What is the Prima Materia?

[Jimmy Rig]

Neptune's trident symbolizes the three properties of water: liquidity, fecundity and drinkability.
The island of Delo's has peculiar white columns if you do a quick internet search.

 

[black]

This is roughly what our pitch-black, greasy and moist earth looks like, which we call magnesia.

It’s the Saturnian night, darkness and blackness fills the whole microcosm. They say it is the breath of death and the stench of decay that fills the glass.

Hello Merovee

The only way to Our Saturn is via Our Mercury.

If you have Our Mercury, have you put it to the Test of Gold ?

You also mentioned your "Old Teacher" do you believe he was in possession
of Our Mercury and to your knowledge did he put it to the Test of Gold ?

It's easy for us to think we have something of Alchemic value and that is why it is
essential we put our work to the Test.

 

[Andro]

You're a bit funny, I don't know where you got the idea that I was implying something specific, but if you got that impression, I'm sorry.

From your writing I got the impression that you were implying that the Starting Matter(s) for rendering the Materia Prima are to be sought as readily available in nature. Sorry if I misinterpreted

Since my work agrees with the words of the ancients, I would now have to assume that your work is wrong and an error, likewise you will have reason to think the same of my work. Therefore, according to my conscience, I can only say that I have slight doubts about your work, but these have no meaning, at least no objective meaning, and only you can judge what your work is worth.

I make no assumptions about your work being "wrong" or "erroneous". My work interestingly also follows Alchemical Writings, the most prominent being ICH's Naturweg, complemented by Cyliani, Ali Puli, Recreations, etc... There may be I-don't-know-how-many paths to achieve the same thing. But I somehow suspect that our general approaches are much more similar than they are different.

In my approach, it starts with the ONE matter that assumes TWO aspects when rendered tangible, one "solid" and one "liquid". Those are gathered directly from the Aer/Aether, using various "Magnets" or, if you prefer, "Aether-Stirring" methods. What I've shown above is an older image depicting the formation of the "solid" aspect while manifesting/crystallizing inside the slimy matrix that I used for "pulling" it. After separation and cleaning, it assumes the appearance of a white powder, tasteless and odorless, somewhat similar to chalk. It will also increase in quantity by itself, which may sound puzzling, but there's nothing "mystical" about it.

The "liquid" aspect of the matter is "pulled" with a different "stirring & pulling" mechanism. I won't be showing any photos of this, but there are more ways than one for this as well.

When we start "re-uniting" those two aspects, that's when the process of the "Alchemical Union" begins.

I have no doubt that this can be achieved with other methods, such as involving spirits distilled from minerals, etc... But I have been lead to keep things as simple and as "close to the veil" as possible (for me).

Let's wait and see what the future brings, but maybe we can meet sometime, either in your lab or in mine, and exchange a little.

This would be wonderful and would have been so much easier when I still lived in Germany, but last September I've relocated to more quiet and solitude, on an Island in the Atlantic.

Still, maybe, one day, however I don't have long-term plans for this realm

 

[Merovee]

I think I've caught the flu, I feel really bad. But I think you're dying for an answer, so I'll pull myself together:

Black, you're right, of course it makes sense to check what you're doing, but I don't really know what's behind your question, caring commiseration? Or do you just want to sound me out? In any case, as a matter of principle I do not answer any questions that may arouse such suspicion. If you want to check my competence, I refer you to my contributions. Whether I have anything of alchemical value is entirely up to me, if I want to settle for pseudo-alchemical stuff, then that is also my business alone, because I don't want to sell you any of it.

You know that I am not in the habit of asking my questions so flatly? I would first show that I know what I am talking about. From what you said there, I can hardly get the impression: both of us, I would have begun, should know that the first basis is our Mercury, which we gain from the general Mercury by making it physical and tangible. We also both know very well that its inner fire, which is that force which dissolves, purifies and transforms every body must first be activated by another secret fire, which is called our outer or philosophical fire. We compare this fire with the primum mobile of the empyrean, a rotating movement or force, the Taoists call it the circling of the light, and it is precisely this that one should already know if the black lump there in the glass is to be good for more than just being shown around.

