Zosimus the Divine Art of Making Gold and Silver

ALCHEMY

William Wynn Westcott

Chemistry, the modern scientific discipline of which investigates the constitution of material substances, is the lineal descendent of Mediaeval and Ancient Chemy. The syllable AL is the Arabic indefinite article, like the Hebrew He, meaning 'The' chemistry—the College Chemistry, treating of the essential nature of the Elements, metals and minerals; while modernistic chemical science rejoices rather in existence a scientific discipline of utilitarian and commercial uses.

The earliest use of the discussion Alchemy is believed to be establish in the works of Julius Firmicus Maternus, the Astronomer, who lived in the time of the Emperor Constantine. Firmicus wrote that 'he should be well skilled in Alchemy, who is born when the Moon is in the House of Saturn'. Then he was an Astrologer too; what house does he hateful? the Day firm (Aquarius), or the Night house (Capricorn) of Saturn? Or does he, like some modernistic Astrologers, allot one of these, Aquarius, to Uranus?

The Imperial Library of Paris is said to possess the oldest Alchemic Volume known; it is past Zosimus of Panopolis, written in Greek well-nigh 400 A.D. and entitled the Divine Art of Making Gold and Silverish. The side by side oldest tract upon Alchemy known to exist is by Aeneas Gazius, written in Greek near 480 A.D.

The Mediaeval authors ofttimes call Alchemy 'Hermetic Art', implying an origin from Hermes Trismegistos of Egypt, the prehistoric demi-god, or inspired teacher, to whom we owe the Emerald Tablet. Information technology it stated by 1 old Greek writer that the Hermetic secrets were buried in the tomb of Hermes and were preserved until the time of Alexander the Nifty who caused his Tomb to be opened, to search for these secrets, and that he plant the documents, merely that his wise men could non understand them. Many portions of human wisdom have from fourth dimension to time died out of Human agreement.

Later on the Autumn of the Intellectual freedom of Alexandria, scientific attainments were almost entirely restricted to the Arabs, who made neat progress in science—; yet some monks in Christian monasteries also studied these matter in retirement and some have become famous as alchemists and magicians; and further some of these rose to eminence also in the Church, becoming Vicars, Abbots, and even Bishops. Those who succeeded most, wrote least, and hence are almost, if not quite, unknown to us.

An infinity of books have been written upon Alchemy, and they are of all sorts,—proficient, bad and indifferent; learned and superficial; wise and foolish—some are by good men, some by smashing men, others are past fools, some are past knaves. This is considering Alchemy has existed as a Science upon several planes; and there have been true and successful students of Alchemy on each airplane; and there have been fraudulent professors and knavish authors concerned with the Alchemy of the lower planes.

Some modernistic students accept written upon Alchemy wisely, and some unwisely; but the modern mistake has notably been in going to extremes of stance. Some modern authors have insisted that all Alchemy was folly; some that all Abracadabra was Chemistry; and a 3rd party, dominant at nowadays, have convinced themselves that all Alchemy was Organized religion. I am firmly convinced that each course of instructor is partly wrong—allow me take the middle path.

The scientific discipline of Alchemy has existed, has been studied and taught upon Four planes.

Upon Assiah, there has been the Ancient occult Chemistry, the Chemistry of the Skilful; who added to facility and knowledge of materials, the magical skill and Volition Power of the ability to deed on the 'Soul of things'—their astral counterparts. Here transmutation is a physical fact, and possibility.—This was both practised and pretended, and real Treatises were written.

Upon Yetzirah, is psychic alchemy, the power of creation of living forms.—This was practised, just rarely preached.

Upon Briah is Mental Abracadabra;—the creations of Fine art and Genius, the ensouled music, motion picture and statue;—this was practised and not preached
until modern times.

Upon the Highest Plane, the Spiritual, the practice was almost unknown except to a few entirely hidden Magi; merely it was written nearly by some good and true philosophers, who couched their views on man's origin and destiny, his descent from God, and his possible re-rising to God, in the language of the Fabric Plane to avoid persecution and destruction, at the easily of the priests of established churches.

By the pretence of chemistry, they saved themselves from penalties for heterodoxy: past the absence of Chemic apparatus, they saved themselves from extortion and torture as Alchemists.

