CHAPTER 3

ON THE PURPOSE AND USE OF SALT

PART 1

For those who believe they know all there is to know about salt, this chapter might appear somewhat superfluous, since they already know well enough how to preserve their beef and pork with salt and how to use it in cooking and dining. However, these are its least important uses, since it is a necessary element for the existence of all creatures, who would not be able to survive for even a second without this eternal nutrient.

PART 2

Salt was regularly used in all the holy rituals of the early Jews, as well as in the early Christian church. Saint Mark says that all men should be seasoned with fire, and all sacrifices with salt. We have already said quite enough to show that fire and salt are basically one and the same. Christ said that no one is good, save for the One God. However, he says at another time, “Salt is good, a good thing.” Therefore, the first Christians could hold no services without fire or burning candles. This they learned from the true Jewish services. Even today many sectarians hold to this practice. However, it is nothing more than an old custom or misunderstood usage borrowed from the opponents of Christianity and generally accepted as a principle of belief by gullible people. The first true believers (and the true Magis in their prayer chambers today) maintained that no religious service should be conducted without salt and fire, since nothing is closer to the divine essence than these creations, namely fire and water. And they constantly reminded themselves by means of these elements of the ubiquitous presence of God's majesty, for all manifestations and revelations of his magnificence always occur through fire. Indeed, God calls himself “a consuming fire, a light,” which no one can approach. And even today it is the custom of the Eastern Christian churches to baptize with fire and water. In the beginning of the Christian churches was regularly used at baptism, where it was placed in the mouth of the person to be baptized with the words, “Take the salt of wisdom.” This act is done to bear witness to the hope that by receiving the salt from the hand of the server (which can strengthen and preserve the physical body), the baptized person has received at the same time in baptism the salt of eternity, Christ Jesus, for his eternal preservation.

All nations and religions have at all times highly valued salt. Even the ancient Germans at their meals used to place salt as the first thing on the table, a custom that is still common in many places today. It serves as a reminder of God's presence and of his holiest blessing. This salt on the table also serves as an “offering of the lips” to divine majesty—the very source of this salt—and seasoned by the burning fire of the spirit. This offering was to be performed before the meal was eaten. It also represented the hope that, just as we season our food with salt to strengthen and preserve ourselves, God's mercy will likewise season and preserve our eternal body, soul and spirit with the salt of eternal salvation, Christ Jesus, so that we may share in eternal glory with the Word that issued forth from God's mouth (see Matthew 4, verse 4). To this end, Christ Jesus, in his summation of all prayer, taught us to say, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6, verse 11; the Greek translates “daily” as “needed” or “necessary”). These words express not only the daily needs of our body, but also particularly the shortcomings and needs of the inner man, and the hunger and thirst of the soul and the spirit. Thus, at the end of the meal, the salt was the last thing to be cleared from the table, in order to remind those at table of their duty to thank our kind and wondrous Creator through their most heartfelt prayer.

PART 3

The purification of all bodies occurs by means of salt, as any true chemist knows. We say “by means of salt,” but it is also a fire, and some day all of Creation will be purified by salt, that is, by fire. This explains the words of Saint Paul in 1 Corinthians 3, verses 12 to 15, where he says, “If anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver, and precious stones, or with wood, hay, and straw, the work that each man does will at last be brought to light; the day of judgment will expose it. For that day dawns in fire, and the fire will test the worth of each man's work. If a man's building stands, he will be rewarded; if it burns, he will have to bear the loss; and yet he will escape with his life, as one might from a fire.” We doubt that there can be any clearer statement on this in all of Holy Scripture, and certainly no statement that contains more or greater secrets than this. But the clever, learned—and blind—scholars who interpret things according to their own perverted view thus pervert even this topic. In the Jewish faith, for example, any container that could withstand fire and that had been touched by a leper had to be purified by fire. Similarly, the Persians considered their sacred fire (Orismada) so holy that it could only be used for liturgical purposes—as, for example, at funerals. Their kings would always have it at the head of their processions, in order to remind the people to think of and honor the gods. A similar reverence for fire can also be seen with the Egyptians, Chaldeans, Assyrians and Medes. And were not the sacrificial offerings in the time of the Greeks and also at the dedication of Solomon's Temple burned and consumed by the fire of the Lord? It was indeed this Urim Æsch Jah that consumed the sacrifices on the altar at the dedication of the tabernacle, as described in Numbers 9, verse 24. This holy fire had to be constantly maintained by the priests of the Lord. The same usage was common during the time of the Maccabees (so called because of the symbol in their flag), as we can read in the second book of Maccabees, chapter 1. Here, the prophet Jeremiah had commanded that the fire be concealed in a dry well. But when they later went back to the hiding place they found a thick liquid. Nehemiah ordered them to draw some out and bring it to him and he placed it on the altar, so that the sacrificial offerings could once again be consumed by it. This restored fire was then maintained until the destruction of Jerusalem. From these words, Urim Æsch Jah (Fire of the Lord), the Persians called their sacred fire Orim-as-da in their own tongue, and as such they held it in the highest esteem. In chapter 1 of this book, and in particular in parts 18 and 19, we showed with indisputable reasoning that fire is a true salt against which even the gates of hell cannot prevail. At this point we should consider a very poignant mystery: Why was it necessary for earthly salt to be present during the sacrificial ritual? We have previously mentioned that the Fire of the Lord consumed the sacrifices at the dedication of the tabernacle and in the Temple of Solomon, and that wood was constantly burned on the altar so that the fire would never go out. The earthly salt represents the earthly corrupted nature of man who must be consumed by the divine fire (which is salt, that is, God's mercy), if he is to be reunited with the holy fire of his origin. This is the reason why Mark says that all men must be “salted” by fire and that all prayers (that is, sacrifices of the lips) must be flavored with salt (that is, with a contrite and lowly heart, in a fiery and passionate spirit). However, the fact that this holy fire had to be eternally maintained shows us, on the one hand, that his mercy toward us is unquenchable. But it also shows that his mercy toward us will be forever constant, through the unceasing offering of our heartfelt prayers. And with this we have now touched upon salt's sacral use. But this fascinating material could be expanded upon much more by those versed in magic and in the Cabbala. We will spare the reader such digressions and look to see what wisdom we can uncover in the remaining parts of this book.

