Spagyrics: The Alchemical Preparation of Medicinal Essences, Tinctures, and Elixirs
The Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy · Alchimia verde—Spagyrica vegetale · Praktisches Hanbuch der Pflanzen-Alchemie · Praktisches handbuch der Pflanzen-Alchemie
Manual de espagiria vegetal en trece capítulos, con epílogo, tablas de signos y de pesos antiguos. La obra define su campo por la etimología: «In the word spagyria two Greek words are hidden: spaō, to draw out, to divide; and ageirō, to gather, to bind, to join» «Spagyrics (Junius) · p. 9», y de ahí deriva el orden del trabajo — «The alchemical work always takes place in three stages: (1) separation, (2) purification, and (3) cohobation (recombination, or the “chymical wedding”)» «Spagyrics (Junius) · p. 9» —. La definición operativa que da de sí misma es estrecha y explícita: «Spagyric is the application of alchemical working methods to the production of medicaments» «Spagyrics (Junius) · p. 9». El epígrafe con que abre el primer capítulo la remite a Paracelso: «Therefore, learn Alchimiam, otherwise called Spagyria, which teaches you to separate the false from the true» «Spagyrics (Junius) · p. 9».
El propósito declarado en el prefacio junta doctrina y taller: «The practice of spagyrics consists in the application of alchemical, or parachemical, findings and methods to the preparation of tinctures, essences, and other products from the medicinal plants at our disposal» «Spagyrics (Junius) · p. 7». Junius dice haber querido evitar el recetario puro — «I have tried to present spagyrics holistically. Without knowledge of the conceptual world and background of spagyric thought, a mere practical methodology would be incomplete» «Spagyrics (Junius) · p. 7» — y consigna a la vez el límite del género: «By the very nature of our field, such a book can never be complete. Moreover, a certain inconsistency is hard to avoid. The vast field of spagyrics presents itself rather like a mosaic that is only slowly completed by the collaboration of the reader» «Spagyrics (Junius) · p. 7».
El volumen lleva dos voces impresas y separadas. El cuerpo —prefacio, trece capítulos y epílogo— es de Junius; el prólogo de la tercera edición lo firma Brian Cotnoir, que se presenta como quien refrescó los grabados: «I am honored to write this foreword to this new edition and so present one of the key alchemical works of the twentieth century— Spagyrics by Manfred Junius» «Spagyrics (Junius) · p. 5». Cotnoir abre su prólogo con un epígrafe atribuido a Junius que reproduce, palabra por palabra, una frase del prefacio: «The vast field of spagyrics presents itself rather like a mosaic that is only slowly completed by the collaboration of the reader. —MANFRED JUNIUS» «Spagyrics (Junius) · p. 5». Dentro del cuerpo hay una tercera capa: los textos ajenos que Junius reproduce enteros —el consejo de Basilio Valentín, los aforismos del Circulatum Minus de Urbigerus, la descripción del magisterio vegetal de Paracelso—, y su traducción se declara ajena: «The English translation of the Aphorisms of the Circulatum Minus of Urbigerous has been reprinted from the Golden Manuscript series with the kind permission of Frater Albertus and Paracelsus College in Salt Lake City» «Spagyrics (Junius) · p. 248».
La procedencia del texto se declara en tres lenguas y no coincide del todo entre las voces. La plana de derechos dice que el original es italiano — «Originally published in Italian under the title Alchimia verde— Spagyrica vegetale by Edizioni Mediterranee, Rome» «Spagyrics (Junius) · p. 248» — y que el inglés se vierte de la refundición alemana: «The original Italian text was revised and enlarged by the author for a German edition published in 1982 under the title Praktisches Hanbuch der Pflanzen-Alchemie by Ansata-Verlag, Interlaken. The present English translation is based on this German edition» «Spagyrics (Junius) · p. 248». El propio Junius lo confirma en el prefacio «Spagyrics (Junius) · p. 7», mientras que Cotnoir nombra solo el alemán: «This book was first translated from the German Praktisches handbuch der Pflanzen-Alchemie and published in English in 1985 under the title The Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy» «Spagyrics (Junius) · p. 5». El volumen no imprime en ninguna parte el nombre del traductor al inglés.
1684 afirmaciones · 3 fuentes · 1 atribución
Atribución
se consigna, jamás se afirma«Spagyrics (Junius) · p. 249»
Cadena de la obra
el testimonio procesado, en esmeraldaAfirmaciones
1684 entradas — la voz de la obra, con su pasaje«The renewed valuation of natural healing methods in our time has led to a steadily growing interest in medicinal plants and their classical—and thus also the spagyric—methods of preparation.» — Junius abre el prefacio situando el libro en una coyuntura: la revaloración de la curación natural arrastra consigo el interés por los métodos clásicos de preparación, y la espagiria es uno de ellos.
«This book aims to give the reader an understanding of these methods.» — enuncia el propósito del volumen en una sola frase, y lo pone en la comprensión antes que en la receta.
«The most important methods of preparation are discussed separately, while corresponding important textual passages are quoted in the original.» — declara el procedimiento de composición: los métodos se exponen uno a uno y los pasajes de autoridad se reproducen en su forma original, que es lo que explica los tratados ajenos incrustados en los capítulos 10 y 11.
«At the same time, as an experimental manual, this work will, it is hoped, stimulate the practice of spagyrics.» — declara el segundo propósito, con el condicional puesto por el propio autor: estimular la práctica, no solo describirla.
«It is assumed that the reader has a fundamental knowledge of botanic medicine, or that he or she is willing to acquire it. For that reason, this book does not deal with individual medicinal plants.» — fija el supuesto de partida y de ahí deriva una ausencia deliberada: el libro no describe plantas medicinales una por una.
«In principle, spagyric preparations contain the curative powers of the plants used in each case, either integrally or partially.» — enuncia lo que la preparación espagírica conserva, con la alternativa —íntegra o parcial— dentro de la misma frase.
«By further specific processes unique to spagyrics, these curative powers can be further potentized either all together or separately.» — y lo que añade sobre eso: una potenciación que puede aplicarse al conjunto o a cada poder por separado.
«The hermetic terminology often strikes the uninitiated as strange and can easily lead to misunderstanding; one must therefore familiarize oneself with the often dramatic and always figurative language of this field, although it thereby loses much of its beauty» — sostiene que la terminología hermética hay que aprenderla, y admite en la misma frase el costo: al volverla familiar pierde belleza; el tramo corta donde la frase pasa a la plana siguiente.
«asking for suitable equipment for the “extraction of the Philosophical Principles” of plants, or for an “alembic for spirits,” would be greeted by a perplexed look» — el ejemplo con que ilustra esa distancia de vocabulario: quien pida en una tienda de material de laboratorio un alambique para espíritus recibirá una mirada de perplejidad.
«unless the salesclerk happened to have a knowledge of spagyrics.» — la salvedad con que cierra el ejemplo.
«An initiated spagyrist, however, would immediately understand the request and be able to make appropriate suggestions, for behind these terms that at first seem absurd are hidden clear concepts.» — el reverso: los términos que parecen absurdos ocultan conceptos claros, y quien está iniciado los traduce sin esfuerzo.
«The classification of plants after the seven planets of antiquity may arouse reformatory urges in modern astrologers.» — anticipa la objeción que espera de los astrólogos modernos a la clasificación planetaria que usará en el capítulo sexto.
«Modern astrological research also takes into consideration the transsaturnians, and possibly still other influences and rhythms.» — reconoce la razón de esa objeción antes de contestarla: la astrología moderna cuenta con los transaturninos.
«Out of respect for the classical tradition, I have limited myself to the septenary.» — y da su motivo, que no es de doctrina sino de respeto a la tradición clásica.
«Besides, a distinction has to be made between the seven planetary principles as such and their planets.» — añade el argumento que sostiene la limitación: los siete principios planetarios no son lo mismo que los siete planetas.
«In our time, parachemistry has become ever more accessible to the public and is today practiced in many countries.» — sitúa la parachemistry como práctica contemporánea y pública, no como curiosidad histórica.
«Medicines from the leading spagyric pharmaceutical companies as well as from good individual spagyrists are helping people throughout the world.» — y le da forma de circuito comercial y artesanal a la vez, con laboratorios de empresa junto a espagiristas individuales.
«Special thanks are due to Mr. Augusto Pancaldi, Ascona, friend and teacher of the author; to Professor Dr. Krishna Kumar, formerly of the Calabrian State University, today general manager of the Australerba Laboratories in Adelaide» — nombra a sus maestros al pie del prefacio; el apellido del maestro suizo se imprime aquí *Pancaldi* y en la solapa de autor *Pincaldi*, y las dos grafías se consignan sin arbitrar.
«to the Āyurvedic physician Dr. Bhagwan Dash of New Delhi, also a much-revered teacher of the author.» — el tercer maestro que nombra es un médico ayurvédico de Nueva Delhi, lo que declara desde el prefacio la doble filiación —europea e india— del libro.
«Thanks also to Hans Nintzel for his kind assistance in reading the English manuscript.» — el único colaborador que el volumen nombra respecto del texto inglés lo es por leer el manuscrito, no por traducirlo: el traductor no se nombra en ninguna parte.
«These two concepts form the foundation of every genuine alchemical work, hence the often-quoted phrase “Solve et coagula, et habebis magisterium!”» — Junius deriva de la etimología de spagyria la divisa entera del arte: disolver y ligar son los dos conceptos que fundan toda obra alquímica genuina.
«In the spagyrist’s view, these actions lead to an increase and a release of certain curative powers in the initial species.» — enuncia con la reserva puesta —según el espagirista, no como hecho establecido— el efecto que atribuye a las tres fases: aumento y liberación de poderes curativos en la especie de partida.
«When we learn that the famous physician Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, better known as Paracelsus (c. 1493–1541), prepared a large part of his famous medicines according to spagyric methods, we must thereby understand a very high level of the hermetic art.» — pone a Paracelso como caso que fija el nivel del arte: si él preparaba así sus medicinas, no se trata de un procedimiento menor.
«The latter has little in common with vulgar alchemy, which is often disparagingly called “the art of goldmaking.”» — separa el arte hermético de la alquimia vulgar, y consigna el mote despectivo con que esta última se nombra.
«The beginnings of this true hermetic art are to this day shrouded in obscurity.» — declara la oscuridad de los orígenes en vez de proponer una fecha.
«We know that the hermetic-spagyric method of preparation was known to many ancient cultures. In ancient China,2 for instance, in India,3 and among the ancient Egyptians,4 we find important contributions to alchemical medicine.» — lo que sí afirma saber: que el método fue conocido en China, India y Egipto antiguos; los numerales son llamadas a nota que el volumen imprime en el cuerpo.
«In India, alchemical preparations are part of the southern Indian siddha medicine, of Āyurvedic medicine and also of Unānī medicine, which came later to India through the Muslims and represents a further development of ancient Greek medicine.» — desglosa la rama india en tres medicinas, y hace de la unānī un desarrollo tardío de la griega llegado por vía musulmana.
«In ancient Egypt, hermetism was taught in the temples of Memphis and Thebes.» — sitúa la enseñanza del hermetismo en los templos de Menfis y Tebas.
«From the writings of Zosimos of Panopolis (Akhmin, A.D. 300) we learn that alchemy was practiced in Egypt under the supervision of kings and priests, and that divulging the secrets of this art was against the law.» — apoya en Zósimo de Panópolis la afirmación de que la alquimia egipcia estaba bajo supervisión regia y sacerdotal, y su divulgación penada.
«The hermetic art was taught exclusively by oral transmission.» — de ahí deriva el régimen de transmisión que atribuye al arte: solo oral.
«The Arabs were the chief agents for transmitting theoretical and practical alchemy to the Europeans, who then merged it with the Christian tradition.» — adjudica a los árabes el papel principal en la transmisión hacia Europa, y a los europeos la fusión con la tradición cristiana.
«The dating of earlier texts, including many Oriental ones, is uncertain, and their authorship is elusive.» — declara el límite documental del que parte: fechas inciertas y autoría esquiva en los textos anteriores a Paracelso.
«It is no wonder, then, that many Western alchemists constantly refer to Paracelsus, and that several institutes bear his name.» — y explica por esa incertidumbre la centralidad de Paracelso en la referencia occidental.
«The third foundation upon which medicine rests is alchemy. If the physician does not have good ability and experience in it, his art is in vain.» — cita del *Paragranum* de Paracelso que Junius pone como sostén de su programa: la alquimia es uno de los fundamentos de la medicina, y sin destreza en ella el arte del médico es vano.
«The spagyric preparation “opens” the plant and by its own process liberates stronger curative powers. It is in principle synergistic, and less interested in isolated pharmacologically active principles.» — la diferencia que declara frente a la tintura corriente, y su criterio: sinergia antes que principio activo aislado.
«We cannot do justice to the methodology of spagyrics if we measure it according to the standards of analytical chemistry or pharmacology, even if these sciences can explain in their own way part of the effects of spagyric remedies.» — objeta la medida analítica como vara para la espagiria, y concede en la misma frase que la química explica parte de los efectos.
«Just as homeopathy has its own findings, experiences, and laws, which cannot be comprehended solely by the prevailing chemical-analytical knowledge, so, too, does spagyric insist on its own standards, for which it has its own conceptions and symbols.» — sostiene la analogía con la homeopatía para reclamar criterios propios, conceptos propios y símbolos propios.
«We must not consider spagyrics and alchemy as a whole merely a preliminary stage of the later scientific chemistry. It is rather another way of looking at nature and its powers.» — niega la lectura de la alquimia como química embrionaria y propone en su lugar otra mirada sobre la naturaleza.
«There exists a somewhat similar relation between chemistry and alchemy as between neurophysiology and acupuncture.» — la analogía con que sostiene esa negativa, atenuada por él mismo con un *somewhat*.
«might give the reader the impression, that there is little left to acupuncture, for I have demolished practically the whole of the traditional theoretical framework.» — de Felix Mann, presidente de la Medical Acupuncture Society, en el pasaje que Junius reproduce; el tramo arranca donde el propio volumen imprime puntos suspensivos y corchete editorial.
«The crux of the matter is that I try to combine acupuncture with the principles of Western physiology, anatomy and medicine in general.» — de Felix Mann, en el mismo pasaje citado: su posición no es abandonar la teoría occidental sino combinarla.
«In some instances Chinese theory explains phenomena better than Western theory, and hence I treat the patient accordingly.» — de Felix Mann; Junius trae el caso como precedente de convivencia entre dos marcos, que es lo que reclama para la espagiria.
«We easily succumb to the temptation to judge the whole alchemical knowledge of the past by the criteria of the current stand of Western science, which leads to a distortion or an incomplete perception of genuine connections.» — nombra la tentación metodológica que el capítulo entero combate.
«Analysis can never lead to a complete perception, because the whole is always greater than its parts.» — el principio con que la funda.
«Thus, for instance, analytical examinations of old Italian master violins have never been able to unveil the secret of the famous violinmakers of Cremona.» — el ejemplo con que lo ilustra: los violines de Cremona resisten el análisis.
«because it solely undertook the “solve” but not the “coagula.”» — y el diagnóstico que da de ese fracaso, formulado con la divisa del capítulo: hubo disolución, no recomposición.
«There are no secrets in the sense of tricks, as you might think.» — respuesta que Junius atribuye a un lutier contemporáneo a quien dice haber preguntado por el secreto de los viejos maestros de Cremona.
«of natural laws and their bases, which the old masters understood better than we today.» — continuación de esa misma respuesta del lutier, que pasa a la plana siguiente: el secreto es conocimiento verdadero de las leyes naturales.
«The spagyrist has to “stand in the light of nature,” to quote once more» — aplica el caso a su campo con una fórmula que atribuye a Paracelso; el tramo corta antes del nombre.
«The structure of pure knowledge—expression of the Veda—is contained in the immortal field of transcendental consciousness, in which all impulses of creative intelligence [or the laws of nature], which are responsible for the organization of the whole of creation, have their seat.» — cita del Ṛgveda que Junius intercala en ese punto; el corchete con la glosa *or the laws of nature* lo imprime el volumen.
«Finally, a saying from an Indian guru of our age: “Knowledge is structured in consciousness.» — remata la serie con un dicho que adjudica a un gurú indio contemporáneo, sin nombrarlo.
«We rightly admire the amazing height of metallurgical knowledge in ancient India and China.» — vuelve a la línea oriental del arte por la vía de la metalurgia.
«The bhaṣmas of Indian Āyurvedic medicine, which chemically are metallic oxides, have proved to be excellent remedies in both ancient and modern times.» — identifica los bhaṣmas ayurvédicos con óxidos metálicos y los declara remedios probados.
«These Āyurvedic bhaṣmas are made by calcining metals (to which I shall refer later in detail), followed by immersing them in plant juices. This process is repeated many times, until the preparation has reached the desired condition.» — describe su preparación —calcinación y sucesivas inmersiones en jugos vegetales— y anuncia que volverá sobre ella.
«Alchemists occasionally speak about an elevation (exaltatio) of the basic substances.» — introduce el término técnico de exaltación con el latín entre paréntesis, como lo imprime el volumen.
«Spagyrists are of the opinion that these elevations liberate specific energies.» — y le adjudica a los espagiristas, no a sí mismo, la opinión de que esas exaltaciones liberan energías específicas.
«The exaltation takes place in a pelican (see here), that is, in a reflux system.» — traduce el aparato tradicional al vocabulario de laboratorio: el pelícano es un sistema de reflujo; el *see here* es la remisión interna del ebook.
«Figure 2 shows the exalted essence: the volatile (white) is simultaneously above and below, right and left, likewise the fixed (dark).» — lee la lámina como enunciado doctrinal: en la esencia exaltada lo volátil y lo fijo ocupan a la vez todas las posiciones.
«In the center of the circle a phoenix is rising out of the fire, while the aura of flames surrounding the flash denotes the now liberated energy in the form of radiation.» — completa la lectura de la lámina con el fénix y el aura de llamas como signo de la energía liberada.
«As Nature is extremely subtle and penetrating in her manifestations, she cannot be used without the Art.» — de Paracelso, en el pasaje que Junius reproduce a continuación: la sutileza de la naturaleza es lo que hace indispensable el arte.
«Indeed, she does not produce anything that is perfect in itself, but man must make it perfect, and this perfecting is called alchemy.» — de Paracelso, en el mismo pasaje: define la alquimia como el acabamiento humano de lo que la naturaleza deja imperfecto.
«And as medicine must not act without the participation of heaven, it must act together with it.» — de Paracelso, ya en el tramo del *Paragranum* que el volumen marca al pie: la medicina obra con el cielo o no obra.
«When you have separated the medicine from the Earth, it obeys the will of the stars, that is, it will be guided by them.» — de Paracelso; es la frase de la que Junius hará derivar, seis capítulos más adelante, el capítulo entero sobre los astros.
«Whereas in the preparation of simple tinctures the plant residues are thrown out after the extraction, spagyric herbal preparations always contain the salts obtained through incineration and calcination of the plant residue.» — la diferencia material entre tintura simple y preparación espagírica: aquí no se tira el residuo, se incinera y se calcina.
«The nonwater-soluble salts are mostly (but not always!) rejected as Caput Mortuum (Death’s Head) or terra damnata (damned earth), while the water-soluble ones go into the preparation as Sal salis (Salt of the salts).» — fija los tres términos técnicos con su traducción, y deja abierta la excepción con el paréntesis y el signo de admiración que el volumen imprime.
«Experience has shown that these salts have great curative effects, and they are therefore also often used by themselves.» — apoya en la experiencia el uso de esas sales por sí solas.
«Like all alchemical methods of preparation, spagyrics considers the so-called three Philosophical Principles, also known as Essentials» — sitúa los tres Principios Filosóficos como el eje que la espagiria comparte con todo método alquímico; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«They must not be mistaken for the usual meaning of these words in present-day chemistry.» — la advertencia que acompaña siempre a los nombres de Mercurio, Azufre y Sal: no son los de la química actual.
«By means of special processes, which we shall learn later, they are separated, cleansed (purification), and finally recombined (cohobation or chymical wedding).» — reordena las tres fases sobre los tres principios, y las nombra otra vez con el par latino y el nombre de bodas químicas.
«It has carried out the “solve,” but only in rare cases the “coagula.”» — su objeción a la farmacología occidental, formulada con la misma divisa que le sirvió para los violines.
«Even if some scientists have been holding on to extreme specialization up to today and have thereby largely lost the great synoptic view, science as a whole is nevertheless on the way to a new integral perspective.» — matiza la objeción: concede la especialización extrema y a la vez afirma un movimiento de la ciencia hacia una perspectiva integral.
«Our daily experience, down to the smallest detail, seems to be so much dovetailed into the large-scale features of the universe that it is practically impossible to consider the two as separate.» — primera de las citas de física moderna que Junius alinea para sostener la continuidad entre lo cotidiano y el cosmos; el volumen la trae con llamada a nota y sin nombre en el cuerpo.
«Modern physics teaches us that the “raw material” of the universe is an energy flow in fields of which matter represents only a manifestation. Einstein already said: “The field is the sole reality.”» — segunda de esas citas, con la frase que adjudica a Einstein: la materia como manifestación de un flujo de energía en campos.
«It was not possible to formulate the laws of the quantum theory without referring to consciousness.» — tercera, y la que le sirve para meter la consciencia en el argumento antes de pasar a la transmutación.
«The exact definition of biochemical processes presents itself not only as a chemical but often also as an alchemical, or nuclear-chemical, problem.» — declara la tesis del tramo: lo bioquímico plantea a la vez un problema químico y uno nuclear, al que llama alquímico.
«To understand, respectively to try to understand, the subtle effect of specific substances, we must become conversant with the concept of transmutation.» — y de ahí deriva la necesidad del concepto de transmutación, con la reserva —intentar entender— dentro de la frase.
«Let us begin with a personal experience of the author.» — anuncia el cambio de registro: lo que sigue es testimonio propio, y así lo marca el volumen.
«The two seeds are good for your health. They contain substances that act favorably upon the digestive system during the digestion of the food.» — respuesta de un interlocutor indio, en el diálogo que Junius reproduce, sobre las dos semillas de papaya que se sirven con la fruta.
«We have our own traditional medicine and a precise science of nutrition. It is founded on insights that differ in many ways from your Western medicine.» — del mismo interlocutor: reclama para la medicina india una ciencia propia de la nutrición fundada en otras premisas.
«Āyurvedic medicine is one of the most successful systems of treatment by a precise science of nutrition, and a highly developed preventive medicine.» — del mismo interlocutor, con el ayurveda presentado a la vez como nutrición y como medicina preventiva.
«Where your physicians proceed with antibiotics, often in cases where they are not necessary, the Āyurvedic physician would rather aim at an intensification of the defensive forces.» — del mismo interlocutor: contrapone el antibiótico al refuerzo de las fuerzas defensivas.
«He achieves this by restoring the balance of forces in the organism. It is like the combative sports: Whoever has balance, stands firm.» — del mismo interlocutor, con el símil del judo para explicar el equilibrio de fuerzas.
«Indeed, every system has its place, and none is quite complete without the other.» — del mismo interlocutor; es la formulación que Junius adopta después como suya para toda la relación entre medicinas.
«Or take Unānī medicine. The word Unānī means ‘Greek,’ properly speaking, ‘Ionic.’ This system is akin to your classical medicine, Hippocrates and others. The Muslims brought it to our country.» — del mismo interlocutor: hace de la unānī el eslabón que devuelve la medicina griega a la India por vía musulmana.
«The prāṇa energy of the breath and the nāḍīs, for example, are unknown to Western medicine, likewise the meridians of Chinese medicine.» — del mismo interlocutor, que pone prāṇa, nāḍīs y meridianos en la misma lista de lo que la medicina occidental no registra.
«Breathing is not only oxygen absorption. Still quite different energies and transformations of energy are involved.» — del mismo interlocutor, con la respiración como caso de transformación energética y no solo de intercambio de gases.
«It is not quite so simple. We cannot simply replace certain salts essential to life with table salt or with natural sea salt. Salt brings a certain freshness. It protects you from exhaustion in great heat.» — del mismo interlocutor, sobre el uso indio de salar la fruta; es la frase que Junius retomará al explicar la transmutación de sodio en potasio.
«Wheat, for instance, is cool and sweet by nature, and its digestive product is sweet. This water buffalo’s milk here is fat and cool.» — del mismo interlocutor, que clasifica los alimentos por cualidades y no por composición.
«According to the Āyurveda, there are eight different kinds of honey, for example, fresh sweet honey, astringent honey, light and cool honey, and so on.» — del mismo interlocutor, como muestra del grado de división de esa clasificación.
«This fruit here (papaya) is sweet, heavy, appetizing, and it reduces pitta.» — del mismo interlocutor; el término *pitta* queda anunciado y su explicación aplazada dentro del propio diálogo.
«During half of my life in India, I was never seriously ill, which may be attributed to a healthy way of life, adapted to Indian conditions and the Āyurveda.» — Junius cierra el diálogo con su propio testimonio, y lo enuncia con la atenuación *may be attributed*.
«For a long time I could not find a completely satisfactory explanation for the frequent use of salt.» — declara el problema que dejó abierto durante años y que dará entrada a la transmutación biológica.
«The often-heard assertion that it was merely a replacement for the secretion of lost salts and substances did not satisfy me, if only for the reason that sea salt does not contain all physiologically necessary salts and trace elements.» — objeta la explicación corriente —reposición de sales perdidas— con un argumento de composición.
«Only the study of alchemy—more exactly, of biological transmutations —could throw some light upon the problem.» — enuncia dónde dice haber encontrado la salida, y acota el término: transmutaciones biológicas.
«When the biologist Dr. L. C. Kervran was on official mission in the Sahara in 1959, he observed that those technicians and workmen who were preserved from heatstroke and exhaustion, even at enormous temperatures and while working intensely, all took large amounts of sea salt, mostly in the form of tablets.» — la observación que atribuye al biólogo Kervran en el Sáhara de 1959, base de todo el argumento que sigue.