As to Textile Alchemy, the first mentioned, just few professors confessed to success and most of them lost their lives thereby. No man'southward life would exist condom, or even tolerable—even today, who succeeded in transmutation, and confessed to it. I am entirely convinced that Transmutation of the lower metals to Gold and Silver is possible and that it has been frequently done; but non past Chemistry only, but by correlating with physical processes, the Volition—action, and the ability over the 'Soul of Nature', and the 'Soul of things', which the purity of life, and the training of the Adept can solitary supply. The true Alchemist would be the concluding to publish his success to the world—and if he did, he would probably thereby lose his power. His elixirs and powders that succeeded only yesterday, would be powerless today,—for Isis does not sanction any tampering with the Virgin purity of Her shrine. Personal aggrandisement, every bit an end, or equally a result, would wreck any success in applied magical working; and the last student to succeed, would be he who cast a wait behind upon the lusts of the mankind, pride of Life, and the ambition of the Devil.

Let no human report Abracadabra to enrich himself. Permit no human written report Occultism to secure the gratification of passion; it is the unpardonable Sin. Hence we may say that even Cloth Alchemy is a high and gracious fine art, for success proves purity, Adeptship and spiritual power; the Pharmacist lonely, may be successful in his limited sphere, whatever his graphic symbol, and however soiled be his ego—intellect alone sufficeth him.

Pardon this digression, simply abracadabra has a moral and spiritual aspect, although it seems to me that my dear friend Anna Kingsford erred, when she saw Religion and morals in every Alchemic procedure. The Alchemist professed the knowledge and encouraged the educatee to search for three things above all:
The Red Elixir to transform Base metals to Gilded;
The White Elixir to transform Base Metals to Silver;
The Elixir Vitae to administrate to Vegetable and animal; to intensify the life, to prolong life, and to expand the life.

Health and length of Life are much to be desired, for art is long, I believe the first and 2d Elixirs were not sought then much for their ain powers, every bit because they were steps leading to the Elixir Vitae—the art of prolonging life and opportunities of the Adept, that he might lose less fourth dimension in his progress to a spiritually exalted goal—less than he would lose by living more and shorter lives—with passive intervals. Surely there is an advantage in living years after 'Adeptship in the Inner' is gained : — rather than early on death followed by long periods of residual and and then babyhood. To the true student who learns to teach other men now, individuals and, perhaps, in college lives—to guide nations; surely continuity is an advantage!

Spiritual progress, which hastens to be washed with man and Earth is not (say the Easterns) the highest form of Buddhahood or Enlightenment. The Buddha of compassion, who renounces spiritual joys, to aid the grovellers upon earth, or nearly it,— is a college type. I believe and so in the three chiefs of the Rosy Cross whose earthly years of work count by hundreds; they are allegoric and symbolic possibly in name and number of years, but they limited a truth, that progress in adeptship links some great Souls to earth workers: and that such a goal for usefulness, is a worthy aim and aspiration for every one who enters here, and views the symbolic form of the Master C.R.

If I am asked why the Alchemic Books are so full of the Transmutation to Silver, and to Gold, I reply that these steps beingness necessary precedents to the art of the Elixir Vitae, have naturally had more attention and experiment, and more professors than the 3rd superior step, which is almost altogether shrouded from the profane. I must supplement these remarks by saying that I believe that many of the Alchemic treatises were actually treatises written in the calorie-free of the Chemical science of the Age, and record real attempts at chemical processes in search of the hole-and-corner of transmutation into Gilt, past people who were actually the chemists of the day, who did want real Gold, and who had no spiritual intuitions, and who did nil just fail in Transmutation.

To render to physical chemistry and Alchemy on the plane of Assiah.—Annotation—the curious, and non denied, argument that certain Gilt frames take been known to be struck past lightning and discoloured past the Flash, and that this discoloration has shown traces of Sulphur.—What of this incident? Either the Sulphur was in the Gilt, equally ancient Alchemy taught 'a Sulphur was'; or the Sulphur was in the Lightning, which modern Scientific discipline says is Electricity and contains no Sulphur. But added Sulphur is non institute in other matters which contain none, when they are lightning struck. The Hermetic doctrine is that all Matter is but one in its essence, and is the lowest fall of the spirit, the most passive aspect of the Lux.