PART 4

Earthly salt, apart from its use in the home, has countless other practical uses. Miners themselves do not think so highly of it, since its acidic form causes them more trouble than benefit in the smelting process, by making even the most stabile elements in the fire volatile. For this reason, the miner has no use for it when smelting. However, someone more experienced in the use of fire and the transformation of the elements will be able to use it to far greater advantage. For if he concentrates the common salt with lime, or better yet, combines them in liquid form, making an elixir with common water, and then heats it, he will have an unbelievably useful salt for all his endeavors and especially in fixing all manner of volatile substances. The more often this salt is mixed with lime, the better it becomes and the more useful for all his needs, as for example with the volatile pickling of various ores, where salt is, in addition to lime, the key element of the process. The lime returns the acidity level of the salt (which is produced by the volatile rays of sulfur imbedded in the salt and is. responsible for the volatility of metals, minerals and other elements) to that of its first saline essence, thus producing a mild fixed salt that can withstand all manner of sulfur, as well as dissolve it, shape it and even make it fire-resistant, which is not possible with a more acidic salt. A salt prepared in this manner is a powerful nutrient to all plants. This effect is even more powerful if one uses the healing fiery water that comes from the main river of Eden, and which is accessible only to those who know where the sacred fire comes from, and how to use it. With its use, even the most barren fields will bring forth abundant fruit and revive all the vegetation it touches to full vitality. The spirits of common salt not only preserve things from decay, but are also useful in treating countless illnesses, as many experienced and practiced physicians have noted in their writings. These spirits of that have been transformed and made mild through the addition of lime are a far better and more magnificent agent in treating illnesses and in the preservation of all bodies than other means, and is in this respect closest to the enixo. The ancient Egyptians took great pains to preserve the bodies of the dead and in this process of preservation was the central element that the ancient Hebrews also commonly used. It is not clear, however, who learned it from whom. Be that as it may, it suffices to know that the most important dignitaries among the dead were preserved with . And even though we are no longer familiar with the specific secrets of their process, we should still be able to duplicate much of the process. Even today one frequently finds in Egyptian fields preserved bodies, called mummies, which appear to be covered with a fine layer of some preserving agent or rubber, similar to a pure, clear coat of varnish, so as to hold and bind the sulfurous saline substance that preserves the body, so that it doesn't wear away, thus allowing the body to decompose to ashes. But this gives us pause to consider how such a thing could even be done in such a climate? At many locations in Germany where battles were fought centuries ago, we often hear of people finding the corpses of soldiers who fell in those wars and were buried long ago. These bodies often appear as fresh and uncorrupted as if they had been laid to rest only recently. No other explanation can be found for their preservation except that a enixum is at work here, as is frequently found in quantity in the soil of these regions (see parts 4 and 9 of the previous chapter). Without the enjoyment and use of salt no living flesh can be maintained. Where it is not used, countless illnesses can arise. Some have even said and written that the Moors of Africa do not use salt. Can this be true? The authors of such exaggerations speak in crude terms and write without any true understanding of nature. A Moor responds differently in his own warm climate, filled by the sun and its atoms (which are the solar red or masculine seed and life-salt), than he would in a colder clime, predominated by lunar salt, which is not at all useful for the maintenance and preservation of the body. As a result, illnesses such as scurvy often appear in colder landscapes—especially in those near the sea—and we can see evidence of this around us every day. Holland is a prime example of this effect, for you will find not one single native of these provinces who has been untouched by this terrible sickness, which the doctors consider incurable. The cause of this can be nothing other than what we have already mentioned: there is a lack of solar atoms in the air. That is not to say that the sun does not shine as brightly or as strongly as in other places. Rather, the ocean on its border and its own land surface, which has been permeated with brackish , draw the solar atoms from the air like a strong magnet (this is evidenced by the fertile soil of the Dutch provinces and also by the extraordinary number of fish in the nearby ocean). This leaves the air to be filled with nothing more than the lunar seed or salt, which is ineffective as a preserving agent, as we extensively demonstrated in part 18 of chapter 1. Like the larger world, man also possesses a magnetic or attracting force that constantly and strenuously endeavors to draw the life-salt to itself. However, it can only attract what is present in the air, namely the lunar , along with the few solar atoms remaining in the air. With what, then, will his body be filled and nourished, other than a phlegmatic blood that is inclined toward sickness and decay, and from which foul illnesses arise such as scurvy. This evil scourge does not in the slightest come from the ingestion of salt, or of salted meat or fish, as some fools would have us believe. We do not contest the fact that too much salted and smoked meat and fish are not entirely healthy for the human body. But such an effect has a far different cause than these fools imagine. The actual reason lies elsewhere: when the meat or the fish are salted, the sweet, limed, salty and nourishing juice is released and separated from them and drawn out with the melted salt, leaving nothing but the sulfurous, alkaline body, which we generally call the earthly body. The masculine solar parts of the salt adhere to this body, shaping it, binding it and drying it out, so that it is resistant to the solvent lunar or , and thus not so easily destructible. (The nourishing strength of the separated liquid is made particularly evident when it is poured onto soil; it is a strong fertilizer in the growth of ). Exactly how is produced was explained in the first chapter of this book, as well as its composition. Those who understand this will be better able to answer the question: How exactly does work in the process of salting meats, etc.? As we mentioned above, the lunar atoms or particles act as a solvent and dissolve the bonds within the meat, that is, the hermetic life spirits that issue forth from the meat in its sweet, thick, salty juice. By contrast, the sulfurous solar atoms are aggressively absorbed by the remaining parts of the meat or fish and held there as a sulfurous alkaline by the action of the solvent . In this way, all the moisture is removed from the meat or fish, so that the decay that comes from such moisture can be better resisted. This meat or fish, however, that has been robbed of all its vitality and life-giving juices, provides our body with little more than empty fodder without any nourishment and thus produces a poor, sickly and phlegmatic blood that is conducive to scurvy. We present this information confident that those who are truly interested in the secrets of nature will receive it with gratitude. If our less knowledgeable colleagues also accept our explanation, then the way will be open to finding a cure for illnesses such as scurvy, edema, gout and other related illnesses, as well as many other disorders currently considered incurable. Sadly, however, they are more likely to craft words rather than to make the effort necessary to gain knowledge of the true path of nature. They do not realize that in the whole world there is but one agent, with a dual nature—or, actually, a threefold nature—by which all illnesses can be cured: common mercury, the red and white sulfur of nature (discussed in the first chapter of this book), which is found in all created things, albeit in some more than in others. If they were familiar with this mercury and knew how to use it correctly, no illnesses would be incurable for them. For example, illnesses associated with fever and dryness would require the white or lunar sulfur, while for those associated with coldness and phlegmatic qualities, the red or solar sulfur should be used. Were this knowledge put to use, even the most inexperienced of medical practitioners could be called a true physician, whom we could not criticize, but would rather have to honor for such accomplishments. Others, however, are characterized by their abstruse subtleties and concocted foolishness, as, for example, in their invention of the four humors in the human body and the differing degrees of heat, cold, dryness and moisture in all beings and bodies. Their purpose is to confuse the uninformed and to gain for themselves through their useless and contorted words some degree of recognition and authority among those unfamiliar with· nature. Nature itself knows only light and darkness, that is, heat and cold, which themselves are nothing more than dryness and moisture. The same applies to illnesses as well, however much scholars may try to elaborate, reason, delineate and define the issue otherwise. Such talk is empty and has no effect. In fact, all illnesses arise from a disorder in our internal magnet, which is the central of our life, for when this magnet is not functioning properly, and either the solar or the lunar element predominates in us, then all types of specific maladies can occur of either a feverish, or a cold, phlegmatic nature, such as leprosy, gout, scurvy, syphilis, as well as general fevers, edema and countless others that are characterized by either heat or cold, i.e., dryness or moistness, to a greater or lesser degree. It is also sometimes the case that this miraculous magnet could be in fine working order, but then suddenly be dissolved through unusual circumstances by moisture or heat, that is, by the solar or lunar solvent, although—not in every case, but certainly concretely—it still remains intact and active in some small capacity. When this happens, strange and terrible sicknesses occur (by which each part after separation shows its full force and power). However, all of them can be cured by prescribing our life-, this miraculous magnet in us that unceasingly draws to itself the heavenly life-giving force Schamajim and which brings everything back to its prescribed order and purity. How few truly understand this! This is why the wisdom of Theophrastus [Paracelsus, translator's note] is so poorly understood when he writes, for example, about the tartar of the body and its dissolved . We can only conclude from this that fools prefer the sound of their own bells. So too, the world likes to be deceived and prefers lies to the truth, for the truth comes from heaven and thus not of their essence. Lies, however, to which people cling, come from the devil and have the dark element as their guiding principle.

PART 5

How important is in dye making, glass making and many other crafts, can be attested to by those who earn their living through these crafts. Salt is truly “the treasure and wealth of the world,” and we say again that no creature can do without it and that the good and usefulness that comes from it, like the goodness of God, from whom comes, cannot be fully understood. It is the key to life and death. These words mean more than the simpleminded person can believe or understand. To those who understand this masterful work and art, we say the following: without there can be no true dissolving of a body in all of nature. To those who do not know what we mean, this shall always remain a mystery.

We know of a special that is itself the key to the secret of healing all illnesses and which can be taken as a very potent medicine. It is not at all caustic, but rather as mild as springwater. Yet it can melt the most noble of metals, gold, like ice, and return it to its original saline essence, to the uncoagulated red and white of nature, its first mercurial salt, that is, Schamajim, which comes from the river Pishon that waters the land of Hevila.

