nd Redaction of the Emerald Tablet. . . 237
The Title of the Tabula smaragdina. . . . . . . . . . 249
Actual Unity of Alexandrian Alchemists. . . . 255
By the hand of the Tabula smaragdina. . . . . . . . . 256
Generalities on the Metaphysical Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . 258
Metaphysical or 1st Mercury-Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . 259
Age of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Redaction of the Emerald Tablet. . . 270
Neoplatonism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Philo's Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . . . . . . 277
The Poemandrian Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . 284
The Christian 1st Trinity-Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. 287
Logos Word Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . . . . . . 290
Phos Light Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . . . . . . 293
The 1st Part of the 1st Chapter of the Gospel of John. . . 294
The 2nd Trinity-Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . 301
The Apostle's Creed. . . . . . . . . . . . 304
The Nicene Creed, the Constantinopolitan Creed, the Athanasian Creed original: "Symbol. Quicunque". . . . . . . . . . . 312
Pythagorean Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . . 325
Magical Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . . . 331
Apollonius of Tyana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335

Platonic Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . . . . 336
The Introductory Rubric of the Emerald Tablet in Neoplatonic Conception. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
The Tabula Memphitica Tablet of Memphis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
The Tabula Democritica Tablet of Democritus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Synesius. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Expansion of the Metaphysical Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . 355
Lapis philosophicus Philosopher's Stone Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . 357
The 1st Book of the Oracula Sibyllina Sibylline Oracles. . . . . . . . . 366
Main Content up to Verse 326. . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
The 1st Riddle of the 1st Book of the Sibylline Oracles. . . . 366
The 2nd Riddle of the 1st Book of the Sibylline Oracles. . . . 376
Interpretation of the 1st Book of the Sibylline Oracles. . . . 379
Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet as it underlies the 1st Book of the Sibylline Oracles. . . . . . . 383
The Age of the 1st Book of the Sibylline Oracles and the Philosopher's Stone Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . 386
The Fraudulent Art of Gold-Making. . . . . . . . . . . 387
Alchemical Writers etc. between Democritus and Geber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Stone and Elixir Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . 394
Elixirs and Stones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
The Arcana as Gemstones. . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
The Art of Making Gemstones. . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
Generalities on Geber's Metal Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. 408
Geber's Metal Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . . 410
Attaching the Final Rubric to the Metal Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Preparation of Red Mercuric Oxide by Means of Fire Alone. 419
Calcination Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . . . 425
2nd Mercury or Arabic Philosopher's Stone Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . 429
Detailed Notes on Arabic Alchemy. . . . . . . . . . . 436
Astrological Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . . . 438
Introduction to the Symbol Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . 444
Symbol Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . . . . . 447
The Book Yetzirah Book of Formation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
Western Alchemy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
1st Western Period: Philosopher's Stone Interpretation of the Westerners. . . . . . . . . . . . 454
The Elemental Symbol Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . 459
Human Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet by the Westerners. . . 462
The Dragon Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . . . 466
The Plant Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . . . 468
The Fermentation Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . 469
Western Metal Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . . 470
The Stercus Dung Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet. . . . . . . . . . 472
Epistle of Haimon etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
The Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral Stone: Hortulanus The Gardener. . . 475
The Riddle of the Egg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477
Alchemical Writers and Writings of the 1st Western Period. . . 479
2nd Western Period: Mercury represented by the symbol ☿ as Ens universale Universal Essence. . . 481
The Emergence of the Number Twelve. . . . . . . . . . 493
Pictorial Alchemy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497
The Alchemical Writers of the 2nd Western Period. . 500
Arabic Alchemy Once More. The 3 Principles: Salt, Sulfur, Mercury. . . . . . . . . . . . . 501
3rd Western Period: The 3 Principles among the Westerners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506
Philosopher's Stone Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet by way of the 3 Principles. 508
Plant Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet by way of the 3 Principles. . . 509
Arcanological and Human Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet by way of the 3 Principles. 511
Metal Interpretation of the Emerald Tablet by way of the 3 Principles. 515
Basil Valentine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516
The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony. . . . . . . . . . 521
Introductory Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521
Summary of Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 523
Alchemists between Basil Valentine and Paracelsus etc. . . 538
Paracelsus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538
How the School Doctors Campaigned against the Arcana. . . 546
Alchemists between Paracelsus and Libavius etc. . . . 550
4th Western Period: Libavius. . . . . . . 552
The Decline of Alchemy. . . . . . . . . . . . . 555
On the Alkahest Universal Solvent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
Schroeder's Thesaurus pharmacologicus Pharmacological Treasury. . . . . . . . 558
Rolfink's Non entia chemica Chemical Non-entities. . . . . . . . 564
Alchemical Writers of the 4th Western Period. . . 567
Rademacher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 568

Alchemy.

Alchemy is the doctrine of the Arcana secret remedies and the speculations that were attached to them. These speculations form a colorful variety, which we will come to know successively in the course of this book. The reader will have many opportunities to learn of the wonderful depth of spirit of those from whom these speculations originate, that is, the alchemists. He will have the opportunity to enter into a spiritual relationship with men who occupy the first places as profound thinkers in the history of civilized humanity.

The knowledge of the Arcana is old, very old, lost in the grayest antiquity. Even the Vedic deities are connected to the Arcana. In the Vedic cosmology, which is based on these gods, we already have an alchemical system, a well-rounded speculation attached to the Arcana. However, from the knowledge of the Arcana to the rounded speculation that follows them is still a great step. How long a time, therefore, might the Arcana have preceded the Vedas!