Do you understand what I am trying to say? You can forget all about Mercury or the gold sample if you don't know this fire that makes the heavenly bodies revolve and the whole of creation come into being. It is one of the secrets that only a few know, and it is Cyliany who elaborates it in his analogies. Whatever rehearsal you wish to perform, you need this secret fire in any case, and it is also this fire which not only activates the powers of Mercury, but also increases it by degrees. You cannot use the Mercury in the state you receive it from nature for transformational purposes. Why don't you mention it? Ok, no offence, but I leave it to you to find an answer to your question.

 

[black]

I think I've caught the flu, I feel really bad. But I think you're dying for an answer, so I'll pull myself together:

Black, you're right, of course it makes sense to check what you're doing, but I don't really know what's behind your question, caring commiseration? Or do you just want to sound me out?

Thank you Merovee for going to the trouble to answer my post in your weakened condition.

It is easy to notice that members of this forum and other forums often think they are on the right track and have "Our Mercury".

Unfortunately for most of them, they don't have "Our Mercury" and they could spend many years 10, 20, or a life time lost in their own imaginings.

I could think to myself "too bad, so sad", and let them continue to waste their precious life with their incorrect misconceptions.

In any case, as a matter of principle I do not answer any questions that may arouse such suspicion.
If you want to check my competence, I refer you to my contributions.

There are a few things I have noticed from your photos that don't quite add up for me.

When Our Mercury, the "Dragon" goes into battle with the "Serpent" an enormous amount of energy is released, because of this the Old Masters suggested that we need a small flask about the size of an egg with wall thickness of at least 1/4 inch thick glass with no faults or bubbles in the glass.
This vessel must be tightly sealed.

I would be concerned about using the 250ml flask in your photo even if it is a Schott or Duran flask.
If you are using only a few grams of material then it may be OK, but any more and I would consider it a very dangerous practice.

A very interesting question for those that believe they have found "Our Saturn" is how long does Our Saturn remain in the flask ????

This type of question can only be answered by an Alchemist that has witnessed the battle of Our Two Great Champions and understands the inevitable outcome.

Whether I have anything of alchemical value is entirely up to me, if I want to settle for pseudo-alchemical stuff, then that is also my business alone,

Yes Merovee, how very true and correct ... BUT what if your Alchemic assumptions are totally wrong, and I'm not saying they are.

There is a need for us all to do the appropriate Tests because guessing and pretending will not help any of us advance in this Work.

because I don't want to sell you any of it.

I wish there were more Alchemist that thought like you.

You know that I am not in the habit of asking my questions so flatly?

Yes I have noticed that ... It's not that I want the answers to these questions, I would like the students of Alchemy to ask themselves these questions and put their work to the appropriate Tests.

When an Alchemist has collected Our Mercury (Secret Solvent, SM, etc) and has worked with "IT", it is then very easy to recognise the Brothers in Art.

I would first show that I know what I am talking about.

If you have Tested your Mercury and have found Our Saturn then I'm sure we will have a lot to talk about.
Alchemists don't need to have an exchange of materials, etc.

Times of what is happening in their work, can tell so much.

We also both know very well that its inner fire, which is that force which dissolves, purifies and transforms every body must first be activated by another secret fire, which is called our outer or philosophical fire.

I think you are referring to Our dragon and Our serpent here, but there is another path.

if the black lump there in the glass is to be good for more than just being shown around.

How long do you think "the Black Lump" remains in the glass ?

This is one of many questions that easily sort the wheat from the chaff.

You can forget all about Mercury or the gold sample if you don't know this fire that makes the heavenly bodies revolve and the whole of creation come into being.
It is one of the secrets that only a few know, and it is Cyliany who elaborates it in his analogies.
Whatever rehearsal you wish to perform, you need this secret fire in any case, and it is also this fire which not only activates the powers of Mercury, but also increases it by degrees.