We have used the term here, but the reader should understand what we mean by this. This salt can separate the various parts of a body, dissolve them and reduce them to their original essence. So too, it can also shape and bind all bodies, of whatever type, and make them last an eternity, with the help of . Dear God! How few are they who believe that the Living God has granted such unimaginable and magnificent power to the wretched and weak creatures that are men. However, those who know the and , about which we speak—this can be recognized from its root or source, if it hasn't been separated from it—will acknowledge what we have described here as an eternal truth. is both attractive and useful for all beings who acknowledge, fear and love the Lord God. dissolves and binds together all types of , as is known to anyone versed in the art of using . However, so that the less experienced may also understand our point, we should note here that we are referring to a sulfurous that is also alkaline, for an unconverted acidic cannot accomplish what we want, since the latter is too unstable a component of the elements. Salt is the only binding force that can restrain the demons of the , , and , whose essence is really nothing other than a fierce, dark, concentrated , with qualities that vary from element to element. The devils are banished to and imprisoned within this fire (see chapter 5, part 11) from which no light can escape. It is hell itself and the fierce, sulfurous that is the essence of Lucifer and his legions, is held together and stabilized by during all processes of separation or mixing, as can be easily understood from all that we previously noted. We have asserted and demonstrated that the core of all elements is and that even their secondary products, whether mixed or unmixed, are no different. This fact, that the entire earth is nothing but , albeit of the crudest kind (as was mentioned in the first chapter), together with the description and illustration of the Systemate Universi (page 10) will help illuminate what we have presented above and what we will present in later chapters. Thus, Lucifer remains imprisoned in the great abyss until his servant, the old serpent Beelzebub, is cast down and sealed up with him (see Revelation 20, verse 3). But after a while Beelzebub will be loosed again for a time, to riot and to rage even more terribly than before, because his rage will be enflamed, sharpened and spurred on anew by his lord and master, Lucifer, the whole time he is trapped in the fiery pit. However, Lucifer himself must remain bound and imprisoned until the great and terrible day of the Last Judgment of him who is from eternity to eternity. When the curtain of Schamajim is pulled back, God's holy of retribution will bring together all the elements as well as all the damned creatures and the devils in them, and melt them into a great clump or thick slag, which will henceforth be called hell, ignited by the divine of retribution. This is why the living God calls himself “a consuming .” From that point on, the great torture of eternity begins with its terrible compression of all the elements and devils in unbelievable heat and cold, in horrible aridness and flood, without end for all eternity, i.e., until the end of the predetermined period set by God, when the things described in Revelation 10, verse 6 will be fulfilled: “that time will be no more.” This will be accomplished when the of retribution and of hell will have destroyed all elemental things, i.e., the curse and all its progeny, i.e., the darkness and the bodies of the damned, who were enflamed and seduced by the devils. When all of their infernal elements have been burned away and transformed, they will be once again returned to their original simple essence. Then, naked and stripped of all incidental things, these devils will once again desire their original essential peace that can and will be attained in the calm quiet of eternal divine mercy that flows from God's eternal compassion, namely Jesus Christ. And when all this is eventually accomplished over the prescribed period of time, when the image of the devil has been engulfed and consumed by the of retribution, and all his reign and power has been erased, so that he finds nothing more over which he can rule, and when even the darkness has been transformed and once again becomes more like the light, because of a lack of evil to nourish and sustain it, then Satan, in all his nakedness, stripped of his armor, power and tyranny, will recognize his miserable and terrible state and passionately long to return to the great and unimaginable magnificence that he and the millions of spirits he commands once possessed, and to bow down before the great Prince of Victories, the Lord of all glory, in whose most holy name now and in the future all knees must bend in heaven and on earth and in the seas and under the earth, and even in the depths of hell. Then, the prince of the fallen angels and his swarm will once again feel the mercy and compassion of God through the reconciliation of Jesus Christ, and he will once again appear before the eternal throne of mercy of the living God, the Creator of him and all creatures, in the purified magnificent form of an angel, as he was before, by the blood of Christ, without which there exists no hope of mercy, compassion or happiness through all eternity. Cleansed of his pride and obstinacy by hell's retributive , he will be led in quiet humility and submission by the blood of eternal union to once again rule his original place without end or change with all those countless millions who were produced after his fall, an unceasing continuity in perfect harmony of his will and obedience with divine majesty. What was written in 1 Corinthians 12, verses 23 to 28; Zechariah 14, verse 9; Revelation 21, verses 1 to 6 and Revelation 22, verses 1 to 5 will then be fulfilled, especially the beginning of the third verse, which says, “Nothing accursed will be found there anymore.” Since the time spans involved here are described as an escalation of the torture from eternity to eternity—that is, a progression of time divided into segments but incomprehensible to us—we can neither describe them nor define them. Instead, we must stand in silence at this point and prostrate ourselves in fear and trembling before the countenance of him who sits on the throne and whose domain has no end; he holds in his hand the key to hell and of death, which opens, such that no one can close it, and that closes, such that no one can open it before its predetermined time. All praise, honor and glory be given to him by all Creation without end, Amen. Hallelujah.

PART 6

What we have described thus far is very little indeed, and hardly even a speck of sunlight compared to the limitless good provided by , which is so little prized by the blind world, but such a miraculous creation of the living God. Its use and benefits cannot be sufficiently studied by any living creature. However, it is common for the accursed world to despise and ignore anything good, even if it produces such great effects before their very eyes.

PART 7

We are approaching the end of our long discourse on salt (which is the origin, beginning and end of all creatures, and from which all creatures were created, as we have convincingly shown), and will conclude it with this chapter. But first, we want to say a few things about salt's signature, which is, as noted earlier, cubic, that is, rectangular. In chapter 1, part 3, we noted that this cubic shape represents an earthly body and heaviness or gravity. We can best prove this by looking at common (see chapter 2, part 1). For although the earth is round, this roundness is not its true essential shape, but merely a coincidental one configured from the earth's secondary characteristics. The shape of the true virginal earth, however, is cubic, which is evident when one looks at common . If this salt, as we explained earlier, was entirely separated from the virginal , then its shape would no longer be cubic or square, but rather fibrous, star-shaped, foliaceous, etc. Thus, it is called alumen plumosum, or foliate, or the dry Philosophorum, or whatever other names men give it. In short, it is indisputable that the true and correct shape of the virginal earth is cubic, although it may also resemble other regular or irregular geometric shapes, depending on the mixture of heavenly rays within it. If we examine salt with a magnifying glass we will see that every one of its grains are square. This is sufficient to prove what we maintained above. Others can believe their own pedantic and contrived definitions however they want.

PART 8

We will now undertake to demonstrate mathematically that the cubic shape represents heaviness or gravity, while the globular shape (which is that of and ) represents celerity or quickness. It is well known to mathematicians and scientists that no inanimate object can move on its own other than downward, or along a steep path approaching that of a plumb line. This movement is not pure and absolute, but rather induced by the power of the object's weight or heaviness. A pure and absolute movement depends on the free will of a living creature, which we hope to prove here to those readers unversed in mathematics and science.