Spirit—Matter
Active—Passive
Motor—Moved

From the one Eus, came 2 contraries, thence three principles, and four elements;—on all planes of thing, the one base is Hyle—of the Greek philosophers. And so arose from the Homogeneous—variation. The Heterogeneous arose past development. Under Sephirotic impulse on the plane of Assiah, differentiation spread, and forms and combinations were produced during ages of time. During the ages of gradual concretion, and setting together of atoms, the elementary substance of modern chemistry, the Metals and the Matalloids, the halogens and the earths, became definite types and permanent of constitution. They became fixed in their molecular structure, and are at present in the Kali Yuga, then far in time from their origin; practically Elements in the Modern sense of construction indissoluble to all known material processes. I assert that to the Adept they are all the same convertible and analysable, merely even apart from Adeptship, some so called Elements will be even all the same disintegrated by modern scientific discipline alone. Simply while science prides itself on its progress, information technology is fatuous plenty to demand implicit conventionalities in its attitude of authority twenty-four hours by day. Modern Science howls downwardly today the human who volition tomorrow succeed in demonstrating its error. Science is but fiddling less a Bigot than has Religion ever been.

The Metals so, and our present Elements must have been formed, divers, and set in their present type by the work of ages. By the slow processes of Nature, past heat, by low-cal, past electricity, by condensation, past pressure level, accept the metals grown in the veins of stone. Sudden, and fierce agencies no dubiousness also produced an effect, perhaps some metals, accept been only produced by the convulsions, and not by the gradual processes of Nature.

Who knows but that the Gold plant native and pure, equally few metals are found, was produced past the Lightning and the Earthquake. Intense pressure and intense heat, would exist likely to make a new combination from existing ones. Gold is intense in its weight—its specific gravity: intense pressure and loftier fusion point, would be likely to produce such a body, pure, homogeneous, heavy.

The Alchemist taught that the well known Metals, now called Elements, were not so—were not simple substances. The 'Elements' of the Alchemicist were states; states and processes. They taught that each metal, say lead, consisted of a Metal Root, and certain other thing—sulphurs. The nature and quantity of their sulphurs, determined the Metallic.—By taking a depression metal,—fibroid, common, hands contradistinct metal, by purging it from these sulphurs, phase by phase, they taught that each metallic might exist produced in plow, until the last transmutation produced Gold. I believe the theory is true, I believe the exercise is possible, past working in the astral, contemporaneously with action on the concrete basis. But if Golden could be so made, Cui Bono? What good would that be? No sooner is Gilded thus made, equally it were from nought—than its value ceases—it is the rarity of Gold that makes it of commercial value—that makes it buy staff of life and luxuries. If it exist produced at volition, it will be of no more than value than any other dust.

As to the Alchemist, who, as adept, does succeed in making transmutation, he will be and so constituted that riches have no temptation for him and pride no attraction. He volition know likewise, that wealth will be but ill spent, when gained, if squandered upon those who will not help themselves: he will know that individual progress, national progress, and world progress depend not on doles which pauperise, but on the volition and endeavor of individual, nation, and world. The temptation to wish 1 could but transmute a piddling, just to assist some one friend, or neighbour, just to provide oneself with some thing earnestly desired—for one'southward good—is I believe a folly, and would exist an evil if attained.

How few of us have not wished this tribute to our efforts?

How few men of the earth do not wish information technology? What proportion of men who are wealthy, spend daily on themselves what is best for them and no more than, and give the residual to the friend, the neighbor, the deserving? Do you say—oh, I am an initiate, I should practice differently? My friend—with greater opportunities, comes a neat responsibility. I will not gauge such, nor y'all, simply in my heart, I give thanks God I have not the power of transmutation now. God knows,—and I know—how piece of cake it is to fall.

But I constantly digress into the Spiritual, although what I really came to say, is a give-and-take on the material and concrete aspect. I notwithstanding defer these remarks, however, to quote two passages, 1 in prose narrating the sequence of the process of Alchemic work: and the other a verse form written in English language, translated from an one-time French prose account of Alchemic work, in allegoric linguistic communication and myth. The start quotation is Astrological, and Astrology is inextricably mixed upward with Alchemy. The second is beautiful in its verse, and volition well repay contemplation.

