Alchemical Terms…

Secret Fire, Preparation and Solve

(Excerpt)

Wet Way:

This is the most commonly followed path. It is also far more described than others are. It lasts for 28
philosophical months. This dictionary will be mostly about this way. It is relatively easier, because
comments on it can be easily found. It is also the less toxic and less dangerous.

Dry Way:

This is a less known path, although quicker, lasting four philosophical months. The main difference
resides on the first Solve operations. The wise men then use their Agent in the form of earth. This
remaining unaltered by humidity in the air is more active and cooks the matter more strongly. It is
nevertheless very harmful if breathed and given the heat required it may easily happen that the vessel
explodes.

Secret Fire
Primal Agent: Secret element concealed by all Philosophers. It is their "salt", ready to be transformed in
any of the four elements. It is he who leads the whole work, as long as he is well guided.

Alkahest: Paracelsus gave this name to the secret fire potentially concealed on rotten oak, acacia and
fern.

Alum: The name certain chemists gave to their salt because of its translucence; but one must keep from
working with this product, because one would truly err.

Nature’s Reach: The spagyric philosophers have thus named their Universal Agent, because this is the
body that in nature sets everything in motion. In the Great Work it is he who triggers violent reactions.
Separates the three bodies from its ore in Preparation and the amalgam in Solve.

White Beard: The Cabalist alchemists have thus designated their primordial agent… there is a close
analogy and similitude between the White Beard and the Salt of the Wise when it is treated and exposed
in a certain way. In fact, in the preliminary stage of Preparation, each particle of salt concealed in a vessel
but able to evaporate transforms itself in very white and twisted threads. When in contact with the air,
they look like frizzy and white hair on the top of the flask.

Oak: Like acacia and fern, this tree contains many calories that may be used to feed one of the
Philosophers’ fires.

Fifth Fire: This is the secret energetic fire that leads all the work.

Dart: The crystallization of the philosophical salt, resembling little white needles. Handling it is very
dangerous due to its harmful nature, whence the name: dart.

Dry Water: Substance extracted from acacia, oak and ferns by means of a certain operation. This body
has the property of being dry and wet at will and so it was named "dry water" due to its opposing double
quality.

Sword: A word commonly found in alchemy, which has often misled plenty, a researcher. The sword of
the wise is their saline fire. This element behaves like a piece of steel attracted by a magnet. It is greatly
attracted to the first matters with which it unites. Extending this idea of the "steel attracted by the
magnet", the saline fire now becomes its power, its knife and sword. It stands to reason that "to cut" in
alchemy most often mean, "to cook".

Secret Fire: An energy that activates all matter and keeps it at an even temperature. It is also called fifth
fire. It is he who uses the wind to temper the environment and permit the circulation of elements.

Fire Regimen: There are four degrees of fire, corresponding to the four colors: black, white, orange and
red. The first one comes up in Solve and the other three in Coagula.

Curdled Milk: Salt of the philosophers while in a semi-liquid state.

Virginal Milk: Same salt as above, but completely liquefied.

Pearl: This word has two meanings. The first one designates the philosophical salt when in a semi-liquid
state. At this point it is called "May dew" because when the salts begin to liquefy they look like water
drops. The second one is granulation in every state.

Caustic Potash: Caustic product used in lye. Its chemical formula is KOH. It is found in the form of white
crystals that shine like glass. These crystals are very brittle, fusible and soluble.

May Dew: It’s the salt of the philosophers when each crystallization starts to liquefy and forms what
looks like a water drop due to the humidity in the air.

Philosophical Salt: This salt is obtained in a purely chemical way. Given the fact that it has exactly the
same characteristics (except for the color) than the philosophers’ salt, the Wise Men produced their
philosophical salt in order to distinguish it from the former. Those who dedicate themselves to the Work
cannot ignore this salt.

Foliated Earth: Contrarily to what D. Pernety says the foliated earth is not Putrefaction. Foliated earth is
the Philosopher’s Salt when it starts to melt. The crystals are joined together in layers. So we must not
forget that the foliated earth is the salt.