Step 1 Find Our Mercury.
Step 2 Test "IT".
Step 3 Find Our Mercury's Equal.
Step 4 Lock them in their prison / bridal chamber together.

This is all that is needed for a beginning.

You cannot use the Mercury in the state you receive it from nature for transformational purposes.
Why don't you mention it?

Are you talking about Mercury (Hg) ....If so, I have no need of this Mercury.

"Our Mercury" (Secret Solvent, SM, etc) when captured is perfect and ready to perform
Alchemic Processes.

Ok, no offence, but I leave it to you to find an answer to your question.

Thank you Merovee, no offence taken, hope you get over that flu quickly.

PS ... The only answers I require are the ones gifted by my Mentor.

 

[Merovee]

Neptune's trident symbolizes the three properties of water: liquidity, fecundity and drinkability.
The island of Delo's has peculiar white columns if you do a quick internet search.

Jimmy, don't be alarmed, I don't want to bombard you with anything, it just came about that way, tick it off and forget it or remember it for later if you like:

Delos is the most famous and holiest island of ancient Greece. The island was considered the birthplace of light by the ancient Helenes and a sanctuary of the god Apollo was built on it. According to mythology, he is the god of daylight, and Artemis, his sister, the goddess of nightlight.
Delos was also considered a floating island, which was originally on the bottom of the sea, Poseidon (Neptune) thrust his trident into the sea bed so hard that it broke away and appeared on the surface of the sea. To prevent it from sinking again, the god connected the island to the seabed by supporting pillars.

The trident can symbolise many things; for the alchemists it symbolises a triple fire (corresponding to the three nails of the crucifixion). It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Shin, the meaning of which cannot be sufficiently discussed here, only this much: placed in the middle, it transforms the Tetragrammaton into the (Hebrew) name of Jesus, and as the fifth letter it marks the transition from the four to the five (the quintessence). For itself, as secret fire or light, it represents the power of the Torah, and so it is the Torah itself, the divine law, from which the alchemist derives the basis and power of his Great Work, and therefore alchemy is a sacred science. The Mutus Liber also points to this, and this is what is meant by the dew of heaven and the unctuous fatness of earth.

All this is extremely important, and yet the seekers do not take it to heart, they search here and there, and this and that, and everyone thinks up some other clever trick to make the incomprehensible comprehensible and the incorporeal corporeal, but they never seek the obvious or nearby. They should concentrate on seeking the secret fire, for their Mercury, too, is basically nothing else, he is the bearer of a secret fire, indeed, he himself is this divine fire. They say it is fire in fire and water in water, and the secret, philosophical fire, which the adepts also call the outer fire, is the greatest of all miracles.

 

[Jimmy Rig]

Jimmy, don't be alarmed, I don't want to bombard you with anything, it just came about that way, tick it off and forget it or remember it for later if you like:

Delos is the most famous and holiest island of ancient Greece. The island was considered the birthplace of light by the ancient Helenes and a sanctuary of the god Apollo was built on it. According to mythology, he is the god of daylight, and Artemis, his sister, the goddess of nightlight.
Delos was also considered a floating island, which was originally on the bottom of the sea, Poseidon (Neptune) thrust his trident into the sea bed so hard that it broke away and appeared on the surface of the sea. To prevent it from sinking again, the god connected the island to the seabed by supporting pillars.

The trident can symbolise many things; for the alchemists it symbolises a triple fire (corresponding to the three nails of the crucifixion). It corresponds to the Hebrew letter Shin, the meaning of which cannot be sufficiently discussed here, only this much: placed in the middle, it transforms the Tetragrammaton into the (Hebrew) name of Jesus, and as the fifth letter it marks the transition from the four to the five (the quintessence). For itself, as secret fire or light, it represents the power of the Torah, and so it is the Torah itself, the divine law, from which the alchemist derives the basis and power of his Great Work, and therefore alchemy is a sacred science. The Mutus Liber also points to this, and this is what is meant by the dew of heaven and the unctuous fatness of earth.

