Hermaphrodite Child of the Sun and Moon : alchemy text

Mayntz, bey Joh. Friederich Krebs Buchhandler. Geduckt in der Churf. Hof und Univers. Buchdruckerey bey denen Haffn. Erben, durch Elias Peter Bayer. 1752.
Translated by Mike Brenner
Copyright Mike Brenner 1997

Abstract: Analyzes the natural and supernatural birth, destruction,
and regeneration of the symbolic Child. Introduces the theory and
practice of how to quest for and manufacture the Philosopher's Stone.
Includes applications and explanations of verses by the famous
Swedish [sic] Adept Norton, from an ancient manuscript. Now, for the
first time, revealed according to mystical tradition and esoteric
enlightenment. Includes the qabbalistic signs of Solomon, explained
by a master-student of nature. With 12 emblematical figures with
corresponding explanatory paragraphs.

Author: an Unknown Philosopher and Adept (L. C. S.)

Publisher John Frederick Krebs, Maintz 1752, Printer Eli Peter Bayer.
 

**

This figure is complicated, but to a philosopher, wondrous to behold.
In the center of the inner circle is the sun with 7 rays of warmth.
Above is the crown of celestial SAL-NITRE of the physical world and
the Nature-Spirit. The figure represents: (1) Chaos or universal
subjective nature as the purest birth of this Nature-spirit in the
center of the Earth, (2) Sulphur saturated with astral Mercury, (3)
the White Gold of the wise, (4) the many layers of the Earth, and (5)
Travisan's Fountain.

The outer circle represents the Zodiac where the 7 planets forever
course through the ether. The planets concentrate their influx of
energy into the world below, inducing the law: as above so below,
and as below so above.

The planets in this figure have an occult order, with Saturn in the
first, or lowest, spot. From above, Saturn congeals the One Substance
(the etherial Fiery-Water or the astral Watery-Fire with its ring of
coldness). It manifests right into the alchemist's hand and
continues throughout the Work. The golden Sun-Child already lays
concealed in It.

Jupiter is right above Saturn, the next step of the Work. The power
of Jupiter first lets black Saturn experience Composition, then
darkens the Sun and the Moon. Jupiter then sweeps up to paradise like
an airborne dragon, out of the stomach of Saturn. Jupiter transmutes
the dark Earth into the subtle elements from which the black child is
freshly born in the sky, the way a noble jewel is polished. Finally,
this enables Jupiter to completely discard the shadowy mundane world,
the old Adam.

At the top is the moon, snow-white Diana, the queen of solidity. She
starts her heavenly journey by drinking in and dissolving all the
tail colors of a Peacock in a heat. The Moon uses the Philosophers'
Stone to hermetically seal the pure liquid Air-Element. Continuing
through the dry gaseous Fire, the Moon journeys on the Path to the
celestial Solid Fire and the Red Tincture.

Next after the moon at the very top, is Mercury, the Initiator, the
Worker, and the Completer of the whole Work, the moist-radical or
base-moisture of the Stone. Now, Mercury swings from the top horn of
the crescent Moon down to Venus, entering through her silver chord.
Mercury starts out in liquid form at the Moon, but solidifies while
passing through Venus and Mars, penetrating through to the center of
the Sun.

-----

PARAGRAPH 1

Among the 7 planets I am called the Sun.
My pointy crown symbolizes the process:
First, we become completely subtle and pure
And bind with Mercury,
Then the black raven grows.
It is buried in the grave,
Rising anew,
Adorned with lillies, and betrothed.
Then at last the Sun-Child appears,
Bedecked with purple on his throne.


EXPLANATION OF PARAGRAPH 1

The mundane Nature-Spirit: (1) pours itself into the Central-Fire of
the earth, (2) starts working in that fire, (3) is bound in mercurial
moisture and liquid form, (4) is impelled to and fro, through the
Archaeum of the Earth, as a saturated wind, (5) is congealed by
Saturn, and (6) is thrown to the ground in front of the Alchemist,
like the true metallic gore (the metal's seed).

The Alchemist: (1) recognizes this as the most valuable treasure on
earth, (2) takes it home joyfully, (3) inserts it into the glass
coffin, (4) binds it with the gaseous Mercury, (5) seals the coffin,
(6) watches the black Raven grow in the putrefaction, (7) is reborn
in the Paradisiacal Kingdom to corporal Diana, and (8) is crowned as
the Child of the Sun.

-----

CANON 1

Worship God, and love those
Who overcome their depression and cravings.
Give only the best to God and neighbor.
Come, I will show you
A Treasure that you will treasure:
A golden fountain and a silver spring
From the word of God and the Soul of Humanity.
I am that Treasure,
Better than all other good things.
Yet, I am also an poisonous dragon,
A furious lion with jaws open like an abyss.
All metals bow before me;
When I grab them, they bust to pieces.

EXPLANATION of CANON 1

The Alchemist should be a pious, sincere, lover of God and neighbor.
That way, better success will ensue in this highest mystery of
nature, which can only be given as a gift from God. The author of
this canon writes about the origin of the Substance of the Stone.
This One Substance originated from the very first moment of creation
when God said the all-powerful word FIAT.