Word: The world, they say, was created through the Word. And if we would believe in some Indian and
Tibetan Temples, the Great Creation was composed of three Words, since the beginning considered holy
and sacred. Here they are, in the order we have received them:

Kshàra, Ogás and Hingula. It stands to reason that the one who penetrates their meaning will see the
mystery clarified. While the first word actually represents the Primordial Agent, the second stands for
the Secret Fire and the third the First Matter. We would like to note that grouping the first letter of each
word would enlighten the meaning.

Preparation
To Amalgamate: Operation permitting the union of two or more bodies. The whole Work consists in
initially splitting the matter dissolving it after the sublimation, in order to unite it afterwards (once it has
been purified) and to coagulate it.

Art and Skill: These are two essential qualities in every investigator of the Work. In Preparation, for
instance, as to obtain the separation of the three components without the aid of common fire one truly
needs to be a genius artist in order to be successful.

Aries: Zodiacal constellation related to April. This alchemical sign is frequently seen on top of images. It
means this is a favorable month to collect the mineral.

Chaos: A name given to the ground pulverized mineral one must use in Preparation. Thus it is written:
"Light came out of chaos".

Cinnabar: This mineral is a quicksilver sulphide, from where the commercial sulphur and quicksilver are
extracted. These are dead bodies, touched by the fire used to separate them from the dregs. Some
Philosophers such as Hermes have referred them as the First Matter, but one must understand this
statement as a "comparison point" because the ore of the Wise is not treated alike. Analogous, but not
equal, similar, but not identical.

Cucurbit: The secret Athanor of the Philosophers. It’s within the cucurbit that the primordial matter is
divided into three bodies of equal necessity.

Oven: Heating device that works on wood, coal or oil. One must not confuse oven and fire. When the
Philosophers speak of fire right before the Preparation they are speaking of the common fire. But as
soon as they start to speak about the Work, the oven is not a common oven anymore it signifies their
"secret fire". Put in another way, it can be used for three times: the first one, to eventually reconstruct
their ore; the second one in order to extract the calories contained in acacia, oak or fern, and the third
one to operate the final transmutations. Aside from these, the five fires they use have nothing to do with
common fire. The researcher must thus understand that the common fire is used to reconstruct the main
bodies, and the secret fire in order to dissociate, purify and coagulate them.

First Matter: The First Matter (singular) designates the ore of the Wise. This ore which contains their salt,
sulphur and mercury. When this denomination is used in the plural form it then denotes the salt, sulphur
and mercury of the Philosophers. Put in another way: the three bodies separated from the dregs.

Mercury of the Philosophers: A body similar to common quicksilver, but possessing its natural qualities,
not having suffered the damage caused by common fire when separated.

Mortar: A vessel made of sandstone, cast iron, porcelain or glass, which is used to triturate the bodies,
in order to pulverize them afterwards. This device is used in the Preparation stage, in the end of Coagula
and during the Multiplications.

Nostril: Going back to this image, some Cabalist Rabbis represent the Preparation stage with this
allegory. This is the stage when the First Matter transforms into three quite distinct live bodies. Given
the fact that these bodies have not suffered death by common fire, but on the contrary have received
the natural revitalizing spirit (being the vital sulphur a heat and not a fire), they are full of life and
strength in order to carry out the Great Work.

Operations: The Work is composed of six operations: a strictly chemical pre-preparation, the
Preparation, Solve, Coagula, Multiplication and Projection. The last five are rigorously alchemical.

Weights: When the researcher is in possession of its ore, and has already extracted the elements from it,
he is able to verify that for each 100 gm of matter there is generally: 50 gm of Mercury of the
Philosophers, 37,5 gm of Sulphur of the Philosophers and 12,5 gm of Salt of the Philosophers. These are
nevertheless not the correct weights, since they come from a manufactured ore and not from an ore to
be reconstructed. Now the alchemist must reconstruct this ore while better purifying it.

Preparation: First stage of the Great Work considering that everything required is at hand. It consists in
triturating pieces of the First Matter in a mortar and put the result together with philosophic water in
the Athanor, applying the fifth fire. Under the violence of this heat, the three bodies are separated into
two groups: the sulphurous body remains in the Athanor and the saline and mercurial bodies (which are
volatile) are collected into a receiver that communicates with the Athanor through a long neck (the
horn).