All this is extremely important, and yet the seekers do not take it to heart, they search here and there, and this and that, and everyone thinks up some other clever trick to make the incomprehensible comprehensible and the incorporeal corporeal, but they never seek the obvious or nearby. They should concentrate on seeking the secret fire, for their Mercury, too, is basically nothing else, he is the bearer of a secret fire, indeed, he himself is this divine fire. They say it is fire in fire and water in water, and the secret, philosophical fire, which the adepts also call the outer fire, is the greatest of all miracles.

I suppose for me, this is a good time to admit with humility that many of the references in your posts (and others) are above my current understanding but this for me is not a negative thing. If we stay where we are comfortable and do not press ourselves moderately we likely will stagnate in our growth. This is the same reason that God tests us in our lives and petitions us constantly to have faith and be of good cheer. With God anything is possible. Was not Jesus the greatest example of this principle in action thus why he sits at the right hand of the father. Thanks for your post, more contemplation for me! Cheers

 

[tAlc]

The Prima Materia is the METAL we find in the CENTER of the Earth.

These words are loud and clear and without any form of obscurity to those who understand. This is me truthfully speaking clearly.

The Work begins in this order:

Sun and Moon

Azoth

I needn't go any further because this post is about Prima Materia.

 

[Illen A. Cluf]

The Prima Materia is the METAL we find in the CENTER of the Earth.

These words are loud and clear and without any form of obscurity to those who understand. This is me truthfully speaking clearly.

The Work begins in this order:

Sun and Moon

Azoth

I needn't go any further because this post is about Prima Materia.

You speak with total conviction. Have you made the Stone?

 

[tAlc]

No. You want to know what I do have total conviction on? The fact that i love you. *muah* will you return my love back in kind you beautiful soul?

My Work which I screwed up by opening the flask has been enough to convince me that I'm doing things properly. I theorized and when I began I've witnessed my philosophy imitate itself (ON ITS OWN) in my flask... Before I began the work, I theorized and studied the philosophy and predicted the outcome. My predictions every one of them have come true so far.

I don't know if what I'm doing is correct because unless someone obtains the White Stone the Work is not finished but there are circumstances that arise in the Flask that give the Artist reasons to believe that they are working correctly and by understanding the philosophy and relating it in Art the Fruit they bear is a reflection of their understanding of the Philosophy.

So yes I speak with conviction because I have faith that I am doing things correctly. Faith is not Knowing. It's placing your trust in your belief. The opposite of worry and fear. I have reasons to believe that I'm operating appropriately... Bear this in mind however...

Every person that has discovered the secret has remained silent on precisely how to do it in plain language where all may understand. I choose to subject the manner that I divulge the Art within the style of the Philosophers for their style is a language and unless one is able to speak in their language they will not understand what the Alchemists are saying. This to me, is the meaning of those who are ''unworthy''.



The Sun and Moon are seen on the Upper left and Upper Right. Azoth is seen in the Center. The small pictures surrounding Azoth are the Natural Processes just like the Cycles of Nature, that produces Azoth. Nobody controls the cycles of nature they operate on their own. So it is with Our Art.

We have Metals, Vegetables, and Animals. This occurs in the order I just mentioned.

 

[Illen A. Cluf]

will you return my love back in kind you beautiful soul?

Absolutely - Love always reflects back.

So yes I speak with conviction because I have faith that I am doing things correctly. Faith is not Knowing. It's placing your trust in your belief. The opposite of worry and fear. I have reasons to believe that I'm operating appropriately...

Awesome - hope it bears fruit!

Bear this in mind however...