«Repeated investigations by Dr. Kervran, which were also confirmed by other researchers, proved that the perspiration of the workers contained a very high percentage of potassium after taking the salt tablets.» — el resultado que atribuye a esas investigaciones: potasio en el sudor tras tomar sal común.
«Table salt, however, is sodium chloride, not potassium. What had happened to the sodium?» — plantea la pregunta con la que convierte el dato en anomalía.
«It had changed into potassium within the organism and could later be detected in the perspiration in the already mentioned high amounts. This process uses up calories. (“Salt brings a certain freshness. It protects you from exhaustion in great heat.”) Hence the cooling effect, an endothermic process.» — da su respuesta —el sodio se volvió potasio dentro del organismo— y cierra el círculo citando entre paréntesis la frase de su interlocutor indio.
«Such nuclear-chemical formulas—we can call them “alchemical” or “parachemical” formulas—have not been in use for very long.» — sitúa históricamente la notación con que acaba de escribir el proceso: es reciente.
«The ancient masters used other symbols, among them often very impressive, highly dramatic images, such as dragons with or without wings, red and green lions, snakes, crows, eagles, toads, salamanders, flowers, trees, chains, and gods and goddesses.» — enumera el repertorio simbólico que la fórmula vino a sustituir.
«But we should not overlook the fact that the concrete and metaphorical language of the alchemists is not only of great beauty but also very evocative and precise.» — objeta que ese repertorio sea mera ornamentación: lo declara evocador y preciso a la vez.
«C. G. Jung, who was at first confused by the language of alchemistic treatises, later, after advanced studies, pointed out the extraordinary coherence and precision of alchemistic concepts and formulations—true, always from the viewpoint of the psychologist.» — trae a Jung como testigo de esa coherencia y le pone en la misma frase el límite: siempre desde el punto de vista del psicólogo.
«Practical alchemy remained closed to him.» — remata el límite en una sola frase, que es la reserva de Junius frente a la lectura junguiana.
«It was not so long ago that official chemistry denied the possibility of transformation of the elements; just for the same reason it spoke of basic substances.» — data la negativa de la química oficial a la transformación de los elementos y la liga al término *sustancias básicas*.
«Modern research has forced chemistry to change its formulations, because the possibility of transmuting one element into another has been proved experimentally.» — señala el cambio de formulación que atribuye a la evidencia experimental.
«Transmutation means the transformation of one element into another. A radioactive element is constantly transmuting.» — la definición que da del término antes de compararlo con el alquímico.
«Science distinguishes between three kinds of nuclear changes: fission, fusion, and transmutation.» — reparte el campo en fisión, fusión y transmutación.
«(Here, too, the famous sentence applies: Solve et coagula, et habebis magisterium.)» — aplica la divisa alquímica a la fisión y la fusión nucleares, entre paréntesis, como acotación propia.
«In alchemy, the concept of transmutation is simply identical with every transformation of elements.» — y marca la diferencia de alcance: en alquimia el término cubre toda transformación de elementos, sin las tres clases.
«In classical alchemistic texts, we also find the word projection. The transformation of a substance is done according to an alchemical method by throwing upon it—that is, “projecting”—a specific active principle.» — define proyección por la operación que nombra: arrojar sobre la sustancia un principio activo específico.
«In this sense the bombardment of matter with accelerated particles that cause a transmutation can also be called a modern form of projection.» — propone la equivalencia con el bombardeo de partículas, acotada por el *in this sense* con que la abre.
«Since the transmuted matter changes color, classical alchemy also speaks of “tingeing.”» — deriva el término *tingeing* del cambio de color de la materia transmutada.
«Ernest Rutherford was the first scientist to succeed in bringing about an artificial transmutation of elements in the laboratory in the modern scientific meaning.» — adjudica a Rutherford la primera transmutación artificial en el sentido científico moderno, con la acotación puesta en esa última cláusula.
«Scientific knowledge and formulation of transmutation led to a change in the concept of elements.» — señala el efecto de esos hallazgos sobre la noción misma de elemento.
«We shall later see that the concept of elements in alchemy is totally different and rather resembles a state, since alchemy does not recognize stability in the matter found in the realms of nature.» — anuncia la distinción que sostendrá el capítulo tercero: el elemento alquímico se parece más a un estado que a una sustancia.
«In nature, nothing but change is stable, and nature itself represents a constantly occurring alchemy.» — la formulación con que resume esa doctrina: lo único estable es el cambio.
«This atomic model goes back to Ernest Rutherford and Niels Bohr and has been able to survive until today on the strength of its clarity, at least among chemists» — atribuye a Rutherford y Bohr el modelo con que trabajará, y acota su vigencia al gremio de los químicos.
«In modern nuclear physics, the concepts of the elementary particles are undergoing changes that often border on the limits of our imagination.» — y declara el estado abierto del asunto del lado de la física.
«That this kind of transmutation, about which many scientists are still skeptical, represents a certain heat regulation of the organism, seems also to be confirmed by other observations.» — enuncia su tesis con doble reserva: reconoce el escepticismo de muchos científicos y usa *seems* para el respaldo.
«In tropical climates, the potassium content in human urine rises considerably in proportion to the sodium content, especially in the course of physical work.» — la observación con que la apoya: en clima tropical sube el potasio urinario respecto del sodio.
«According to the classical Doctrine of Signatures (see chapter 6), horsetail (the most frequently used species, Equisetum arvense) is considered to be ruled by Saturn.» — introduce el segundo caso de transmutación biológica adjudicando la cola de caballo a Saturno por la doctrina de las signaturas, y remite a su propio capítulo sexto.
«Among other organs, this plant in particular rules the bone structure and the mineral processes in the organism.» — asigna a la planta el gobierno de la estructura ósea y de los procesos minerales.
«Horsetail has a corrective effect in cases of demineralization of the bones, as also in general.» — le atribuye efecto corrector sobre la desmineralización ósea.
«Horsetail corrects and maintains the organic calcium equilibrium. This ability rests especially upon the transmutation of silicon into calcium.» — y funda ese efecto en la transmutación de silicio en calcio, que es el nexo con el argumento anterior.
«Young plants contain less silicic acid than full-grown species. The younger plants, however, contain more soluble silicic acid than the older ones, whereby we have to bear in mind that soluble silicic acid has a greater therapeutic value.» — el matiz de recolección que se sigue de esa doctrina: la planta joven trae menos ácido silícico pero más soluble, y lo soluble es lo que vale.
«Impressive is the high content in silicic acid, which is practically four times the calcium content.» — lee el análisis cuantitativo que reproduce de la casa Staufen Pharma y señala en él la desproporción entre sílice y calcio.
«According to Kervran, the calcium content of the organism is especially maintained by the processes of transmutation.» — atribuye a Kervran la explicación de esa desproporción por transmutación, no por aporte.
«Kervran instead suggests the intake of organic silicic acid, magnesium, and potassium as a more effective way to improve the mineral economy and to add calcium to the bones and tissues.» — la propuesta terapéutica que adjudica a Kervran: sílice orgánica, magnesio y potasio en lugar de calcio suplementario.
«By the process of biological transmutation, the silicon of the silicic acid in the body is changed into easily assimilable calcium.» — el mecanismo con que la justifica.
«In his book on biological transmutation, Kervran remarks that organic silicic acid is recommendable for human beings, while mineral silicic acid has the opposite effect: it decalcifies.» — recoge de Kervran la distinción entre sílice orgánica y mineral, con efectos contrarios.
«In 1977, a plate of uranium was bombarded with uranium ions that had been accelerated to a speed of 1.8 billion electron volts.» — pasa al experimento de la Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung de Darmstadt, que trae como contraste de escala energética.
«and in the subsequent (radiochemical) analysis the presence of gold was confirmed.» — el resultado que consigna de ese experimento.
«Such elements are unstable, however, and quickly disintegrated through nuclear fission.» — y el límite que le pone en la frase siguiente: los elementos así obtenidos se desintegran.
«The classical masters of alchemy did not make use of these enormously high momentary energies but used extremely subtle energies, such as those of the human organism.» — de ahí saca la diferencia que le interesa: la alquimia clásica trabaja con energías sutiles, no con energías instantáneas enormes.
«On the other hand, many alchemical processes proceed with infinite slowness. Works over many years and even decades are not unusual.» — la contrapartida: obras de años o décadas.
«Many scientists insist that transmutations are only possible with enormous expenditure of energy, but that they then occur with high speed.» — consigna la objeción científica antes de responderla.
«Why should it not be possible to achieve transmutations with lower energies but with a greater loss of time?» — la responde en forma de pregunta, sin afirmarlo.
«Is it perhaps as with a pulley: either “much expenditure of energy and little time, or little expenditure of energy and much time”?» — el símil de la polea con que la formula, también interrogativo.
«The old masters recommend that we always follow Nature and let her do the work of her own, like a farmer.» — atribuye a los viejos maestros el precepto de seguir a la naturaleza a la manera del labrador.
«Figure 3 shows an engraving from Michael Maier’s famous work Atalanta Fugiens, which indicates that the alchemist must follow the steps of Nature and light up her ways.» — apoya el precepto en un grabado de la *Atalanta Fugiens* de Michael Maier, que el volumen reproduce.
«To him/who is dealing with chymics,/let Nature be reason/ experience and reading/like a guide/staff/glasses and lamp.”» — el lema del mismo grabado, que el volumen imprime con las barras del original en lugar de saltos de renglón.
«It is important for us to remember that the possibility of transmutation is a scientifically proven fact and in no way a creation of fancy.» — sostiene que la posibilidad de la transmutación está científicamente probada.
«The dispute centers on the means, not on the fact as such.» — y sitúa el desacuerdo en los medios, no en el hecho.
«It was transmutation that made possible the appearance of the whole of matter at all.» — extiende el argumento a la cosmología: sin transmutación no habría materia.
«If we speak of matter as frozen light out of the Big Bang, we can also say: In principio erat hydrogenium—in the beginning was hydrogen, which is the most heat-related substance in the view of parachemistry.» — cierra el tramo cosmológico con una fórmula latina de cuño propio, calcada del prólogo de Juan.
«For the preparation of spagyric remedies, only healthy medicinal plants are used, which have grown without artificial fertilizer. Likewise, it is best to use pure spring water.» — vuelve al taller con dos requisitos materiales: planta sana sin abono artificial y agua de manantial.
«In addition, the spagyrist often considers the position of the planets and the planets as so-called horary (or hourly) rulers.» — añade el tercero, y es el que abre el capítulo sexto: la posición planetaria y los regentes horarios.
«Thus your medicine must bear its fruits as the summer bears its fruits. You must know that the summer does this with the help of the stars, not without them.» — de Paracelso, *Paragranum*, en el pasaje que Junius reproduce para fundar ese requisito astral.
«For it is they that complete the work of the physician. And since it is they that act, the medicine must be understood, classified, and adjusted according to their influence.» — de Paracelso, en el mismo pasaje: los astros completan la obra del médico, y por eso la medicina se clasifica según su influjo.
«Therefore, one has to understand that the medicine must be prepared in the stars and that the stars become the medicine.» — de Paracelso, remate del mismo pasaje, en su forma más fuerte: los astros llegan a ser la medicina.
«With the gradual advance of materialism and the spreading notion of the static concept of the element in official chemistry, alchemy lost increasingly more ground, although it was still prospering in the seventeenth century.» — abre el recuento histórico de la espagiria moderna con el retroceso que atribuye al concepto estático de elemento.
«In the nineteenth century, the German physician Carl Friedrich Zimpel, M.D., Ph.D. (1800–1878), began a new production of spagyric medicaments.» — data en Zimpel el reinicio de la producción espagírica.
«Zimpel devoted himself intensively to the study of the works of Paracelsus and Glauber.» — le adjudica el estudio de Paracelso y de Glauber como base de esa producción.
«Meanwhile, the research of Jung also led to a new valuation of alchemistic texts and concepts from the viewpoint of the psychologist.» — sitúa a Jung en la misma línea de tiempo, y repite la acotación de perspectiva.
«Jung recognized in the alchemical tradition a philosophical system of great coherence and persuasive power.» — resume así lo que le adjudica a Jung haber señalado.
«In the meantime, many classical texts have been reprinted, in connection with which the attitude of the publishers vacillates strongly.» — consigna la reimpresión moderna de los clásicos y la califica de editorialmente vacilante.
«Available, for instance, are the works of Paracelsus, Basilius Valentinus, Glauber, Van Helmont, Andreas Libavius, and others.» — la lista de autores clásicos disponibles, que es también la de los que el libro citará.
«In 1921, Alexander von Bernus founded the Soluna Laboratory, formerly Stift Neuberg in Heidelberg.» — data la fundación del laboratorio Soluna por von Bernus.
«In Salt Lake City, Utah, Frater Albertus (Dr. Albert Riedel) founded the present Paracelsus College, which has issued from the Paracelsus Research Society.» — nombra a Frater Albertus y su Paracelsus College, que es la institución de la que el volumen toma la traducción de los aforismos de Urbigerus.
«In Switzerland, Augusto Pancaldi, friend and teacher of the author, is active. Pancaldi’s students are working quietly in several countries.» — sitúa a su propio maestro dentro del mismo censo; la grafía *Pancaldi* es la que usa el cuerpo del libro.
«I shall deal with a large number of them in the present work. Some are relatively simple, others extremely complicated.» — declara el alcance del libro respecto de los muchos métodos de preparación existentes.
«Over and beyond this, the reader is meant to be stimulated into doing his or her own research and experimentation, and studying the classical texts.» — y su intención última: que el lector investigue y lea los clásicos por su cuenta.
«Today, the issue at stake is the reexamination of the treasure of spagyrics regarding its mode of operation and to rid it of false claims.» — enuncia la tarea que asigna a su tiempo: reexaminar el acervo espagírico y depurarlo de afirmaciones falsas.
«Not everything in the thousands of alchemistic treatises is genuine.» — la premisa de esa tarea, dicha sin atenuantes.
«In addition, often misconceptions form the basis of genuine processes; but misconceptions are also found in official school learning.» — la matiza en dos direcciones: hay procesos válidos fundados en ideas erróneas, y el error no es privativo de la tradición.
«examine the tradition and the remedies, to take up further research with new starting points of thought, to respect the true and to separate the false in tradition—these are the commands of the hour.» — el programa con que cierra el primer capítulo, en cuatro imperativos: examinar, reinvestigar desde otros puntos de partida, respetar lo verdadero y apartar lo falso.
«In this sense, too, the spagyric work should be an art that separates the false from the genuine.» — devuelve el programa a la etimología con que abrió: separar es lo que el nombre del arte significa.
«Let this idea of Paracelsus’s be voiced once again at the end of the first chapter.» — declara el gesto de composición: repetir al cierre el epígrafe de Paracelso con que abrió el capítulo.
«In this my consideration, I have actually found five points, which are the noblest and which all seekers of wisdom and lovers of the Art are in duty bound to inquire into. First, there is the invocation of God; second, the consideration of nature; third, the true unadulterated preparation; fourth, the application; and fifth, the usefulness.» — de Basilio Valentín, en el epígrafe que el volumen atribuye al *Triumphal Chariot of Antimony* y que ordena todo el capítulo segundo; es una traducción inglesa distinta de la de 1678 con anotaciones de Kirkringus.
«These five points, then, every chymicus and true alchymist must know how to consider and recognize. For otherwise, without it, he cannot be perfect nor be completely recognized as a true spagirum.» — de Basilio Valentín, en el mismo epígrafe: los cinco puntos son condición de pertenencia, y la palabra que emplea para el operador es *spagirum*.
«The study and practice of alchemy are based on modesty, patience, seriousness, and determination.» — Junius pone cuatro disposiciones como base del estudio, antes de cualquier técnica.
«The higher alchemical practice can only be transmitted through the personal directions of a qualified teacher.» — reserva la práctica alquímica alta a la instrucción personal de un maestro cualificado.
«Whoever reads the classical texts without a corresponding preparation and complement will understand little or nothing.» — de ahí deriva el límite de la lectura sola.
«Just like music, the alchemical art cannot be learned solely from books.» — el símil con que lo enuncia.
«Fundamentally, alchemy will always remain an art built on personal initiation.» — la conclusión que saca, en su forma más fuerte: arte fundado en iniciación personal.
«We know little about the person of Basilius Valentinus. By his own testimony, he was a Benedictine monk.» — sobre la figura de Basilio Valentín, Junius consigna la escasez de datos y remite la condición monástica al testimonio del propio texto.
«Among his chymical writings we find the particularly important works The Twelve Keys of Hermetic Philosophy and the Triumphal Chariot of Antimony.» — nombra las dos obras que le adjudica.
«Whether Basilius was an alchemist of the sixteenth century or whether he lived earlier is not of concern to us here.» — deja fuera la cuestión de la datación de manera explícita, sin resolverla.
«What is important is that we are dealing with an undisputed authority on alchemy.» — y sustituye el criterio de datación por el de autoridad.
«The invocation of God is for every spagyrist the beginning and end, the alpha and omega of every intention and every action, and nothing is ever begun without it.» — su lectura del primer punto de Valentín: la invocación no enmarca el trabajo, lo abre y lo cierra.
«In the classical texts some of these prayers have come down to us, which allow us to recognize the religious attitude of their author in each case.» — trata las oraciones conservadas como documento de la actitud religiosa de cada autor.
«Here is an invocation by Nicolas Flamel, who was an eminent alchemist of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries» — presenta así la primera de las dos oraciones que reproduce.
«Almighty, eternal God, Father of Light, from Whom all good things and perfect gifts come to us» — apertura de la oración que Junius atribuye a Nicolas Flamel.
«it is the mistress of all heavenly and secret arts, which opens up the knowledge of and insight into all things.» — de la misma oración de Flamel, sobre la sabiduría eterna que se pide.
«in the noble Art to which I have dedicated my life, in the exploration of the Philosopher’s Stone, which You have hidden from the world but whose discovery You grant to Your elect.» — de la misma oración de Flamel: la piedra filosofal como cosa escondida al mundo y concedida a los elegidos.
«For this I entreat You through Jesus Christ, the celestial Stone, pillar of the marvelous, founded for eternity, who determines and rules with You. Amen.» — cierre de la oración de Flamel, con la identificación de Cristo como piedra celeste.
«Nicolas Flamel asks for the right illumination, the right elevation and structuring of his consciousness, for the right wisdom that Forms the foundation of being.» — la glosa que Junius añade a esa oración; el volumen imprime *Forms* con mayúscula (sic).
«O Holy Spirit, show me what I do not know, and teach me what I cannot do, and give me what I do not have.» — apertura de la segunda oración, que Junius atribuye a Paracelso y presenta como sencilla.
«Grant that You, O Holy Spirit, may dwell within my five senses; with the seven gifts You are to gift me, and I shall have Your divine peace.» — de la misma oración de Paracelso, con los cinco sentidos y los siete dones.
«O Holy Spirit! Teach me and show me, so that I may live rightly with God and my neighbor.» — cierre de la oración de Paracelso, que remata en la conducta con el prójimo.
«This true invocation of God is now followed by the consideration of every thing in the right order; this means that everything must be well considered in the beginning, namely the circumstances of every thing, what is its matter and form, from what it has taken its effect, by what it was infused and implanted, also how it was generated by the sideric, made by the elements, and was born and given form by the three principles.» — de Basilio Valentín, sobre el segundo punto: la consideración de la naturaleza se despliega en materia, forma, origen sidéreo, elemental y por los tres principios.
«Likewise, how the body of anything can again be reversed, that is, dissolved into its Primam Materiam, or prime matter» — de Basilio Valentín, en el mismo pasaje: la reversión del cuerpo a su materia prima.
«This then is Theoria, namely, to fathom that which is visible and tangible and also has a temporal, formal nature, showing how to perfect it by its separation, so that every Corpus can tell us of its use, what is latent in it, good or bad, poison or medicine» — de Basilio Valentín: define la *Theoria* por lo que hace, sondear lo visible para perfeccionarlo por separación.
«such as Calcination, Sublimation, Reverberation, Circulation, Putrefaction, Digestion, Distillation, Cohobation, Fixation and the like» — de Basilio Valentín, la lista de operaciones manuales con que se ejerce esa consideración.
«Basilius calls upon us to meditate thoroughly on the matter and processes before acting.» — Junius resume con eso el segundo punto: meditación antes de la acción.
«After the theoretical reflection on things, the practical preparation follows, which requires the right attitude, devotion, and a corresponding skill.» — su lectura del tercer punto, con tres requisitos: actitud, devoción y destreza.
«The manual work is added to the right knowledge, and in this way the work planned becomes a reality» — y el modo en que los junta: el trabajo manual se suma al conocimiento recto.
«Out of the preparation arises knowledge, namely such knowledge by which one can obtain the basis and opportunities for medicines.» — de Basilio Valentín, con el orden invertido respecto de lo esperable: el conocimiento nace de la preparación.
«The manual work is done through diligent application. Knowledge, however, is founded on experience.» — de Basilio Valentín, que reparte así los dos términos.
«Anatomia is the right judge of both, enabling us to recognize the difference between the two.» — de Basilio Valentín, que pone la *Anatomia* como juez entre trabajo manual y conocimiento.
«When now your preparation has been made, namely the separation of the good from the bad, which must be done by the opening, you must thereafter take care of the proportion of weight, that you do not take too much or too little of a thing» — de Basilio Valentín, sobre el cuarto punto: la aplicación se juega en la proporción de peso.
«A physician should know this beforehand and have an understanding of it, if he does not wish to “make a new graveyard,” together with the loss and damnation of his soul and the decline of his good name.» — de Basilio Valentín: el precio de ignorar la dosis, en cementerio, alma y fama.
«After the remedy has begun to spread to all members of the body in order to seek out the infirmity for which it is prescribed and used, there finally follows its usefulness as the last thing whereby is recognized what good the remedy has contributed.» — de Basilio Valentín, sobre el quinto punto: la utilidad se reconoce al final, por el bien efectivamente aportado.
«For a thing or medicine may well be harmful and not helpful, which would affect the disease adversely and be a poison rather than a medicine for health.» — de Basilio Valentín, con el límite dentro: el mismo preparado puede resultar veneno.
«Therefore, each must pay careful attention to the usefulness, noting and recording it, so that this usefulness is not forgotten but may also be applied to others.» — de Basilio Valentín; de aquí saldrá la obligación del diario de laboratorio que Junius impone en el capítulo quinto.
«Prior to every practical work, the theory must be understood. We are asked to repeatedly read carefully through the corresponding texts and to meditate on them.» — Junius fija el orden de los dos momentos y el modo de estudio: relectura y meditación.
«Ora, lege, lege, lege, relege, labora, et invenies: pray, read, read, read, read once again, work, and you will find.» — la divisa latina con que lo cifra, seguida de su traducción, tal como el volumen la imprime.
«This sentence is on the fourteenth plate of the Mute Book (Mutus Liber), which is entirely done in the form of pictures and was first published in 1677 in La Rochelle.» — sitúa la divisa en la lámina decimocuarta del *Mutus Liber* y data la edición.
«The first (figure 4) is from the collection of texts Musaeum Hermeticum (Frankfurt, 1678; reprint, Graz, 1970).» — identifica la fuente del primer grabado que comenta, con la reimpresión que dice haber manejado.
«The engraving shows that the theory (the library) and the practice (the laboratory) must go hand in hand to be successful in alchemy.» — su lectura del grabado: biblioteca y laboratorio como par indisoluble.
«We see three masters of the hermetic art: the Benedictine monk Basilius Valentinus, the abbot Cremerus of Westminster, and the Englishman Thomas Norton, author of the Ordinall of Alchemy.» — identifica a los tres personajes del grabado y adjudica a Norton el *Ordinall of Alchemy*.
«The laboratory is symbolically represented as the forge of the god Vulcan. The god himself is serving the three masters by providing the furnace with wood for the fire.» — lee la escena del grabado como fragua de Vulcano, con el dios al servicio de los tres maestros.
«is from the collection Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae of the physician and alchemist Heinrich Khunrath (1560–1605).» — identifica la fuente del segundo grabado; el tramo arranca después del paréntesis con el número de figura.
«The draftsman of this particularly beautiful engraving is Hans Fredemann Vries; the engraver is Paulus van der Doost.» — nombra al dibujante y al grabador de esa lámina.
«The picture represents Khunrath’s motto: “Persevering —Praying—Working.”» — resume la lámina en el lema de Khunrath.
«The text on the plate in the tent reads: “Do not speak about God without the light.”» — transcribe la inscripción del oratorio de la lámina.
«The two columns bear the inscriptions Ratio and Experientia, Reason and Experience.» — y las de las dos columnas del laboratorio, que es el par que el capítulo entero viene sosteniendo.
«On the furnace we recognize the words Festina lente (Make haste slowly).» — la inscripción del horno, con su traducción.
«The inscription reads: “The sacred music chases troubles and evil spirits away, because the Spirit of God sings with joy in the heart where the holy joy dwells.”» — la inscripción de los instrumentos musicales del centro de la lámina, que Junius lee como orden armónico del mundo y del arte.
«The text on the archway reads: Dormiens vigila (While asleep, stay awake).» — la última inscripción que transcribe, sobre el arco que en su lectura señala la meta.
«According to the alchemistic conception, the entire manifestation of matter is maintained through the cooperation of three Philosophical Principles, which are also called the Three Essentials or the Three Substances.» — abre el capítulo tercero con la doctrina que lo sostiene: la materia entera se mantiene por la cooperación de tres principios, que tienen tres nombres intercambiables.
«The different proportion of the three substances in the countless forms of manifestation of matter accounts for their multiplicity.» — la variedad del mundo se explica, según esa doctrina, por la proporción y no por la naturaleza de los componentes.
