The Book Of Aquarius
The passage presents a curated series of historical alchemical quotations spanning the 12th to 17th centuries, unified by a single philosophical thesis: alchemy is not the creation of new matter but the intentional acceleration and imitation of natural processes. Across the excerpts, alchemists describe the Philosopher’s Stone as a natural, pre‑existing substance that emerges when the correct conditions—purified “seed,” appropriate “soil,” heat, moisture, and a closed micro‑cosmic vessel—are provided, allowing nature to complete its work far more quickly than in the ordinary world. The text repeatedly emphasizes unity (one matter, one vessel, one method), the microcosm analogy (the stone mirrors the whole universe), and the moral stance that the alchemist is merely a servant of nature, not its master. The author weaves these historic voices into a coherent argument that the secret of alchemy lies in respecting nature’s laws, cleansing the material, and creating a controlled environment where nature can finish its work, yielding the Philosopher’s Stone and its transformative properties.
Chapters
Chapter 3: What is Alchemy? Quote from a magnificent and select tract on philosophical water by Anonymous, 13th to 17th century: Nature enjoys its nature. Nature contains nature, improves nature, reduces nature. Nature is superior to nature. Alchemy is the art of imitating and accelerating nature. It is a natural art and science. In alchemy, we do not really make anything. All we do is provide a condition for nature to do what nature does. So, the Philosopher's Stone is not really made by the alchemist. It is made by nature. The alchemist only provides the conditions. So that nature can operate effectively and without being disturbed. Quote from The New Chemical Light by Michael Sendivogius, 17th century: Many sages, scholars, and learned men have in all ages, and according to Hermes, even so early as the days before the flood, written much concerning the preparation of the Philosopher's Stone, and if their books could be understood without a knowledge of the living processes of nature, One might almost say that they are calculated to supersede the study of the real world around us. But though they never departed from the simple ways of nature, they have something to teach us which we, in these more sophisticated times, still need to learn, because we have applied ourselves to what are regarded as the more advanced branches of knowledge, and despised the study of so simple a thing as natural generation. Hence we pay more heed to impossible things than to those objects which are broadly exhibited before our very eyes. We excel more in subtle speculations than in a sober study of nature and of the meaning of the sages. It is one of the most remarkable features of human nature that we neglect those things which seem familiar, and are eager for new and strange information. The workman who has attained the highest degree of excellence in his art neglects it, and applies himself to something else, or else abuses his knowledge. Our longing for an increase of knowledge urges us ever onward towards some final goal, in which we imagine that we shall find full rest and satisfaction. Nature, then, is one true, simple, self-contained, created by God, and informed with a certain universal spirit. Its end and origin are God. Its unity is also found in God, because God made all things. Nature is the one source of all things, nor is anything in the world outside nature or contrary to nature. If art would produce any solid and permanent effect, it must follow in the footsteps of nature, and be guided by her methods. It must trust itself to the guidance of nature as far as nature will lead, and go beyond her by still adhering to her rules. Now, in our art, you should closely imitate these natural processes. There should be the central heat, the change of the water into air, the driving upward of the air, its diffusion through the pores of the earth, its reappearance as condensed but volatilized water. Quote from The New Pearl of Great Price: —Peter Bonas, 1338 AD. Nature, says Florus, is one, and if any man strays away from her guidance, he mars his labor. In changing the base metals into gold and silver by the projection of the stone, it follows, by an accelerated process, the method of nature, and therefore is natural. The fact is that, in producing gold, The art of Alchemy does not pretend to imitate the whole work of Nature. It does not create metals, or even develop them out of the metallic first substance. It only takes up the unfinished handiwork of Nature, i.e., the imperfect metals, and completes it—transmutes metals into gold. An alchemist then only makes the stone in the same way that you make a tree by planting the seed. And leaving it for a few years. Once the seed is set, if the conditions are right, then it just grows by itself, in accordance with nature. From The Chymist's Key, by Henry Nollius, 1617 AD: For as men, corn, and herbs are, every one of them, generated and born out of their own specific seed, so or in the same manner is the true medicine of the ancients. Than which there cannot be a better, generated and prepared out of the most perfect bodies and essence. Everything generated or begotten is generated and born of his own specific seed (1) and in his proper (2) matrix. From the Root of the World by Roger Bacon, 13th century. There is no true generation but of things agreeing in nature; so that things be not made but according to their natures. The elder or oak trees will not bring forth pears, nor can you gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles. Things bring not forth, but only their like, or what agrees