HTML Scrolling Menu Css3Menu.com



Hermaphrodite Child of the Sun and Moon VII

Translated by Mike Brenner. Copyright Mike Brenner 1997. Permission given to freely copy this, as long as this copyright remains attached.
Back to Hermaphrodite Child of the Sun and Moon.


EXPLANATION OF FIGURE 7

The number 7 is very symbolic of the stages of the Work, including 7
planets, 7 days, 7 weeks, 7 circulations, and 7 systemic periods. The
spiritual energy of Nature courses through the Mystical Substance
using the 7-spoked wheel of the planets. The mystical Earth is
readied by the 7-day work, a symbolical months-time, and then 7 weeks
makes a systemic period. The 7 circulations, occuring in both the magical
and natural rhythms, bring the Work all the way throught to the white Tincture.

Figure 7 reveals the Gold, Silver, and Mercury from Paragraph 6 and
Canon 6 fully.

The Sun represents the Child emanating from Saturn, or Jupiters
Stone, or the Gold of the Philosophers still half-shrouded in
darkness, whose internal heat draws in and devours the magnetic
whiteness of the Mercury-Water of his sister the radical humidity.

The Moon represents this Mercury-Water, the mystical Silver. When
Sun and Moon are equally mixed they accomplish the true Wedding of
the red Servant with his good smelling white sister.

Mercury, the hermaphrodite spirit with both masculine and feminine
attributes, the off-spring of the Sun and the Moon, is symbolized by
the cross connecting these sacred siblings.

This Mystical Mercury or quicksilver has a positive and negative
aspect. Its negative aspect is being dissolved in the very Mercurial
Water it magnetically attracts to itself. Its positive aspect is that
it binds this Water and solidifies it.

Like red and white roses grow form ordinary stems, Silver and Gold
flowers grow from the stem of mystical Mercury.


PARAGRAPH 7

Here the Work begins,
A duality
gives the power
To heal,
The elixir of long life.
A duality separated by a moist fire,
Bestowing health and wealth.
That is how to see this Figure.


EXPLANATION OF PARAGRAPH 7

The results of the Work can only be attained in Fire wet with sweat by this
alchemical wedding of the red groom to his white sister. No one
knows this better than those who strived for ages without the benefit of this
paragraph. Had they only placed the red groom at
the altar between the center of the heavens and the earth,
and then brought his pure, liquid sister-bride to kiss him there.
Then they would have been well along their Path to stable health and
limitless wealth, the by-products of the white and the red
elixirs.

CANON 7

Do not pollute me,
Just dissolve me, coagulate me,
And turn me upside down.
That how to do good Work.

EXPLANATION OF CANON 7

In these 4 verses Northon tosses all the the other Alchemists a rock to stub
their toes on. (1) Guard It from pollution by any external substances that are
not homogenous and harmonious. (2) Pour your water on the fire without putting
the fire out so the water escapes as steam.
(3) Following the ancient wisdom, give Fire to the fire and Mercury to the mercury.
(4) As they melt into each other, their tight embrace dissolves them and finally
coagulates them. (5) Then a doubled Mercury dissolves
and coagulates itself through a strengthened or doubled Fire.

As Mercury completes the circle by returning to fiery Earth, like a flower turned
stem-up, you become master of the art of the Stone and complete the Work.


If you have problems understanding these alchemical texts, Adam McLean now provides a study course entitled How to read alchemical texts : a guide for the perplexed.