Reincarnation: This concept will later on be helpful to explain in detail the role of vapors in the
Preparation and Solve. One must not forget that it is actually the same vapors that dissociate the
elements in the first step and re-amalgamate them in the second. What happens then, and why is it that
a completely opposite phenomenon takes place when the same vapors are used? The answer is quite
simple: everything depends on the Vessel where these vapors are elevated. In the Preparation, the three
primordial bodies after being triturated and mixed are placed in a philosophical Athanor, as Geber
mentions in his Summa. At this point, under the conjugated action of the fire in them contained, they
tend to sublimate, i.e., to elevate in vapors, as long as they reach ebullition. Now, given the fact that salt
evaporates at 165°C and the mercury of the philosophers at 360°C, two things happen:

1st – Both the salt and mercury of the philosophers, sublimated through the intense heat that comes
from the sulphur, evaporate into a contiguous vessel to the Athanor. Here, by means of a temperature
break down, they are condensed and overlayed in the order of their density.

2nd – The sulphur of the philosophers however does not boil below 450°C and sees its way in blocked
at this temperature because of the exiting of the other two bodies that no longer excite it. From this
point on he stay`s intact, with all of its strength in the bottom of the athanor and it’s a child’s play to
operate the triple operation. Lastly, we remark that it is because of the sulphurous strength being intact
and never getting to sublimate that the Solve reaction will be able to restart afterwards.

Salt of the Philosophers: Shining substance found in the ore of the Wise. It is found more in a
homeopathic than chemical state. This being the reason why certain authors name no more than two
bodies: the king and the queen, or better yet, their sulphur and mercury.

Therefore without this salt that gives the ore its cohesion, the latter would not exist. That’s why in the
Preparation one must add the philosophical salt to compensate for the lack of salt of the philosophers.

Taurus: Zodiacal month that corresponds to May. It is favorable to the extraction of the ore. It is one of
the months when the matter is richer in philosophical mercury.

Cooking Time: The Preparation stage lasts for two Philosophical months. Solve, 8 months; Coagula, 16
months; Multiplication, 2 months, being the sum 28 Philosophical months.

Philosophical Month: This has nothing to do with ordinary months. Ordinary months represent a
conventional period of time. They are calculated in such a way that the four fourth parts of each lunation
when reduced to 24 hours coincide with the four stations of the Great Work, starting with Winter.

Solve
Adam: This second Adam that comes from heavens is nothing but the fluid, revitalized and revitalizing
granulation that is born out of the union of the three vapors that meet in the upper part of the flask…or
heavens. Now, in like manner that Adam was expelled from the earthly Paradise after having tasted the
fruit of Knowledge, so the granulation thickens and falls into the unamalgamated compound. This "fall"
represents the image of Adam falling over the ground. Meanwhile, since the granulation gets harder in
time and forms a body, it is natural that some compared it also to Adam whom God covered with fur
clothes. In short: the first Adam (stained ore) transforms into a second (similar to one from God);
nevertheless since it lacks Eternal Life (before being expelled off the high spheres), this second Adam
precipitated over the earth will not be able to redeem by purifying himself and revitalize everything
around him. This is why the second Adam "coming form heavens" falls upon earth and possesses a
Revitalizing Spirit.

Love: The first matters before being placed in a sealed flask and later on excited by the 5th fire…they
start boiling and rising because of the high temperature. As the sulphur proportion is bigger than salt
and mercury’s, the first body divides into two different parts. One of them unites with salt and mercury
through sublimation (it is the amalgam in natural proportions); the other one (unable to find its
equivalent part in salt and mercury) produces nothing but a heat that quickly gets lower and lower. The
sulphurated remainder then goes from the gaseous to the solid state (looking like a gray compound).

Apparitions: Who would say that some solid bodies could "appear" inside a sealed flask that doesn’t
contain anything besides smoke from three bodies destroyed by fire? These more or less thick vapors do
not look granulated at all, and might remind one of the primitive ore containing salt, sulphur and
mercury of the philosophers. Meanwhile, little by little, the "vaporous" spherical bodies dissipate in
smoke and this state (where the germinating granulation as a body, a soul and a spirit is but a fluid state)
can be compared to an apparition or a celestial contribution.

The same happens when the granulation, still jelly-like, hardens due to the lowering temperature… it can
be compared to materialization, it is in fact a real materialization or even a re-materialization, which
perfectly explains the phenomenon of apparitions.