with thee in nature; each tree its own fruit. Thus the wise man does that by art in a short time which nature cannot perform in less than the revolution of a thousand years; yet notwithstanding, it is not we that make the metal, but Nature herself that does it. Nor do or can we change one thing into another, but it is Nature that changes them. We are no more than mere servants in the work. If you are wondering how this leads to the Philosopher's Stone, I will explain it more clearly. The Philosopher's Stone is a natural occurrence of nature. In fact, it is the aim of nature. Therefore, if you can find a substance which is very pure and infused with life energy, then put it under protected conditions which are advantageous for its natural development, you will allow nature to take its course in an accelerated manner. When this is complete, nature will have made for you the Philosopher's Stone. It's very simple and entirely natural, which is the biggest part of the secret. I will explain again in another way. The Philosopher's Stone is the name of the thing that you get when nature has finished doing what it does all day long. The Earth and the entire universe is going through this process. If, however, you find a substance already quite well matured by nature, clean it up, then put it into a closed system, or microcosm, nature will finish this thing long before it finishes everything else. So, you get the result of nature earlier and can enjoy all its wonderful properties while the rest of the world is still in shit. Quote: From the Glory of the World, or Table of Paradise, by Anonymous, 1526 AD. The chemical development of our substance is internal and caused by the operation of nature. Our wise teacher Plato says, every husbandman who sows good seed first chooses a fertile field, plows and manures it well, and weeds it of all tares. He also takes care that his own grain is free from every foreign admixture. When he has committed the seed to the ground, He needs moisture, or rain, to decompose the grain and to raise it to new life. He also requires fire, that is, the warmth of the sun, to bring it to maturity. The needs of our art are of an analogous nature. First, you must prepare your seed, i.e., cleanse your matter from all impurity, by a method which you will find set forth at length in the dicta of the sages, which I will subjoin to this treatise. Then you must have good soil in which to sow your Mercury and Sun. This earth must first be weeded of all foreign elements if it is to yield a good crop. Man, the Best and Most Perfect of God's Creatures, by Benedictus Figulus, 1607 AD. For of this composition, combining as it does the virtues of all things, there may truly be said that in one drop the whole world is present. Book of the Chemical Art, by Marsilius Ficinus, 15th century. Besides, the science of the stone is so sublime and magnificent that therein almost all nature and the whole universe of beings is beheld, as in a certain clear looking-glass. For it is like a lesser world. God wrought out His compacted being of the world by certain harmony and musical proportion allied to one another. That which are in the superior world are in the inferior also, but in a terrestrial manner. That which likeness are in the inferiors may also be seen in the superiors. In a celestial manner, indeed, and according to the cause. Some philosophers have compared the work of the stone to the creation of the world, likewise to the generation of man and to his naturalness. From an anonymous treatise concerning the Philosopher's Stone, by Anonymous, 12th-17th century. The inspired Apostle, St. Peter, tells us that the earth and its works shall consume therein, and a new world shall be born, beautiful and good, as is described in the Apocalypse. From The Chemical Treatise, or The Ordinal of Alchemy, by Thomas Norton, 1477 AD. The ancient writers call our stone a microcosm, and there can be no doubt that its composition greatly resembles that of the world in which we live. From Aphorisms of Erbigerus, by Barrow Erbigerus, 1690 AD. To understand aright how out of this our Chaos we are to form our Philosophical Microcosm, we must first of necessity rightly comprehend the great mystery and proceeding in the creation of the Microcosm. Cosm, it being extremely necessary to imitate and use the very same method in the creation of our little one that the Creator of all things has used in the formation of the great one. From a magnificent and select tract on philosophical water, by Anonymous, 13th to 17th century. This water cannot be prepared using strange methods in the world. But rather it can only be prepared using natural means, together with Nature, and from Nature. These words are bright and clear to those who understand. Alchemy is therefore the art of the microcosm and the acceleration of Nature through the microcosm. There is only one method for the entire work. We only do one thing, and that is to allow Nature to take its course. Admittedly, however, we do first clean up our substance and remove what is not needed. From the Root of the World by Roger Bacon, 13th century: For the knowledge of this art consisteth not in the multiplicity or great number of things, but in unity. Our stone is but one, the matter is one, and the vessel is one. The government is one, and the disposition is one. The whole art and work thereof is one, and begins in one manner, and in one manner it is finished. From A Brief Guide to the Celestial Ruby, by Irenaeus Philalethes, 1694 AD. It is prepared from one substance with which the art of chemistry is conversant. To which nothing is added, from which nothing is taken away, except that its superfluities are removed. End quote.