The beginning quotation reads:

"The Great Work must be begun when the Sun is in the Night house of Saturn: the Blackness appears in 40 days when Sun is in the Day firm of Saturn: the Blackness deepens into the Night house of Jupiter on reaching Aries a separation occurs. The Whiteness of Luna develops when the Sun is in the house Cancer of Luna The Sun begins his special course of alter in Leo his own house. Redness is produced in the day house of the Ruddy metallic of Copper, Venus, this is Libra, next Scorpio follows, and the Work reaches completion in Saggitarius the day house of Jupiter."

This is a good example of Allegoric description, which has no doubt a physical ground,—and clearly refers to the Soul of things, matters, seasons and processes on the astral plane of development.

The second quotation reads:
I: Within the gilt portal
Of the garden of the wise,
Watching by the seven sprayed fountain,
The Hesperian Dragon lies.
Like the ever burning Branches
In the dream of holy seer;
Like the types of Asia's churches
Those glorious jets appear.
Iii times the magic waters
Must the Winged Dragon drain
Then his scales shall outburst asunder
And his Centre be rent in twain.
Forth shall flow an emanation
Forth shall leap a shape divine,
And if Sol and Cynthia and thee
Shall the charmed Key exist thine.

II: In the solemn groves of Wisdom
Where black pines their shadows fling
Most the haunted cell of Hermes,
3 lovely flowrets spring:
The Violet damask tinted
In odor all flowers higher up:
The milk white vestal Lily
And the majestic blossom of Love.
Scarlet Sol a sign shall give thee
Where the Sapphire Violets gleam,
Watered by the rills that wander
From the viewless golden stream:
One Violet shalt thou gather—
Simply ah—beware, beware ! —
The Lily and the Amaranth
Demand thy chiefest care.

III: With in the lake of crystal,
Roseate as Sol'south kickoff ray
With eyes of diamond lustre,
A k fishes play
A net inside that water
A net with spider web of gold
If cast where air bills glitter
One shining fish shall hold.

Iv: Amid the oldest mountains
Whose tops are side by side the Dominicus,
The everlasting rivers
Through glowing channels run,
Those channels are of gold
And thence the countless treasures
Of the kings of earth are rolled.
But far—far must he wander
O'er realms and seas unknown
Who seeks the Aboriginal Mountains
Where shines the Wondrous Rock.

Y'all have already been taught two symbolic schemes for allotting the metals to the Sephiroth—each is capable of defense —for pointing out certain alliances and the alchemical relations of these Metals. I add hither a scheme, of my ain, for allotting to the Decad x non-metallic lighter elements recognised by modern chemistry.

Nitrogen = Binah, always a Gas—very passive—neither supports life nor combustion.

Fluorine = a Gas—very active, well-nigh intangible.

Chlorine = a Gas—yellow in colour like gold, acrid, caustic.

Bromine = heavier, baser, cherry-red liquid.

Iodine = a red copper and hermaphraditical Brass.

Carbon = Tiphereth, is the most notable non—metal—it combines with others, forming alliances with other elements of immense number—all vegetable and beast substances are compounds formed on Carbon equally a Basis.

Phosphorous and Sulphur, represent Yesod and Malkuth, both solids, and complete the calibration.

The analogies are very curious, and tin be greatly extended. It may be possible also to rank the true metals along with the Sephiroth in the Chemical Order of their actual purity and equally they the more nearly approach pure Basic Hyle, or the 'one thing', in addition to the One thousand.D. Forms. The Sephiroth are progressive Emanations, each less exalted than the former, and they laissez passer downward aeroplane after plane, and may be looked upon each as more textile than the terminal. And in Assiah there may be scales alike of Metals, Metalloids, and other substances, in similar ratios. If such were the case, the Alchemical theory of successive steps of purification would in natural class transmute each metallic into the i above. The Lead into Copper, the Copper into Silver, the Silver into Gilded, the Gold into the Elixir Vitae, the gold of Vegetable and Animal life.