«For this reason, the various materially existing things are sometimes also called Mixta (mixtures). A metal, for instance, is a Mixtum, likewise a plant.» — de ahí el término *Mixtum*, que aplica por igual al metal y a la planta.
«In this way specific proportions of the Three Substances, or the Philosophical Principles or Essentials, form the basis of every chemical (not alchemical) element.» — sitúa los tres principios por debajo del elemento químico, con el paréntesis que marca la distinción entre los dos usos de la palabra.
«The three Philosophical Principles form a unity in the triad, although they are different from one another.» — enuncia la unidad de la tríada sin borrar la diferencia entre sus términos.
«Alchemical Sulfur is not the chemical element sulfur (S); likewise, the alchemical Mercury must not be regarded as identical with the metal quicksilver (Hg).» — repite la advertencia del capítulo primero, ahora con los símbolos químicos al lado.
«It is not at all a question of metals, because metals are themselves composed of the three Philosophical Principles.» — el argumento con que la sostiene: los metales son compuestos de los tres principios, no principios ellos mismos.
«If alchemists speak of sulfur and quicksilver in the metals, it does not mean that metals are considered mercury sulfates.» — desactiva la lectura química literal de la fórmula azufre-mercurio de los metales.
«Mercury: The principle of life, or the vital power, the spirit (in the sense of “spirit of life”), the waters of life, further, the volatile, the etheric.» — la definición que da del primer principio, por acumulación de sinónimos y no por una sola fórmula.
«In the Indian tradition, Mercury is also called prāṇa. Mercury is considered anonymous and not conscious. It represents the feminine or passive principle.» — le añade el equivalente indio y dos atributos: anónimo e inconsciente, femenino y pasivo.
«Sulfur: The soul, consciousness, designated as ātman or ātma in the Indian tradition, that is, in the sense of jīvātman, the individual soul» — la definición del segundo principio, con el equivalente indio precisado como alma individual.
«Sulfur is always conscious and never anonymous.» — el rasgo que lo opone punto por punto al Mercurio.
«Furthermore, Sulfur is the fiery, radiant, burning, and masculine or active principle.» — y el resto de sus atributos, contrarios también a los del Mercurio.
«Salt (or sal): The solid, the body, the vehicle, matter in the sense proper.» — la definición del tercero, la más breve de las tres.
«We are here dealing with a difference in linguistic usage and not necessarily with a philosophical problem.» — al comparar su uso de *espíritu* y *alma* con el antroposófico, lo declara asunto de vocabulario y no de doctrina, con el *not necessarily* como reserva.
«The spirit (Mercury) in the alchemical sense is considered feminine. It is supple and plastic, but it can also have a corrosive effect.» — atribuye al Mercurio flexibilidad y plasticidad, y en la misma frase el poder corrosivo.
«Arabian cosmologists use the term rūh (Hebrew ruaḥ), which also signifies the motion of the air or the living breath (Sanskrit prāṇa).» — alinea el término árabe, el hebreo y el sánscrito para el mismo principio.
«Living creatures inhale the vital force with the air, so that it can nourish the subtler bodies or organs.» — de ahí deriva la función de la respiración: nutrir los cuerpos u órganos sutiles.
«According to the Arabian philosopher and physician Averroës, the vital power is present in interstellar space as a substance.» — atribuye a Averroes la idea de la fuerza vital como sustancia presente en el espacio interestelar.
«By specific breathing processes it can be assimilated, then transformed into life in the heart.» — y la operación que se sigue de ella: asimilarla por la respiración y transformarla en vida en el corazón.
«In the Indian tradition, it is called ākāśa (space or ether).» — cierra la serie de equivalencias con el término indio.
«According to the Chinese conception, the vital power is differentiated into many further single vital forces, which are called different forms of chi.» — añade la versión china, donde la fuerza vital se diferencia en muchas.
«Chi is elastic, moldable, adaptable.» — y sus atributos, que son los mismos que atribuyó al Mercurio.
«In breathing, in the Chinese view, cosmic energy mingles with the energies carried to the lungs from the spleen» — describe la mezcla de energía cósmica y orgánica que la medicina china sitúa en la respiración.
«In the body, the Mercury principle is especially strong in the blood and the semen as also in the breath and the heart.» — localiza el principio mercurial en cuatro asientos corporales.
«In Indian alchemy, Mercury is also said to be the semen of Śiva.» — recoge la fórmula de la alquimia india que identifica el mercurio con el semen de Śiva.
«Śiva, God as the creator, transformer, and destroyer (so that something new can be created) is the Lord of alchemy and the cause of every transmutation.» — y hace de Śiva el señor de la alquimia, con la destrucción justificada dentro del paréntesis.
«If Mercury is occasionally called the Moon, the lunar, or Diana, Sulfur is the Sun, the solar, Apollo, the original potency, the formative principle, the active, the principle of the “invisible fire,” and also of love.» — despliega la pareja de nombres mitológicos y astrales con que la tradición cifra los dos principios.
«Let us now consider an engraving (figure 6) from the Viridarium Chymicum (Frankfurt, 1624).» — identifica la lámina que va a leer, con lugar y año de la colección.
«The triangle standing on its point represents the three Philosophical Principles.» — el elemento central de esa lectura: el triángulo invertido como figura de la tríada.
«To the old man’s left we see the inscription Spiritus. Here is the volatile (the bird opening its wings). We also recognize the Moon, the feminine principle. This corner represents Mercury.» — lee el vértice izquierdo por sus cuatro signos y lo adjudica al Mercurio.
«To the old man’s right we recognize the inscription Anima. We also see the Sun, the masculine principle, and the salamander, symbol of the fiery factor. This corner represents Sulfur.» — y el derecho, con la salamandra como signo ígneo, al Azufre.
«Sulfur and Mercury together form the law of polarity.» — nombra la ley que la lámina figura con esos dos vértices.
«In the lower vertex of the triangle we see a cube, the symbol of matter, surrounded by stars.» — el tercer vértice, con el cubo como signo de la materia.
«The stars are the gigantic laboratories in which matter is developed.» — su lectura de las estrellas que rodean el cubo: laboratorios donde la materia se elabora.
«As matter rests on the working together of polarized forces, it is neutral. The lower corner of the triangle represents Sal (Salt).» — deriva la neutralidad de la Sal de su origen en el juego de las dos fuerzas polarizadas.
«In the old man’s right hand, on the Sulfur side, we see a torch, symbolizing fire, light, and warmth.» — sigue leyendo la lámina por sus atributos, empezando por la antorcha.
«In his left hand the old man is holding a fish bladder, symbol of the floating, of the volatile, as also of the airy, and the atmospheric pressure (it is not a purse, as is sometimes asserted).» — identifica el objeto de la mano izquierda y objeta entre paréntesis la lectura corriente que lo toma por una bolsa.
«The right foot of the old man stands on firm ground, or earth, the left in water.» — completa la lectura con la postura de los pies, repartida entre tierra y agua.
«On the Sulfur side we see a king with a solar aura; he is seated on a lion, the zodiacal sign of the sun.» — el rey solar sobre el león, en el lado del Azufre.
«On the Mercury side we see Diana with the crescent resting on her head, and the hunting bow. The goddess is riding on a sea monster.» — y Diana lunar sobre el monstruo marino, en el del Mercurio.
«The Salt in the center below stems from the working together of the two Principles Sulfur and Mercury.» — cierra la lectura devolviendo la Sal a su origen: producto de los otros dos.
«All things and beings in the universe contain the three Philosophical Principles. They are the three necessary substances» — extiende la doctrina a todo lo que existe; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«From the modern viewpoint, we can also call Salt the physical units; Mercury corresponds to undulation; while Sulfur represents the quantum of light.» — propone una traducción de los tres principios al vocabulario de la física, en potencial y no como identidad.
«A likewise acceptable analogy would depict the correspondence between proton (Sulfur), electron (Mercury), and neutron (Salt).» — ofrece una segunda traducción, declarada igualmente aceptable, lo que deja las dos como analogías y no como doctrina.
«In his work Alchymie und Heilkunst, Alexander von Bernus designates as “prime matter” negative electricity, which, as a chemical body, is atomistically organized.» — recoge de von Bernus una tercera identificación, la de la materia prima con la electricidad negativa.
«these are two snakes that are attached around the caduceus or mercurial staff, by which Mercury derives his great power and transforms himself as desired» — de Nicolas Flamel, en el pasaje del *Book of Hieroglyphic Figures* que Junius reproduce sobre la relación entre Azufre y Mercurio.
«Figure 7 shows the mercurial staff, or caduceus, after a drawing by Hans Holbein the Younger.» — identifica el dibujo del caduceo que acompaña esa cita.
«The two snakes around the staff bestow the power of the Solve et coagula: Dissolve and bind.» — lee las dos serpientes como figura de la divisa del arte.
«The symbol of the snake-staff appears in many traditions, for instance as the staff of Moses, the staff of Asclepius, the vertebral column entwined with idā and piṅgalā in yoga representations» — alinea el bastón de Moisés, el de Asclepio y la columna vertebral del yoga como una misma figura.
«The nāḍīs (from the root nāḍ, motion) are subtle channels through which flow the vital energies.» — define los nāḍīs por su etimología y su función.
«The coarser channels are the nerves, veins, and arteries, which are also known to Western medicine, while the subtler, through which the prāṇa energy flows, have no equivalent counterparts here, just like the meridians of Chinese medicine.» — reparte los canales en groseros y sutiles, y declara que los segundos no tienen equivalente occidental.
«They are called idā, piṅgalā, and śuṣuṁnā.» — nombra los tres nāḍīs principales, que la tabla siguiente desarrolla.
«The śuṣuṁnā channel unites in itself the moonlike, the sunlike, and the fiery.» — el rasgo por el que el canal central reúne los tres caracteres, y no dos como los laterales.
«Figure 9 represents a Rajasthani miniature painting of the eighteenth century. On an altar we see the liṅga, the reproductive organ of god Śiva.» — identifica la tercera lámina del capítulo y su motivo central.
«The larger, many-headed snake can be recognized as Kundalinī (literally, “the coiled one,” i.e., the Serpent Power or Serpent Fire), which rises in the vertebral column (śuṣuṁnā) after its awakening and awakens the cakras» — identifica la Kundalinī con su etimología y describe su ascenso por el canal central.
«When it reaches the highest cakra, the yogin simultaneously attains the highest level of consciousness.» — el término de ese ascenso, enunciado como simultaneidad y no como consecuencia.
«The altar symbolizes the yoni, the female sex organ.» — completa la lectura del motivo con el término femenino del par.
«the tulsī plant (Ocimum sanctum), a variety of basil, which is highly regarded in India.» — identifica una de las plantas de la lámina y su estima en la India.
«The frame of the pictures is formed by squares of four alchemical colors: black, white, red, and gold, which correspond to stages of the Great Work (Nigredo, Albedo, Rubedo, and Projection).» — lee el marco de la miniatura como serie de los cuatro colores de la Gran Obra, con sus nombres latinos.
«Summarizing, we can say that we observe everywhere in the universe three forces or manifestations simultaneously» — abre el resumen del capítulo con la simultaneidad de las tres fuerzas en todo el universo.
«The Life Principle, prāṇa, which tries to materialize in countless forms, from the simple molecules to the most complicated structures. We recognize in it the Mercury Principle.» — segundo término del resumen: el principio de vida como impulso a materializarse.
«Consciousness, intelligence, which guides and forms all life. It is the soul, jīvātman, or ātman, the Sulfur Principle.» — tercero: la consciencia que guía y da forma, identificada con el Azufre.
«These three Philosophical Principles are accessible to our senses in the form of matter that manifests in four different states» — el paso de los tres principios a los cuatro elementos: los estados en que la materia se hace sensible.
«These manifestations are considered the four Elements. They are called Earth, Water, Air, and Fire and are endowed with the properties cold, moist, dry, and hot.» — nombra los cuatro elementos y sus cuatro cualidades.
«Because of their dual qualities, the Elements can separate and intermingle. In each case, two Elements have one quality in common, and each Element also contains something of the other three.» — la regla de composición que permite su separación y su mezcla.
«Fire from the Water Element, for instance, would be the product of detonating gas through the separation of hydrogen and oxygen by means of electricity.» — el ejemplo de laboratorio con que traduce esa regla a operación.
«The Elements of alchemy are therefore not basic substances in the sense of chemistry but manifest as states of matter.» — la consecuencia doctrinal, que ya había anunciado en el capítulo primero: el elemento alquímico es un estado.
«Together they form the symbol , which is also known as Solomon’s Seal or the Star of David.» — reúne los cuatro signos elementales en uno; el hueco entre *symbol* y la coma es el lugar del signo dibujado a mano, que el troceo no recoge.
«The Element Fire is characterized by the emission of light and heat; the Element Water is the liquid state; the Element Air is gaseous and volatile» — define tres de los cuatro por su estado físico; el tramo corta antes del cuarto, que pasa a la plana siguiente.
«What matters in the separation of the Elements—which can never be done completely—is to recognize what substances are considered the Elements.» — pone el límite de la operación dentro de la frase que la enuncia: la separación de los elementos nunca es completa.
«The respective alchemistic texts clarify this point each time.» — y remite la identificación de qué sustancia hace de cada elemento al texto concreto que se esté siguiendo.
«Fire signifies warmth, expansion, the active; furthermore, the creative, the pure, the subtle, the noble, the virtuous, the masculine potency, strength, the will, generosity, altruism, and intuition.» — la lista de significados que adjudica al Fuego, física y moral a la vez.
«Air, which is denser than Fire, out of which it is precipitated, in the medium between Fire and Water.» — define el Aire por su densidad y su posición intermedia; la frase queda sin verbo principal en el volumen.
«It is also the “carrier of the seed” and signifies in a broader sense wisdom, clarity, cleanliness, intellect, reason, the ability to communicate, and the expansion of being.» — y le añade el nombre de portador de la semilla y una serie de significados intelectuales.
«Water is the result of the coagulation of Fire and Air. Steam condenses and turns into water.» — deriva el Agua de la coagulación de los dos elementos volátiles.
«Water is magnetic and is called “universal menstruum,” also “mother of the things.”» — recoge los dos nombres tradicionales del Agua.
«It is either condensed air or liquid earth; its character is cold and contractive.» — la define por sus dos lados, hacia arriba y hacia abajo de la escala de los elementos.
«It acts as a mediator between Air and Earth.» — y le asigna la función de mediar entre Aire y Tierra.
«Earth is solid and contains three other Elements in a specially noticeable way. We recognize in it coagulated Fire, coagulated Water, and condensed Air (vapor).» — hace de la Tierra el elemento donde los otros tres se dejan reconocer coagulados.
«It is the mother of metals, minerals, plants, and animals and is therefore also called the Great Treasurer.» — la nombra madre de los cuatro reinos y le da el título de Gran Tesorera.
«and through the imperfection of things it provides the knowledge of that which is still lacking for completion.» — le adjudica además una función epistémica: la imperfección de las cosas enseña lo que falta.
«The alchemist Johannes Isaac Hollandus23 distinguishes between the two manifested Elements, Water and Earth, and the two inflowing Elements, Air and Fire.» — recoge de Hollandus otro reparto de los cuatro, entre manifestados e influyentes; el numeral es la llamada a nota que el volumen imprime en el cuerpo.
«The latter are concealed in the former, Air in Water, and Fire in Earth.» — y el modo en que se alojan unos en otros.
«Water and Earth are fixed Elements; both are depicted by triangles standing on their points (descending). Fire and Air are volatile; they are represented by upward pointing triangles.» — traduce el reparto a la notación de los triángulos ascendentes y descendentes.
«The remaining details of the picture refer less to plant alchemy, which is also called the Lesser Work, than to the Great Work, with which we will not deal here.» — declara aquí el recorte del libro: la alquimia vegetal es la Obra Menor, y la Gran Obra queda fuera.
«Within the four Elements a fifth is present, the Quinta Essentia or Quintessence, which is none of the four Elements, however.» — introduce la quintaesencia con la negación que la define: está en los cuatro y no es ninguno.
«The Quinta Essentia is considered as permeating the whole of creation.» — le atribuye alcance universal, con el *is considered* que deja la afirmación en boca de la tradición.
«In a way it can be compared to the ether or space (ākāśa) of the Indian tradition.» — propone la equivalencia con el ākāśa, atenuada por el *in a way*.
«It does everything, and without it nothing can be done» — de Raimundo Lulio, en la frase que Junius reproduce sobre la quintaesencia.
«The Quinta Essentia is the force that binds everything, the foundation without which the Elements would be dead matter.» — la define por su función cohesiva: sin ella los elementos serían materia muerta.
«It is the spiritual core of all things and, according to Paracelsus, the extract of the Elements, that is, their incorruptible eternal substratum.» — le suma la definición que atribuye a Paracelso: extracto de los elementos y sustrato incorruptible.
«As such it is simultaneously the origin and the goal of all evolution.» — la sitúa a la vez en el principio y en el fin del proceso.
«The Quinta Essentia is the cohesive force of all living creatures and all existing things.» — repite la función cohesiva extendida a todo lo que existe.
«It is also called Mother, Never-Failing Source, Heavenly Water, Universal Spirit, Mercurius, Earth Mother, Mother of the Waters, Ocean, Coelum, Substantia Coelestis, Celestial Menstruum, Radix Substantialis, Apogennēma, Seminarium Mundi, Spiritus Coelesti, and Clavis Philosophorum.» — la lista de dieciséis nombres con que dice que la tradición la designa.
«The liberation of the Quinta Essentia, respectively of that which is in each case considered its principal carrier, is characteristic of many spagyric preparations.» — traduce la doctrina a operación: liberar la quintaesencia, o lo que en cada caso se tenga por su portador.
«Thus many magisteria are also called the Quintessence from Wine or the Quintessence of Honey.» — de ahí los nombres de los magisterios que el libro preparará más adelante.
«In laboratory chemistry various substances are often designated as Quinta Essentia, and a frequently heard theorem says that it is not one of the four Elements but proves to be one of the three Philosophical Principles.» — consigna el uso corriente del término en el taller y el teorema que lo acompaña, sin suscribirlo.
«In this respect, the designation Quinta Essentia is also used for specific substances, for instance, for ethyl alcohol (spirit of wine) or for the Vegetable Stones, which will be discussed later.» — nombra las dos sustancias concretas que en el libro llevarán ese título.
«A Divine Principle, which manifests as a union of Prima Materia (primordial matter) and Prima Energia (primordial energy).» — primer escalón del diagrama que resume el capítulo: el Principio Divino como unión de materia y energía primordiales.
«The two Principles represent a reality and form the foundation of creation» — le atribuye realidad, no valor de figura, y lo pone como fundamento de la creación.
«Polarity or duality: the two Principles Sulfur and Mercury as opposites. In addition, also the opposition between the fixed and the volatile, the solve and the coagula, Sun and Moon, yang and yin, and so on.» — segundo escalón: la polaridad, con las cuatro parejas que la formulan.
«The sun is its father, the moon its mother» — de la Tabla Esmeralda, que Junius trae a este punto como formulación clásica de esa polaridad.
«The triad or trinity or ternarius: the three Philosophical Principles, meaning the duality Sulfur and Mercury, to which the Principle Salt is added.» — tercer escalón: la tríada como la dualidad más la Sal.
«The quadruplicity or quarternity or quarternarius: the Elements Fire, Water, Air, and Earth.» — cuarto escalón: los cuatro elementos.
«The quintuplicity or set of five: the four forms of manifestation of nature (Elements) with the Quinta Essentia.» — quinto y último: los cuatro más la quintaesencia.
«In hermetic philosophy nature is considered the totality of all beings in the universe. The totality is animated by the Divine Principle.» — define la naturaleza según la filosofía hermética, y le atribuye animación por el Principio Divino.
«True wisdom is the encompassing of all pure truths for the recognition of God outside and inside His creatures, from eternity to eternity, throughout the times determined by Him.» — primer parágrafo de la alocución del *Hermetic ABC* que Junius reproduce numerada, y que define la sabiduría por su objeto.
«All visible and invisible, countless, various, spiritual and corporeal creatures, so different in their natures, mixtures, species, sizes, powers, properties, destinies, effects, and duration, together with all worlds, live, weave and float in their immeasurable and incomprehensible origin in the inscrutable spirit-being which we call God in our highest understanding.» — segundo parágrafo del mismo texto: todo lo creado vive y flota en un ser espiritual inescrutable.
«God carries all His creatures with all the worlds within Himself; He surrounds and fills them all: the heavens, the stars, the sun, the planets, the common air, the whole atmosphere, our seas, water, earth, yes, all individual rational and irrational, living, mobile, growing and resting or seemingly lifeless spiritual and corporeal creatures.» — tercer parágrafo, que despliega la inmanencia en una enumeración cosmológica.
«God has in stages engendered, that is, created, out of His own being all His creatures in a wonderful way, incomprehensible to us.» — cuarto parágrafo: la creación por grados y desde el propio ser divino.
«He nourishes them like a father and mother, each according to its destination.» — del mismo texto, en el parágrafo quinto.
«In the beginning, the Divine Principle divides into an active and a passive part: Prima Energia and Prima Materia, called Purusa and Prakrti in Sanskrit, Yangand Yin in the Chinese tradition, Sulfur and Mercury in hermetic philosophy.» — alinea la pareja hermética con la sāṁkhya y la china; el volumen imprime *Yangand* sin espacio (sic).
«The original Mercury is also called Chaotic Water, Abysmal Water, Divine Water, Eternal Water, Silvery Water, Ocean, Great Sea of the Philosophers, Primordial Humidum, Indeterminate Principle of Individuals, Philosophical Basilisk, Feminine Principle.» — la serie de nombres del Mercurio original, once en total.
«the original Mercury is also often portrayed as a moon or Diana and is therefore represented by the moon symbol.» — su representación gráfica, derivada de su papel de opuesto a la energía original.
«The original energy is the Noncreated Fire or the Inner Fire. It is also called the Word of God above the waters, or Dragon’s Head, Sun, Original Fire, Original Energy, Formative Principle, Male Principle, or simply Sulfur.» — la serie paralela de nombres de la energía original, con el Verbo sobre las aguas entre ellos.
«The symbol of the Prima Materia is simultaneously the symbol of the Void, the Nothing» — identifica el signo de la materia prima con el del vacío; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«And the earth was without form and void: and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters [= Prima Materia = ]. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.» — el pasaje del Génesis que Junius reproduce con su propia glosa entre corchetes; el hueco tras el segundo igual es el lugar del signo dibujado, que el troceo no recoge.
«And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness» — segunda mitad del mismo pasaje, que le sirve para figurar el nacimiento de la polaridad.
«Finally, on the second and third day of creation, the solid, the “Salt,” also appears, and on the fourth day of creation, the Sun and Moon.» — completa la lectura del relato bíblico con la aparición del tercer principio y de los dos luminares.
«We must not mistake the original light of the first day of creation for the Sun and Moon of the fourth day.» — y pone la distinción que impide confundir la luz primera con los luminares.
«Therefore, let my child be aware that the first matter of everything in the world has been ; since water existed before there was even time, and the Spirit of the Lord rested on it.» — de Johannes Isaac Hollandus, *Opera Vegetabilia*, en el pasaje sobre la Creación que Junius reproduce entero: el agua precede al tiempo mismo; el hueco tras *has been* es el lugar del signo de Mercurio dibujado a mano, que el troceo no recoge.
«No, but it was a dry, slimy water into which God set His earth, which was His Sulfur, so that the earth coagulated the water, and there arose from it the four Elements which had been locked in these two by command of God and His supreme Will.» — de Hollandus, en el mismo pasaje: los cuatro elementos salen de la coagulación de un agua seca por una tierra que es Azufre.
«The latter is the principal means whereby Nature accomplishes her generation of all things in the whole world, in vegetables, minerals, as well as in animals, which teaching of mine you should well understand.» — de Hollandus, sobre la Sal: es el medio con que la naturaleza engendra en los tres reinos, y él lo presenta como enseñanza propia que hay que entender.
«Likewise if she did not have the Salt (which is the means whereby she connects both and causes one to enter the other), it would neither mingle with anything in the world nor unite with it, because there would be no sharpness for entering, and it could not unite with anything.» — de Hollandus: sin la Sal no habría filo para entrar, y por eso nada podría mezclarse ni unirse con nada.
«The Salt, however, is hiding in the deepest part of the Elements because it must keep them together by its sharpness and dryness.» — de Hollandus, la frase que da su lugar a la Sal dentro de los elementos: escondida en lo más hondo, porque su oficio es sostenerlos.
«It is nevertheless a spirit and volatile. However, because it is contained in the deepest of the mixture and is kept captive by the fat-combustible oil to which it clings—for the Salt is contained in the combustible oil like the yolk in the egg» — de Hollandus: la Sal es espíritu y volátil, y si parece fija es porque el aceite graso combustible la retiene cautiva, como la yema dentro del huevo.
«Consequently, it cannot flee from the Earth except by the power of the Fire» — de Hollandus, la consecuencia operativa de esa cautividad: solo el fuego libera a la Sal de la tierra.
«This Salt is an unknown Salt to the ignorant, because it is contained in the deepest of the Elements.» — de Hollandus, que hace del desconocimiento de esta Sal el rasgo del ignorante, y no un asunto de técnica.
«Therefore, all those who do not know this Salt must necessarily be mistaken, because without this Salt no thing on earth can stay together or come together.» — de Hollandus, cierre del pasaje: quien ignora esa Sal yerra por fuerza, porque sin ella nada en la tierra se sostiene ni se junta.
«Moses teaches us in chapter 1 of Genesis, when he describes the creation of the whole world, or of our solar system, that the Almighty God created in the beginning shamayim v’et haarets, that is, the heavens or primeval waters, and the earth.» — de Georg von Welling, *Opus Mago-Cabbalisticum et Theosophicum*, parágrafo quinto, que Junius reproduce a continuación: lee el primer versículo del Génesis con los cielos entendidos como aguas primordiales.