Every person that has discovered the secret has remained silent on precisely how to do it in plain language where all may understand. I choose to subject the manner that I divulge the Art within the style of the Philosophers for their style is a language and unless one is able to speak in their language they will not understand what the Alchemists are saying. This to me, is the meaning of those who are ''unworthy''.

There are some authors who seem to explain it, or illustrate it, much more clearly than others.

The Sun and Moon are seen on the Upper left and Upper Right. Azoth is seen in the Center. The small pictures surrounding Azoth are the Natural Processes just like the Cycles of Nature, that produces Azoth. Nobody controls the cycles of nature they operate on their own. So it is with Our Art.
We have Metals, Vegetables, and Animals. This occurs in the order I just mentioned.

True. The operator makes some preparations and then lets Nature do the more mystical or philosophical part of the work.

 

[black]

Prima Materia

I'm sure that most if not all of our seasoned Alchemists on this forum will have a clear understanding of what I'm presenting here.

I am posting this for those that are reasonably new to Alchemy as this subject
"Prima Materia" can be a rather large stumbling block to any advancement in this Work.

For those that are new to Alchemy, it may take many years for them to gain a basic
understanding of Alchemic Terminology and Theory.

A major problem when studying the books is the term Prima Materia.

Sadly many that are new to Our Science misinterpret this term by thinking it refers to
the first material that is required in the laboratory to open the first gate into Alchemy.

Unfortunately for them this is not the case.

Prima Materia is the First Extract of Mineral Natures which have not yet attained their final perfection, and are richer in seminal .... Virtue.

Hence it is also termed First Matter, (Primum Ens) which is that principle of every genus out of which the First natural life-impulse derives to the Substance of that Genus ...... and Possesses Potency like unto it ....... The Ens

The Primum Ens is to be sought above all things in the Mineral World.
For in this World (Mineral) there is a Rich Potentiality, not developed by Nature.

In the Vegetable World it is to be sought among plants which are still in the blade, i.e., still sprouting, and among unripe fruits.

In the Animal World, there is not much profit in seeking it, unless it be in the Blood, or in the ova.

Prima Materia is Quintessence and is also Primum Ens they are all one and the same thing.

Before being able to generate any Quintessence (Prima Materia, Primum Ens), the Alchemist must have Our Mercuy(SM) and it's Equal to work an Alchemic Process.

Even then the Alchemist will still not have the Quintessence .... but he has made a start into the Great Work.

 

[Pilgrim]

Possibly I am in error but I have always deemed the prima materia to be the basic building block of all things in the universe. If we consider the universe as a giant Lego set then everything in it is made of the same tiny Lego bricks. If you build say a castle with the Lego bricks then you have a form. If you then wish to make a space ship instead it should be clear that we can not make one from the large parts of a castle. We MUST first disassemble the castle back to its prima materia (individual Lego bricks) and then create the new form from those bricks.

Thus from my humble limited understanding of the GW, it is the 2nd part of the GW in which we "produce" the prima materia and it is at the "black"/"raven" putrefaction stage where this occurs. The original substance we had in the flask MUST essentially "die" (putrefy/rot) in order that it gets taken back to those individual Lego bricks, the prima materia.

Jesus iterated the importance of this in his parables:

John 12:23-24:
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."

It's a key and vital principle of our art. A thing must "die", be decomposed, putrefied, brought back to its prima materia Lego bricks in order that it can be re-made into something else, something purer and more wonderful.

I have personally never confused prima materia with the ONE THING that is our starting substance. Our ONE THING like ALL things contains prima materia. We must separate that ONE THING into our desired THREE THINGS (salt, sulphur, mercury) through art and purify those three things before putting them back together. Only then, when all gross matter and impurities are gone can we reduce what we have to its prima materia ready to be re-made into our prize.

But I am no expert or authority on any of this and perhaps have the terminology all wrong. If so please correct me.

 

[black]

Possibly I am in error but I have always deemed the prima materia to be the basic building block of all things in the universe.