As just indicated, among the Indians the Arcana enter into a relationship with the deity. The relationship of the deity to the Arcana runs through the whole of alchemy. And rightly so. Although the divine working may reveal itself everywhere in nature, with the Arcana it comes to the fore twice, three times, a hundred times over. It is truly wonderful how these simple things grant health and sustain life.

The alchemists kept their Arcana secret: a peculiar matter! A series of alchemical pretenses have no other purpose than to present to the public, to the layman, things that are intended to lead him away from the path of discovering the Arcana. Hand in hand with the secrecy of the Arcana goes the dark, mysterious, hidden way of writing used by the alchemists. Some have achieved a true virtuosity in this. In their keeping of alchemy in general and the Arcana in particular secret, the alchemists went so far that they, as we will see in the course of this book, threatened with hellish punishments and so forth anyone who might take it upon themselves to reveal the secret. We are therefore not acting in the spirit of these people when we openly lay out the secret of alchemy in general, and in particular bring the Arcana out from the darkness with which they were always surrounded. In this, we do not wish to further describe the general standpoint we take toward humanity in our actions, or that which the alchemists take. Considering a specific standpoint, however, we want to raise the question: Are we ourselves not acting impiously toward the alchemists by openly laying out what they kept hidden for millennia? We believe we must answer this question with "No." Quite apart from the fact that the interest of humanity as a whole takes precedence over the special interests of the alchemists, we take our own standpoint regarding our individuality. The alchemists taught one another the Arcana, initiating each other into the understanding of their writings. And as one alchemist became the teacher of another, the teacher obligated the student to keep the matter secret in general, and to communicate it only specifically to those he deemed worthy to partake in the secret, and to then impose the same obligation of secrecy upon them. We have nothing to do with such situations. No one taught us the Arcana, and therefore even less taught us under an obligation of secrecy. We discovered them ourselves. No one initiated us into the secrets of alchemical speculations. We have figured them out through our own study, without the instruction or help of another, and therefore even less on the basis of instruction or help given under secrecy obligations: we discovered them through the study of those writings and documents which, though they flowed from alchemists, became public property once they were offered to the public. The alchemists kept theirs secret; I will publish mine openly. Under these existing circumstances, where can there be even a shadow of impiety on my part against the alchemists?

The Arcana and their Preparation.

What the first six Arcana are:
1. Acidum sulphuricum Sulfuric acid.
2. Ferrum Iron.
3. Natron carbonicum Sodium carbonate.
4. Natron nitricum Sodium nitrate.
5. Liquor Ammoniaci hydrosulphurati Ammonium hydrosulfide solution or hydrothionici hydrosulfuric. We call it simply Liquor hepatis Liver liquor, as it concerns ammonia-liver of sulfur (hepar).
6. The combination of Hydrargyrum oxydatum rubrum Red mercuric oxide with Stibium sulphuratum nigrum laevigatum Levigated black antimony sulfide. We call this Arcanum: Pulvis solaris ruber Red solar powder.

Regarding the last two Arcana, we use the term Pulvis Powder because of the powder form they have taken. We add the adjective solaris solar to the Pulvis on the basis of the Hydrargyrum oxyd. rubrum, which is positioned as Sol the Sun according to the metaphysical interpretation of the Emerald Tablet (see later). To one powder we give the epithet ruber red on the basis of the red color, or orange color in general, and on the basis of the red color, the orange color of Auratum Gold-like substance in particular. To the other powder we give the epithet niger black on the basis of the black color in general, and on the basis of the black color of the Stibium sulphuratum nigrum in particular.

Acidum sulphuricum Sulfuric acid.

Nowadays Acidum sulphuricum is produced on a factory scale and appears in trade in two forms: as Nordhausen vitriol oil and as English sulfuric acid.
Alchemists generally prepared sulfuric acid from green vitriol, also known as iron vitriol. This occurs naturally, forming through the weathering of pyrites. To obtain sulfuric acid from green vitriol, one heats it in the air. It is converted into iron oxide sulfate and undergoes a changed distillation in the retort.
The sulfuric acid obtained from the Acidum sulphuricum is brown and fumes in the air. This represents the Acidum sulphuricum. To obtain the preparation for medical use, it is distilled and rectified, resulting in Acidum depuratum purified acid, also called rectificatum or medicinale.
The Acidum sulphur. fumans fuming sulfuric acid of the ancients is parallel to Nordhausen vitriol oil.
A very specific way of preparing sulfuric acid only appears with the Western alchemists. According to this method, one melts flowers of sulfur, ignites them, and places a glass bell over them. Then a vapor collects on the walls of the bell, becomes liquid, and the liquid thus achieved is precisely sulfuric acid. Begin referring to a chemical author starts in his Tyrocinium chemicum Chemical Primer with the following words: original Latin: "Pona campana vitrea vas terreum cum sulphure, quod ibi ardet. Ita vero vas subjectum ad campanam adaptatur, ne fumi egredientes flammam suffocent, sed libere subvecti in liquorem densentur, qui in scutellam..." "Place a glass bell over a clay vessel with sulfur, which burns there. In this way, the vessel below is adapted to the bell so that the exiting fumes do not suffocate the flame, but are freely carried up and condensed into a liquid, which [falls] into a dish..."