Alchemy taught that all metals consisted of the Mercury of the Philosophers and of a Sulphur, which fixed it—fabricated information technology solid. The Merc. Phil. was not the Quicksilver of commerce, non the Hydrogen of the modernistic Chemist—the ane fluid metal.

Our Mercury they chosen Hydrardgyram,—Water of silver— fluid, silver-coloured. They thought information technology to be Silver in a state of 'depression temperature fusion'—They too called information technology 'Proteus' = of diverse forms. The Alchemists found Gold to be extremely heavy, then they experimented chiefly with those other metals which were most heavy;—lead, quicksilver and copper, believing they must be nearest to Gold in order of steps of change, or that each heavy metal needed fewer processes for conversion, or less purification.

They argued—for instance—Lead nearly resembles Golden in weight, therefore Lead consists well-nigh entirely of Mercury Philosophorum and Gold. If a body be institute, which volition so work on the Lead, equally to burn out of it all that is non Mercury Phios, and then nosotros fix that Mercury past a Sulphur, we should obtain Aureate every bit the effect. Relative weights of equal bulks are about:

Gold xix
Mercury 14
Lead 11
Silver 10
Copper 9
Atomic number 26 and Tin 7
Antimony half dozen
Arsenic 5

Many of the 'Elements' so called from 1750 to 1800 accept been since broken upwards, by assay; notably Potash and Soda, which were shown to exist compounds in 1807—by Davey. The Alchemist recognised iii master ways of making Gold.

Outset, by Separation; for many minerals contain some Gold.
2nd, past Maturation, by processes designed to subtilise, purify, and assimilate Mercury; which convert information technology into a heavier body, and at concluding into Gold itself.
They looked on Mercury as an Alloy of Gold and Something: by processes of Fire, and by adding suitable material for combustion; the impurity was to be burned off and pure Golden to remain.
Thirdly, past fusing with base metals, some of that peculiar compound, the Stone of the Philosophers, a perfect transmutation was to occur, the faeces would be burned off, and the Metallic Root appear every bit Gold.
For example of Alchemical argument, I accept read 'if we accept 19 ounces of Lead and fuse information technology with a proper Agent, so dissipate eight ounces we shall have eleven ounces remaining, and this can be nothing but pure Gilt, because Gold and Pb are every bit xix to 11. Otherwise if the process be gradation, and we reduce nineteen to 14 first, the result volition be Mercury, but then the process may be connected and the further reduction to 11 will every bit be Aureate, as without the eye stride'.

From another point of view, they said 'the Stone of the Philosopher'southward is a most subtle, stock-still and concentrated fiery body which when information technology is added to a molten metal does, equally if by a magnetic virtue, unite itself to the Mercurial body of the metallic, vitalises and cleans off, all that is impure, and so there remains a molten mass of pure Sol.' Simply as aforesaid,—I believe information technology is useless for any i to waste time on purely chemical experiments. To perform Alchemical processes, requires a simultaneous functioning on the Astral airplane with that on the concrete. Unless you lot are Adept plenty to act by Will power, likewise as by rut and wet; by life force, likewise as by electricity, at that place will be no acceptable result.

Then far as I know,—I do not speak past order—ability of transmutation may arise, next with other magical attainments—Labor omnia vincit. It is non conferred by whatsoever Grade—it is occasionally rediscovered by the private student: information technology is never actually taught in and then many words. It may dawn on whatsoever one of you,—or the magic result may occur when least expected!

1. Le Dictionaire Mytho-Hermetique, states 'The Fountain institute within the Garden', is the 'Mercury of the Wise', which comes from defined sources because information technology is the 'Principle' of the seven metals, and is formed by the influence of the seven planets, although the Sun alone is properly speaking the Father, and Luna, the Mother. The Dragon who three times drinks, is the putrefaction which overcomes the matter, and is so called from its black color, and this Dragon loses his scales, or skin, when the Grey color succeeds the Blackness. You will only succeed if Sol and Luna aid thee; by ways of the regimen of Fire you must bleach the Grayness colour to the Whiteness of the Moon (and then obtain the redness of Sol equally the last stage). By the 'Fishes', is meant bubbling in the heated crucible. 'Lake' frequently means vase, retort, flask, alembic'.

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Source: https://www.hermetics.net/media-library/alchemy/william-wynn-westcott-alchemy/

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