The Alchemist,

old postcard from Notre Dame in Paris, France.

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Today’s sharing from the Blue House of Via-Hygeia, is from Fulcanelli’s ‘The Dwellings of the Philosophers‘ here in its 1979 Editions Jean-Jacques Pauvert-third edition. Excerpts are from Part II, Chapter 2, ‘Francis the Second’s body guards‘, from page 270 to 273. A Via-HYGEIA English translation from the original French.

In the chapter, Fulcanelli quotes a small booklet found at the end of Johann Ehrd von Naxagoras’ ‘Alchymia Denudata’, used as a second part offering starting page 161: ‘Ausführliche Beschreibung Der untveit zwickau in Meissen zu Niederhohndorf, und anderer umliegenden Orten gefundene Goldischen Sande.’

Johann Ehrd von Naxagoras may be the pseudonym of Johann Erhard Neithold. (H. F. M. Kopp, ‘Die Alchemie‘, v. 2, p. 218). In ‘Alchymia Denudata’, Naxagoras provides his  readers with a detailed exploration of the properties of metals, natural elements, and other substances. Using experiments and observation, he offers insights into the processes of transmutation and the creation of elixirs.

We would like to draw the attention to the tradition in which Naxagoras is writing his alchemical treatises: It is the German ‘Bergwerk‘ (early mining works) which discloses crucial links and filiations, starting with Georgius Agricola and then followed by Georg von Welling, both being Bergmeister in their respective time.

All three have unifying themes, such as the symbolism of Earth and subterranean realms, processes of extraction, refinement, and transmutation, correspondences with Nature, elemental and Divine forces. For them, mining is seen as a microcosmic reflection of macrocosmic change; because miners work with minerals and metals, they imitate divine processes of creation. Finally, the symbolic patterns of descent, transformation and ascent mirror the miner’s descent into the earth and the alchemist’s journey into matter and its divine spiritualization.

What follows in an unexpected and impressive immersion into Fulcanelli’s magistral deciphering of the alchemical allegory found at the beginning of this second part!

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A Via-Hygeia note: We will first present our translations of the French translation, and then, Fulcanelli’s version ‘in clear’ for contrast. It is in IX parts, preceded with an introduction. We will call the French translation Fulcanelli used for his version, Text A, and his version ‘in clear‘, Text B.

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From the Chapter:

‘Francis the Second’s Body Guards’

‘…In the measure of what is possible, in order to be useful to the freshman, we will give, as an example, the version ‘in clear‘ of an original kabbalistic text from Naxagoras. This booklet was inserted at the end of his treatise, ‘Alchymia Denudata’. We made this version ‘in clear‘, after a hand-written French translation of the original German. Our wish is that the Son of Science may discover the manner to interpret the closed books, and know how to benefit from a teaching that is barely veiled. In his allegory, the Adept has endeavored to describe the ancient and simple path, the only one, the old alchemical masters were once following.

Introduction

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Text A

‘Detailed Description Of The Golden Sand Found Near Zwickau In Meissen, Niederhohndorf And Other Surrounding Places.’ By J. N. V. E. J. E displaying  5 alchemical points. 1715.

Text B

‘Detailed Description of the manner to extract and free the Spirit of Gold, contained within the vile mineral matter, in order to build the sacred Temple of the Light (1), and to discover other analog secrets’. By J. N.V. E. J. E. including 5 Alchemical points.

Fulcanelli’s note: 

1. This is how we call the philosopher’s stone, our microcosm; as opposed a the temple of Jerusalem, figure of the universe or macrocosm.

Text A

It will be now soon two years past that a man from those mines, received from a third person, an extract from a manuscript in-quarto and a thumb thick, which came from two Italian travelers who were calling themselves as such.

Text B

It will now be soon two years past since a worker, gifted in the metallic arts, received through a ‘third agent‘ (1), an extract of the four elements, received manually by assembling two mercuries of the same origin, whose excellence had qualified them as ‘Roman‘, and who are always named as such.

Fulcanelli’s note:

1. The secret fire.

Text A

It must have been a long time that this extract was examined by M.N.N., because he was eager to operate much using  a divinatory wand. Finally, he achieved to touch with his hands what he was seeking. Below is the extract of this manuscript.

Text B

By this extract, known at he time of the Antiquity and well studied by the Moderns, we can achieve great things, as long the we have received the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Then, we are able to touch with the hands what we seek. Here, below, is the manual technique developed in this extract.

I-Text A

A little town called Hartsmanngrün, near Swickau. Under the town there are many good grains. The mine there has plenty of seams.

I-Text B

A slag swims at the surface of the compound formed by fire with the pure parts of the coarse mineral Matter. Under the slag, we can find a crumbly grainy water. It is the seam, or the metallic matrix.

II-Text A

Kohl-Stein, near Swickau. There is a good gravel and lead marcasite. Behind, in Gabel. there is a blacksmith named Morgenstern, who knows where a good mine is, and an underground tunnel, where cracks were made. In them we can find yellow freezing and the metal there is very malleable.

II-Text B

Such is the stone called Kohl (1), a concretion of the pure parts of the manure, or coarse mineral Matter. A crumbly or grainy seam, it is born from iron, tin and lead. It carries only the imprint of the Solar Ray. She is the expert in the art of working iron. The wise call it the Morning Star. It knows what the artist seeks. This is the underground path that leads to the yellow gold, malleable and pure. The path is rough and cut by many cracks and obstacles.

