Page:Hermetic and Alchemical Writings of Paracelsus Vol I (IA cu31924092287121).djvu/140

 copper, gold, iron, and steel—that they may quickly liquefy. Many tinctures and Elyxeria (sic) of metals are prepared thus for transmuting metals, as will be more copiously described in other books on Metallic Transmutations. The fourth book of the Archidoxis Magicæ is entitled, Concerning the Transmutation of Metals and their Time. It is literally as follows:—If you seek to change gold into silver, or any given metal into any other metal, have regard to the following tabulation. Nor is it of small moment so that you may be able to arrive at the end of your purpose more quickly and thoroughly. .—To transmute Sol into Luna, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, or Mercury, begin with Luna occupying the sixth grade of Cancer, Taurus, Aries, Pisces, Aquarius, or Virgo, as the case may be, and always in the hour of that planet into which you wish to convert gold or any of the other metals, namely, Luna, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury. To transmute Saturn into Sol, Luna, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, or Mercury, begin with Luna occupying the twentieth grade of Leo, Scorpio, Cancer, Taurus, Pisces, or Virgo, as the case may be, in the hour of Sol, Luna, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, or Mercury, according to the metal into which you would convert Saturn. To transmute Mercury into Sol, Luna, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn, begin with the Moon in the first grade of Leo, Virgo, Cancer, Taurus, Pisces, or Aquarius, as the case may be, in the hour of Sol, Luna, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn, according to the metal into which you would convert Mercury. To transmute Luna into Sol, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, or Mercury, begin with the Moon in the twelfth grade of Leo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Aries, or Gemini, as the case may be, and in the hour of Sol, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, or Mercury, according to the metal into which you would convert Luna. To transmute Venus into Sol, Luna, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, or Mercury, begin with the Moon in the ninth grade of Leo, Cancer, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, or Sagittarius, as the case may be, and in the hour of Sol, Luna, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, or Mercury, according to the metal into which you would convert Venus. To convert Mars into Sol, Luna, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, or Mercury, begin with the Moon in the eighty-first grade of Leo, Cancer, Taurus, Sagittarius, Scorpio, or Virgo, as the case may be, and in the hour of Sol, Luna, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, or Mercury, according to the metal into which you would convert Mars. To transmute Jupiter into Sol, Luna, Venus, Mars, Saturn, or Mercury, begin with the Moon in the third grade of Leo, Cancer, Libra, Virgo, Aquarius, or Pisces, as the case may be, and in the hour of Sol, Luna, Venus, Mars, Saturn, or Mercury, according to the metal into which you would convert Jupiter. For example: If you wish to change gold into silver, make a beginning in the hour of the Moon, when the Moon occupies the sixth grade of Cancer. And so, likewise, understand the rest of this scheme for the conversion of metals. For all terrestrial affairs, occupations, and matters of business, are most conveniently and happily executed in harmony with the motions of the heavens and the planets. For all men, by the dispensations of Almighty God, are ruled and led by the power and operation of the firmament, both as to health and disease. So is it necessary before all things to have regard to this operation in the healing art. Simples very frequently push forth their virtues according to a certain rule of time.

The same is the case with common mercury, which with its fume penetrates all other metals, and, as it were, breaks through them, calcines them, and disposes them to its own nature. Metals will coagulate this by their fume. We assert that the most extreme heat resides in Mercury, and that it cannot be coagulated except by extreme cold, which is seen to exhale copiously from metals in the fire. Nothing affects metals in the fire save what is of extreme cold and unable to bear the vehemence of the fire. Such a metal is arsenic, which being liquefied ascends as a spirit from metals while they are in a state of flux.

Moreover, do not lose sight of the fact that Mercury is a metallic spirit, and that every spirit is more powerful than a body. So is it with Mercury in reference to the other metals. Just as it is easy for a spirit to penetrate walls, so it is not difficult for Mercury to penetrate metals.

How many are the wonderful operations and effects of Mercury on the metals! We cannot detail them all. But shall we send you away empty to some other source? We know from experiment that if Mercurius vivus be sublimated from some one of the metals which has been several times calcined, and if then the calcinated metal which remains at the bottom be again reduced to its metal, it is melted in the fire as easily as lead, though it were gold, silver, copper, iron, or steel, even if it be only applied to the flame of a candle like so much wax; or as snow and ice melt before the sun. Afterwards by digestion for a certain time it can be changed into Mercury. We have mentioned this