«Moses puts the heavens, the spiritual fiery water, first, and he does so not without a very special reason; for they are the beginning of all things first created by the Lord God, or the beginning of beginnings, which is almost unfathomable for us in its true nature, as its wondrous name lets us sufficiently recognize;» — de von Welling, en el mismo parágrafo: el orden del versículo no es casual, y el nombre mismo de esa agua ígnea señala que es principio de los principios.
«for Moses, or rather the Holy Ghost through Moses, calls this extension shamayim, which is a composite name that has been described by the rabbinical elders, who were trained and experienced in the true Kabbalah» — de von Welling, que remite la lectura del nombre a los ancianos rabínicos versados en cábala; el tramo corta donde la frase pasa a la plana siguiente.
«This is in truth, according to the outer letter, a very wonderful and strange mixture, and how is it possible to mix two such quite opposite things so harmoniously?» — de von Welling, sobre la composición de *shamayim* como fuego y agua: la pregunta queda planteada, no resuelta.
«only that this fiery water, or watery fire, without which no creature can live and be maintained, is sought by so few in order to know it.» — de von Welling, con la reserva que él mismo pone al remate: describir esa agua ígnea en toda su esfera no es aquí su propósito.
«In the Indian and Tibetan tradition, the dot (bindu) represents consciousness» — Junius pasa al mundo conceptual indio y da al punto el valor de consciencia.
«is literally called candrabindu (moon and dot). All bija mantras (seed syllables)30 contain these two principles, about which we have already heard.» — cierra la equivalencia: los dos principios que viene tratando están, según él, en toda sílaba semilla; el tramo arranca después del signo dibujado a mano y el numeral es llamada a nota.
«Primordial energy is indestructible, but when it combines with matter and goes with it through the stage of decaying, which separates the pure from the impure, it stimulates the purified components to a new materialization.» — enuncia el papel de la putrefacción dentro del ciclo: separa lo puro de lo impuro y lanza a lo purificado a materializarse otra vez.
«With every decaying (putrefactio) the matter is exalted. Thus, out of the bodies of the mineral kingdom arise those of the plant world, and out of the latter those of the animal world.» — de ahí saca una escala de los reinos: cada descomposición exalta la materia y la hace subir de mineral a vegetal y de vegetal a animal.
«This cosmic process of evolution, of creation and destruction to make room again for a new creation, has found its perfect portrayal in the figure of the Indian Naṭarāja, the Lord of the Dance» — sitúa la figura del Naṭarāja como imagen acabada de ese ciclo de creación y destrucción.
«The god Śiva, as Lord of the Dance, represents the dynamic cosmic processes.» — y la lee en clave dinámica: lo que la danza figura son los procesos cósmicos en movimiento.
«Śiva’s right side is male, the left female. Both together form one single being. One of the god’s names is Svayambhū, the Self-existent.» — lee el reparto de la figura como unión de los dos principios en un solo ser, y le suma el nombre de Autoexistente.
«In one of his right hands we see the dạmarū, a double drum shaped like an hourglass. With this drum he initiates creation by creating time and its periods.» — sigue leyendo los atributos: el tambor de reloj de arena crea el tiempo, y con el tiempo empieza la creación.
«In one of his left hands he is holding the fire that not only animates the created but also destroys it, so that a new creation can follow. By fire, matter is purified and exalted.» — el atributo contrario, el fuego, que anima y destruye a la vez; es el mismo fuego que en el taller purifica y exalta.
«With his other left hand he points to his raised foot, which symbolizes salvation.» — continúa el inventario de manos y pies de la figura, con el pie alzado como signo de la salvación.
«His right foot is standing on a recumbent dwarf, who symbolizes the forces of evil, which the divine dancer dominates and controls.» — el enano yacente bajo el pie derecho, leído como las fuerzas del mal sometidas por el danzante.
«In Naṭarāja’s hair, which swings in the air, we see the moon and the river Ganges» — completa la lectura con la luna y el Ganges en la cabellera del dios.
«The stage of the dance is the cosmic space (ākāśa), indicated by a crown of cosmic fire.» — identifica el escenario de la danza con el ākāśa, que es el término con que el capítulo viene nombrando la quintaesencia.
«In figure 11, the circle represents ignorance (avidyā). The eight leaves of the lotus form the aspects of Prakṛti; Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether, mind (mānas), intellect (buddhi), and egoism (ahaṁkāra).» — lee el yantra que acompaña la lámina repartiendo los ocho pétalos entre los cinco elementos y las tres facultades.
«The five triangles are the five Jñānendriyas (jñāna, wisdom; indriyas, the senses); the five karmendriyas (organs of action), and the five kinds of prāṇa (vital force); the dot (bindu) in the center is pure consciousness.» — completa esa lectura con las tres series de cinco y el punto central, que vuelve a ser la consciencia pura.
«Upon all this, dear reader, you should reflect deeply. Bear ever in mind that the names Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Mercury, Sulfur, and so on, must never be mistaken for their usual meaning.» — se dirige al lector para repetir la advertencia que sostiene el capítulo entero: los nombres alquímicos no son los de la lengua corriente.
«Then some views that are still held today by historians of chemistry—for instance, that alchemists took all metals to be mercuric sulfates—will be corrected on their own.» — de esa advertencia hace depender una consecuencia historiográfica: la lectura que atribuye a los alquimistas sulfatos mercuriales se cae sola.
«The masters of old of course had no conceptions in line with modern scientific chemistry.» — concede sin rodeos que los viejos maestros no pensaban en términos de la química moderna.
«They did not know, for example, that calcined tartar (or hydrogen potassium tartrate) consists in the main of potassium carbonate.» — el ejemplo con que lo concede, y el que sostendrá el intermedio sobre el tártaro.
«Much more important to them was the possibility of making the calcined tartar volatile. They knew how to distill it to cure certain diseases with the distillate.» — pero traslada el interés de los alquimistas a otro lado: no la composición, sino la posibilidad de volatilizar el tártaro y destilarlo como remedio.
«The distillation of potassium carbonate, like that of alkaline salts in general, is impossible, however, in the opinion of scientific chemistry.» — consigna en la frase siguiente la negativa de la química, atribuida a ella y no asumida.
«In the volatilization of tartar, it is therefore a question of a change in chemical composition.» — su salida al conflicto: lo que se volatiliza ya no es la misma sustancia en términos químicos.
«It is indeed so, and regarding this misunderstanding, which caused the German alchemist Alexander von Bernus to lose a lawsuit, the difference between the chemical and the alchemical conception regarding this case will now be briefly described.» — data el costo del malentendido en un pleito perdido por von Bernus, y anuncia el intermedio que dedica a deshacerlo.
«Tartar is the salt of tartaric acid. Tartaric acid occurs naturally and also as both calcium salt and potash salt in fruit, hence also in grapes.» — abre ese intermedio por la química corriente del tártaro, antes de traer el vocabulario alquímico.
«Only the dextrorotatory tartaric acid is found uncombined in nature.» — el dato de estereoquímica sobre el que apoya la exposición: en la naturaleza solo aparece libre la forma dextrógira.
«Only the first-mentioned of these two salts occurs abundantly on the walls of the containers in which the must is fermented into wine. In alchemy, this salt is called Tartarus Crudus (crude tartar).» — junta los dos vocabularios en una sola frase: el bitartrato de las paredes de la cuba es lo que la alquimia llama Tartarus Crudus.
«By a treatment with fire (heat), coal, and clay (the alchemical masters recommend the powder of tiles) as well as other methods, Tartarus Crudus can be “purified.”» — la primera operación de la serie, con el polvo de teja que atribuye a los maestros y las comillas que él mismo pone sobre *purificar*.
«This calcined tartar is now no longer acid tartar but is alkaline and hygroscopic.» — el resultado de la calcinación, que es donde el nombre químico deja de valer.
«Different ways exist to achieve this, among them cohobation with rectified wine vinegar, which is frequently mentioned in alchemistic treatises.» — la vía que da para el último paso, la volatilización, con la cohobación con vinagre rectificado a la cabeza.
«For the alchemist, on the other hand, tartar appears in four different forms: as Tartarus Crudus, as Tartarus Depuratus, as Tartarus Depuratus Calcinatus, and as “volatile tartar.”» — su conclusión del intermedio: donde el químico ve sustancias distintas, el alquimista ve cuatro formas de una misma cosa.
«The confusion is due to linguistic usage and related concepts.» — y sitúa el desacuerdo en el uso de la lengua, no en los hechos.
«The controversy about whether or not it is possible to extract the tincture out of antimony by means of rectified vinegar also belongs here.» — pone la disputa sobre la tintura de antimonio en la misma familia de malentendidos.
«Many alchemists have worked the corresponding processes after the pattern of those described in the Triumphal Chariot of Antimony of Basilius Valentinus.» — remite el procedimiento al *Triumphal Chariot of Antimony* de Basilio Valentín, que es la obra de la que ya tomó el capítulo segundo.
«Strictly speaking, it is a question of tinctures made with the help of antimony, because antimony here acts as a catalyst.» — precisa qué son en rigor esas tinturas: hechas con ayuda del antimonio, que obra como catalizador.
«An American spagyric producer therefore rightly calls his corresponding product “triacetic antimonious catalysate.”» — aprueba el nombre con que un productor espagírico estadounidense rotula su preparado, por ajustarse a esa precisión.
«But this by no means signifies that the “antimony tinctures” (or tinctures from or by antimony) do not contain the curative powers of antimony.» — y le pone de inmediato el límite: la precisión terminológica no le quita al preparado los poderes curativos del antimonio.
«True alchemy is not at variance with scientific chemistry if it is rightly understood. It is a matter of two different planes of understanding and working.» — el remate del capítulo tercero, que niega el conflicto entre alquimia y química y lo traslada a una diferencia de planos.
«interested in water power, that is, in the utilization of the force of gravity as it acts upon the water, because it is this that drives his turbines.» — el símil con que cierra el capítulo: al ingeniero de una central hidroeléctrica le interesa del agua la fuerza de gravedad, porque es la que mueve la turbina; el tramo arranca después del marcador de plana que parte la frase.
«The gardener, in contrast, will be more interested in the vital power of the water. We must not confuse the planes.» — la otra mitad del símil, y su moraleja: el jardinero mira en la misma agua otra potencia, y los dos planos no se mezclan.
«What did Basilius say in his “five points”?: “fourth: the applications; and fifth: the usefulness. . . .” We should reflect on this.» — devuelve la discusión a los cinco puntos de Basilio Valentín reteniendo los dos últimos, aplicación y utilidad, que son los que miden un remedio por su efecto.
«After we have dealt somewhat with the world of conceptions and the theoretical foundations, we shall turn to the practice in the following chapters.» — declara el gozne del libro: hasta aquí el mundo de las concepciones, de aquí en adelante el taller.
«In all three realms—the mineral, plant, and animal worlds—Mercury is always a volatile substance on the material plane, Sulfur an oily substance, and Salt a substance of solid consistency.» — abre el capítulo cuarto bajando los tres principios al plano material: en los tres reinos son, respectivamente, algo volátil, algo oleoso y algo sólido.
«More precisely, we would have to say: the carriers of the Mercury Principle, the Sulfur Principle, and the Salt Principle. Mercury itself (spirit) is intangible.» — precisa de inmediato su propia formulación: lo que se manipula en el taller son los portadores, porque el principio mismo es intangible.
«The relation is so close, however, that the carrier of the Mercury Principle is simply called Mercury in laboratory chemistry, likewise the corresponding substances as Sulfur, respectively Salt.» — y explica por qué el libro seguirá hablando sin ese rodeo: en el taller el portador se nombra con el nombre del principio.
«In the plant world, ethyl alcohol (ethanol = C2H5OH) is the carrier of the Mercury Principle.» — la identificación de la que depende todo el método del libro: en el reino vegetal el Mercurio es el alcohol etílico.
«In some treatises, ethyl alcohol is also designated as the Element Air, or even as the Quinta Essentia, but those are exceptions that should not confuse the reader.» — consigna que otros tratados le dan al mismo alcohol otros dos nombres, y las declara excepciones sin discutirlas.
«In a narrower sense, we always consider ethyl alcohol the Mercury of the plant world.» — fija su propio uso, restringido y constante, frente a esas variantes.
«Ethyl alcohol is not found in free form in nature, but it can be extracted from plants by fermentation and subsequent distillation.» — de ahí sale el orden de las operaciones del capítulo quinto: el Mercurio vegetal no está dado, se produce por fermentación y destilación.
«During fermentation, the plant is decomposed, and the grape sugar contained in it, to which the Mercury Principle is bound (a monosaccharide, C6H12O6)» — sitúa el Mercurio en el azúcar de uva de la planta, que es lo que la fermentación descompone.
«Fermentation occurs through yeasts, living microorganisms that produce a ferment called zymase. It converts the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide.» — nombra al agente de la operación y su enzima, con las levaduras presentadas como microorganismos vivos.
«We can also obtain alcohol from the polysaccharides cellulose and starch by decomposing them. Both consist of grape sugar molecules, but we cannot replace cellulose and starch directly by yeasts.» — añade la vía de los polisacáridos y su límite: hay que descomponerlos antes, porque la levadura no los ataca.
«The degree of activity of the yeasts depends on the temperature of the surroundings.» — el primer parámetro de control de la fermentación.
«During fermentation, the so-called fusel oils are also formed. They consist of other alcohols and waste products of proteins. As they are not part of Mercury, they must be removed in the distillation of the alcohol.» — nombra el subproducto que hay que apartar y da el criterio doctrinal de la exclusión: los aceites de fusel no son Mercurio.
«During fermentation, the alcohol content rises slowly. When it has reached about 15 percent, the activity of the yeasts is checked, and it finally stops altogether.» — el techo natural del proceso, que es lo que obliga después a rectificar por destilación.
«It is important to remember that the Mercury Principle is always anonymous and therefore does not appear to be bound to the individual plant species.» — recupera del capítulo tercero el carácter anónimo del Mercurio y saca de él la consecuencia práctica del capítulo.
«Throughout the whole plant world, ethyl alcohol is the carrier of Mercury, while Sulfur and Salt belong exclusively to the respective species.» — reparte los tres principios entre lo común y lo propio: el Mercurio es de todas las plantas, el Azufre y la Sal de cada una.
«We can therefore replace Mercury in the plant world at any time “from outside,” thus, for instance, also buy it in the drugstore.» — la licencia operativa que se sigue de eso: el Mercurio puede traerse de fuera, incluso comprado.
«This basic knowledge also explains why some spagyrists add completely fermentable sugars to their plant ingredients to be fermented.» — con ese principio explica una práctica corriente entre espagiristas, añadir azúcar fermentable a la materia vegetal.
«The anonymous character of Mercury permits this manipulation as long as Mercury is only extracted from substances of plant origin, because in the plant world Mercury is always the same.» — y le pone la condición: la licencia vale mientras el Mercurio venga de materia vegetal.
«We should nevertheless not overlook the fact that ethyl alcohol is considered the noblest and best carrier of Mercury and therefore plays a special role in plant alchemy.» — matiza la licencia con una jerarquía: el alcohol de vino sigue siendo el portador más noble.
«The reason lies in the substances and energies that are bound up with the ethyl alcohol of the wine. For this reason the origin plays a role nevertheless.» — y desanda a medias lo dicho: si el origen importa, es por las sustancias y energías ligadas al alcohol del vino.
«After all, there is Mercury and Mercury, just as there is water and water.» — la fórmula con que cierra la reserva, y que deja convivir el anonimato del principio con la diferencia de sus portadores.
«Besides, it is almost impossible to get completely pure ethyl alcohol. So-called absolute alcohol also contains small amounts of other substances.» — el límite material del método: la pureza completa no se alcanza ni con el alcohol absoluto.
«Ethyl alcohol is an easily combustible, clear, colorless liquid, simultaneously fire, water, and air.» — lee el alcohol en clave elemental: tres de los cuatro elementos a la vez.
«Sulfur appears in a double form in the plant world, as volatile and» — abre el segundo tramo del capítulo con la duplicidad del Azufre vegetal; el tramo corta en el salto de plana, donde sigue *as fixed Sulfur*.
«The etheric or essential oils of the plants represent volatile Sulfur.» — identifica la primera de las dos formas: el Azufre volátil son los aceites esenciales.
«We obtain fixed Sulfur by evaporating the fermented liquid, after previously distilling off Mercury (ethyl alcohol) and volatile Sulfur (the etheric oils), and after the solid components of the plant residue have been removed by filtration.» — la segunda forma se define por la operación que la deja: lo que queda del líquido fermentado una vez retirados Mercurio y Azufre volátil.
«The liquid is repeatedly evaporated until there remains a tarlike or honeylike mass that during the evaporation almost reminds one of lava.» — describe el aspecto de esa masa, que es el signo por el que se reconoce el punto de la operación.
«This “honey” is the fixed Sulfur. Accordingly, plants without essential oils also possess their Sulfur.» — y saca de ahí una consecuencia que amplía el método: hasta la planta sin aceite esencial tiene su Azufre.
«If we continue with the evaporation of fixed Sulfur, it finally forms a hard black mass. If we heat it still more, it changes gradually into a gray or grayish-white ash.» — sigue la escala de la operación por sus colores, del negro duro a la ceniza gris.
«The salts contained in this ash are the salt of the Sulfur, to which we shall return later.» — nombra el producto de esa ceniza, la sal del Azufre, que el capítulo quinto separará de la sal del cuerpo.
«The essential oils, the volatile Sulfur, are complex mixtures of many substances. Whereas Mercury is the same in the whole plant world, the composition of the etheric oils varies strongly from plant to plant.» — opone la constancia del Mercurio a la variabilidad del Azufre, que es el eje del capítulo.
«It is precisely this Sulfur that gives every plant its special individuality. The Sulfur is always that which is truly individual, the soul, its essence.» — y hace de esa variabilidad el fundamento de la individualidad de cada planta.
«This is the reason why these oils are called essential oils. An entire therapeutic system, aromatherapy, is based exclusively on the application of essential oils and their curative powers.» — deriva de ahí el nombre corriente de esos aceites y señala la aromaterapia como sistema entero levantado sobre ellos.
«The content of essential oils in plants fluctuates very much with environmental factors. With an appropriate neighborhood for the plants, for instance in stinging nettles, it can be considerably increased, up to 20 percent in valerian, over 80 percent in angelica, 10 to 20 percent in marjoram, and 10 percent in sage and peppermint.» — da cifras de rendimiento por especie y una indicación de cultivo: la vecindad de la ortiga sube el contenido de aceite.
«Essential oils are liquid at room temperature, burn with a sooting flame, do not mix with water but float on top of it, and are volatile.» — las propiedades físicas por las que el aceite esencial se reconoce en el banco de trabajo.
«We are dealing with strongly aromatic substances that show a strong kinship with heat (fire) elements.» — y su lectura doctrinal: el aceite esencial es afín al fuego.
«The essential oil of rosemary, for instance, is the compound richest in hydrogen in the plant world, and hydrogen is the substance most akin to heat in the universe.» — el ejemplo con que la apoya, que enlaza con la fórmula latina del capítulo primero sobre el hidrógeno.
«The vapor of the essential oils is colorless and transparent. It allows light to pass through practically without hindrance, and while it absorbs the heat rays of the light, the light from the vapor is cold. Such a behavior is called diathermy.» — describe el vapor de esos aceites por su comportamiento ante la luz y le da el nombre técnico de diatermia.
«Steam distillation is the best method for the extraction of essential oils from plants. In the next chapter we will familiarize ourselves with this technique.» — elige la destilación al vapor como el mejor método de extracción y remite al capítulo siguiente.
«If Mercury is the spirit and Sulfur the soul, Salt is the “body” of the plants. It is neither volatile nor liquid but is the only one of the Philosophical Principles that is solid and incombustible.» — pasa al tercer principio con la tríada espíritu-alma-cuerpo y lo define por lo que no es: ni volátil, ni líquido, ni combustible.
«The salt of the plants can be made visible through incineration and subsequent calcination (literally, making white) of the plants or the plant residues respectively.» — la operación que hace visible la Sal, con la etimología de calcinar puesta entre paréntesis por el propio volumen.
«Basilius describes the production of plant salts as follows:» — presenta el texto ajeno que reproduce a continuación, atribuido a Basilio Valentín.
«How the Salia can be extracted from all herbs and plants. Take whatever herb you wish, burn it to ashes, make a lye of it with warm water, coagulate the lye, then the salt will stay in fundo, resolve it in Spiritu Vini.» — de Basilio Valentín, la receta entera de la sal vegetal en una sola secuencia: quemar, lixiviar, coagular y redisolver en espíritu de vino.
«Throw away the Feces that will settle, draw off the Spiritum Vinum per Destillationem, and resolve it frequently until the salt is beautifully clear and pure and leaves no more Feces; then it is ready.» — de Basilio Valentín, con el criterio de término puesto en el propio texto: la operación se repite hasta que no queden heces.
«If one proceeds with the purification of the Spiritus Vini in the right way, all the salts of herbs can be made beautiful, clean, and pure, so that they sprout transparently into crystals, like a clean, purified saltpeter.» — de Basilio Valentín, que hace depender el resultado de la pureza previa del espíritu de vino, y da el aspecto del cristal como señal.
«Salt prepared in this way contains the “body” and also the salt of the fixed Sulfur.» — la lectura que Junius hace de esa receta: por esa vía las dos sales salen juntas.
«From this preparation neither Mercury nor Sulfur can be obtained, since they must be extracted before calcination.» — y su límite, que es el que ordena la secuencia entera del libro: lo volátil se saca antes de calcinar o se pierde.
«To not confuse the salt of Sulfur (part of the soul) with the “body,” the former is also called Sal Sulfuris (Salt of the Sulfur) and the latter, Sal Salis (Salt of the Salt).» — fija los dos nombres técnicos que el resto del libro empleará para distinguir las dos sales.
«Each of the two salts can be divided into two substances. One part is water-soluble, the other is not.» — añade el segundo corte, que cruza al anterior: cada una de las dos sales se parte en soluble e insoluble.
«The calcined ash is put in a beaker and covered with double or triple the amount of distilled water. Everything is slowly heated and stirred. Now the water-soluble salts dissolve, while the insoluble ones settle.» — el procedimiento de separación, con las proporciones de agua destilada dadas en el propio texto.
«To extract the water-soluble salts without residue, the process must be repeated several times, until litmus paper no longer shows a higher pH-value than that of the distilled water used.» — el criterio de agotamiento de la extracción, medido con papel tornasol contra el agua de partida.
«Finally, the salt solution is carefully evaporated at low temperatures (for instance, in the sun), and the white salts stay behind.» — la evaporación final, con el sol propuesto como fuente de calor suave.
«Should the solution of the salts in distilled water show an orangecolored streak, the calcination of the plant residues was insufficient.» — el signo por el que se reconoce una calcinación incompleta; el volumen imprime *orange-colored* partido por el corte de renglón y la extracción lo devuelve unido.
«The proper execution of calcination is one of the most difficult kinds of manual work in alchemy. We shall return to it later in detail.» — declara la calcinación como la operación manual más difícil del arte, y aplaza su tratamiento.
«Since the salt is strongly hygroscopic, it is kept in sealed, airtight glass containers. Water-soluble salts are always alkaline.» — la indicación de conservación y el rasgo químico constante de esas sales.
«The residue that remains after filtration of the solution is also called Caput Mortuum (Death’s Head).» — nombra el residuo insoluble con el término que el capítulo primero ya había fijado.
«To get the Caput Mortuum quite pure, we must rinse it many times with distilled water. The pH-factor can be tested with litmus paper.» — el lavado del residuo y su control, con el mismo papel tornasol.
«Chemically viewed, the water-soluble salts consist chiefly of potassium carbonate and approximately 10 to 20 percent of other salts, such as potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, and sodium carbonate.» — da la composición química de la sal soluble, que es la que entra en el preparado.
«The salts that are not water-soluble (Caput Mortuum) consist chiefly of calcium, silicon, phosphorus, and magnesium. They also contain traces of other metals.» — y la del residuo, donde aparecen el calcio y el silicio de los que trató el capítulo primero.
«To melt the Caput Mortuum, temperatures of over 1500° are required.» — la temperatura de fusión del residuo, que es lo que lo separa en la práctica de la sal soluble.
«The Caput Mortuum is not hygroscopic and amorphous, while the soluble salts, if sufficiently pure, form beautiful crystals, especially if they are further purified by repeated dissolving in distilled water with subsequent filtration and evaporation of the solution.» — cierra el capítulo cuarto por el contraste de forma entre los dos productos: amorfo el residuo, cristalino lo soluble bien purificado.
«The separation of a plant into the three Philosophical Principles or Essentials always begins with the extraction of the essential oils, which represent the volatile part of the Sulfur.» — abre el capítulo quinto fijando el orden invariable de la separación: primero el Azufre volátil, siempre.
«The reason is that the essential oils are soluble in alcohol. If we let the plant go through fermentation to obtain Mercury (ethyl alcohol), the latter will indeed also extract the essential oils in the process of formation (in statu nascendi), but the bond between Sulfur (essential oils) and Mercury (ethyl alcohol) is so strong in this instance that they can hardly ever be completely separated from each other again.» — da la razón de ese orden: si se fermenta antes, el alcohol naciente se lleva los aceites y el enlace ya no se deshace.
«Even the most complicated fractionating techniques, including the freezing process, fractionating columns, centrifuging, or chemical techniques, would never lead to a complete separation, at least not in the alchemical sense.» — acota ese *nunca* con la salvedad que él mismo pone: no en el sentido alquímico, que es el que le importa.