The One Substance is animated by that emanation of Being Itself
called the Nature Spirit. Therefore, the Substance is as powerful for
this Work now as it was in the beginning, and ever shall be until the
end of the world. Now this is (1) Hermes' superior and inferior, (2)
Bernardus' little well, (3) Hermogenes' magic fire-staff, (4) silvery
Mercury springing from the forehead of God, (5) the highest good
from the time of the Fall, when people became poisoned by ignorance,
until the time they are reintegrated into Paradise.

**

EXPLANATION OF FIGURE 2

This fire breathing dragon is Hermes' little bird, flying here from
the North. It is a celestial creation, consisting of fire and air.
Its fire-breathing mouth, therefore, has the power to (1) warm the
cold chaotic water, (2) transmute it into a virgin earth, and finally
(3) transmute it into a fire-resistant liquid-wax Stone, which is why
the Stone is called a Tincture.

The dragon wings have 7 indentations, to indicate the seven steps
Eleazer said are needed to chop off those wings (after Eleazer's
meaning). The first three steps involve progressing the dragon
gently and without corrosion through the 3 worlds in turn: the
Mundane (solid), the Paradisiacal (liquid), and the Celestial
(gaseous). The fourth step represents passing through frequent
barriers in the distant islands of the philosophers where the dragon
eats himself so full of Earth, that he can no longer fly, as if he
wanted to melt everything solid into liquid. In the fifth stage he
becomes a prisoner of Saturn's scythe. In the sixth stage, everything
turns around, liquid becoming solid again

-----


PARAGRAPH 2

If the sublime wisdom of the universe,
Prized about all else,
Had opened up clearly,
As told by Philaleth; and
If my mother, Nature,
hadn't grayed
My colorful Mercury; and
If my fiery life were revealed;
Then there would be as many Adepts,
As there are Sophists now.
But God wills
The greedy world not to
Grasp my nature or
Discover my Mercury.
So I am only known to those
Who God sends to my Master.
Who explains everything clearly,
And reveals my figure:
What to make out of the poisonous dragon,
And my solid red brother.


EXPLANATION OF PARAGRAPH 2

Physically, mentally, and emotionally turn to the Kingdom in your
heart. Only then can you truly understand our overall mother, Nature.
Only then can you comprehend the Mercurial Spirit hidden deeply in
her innards, which gives life, seed, and soul to all 3 kingdoms. If
the innumerable modern pseudo-Adepts would just recognize this, then
the world would be full of true masters.

But it is hidden from their mundane eyes, that can perceive only the
transitory, that is, physically manifested things like minerals and
metals. The One Substance escapes them. They do not recognize the
seed and germ of all metals, where the glowing Mercury of nature lies
hidden, the seed which the south-wind provides in shining gray,
viscous liquid form.

Why? Because greedy, self important people, seeking only to satisfy
their cravings, are fated to lose this Treasure which the God of Gods
gives only to those in tune with nature, seeking with the heart of a
child. And only these, not the thousands of sophisticated
manipulators, know what to make of this poisonous Mercurial dragon
and his accompanying liquid Sulphur and viscous Earth.

-----


CANON 2

My species gives me a grey belly,
but I'm neither male nor female.
Rather, I have both genders.
My flesh and blood prove it.
My blood is male, my flesh female.
The power of both is spiritual.
I have both male and female organs.
So people call me a hermaphrodite.
My treasure is the Earth Element,
where there are minerals, metals, and such.
Yet I'm nothing that you may suppose.
I am One Substance by my nature.
In my metal form I am simultaneously
hot and cold, wet and dry.


EXPLANATION OF THE CANON 2

Here the author points out that the One Substance, is a viscous,
gray, hermaphroditic liquid. Its passive, feminine characteristic
comes from its liquid state and spirit of Mercury. Its active,
masculine characteristic comes from its solid state and spirit of
fiery Sulphur. In other words, physically it is Water and earth, but
spiritually it is Mercury and Sulphur.

The author's second paragraph shows the Substance born in the center
of the Earth and brought forth by the South-Wind. The author
empowers us with clear words: It is neither mineral nor metal. It is
an essence or substance with equal proportions of the characteristics
of the 4 elements.

Now what can sophists and vain seekers after this mystery say about
this atomic Substance, which has a hermaphrodite spirit and body, yet
is neither a mineral nor a metal? All their misconceptions are swept
away: there is no antimony, vitriol, saltpeter, salt, quicksilver,
sulphur, gold, silver, nor other metalic compounds. One Substance
only is needed. It encompasses all wisdom. Nature consituted It. The
wise use It. Discover it and recognize Its esoteric secrets, lest,
in all your science, you completely miss the target.

 

**

EXPLANATION OF THE FIGURE 3

Figure 1 shows the superior and inferior of Hermes. Figure 2 showed
the hermaphrodite duality in a single thing, the philosophical Adam,
who still has his rib, that is, who had not yet divided into separate
male and female to produce offspring. Figure 3 conceals many
important symbols of theory and practice.