Given a surface s-q (see page 68) that is perfectly horizontal and thus without any incline, and given a perfectly round ball resting on any point of this horizontal surface. A diameter line e-a runs perpendicular to the surface such that the ball is completely motionless, resting on point a, which is also the point of gravity, as any reasonable person will recognize. From this it is quite clear and unmistakable that if we imagine a perpendicular line a-z extending past the horizontal surface s-q, whereby the extended perpendicular is equal to the diameter line a-e of the ball, then the ball (b-c-d-a) rests just as motionless and peacefully on the line a-z as it does on the horizontal surface s-q. The same applies to the cube h-g-i-k on the horizontal plane s-q with a perpendicular line n-l and a resting point l, which is the center of gravity. It is quite obvious, even to a child, that it would be easy to move a ball weighing several hundred pounds on such a level surface, but quite difficult, by comparison, to move an equally heavy cube. If a ball a-b-c-d rests of the surface W-X, which intersects the surface s-q between points f and a, its resting point and center of gravity would be the point f on this surface W-X If a line f-Á is drawn falling from the point f perpendicular to the surface s-q, this line will run parallel to a-z. It soon becomes evident that the point of gravity of f-e-c-a is such that the ball can no longer rest at point f (with the diameter f-c), but will instead move toward point X. However, an equally heavy cube l-m-n-o under similar conditions will not react in the same manner. This is because it does not rest on a single point on a horizontal plane, like the ball, but on one of its sides l-n, which, apart from the piece n-b-o, is pressed down perpendicular to the horizontal surface s-q by its full weight l-m-b-n and that of the added space l-4-m (which replaces the part n-b-o that lacked perpendicularity and inclined the figure toward movement off the plane). Thus, this cube cannot move on the basis of its own gravity or weight, but could only do so through an outside force. In this way it is very unlike the ball, whose entire weight presses down only on a single point. The force of the additional weight f-e-c-a and the area a-c-d, do not cause the cube to move to a new point nearby or, as was the case with the ball, to continually move to a new point and to continue on in that manner, until it is stopped by an object of the same kind.

The laws of mechanics tell us everyday that a large and heavy weight can move downhill much easier than on a flat, horizontal surface. Thus, the cube l-m-n-o on the plane W-X, which deviates from the perpendicular a-z, can be more easily moved than on the perfectly horizontal surface s-q. And this movement of the cube will become even easier, the more the surface W-X, on which it presses its weight, is inclined toward the perpendicular a-h (as figure 13 on page 68 shows), until it no longer rests on any surface, but rather rushes powerfully down the perpendicular a-h. Although this movement of the cube is caused by its weight, it is nevertheless, as we stated above, not pure, but mixed. Because nature does not tolerate a vacuum and because nature can neither be proven nor comprehended in its entirety, the spot a-E, vacated by the cube (see figure 13), will be quickly and forcefully filled. This refilling of the vacated spot takes place with tremendous speed as the cube falls (see figure 14). Here, b-d-e-f represents the earth with c as its center, toward which all bodies possessing weight and tangible elements fall. A is the body that falls from g-h toward the center c or the surface d-e-f. Because the air that surrounds the earth radiates in a conical shape toward its midpoint, as is shown in the figure g-c-h, it is easy to see that the deeper the 8 follows the falling body a into the cone, filling the space that a. has just vacated, the more the in the cone is compressed toward point c, thus accelerating the fall of the body. The movement of the body, although originally caused by its weight, does not occur purely for that reason alone. Thus, it is clear that in all of nature no lifeless body possesses a pure or absolute cause of motion within itself. And it is similarly clear that the more the line on which the cube rests inclines toward the perpendicular a-h (see figure 13), the easier it is for the cube to move, as is also evident in figure 13. The body rests here on the inclined surface W-X, but its movement is brought about by p-s-q and the that fills the vacated spot O-T-R. And the more the line W-X is inclined, the more the perpendiculars p-s and O-T remove the pressing weight of the cube on that surface, thus causing the cube to fall. With this, we have proven, as was our goal, that a cubic shape is a sign of heaviness and that there is no shape more difficult to move than a cube.

PART 9

We still want to speak a bit more about the cube's signature. Wise men and cabbalists down through the ages have attributed certain signs and characteristics to the elements and all of their secondary products. Such signs and traits were meant to clearly suggest the elemental power and essence of things, so that even today's philosophical and scientific dilettantes could understand them. But just as the minds of these latter bunglers have been enfolded in a dark fog from the many poisonous vapors of their amateurish experiments, so too, they have obscured and obliterated the truth with their own foolish signs and characteristics. Ancient wise men and cabbalists attributed to the form of a cube (see figure 15), and rightfully so, for with this cubic shape, they explained and demonstrated the secret of all Creation. A cube has six surfaces, the period of Creation had six days, with l being the resting point or Sabbath. Further, the cube is composed of twelve bodies, each of which has six surfaces. These twelve bodies are the twelve pillars of the true invisible Church, and if we multiply these twelve bodies by their six sides, we get the holy number seventy-two, a mystical number (numerus mysticus), representing the twenty-four elders of the first church, multiplied by three. True wise men use this cubic figure to show and to prove that nothing can achieve perfection, unless it is entirely dissolved, separated and reconstituted, such that it becomes like the cube, which is composed of twelve bodies, each of which consists of nothing but triangles. These triangles are constructed and preformed, radiating toward the center, that is, toward unity. Thus, they consist of three from one and four from three and four from one. And if we multiply four times three, we get twelve, which, when multiplied by six (representing the six surfaces of the cube) produces the mystical number seventy-two. The cube is also composed of six pyramids, each with a base on one of the cube's sides, and which come together at point l, the resting point. These six pyramids (each of which is composed in turn of four triangles, which represent the four elements) themselves represent the six days of Creation, while the resting point signifies the Sabbath or seventh day (seven being the sacred number). And if we multiply this sacred number by itself (seven), we arrive at the mystical periods of eternity, as shown in the chart of illustrations for this chapter. Here we find the entire circle of eternity up to the return of all created things to their original state: five million seven hundred sixty-four thousand and one years. That is, fifty times one hundred thousand, representing the great jubilee year, and the remaining seven hundred thousand years representing the period of the Sabbath. (No one should presume that we are using the words “years” and “periods” in their earthly temporal meaning. We have had to use these terms simply because we are not able to find any other suitable words to describe the duration of the period of damnation described in Revelation 21, verse 25, after the destruction of our visible, transient world and the coming of the New Jerusalem, over which no sun or moon shines, since the brightness of God illuminates it, with the Lamb as the source of this light.) After this period, all men who suffered damnation will once again return to their birthright and eternal inheritance. In the remaining 64,800 years the same will occur for the fallen angels. In the final year of this period the fallen Son of the Dawn (Lucifer), the source of all evil, will have to stand alone, abandoned by all of the damned as well as all of his evil spirits, to endure the suffering and torture of all Creation. He will truly experience what it feels like to stand alone, separated from the source of light and life, until he finally recognizes his vileness and fall from grace, and returns to the eternal divine compassion of Jesus Christ, to God's mercy, and thus to his original power, light and glory. In this way, the mysteries of the universe, i.e., of our solar system, will be resolved, since God will once again be in all things and the devil will no longer exist as such. So too, both death and hell will cease to be. Instead, all things will be completely cleansed during this terrible revolution and find their final resting point in God, experiencing and sharing joy and blessings without end. Scripture teaches us quite clearly that there will have to be long periods of suffering. Here, we often find reference to phrases such as “from eternity to eternity,” and “the smoke of their suffering rises from eternity through eternities,” or “from time through time,” that is, in an incomprehensible sequence. We can conclude from the frequent repetition of these awe-inspiring phrases that such an order was necessary. Regardless of the fact that the numbers cited above make these periods of time somewhat more comprehensible and identifiable (since the difference between day and night and between years and epochs will then no longer exist), we cannot really have any true understanding of such specific times and eternity based upon our own mortal concept of time (i.e., based upon the sun, moon and stars). Such measurements of time in epochs are nothing when compared to infinite divine majesty, as noted in Psalm 90, verse 4: “for in thy sight a thousand years are as yesterday.” Here, we find something that cannot be readily understood or even named in the context of the transformation of the current world, unless our measuring of time by the sun, moon and stars (i.e., after their transformation) is understood according to what we have previously discussed. If that is the case, then all doubt is removed and our original assertion is correct. With this assertion we do not mean to disrupt in the least the good and holy thoughts of those who believe that this period of purification equals a great Sabbath-period of seven thousand years, multiplied by seven to equal forty-nine thousand years, leading up to the great year of jubilee, the fifty-thousandth year, when each person shall regain his right and inheritance, as we find in Leviticus 25, verse 8, where it is revealed that all the laws of the Old Testament inwardly point to a great secret. Furthermore, the six pyramids or days of Creation must be in their shape so perfectly equal and harmonious with one another, that none of them has even a thousandth of a speck of dust more or less than the others. Otherwise, they would not be able to join in perfect union on their resting point l. This clearly shows us that all things, before they can return to God, must be completely purified, so that their original perfect shape and form can be taken on anew (see Revelation 21, verse 5: “See, I am making all things new”) and so that once again the great city, Holy Jerusalem, may appear. Its shape is square, its length as long as its width: twelve thousand furlongs on all sides, and its area was one hundred forty-four thousand furlongs by human measurements. This holy city has twelve foundation stones and twelve gates, like the twelve bodies of a cube. On the twelve gates sit twelve angels and on each gate is inscribed the name of one of the tribes of Israel. The walls are made of jasper, which comes from the countless colors of the eternal light. The city itself is of pure gold, bright as clear glass, and the foundation stones of this holy city are twelve precious stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel, and their twelve gates are twelve pearls. There is no longer a temple in this city, for Almighty God and the Lamb are its temple. So too, the city does not need the sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The gates of the city shall no longer be closed, for there will no longer be a night (see Revelation 21, verses 10 to 25).