«Another question is whether the separation of Sulfur and Mercury, that is, of the essential oils and ethyl alcohol, is necessary or desirable in all cases of spagyric separation.» — abre de inmediato la pregunta contraria: si esa separación hace falta siempre.
«As it is, alcohol in statu nascendi (when forming during fermentation) extracts the essential oils from a plant in a particularly gentle way and then carries them over during a subsequent distillation.» — y contesta que la extracción por alcohol naciente es especialmente suave, con lo que el enlace que antes era problema aquí es ventaja.
«If we wish to disengage this “Sulfuric Mercury,” we do not need to distill the essential oils before fermentation.» — de ahí sale una segunda vía de trabajo, la del Mercurio azufroso, que no exige extraer los aceites de antemano.
«This kind of distillation must be performed with a certain expertness, if a large part of the volatile Sulfur is not to be lost.» — con su costo declarado: esa destilación pide pericia o se pierde buena parte del Azufre volátil.
«But as we are for the moment dealing with the separation of a plant into all three Principles or Essentials, we must begin with the extraction of the volatile Sulfur, the soul, that is, the essential oils.» — vuelve al camino largo, el de los tres principios separados, que es el que el capítulo desarrolla.
«We understand why the classical directions refer to it again and again. “In the first place, however, you must always extract the soul» — apoya el precepto en la repetición de los textos clásicos, de los que enhebra tres fórmulas seguidas.
«Let your Sulfur first of all fly out, and catch it well.» — la segunda de esas fórmulas clásicas que reproduce, sin adjudicarla a un autor concreto.
«appeared . . .,” that is, after the essential oils (Sulfur, soul-Apollo) have been distilled off. Thus and similarly are the directions always worded.» — la tercera, con su traducción al vocabulario del taller entre paréntesis: Apolo es el Azufre volátil ya destilado; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la cita.
«A large number of medicinal plants contain a considerable amount of essential oils. Especially rich in volatile Sulfur is the family of the labiates (Labiatae).» — señala en las labiadas la familia más rica en Azufre volátil, que es por donde manda empezar.
«In this family, comprising about three thousand species, which directly represents the prototype of the family of medicinal plants—all its species are medicinal—we find our known favorites: rosemary, the mints, basil, balm, which are everywhere easily available.» — y le atribuye a esa familia una propiedad que ninguna otra tiene: todas sus especies son medicinales.
«If we cultivate these plants in our own garden, we can considerably increase their content in volatile Sulfur by giving them a proper neighborhood of other plants, for example, by planting them together with stinging nettles.» — traslada al huerto una consecuencia del método: la vecindad de la ortiga sube el contenido de Azufre volátil.
«There exist a number of different methods for the extraction of essential oils from plants. The method of enfleurage, known especially in the manufacture of perfume, consists in pressing plants on paraffin plates. The essential oils go over into the fat, out of which they can then be dissolved with alcohol. This method is of less interest to us here.» — describe el enfleurage de la perfumería y lo deja fuera del libro, dicho el motivo sin más.
«Extraction with a so-called oil separator, without doubt the most elegant and best method» — de las tres técnicas que enumera para el taller, elige ésta como la mejor.
«Distillation is a technique whereby volatile substances can be separated from nonvolatile (fixed) ones, or also different liquids from each other in case they have different high boiling points. In the last instance we speak of fractionating.» — define la destilación por lo que separa, y de ahí saca la diferencia entre destilar y fraccionar.
«In the case of a dry distillation, volatile constituents are extracted from solid substances by heat. As examples we would cite the distillation of coal or wood and also of wool.» — el caso de la destilación seca, con la lana entre los ejemplos, que reaparecerá al tratar el carbonato de potasio.
«In some cases the distillate is of greater interest, in others the residue. During the distillation of liquids, the latter are converted by boiling into vapors, which are then changed back into their liquid state in a condenser (cooler) through which flows cooling water, to be collected again as distillate in a collecting vessel, the receiver or receptacle.» — advierte que el producto buscado puede estar de cualquiera de los dos lados, y describe el circuito de la operación.
«We reduce our plants to small pieces, put them into a sufficiently large glass flask, and add water until about one-third or half of the flask is filled with it. If we use dry plants, we let them soak at least one day. In the case of fresh plants, we can immediately begin with the extraction.» — la primera técnica, paso a paso, con la diferencia de trato entre planta seca y fresca.
«Distillation heads that can be provided with a thermometer are practical, as this can show us the boiling point. Particularly in the separation of liquids, exact adherence to the temperatures is important.» — pone el termómetro como instrumento de control, y la temperatura como el parámetro decisivo.
«Whoever seriously considers the installation of a laboratory should consider the acquisition of an electric mantle. It permits the use of thick-walled, round-bottomed flasks, which are also suitable for distillation under vacuum.» — la recomendación de equipo con su razón: la manta eléctrica es lo que abre la puerta al trabajo al vacío.
«A water bath, an oil bath, or a sand bath is also practical. On a heating plate we heat a pot with water, oil, or sand (according to the requirements of the temperatures), into which the flask is plunged halfway.» — los tres baños de calor graduado, que son la versión moderna de los cuatro grados de fuego de los clásicos.
«grease on the glass joints. It not only guarantees their tight closing but also facilitates the later disassembling of the appliances.» — la grasa de vacío en las juntas, con sus dos oficios; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«When we have distilled over enough liquid (please do not let the herbs burn!), we put the distillate into a separator (figure 13) and draw the water off below through the drain. We collect the oil that follows in a small, tightly closing bottle. If the oil has not yet all come out of the plants, we pour the remaining water back into the fractionating flask and distill once more; we repeat this until no more oil appears.» — el ciclo completo de la primera técnica, con el criterio de término: se repite hasta que deja de salir aceite.
«The process is slow and complicated, but in this way we can carry out the extraction of the volatile Sulfur with simple equipment.» — su balance de esa técnica, con el inconveniente y la ventaja en la misma frase.
«Before every experiment, we should mentally go over all details, making sure that everything necessary is at hand, so that we do not» — el precepto de ensayar mentalmente la operación antes de empezar; el tramo corta en el salto de plana, donde sigue *make any mistakes*.
«We can only heat if the possibility of pressure compensation has been taken care of (the receiver-adapter must have an opening), otherwise the distillation will end up on the ceiling!» — la primera de las advertencias de seguridad del capítulo, dicha con el signo de admiración del propio volumen.
«Whoever intends to work regularly at the distillation of larger quantities of essential oils should consider converting a large stainless steel pressure cooker.» — la salida que propone para trabajar en cantidad sin equipo de vidrio grande: una olla a presión reconvertida.
«Essential oil is lighter than water and floats on top. Gradually the surface of the liquid rises parallel in tubes E and B.» — el principio físico en que se apoya el separador de aceite: la diferencia de densidad reparte las dos fases por sí sola.
«The equipment can work for a prolonged period without supervision once the temperature is regulated to a fixed position. There is no danger of burning, as the water flows back continuously.» — la ventaja que le da a esa técnica sobre las otras dos: reflujo continuo, sin riesgo de quemar la hierba y sin vigilancia.
«Let us remember once again that we can immediately extract the oils from fresh plants, whereas dry plants must be macerated for one or several days.» — repite la diferencia de trato entre planta fresca y seca al cerrar la sección.
«Glauber recommends up to three or four days of maceration.34 But in no case must the plants go through fermentation. Beware of summer temperatures!» — apoya el plazo de maceración en Glauber y le pone el límite que no se cruza: la materia no debe fermentar; el numeral es la llamada a nota que el volumen imprime en el cuerpo.
«Even more ingenious is the drawing off of the essential oils under vacuum. A vacuum is made over the upper opening of the condenser by means of a proper pump. The boiling point is thereby greatly reduced, and the drawing off of the essential oils takes place in a specially gentle way» — introduce el vacío como refinamiento de las tres técnicas: baja el punto de ebullición y suaviza la extracción.
«We make use of such an installation when the essential oils contain alkaloids (e.g., in distilling valerian), since alkaloids are sensitive to high temperatures and lose their effectiveness.» — da el caso en que el vacío deja de ser lujo: los alcaloides pierden eficacia con el calor.
«With valerian, for instance, we must not go over 82° C. Lower temperatures are even better.» — la cifra concreta para la valeriana, con la indicación de bajar aún más si se puede.
«We make sure in advance that our equipment is suitable for vacuum distillation, otherwise an explosion might result.» — la advertencia que acompaña al vacío.
«be altogether excluded, so we protect our eyes with safety goggles.» — y su reconocimiento de que el riesgo no se elimina del todo; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«The production of Mercury results from the separation and the subsequent rectification.» — abre la sección del Mercurio nombrando las dos operaciones de que resulta, separación y rectificación.
«After the drawing off of the essential oils, the remaining plant “soup” is subjected to fermentation.» — la fermentación se aplica a lo que quedó tras destilar los aceites, y no a la planta entera.
«Everything is put into a sufficiently large glass flask (the formation of foam is to be expected), and an adequate amount of brewer’s yeast or dregs of wine is added—that is, 25 grams for 5 quarts of soup.» — las proporciones de levadura o heces de vino que da para la fermentación, con el aviso de la espuma.
«Sooner or later fermentation would also occur without any addition of yeast, especially in an open container. This is because the necessary microorganisms are nearly everywhere.» — concede que la fermentación ocurriría igual sin levadura, porque los microorganismos están en todas partes.
«Owing to the previous boiling, our plant soup is sterile, however, and therefore the addition of yeast induces more rapid fermentation.» — y explica por qué la añade de todos modos: la cocción previa dejó estéril la materia, y la levadura acelera el arranque.
«Simultaneously, sterility protects our soup from foreign yeasts and bacteria, whereby we avoid a possible sudden change of the fermentation characteristics.» — la ventaja añadida de esa esterilidad: protege de levaduras y bacterias ajenas que cambiarían el carácter de la fermentación.
«There exist different ways of fermentation, fermentation combined with lactic acid, acetic fermentation, butyric fermentation, and so on. We are here interested only in alcoholic fermentation» — distingue la fermentación alcohólica de la láctica, la acética y la butírica, y declara que solo la primera le interesa.
«To nourish the yeasts and to reach a specially lively fermentation and a high alcoholic content, we can add a certain amount of fermentable sugar (up to 1 kilogram for 5 quarts of soup) since some plants contain very little sugar.» — la licencia de añadir azúcar fermentable, con la cifra y con el motivo: hay plantas con muy poco azúcar propio.
«This technique is permitted since Mercury is the same in the whole plant world.» — y la razón doctrinal que la autoriza, que es la del capítulo cuarto: en el reino vegetal el Mercurio es siempre el mismo.
«If we intend to obtain but small quantities of Mercury, we can by all means ferment without sugar. But to do this, large quantities of plants are necessary.» — la alternativa para quien no quiera azúcar añadido, con su costo: hace falta mucha más planta.
«The duration of the fermentation varies greatly from plant to plant, and the temperature also plays a role. It is done when the gas production stops and the plants sink to the bottom.» — el criterio por el que se reconoce el fin de la fermentación, que no es de reloj sino de observación.
«In the fermentation container we find the four Elements. The plants together with the sugar are the Element Earth. The Element Water is also present. The Element Air is released in the form of gas (carbon dioxide). The Element Fire can be recognized by the liberation of heat energy during fermentation.» — lee el recipiente de fermentación como escena de los cuatro elementos, con el aire en el gas y el fuego en el calor liberado.
«In the midst of these four Elements alcohol develops, which, however, is not identical with any of the Elements. This is our Mercury, which is therefore sometimes also designated as Quinta Essentia.» — y sitúa el alcohol fuera de esos cuatro: por eso se le llama a veces Quinta Essentia.
«An often-heard alchemical theorem is: The Quinta Essentia is none of the Four [Elements] but proves to be one of the Three» — el teorema que trae en apoyo, con el corchete editorial que el propio volumen imprime para completarlo.
«The sugar (that in the plants as well as that which is added), the solid or the fixed, becomes volatile (gas development); the life principle, on the contrary, becomes fixed by condensing into alcohol. Hence also the designation Aqua Vitae (water of life).» — lee la fermentación como inversión de lo fijo y lo volátil: el azúcar sólido se vuelve gas y el principio de vida se fija en alcohol.
«We must now distill off and concentrate (rectify) the alcohol that has arisen through fermentation, whereby it is cleansed of its excess water.» — declara el paso siguiente, rectificar el alcohol para quitarle el agua sobrante.
«The boiling point is that temperature at which a substance changes from the liquid to the gaseous state.» — define el punto de ebullición antes de apoyar en él toda la purificación.
«If we wish to separate two liquids with different boiling points, constant adherence to the boiling-point temperature of the lower-boiling liquid is sufficient. In this way only one of the two liquids can evaporate while the other remains in the fractionating flask, at least for the major part. Part of the higher-boiling liquid, however, is swept along in the evaporation of the lower-boiling one. The separation of the two liquids must therefore be repeated several times. The more strictly we keep to the temperature, the more successful the separation will be.» — el principio de la separación por temperatura, con su límite dentro: el arrastre del líquido de punto alto obliga a repetir la operación varias veces.
«We begin the purification of Mercury with the separation of the plant soup into a solid and a liquid part by filtration. We squeeze the solid parts firmly by hand so as to obtain the greatest possible amount of liquid.» — el primer paso de la purificación, filtrar y exprimir la sopa vegetal para sacarle todo el líquido.
«We then dry the remaining plant residue on a cloth or a fine net in a warm spot. We can also dry them in the sun, since the volatile constituents of the plants are gone.» — el secado del residuo sólido, con la razón por la que aquí ya vale el sol: lo volátil se fue.
«When the plant parts are dry, we keep them in a suitable container for later incineration and calcination, by means of which we obtain the Philosophical Salt» — y el destino de ese residuo seco, guardarlo para la incineración y la calcinación que darán la Sal Filosófica.
«As the escape of the vapor is retarded in these columns, the vapor of the liquid with the higher boiling point condenses before reaching the condenser and falls back.» — el papel de las columnas de fraccionamiento: retienen el vapor del líquido de punto alto y lo devuelven al matraz.
«Distillation in a water or oil bath is expedient as in this way the burning of the plants, or the forming of a ring in the flask, is prevented. When distilling combustible substances, an open flame must be avoided for safety.» — la indicación de destilar en baño, con dos razones: evita quemar la planta y aleja la llama de lo combustible.
«The boiling point of ethyl alcohol is 78° C at sea level; in higher altitudes it is somewhat lower.» — la cifra que gobierna la operación, con la corrección por altitud puesta en la misma frase.
«At the first distilling off of our Mercury, the temperature should not exceed 85° C. When nothing more comes over, the distillation is completed.» — el techo de temperatura de la primera destilación y el signo por el que se la da por terminada.
«The liquid residue in the fractionating flask is preserved.» — la instrucción de guardar el residuo líquido, que es la materia del Azufre fijo del tramo siguiente.
«The first distillate still contains a large amount of water as well as a small part of other alcohols and impurities. These are removed in the subsequent distillations.» — lo que trae todavía el primer destilado, y el remedio: destilar otra vez.
«First we discard the so-called first runnings that go over before the thermometer at the fractionating column indicates the boiling point of the ethyl alcohol, that is, 78° C. The substances of the first runnings all boil at lower temperatures than ethyl alcohol.» — la primera fracción que se descarta, con el criterio de temperatura que la define.
«We also keep back both the remaining water and the so-called fusel oils by a precise control of the temperature. Both water and fusel oils boil at a higher temperature than ethyl alcohol, and we regulate our equipment accordingly.» — y la fracción de cola, agua y aceites de fusel, que se retiene por el otro extremo de la escala.
«The use of proper columns facilitates fractionating, that is, the separation of ethyl alcohol from the other substances. With every distillation our distillate becomes purer. After about seven distillations we get a clean ethyl alcohol of high percentage, our Mercury.» — el rendimiento del método por repetición: unas siete destilaciones para un alcohol limpio y de alta graduación.
«In addition, some of the impurities can be removed with a charcoal filter. Continual purifying of Mercury through repeated distillations is called rectification.» — el filtro de carbón como complemento, y el nombre que da al ciclo entero de purificaciones sucesivas.
«As alcohol is strongly hygroscopic, we shall hardly obtain a 100 percent concentration. Through the process of freezing we can further separate the remaining water, since water freezes at 0° but ethyl alcohol only at –114°.» — el límite material del procedimiento y la vía del congelado, apoyada en la distancia entre los dos puntos de congelación.
«In chemistry still other processes are applied. The remaining water is bound by the addition of a certain amount of calcium oxide (CaO). Then we distill again. Likewise, sodium and magnesium are used in this way.» — enumera los procedimientos químicos que consiguen lo mismo con óxido de calcio, sodio o magnesio.
«“mineralize” the alcohol. (“The tears of Diana [Mercury] are determined.”» — la razón por la que la alquimia los prohíbe, dicha con una fórmula de la tradición: mineralizarían el alcohol, y las lágrimas de Diana quedarían fijadas.
«For our purposes the way of repeated distillations, possibly with a column, such as a Vigereux column, is quite adequate. The purified Mercury (approximately 95 percent alcohol) is preserved in a tightly closed bottle.» — su propia elección, la destilación repetida, con la graduación que declara alcanzable y la forma de guardarla.
«The classical masters already had a highly developed art of distillation. They distinguished, for instance, among the following:» — declara que los maestros clásicos ya tenían un arte de destilar muy desarrollado, y abre la lista de sus clases.
«Destillatio per ascensum (ascending distillation), which first forced the vapors to rise before they condensed» — la primera clase, la ascendente, definida por el recorrido que impone al vapor.
«Destillatio per descensum (descending distillation), which took the vapors immediately down without high rising» — la segunda, la descendente, que baja el vapor sin hacerlo subir.
«Destillatio per latus (lateral distillation), when the vapors went through a lateral horizontally affixed beak before they» — la tercera, la lateral, por un pico horizontal; el tramo corta donde la frase pasa a la línea siguiente.
«Destillatio per inclinationem (downward-inclined distillation), when the beak of a retort, for instance, was strongly inclined» — la cuarta, la inclinada hacia abajo, con el pico de retorta como ejemplo.
«Special mention is also made of the destillatio per alembicum (distillation over the alembic). We shall now examine various devices such as alembics.» — la quinta, la destilación por alambique, que anuncia como puerta al repertorio de aparatos del tramo siguiente.
«The installation shown in figure 20 is a classical fractionating installation, consisting of a furnace with a water bath.» — lee el grabado del horno con baño de María como instalación clásica de fraccionamiento.
«By adaptation to the conditions of the outdoor temperature and by regulation of the distance between the receivers and the furnace, the alchemical masters achieved very precise simultaneous fractionating.» — y le atribuye a esa disposición una precisión real: regulando distancia y temperatura ambiente, los maestros fraccionaban varias fracciones a la vez.
«The engraving in figure 20 has been taken from Johannes Isaac Hollandus’s Opera Vegetabilia (Vienna, 1773).» — identifica la fuente del grabado en el Opera Vegetabilia de Hollandus, con lugar y año de la edición que maneja.
«Of great significance in the classical distillation are the so-called alembics. In these heads the vapors could greatly expand before their condensation.» — explica por qué los alambiques importan en la destilación clásica: en esas cabezas el vapor podía expandirse antes de condensar.
«In the language of modern physics we would say the distance between the molecules was maximum.» — y traduce esa ventaja al vocabulario de la física moderna.
«The engraving shown in figure 21 is taken from Andreas Libavius’s work Alchymia, second» — identifica la fuente del segundo grabado en la Alchymia de Libavius; el tramo corta donde la frase pasa a la plana siguiente.
«We can see some accipientia (receptacles or recipients) and tradentia (transition receptacles).» — nombra en latín las dos clases de recipientes del grabado de Libavius, los que reciben y los que traspasan.
«The various forms of the alembic with beak, also often simply called Rostratus, are used for distilling and also for fractionating.» — identifica el alambique de pico, llamado Rostratus, y su doble uso para destilar y para fraccionar.
«(blind alembic) was also used in the rotation or distillation. We shall return to it later.» — y el alambique ciego, que reserva para la rotación, técnica que tratará en el capítulo octavo; el tramo arranca después del nombre latino partido por el marcador de plana.
«Let us now consider some collecting vessels (collectoria) (figure 22), which we can also call recipients or receptacles.» — presenta la serie de vasos colectores con su nombre latino y sus equivalentes modernos.
«Now let us look at some distillation installations from Libavius’s Alchymia. Figure 23 shows a Cinerarium or Arenarium, which is an ash-bath or sand-bath installation.» — identifica el grabado del Cinerarium o Arenarium, la instalación de baño de ceniza o de arena.
«The alchemical masters distinguished between four fire grades: Grade 1 is “Mary’s bath” (water bath); grade 2 is the ash bath; grade 3 is the sand bath; grade 4 is the open fire.» — la escala de los cuatro grados de fuego de los maestros, del baño de María al fuego abierto.
«“Distill in the second grade” therefore means “Distill in the ash bath.” The temperatures of the ash bath are considerably higher than those of the water bath.» — y su consecuencia para leer las recetas antiguas: el grado nombra el baño, no la temperatura.
«Because of its porosity, the ash bath permits low but constant temperatures.» — la razón física de esa escala: la ceniza, por porosa, mantiene temperaturas bajas y constantes.
«(distillation installation with coils or spiral tubes). It shows a water-bath distillation-installation whose first part is aircooled, while the second part is air- and water-cooled.» — identifica la instalación de serpentines y el reparto del enfriamiento entre aire y agua; el volumen imprime *air-cooled* partido por el corte de renglón y la extracción lo devuelve unido.
«The engraving in figure 25 shows a stufa sicca (dry furnace) with particularly large alembics. Such furnaces and alembics were also used for dry sublimation when no special sublimatorium was available.» — identifica la stufa sicca y le adjudica el oficio de sublimatorio de emergencia.
«The much-sought-after Sal Armoniac (Salt of the Wise) could thus be collected.» — y el producto que se recogía en ella, el Sal Armoniac o Sal de los Sabios.
«In figure 26 we have a so-called Pentathlum, a multipurpose appliance.» — identifica el Pentathlum como aparato de varios usos, que le servirá para explicar el fraccionamiento simultáneo.
«Figure 28 is a so-called Abacus (actually, table): a distillation table that allows for distilling with direct heating as well as with various baths. The beaks at the lowest places of the flasks provide the watery distillates, the beaks of the alembics the subtler ones.» — identifica la mesa de destilación llamada Abacus y lee el reparto de sus picos: los bajos dan lo acuoso, los del alambique lo sutil.
«All the installations just discussed represent fractionating equipment in one or another form. Not only were such installations used for the separation of various liquids from each other, but the decomposition of a liquid into different elements was thereby also realized.» — resume qué son todas esas instalaciones y añade lo que le interesa: servían además para descomponer un líquido en sus elementos.
«According to the alchemists, there exist different kinds of distilled water. During distillation the total quantity of the water to be distilled is divided into four Elements.» — abre la doctrina de las aguas destiladas: para los alquimistas la cantidad destilada se reparte en cuatro elementos.
«That is, distill 1,000 milliliters of water into four 250-ml batches. The first 25 percent of the total quantity that flows into the receiver are designated as the “fire of the water.” This amount (250 ml) represents the subtlest part of the water.» — la traduce a cifras: mil mililitros en cuatro tandas de doscientos cincuenta, y la primera es el fuego del agua.
«The second 25 percent form the “air of the water,” the third 25 percent are the “water of the water,” and the last 25 percent form the “earth of the water,” which we would look for at the lowest beak when using the Pentathlum.» — y reparte las tres restantes entre aire, agua y tierra del agua, con su lugar en los picos del Pentathlum.
«An appliance like the Pentathlum permits simultaneous fractionating. But we can also decompose a quantity of water by a successive separation of the Elements.» — distingue las dos maneras de hacerlo, simultánea con el Pentathlum o sucesiva.
«To do this, slow distillation (“sweating over”) is required, which allows the individual Elements to come forth one after another.» — la técnica de la vía sucesiva, el sudar suavemente, que deja salir los elementos uno tras otro.
«The decomposition of the water takes place automatically with right heating, provided the exact quantities are adhered to.» — sostiene que con calor correcto y cantidades exactas la descomposición se produce sola.
«Each of the distilled Elements can now be decomposed into the three Essentials, that is, into the three Philosophical Principles.» — y da el paso siguiente: cada elemento así obtenido se descompone a su vez en los tres principios.
«If we distill our 250 ml of “fire of the water,” we first obtain one-third (83.33 ml) of Mercury, then one-third of Sulfur, and finally one» — la aritmética de esa segunda descomposición, en tercios; el tramo corta donde la frase pasa a la línea siguiente.
«If we also continue the decomposition with the other Elements, we finally obtain four different Mercuries (one from each Element), four different Sulfurs, and four different Salia or Salts.» — el resultado del proceso entero: cuatro Mercurios, cuatro Azufres y cuatro Sales, uno por elemento.
«The Coagula (the joining of the separated constituents) of this work is now done in such a way that first all Mercuries are poured together, then all Sulfurs, and finally all Salia. Finally the three Essentials are again poured together, that is, first Mercury into Sal, then Sulfur into this mixture.» — el orden de la recomposición, que es el Coagula de esta obra: primero cada principio consigo mismo, luego los tres entre sí.
«As original material, thunderstorm water is recommended, for it “carries within itself the heavenly fire.” That is, rainwater collected during a thunderstorm with lightning.» — la materia de partida que recomienda, agua de tormenta, con la razón en la fórmula que él mismo entrecomilla.
«During the entire process we work exclusively with water. The above-described work is the production of a so-called Archaeus37 out of water, which is then used for specific purposes.» — declara que todo el trabajo se hace solo con agua y nombra su producto, el Archaeus; el numeral es la llamada a nota que el volumen imprime en el cuerpo.