Hi Pilgrim

Not all things .... only things that an Alchemist would term living.
The term living is given to a material that has a soul (Prima Materia, Quintessence, Primum Ens).
This Soul is the Spark of the Divine Light and is conscious.

If we consider the universe as a giant Lego set then everything in it is made of the same tiny Lego bricks. If you build say a castle with the Lego bricks then you have a form. If you then wish to make a space ship instead it should be clear that we can not make one from the large parts of a castle. We MUST first disassemble the castle back to its prima materia (individual Lego bricks) and then create the new form from those bricks.

Not castles, but we can disassemble living material to acquire a Universal Quintessence.

Thus from my humble limited understanding of the GW, it is the 2nd part of the GW in which we "produce" the prima materia and it is at the "black"/"raven" putrefaction stage where this occurs. The original substance we had in the flask MUST essentially "die" (putrefy/rot) in order that it gets taken back to those individual Lego bricks, the prima materia.

When you write about GW here, I do hope you are not referring to urine.
If we pissed out our Quintessence we would all be dead in a very short time.

Even if we could extract a Universal Quintessence from urine or feces why
would we want to do that ?

The Frequency of that Universal Quintessence would be the same as our
Quintessence.

The Alchemist can extract Prima Materia (Universal Quintessence) from any of the
Three Realms and all of these Universal Quintessence are the same except for their
Frequencies.

Some Alchemists are searching for the highest Frequency Universal Quintessence that
they can find ... The important point being that this Frequency is Higher than the
Frequency of their own Soul (Quintessence, Primum Ens).

By ingesting a Universal Quintessence of a Higher Frequency via a Tincture, they are
then able to boost the Frequency / Vibratory rate of their own Quintessence.

Jesus iterated the importance of this in his parables:

John 12:23-24:
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."

It's a key and vital principle of our art. A thing must "die", be decomposed, putrefied, brought back to its prima materia Lego bricks in order that it can be re-made into something else, something purer and more wonderful.

What do you think could be made from Prima Materia (Quintessence, Primum Ens) ?

I have personally never confused prima materia with the ONE THING that is our starting substance. Our ONE THING like ALL things contains prima materia. We must separate that ONE THING into our desired THREE THINGS (salt, sulphur, mercury) through art and purify those three things before putting them back together. Only then, when all gross matter and impurities are gone can we reduce what we have to its prima materia ready to be re-made into our prize.

I am interested in hearing your understanding of "Our Prize".

 

[Awani]

Ylem?

 

[Pilgrim]

When you write about GW here, I do hope you are not referring to urine.

Sorry no not at all. There appear to be different conventions used on this forum. GW for me is always the "Great Work" of creating the Stone. Not "Golden Water" which I presume you were referring to.

 

[black]

Sorry no not at all. There appear to be different conventions used on this forum. GW for me is always the "Great Work" of creating the Stone. Not "Golden Water" which I presume you were referring to.

Yes Pilgrim.

Also there is more than one GW (Golden Water).

Urine is one and the other is the real Golden Water that is used in Alchemy.

 

[Jimmy Rig]

Yes Pilgrim.

Also there is more than one GW (Golden Water).

Urine is one and the other is the real Golden Water that is used in Alchemy.

This picture I attached below is not a product of urine; rather Melissa. Most herbs, clay, when extracted yield a yellow water even fat dew has the yellow appearance. I think immortal compounded ens speaks volumes. Needs to be concentrated AND cleaned. I think.

 

[black]

This picture I attached below is not a product of urine; rather Melissa. Most herbs, clay, when extracted yield a yellow water even fat dew has the yellow appearance. I think immortal compounded ens speaks volumes. Needs to be concentrated AND cleaned. I think.

View attachment 1711

Hi Jimmy, I love the pic.

There are many yellow colored waters and yes an Ens can speak volumes.

The Waters that are used in Alchemy are not H2O.

If anyone is using H2O (water) then they will never obtain an Alchemic Product.

