Symbols ana a

^Filum Ariadnac. 75.

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^Crassellame, Ode alchemica. 3.1,1 -2.

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^Fernery. Dicn'onnuire, 397, Fubfes, 1:125.

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Eernety, Dkcionnaire., 49, 163, 165. 402-3 Cf. Geber, Summa, 530-31; d'Espagnet, (Arcanum hermericae, §80): "The Fire innate in our Stone is the Archeus of Nature, the Ton and Vicar of rhe Sun' moves, digests [- ripens) and completes everything, if it is left free." Cf. G. Lenselr, Fes apparences de

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vcriccet vraye pratique de lAlchimie(ms. .3012, Bibl. Arsen., in dc Givry, 413); "The Fire of the Sages is die only instrument that can work this sublimation: no philosopher has ever overtly revealed chis secret hire, who does not understand must stop here and ask Grod to illuminate him.”

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' De pharmaco carholicn, 3, §§1, 2, 4.

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^1,1 Livrc d'Arrepbius, BPC, 2:148-49, 150-51. Each of the following attributes of Fire, given by Bernard of Treviso (Philosophic des meraux), for him who understands, contains a direction: "Make a vaporous Fire, digesting, continuous, not violent, subtle, enveloping, airy, dosed, non-combustible, altering " Artephius has said of "our" Eire: "It destroys, dissolves, congeals, calcinates, is altering, penetrating, subtle, airy, non-violent . . , encircling, containing, and unique,"

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^q Livrc dc tlHahir. CM A, 3:93, 109, 110. ^f0 Ibid., 79.

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^Chymica vannus, 2.59.

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^We refer especially to Philalethes, Episz. Ripley. §§.%, 57. 54; Filum Ariadnae, 82-33, 84, 89. 105; Turba philosophorum, passim
¹² The symbolism of ''cooking" refers precisely ro rhe specific action of fire, which little by little ripens'' the crude and brute substances. Whereupon the Turba says: "Understand ye by it everything according to Nature and Order. And helieve ye me with our seeking further 1 command ye only to cook; cook at the beginning, cook in the middle and cook to the end, without doing any other thing than cook, and so Nature will be borne to the completion."
1 he Hermetic Fires

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^ Corpus Hcrmcticum, 13.3. Cf. also 13-14, where it is said that the rebirth is "no longer seen as of bodies or three dimensions ” Cf Plotinus, Ennends, 5.3.7, 6.9.9.

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^H L/vtc du me retire accidental, text in CMA, 3:213.

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^Semite semitae, 12. Cf. Turba, §§16, 17; Philalethes, Sncrnfcus sperms, §11

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^R. Lully, Vade mecum. Cf. Roehme, Aurora 24, §38.

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^ Hence the alchemical symbolism of the "Virgin's Milk" by which rhe "f lermeric Child” is fed.

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^Pernery, Dicnommte, 408: "The Whore of rhe Philosophers is their Moon ... or Babylonian Dragon- The Art purifies her of all filth, turning it into virginity. When in tills state, the Philosophers call her rhe Virgin " In I lellenism, rhose allegories correspond to the myth of the "Perfect Man" who penetrates the Impure Womb and alleviates the pains of its darkness; when the mysteries are known, he drinks from the cup of Living Water that liberates him from the "garments uf servitude" {in Hippolytus, Philosophumena, 5.10).

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^CMA, 2:84.

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^CAO, 2:276.

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Della Riviera, Mondo imgico. 105,

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^P Bornia, la Porza Magica 32-33.

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^Mondo magico, 80, 99 -100.

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' B.Valentine, Aurelia, BCC, 2:207 From the idea of transparency, associated with that of hardness 'equivalent to congelation), proceeds the alchemical symbolism of Glass and Vitriol. Because of this Lully says," A philosopher is one who knows how to make glass." According to Braccesco (Esposiuone, iol. 10a) the metals dissolved in the prima materia are vitriol, "which 1 call Dry Water" and which m the formula of Basil Valentine is linked to the precept of "descending to rectify"

The Coniunctio in White

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1.