«The quality of the fractions of the water differs somewhat from one to another. This can be proved by a sensitive analysis.» — sostiene que las fracciones del agua difieren en calidad y remite la prueba a un análisis sensible.
«Modern science smiles at such experiments. Water alchemy, however, is a specialized field to which many of the alchemical masters devoted a great deal of time.» — consigna la burla de la ciencia moderna y le opone que la alquimia del agua ocupó mucho tiempo a los maestros.
«Knowledge of the qualities of different waters is indispensable for many magisteries. For some May dew is prescribed, for others thunderstorm water.» — por qué importa: cada magisterio pide su agua, rocío de mayo para unos, agua de tormenta para otros.
«Lightning indeed transforms part of the nitrogen in the air into nitrogen compounds, which then reach the earth together with the rain. In this way every field receives a certain amount of fertilizer free of charge.» — el apoyo que da a esa preferencia por el agua de tormenta, tomado de la química del nitrógeno.
«The last engraving from Libavius shows the use of solar energy (figure 29). To the left we see a closed flask that is exposed to the rays of the sun reflected by a concave mirror.» — identifica el último grabado de Libavius, con el matraz expuesto al sol reflejado en un espejo cóncavo.
«It is a matter of a circulation or digestion caused by the reflection of the sunbeams.» — y nombra la operación que ese montaje realiza, circulación o digestión por reflexión.
«To the right we see a similar container that is exposed to the rays of the sun focused through a lens. Here an exaltation by refraction takes» — el segundo montaje, con lente en vez de espejo, para una exaltación por refracción; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«If we bear in mind that the alchemical masters did not even have the use of a thermometer, we must admire their distilling art, because they achieved quite difficult magisteries with relatively simple equipment.» — mide el mérito de los maestros por lo que les faltaba: sin termómetro alcanzaban magisterios difíciles.
«By experience the ancients had developed a very precise sensitiveness. Intuition and precise observation replaced the measuring instruments.» — y explica con qué lo suplían, con una sensibilidad afinada por la experiencia.
«At that same time Stradivari and Guarneri built their masterly musical instruments with very simple technical devices but with the greatest expertise. Their instruments have remained unequaled even to this day.» — el ejemplo con que lo cierra, los violines de Stradivari y Guarneri, que enlaza con el argumento de Cremona del capítulo primero.
«Did the masters know vacuum distillation? Basilius Valentinus writes in his Triumphal Chariot of Antimony:» — plantea la pregunta sobre el vacío y nombra la fuente en que la va a rastrear.
«and from the bath of the holy chaste Virgin Mary distill the vinegar down until a red-yellow, dry powder remains.» — de Basilio Valentín, *Triumphal Chariot of Antimony*: la destilación del vinagre en el baño de la Virgen María hasta polvo rojo amarillento.
«But this I tell you, when such an extraction is drawn out with the vinegar, and the vinegar is distilled off in the Women’s Bath, and thereafter the remaining powder is resolved in loco humido» — de Basilio Valentín, el segundo pasaje del mismo tratado, con el vinagre destilado en el Baño de las Mujeres y el polvo resuelto en lugar húmedo.
«Could vinegar, whose boiling point is 118° C, be distilled in the water bath at 100° C? It is only possible in a vacuum.» — el argumento con que lee esos dos pasajes: el vinagre hierve a ciento dieciocho grados y el baño de agua no pasa de cien, de modo que solo el vacío lo explica.
«In regard to using a vacuum, one must be careful not to draw out, through the pump, the essence sought for!» — la advertencia práctica que añade entre paréntesis: la bomba puede llevarse justamente la esencia buscada.
«Perhaps we now understand the significance of the fish bladder in the hand of the old man in figure 6. We have no further proof, and it would serve no useful purpose to indulge in speculation. Let us rather return to the continuation of our work.» — propone leer la vejiga de pez de la lámina del capítulo tercero como signo del vacío, y de inmediato retira la propuesta por falta de prueba.
«To obtain fixed Sulfur, we must evaporate the plant soup that remains after the distillation of Mercury. In this way we obtain a viscous mass reminiscent of honey or pitch, depending on the degree of the» — abre la sección del Azufre fijo: se obtiene evaporando la sopa vegetal que quedó tras destilar el Mercurio; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«It is only seldom used in this form; much more frequent is the use of the salts of the Sulfur, simply called “salts of Sulfur.”» — y aclara que la miel misma se usa poco: lo corriente es emplear las sales de ese Azufre.
«The salts of Sulfur, of which some are water-soluble, others insoluble in water, are obtained through incineration and subsequent calcination of the honey. Consequently, we put our honey into a suitable evaporating container such as a flameproof or heat-resistant glass dish and slowly heat it on a gas flame or electric hotplate.» — el camino de las sales del Azufre: incineración y calcinación de la miel fija, con el recipiente y la fuente de calor.
«A process interesting to observe now begins: the honey gradually turns darker and starts to throw bubbles and sputter. The contents of the dish look like a volcanic mass. A strong formation of smoke with a pungent smell evolves, and yellowish vapors escape from the bubbles bursting on the surface.» — describe lo que se ve durante la incineración, que es por donde el operador sabe que la cosa va.
«The mass becomes ever more subdued, until finally everything is black and hard. The whole spectacle strongly reminds us of volcanic activity, and after observing this we can understand why the mass is called Sulfur.» — y de esa escena de aspecto volcánico hace derivar el nombre mismo del principio.
«temperature of the heating, and gradually our vegetable Sulfur carbonizes. When it becomes quite hard, we can also grind it in a mortar. The carbonized fixed Sulfur is then calcined.» — el paso a la carbonización y la molienda antes de calcinar; el tramo arranca después del marcador de plana que parte la frase.
«In the language of chemistry, calcination means the decomposition of a chemico-organic compound through heat, while driving off carbon dioxide and water. In the language of alchemy, calcination means “making white like chalk.” The Greek word for calcination is titanosis from titanos, “chalk.”» — opone las dos definiciones de calcinar, la química y la alquímica, y da la etimología griega de la segunda.
«Right calcination requires much sensitiveness and experience. A number of mistakes can be made. If the temperature is too low, the calcination does not make headway; with too-high temperatures, certain components of the material being calcined will fuse.» — declara los dos errores posibles de la calcinación, por defecto y por exceso de temperatura.
«A long calcination at relatively low temperatures (400°–500° C) is always preferable to a brief violent one. At approximately 900° C the water-soluble salts melt, which would spoil the whole work.» — el rango de temperatura que prefiere y la cifra a partir de la cual se pierde el trabajo.
«Frequently, calcining takes place continuously for several days.» — y la duración que eso supone, de días seguidos.
«Thus the black mass gradually changes into a grayish-white ash. Alchemically viewed, calcination is a purification and pulverization by means of fire.» — el resultado de la operación bien llevada, con su lectura doctrinal: la calcinación es purificación y pulverización por fuego.
«Should it happen that our calcination temperature inadvertently gets too high and part of the salts melt, we can nevertheless save the situation by a clever method. Let us listen to some pertinent words by Johannes Isaac Hollandus» — anuncia el remedio para la calcinación pasada de temperatura y nombra a quien se lo presta.
«But should it happen that you heated too much through carelessness and the earth [in this text, the designation for the calcining matter] began to melt and turned into glass, your work would nevertheless not be totally spoiled» — de Johannes Isaac Hollandus, el arranque de esa corrección: aunque la tierra se haya vitrificado, la obra no está perdida; el corchete con la aclaración de qué nombra aquí *earth* lo intercala Junius.
«take it out, grind it small in an iron mortar, and subsequently grind it impalpably (quite fine) on stone with distilled vinegar, put it in a stone pot, pour on it distilled vinegar, and set it in the Balneum [water bath] for one day and night» — de Hollandus, la secuencia entera de la corrección, con los corchetes de traducción que Junius intercala en el texto.
«The feces are here the salts that are insoluble in water that are eliminated simultaneously with the correction of the wrong calcination.» — la lectura que Junius hace de *feces* en ese pasaje: son las sales insolubles, que la corrección elimina de paso.
«As is evident, the correction just mentioned is not so simple. It therefore pays to observe the right temperature.» — y su balance del remedio, que sirve de argumento para no necesitarlo: sale más a cuenta vigilar la temperatura.
«The alchemical masters distinguished between open and closed calcination (calcinatio aperta and calcinatio occlusa). With open calcination some of the volatile components are lost, among them, for instance, Sal Armoniacum, which is indispensable for some» — la distinción clásica entre calcinación abierta y cerrada, con lo que se pierde en la primera; el tramo corta donde la frase pasa a la línea siguiente.
«With closed calcination the whole process goes on hermetically sealed.» — y lo que define a la segunda, el hermetismo del recipiente.
«The ancients performed the closed calcination within a thick clay ball, which had to be firm and leakproof on all sides.» — cómo la hacían los antiguos, en una bola de arcilla firme y estanca por todos lados.
«When the clay ball was used, it was put into the open fire. It was to be surrounded on all sides by heat. (This procedure is widely used in Judaic alchemical work.» — el modo de calentarla y la tradición en que dice que ese procedimiento sigue vivo.
«Especially convenient for this work were the so-called reverberating furnaces, in which the flames could also sweep over the substances from above. The heating up had to be done gradually, and both the clay ball and its content had to be as dry as possible.» — los hornos de reverbero como los más cómodos para esa operación, con las dos condiciones de la maniobra.
«We shall now consider three classical calcining furnaces. The illustrations are taken from the previously mentioned Alchymia by Andreas Libavius.» — anuncia los tres hornos de calcinar que va a comentar y su fuente, la *Alchymia* de Libavius.
«In an electric enameling stove, closed calcination can easily be carried out by enclosing the calcining material between two identical, approximately hemispherical clay crucibles. The flat edges are cemented together with clay or loam or else secured with a strong clamp or wire.» — la versión moderna de la calcinación cerrada, con dos crisoles hemisféricos sellados en una mufla eléctrica.
«For the open calcination we spread the carbonized substance evenly over the bottom of the flameproof dish and heat from below. Slowly the contents of the container become grayish-white. Calcination often lasts several days; a slow oxidation process takes place.» — el procedimiento de la calcinación abierta, con su ritmo lento y su naturaleza de oxidación.
«When the white color does not get brighter, even after prolonged heating, the calcination is done. We turn the heating off and let the matter cool down. We now have before us the salts of the Sulfur.» — el criterio por el que se la da por terminada, que es de color y no de reloj.
«Often we can speed up the whitening by a clever technique: we sprinkle the gray ash with distilled water, then we calcine again.» — el truco para acelerar el blanqueo, rociar la ceniza gris con agua destilada y volver a calcinar.
«The two salts of Sulfur, the water-soluble one and that which is insoluble in water, must be separated from each other.» — abre la separación de las dos sales del Azufre, que es el paso siguiente.
«To do this, we pour approximately triple the quantity of distilled water over the white ash and stir well. If necessary, we heat slightly, or we let everything stand in moderate heat for a whole night. Subsequently, we filter the solution.» — el procedimiento de esa separación, con la proporción de agua destilada y los tiempos de reposo.
«with fresh distilled water, filtering each time. The filtrate is always added to the previously extracted salt solution.» — el lavado repetido de las heces para agotar la extracción; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«We can obtain a practically total extraction with the Soxhlet process discussed further below.» — y la alternativa que anuncia para hacerla completa, el proceso Soxhlet.
«Finally, the salts that are insoluble in water remain. They are also called Caput Mortuum (Death’s Head) and are not further used in many magisteries.» — nombra el residuo insoluble y consigna que muchos magisterios no lo emplean.
«The filtrate containing the water-soluble salts is corrosive on the tongue. It is strongly alkaline, and litmus paper is immediately colored intensely blue when moistened with it.» — las propiedades del filtrado que lleva las sales solubles, corrosivo al gusto y fuertemente alcalino.
«To make the water-soluble salts visible, we now evaporate the salt solution slowly at low temperatures, for example, in the sun or on a radiator. (Protect it from dust.) When all the water has evaporated, we find a white salt at the bottom of the container. It is the water-soluble salt of the Sulfur, also called the salt proper of the Sulfur.» — la evaporación lenta que hace visible la sal, con el sol o el radiador como fuente de calor y el aviso del polvo.
«The salt is strongly hygroscopic. In the open, humid air it would liquefy in a short time, and we therefore put it in a tightly closed glass for storage.» — la higroscopicidad de esa sal y la conservación que exige.
«It happens occasionally that the salt solution extracted from the calcined ash shows a yellowish-orange streak that can go as far as a brownish tint. In this case the duration of the calcination was not adequate, and we must calcine the salt once more after drying it.» — el signo de una calcinación corta, la veta anaranjada, y la manera de corregirla.
«If we wish also to purify the salts that are insoluble in water, we must wash them in distilled water until the litmus paper no longer shows any alkaline reaction» — el criterio para dar por limpias las sales insolubles, medido con papel tornasol.
«The melting point, too, is so high (about 1600° C) that there is no danger of unintentional melting.» — por qué el secado de esas sales admite más calor: su punto de fusión está muy alto.
«At the end we have before us a light gray powder that is not hygroscopic and has a limelike taste.» — el aspecto y el sabor del producto insoluble ya seco.
«To separate the water-soluble salts from those that are insoluble we can also use a Soxhlet Extractor» — propone el extractor Soxhlet como alternativa para la misma separación.
«The white calcined ash is put into a paper thimble, which is then set into the extraction chamber (A) of the Soxhlet Extractor.» — cómo se carga el aparato, con la ceniza calcinada en un dedal de papel.
«Slowly the surface of the liquid rises in the extraction chamber A; as soon as it reaches point D, a reflux of the salt solution follows automatically into the flask over the siphon D, and the whole process begins anew.» — el ciclo del Soxhlet descrito por su sifón, que lo hace recomenzar solo.
«As only the water evaporates, the content of the extraction thimble is continually washed» — y el principio en que se apoya: como solo se evapora el agua, el dedal se lava una y otra vez.
«If the temperature and the flow of the cooling water have once been regulated, we can leave the equipment to work unattended for a longer period.» — la ventaja que le reconoce: regulado una vez, el equipo trabaja sin vigilancia durante horas.
«Finally, we evaporate the concentrated solution in the flask, as mentioned before, and in this way obtain our water-soluble salts of Sulfur.» — el destino del líquido concentrado, evaporarlo para obtener las sales solubles del Azufre.
«We remove the thimble from the extractor and dry the contents to a light gray powder, which we keep as the Caput Mortuum of the Sulfur.» — y el del dedal, secarlo para quedarse con el Caput Mortuum del Azufre.
«We obtain the Salt proper, also called Sal Salis (Salt of the Salt), representing the third Philosophical Principle, from the remaining solid plant residue.» — abre la sección del tercer principio: la Sal propia sale del residuo sólido de la planta.
«For this reason it is also called the Salt of the Body, while the Sal Sulphuris (Salt of Sulfur) is also designated as Salt of the Soul.» — y su nombre doctrinal frente al de la sal del Azufre, Sal del Cuerpo contra Sal del Alma.
«Our now-dry plant residues are therefore first reduced to ash in a flameproof dish, and the ash is subsequently calcined.» — la operación para obtenerla, incineración y calcinación del residuo ya seco.
«The process is the same as that described in connection with the preparation of the salts of Sulfur: again we obtain a white, strongly hygroscopic salt (the Salt proper), and a certain amount of light gray Caput Mortuum. We preserve both substances in closed glasses.» — declara que el procedimiento es el mismo que el de las sales del Azufre y da sus dos productos.
«Our separation of the plant into its three Philosophical Principles is completed.» — declara terminada la separación de la planta en sus tres principios.
«There they now stand in front of us, the three Essentials of our plant, in their purified form. We store them in six different glasses.» — y hace el inventario: los tres principios de una planta ocupan seis frascos, porque cada sal se parte en dos.
«Mercury, a pure, high-proof plant spirit, an alcohol that is volatile and colorless.» — el primero de los tres, el Mercurio, descrito por lo que se ve en el frasco.
«Mercury connects and mediates. Water as well as essential oils are soluble in ethyl alcohol, while the essential oils float on top of the water. As Mercury generates both, they all dissolve into one another, just as metals (iron excepted) dissolve into quicksilver.» — su oficio doctrinal, ligar y mediar, apoyado en que en él se disuelven por igual el agua y los aceites.
«With quicksilver we can amalgamate metals. Ethyl alcohol “amalgamates” in the plant world and is therefore considered the Mercury or the quicksilver of the plant kingdom.» — la analogía de la amalgama que da nombre al principio: el alcohol etílico hace en el reino vegetal lo que el azogue con los metales.
«Sulfur, which consists of a volatile and a fixed (solid) part. Essential oil forms the volatile part of Sulfur. This oil has an» — el segundo principio, el Azufre, con su parte volátil identificada en el aceite esencial; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«The essential oil is, so to speak, the essence of the “personality” of the plant concerned. The volatile essential oil is combustible. It is heat-related, which can be recognized by the diathermy discussed here.» — lo que ese aceite es para la planta, la esencia de su personalidad, y el rasgo físico que lo delata.
«From the fixed Sulfur we have prepared the salts of Sulfur: a white, water-soluble salt that is strongly hygroscopic and corrosive on the tongue, and a salt that is insoluble in water and light gray, the Caput Mortuum of the fixed Sulfur, which is not hygroscopic and has a lime» — los dos productos de la parte fija del Azufre, con su comportamiento ante la humedad y su sabor; el tramo corta donde el volumen parte *limelike* por el corte de renglón.
«evaporated “honey.” But this is only used in a few preparations.» — la tercera forma en que podría guardarse el Azufre fijo, la miel evaporada, y su uso escaso; el tramo arranca después del marcador de plana que parte la frase.
«In some magisteries it is important for the volatilization of the Sal Salis. We shall return to it in the discussion of the Circulatum Minus.» — y el caso en que esa miel sí importa, la volatilización de la Sal Salis, que remite al capítulo décimo.
«The bipartite Salt. As with the Salt of Sulfur, we have gotten a water-soluble one, the Sal Salis, and one that is insoluble in water, the Caput Mortuum of the Salt. The water-soluble one is white like that of the Sulfur, is hygroscopic, and tastes corrosive; the Caput Mortuum of the Salt is light gray and tastes limelike, just like that of the Sulfur.» — el tercer principio dividido en dos, la Sal Salis soluble y el Caput Mortuum de la Sal, con los mismos rasgos de color y sabor que las sales del Azufre.
«If we have worked correctly, we can obtain an idea of the quantities of the Philosophical Principles we can expect of a plant by weighing the substances accurately. We record these quantities in writing, so as to compare them with the data from other plants.» — lo que el pesado exacto permite saber, y para qué: hacerse una idea de cuánto principio da cada planta y poder compararla con otras.
«Of course, we can only determine the quantity of Mercury to be expected if we have fermented with sugar.» — y el límite de esa medida, que él mismo pone: la cifra del Mercurio solo vale si se fermentó con azúcar.
«The exact keeping of a laboratory diary should be the duty of every practicing spagyrist.» — convierte el diario de laboratorio en obligación de todo espagirista en ejercicio, no en costumbre recomendable.
«We have now effected the Solve. What about the Coagula? We shall hear about it in chapter 11. In the meantime, we will carefully preserve our Philosophical Principles.» — cierra el capítulo quinto declarando hecho el Solve y aplazando el Coagula al capítulo undécimo.
«The stars are healed by the stars. —PARACELSUS» — el epígrafe con que abre el capítulo sexto, atribuido a Paracelso: los astros curan por los astros.
«Paracelsus was of the opinion that every physician should simultaneously be an alchemist and an astrologer:» — declara la tesis del capítulo poniéndola en boca de Paracelso: médico, alquimista y astrólogo son el mismo oficio.
«Therefore he must judge the medicine according to the stars, in order to understand the higher and the lower stars. Medicine is without value if it is not from Heaven; it must be from Heaven.» — de Paracelso, *Paragranum*: la medicina que no viene del cielo no vale nada, y por eso hay que juzgarla según los astros.
«For example, everything concerning the brain is brought to the brain by the moon, everything concerning the heart is brought to it by the sun. In this manner the kidneys are ruled by Venus, the liver by Jupiter, the gall by Mars.» — de Paracelso, en el mismo pasaje, el reparto de órganos entre los planetas que el capítulo desarrollará: cerebro y Luna, corazón y Sol, riñones y Venus, hígado y Júpiter, hiel y Marte.
«Astrology. This science teaches and interprets according to the whole of the firmament, how its relations are to the earth and man, according to the original order, and what is the relation between man, the earth, and the stars.» — de Paracelso, *Hermetic Astronomy*, la definición de astrología por su objeto: la relación entre el hombre, la tierra y los astros según el orden original.
«Astrology is closely linked with alchemy. Both sciences work with common symbols. Thus, for instance, planetary signs are used for metals in alchemistic texts» — liga astrología y alquimia por los símbolos compartidos, y da como prueba los signos planetarios usados para los metales; el tramo corta antes de los signos dibujados a mano, que el troceo no recoge.
«Both sciences see the effect of archetypal forces behind the spiritsoul-material manifestation of the universe, which form the foundation of the order (the “original order” of Paracelsus» — y por la doctrina: las dos ven fuerzas arquetípicas detrás de la manifestación del universo; el volumen parte *spirit-soul-material* por el corte de renglón y la extracción lo devuelve unido.
«On the other hand, the Coagula of alchemy is ever the great synthesis, which fits the separate constituents back into the whole, just as in the last analysis astrology represents a holistic view that considers both the separate organs and forces in man in their reciprocal action and the whole of man in connection with the cosmos.» — empareja el Coagula alquímico con la mirada de conjunto de la astrología, que considera a la vez el órgano y el hombre entero en el cosmos.
«Nobody can seriously doubt that there exists a connection between all single things in the universe. Astrology is studying these connections to make them available to cognition and prediction. In this respect astrology has much in common with meteorology.» — enuncia el supuesto de todo el capítulo, la conexión entre todas las cosas, y le pone a la astrología el oficio de estudiarla; la compara con la meteorología.
«A special sensation was created by the studies about the “moon punctuality” of the palolo worm that dwells in the coral reefs of the Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, and Gilbert islands. The inhabitants of these islands equip their boats twice a year to experience a spectacle that is repeated with astronomical punctuality.» — el primer caso que trae, la puntualidad lunar del palolo en los arrecifes del Pacífico.
«In the early-morning hours before daybreak, on the day before the last quarter of the moon in October and November, the approximately 25-centimeter-long abdomens of the worms’ bodies become detached and swarm to the surface of the sea, where the evacuation and assimilation of germinal matters take place.» — el detalle del fenómeno, con la fase, los meses y la hora en que ocurre.
«At the time of the full moon, the ovaries of the sea urchins of the Mediterranean reach their maximum growth.» — un segundo caso, los erizos del Mediterráneo y su máximo ovárico en luna llena.
«The charts obtained by this method show marked changes at the time of the conjunctions of the planet that rules the corresponding salts when compared with the charts that did not arise during the conjunctions.» — recoge de los ensayos de Kolisko el hallazgo que le interesa: las cartas capilares cambian en las conjunciones del planeta que rige cada sal.
«The results of these examinations are of double importance: not only could the relation between planets and metallic salts be proved, but the results are at the same time evidence that the connection of metals with specific planets, as it was taught by the ancients, is right» — y saca de ahí una consecuencia doble, que enlaza metales y planetas como lo enseñaba la tradición; el tramo corta antes del punto final.
«About twenty-seven years ago, the French statistician Michel Gauquelin began his collection of ten thousand astrological data from medical doctors, politicians, sportsmen, artists, and members of the armed forces, with the aim of refuting astrological ideas.» — el caso de Gauquelin, presentado por su propósito declarado, que era refutar la astrología.
«In spite of his publicly admitted negative attitude toward astrology, this investigation ended with a confession of positive, statistically provable findings that support astrology.» — y el resultado que le atribuye, contrario a esa intención de partida.
«Gauquelin’s investigations likewise support the view held by astrology that hereditary factors can be recognized in a horoscope. He has discovered statistically important connections between the astrological positions of parents and children.» — lo que además le adjudica sobre la herencia, con posiciones de padres e hijos relacionadas estadísticamente.
«Too high a valuation of statistics alone may be problematic in connection with the stratification and the infinite possibilities of variation of the planetary positions. It would be presumptuous to believe that such a differentiated consideration as the astrological rests only on statistics, since every horoscope belongs to an individual personality.» — pone su propia reserva al método estadístico: el horóscopo es de una persona, y la estadística no agota esa diferenciación.
«Nevertheless, statistical investigations in this connection have their worth, at least in part.» — y no la retira del todo: concede a esas investigaciones un valor parcial.
«John H. Nelson, electro-engineer at RCA, has discovered that magnetic storms harmful to health occur when planets stand at angles of 0°, 90°, and 180° to each other.» — el caso de Nelson, con las tormentas magnéticas ligadas a los ángulos duros entre planetas.
«Professor A. L. Tchijensky at the University of Moscow and later Dr. Robert O. Becker of the Syracuse Veterans Hospital have discovered that historic epidemics of typhus, cholera, smallpox, and the plague occurred at the time of maximum sunspot activity.» — el caso de Tchijensky y Becker, con las epidemias históricas coincidiendo con los máximos de manchas solares.
«Dr. Maki Takata of Toho University, Tokyo, could prove that the composition of human blood changes with the eleven-year sunspot rhythm.» — el caso de Takata, con la composición de la sangre siguiendo el ciclo de once años.
«In 1970, Jan Gerhard Toonder and John Anthony West began the attempt to critically examine astrology. Here now is their verdict after the conclusion of their research.» — presenta a Toonder y West por su punto de partida crítico, antes de citar su conclusión.