But the only way to get a true Ens (a Primum Ens) is via Alchemy which
requires Our Mercury.

Our Mercury (Spiritus Mundi) is the ONLY magnet that can capture Quintessence.

All Primum Ens (all Quintessence) looks like a thickish dark redish/brown Oil
that somewhat resembles blood.

 

[Pilgrim]

This picture I attached below is not a product of urine; rather Melissa. Most herbs, clay, when extracted yield a yellow water even fat dew has the yellow appearance. I think immortal compounded ens speaks volumes. Needs to be concentrated AND cleaned. I think.

View attachment 1711

Quick question on this setup. The receiving flask/bottle is open so the rig isn't hermetically sealed. I know that's vital for the 2nd part of the Great Work but is it not also needed for the 1st part?

 

[Andro]

Thread Topic Reminder: What Is The Prima Materia?

 

[Jimmy Rig]

Quick question on this setup. The receiving flask/bottle is open so the rig isn't hermetically sealed. I know that's vital for the 2nd part of the Great Work but is it not also needed for the 1st part?

Oh I have no idea; I was simply trying to purify the sulfur principle by first distilling it off the chaos (in the form of an essence)on a higher heat followed by what you see in the set-up; low heat distillation. I could achieve this objective (the concentrating of cleaned principle) with an open flask or container on a gentle heat source but would lose the water or volatile portion which is useful for further processing the earth. Not too worried about seals (but not claiming this is the great work either..)
You could effect the same results via immersion, settlement and decantation as well.

In the past I have attempted to hermetically seal this setup, instead of a random glass jar for a reciever I use a wine bottle with bee's wax between the receiver and the condenser (rolled into a "ring" on the condenser, then slide the wine bottle over the ring).. I was doing this because I was trying to isolate the most volatile portion of the work (not on melissa) and was able to note distinct differences between the "most volatile" and "least volatile" to go over the receiver. By knowing this, and temperature we can have a good idea of what we can expect to go and what will stay; it seems like there is always some fraction of mixing regardless though.
I think though, if I deleted the water from the equation, than tight seals would be a must. It is a useful medium in that it offers more control; as a carrier but also slows down the working considerably.

For example;

You could take a dried herb, distill off the oil's and calcine the body to a salt; not sure where you get the mercury in this case;
combine the two through.. unknown mercury. (what if you don't dry the herb and let its own moisture become, through fermenation the alchohol or mercury, distill this at low heat (SEALED) and then higher heat for the less volatile oils (sulfur) calcine and process the salt, recombine the principles..

With water;
Take a dried herb, immerse in hot water (steep'd) or organic chemistry extraction sohxlet method, percolator, etc . point is, water, over time, with some heat.

Take the extracted herb, burn it and get the salt.
Take the extraction liquid "essence" and on a low heat concentrate your sulphur principle via evaporation; combine with the salt, calcine, repeat..
The essence will turn black; when you combine this with the salt and evaporate it there is white.. cream looking stuff in the terra damnata; but not entirely. I think it takes many cycles; problem is after 2-3 rotations it becomes very difficult to calcine the earth back to whiteness to get salts.

Anyways, the combining seems easier with water as a medium. But it may slow the manifestation of a stone, oil, powder or whatever we are trying to achieve as it will be diluted.

Just learning here; thanks!

On the thread topic (promted by andro's reminder).. The prima materia?
Prime: "of first importance; main."
"of the best possible quality; excellent."
Probably not a material we have a common name for; it seems to be the end goal of the common "particular" materials. I think there are many starting matters that could lead to a sort of prima materia. Hence why this thread speaks of many different particular ways of working; albeit with similar manifestations as we get (somewhat) closer to the blueprint.

 

[elixirmixer]

As a beginner I always thought there was an endless amount of starting matters. A countless amount of Stones. That Hermetic Theory of the elements could be applied to almost anything and that this philosophy would result in alchemical products that were healing and powerful.