Beast: In Solve, the male beast or sulphur of the Philosophers is called red lion, in opposition with the
philosophical salt that is called green lion (not because of its color, but due to its acid virtue which
signifies something unripe). As to the female beast, or mercury of the philosophers, it is called eagle due
to its volatility. Some times, the sulphur and mercury are also called dragons and the salt Armenia’s dog.
From their deadly combat the quintessence of Innocent’s blood is born. Lastly, at the end of Solve, the
granulation is sometimes called Phoenix, because it looks like it is born again from the ashes of the
compound from where it was generated.

Car: What exactly happens inside the sealed flask in Solve’s beginning? We have seen it
often: Under the action of an excitement produced by the contact of salt, sulphur and mercury of the
Philosophers, a powerful caloric energy is released and sublimates the three bodies, projecting them in
the upper part of the flask. Thick vapors arise and little by little in the midst of this smoke a "fluid
granulation" emerges, and seems sustained and elevated by the sulphurous volatile part that is not
amalgamated. The sulphur (male element) represents Fire; it is thus a sulphurous fire rising as vapor that
sustains, carries, drags, transports the emerging "granulation".

Compound: Pestilent slit born of the impurities and the part of sulphur of the philosophers unable to
amalgamate. It is on this muddy earth that the granulation strengthens and hardens. The compound
offers different colored aspects: dark brown from the first coction on until it reaches black, gray and
finally green. One must note that these color changes are responsible for its many names: putrefaction
or calcination when it is black, vegetation when green, etc.

Deluge: Born of the condensation that is formed in the flask when the vapors fall down like rain due to
the cooling of the flask. The excess of liquid covers the whole matter and thus the Wise speak of deluge.

Mercurial Water: Philosophical Salt at the time the first chemical reaction of Solve is about to begin.

Red Sea Foam: Under the action of the fifth fire, the liquid matter boils and this ebullition form a kind of
yellow emulsion. At this point it is called Red Sea foam because it surnages the sea of the philosophers,
also called "Dragon’s Blood".

Energy: Caloric power that rises as soon as the salt, sulphur and mercury of the Philosophers are put
together and submitted to the action of the fifth fire. Its power is so strong that it will suddenly blow the
flask up unless one was careful to leave 2/3 of it empty. We firmly recommend all investigators to be
extremely careful in their operations because even when it does not explode the risk of serious burnings
subsists… We have seen a heat-resistant vessel become red-hot and completely burn the cloth it was
placed upon. Prudence is rigorously required.

Faeces: Sulfurated residue unamalgamated that remains in the bottom of the flask together with
impurities.

Granulations: Stone of the Wise. They are generated in Solve, finish in Coagula and acquire generating
strength in the Multiplications. They are called granulations because (in the beginning) they are
spherical, like little pearls. Because of this, they are also called "little worlds" and "eggs".

Saturn’s Oil: Name given to the seal of Hermes. It is a greasy liquid that surnages the compound in
Putrefaction. It is formed like a watertight isolating cover.

Unbeatable: When the matter is on Putrefaction, i.e., right in the middle of Solve, its smell is so infect
and venomous that it’s impossible to breathe it. This nauseating smell is responsible for its many names:
grave, cesspit, stable of Augias, etc.

Jupiter: Gray matter in the stage of Solve; also called "ash" because it looks like a very thin dusty sand.
Its corresponding metal is tin.

Lepra: Excess that stains and infects the granulation in the Solve stage.

Levitation: As soon a body gets sublimated it always tends to elevate into air…. Is it not this what really
happens in a sealed flask when the pulverized ore is destroyed by fire? Is it not then observed the
granulation floating upon the vapors, like an image of the "mortified and sublimated" ore? This image, is
it not that of a Solid Body containing philosophical salt, sulphur and mercury, i.e., the image of a Body
having the same constitution of Man (body, soul and spirit)?

World Making: The action of creating worlds or favoring their breakout. In Solve’s sublimation, little by
little a vaporous granulation is formed; thanks to a lowering temperature, this granulation becomes jelly-
like and then solid. The Wise say then they are making worlds out of their matter because the Stone
then looks like a miniature globe.