PART 10

Here we see the basis of true philosophy, how the beginning and the end of all Creation originated in God, and how, after completion of its cycle, everything must return to its beginnings from this restless earthly existence to an unimaginable and endlessly pleasing state of peace. We have now said enough about this. Indeed, we have said more significant things in this chapter than we had originally promised, as any wise man among our readers would agree. And so we have sufficiently explained what we promised in chapter 2, part 1. We certainly could have continued on in even greater detail about the cubic shape and various other aspects of this material. However, we say again, that we have said more than enough about this. So let us move on to other things.

PART 11

Wise men have also used the symbol to designate salt, as seen in figure 16. In order to explain this characteristic, however, we must go back to the time before Creation and from there proceed to the first created beginnings. We must also present to the reader what was promised in part 14 of chapter 2, namely the mago-cabbalistic explanation of the symbol of the wise, which will conclude this chapter. Mathematicians describe a point (the beginning and end of all bodies and surfaces, however they may be conceived), which is an indivisible dot that has neither length nor width, but which is the starting and ending point of all things. In fact, the divine essence of God is the point or center from which all things emanate, are formed and end. We mortals can only imagine this sacred, irreducible and incomprehensible point, as well as its movement, but never truly understand or describe it. Therefore, since the puncto mathematico is something indivisible, we will turn instead to a puncto physico, in order to be able to grasp in some small way the concept of the Most Holy One. Let us suppose a point, like the one shown in figure 17. If this point were moved or set in motion, it creates a line, as in figure 18. This is the first movement; the beginning and the end of this line are points, as seen in a-b. Thus, a line is nothing other than a known or unknown number of contiguous points. Since the starting point a remains at rest, while the others are located at an equal distance around point a up to point b, and run in a circle from b back again to b, as in figure 19, this shows what we have just noted about the formulation of straight lines. That is, point b moves around and forms the line of all perfection, out of which all shapes and bodies of whatever type are formed. It would be easy for us to prove this with a few other theorems and problems, if we didn't have other things to discuss.

We call this line a circle; it represents the second type of movement. And apart from these two types of movement, we recognize no other. Thus, the beginning of all things was a single point and the line a-b is called the radius or semidiameter and represents the first type of movement. And all lines from the center or first point, out to the circumference or surrounding point b. are nothing but semidiameters or radiuses. For the sake of those not versed in mathematics we should elaborate on this, so that they may better understand it. Ancient wise men used a symbol for the higher unified spiritual light (as in figure 20), with a principle point and a radius line or semidiameter projecting down below it. They did this in order to show that from the first and second movement, i.e., the formation of the circle, all other shapes and figures were born. The ancient wise men also symbolized the darkness or night with the point below and the radius projecting above it, as in figure 21. Thus, this symbol represents the central underground destructive fire in order to show that this fire has been transformed and made into the opposite of the upper fire. They symbolized water with two radius lines of equal length, or a whole diameter line, as in figure 22, such that it symbolized the entire cosmos (which consists of light and darkness), as shown in figure 23. Now, if the radius line of heavenly light (a-c) moves toward the line b-c, it creates the figure b-a-c or , which is the symbol of the heavenly light-fire composed of the two rays of light, a-b and a-c, as well as the diameter line of water, or separation, b-c. This symbol, then, is the true inner designation for fiery or watery , i.e., Schamajim. But if the radius line of darkness or underground (d-c) moves to b and c and is covered by the diameter line of water (b-c), it forms the symbol , which is the actual underlying symbol for the earth that surrounds and encloses the underground . For just as the lower fire stands in opposition to the higher fire, so too, the dark earth stands in opposition to the heavenly of Paradise, namely Schamajim. And the designation of the earth with the symbol is the mistaken result of philosophical dilettantes, since the symbol actually derives from water, as we will see in the following text.

The previous figure we discussed (figure 23) is the symbol of Schamajim and Arez (see chapter 1, parts 5 and 6), that is, of the first day of Creation (see Genesis 1, verses 1 to 5). Since the upper and lower radius lines here moved by divine fiat from an equally proportional one-ness to the most perfect three-ness, the other remaining days of Creation were added and all of Creation was then complete. The mago-cabbalists symbolized this completed Creation as in figure 24. Here, the six days of work (a-j-h-d-i-g) rest on point , which represents the Sabbath. Thus, the process of separation described in Genesis 1, verse 7 was now completed. The diameter line b-c delineates the air (h-a-i-b-c). The line h-a-i, however, represents and f-d-g represents the earth, in order to show that these are emanations of the , as figure 25 suggests. In this figure, the radius lines m-p-o-p radiate from the lines n-m-n-o in the diameter line of the water symbol m-o. From there, these lines lead to the underground , where they become a tangible part of the earth. Figure 26, representing air, shows that its flanks i-r-i-s (Crura seu Latera) arise out of the eternal light and ethereal water k-l. The base-line r-s, however, suggests a moistness from the material or qualitas secundaria. The same holds true for the water symbol in figure 27, whose sides x-u-x-q reveal that its origins lie in the underground , and where the dissecting line w-y reflects its mixing with earthly particles. The upper line (u-q) shows that it is not at all lacking in heavenly water, but rather that it possesses it in abundant quantity and acts as a constant mirror of this heavenly influence. In the first chapter of this book we noted that water is the first qualitas secundaria and that wise men wanted to clearly signify this through the symbol in figure 23, for the line b-c is common to both and and to both b-a-c and b-d-c. Furthermore, we have clearly and incontestably shown thus far that is in its essence the same as and . It follows, then, that the ancient wise men would use the symbol in figure 29 to show and as well as , as was their custom. When they wanted to represent alone, they used the symbol shown in figure 28. The symbol for and all its characteristics can be seen in a-e-b-f-c-d of figure 30. Here we have a half circle with two arcs (b-a and b-c), a radius (b-d) and a diameter line (a-c). And if we rotate the line b-d to lie parallel to the line a-c, as shown in e-f, then we have the characteristic of air, as we can see clearly in figure 30. And with the other half circle a-g-c (figure 31) they also symbolized as shown, with the arc lines g-a and g-c, the diameter line a-c and the radius line g-b, with the line h-i parallel to a-c. If we withdraw the radius line b-g (i.e., the line h-i after it is rotated), we are left with the symbol for the earth (figure 31). Thus, we can understand why the ancient wise men designated salt with the symbol , namely to show that all perfection resides within it, and all of nature is concentrated in it. Therefore, the reader can now clearly understand that is essentially one and the same with and , and that it exhibits the characteristics of all three at the same time. With this, we have now sufficiently explained why the true wise men and cabbalists represented salt as a cube and as a circle with a dissecting diameter line, or as a sphere. In figure 32 we see how the symbols of all the metals, minerals and salts arise from the circle a-b-c-g and from the square contained within it, since they are both one and the same thing. We will elaborate on this in the following parts.