However it isn't really true. My Spagyrics lab closed down. Because what I found over years of experience was that nothing I created in there, as extravagant and in-line with elemental theory as some of them were, really made a difference in anyone's life. And I also came to accept one of the repeated axioms of this forum.

"No SM = No Alchemy"

The prima materia is, in my opinion, a white salt, that is the direct counterpart of the volatile SM. It is fixed SM.

It can be fixed by the Earth or fixed synthetically by Art.

To say "The random matter I chose to begin with when I made this spagyrics medicine is my prima material" is a rather cute concept. I enjoyed it. Makes you feel better when you're starting out. But unfortunately it's not a tangible reality.

Prima materia is a specific thing. And it's pretty hard to find. Not in nature but just within your own soul. I would say the stuff is physically quite common however to work it out I actually did have to read read read and pray.

 

[Pilgrim]

Prima materia is a specific thing. And it's pretty hard to find. Not in nature but just within your own soul. I would say the stuff is physically quite common however to work it out I actually did have to read read read and pray.

I've often thought that one of the secrets to alchemy and the Great Work must be that the alchemist must give something of themselves to the process though I do not know how. Either through some kind of developed meditation or praying of some kind or some kind of spiritual energy transfer. Thus I suspect spiritual alchemy and physical alchemy are intertwined and both necessary to achieve the required outcome.

"After spending the best part of my life in the study of the liberal arts and sciences, and in the company of wise men and judicious scholars, I was compelled, as the result of my observation of mankind, to arrive at the melancholy conclusion that the hearts of most persons are set either on ambitious and vainglorious projects, on sensual pleasures, or on the accumulation of wealth by all and any means; and that few care either for God or for virtue At first I did not quite know whether to become a disciple of the laughing or of the weeping philosopher, or whether to join in the exclamation of the wise Prince of Israel: "All things are vanity." But at length the Bible and experience taught me to take refuge in the study of the hidden secrets of Nature, whether pursued at home, by means of books, or abroad, in the Great Volume of the World. Now, the more I drank of the mighty fount of knowledge, the more painfully my thirst, like that of Tantalus, seemed to increase. I had heard that there was a bird called Phœnix, the only one of its kind in the whole world, whose feathers and flesh constitute the great and glorious medicine for all passion, pain, and sorrow; which also Helena, after her return from Troy, had presented in the form of a draught to Telemachus, who thereupon had forgotten all his sorrows and troubles. This bird I could not indeed hope to obtain entire; but I was seized with an irresistible longing to become possessed of at least one of its smallest feathers; and for this unspeakable privilege I was prepared to spend all my substance, to travel far and wide, and to endure every hardship. There was, of course, much to discourage me. Some people denied the very existence of this bird; others laughed at my faith in its wonder-working properties. . . . But most of those whom I met laughed at my quest, and said that, like Narcissus, I had fallen in love with the shadow of my own mind, the echo of my vain and ambitious thoughts, which had no substantial existence apart from my own folly. "The words of the Alchemists," said they, "are like clouds: they may mean and represent anything, according to the fancy of him who hears them. And even if there were such a medicine, human life is too brief for the search; all that makes life worth living will have to be neglected and thrust aside while you are engaged in hunting after it. If we can pick up a knowledge of this secret casually, and whilst devoting ourselves to other pursuits, well; but if not, we can very ill spare the time for a closer search." These objections (at least the latter half of them) I met as follows: "The quest of this Medicine demands the whole powers of a man's body and mind. He who engages in it only casually, cannot hope to penetrate even the outward rind of knowledge. The object of our search is a profound secret, and a man who is not prepared to give himself wholly to this enquiry had much better abstain from it altogether." A Subtle Allegory Concerning the Secrets of Alchemy, by Michael Maier, 1617 AD (?)

 

[Pilgrim]

This might also be relevant:

From The Secret Fire by E. J Langford Garstin



Sorry if we are drifting off topic here