Mountains: In the beginning of Solve, now that the dregs are submitted by one side to an increasing
humidity and by other to a continuous fire, an boiling is produced that in a sealed vessel results in the
breaking out of two laws: the first one is that the fluid elements of salt, sulphur and mercury of the
Philosophers gets volatilized; the second one is what permits the union of these three elements. Since
this strong heat lowers with time, the three volatile spirits rightly united are condensed in a spherical
form and fall down into the compound that did not turn solid.

Black: First color observed in Solve. This color corresponds to the first fire degree.

Number of Colors: There are four main colors, namely: black in Solve, white, orange-like and red in
Coagula. Equally there can be found three intermediary colors: gray and green in Solve and yellow in
Coagula.

Number of Fire Degrees: There are five fires: the latent fire in the sulphur of the Philosophers, the latent
fire in salt and the latent fire in mercury; these three together that form a fourth; and the permanent
energetic fire.

Orange: Third main heat of the Work, corresponding to the third degree of fire. This is the closest color
to the red. Nevertheless, if this color shows up before the black then it is a sign that the fire was set too
high. The matter got lost and everything must be restarted.

Putrefaction: First stage of Solve. It lasts for around four philosophical months. This is the kingdom of
Saturn. Its smell is nauseating. Everything turns black, deeply black. This is the stage where the golden
crown and the dragon’s blood show up.

Reincarnation: Solve, Coagula and Multiplications are the last stages. At this point, alchemically
speaking, the three purified bodies, correct by themselves but still separated are placed in a sealed
flask. Under the action of the fourth fire, the salt and mercury of the Philosophers are at first again
sublimated. This time, however, since they cannot escape, they stay in touch with sulphur, thanks to the
fifth fire indispensable to their mixing. Afterwards, since the temperature rises, the sulphur is now able
to sublimate, leaving the dregs in the bottom of the flask. Meanwhile, since these three gaseous bodies
come from the same substance and have thus an irresistible attraction towards each other, a natural
mixture intimately proportioned is created amid these vapors. This way, as the temperature cools down,
one may see in their midst a given quantity of translucid bubbles that little by little gets thicker and
harder. The new granulation was born. It includes a new body, a new soul and a new spirit more pure.

Separation of the Elements: This operation goes in the beginning of Solve, at the time where the matter
tends to darken till black. It really starts as soon as the primordial agent gets in touch with sulphur and
mercury of the Philosophers. Earth becomes water through the action of fire then transforms into air to
again become earth.

Superfluous: Sulphurous residue that stays in the bottom of the flask, after the sublimation in Solve. One
must note that although "superfluous" it is indispensable until the seven purifying baths.

Dregs: What we call "dregs" are the sulphurous parts (unamalgamated) that contain the ore’s impurities.
These dregs, which are very useful in Solve, are later on called "superfluous".

Union: The precise moment when during the sublimation the saline, sulphurous and mercurial vapours
are attracted towards each other and form a new body. This new body is the rising granulation. At the
time of their formation inside the flask one can perceive through the vapours some little transparent
bubbles. Afterwards, as the temperature lowers, these bubbles become jelly-like and at last they get
hard.

Vapours: Vapours play a great role in the spagyric art. On Preparation they separate the bodies and in
Solve they reunite them. One who opens his flask when these vapours are manifest will loose his work
into smoke. These vapours are harmful, strong smelling and acre. They represent also the air of the
Wise, the subtle part of the three compounds that the prudent alchemist must be able to re-embody.

Womb: Under the action of the spermatic fire of the male element, the matricial fire of the female
awakes. A chain reaction breaks out: it is the beginning of the sublimation of the three bodies…, which is
denoted by the elevation of vapours in the upper part of the flask. Afterwards when these three bodies
discover a natural attraction between each other they unite. Since one of them tends to turn into earth
when separated from its mass, the result is that little spheres are formed within the vapours.

Old: They are three. Three bodies extracted from the primordial ore. Sometimes they are called the "Old
Kings". They say they die in order to resuscitate full of life, strength and youth. In this case, the reference
concerns sulphur and mercury of the Philosophers, which are mortified during the Preparation. This
mortification or dissolution called "death" is followed shortly after by sublimation that reconstructs
these three purified bodies. This sublimation is then a real resurrection for these three matters, so that
as soon they see their selves free from their dregs they once again find a new look and new strength.

IMG: Symbolerklärungen & astrolog. Bezüge