We have now said enough—indeed, some can accuse us of saying more than enough—about the symbols for salt. But God, from whom all wisdom flows, has been our guide and leader throughout.

PART 12

In the following parts we will speak about the symbols for metals, minerals and salts and begin to speak about gold. It was represented by the ancients with the symbol found in figure 33, which also designated the sun. This was to help us to understand that both are in their innermost essence one and the same, composed of the essential of Schamajim. That there could be nothing more perfect than these two bodies is evident in the symbol itself, for there can be no more perfect figure drawn from a point or dot than a circle. Thus, there can be no greater perfection than these two bodies, which are both entirely composed of an essential , the blood-red Schamajim, with which no earthly fire can ever compare, and which can only be mastered by heavenly . We mentioned at the beginning of part 8 of this chapter that a circle, globe, or sphere represents the shape of and water. Thus, there is no need to repeat this here. But we might remind the reader at this point that we can best observe an example of eternal and constant movement by looking at and .

The old genuine Cabbala portrays the macrocosm and the microcosm as in figure 34 in order to show that just as the point is surrounded by its circumference or circle, so too, this world is surrounded by Schamajim (that is, by the wonder- of which we just spoke). We believe that this figure also says something about the microcosm of individual human existence as well, since the Cabbala suggests that there exists within each human being the essence of gold (Aphar min Haadamah), and that this is nothing other than his indestructible immortal body. This essential gold can exist in a number of forms and without this gold or or pure mercury-water no creature can exist or last for even a moment in time. The gold that is mined from the mountains has been formed into a pure body by its pure matrix (see chapter 1, part 20 and part 25 to the end of the chapter). But because of this its form is not easily recognizable as the true of which we speak, unless it is completely purified of the foreign particles it had accumulated while in the earth. This can be accomplished by following the true philosophical rules applying to this process, which include dissolving it in a solution of its own mercury-water. This can be done quite easily if one correctly creates the solvent solution, and if one is understands well the nature of gold. That is why we said that the mined gold should be dissolved in its own mercury-water, which consists of the of gold and silver, a solution of two salts that are, in essence, one and the same.

PART 13

We now come to the second metal, silver, which was represented by the ancients as in figure 35. It shows a half circle with a point or center within it, as well as a second half circle inside the first. This configuration of the two half circles creates the symbol of the moon. This symbol clearly shows us that silver must be a perfect metal, like gold, and share the same simple essence with it, although without the redness of gold's external appearance, which is internal in silver. Ancient cabbalists also used the -symbol to designate water and any other fluids, even . They wished to show with this that silver consists of nothing other than the white of the , the watery mercurial , the lunar seed (see chapter 1). They also wanted to show that if silver's white, watery mercurial form dried out, that is, if the external half circle is completed with another half circle, then we once again have the symbol , i.e., gold. We do not need to repeat here what exactly the true and white or seed is, since this very important material was covered in considerable detail in chapter 1. But anyone who has not read that chapter, or who has not understood it, will not benefit much from what we have to say here about these symbols. The symbol itself shows how and in what manner this desiccation and transformation occurs. It becomes especially clear, when one studies and reflects upon the question of what exactly the holy fire is, to which the philosophers clearly referred in their writings. This holy and its source were well known to the true prophets and priests of the Old Testament, as we can read in the second book of Maccabees. The Persians called this Orim-as-da, as we alluded to earlier. Thus, anyone who knows and recognizes that , and are truly and without doubt of one and the same essence, will also more easily understand the close relationship between gold and silver. They will also understand how true men of medicine can claim cures for otherwise incurable diseases and how they prescribe for this illness and for that one. They will also understand what is meant here by gold and silver, and how these elements become aurum potabilis and luna potabilis. We read in the Second Letter of Peter 3, verse 5, “They obstinately do not want to know, that there were heavens and earth long ago, created by God's word out of water and with water.” With this we will end our description of the symbol for the moon and silver in the belief that we have done so with exceptional clarity.

PART 14

We will now discuss the destructible metals, first of all the most beautiful, namely copper. Its symbol is found in figure 36 and is represented by a complete circle without a center point, with a cross, or rather the radius lines of the circle hanging from the bottom, which point to a salt. For those who have understood all that we have said thus far, this symbol will explain itself. The complete circle points it copper's or the that is present in abundance in this element. However, because the center or resting point, namely the constant light-, is lacking, this earthly attaches only to its surface and is not permanent. This circle without a center or resting point also means that its -circle consists only of the wild earthly or and is also lacking in the fixed, essential, unchanging of rest. The cross hanging from below the circle (which is constructed of the latter's radius or diameter lines, that is, ) shows as well that copper is lacking inner essential or , about which we just spoke. Thus, attached to this copper is only a crude, earthly, destructible and vitriolic . And anyone who can transform this crude earthly , that is, anyone who can restore the spokes or radius lines to their axis or resting point in the sulfurous -wheel and thus restore to this the constant, life-giving, essential , that person is truly a master.

PART 15

We now turn our attention to Mars, the proud, invincible warrior, who for many reasons should be favored, since we find him so necessary, indeed among the most needed and useful materials on the earth. There exists no art, human activity that can do without him. Even most of our food and sustenance depends on him, as is evidenced in the clays of the earth, from which we make bricks, whose red color shows the presence of iron, which can be separated out by , even if in small quantities. Clay, especially of the yellow variety, was once iron that has been broken down day by day in the earth, torn from its matrix and root by the plow and left to decay. Grass, herbs, vegetables and all sorts of grains and fruits take it from the soil and provide it to us for our nourishment. And if we leave iron exposed to the air and moisten it, so that it begins to rust, and then continue to moisten it, in time a natural yellow coating or clay accumulates, which is as good for seeding as any other loam or soil. Almost the entire earth was covered at one time with iron ore, which in time decayed. We see evidence of this in the fact that there are many iron-ore deposits still around, especially in those places where the earth is not high above the base-sand, so that the sun's rays—the red —and the water of the base-sand—the sand-and stone-making , as described in chapter 1, parts 12 to 15—can easily be captured by the soil. With the help of the from the base-sand and heat from the underground fire, these rays are then cooked into the matrix for iron, a process that we described in chapter 1. It can also be viewed as proof of what we say here, that there is hardly a fruitful field anywhere that does not have such yellowish, rusty, iron-tasting beneath it. Thus, we see what kind of a companion Mars is, where he comes from, how absolutely necessary he is, but also very dangerous, when human evil tempts the retribution of the Most High, such that the Lord holds back the fruitful rain, the dissolving , thus fulfilling what was said in Deuteronomy 28, verse 23: “May the skies above you be bronze and the earth beneath you iron,” etc. But if is not lacking, the words of Job 38, verse 14 will come to pass: “That the earth changes, like the clay under a seal.” We have not put these citations here without purpose. The is the actual father of Mars, but the is only his stepmother, since his father consorted with another woman and produced him outside of the legitimate marriage bed. That is the reason why he is so unruly and imperfect, despite having much of his father's noble blood in him. We mortals can thus learn to recognize our own unruliness, clumsiness, evil and bloodthirstiness as coming from our daily nourishment, which, as noted above, derives in large part from Mars. However, we can also look at the noble blood that we have inherited from the father (and which, we believe, is a perfectly pure, bright, eternally indestructible ), in order to know from where and from what kind of seed our spiritual inner immortal body arose, namely, as Scripture says, from the red earth of Paradise (Min Aphar min Haadamah). This Mars, or iron, was symbolized by the ancients as in figure 37, as a complete circle with an entire diameter line extending outward on an angle from the top. At the end of this line two radius lines or semidiameters extend downward toward the circle at right angles. This symbol has many secret meanings, of which we will only mention the most important ones here. We'll begin with point a, from which the two radius lines or semidiameters of the upper light a-c-a-d radiate downward, forming a right angle with point a. That is, the only thing missing for this figure to be a perfect -globe (i.e., the pure perfect -essence: red ) is the water Schamajim, the white . The two rays of the light which lack the connecting line c-d mixed with an impure mother a-b, that is, with the whole diameter line of the circle below, that is, with a crude earthly , which is its vitriolic , thus resulting in its crude body. It can be clearly shown, however, that this salt is much purer and has greater healing powers than the of . Iron's salt, as shown by its diameter line, is already a purified or risen that mixes in the air with the rays of light, and yet is at the same time enclosed by them. This is why it is so sweet and mild, for it has in large part been purified by these rays of light. The of Mars is quite different from that of Venus, which is entirely dominated by its earthly qualities, since it places its circle at the very bottom. The salt of Mars, on the other hand, is similar to that wonderful salt called nitre, which is produced by the upper light-and fire-rays (see part 11). We will elaborate on this later.

