Superphysics Superphysics
Chapter 2

What the Elementary Body is

by Paracelsus
4 minutes  • 836 words

The Elementary is putrefied, consumed, and becomes a putrid stinking carkase, which being buryed in the earth, never comes forth, or appeares more.

What a Sacramentall Body is. But the Sacramentall, i.e. Syderiall, or Celestiall, is never putrefied, or buried, neither doth it possesse any place. This body appears to Men, and also after death is seen.

Hence Ghosts, Visions, and Supernaturall Apparitions.

Whence the Cabalisticall art. Hence by the ancient Magicians, the Cabalisticall[Pg 82] Art took its beginning, of which we shall treat more at large in the books of Cabalie.

After this separation is made, then after the death of the Man three substances, viz. Body, Soule, and Spirit are divided the one from the other, every one going to its own place, viz. its own fountaine, from whence it had its originall, viz. the body to the Earth, to the first matter of the Elements: the soul into the first matter of Sacraments, and lastly, the spirit into the first matter of the Airy Chaos.

The separation of the Macrocosme. What now hath been spoken of the separation of the Macrocosme, the same also may bee understood in the greater world which the great Ocean hath divided into three parts, Three parts of the World.so that the universall world is severed into three parts, viz. Europe, Asia, and Africa, which separation is a certain representation of three Principles, which can be separated from any Terrene, or Elementary thing. These three Principles are Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt, of which three the world was made, and composed.

The separation of metals. The next thing to bee known is the separation of metals from their Mountains, i.e. the separation of metals, and Mineralls.

By virtue of this separation many things come forth out of one matter, as you see out of Mineralls come forth, The drosse of metals, Glasse, Sand, Piipitis, Marcasite, Granatus, Cobaltum, Talke, Cachinna, Zinetum, Bisemutum, Antimony, Litharge, Sulphur, Vitriall, Verdegrease, Chrysocolla, the Azure Stone, Auripigmentum, Arsenicke, Realgar, Cinnabar, Clay of Iron, Spathus, Gyphus, Ocree, and many more like to these, as also the Waters, Oyles, Re[Pg 83]sines, Calxes, Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt, &c.

Of Vegetables. Vegetables in their separation yeeld, Waters, Oyles, Iuices, Resines, Gums, Electuaries, Powders, Ashes, Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt.

Of Animalls. Animalls in their separation yeeld, Water, Bloud, Flesh, Fat, Bones, Skin, Body, Hairs, Mercury, Sulphur, and Salt.

What a good separator ought to be. Hee therefore that boasts himself to bee able to separate all naturall things after this manner, must of necessity have long experience, and perfect knowledge of all naturall things.

Moreover, he must bee a skilfull, and well practised Alchymist, that he may know what is combustible, and what not; what is fixt, and what not; what wil flow, and what not; and what things are more ponderous one then another: also he must be experienced in the naturall colour, smell, acidity, harshnesse, sowrenesse, bitternesse, sweetnesse, the degree, complexion, and quality of every thing.

The degrees of Separation. What and how many there be. Also he must know the degrees of Separation, as of Distillation, Resolution, Putrefaction, Extraction, Calcination, Reverberation, Sublimation, Reduction, Coagulation, Powdering, and Washing.

What distillation separates. By Distillation is separated Water, Oyle from all corporeall things.

What resolution. By Resolution are separated Metals from Minerals, and one Metall from another, and Salt from the other Principles, and fat, and that which is light, from that which is heavy.

Putrefaction. By Putrefaction is separated fat from lean, pure from impure, putrid from not putrid.

Extraction. By Extraction is separated pure from impure, and spirit, and quintessence from body, and thinne from thick.

[Pg 84]

Calcination. By Calcination is separated watery moisture, fat, naturall heat, odour, and whatsoever else is combustible.

Reverberation. By Reverberation is separated colour, odour, what is combustible, all humidity, aquosity, fat, and whatsoever is inconstant, or fluxil, in any thing, &c.

Sublimation. By Sublimation is separated the fixed from the volatile, spirituall from the corporeall, pure from impure, Sulphur from Salt, Mercury from Salt, &c.

Reduction. By Reduction is separated what is fluxil, from what is solid, a Metall from its Minerall, and one Metall from another, a Metall from its drosse, fat from what is not fat.

Coagulation. By Coagulation is separated waterishnes from humidity, water from Earth.

Powdering. By Powdering are separated powder, and sand, ashes, and Calx, Minerall, Vegetable, and Animall one from the other, and all powders, which are of an unequall weight are separated, and by winnowing, as chaffe from corne.

Washing. By washing are separated ashes, and sand, a Minerall from its Metall, that which is heavy from what is light, a Vegetable, and Animall from what is Minerall, Sulphur from Mercury, and Salt, Salt from Mercury.

The Preparation of Metall is manifold. But passing by the Theorie, we will now fall upon the practise, and come to particulars.

You must therefore note, that the Separation of metals is the first by right, and wee shall therefore treat of it after this method, and manner.

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