Fulcanelli’s note:

1. Also called Alcohol, Spirit (brandy) of the wise: it is Basile Valentine’s fire stone.

III-Text A

When you go from Schneeberg to the castle named Wiesenburg, there is a bit of water flowing down the mountain; it units with the river Mulde; when you follow the Mulde river, close to its waters we can find a breeding ground, and beyond there is a bit of water, where we can find some marcasite; its worth compensates for all the efforts taken to get there.

III-Text B

Having this stone, called Pincers Mountain, climb towards the white fortress. It is the vivid water, falling from the decomposed body, in a intangible powder, under the effects of a natural trituration similar to those of a grinding wheel. This vivid and white water agglomerates in the center, in a crystalline stone, of a color similar to tinned iron and which can greatly pay back all of the efforts spent this operation demands.

Fulcanelli’s note:

1.Because of its signature. Pincers in Greek is said: λαβίς (labis) which comes from λαμβανω (lambano), taking, receiving, collecting, and also to conceive, to become fat or pregnant (in French: grosse has both meaning).

IV-Text A

At Kreutzer-Zehl, in the mountain of Gott, about two leagues (A via-Hygeia note: around 8 km) from Schoneck, there is an excellent copper sand.

IV-Text B

This luminous and crystalline salt, first created being of the divine Body, will form in a second effect as glass copper. It is our copper or brass, and the green lion.

V-Text A

At Grals, in Voigtland, just under Schloss-Berg, I was told recently that there is a garden in which there is a rich gold mine.

V-Text B

This sand, calcinated, will give its tincture tot he golden bough. The young sprout of the Sun will be born in the Earth of Fire. It is the burned substance of the stone, closed stone from the garden (1) where our golden fruits mature, as I have recently found out for myself. Take good heed of this.

Fulcanelli’s note:

1. The Garden of the Hesperides.

VI-Text A

Between Werdau and Laugenberndorff, there is a breeding ground that we call Mansteich. Below that breeding ground you can see a fountain, at the bottom of the meadow. In this fountain, we can find golden grains that are very good.

VI-Text B

Between this product and the second, stronger and better, there is need to go back to the Pond of  dead Light (1), through the extract placed again in its original matter. You will find again the vivid water, dilated and without any texture. What will come out is the ancient Fountain (2), provider of the vividity, able to change the crude metals into golden grains.

Fulcanelli’s notes:

1. The second putrefaction, characterized by the purple color, indigo and Black.

2. The Fountain of Youth.

VII-Text A

In the woods of Werdau, there is a pit which is called Langgrab. When you go to the top of this pit, we can find in the pit itself, a ditch; when you go through it, at the length of an ell (A Via-Hygeia note:  around 114.3 cm) towards the mountain, you will find a golden seam, of the length of one span (A Via-Hygeia note: around 20 cm).

VII-Text B

In the green Forest, the strong, the robust and the best of all hides (1). Here also is to be found the pond of the Crayfish (2). Carry on: The substance will depart by itself. Leave the pit: Its source is in the bottom of a cave where the stone within its mineral cradle is developing.

Fulcanelli’s notes:

1. See the Cosmopolite: ‘The King of the Art is to be found hidden in the green forest of Venus, the nymph.’

2. The Zodiacal Constellation of the philosophers, the sign of the increase of fire.

VIII-Text A

At Hundes-Hubel, there is a pit where in which there is plenty of gold grains. This pit is located in a small town, close to a fountain where the locals go to fetch drinkable water.

VIII-Text B

In this increasing phase, while repeating the process, you will see the source filled with shining granulation of pure gold. It appear as a slag or a gangue containing the fountain, with its dry water, generating gold, that the metallic people drink eagerly.

IX-Text A

After a few trips to Zwickau, to the little town of Schlott, then in Saume and finally in Crouzoll, we made our stop in Brethmullen, where this narrow place was once located. In the small road that was leading, in the past, towards Weinburg, which is called Barenstein, opposite or towards the mountain, in the direction of Barenstein, behind, facing West…there is an old well, in which there is a seam, in the shape of a fibula that goes through it. It is strong and and rich in gold from Hungary and even sometimes gold from Arabia. The mark of the seam is over four metal separators, auff-seigers vier, and near it it is written auff-seigers eins. It is an exemplary seam, when compared to others.

IX-Text B

After that, we made a few trials on the coarse mineral Matter until it had reached a yellow color (or fixation of the body); from then we moved onwards to the sign of the crowned Sun; but we later had to wait that the matter had completely cooked in water, according to the ancient method. This long cooking process-followed in the old times-leads to the luminous Castle, or shining Fortress, which is this heavy stone, the very West our proper Matter can reach, without excess (1), …because truth comes out of the antique well of this powerful tincture, rich in gold seed, as pure as the Hungarian gold, or sometimes as the Arabic gold. The sign, formed with four rays, designate and seals the mineral reducer. This is the greatest of the tinctures.

Fulcanelli’s note:

1. Graphic symbol of the Philosophical Vitriol. The suspension point are in the original.

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Fulcanelli’s Original French

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German Original

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Page 161

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Page 162

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Page 163

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Page 164

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It’s an allegory, can you decipher it?

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