Although the circle of iron is created from this excellent and the aforementioned , there is still no center point present. This shows that the light-rays have been entirely incorporated by the rising diameter line, thus allowing a crude to completely dominate the red . Therefore, the iron would be useful as its own solvent for the purpose of its own improvement and transformation, that is, to unite it internally with the composed of . This means that anyone who knows how to join the wheel with its spokes (radius lines) will move it once again back to its own center, thus revealing the perfect circle. As we noted previously, all things make their way toward their predestined goal along the path which they will take from their conception to their last transformation, back to their original state. In this sense, part 24 of chapter 1 also relates to iron. But we want to put aside our discussion of the symbol for iron for a moment and ask all seekers of truth and wisdom to consider the following: the sign , as an arrow of the sphere , was given another meaning by the ancients. We will save our comments on this for later, for this material belongs in a description of the world in general and will be treated at the appropriate time.

PART 16

Now we can turn our attention to Jupiter, or tin. Philosophers and scientists have written nothing, or very little of use, about this metal. And miners also had little to say about it, other than how they mine it, smelt it and refine it for general use. But since there is much more to this metal than many imagine, it would be worthwhile, if scholars would treat it in more detail, as we intend to do. The symbol of tin is represented in figure 38 and directly shows the nature and characteristics of this metal. Its semicircle a-b shows that it must consist in large part—almost half—of , as the line g-a-h represents. The other part b-g-h indicates lunar , , or , and the cross b-d-f-e, added at the bottom, indicates that it has incorporated an earthly into its body. However, this cross is its own solvent, with which its external form can be entirely dissolved, in order to reveal the inner element once again, and the semicircle a-h-b can be rotated around on its axis (point g). The crude earthly and represented in e-c-f and b-c-d give its characteristic flaws. For this reason, this cross with only half of a circle of perfection should go through the fire of purification. When this is achieved, we will see the goodness of in abundance. However, it is not our intention to describe this process here, but rather simply to explain the mystical and hieroglyphic meaning of this symbol to the extent that we can.

PART 17

Now it is the turn of Saturn, or lead. It is well known by its external appearance, although generally despised and not held in very high esteem. Nevertheless, it is the master of all the others and the examiner of their inner goodness and efficiency and as such, it can do as much as all the others together. And if its true significance were better known, it would surely be more highly praised. However, the ancient wise men, who knew it better than we do, represented this marvelous substance with the symbol portrayed in figure 39: a cross at the top (g-h-i-k-b) and below two semicircles, one above the other (a-b-d-c and c-e-f), with the upper one containing a center point. This intriguing configuration must certainly have a special meaning. And as far as we can tell from our reading of the true Cabbala, the two semicircles represent and —not of the common variety—although both can be extracted from . Rather, the semicircle b-d-c with the center point a suggests that almost half of it consists of , that is, of red solar , or masculine seed. The lower semicircle c-e-f, on the other hand, consists in the same proportion of , that is, the white lunar or seed. Otherwise, it would not be possible for this metal to destroy all others so easily and to take away their fluid for itself, while leaving the perfect fixed elements transfigured in place. In this way we can become familiar with the effectiveness of this earthly universal solvent, as well as that of a spiritual universal solvent. Anyone who can reunite the circle with its wonder- (h-i-k-b) and lower the center of the (g) to the center point a, thus centering both semicircles on that same point, that person will realize what wondrous things lead can do and will recognize that its own solvent (h-i-k-b) does not lie below it, but rather above it. This solvent is not an earthly, but rather a heavenly , which is closely related to the of . If we could give lead the bed or matrix that it loves, in its shape very similar to , we could bring about such a unification as described above, ignite its inner (a) and bring the entire circle to life, which would produce astonishing results. With this, we conclude our discussion of Saturn.

PART 18

The unstable and volatile Mercury, who can also be the most stable of all the elements, will certainly be bored, until he can take center stage. His symbol, represented by the wise men and cabbalists as in figure 40, shows the half moon above, and beneath it a complete circle without a center, and under the circle a . This representation is quite wonderful, as the half above indicates its fluid nature or spiritual volatility, while the below indicates its earthly, watery, salty, moist or metallic shape and volatility. But it also shows that the fixed shape of salt is missing in its circle. The complete circle suggests that the most noble and stable part, i.e., the red lies concealed in its center, although its effect, which would be represented by a center point within the circle, is not present and is diffused through its unstable form. Were we to unite within this element its and the volatile form or fluidness, and dry it out and make it stable by means of its own or life force (i.e., its concealed center point), we would find that the living is in truth nothing other than red and white -in metallic form (see chapter 1, parts 23 and 25). However, it is indisputable that the ancient wise men and cabbalists wanted to suggest something far higher and more secret with this symbol than just common . The half moon lying at the top of this symbol is the Figura Lunae, and if we could bring the entirety of the , its , inside the circle, we would have the symbol for the entire universe (see part 11). This common . is meant to suggest and mark the beginning of all beginnings, i.e., the oft-mentioned Schamajim, which is and and also , however one would use them, the first-created essence of all essences. But since we spoke in great detail earlier about this, we would be foolish to repeat ourselves here. And so, we believe that we have already sufficiently explained the nature of . However, since we are discussing the seven metals related to the seven planets, it wouldn't be bad to speak of the seven planets themselves, these worlds closest to our own, and their characteristics, in order that the reader might better understand this material. But since this material doesn't actually belong in a chapter dealing with the use of , we will save it for its own later place in this book, insofar as time allows.

PART 19

And so we want to slowly bring to a close our discussion of the minerals and salts and their symbols. We say their symbols rather than their nature, because we had earlier discussed that aspect in chapter 1, parts 26 to 31 and chapter 2, parts 8 to 10. And so we will discuss only the symbols of those that we have not yet covered from antiquity. The first one is antimony, which is represented in figure 41 on page 68, where there is a cross generally symbolizing salt, with a complete circle without a center point beneath it. This later part represents the volatile and unbound solar , which is present in the entire circle. Its , although noble and wonderful, is only superficially attached. But whoever is able to present this in the form of common and to add in through cooking pure , he will find that the heavens were not unfavorable to this mineral, which will appear in all its perfection.

The next to be considered is arsenic, called arsenum by the ancients. It is portrayed in figure 42 with two complete circles, one above the other, connected by a radius line. This clearly shows us that it is composed of the two beginnings of the upper light and lower . It should be understood that arsenic is (because there is a center point for both the upper and lower circle) basically a raw, dry and unfixed universalis, dried out by the rays of the underground . And if it is given a metallic moistness, that is, a modest and the right as its matrix, it takes on a magnificent, fixed and wonderful form.