«It is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid the impression that Pythagoras, Plato, Plotinus, Ptolemy, Thomas Aquinas, Albertus Magnus, and Johannes Kepler were right in their assessment of astrology, at least in principle, while all of modern science is wrong.» — de Toonder y West, la conclusión que Junius reproduce, con la lista de autoridades antiguas y modernas puesta frente a la ciencia entera.
«The situation of astrology is not unlike that of serious alchemy. Many old views are now confirmed by modern research, whereby old symbolic concepts are often replaced by modern ideas and discussed in a language adapted to those ideas. Whether this always brings about a clarification is another question.» — empareja la situación de la astrología con la de la alquimia seria y deja abierta la pregunta de si el vocabulario moderno aclara algo.
«After all that has been said, it seems natural that spagyrics leans closely on cosmic rhythms.» — y de todo eso deriva el vínculo entre espagiria y ritmos cósmicos.
«For the classification of medicinal plants. Every medicinal plant possesses the powers of specific planets to a more or less greater degree. As with certain organs in the human body, certain parts of plants can come under the influence of one specific planet, others under that of another planet, although one or two planets always rule the whole plant.» — el segundo uso que da a la astrología, clasificar las plantas medicinales, con el matiz de que unas partes pueden ir a un planeta y otras a otro.
«A species is therefore always classified according to the strongest influence. In this connection alchemists speak of the Doctrine of Signatures.» — y el criterio de adjudicación, la influencia más fuerte, que es lo que los alquimistas llaman doctrina de las signaturas.
«In the preparation of tinctures, essences, circulata, and so on, especially at the beginning of the work, the spagyrist conforms to the planetary rhythms. Specific signs of the zodiac and their ruling planets are connected with specific works. In some cases, the positions of the moon are of significance (particularly in plant spagyrics); in others, the so-called planetary hours are important; for others again, the precise horoscope of the moment is consulted.» — el tercer uso, el momento de la preparación, con las tres formas de determinarlo: posiciones de la Luna, horas planetarias u horóscopo exacto.
«Even if spagyric preparations are therapeutic per se, “going with the stars” can improve the results, according to the traditional view.» — acota el alcance de todo el capítulo: la preparación espagírica cura por sí misma, y el concierto con los astros solo mejora el resultado.
«It is the same with sailing. Even with little wind one can make headway by clever maneuvers, but things go better with a more favorable wind and the proper sail.» — el símil de la vela con que lo dice, que deja el ritmo astral como viento favorable y no como condición.
«For all that, we should always listen to the view that says that the “plane above the stars” can be reached through absolute seriousness and devotion.» — y le pone encima otro plano: el que se alcanza por seriedad y entrega absolutas, por encima de los astros.
«Paracelsus says that the highest form of medicine is love. In this case medicine can become free of karma.» — atribuye a Paracelso la fórmula que remata esa salvedad, con el amor como forma más alta de medicina y la medicina liberada del karma.
«Beyond Saturn, the “Guardian of the Threshold,” the “octaves” begin, to which belong Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and not yet officially discovered planets.» — sitúa a Saturno como guardián del umbral y llama octavas a los planetas transaturninos, que aquí sí nombra.
«ancients divided the planets into “benefactors” and “malefactors.” They likewise spoke of “good” or “evil” aspects. Modern astrology prefers the designations “synthetic” and “analytic” aspects.» — recoge la división antigua de los planetas en benéficos y maléficos y la traduce al vocabulario que hoy prefiere la astrología; el tramo arranca donde el volumen imprime la palabra suelta en su renglón.
«Before we turn to the rhythms, let us survey the planets and their zodiacal signs with the organs, plants, and works belonging to them.» — anuncia el orden en que va a exponer los siete planetas, con órganos, plantas y obras.
«As the center of our solar system, the Sun contains the elements from which plants were formed in a highly ionized form (plasma stage), that is, in the fourth state of aggregation of matter.» — abre por el Sol, descrito en el estado de plasma que llama cuarta forma de agregación de la materia.
«All life is sustained by the radiation of light and warmth from the Sun.» — la afirmación más simple del tramo, y la que sostiene el resto.
«The Sun generates extraordinarily strong magnetic fields. According to the findings of the Pioneer (deep space probe) expeditions, the Sun’s magnetic field reaches the orbit of Pluto in the form of a solar wind.» — el campo magnético solar medido por las sondas Pioneer, que trae como respaldo físico de la doctrina.
«Depending on their size and elements, the individual planets transform solar energy into specific energy flows that then reach the earth.» — y el papel que da a los planetas en ese esquema: transforman la energía solar en flujos específicos que llegan a la tierra.
«For example, solar energy is partly manifested by electricity, which is solar power reflected by the planet Uranus.» — el ejemplo con que lo ilustra, la electricidad como energía solar reflejada por Urano.
«The Sun rules the mind and willpower, energy, vitality, wholeness and self-integration, dominion, organization, and power in general.» — lo que el Sol rige en el orden del ánimo, de la voluntad al poder.
«column, health and vitality in general, and the heart meridian of acupuncture; in addition, the distribution of heat in the body, the thymus gland, the pons Varolii (function: control of the breath), and the eyes (especially the right eye of man and the left of woman).» — y en el orden fisiológico, con el meridiano cardíaco de la acupuntura y los ojos repartidos por sexo; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«Together with Saturn and the signs of Virgo and Scorpio, the Sun rules the spleen. The energies transformed by the spleen are carried to the solar plexus, from where they spread over the whole body.» — el bazo, que reparte con Saturno y dos signos, y el recorrido de su energía por el plexo solar.
«The image of the Sun is masculine, conscious, and libido-like. The diseases associated with the Sun are organic, constitutional, and structural.» — la imagen del Sol y la clase de enfermedades que le adjudica.
«The Sun’s metal is gold (in the Indian view also copper). Its zodiacal sign is the Lion.» — su metal, con la variante india consignada al lado, y su signo.
«Its fragrance is olibanum incense, its precious stones are the cat’s eye (chrysolith) and, in the Indian view, the ruby.» — su perfume y sus piedras, otra vez con la variante india.
«Althaea officinalis: marshmallow (with Jupiter and Venus) Anagallis arvensis: common scarlet pimpernel (with Jupiter)» — las dos primeras entradas del catálogo de plantas solares, con la notación entre paréntesis que reparte una planta entre varios planetas.
«The entire family of the labiates is heat- and Sun-related; likewise, and especially, the essential oils that represent volatile Sulfur (Apollo).» — la afirmación de conjunto que cierra el catálogo solar: la familia de las labiadas entera es solar, y con ella los aceites esenciales que son el Azufre volátil.
«Therapeutic effects of the solar plants are toning up, heating, and diaphoretic, affecting the circulation, heart, thymus, spleen, and eyes.» — y los efectos terapéuticos que atribuye a las plantas solares, con los órganos que gobiernan.
«The Moon is the only satellite of the Earth. It reflects the light and other energies of the Sun, which it gathers and carries through the twelve signs of the zodiac during a synodical month.» — abre la sección lunar por la astronomía: la Luna recoge la luz del Sol y la lleva por los doce signos en un mes sinódico.
«The Moon influences the water on the Earth through high and low tides. The new moon and the full moon cause high tide, while the flood stays lower during the quarters of the moon.» — su acción sobre las aguas, con las mareas repartidas entre lunaciones y cuartos.
«At the Full Moon the chances for hemorrhages and births increase. At the New Moon nocturnal activity is slight; at the Full Moon it is great.» — lo que atribuye a la luna llena en hemorragias, partos y actividad nocturna.
«the feelings, rhythms, instincts, reflection, passivity, motherliness, family, and heritage.» — lo que la Luna influye en el orden anímico, de los sentimientos a la herencia familiar; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«Subject to the Moon are the stomach and the esophagus, the breasts, the womb and the ovaries, menstruation, the body fluids (e.g., the blood serum), the urinary bladder, the cerebellum, the pancreas, and the memory.» — los órganos que le sujeta, con los líquidos corporales y la memoria entre ellos.
«The Moon is related to the eyes (to the left eye of man and the right eye of woman), the brain, saliva, glandular secretion, sensuality, the thyroid gland (with Mercury and the sign of Scorpio), the tonsils (with the sign of Taurus), the lachrymal mechanism, and the transformation of fluids.» — lo que le relaciona sin sujetarle, con los ojos repartidos por sexo al revés que en el Sol.
«The Moon’s image is feminine, changeable, motherly, familiar. Bright and dark traits are mixed, on the one hand benevolence and motherliness, on the other wildness and raw instincts. The Moon has a dark side.» — la imagen de la Luna, con los dos lados dentro: benevolencia e instinto crudo.
«Diseases associated with the Moon are periodically recurring illnesses, irregular menses, as well as diseases of the lunar organs. At the Full Moon epileptics, somnambulists, and hysterical or nervous persons are influenced unfavorably.» — las enfermedades lunares, definidas por su ritmo antes que por su órgano, y los estados que la llena agrava.
«Lunar metals and minerals are silver, moonstone (selenite), pearls, and amber. Scents are melon, jasmine (according to another view, jasmine has more Jovian qualities), hyssop, and poppy. The zodiacal sign is Cancer.» — sus metales, piedras y perfumes, con la discrepancia sobre el jazmín consignada entre paréntesis y sin arbitrar, y su signo.
«Plants That Come Especially under the Dominion of the Moon The whole plant world is especially subject to the moon.» — la afirmación de conjunto que precede al catálogo lunar: el mundo vegetal entero está sujeto a la Luna.
«Penetrating into the earth, I sustain all creatures by My strength; By becoming the moon full of juices, I nourish all plants.» — del *Bhagavad Gītā*, en la estrofa que Junius intercala para sostener esa afirmación: el dios se vuelve luna llena de jugos y nutre a las plantas.
«Therapeutic effect of the lunar plants: many food plants, alterative, cooling, moisturizing, enzymic, and promoting fermentation.» — los efectos terapéuticos que atribuye a las plantas lunares, con la fermentación entre ellos.
«Of all the planets, Mercury is nearest to the Sun. In horoscopes it can never be farther than 28° from the Sun, and it is therefore only visible as the morning or evening star.» — abre la sección de Mercurio por la astronomía, con la elongación máxima que lo deja visible solo al alba o al ocaso.
«The magnetic field of Mercury resembles that of the Earth. The planet reflects the light of the Sun, infrared rays, and radio waves, like the Moon.» — su campo magnético y lo que refleja, comparado con la Luna.
«Mercury is the mediator, the messenger of the gods; the Romans also considered Mercury the god of commerce.» — el papel mitológico de Mercurio, mensajero y, entre los romanos, dios del comercio.
«As a hermaphrodite he stands between the polarized sexes, ambivalent and unreliable, dry and cold if masculine, humid and cold if feminine.» — su condición hermafrodita, con las cuatro cualidades repartidas según el sexo que tome.
«As the Egyptian Hermes Trismegistus (Thoth), he invented language and writing and ranked as the patron of the medical art.» — la identificación con Hermes Trimegisto y Thoth, inventor de la lengua y patrón del arte médico.
«Under Mercury come the intellect, mediation, transmission, and translation, mental and nervous processes, speech and writing, dexterity, ambivalence, and the distribution of energies.» — lo que rige en el orden mental, del intelecto a la distribución de las energías.
«The planet rules the nervous system (with Uranus), the ears, hearing, the tongue, speech, the vocal organs; especially the nerves of the arms, the abdomen, the cerebrospinal nerves of the brain (with the Moon), the bronchia, respiration, coordination between body and mind, reason, the feet, the nerves of the sex and urinary organs, the thyroid, the hands, the legs, and the heart, the optical nerve, the invisible “nerve fluids,” the motor nerves, the larynx, the lungs, the mental abilities (with the Moon, Uranus, and Neptune), and the spinal cord. The Sun-like cerebrum and the Moon-like cerebellum are linked by the Mercurial pons.» — los órganos que gobierna, con el sistema nervioso a la cabeza y el puente de Varolio como bisagra entre cerebro solar y cerebelo lunar.
«Mercury has its image as the messenger of the gods, the healer, and mediator, but also as the planetary genius of magic and trickery. Its symbols are the winged sandals and the caduceus.» — la imagen de Mercurio, con el genio de la magia y del engaño puesto junto al del sanador.
«The diseases associated with Mercury are mainly disturbances that are in each case connected with the organs ruled by the zodiacal signs in which the planet is at the time. As the planet is capable of changing, the kind of disturbance greatly depends on the other planets with which Mercury is connected.» — por qué sus enfermedades no se dejan fijar: dependen del signo en que esté y de los planetas con que se relacione.
«Metals and minerals of Mercury are quicksilver, topaz, opal, tourmaline, peridot, and, in the view of the Indians and also of Agrippa, the emerald. Mercurial scents are all kinds of wormwood, narcissus, anise, and parsley. Its zodiacal signs are Gemini and Virgo.» — sus metales, piedras y perfumes, con la variante india y agripiana de la esmeralda, y sus dos signos.
«Typical effects of Mercurial medicinal plants are changes of mind, effects on the brain and the nervous system» — los efectos terapéuticos de las plantas mercuriales; el tramo corta donde el volumen parte *menstruation-regulating* por el corte de renglón.
«Venus is approximately as big as the Earth. Its longest distance from the sun is 47°. Through its dense carbon dioxide atmosphere it reflects sunlight strongly. After the Sun and the Moon, it is the brightest celestial body.» — abre la sección de Venus por la astronomía, con su atmósfera de dióxido de carbono y su brillo.
«It is the only planet to rotate in reverse direction. On Venus the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Venus is visible as the morning and the evening star. The Venusian surface proper is hidden under a thick coat of clouds. Venus is therefore considered the ruler of occult intelligence.» — su rotación retrógrada y su superficie oculta bajo nubes, de donde le viene el gobierno de la inteligencia oculta.
«As Ishtar or Ashtaroth, Venus was the goddess of sexual love in Babylon, as Aphrodite in Greece. The Greeks distinguished between the ordinary and the celestial Aphrodite. The first ruled over love between man and woman, the second over homosexual love.» — la genealogía mitológica de Venus, con la distinción griega entre las dos Afroditas.
«With the Hebrews, the Phoenicians, the Egyptians, and the Indians, Venus was male. With the Indians, Venus (Sanskrit Śukra) is the teacher and physician of the Titans.» — y la variante que la hace masculina en cuatro tradiciones, con Śukra como maestro y médico de los Titanes.
«According to the Mahābhārata epic poem, Śukra possessed the elixir of immortality, with which he could raise the dead to new life.» — lo que el *Mahābhārata* le atribuye a Śukra, el elixir de inmortalidad que resucita muertos.
«Among those who received the elixir were his mother and Kaca, a son of Bṛhaspati (Jupiter), who had fallen in love with Śukra’s daughter Jayanti. According to Indian tradition, the planet Śukra has sixteen rays.» — el relato de a quiénes alcanzó ese elixir, y los dieciséis rayos que la tradición india da al planeta.
«Venus is strongly related to alchemy. This planet rules the arts, harmony, proportion, affection, and the ability to integrate separate things into a whole and to mediate between opposites (sign of Libra). The tendency of Venus is toward cozy relaxation. Venus is likewise strongly related to music.» — declara a Venus emparentada con la alquimia y le adjudica las artes, la proporción y la mediación entre opuestos.
«Venus rules over the metamorphosis of the cells, the reproduction and enrichment of the substances, the formation of tissue, the selection and transformation of substances in the cells, the preservation of the body, the complexion, the relaxation of tissue, the face, the cheeks, the chin, the upper lip, the abdomen, the throat, the kidneys, and the parathyroid glands (which act as intermediaries and stabilizers for the muscles, the formation of nerves, and nervous energy, and decisively influence the calcium metabolism by their hormone), the thymus gland, the stomach veins, the appetite, the breasts, germination, the chyle (chylus) in the intestines, the diuretic and emetic processes, the eustachian tube, exosmosis, fermentation,» — lo que Venus rige en el orden fisiológico, con el metabolismo del calcio por vía paratiroidea entre sus dominios; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«Something has already been said above about the image of Venus (Ishtar-Aphrodite-Śukra). No influence of Venus or Jupiter could in any way promote disease, which is only promoted through critical aspects of other planets.» — la regla que exime a Venus y a Júpiter de causar enfermedad por sí mismos, y traslada la causa a los aspectos de otros planetas.
«A badly configured Venus promotes diseases of the uterus and the sexual organs as well as of the kidneys. Diseases promoted by intemperance and excesses are Venusian.» — y su reverso, lo que una Venus mal configurada favorece, con los excesos entre sus causas.
«Venusian metals and minerals are copper, pink corals, jade, and, according to the Indian tradition, diamonds. The zodiacal signs are Taurus and Libra. Venusian scents are sandalwood, storax (Taurus), and galbanum (Libra).» — sus metales, piedras, signos y perfumes, con el reparto de los dos perfumes entre Tauro y Libra.
«Achillea millefolium: yarrow Ajuga reptans: bugle Alchemilla vulgaris: lady’s mantle» — las tres primeras entradas del catálogo de plantas venusinas, con la nomenclatura binomial y el nombre común.
«Therapeutic effects of Venusian plants are alterative, diuretic, antinephritic, emollient, emetic, and harmonizing.» — los efectos terapéuticos que atribuye a las plantas venusinas; el volumen parte *antinephritic* por el corte de renglón y la extracción lo devuelve unido.
«Mars, the first of the outer planets, has two moons, Daimos and Phobos. The red-orange surface of the planet consists mainly of iron and aluminum. In 687 days Mars revolves around the Sun; in 780 days it runs through the zodiac.» — abre la sección de Marte por la astronomía, con sus dos lunas y la composición férrica de su superficie.
«The effect of Mars is violent, accelerating, and intensifying. Mars is the active principle, dynamic energy. If well applied, the Martian forces are constructive; if uncontrolled, they result in destruction.» — lo que atribuye a su efecto, y el matiz que lo salva: bien aplicada, la fuerza marciana construye; sin control, destruye.
«Physiologically, Mars rules the muscular system, the red corpuscles, the body heat, and the combustion processes in the body, the sexual organs, the suprarenal capsules, and, together with the Sun and Jupiter, the formation of blood. From food it absorbs the iron that it transmits to the blood.» — los órganos que rige y la operación que le adjudica sobre el hierro del alimento, que es la signatura de su metal.
«The Sun and Mars together bring vitality, initiative, and courage. Mars also shares in the vital processes» — lo que aporta junto al Sol y los signos con que comparte los procesos vitales; el tramo corta donde la frase pasa a la plana siguiente.
«Mars also influences the motor nerves, the left half of the brain, the gall, the fibrin in the blood, the rectum, and the astral body.» — lo que influye además, con el cuerpo astral incluido en la lista.
«According to Paracelsus, Mars rules over the polarity between the brain pole (Aries) and the sexual organs (Scorpio), that is, the beginning and end of the serpent power.» — de Paracelso, la polaridad marciana entre el polo cerebral de Aries y los órganos sexuales de Escorpión, leída como los dos extremos de la fuerza serpentina.
«Mars further rules over the diaphragm, the left ear, the purging processes, the head and head injuries, inflammations, and surgical treatments.» — el resto de sus dominios, con las inflamaciones y la cirugía entre ellos.
«The image of Mars is male, aggressive, warlike (martial), and intensely sexual, with the so-called animal magnetism.» — la imagen de Marte, con el magnetismo animal al final de la serie.
«Diseases associated with Mars are inflammations of all kinds, smallpox, scarlet fever, typhus, high blood pressure, acute pains,» — las enfermedades marcianas, todas agudas y de curso rápido; el tramo corta antes de la coma que abre el resto de la lista.
«Martian metals and minerals are iron, steel, cinnabar, ruby, and dark red corals. Martian scents are mustard, garlic, cypress, and sulfur.» — sus metales, piedras y perfumes, con el azufre entre estos últimos.
«Allium cepa: common onion Allium sativum: garlic Aloe: all kinds of aloe (with Saturn)» — las tres primeras entradas del catálogo de plantas marcianas, con la cebolla y el ajo a la cabeza.
«The therapeutic effects of Martian plants are aphrodisiac, stimulating, tonic, blood-forming, acting upon the blood vessels.» — los efectos terapéuticos de las plantas marcianas, todos sobre la sangre y su circulación.
«The orbit of Jupiter lies beyond the asteroid belt. The biggest planet of our solar system consists chiefly of hydrogen and helium, and it contains the major part of the matter in the solar system that was not used for the formation of the Sun.» — abre la sección de Júpiter por la astronomía y le adjudica la mayor parte de la materia que no entró en el Sol.
«This planet has a very strong magnetic field. Jupiter’s thirteen moons make the planet appear like a small solar system.» — su campo magnético y sus trece lunas, que le hacen ver como un sistema solar en pequeño.
«Jupiter gives energy to the Earth. Especially during a conjunction with the Earth (every 399 days), the solar wind brings energies from» — la conjunción cada trescientos noventa y nueve días como vía por la que su energía llega a la Tierra; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«Physiologically, Jupiter rules the liver, the arteries and the circulation, especially the arteries of the abdomen and the legs, the enrichment of the blood through food intake, the fibrin in the blood (with Mars and the sign of Pisces), the subcutaneous fatty tissues, the suprarenal capsules, food intake and assimilation, the spleen and the kidneys, the body’s powers of resistance, the carbohydrates, the supply of oxygen to the blood, the formation and reproduction of cells, the conservation of energy, the digestive organs, the feet, the sex organs and their veins, the thighs and the buttocks, the lungs, the ribs, the right ear, the sanguine temperament, the semen, the body’s sugar economy, the maintenance of the tissues, and the teeth. Jupiter’s influence on the occipital lobe of the hypophysis (pituitary body) regulates the fluid circulation and the growth of the body.» — los órganos que rige, con el hígado a la cabeza y la hipófisis regulando líquidos y crecimiento.
«Jupiter has its image as the king of the gods, the religious teacher (its Indian name is Guru), the father, the benefactor disbursing riches, but also as the bon vivant very much out for his own desires and gratifications.» — la imagen de Júpiter, con el nombre indio de Guru y el bon vivant puesto junto al maestro religioso.
«Jovian diseases are all diseases due to immoderation in eating and drinking, bad digestion, too much congestion, impure blood. By itself, Jupiter does not cause any sicknesses, except diseases of the blood, the lungs, the liver, and indirectly also of the heart, caused by bad aspects with other planets.» — las enfermedades jovianas, todas por inmoderación, y la regla que exime al planeta de causarlas por sí mismo.
«A badly aspected Jupiter also promotes strokes, abscesses, convulsions, as well as cancerous processes in certain cases on account of its hyperexpansivity.» — lo que sí favorece un Júpiter mal aspectado, atribuido a su hiperexpansividad.
«Jovian metals and minerals are tin, lapis lazuli, amethyst, blue sapphire, and, according to Indian tradition, yellow sapphire. Jovian scents are benzoin, carnations, hyacinth, mastic, violet.» — sus metales, piedras y perfumes, con el zafiro amarillo consignado como variante de la tradición india.
«Acer: maple, sycamore Aesculus hippocastanum: horse chestnut Agrimonia eupatoria: agrimony» — las tres primeras entradas del catálogo de plantas jovianas.
«The therapeutic effect of Jovian plants is chiefly stimulating, antispasmodic, soothing, emollient, anthelmintic, hepatic, and influencing the circulation.» — los efectos terapéuticos de las plantas jovianas, con lo hepático entre ellos.
«Saturn, almost as big as Jupiter, differs from the other planets because of its rings of thin layers of ice particles. Saturn is cold and dry. Ten moons circle around the planet. In twenty-nine years and 167 days Saturn revolves around the Sun.» — abre la sección de Saturno por la astronomía, con sus anillos de hielo y sus casi treinta años de revolución.
«As the planet of restriction, limitation, and contraction, it is the opponent of Jupiter, whose expansivity it counterbalances. In the ancient tradition, Saturn has the image of a “bad-luck” planet. Saturn is considered the planet of fate, of karma; it is the cosmic bookkeeper.» — lo que le adjudica en doctrina: planeta de la restricción, contrapeso de Júpiter, del destino y del karma, y contador cósmico.
«Its influence is “hostile” only for individuals lacking self-control. Selfknowledge and discipline are prerequisites for the positive Saturn influences. Undisciplined persons experience Saturn as a punishing teacher.» — y el matiz con que atenúa su fama de maléfico: hostil solo para quien carece de dominio de sí; el volumen parte *Self-knowledge* por el corte de renglón y la extracción lo devuelve unido.
«Saturn is the sage and the guardian of the threshold to the supernatural. Mythologically, he was the god of time among the Greeks: Chronos, the old man with the sickle. Saturn is also linked with agriculture.» — la figura mitológica de Saturno, Cronos con la hoz, y su vínculo con la agricultura, que enlaza con el mote de Agricola del capítulo primero.
«Saturn rules over age and all slow and chronic processes. Physiologically, it dominates all aging processes, the bone structure, the teeth, the spine (with the Sun, Neptune, and the sign of Leo), all hardening processes, the anterior lobe of the pituitary body (which restricts the processes of growth and glandular secretion), crystallization processes, the auditory organs, the left auricle (if Saturn is in Leo), the endocardium, sterility, the bladder, the composition of the blood (with the Sun, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and the signs of Leo and Aquarius), blood circulation in the tissues, the joints, the calves, the cervical vertebrae (Saturn in Taurus), absorption and assimilation of intestinal fluids, the vagus nerve, minerals in the blood, the gall (with Mars, Mercury, the Moon, and the signs of Leo and Scorpio), the knees, memory, the spleen (with the Sun and the signs of Scorpio and Virgo) and their defensive regulation (diathesis), as well as all contracting processes.» — lo que rige, con todos los procesos lentos, endurecedores y de cristalización bajo su dominio.
