Notice that the philosophic cleansing process involves the exposure to all four classic philosophical elements. There are also distinctions made that classify different properties to the same elements (eg. - aqua fortis, aqua Regia, Common Water, etc.), and sometimes apply the attribute of the inverse element (fire for water, etc.). This is all part of the coded language of the alchemists. It speaks to different effects seen at different phases of the alchemical process and credited to the appropriate philosophical element of that particular step in the process.

The language used in alchemical treatises such as this one can be confusing to someone unfamiliar with the subject. The use of symbols from mythology and the philosophical elements represent constituent components within the alchemical process itself, and are not intended to be interpreted literally. These symbols are simply substitutions for phenomena pertaining to a particular phase of the alchemical process. Often the symbols used signify something entirely different than what is read at the surface level. It is an esoterically encoded means of communication to those who know the steps of the alchemical process, and have the cipher to translate the constitute components in a particular alchemical working. The symbols used in one alchemical process may mean something entirely different in another alchemical process, depending upon the step in the process that the symbol occurs. This means that the same symbol can be, and often is, used to represent different things in different phases of alchemical processes. Thus, there is not one universal meaning for any given symbol used in an alchemical text, it varies according to specifics of the particular operation. This is one of the things that makes interpreting alchemical texts difficult. The descriptions assigning colors to certain symbols are usually referencing specific parts of the process (black, white, red, and yellow being the primary colors associated with the steps). The Philosophic Mercury, Sulfur, and Salt of the alchemical process are not those literal substances known to our modern chemistry. These are words that are describing something more sublime, and can be thought of as substitution words that represent something else entirely. It has to do with the “essence” or “virtue” of a thing, a more spiritualized, non-physical component that is extracted during the alchemical process. A basic understanding of alchemy is not an easily acquired thing. It takes many years of in-depth study just to foster a preliminary conception of the premises. Even though these discourses are very short, they contain volumes of information that any student of alchemy will take many, many hours to unpack. I hope you find value in these offerings, but remember, a basic understanding of what is presented here will require significant efforts on your part. Alchemical principles are not something that can be learned overnight, the learning is in and of itself a process. Best regards.

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