The next of our minerals is sulfur, whose symbol can be found in figure 43. It has a triangle above and a cross below, indicating that it is basically composed of and . It should be noted that this symbol refers only to earthly , for when the ancient wise men and cabbalists spoke of the higher or heavenly sulfur, they used the symbol . Therefore, the reader should understand what we mean when we say it is composed of , and what is lacking in sulfur's earthly form: (see part 11). And so, if we can destroy the earthly in it by means of its own and awaken in this sulfur its concealed heavenly and cook both of these together, then we will have achieved our goal of creating a lively, fixed sulfur.

The next in line is natural cinnabar, represented in figure 44 with four semicircles, with two above and two below, arranged one behind the other with each set of two dissected by a radius line. We can see in this that cinnabar was born of pure and , for its two radius lines make two crosses, one for and the other for . The cross here is actually and the other represents . In other words, the one is lunar and the other is solar. Both have been bound and desiccated by the underground . And if they are given the metallic root-moisture and united with it, they will take on a fixed metallic form. These, then, are the four symbols with which the ancients represented the joining or separation of all the remaining minerals.

For important reasons they also gave quicklime its own symbol, represented in figure 45. It stands somewhere between the minerals and the salts. Its symbol has a half circle on top, which represents the magnetic lunar , and below it there is a representing the purest earthly or the field in which the aforementioned heavenly has been sown. The upper half circle also represents the purest , while the represents the fixed earth- as the magnetic agent. The ancients also used this symbol to designate a fixed general acid. This symbol has much concealed within it. Therefore, we should learn to use it wisely.

Now we come to the composite salts, of which we will discuss nitre first (see figure 46). Its spherical symbol represents the entire world and is composed of the ray of the upper light and the lower . Therefore, it consists of volatile and solid alkaline particles; it is a wonder- of nature.

Figure 47 represents vitriol. Its radius lines from top to bottom, bottom to top and to the side clearly show that it is a composite of general and common and metallic particles. If it had a fourth radius line (the complete essence of ), it would be the symbol of the entire universe (see part 11 above), whereby its admirers could see what a magnificent substance vitriol is. But it is not quite a universal , which must be sought elsewhere.

Figure 48 represents sal ammoniac. It shows no spherical structures, which indicates that it is not a natural substance, but one created artificially or by coincidence. It is composed of six radius lines, representing common , both the Acidi volatilis universalis and sulfurous salt. But because the spherical structures are lacking in the symbol, this shows that these salts cannot be joined together. This substance first received its name from the temple of Jovis Hammonis in the Egyptian desert, to which many pilgrims regularly traveled. Their urine and that of their animals, under the influence of the sun's rays and those of the underground produced this in the sand. Later, when this source was no longer available, people artificially created it by imitating its beginnings with of urine, oven-ash and oxblood. Its uses and general usefulness are so common and so important that we could write a long book about this substance alone. However, that is not our purpose here.

Figure 49 represents alum, which is similar to , and in its external form. However, its lack of a center point or of any rays of the upper or lower light or shows that everything about it is closed and sealed off from the outside. (It is more closely related to the of .) Therefore, much skill and time is needed to help it reveal its light and , i.e., its center point, which had been closed off by its harshness and acidity. This can be accomplished, if one dissolves it in sea— and then precipitates it. And anyone who can wash it in its own and then reunite both parts, will produce a wonder- of nature, a superb substance that can purify metals, such as lead, and also alleviate all manner of fevers in men.

Figure 50 represents sal alkali, an Arabian name that means basically salt. This is the root- in all animals and plants and is the foundation from which all other salts can be made, or which can be made into all other salts (see chapter 2, part 9 and following). If we add the rays of a we get a perfect nitre, and if we add those of a we get a perfect common . There are many great secrets concealed within it that are known, at least to some extent, to those who can work with . To add any more detail at this point would be foolishness on our part.

Figure 51 represents tartar, or the that comes from wine, a genuine wonder- of nature, otherwise known—for good reason—as a sulfurous root-acid or salt. The [square symbol] at the top of the symbol shows that it is composed of the four secondary characteristics or elements. And the below indicates that the rays of both the upper light and lower are present, although they are strongly sealed off within the tartar. However, those who know how to reveal these rays, and to incorporate and unite the or rays with the square, will produce a high and wondrous that will bring him much satisfaction. Among all the we know of none that could more easily produce a more wonderful medicine than this.

With this we wish to conclude our discussion of the symbols, particularly since we know of no others from antiquity. Either they have been forgotten over the years, or the experts felt that the symbols we discussed would be sufficient to help them identify the others salts and minerals. And so we must leave it at this, confident that the seeker of truth and wisdom will be satisfied with what we have presented. We must now end this long discourse on , but we are certain that those who found profit and enjoyment in the preceding chapters will not take offense, if we close this inexhaustible material the way we began it.

At the beginning of our discourse we noted that first essence created by the Lord God was a fiery or watery . That is, it was a that was also a and also , each separate, but, at the same time, identical with the others. And from this first essence all creatures were created. Because this process did not stretch into infinity, but ended on the sixth day of Creation, we can reasonably conclude that the all-knowing Creator not only revealed his masterpiece in man, the last of the created beings, but also concentrated and enclosed within man the beginning and end of all creatures, that is, God let the entire universe collect and come together in this single circle of man. The end of the process of Creation was followed by the resting point or Sabbath in order to show that everything outside this resting point is in the constant state of unrest and unceasingly seeks its beginning, that is, its resting point.

Thus, we have sufficiently shown in the preceding material that the first created essence or emanation of majesty that flowed from God was a salty essence, that was at the same time fire, that is and also water, that is, , called Schamajim by Moses. However, the ancients called it common mercury, because it could act like a bright mirror and take on all manner of shapes and forms, like quicksilver. Schamajim (as explained in chapter 1) has the composite meaning of Æsch and Majim, or and . Now we find that Creation was completed on the sixth day with the creation of man, whom Moses or Scripture called Adam. Thus, we can conclude without hesitation that man must be the complete example of what we have spoken about from the start. Indeed, he is not just complete in this respect, but something much more and much greater, because his immortal living spirit comes from the eternal light (see Genesis 2, verse 7), meaning that he possesses a spark of the living God. Whoever has ears, let him hear; and he should read with the utmost attention the first chapters of Genesis and the first three chapters of this book. In these texts he will truly find more than he could ever imagine. However, it would be presumptuous and foolish for us to try to render it all here word for word. There has also been so much commentary about this that it would be almost irresponsible to the reader for us to respond to it all here. We are simply comforted to know that those on whom the light of the Almighty does not shine are usually blinded by any light. Man must strive to know himself; in this way, he will be able to understand every other creature—both visible and invisible—on the basis of his own essence. And in this pursuit of knowledge he will find that nothing is concealed from him. Even the four separated principia or qualitas secundaria, generally called the elements, along with their associated invisible beings, will be revealed to him, as we will discuss further in the third part of this work. Even heaven and hell, light and darkness, will be completely revealed to him, and he will recognize with complete and irreversible clarity that he can restore and make immortal even dead objects. We are certain that some will take offense at these words. But this should not hinder our work, since it is based on eternal truth. From this, everyone can see and conclude how, after the periods of eternity, all creatures trapped in darkness—that is, in the dark material slag we mentioned earlier—will be transformed and transported into spiritual mercurial life, which is composed of nothing but spirit and light. Therefore, O Man, strive above all else to know yourself well! Then, you will truly discover what the philosophers called , what Moses called , that is, and , and what we have called in general salt. You will then understand what was written in Jeremiah 10, verse 13: “He makes the lightning into rain.” These words certainly imply much more than their interpreters have discovered over the years. We would thus do well to consider why man is called the lesser world (the microcosm). And because we are ourselves what we seek, it is only right that we begin with the knowledge of ourselves, in order to eventually arrive at a general knowledge of all Creation and its original state. From there, we can even attain knowledge of the Most Holy Creator, to whom all praise, honor and glory are due for all eternity. With these words, we will now conclude this long chapter and leave the reader with figure 52 on page 82 for their further consideration. Whether the reader will understand our intent therein remains to be seen.