(1) The most-secret dual receptacle, without which the Work cannot be done.

(2) How to hermetically seal the passions (CAPRICUS in the form of golden Earth or
Sulphur, representing masculinity) with the the power of the
Conscience (BE-JAH the Holy Spirit [literally, the Lord God], in the
form of liquid Mercury or the Moon, representing femininity). (3)
The hermaphrodite figure standing on the circle, so it belongs to
that circle, but is nevertheless separate from it. (4) The green lion
in the circle, which represents the
blossoming of Life, and which attains its power through the gaseous
SAL-NITRE. It becomes larger by devouring the liquid Mercury it
drank, which it excretes as thick as tar.

-----


PARAGRAPH 3

Hermes called me the Sun and the Moon. Riplaeus called me the green
lion. Our author called me hermaphrodite, but I pay no attention to
that. It makes no difference. Nor does it matter what the sophists
call me, for they learn nothing for all their trouble except: (1) I
am One Substance, not two; (2) In me is Bernard's little fountain;
(3) I am dry water, subtle pure; (4) I am raised up by the power
of Mars, as commanded by Philaleth, the famous Adept who
coagulates my esoteric nature with Mercury.


EXPLANATION OF PARAGRAPH 3

In their books for the curious world, the adepts spoke in symbols.
For example, the Stone is made of One Substance. It is a thing that
is a simple unity, not a composite. It has equal parts of Earth,
Water, Fire, and Air. It possess equal attributes of heat and cold,
moisture and dryness. It arises from liquid and solid Fire. Thus, in
the first verse, Hermes calls it the Sun because it is made of Solid
Fire; and in the second verse, he calls it the Moon because it is
made of Liquid Mercury. Riplaeus calls it the green lion, because it
grows more fiery whenever the Celestial Fire is inflamed.

The Master Norton called it a Hermaphrodite, since Hermes said it is
both solar and lunar. But don't make the mistake made by most
current-day alchemists. This single thing with dual characteristics
is not a composite constructed by human hands. As it says in verse
13: By my nature I am One Substance.

And in verse 15: I am Dry Water, subtle and pure, and I am powered
with Mars energy. That means, that in the center there is a subtle
Fire. The Mars energy causes this Fire to rise up and become
strengthened by the Celestial Fire. According to the words of the
philosopher: Give the fire to the Fire and mercury to Mercury.

-----


CANON 3

Four elements are sealed in me,
Sulphur and Mercury are dissolved in me.

I am savage, deadly, smoky, poisonous,
solid, liquid, constant, and gaseous.

Not animal, vegetable, fungus,
arsenic, vitriol-alaun, salt,
sulphur, mineral,
gold, nor any metal.

I am White Mercury. I have only one root and two stems.

Everyone despises me, because I don't look too cool in my dull gray
coat. Yet, I am like the prize-winning beehive that produces the best
honey for lords, princes, and the king. I equally valuable for
everyone, high and low, rich and poor.


EXPLANATION OF CANON 3

We are informed in Verse 1 that the chaotic-philosophical Water is
not the same as the Water Element. There the author states: the four
elements are sealed in me. And to show us the origin of his central
Sulphur and astral Mercury, he adds: flowing with sulphur and
mercury. The next 2 verses clarify that this hermaphrodite Substance
is both solid and gaseous.

First he describes the dark, earthly, liquid characteristic, saying:
I am wild, deadly, smoky, and poisonous. No man can face it without
crying out and suffering from the most terrible poison. None dare
touch it nor taste its repulsive smell. Yet even its raw state, it
effects wonderful cures. Also, after a little preparation with small
doses of ADMIRACULA PRAESTANDA, it can be touched or taken without
harm.

But the following verse describes its characteristic as solid,
liquid, constant, and gaseous. The author already named the interior
and exterior forms of this One Substance. But, admittedly, God and
the adepts do not permit discovering any clearer revelation.

Next,the author states what it isn't: not animal, vegetable, fungus,
arsenic, vitriol, alum, salt, sulphur, mineral, gold, nor metal. So
this universal Tincture is not from the animal, vegetable, mineral,
or metal kingdoms. These words bring particular dizziness to the
brains of today's alchemists, who will ask: what is it then? Well,
it has certainly already been named several times, but to repeat it
one more time superfluously: (1) It is the purest offspring of the
gaseous mercury in the belly and center of the Earth. (2) It is a
stone in liquid form. (3) It is an invisible solid. (4) It grows up
like the mustard seed. (5) It works through the astral fire. (6) It
transmutes everything it touches into a liquid-solid like itself.
(7) It is a fiery water or air which cold Saturn congeals on top of
the Earth. Enough said, since anyone who does not understand this now
is beyond help, and further words will not help, for this is
essential to any real Alchemy. (8) Manipulations, spells, and magical
formulae do not apply here, because it is a dual spiritual-physical
material, intractible to sophists. (9) It is White Mercury transmuted
into gray, liquid form. (10) Even though it is laying at everyone's
feet, philosophy cannot explain it better than as a unity with
balanced dual characteristics.
 

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