«Diseases associated with Saturn are rheumatism, hardenings, calcification, melancholy and depression, chronic diseases, lethargy, frigidity, eccentricity, crankiness, and diseases of the Saturnine organs. Saturnine metals and minerals are lead, onyx, chalcedony, black corals, and the lodestone. Saturnine scents are benzoin, cypress, poppy, resins, and quince.» — las enfermedades saturninas, sus metales y sus perfumes, con la magnetita entre los minerales.
«Aconitum napellus: aconite, monkshood (with Mars) Aegopodium podagraria: ashweed, wild masterwort, goatweed, bishop’s weed, or herb gerard Aloe: aloe (with Mars)» — las tres primeras entradas del catálogo de plantas saturninas, con el acónito a la cabeza.
«The chief effects of Saturnine plants are stimulating, contractive, sedative, coagulant, mineralizing, and bone-forming.» — los efectos terapéuticos de las plantas saturninas, con lo mineralizante y lo formador de hueso al final.
«Every day of the week is ruled by a planet: Sunday by the Sun Monday by the Moon Tuesday by Mars Wednesday by Mercury Thursday by Jupiter Friday by Venus Saturday by Saturn» — la regencia planetaria de los días de la semana, que es la base de todo el cómputo horario del capítulo.
«According to our calendar, every day begins at midnight (0 hour) and ends twenty-four hours later at midnight.» — recuerda la convención civil del día, de medianoche a medianoche, antes de apartarse de ella.
«In the astrological tradition, this is not necessarily so; there are also other systems. On these systems depends the calculation of the planetary hours.» — y declara que la tradición astrológica no la comparte, de donde salen los seis sistemas que va a exponer.
«The first hour of a day is in each case ruled by the planet of the day; therefore, the first hour of Sunday by the Sun, the first of Monday by the Moon, and so on. After this first hour the other hours follow in the above-mentioned sequence. After the seventh hour the sequence is repeated. The eighth hour of Sunday is again ruled by the Sun. Opinions agree on this.» — la regla común a todas las tradiciones: la primera hora del día es la del planeta que rige el día, y a partir de ahí la serie se repite cada siete.
«The views differ, however, as to which hour is to be considered the first of the day, and also how long a respective planetary hour lasts.» — y el punto en que las tradiciones sí discrepan: cuál es la primera hora y cuánto dura cada una.
«According to the kabbalistic tradition, the day always begins at dusk, or sunset. Consequently, Saturday begins on Friday evening at sunset and ends on Saturday with sunset. In the course of time, two systems developed, the fixed and the flexible.» — el primer sistema, el cabalístico, con el día empezando al ocaso y las dos variantes, fija y flexible, que de ahí salen.
«According to the kabbalistic system, every day begins at 6:00 P.M. local time and ends the following day, after twenty-four hours, at» — la variante fija de ese sistema, con el día de seis de la tarde a seis de la tarde; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«According to the flexible system, instead, the day always begins with the moment of sunset and ends at sunset of the following day. The exact time of the sunset must therefore be known. The sequence of the horary rulers, however, is always the same.» — la variante flexible, atada al ocaso real, con la advertencia de que la serie de regentes no cambia.
«In another view, the day begins, not at dusk, but with the morning hours. Here, too, there are two systems, a fixed and a flexible.» — la otra familia de sistemas, la que hace empezar el día por la mañana, también con variante fija y flexible.
«According to the fixed system, the day always begins at 6:00 A.M. in the morning and ends twenty-four hours later.» — la variante fija de esa segunda familia, con el día de seis a seis de la mañana.
«According to the flexible system, the day begins with the moment of the sunrise. If, for instance, the sun rises at 5:22 A.M. local time on a Sunday, the time from 5:22 to 6:22 A.M. is the hour of the sun» — la variante flexible, con el ejemplo horario que él mismo desarrolla; el tramo corta donde la frase pasa a la plana siguiente.
«A fifth system divides the day and night halves into twelve “hours” each. As day and night have different lengths in different seasons, the duration of the planetary hours of this movable system varies. In winter, there are twelve short daytime “hours” and twelve long night “hours.” The planetary hours of the day are therefore shorter, those of the night longer than sixty minutes.» — el quinto sistema, que reparte doce horas en el día y doce en la noche y por eso las hace desiguales según la estación.
«A sixth system divides the twenty-four hours of the day into seven even periods and considers these the planetary hours. This way results in planetary hours of approximately three hours and twenty-five minutes’ duration. The hour in which sunrise falls is the hour of the planet that rules the respective day.» — el sexto sistema, que parte las veinticuatro horas en siete tramos iguales de unas tres horas y veinticinco minutos.
«The last-discussed system is considered the best by many. The calculations are simple and always the same; we are dealing with a fixed system.» — declara su preferencia por ese sexto sistema y da su razón, que es de simplicidad y fijeza.
«Thus, similar to the concept of the zodiac, there are also fixed and flexible systems for the calculation of the planetary hours. Indian astrology works more with the fixed (sidereal) zodiac, Western astrology schools more with the flexible (tropical).» — y traslada la oposición fijo-flexible al zodiaco mismo, con la astrología india del lado sidéreo y la occidental del tropical.
«These are vibrations of the great world ether that oscillate at the rhythm of twenty-four minutes. Four different tattvas follow each other, every two hours a complete tattva circle ends. Every tattva period is ruled by one or two planets. The cycle begins at sunrise.» — las vibraciones tattva, de veinticuatro minutos, con su ciclo de dos horas empezando al orto.
«Calculations of the planetary hours are always done according to local time, not according to the zone time nationally in effect.» — la regla que gobierna todo el cómputo: hora local verdadera, no hora legal de huso.
«How do we find the exact local time? The process is simple. First we calculate the corresponding Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). It is one hour behind Middle European Time (MET). Thus, 10:00 A.M. in Switzerland corresponds to 9:00 A.M. GMT.» — el procedimiento para hallarla, empezando por reducir a hora de Greenwich.
«After we have found Greenwich time, we must calculate the exact local time. To do this, we must know the exact geographic longitude of the place. For every degree east of Greenwich we must add four minutes to Greenwich time, while for every degree west we must deduct four minutes.» — y la corrección por longitud, cuatro minutos por grado, con el signo según se esté al este o al oeste.
«Why then the knowledge of planetary hours? The processing of plants takes place on the days and at the hours corresponding to them.» — responde para qué sirve todo el cómputo: la planta se procesa en el día y la hora que le corresponden.
«Strictly speaking, the work already begins with the gathering of the plants. If, for instance, solar plants are to be processed, Sunday from 3 hours 26 minutes (3:26 A.M.) to 6:51 A.M. (in round figures) would be especially favorable for the beginning and execution of all important works.» — y extiende la regla hasta la recolección, con un ejemplo de tramo favorable para plantas solares.
«A further method for finding the most favorable time in each case is the consideration of the positions of the Moon in the zodiacal signs. Each zodiacal sign is viewed in connection with a corresponding alchemical work:» — anuncia el otro método de elección del momento, la posición de la Luna en los signos.
«The position of the Moon for each day can be seen in an ephemeris. If a mixture of plants ruled by different planets is to be processed, the regent of the organ or system for which the medicine is to be especially helpful will be given preference. Thus, for instance, the hour of Saturn for mineralizing medicines for the bone system, the hour of the Sun for cardiac and circulatory remedies, the hour of Mercury for nerve medicaments, and so forth.» — dónde se consulta esa posición, y la regla de desempate cuando la mezcla junta plantas de varios planetas: manda el regente del órgano que se quiere tratar.
«Now a few more words about two lunar houses, especially important in alchemy. They play a special role in Oriental alchemy.» — anuncia las dos casas lunares que le interesan y las adscribe sobre todo a la alquimia oriental.
«According to figure 37, the whole zodiac consists of two halves, a Sun-like or solar half and a Moon-like or lunar half. As we have set the ruling planets in the respective zodiacal signs, the symmetry can easily be recognized: the signs ruled by the same planet face each other.» — la simetría del zodiaco repartido en mitad solar y mitad lunar, con los signos de un mismo regente enfrentados.
«The path from the sign of Leo to the sign of Capricorn is solar. It is also called the “Dry way.” From the Fire sign Leo it leads to the Earth sign Capricorn, which is ruled by Saturn.» — la vía seca, de Leo a Capricornio, del signo de fuego al de tierra regido por Saturno.
«Every sign of the zodiac has three decanates of ten degrees each. The lord of the first decanate is always the lord of the whole sign. Thus Saturn in Capricorn, the Sun in Leo.» — la regla de los decanatos, con el primero siempre del regente del signo entero.
«The second decanate (degrees 11–20) is ruled by that planet that rules the next zodiacal sign of the same Element. The Elements of the zodiac are distributed as follows:» — y la del segundo decanato, que toma el regente del siguiente signo del mismo elemento; el tramo corta antes de la lista de elementos.
«After Capricorn, the next Earth sign is Taurus, ruled by Venus. Therefore the second decanate of Capricorn is ruled together with Venus. The third decanate of Capricorn, instead, has a tinge of Mercury, since Virgo is the Earth sign corresponding to Mercury.» — el desarrollo de esa regla sobre Capricornio, con Venus en el segundo decanato y Mercurio en el tercero.
«By this diagram we recognize that the first ten degrees of Capricorn are doubly ruled by Saturn, since both the whole of Capricorn and the first decanate are Saturnine.» — la conclusión de ese cómputo: los diez primeros grados de Capricornio son doblemente saturninos.
«The first ten degrees of Capricorn correspond to doubly Saturnine qualities; consequently, extreme condensation, concretization, crystallization. The position of the Moon in this sign of the zodiac is favorable to the preparation of solid substances» — y su uso operativo: con la Luna ahí conviene preparar sustancias sólidas, las Piedras del arte; el tramo corta antes del paréntesis con los grados de la casa lunar.
«Arabian alchemy and astrology call this Moon house al-Sa’ad al-Dhabid (roughly translatable as “the murder or murderer blessed by good luck”). In other texts this Moon house is also called Caaldalbala or Caalbeba.» — el nombre árabe de esa casa lunar y sus variantes de grafía en otros textos, consignadas sin arbitrar.
«According to tradition, it is considered propitious for all kinds of healing and for changing enmity into friendship. To pray for the necessary blessing, the Arab alchemist turns to God at this time by revering the divine name of al-Karim (the Gracious one).» — lo que la tradición le atribuye, y el nombre divino al que el alquimista árabe se vuelve en ese momento.
«The degrees 21°25'45" to 4°17'10" of Pisces form the twenty-sixth Moon house. It is in this Moon house that the transition from the Saturn sign of Aquarius to the Water sign of Pisces falls, which is ruled by Jupiter (and Neptune).» — la segunda casa lunar por sus grados, en el paso de Acuario a Piscis.
«What is solid is volatilized; what is hard becomes subtle and volatile. The whole path from Aquarius to Cancer is called the “Wet way.” It begins in the Element Air and ends in the Element Water.» — lo que ese paso significa en la operación, la volatilización de lo sólido, y el nombre de vía húmeda para el camino entero.
«This way, and especially the twenty-sixth Moon house, are favorable to the preparation of liquid and volatile substances, that is, the so-called Circulata or Alkahests, which are also called volatile» — y su uso: preparar líquidos y volátiles, los Circulata o Alkahests; el tramo corta en el marcador de plana que parte la frase.
«The Arabic name of this Moon house is al-Fargh al-Mukdim (upper hole of the udder or tube). Other names are Algafarmuth,» — el nombre árabe de esa segunda casa y sus variantes de grafía.
«According to tradition, this Moon house is favorable for marriage, agriculture, and trade. The corresponding Muslim name of God is al-Latif (the extremely Subtle One), in whose sphere the jinns of the Elements have their tasks.» — lo que la tradición le atribuye, y el nombre divino que le corresponde, con los genios de los elementos en su esfera.
«Finally, we will here mention that Indian alchemy considers the sixth night of the decreasing moon especially favorable for the preparation of alchemical medicines.» — añade la variante india, que prefiere la sexta noche de luna menguante para preparar medicinas alquímicas.
«The diversity of the horary systems may confuse the reader. Which view is best? That is for each to find out for himself. The views seem to contradict each other, but it is possible that several systems overlap.» — reconoce que la diversidad de sistemas horarios confunde, deja la elección al lector y deja abierta la posibilidad de que varios se superpongan.
«All systems discussed have their representatives. I am most inclined toward the system discussed in paragraph six, since it continues the natural septenary division of the chronological order.» — declara su propia preferencia y la funda en el septenario como número del tiempo.
«Seven is in a special way the number of chronological time, just as twelve is the number of space. Next to this system, those discussed in paragraphs three and four seem to me the most convincing.» — y remata esa razón oponiendo el siete del tiempo al doce del espacio, con sus dos sistemas de segunda opción.
«A method beyond this controversy consists in establishing the actual planetary positions in each case, hence the precise horoscope of a point in time, calculated for a certain place. Here now are some explanations concerning this.» — propone el horóscopo exacto como método que deja atrás la disputa entre sistemas horarios.
«To obtain a complete picture of the stellar influences at a specific moment, it is necessary to cast an exact horoscope, that is, to pinpoint the actual position of the planets. To do this, a knowledge of astrology is required.» — lo que ese método exige, y lo dice sin rodeos: saber astrología.
«Of course, the spagyrist cannot move the planets in conformity with his wishes, but he can await favorable positions; in addition, he can “move” the houses of the horoscope by computing the moment of a specific ascendant, as well as the Medium Coeli. For this purpose he requires the ephemeris of the year under consideration and a table of houses for the latitude concerned.» — el margen real del espagirista: no mueve los planetas, pero espera posiciones y elige ascendente y Medio Cielo.
«First the position of the planets is calculated; the exact position of the Moon is later corrected after determining the ascendant. As soon as the position of the planets for the day in question has been marked in, the most favorable ascendant and the Medium Coeli are sought. These should stand in good angles to the planets. First the desired ascendant is entered, then the time is computed according to the table of houses.» — el orden del cálculo, con la posición de la Luna corregida después de fijar el ascendente.
«The planet is placed in the first house close to the ascendant or the Medium Coeli, due attention being paid to all signs and aspects.» — el primer criterio de su lista: poner el planeta en la casa primera, cerca del ascendente o del Medio Cielo.
«The sign (domicile) ruled by the planet or the sign in which the planet is exalted, or at least one of the decanates ruled by him, is chosen as the ascendant. After working out the favorable aspects, the exact degree of ascendancy is determined.» — el segundo, elegir como ascendente el domicilio del planeta, su exaltación o uno de sus decanatos.
«The so-called “negative” aspects (squares, oppositions) are avoided, especially those of Saturn.» — el tercero, evitar cuadraturas y oposiciones, con Saturno señalado en particular.
«The ascendant, or the Medium Coeli, is calculated in such a way that Saturn is in the eleventh house (“choosing Saturn as a friend» — el cuarto, con la fórmula tradicional que él mismo entrecomilla: poner a Saturno en la casa undécima; el tramo corta antes del paréntesis de cierre.
«Special attention is to be given to the most favorable aspects between Sun and Moon, the “negative” ones being avoided.» — el quinto, atento a los aspectos entre Sol y Luna.
«To compute the most favorable position for a certain work, experience is required. The exact horoscope allows a complete survey of all simultaneous planetary influences.» — y el requisito que ninguna regla suple, la experiencia, junto con lo que el horóscopo exacto sí da: la vista de conjunto.
«Experience and experiments have proved that there exists indeed a strong influence by the planetary position in effect. To convince himself, the reader is advised to study the results of the research of L. Kolisko and A. Fyfe.» — apoya la eficacia del influjo planetario en experiencia y experimento, y remite al lector a Kolisko y Fyfe.
«For important works I prefer to cast an exact horoscope and, like Paracelsus, I would advise every spagyrist seriously to take up the study of astrology.» — su recomendación personal, alineada con Paracelso: estudiar astrología en serio.
«In January 1978, a nerve tincture had to be prepared on the basis of valerian. Valerian is essentially a Mercurial plant, and Mercury (with Uranus) very strongly rules the nervous system.» — el primer ejemplo, una tintura nerviosa de valeriana, con la cadena de razones que va de la planta al planeta y del planeta al órgano.
«A favorable influence of Mercury was therefore desirable. I was in Cosenza, Italy, at the time, and after drawing and examining several possibilities, I decided on January 16, 1978, 5 hours 39 minutes (4 hours 39 minutes Greenwich time)—5 hours 44 minutes true local time in Cosenza, since the eastern longitude of the town is 16.15 degrees.» — el momento elegido, con lugar, fecha, hora legal, hora de Greenwich y hora local verdadera corregida por longitud.
«In the first house, near the ascendant of 0.39° Capricorn, is Mercury. The planet receives three “positive” aspects: a trine of Saturn from the sign of Leo and the eighth house, a trine of the moon from Aries and the fourth house, to which is added a quincunx aspect of Mars in Leo from the eighth house.» — la lectura del horóscopo, con Mercurio junto al ascendente y sus tres aspectos favorables.
«In opposition to Mercury we find Jupiter, but Jupiter receives three favorable aspects: a sextile of the Moon, a sextile of Saturn, and a trigon of Pluto.» — y el reverso, la oposición de Júpiter, compensada por tres aspectos buenos que también recibe.
«The three stars Mercury-Saturn-Moon, which form a continuous trine among themselves, irradiate the ascendant intensively.» — el rasgo que cierra la lectura: tres astros en trígono continuo irradiando el ascendente.
«The situation would be even better without the square between Moon and Sun/Venus and the square of the latter two to the Medium Coeli. Squares have a slowing-down, blocking effect» — declara lo que le falta a esa posición y nombra el efecto de las cuadraturas; el tramo corta antes del punto y coma.
«but we cannot move the stars as we wish. What matters is to make the best of a given situation.» — y la máxima con que asume el límite: los astros no se mueven a voluntad, se trabaja con lo que hay.
«On January 16, 1978, at 5 hours 39 minutes, the 70 percent spirit of wine was poured on the herbs, with which the preparation of the tincture began.» — el acto con que empezó la obra en ese momento, con la graduación del alcohol consignada.
«Yet another example. The objective was to find the most favorable moment for a longer and important alchemical work, a magistery requiring several months.» — el segundo ejemplo, un magisterio de varios meses, planteado por el problema de elegir su arranque.
«Traditionally, the alchemist starts important works at the time of the New Moon. In the case to be discussed, it was the first New Moon of the natural new year, which begins when the Sun enters Aries.» — la regla tradicional que aplica, empezar en luna nueva, y la que él le añade: la primera del año natural, con el Sol entrando en Aries.
«In the first house we see the Sun, Mercury, and the Moon in Aries. In conjunction with the Sun (but not too close) is Venus in Taurus, thus in its own sign. The Sun forms a trine with Saturn and Neptune. The last two also form a trine between themselves. In addition, a quincunx aspect of Uranus falls on the Sun, and an opposition of Pluto.» — la lectura del segundo horóscopo, con tres astros en la casa primera y Venus en su propio signo.
«The conjunction between Mercury and the Moon receives a trine of Saturn, a sextile of Jupiter, and a square of Mars. The latter forms an exact semisextile with Jupiter.» — la segunda mitad de esa lectura, sobre los aspectos que recibe la conjunción de Mercurio y la Luna.
«Sum total: an extremely potent moment at the beginning of the New Moon cycle. Several important works were started simultaneously during this constellation.» — su balance del momento, y el dato de taller que lo acompaña: varias obras importantes arrancaron a la vez bajo esa configuración.
«In concluding this chapter, let us listen to some advice by Cornelius Agrippa (1486–1535):» — presenta el texto ajeno con que cierra el capítulo y da las fechas de su autor.
«Every natural force acts in reality still more wonderfully if, aside from the right physical proportions, it is stimulated and accompanied by attention to celestial things, because lower things must be subordinated to higher things, as woman to man, in order to become fertile.» — de Cornelio Agripa, la premisa del pasaje: la fuerza natural obra mejor si se la acompaña con atención a lo celeste.
«With every magical operation we must therefore observe the proportions, movements, and aspects of the stars and the planets in their respective signs and degrees, and in what dispositions all these things are in regard to the latitude and longitude of the place, for all that modifies the angles that fall upon the appearance of things with the rays of the celestial bodies.» — de Agripa: en toda operación mágica hay que observar proporciones, movimientos y aspectos según latitud y longitud del lugar.
«Thus, when working with things that stand in relation to a planet, the latter must be exalted, placed and considered in a lucky position and power, to make it lord of the day, the hour, and the aspects of heaven.» — de Agripa: el planeta con que se trabaja debe quedar exaltado y hecho señor del día, de la hora y de los aspectos.
«And not only should the significator of the work be considered, but also how the Moon is turned toward the significator, as nothing can succeed without a favorably positioned moon.» — de Agripa, la condición que pone por encima de las demás: nada sale sin una Luna bien situada.
«If the work requires the ruling of several planets, the stronger ones are chosen, and care has to be taken that they be in favorable aspects; if there are none, the aspects in corner houses are to be chosen.» — de Agripa: si intervienen varios planetas, se eligen los más fuertes, y a falta de aspectos buenos, los de casas angulares.
«Besides, in the practice of magic Mercury must not be left unheeded, because it is the divine messenger in heaven and on earth, and joined with the good planets, it increases their goodness; joined with the bad, it causes the influence of bad luck to grow.» — de Agripa, sobre Mercurio: por mensajero divino amplifica lo que acompaña, sea bueno o malo.
«A sign or a planet is unfavorable through Saturn or Mars aspects, especially opposition or square, which are inimical aspects, but the conjunction, the trine, and the sextile are favorable aspects.» — de Agripa, el reparto de aspectos entre desfavorables y favorables, con Saturno y Marte del lado adverso.
«All planets, however, fear the conjunction of the Sun and rejoice at its trine or sextile aspects.» — de Agripa, el remate: todos los planetas temen la conjunción del Sol y se alegran de su trígono o sextil.
«The methods of preparation of spagyric tinctures and essences are varied, although the fundamental principles are always the same. We shall now deal with the most important of these methods.» — abre el capítulo séptimo declarando la variedad de métodos y la constancia de los principios que los rigen.
«All spagyric preparations are vehicles of the curative powers of the plants from which they are prepared. Spagyric tinctures and essences are manufactured both as single remedies (simplex remedies) from one plant in each case and as complex remedies from plant mixtures.» — lo que toda preparación espagírica es, y su reparto entre remedio simple y compuesto.
«We know already that plant tinctures are macerations of plants (or parts thereof) in a dissolving liquid. For the most part, a mixture of water and alcohol is used as a solvent. During maceration the liquid gradually takes on a dark color, hence the designation “tincture,” from the Latin tingo, “I color.”» — recuerda qué es una tintura y da la etimología del término, del latín *tingo*.
«The proportion of dry plants to the liquid varies between 1:5 and 1:10. Frequently, a proportion of 1:8 is used. In all cases we are dealing with proportions by weight.» — las proporciones de planta seca y disolvente que maneja, siempre en peso.
«It is advisable to conform to the regulations in force in each country, and always to keep the proportions constant.» — y dos preceptos de taller: atenerse a la reglamentación de cada país y no cambiar de proporción.
«Tinctures can also be extracted from fresh plants. Because of the high water content of the plants used, the alcohol percentage must then be higher, as the water contained in the plants will thin the alcohol. Depending on the amount of the alcohol of the plants used in each case, the exact water-alcohol ratio for the extraction of the tincture must be calculated in advance.» — el caso de la planta fresca, con el cálculo previo que obliga a hacer el agua contenida en ella.
«Most of the tinctures are extracted cold or in moderate heat. The temperature must be kept low, especially when using plants containing alkaloids sensitive to heat.» — la regla general de temperatura, con el motivo por el que se baja: los alcaloides sensibles al calor.
«On the other hand, tinctures from strongly aromatic plant parts, such as nutmeg, cloves, or cinnamon, are frequently extracted at quite high temperatures» — la excepción, las partes aromáticas fuertes, que sí admiten temperaturas altas; el tramo corta donde la frase pasa a la plana siguiente.
«Maceration at higher temperatures, for instance at 60° C, are also called digestions.» — el nombre técnico de la maceración caliente, digestión, con su temperatura.
«Percolation and the Soxhlet process represent special extraction techniques. During percolation the solvent is sent slowly, hot or cold, through the plant parts, as in the percolation of coffee. The Soxhlet process is a cyclic percolation, since the extractions are repeated rhythmically.» — percolación y Soxhlet como técnicas aparte, con el Soxhlet definido como percolación cíclica.
«Most spagyrists work with cold-extractions, or moderate heat (body heat), in the preparation of tinctures. The ancients often macerated in horse dung, which had a gentle, even temperature.» — lo que hace la mayoría de los espagiristas, y la solución de los antiguos para tener calor suave y parejo: el estiércol de caballo.
«The Soxhlet process, which is extraordinarily practical for alchemical work in the mineral world, has but a limited place in plant spagyrics. For the complete extraction of the soluble salts from the calcined plant ash, however, the Soxhlet is very handy, especially as the temperature is then no longer critical.» — el lugar que le da al Soxhlet en la espagiria vegetal, limitado, salvo para extraer las sales de la ceniza.
«The Australerba Laboratory in Adelaide extracts part of the tinctures with the help of solar heat. The hermetically sealed extraction tanks are exposed to the heat of the sun for a long time. If the lower part of the tank or the ground on which it stands is of a dark color, it grows much warmer, and a steady rotation of the solvent takes place.» — la extracción solar del laboratorio Australerba, con el suelo oscuro haciendo de acumulador y la rotación del disolvente.
«When the extracts are ready, the tincture thus obtained is separated from the solid parts, after which the tinctures are sedimented in special tanks, but not percolated. In this way the maximum of valuable components is preserved.» — el tratamiento posterior, con la sedimentación en lugar de la percolación, y la razón: conservar el máximo de componentes.
«As the synergistic effect is important with spagyric tinctures, one always tries to take the maximum out of the plants. Maceration times are therefore relatively long.» — y el principio que lo justifica, que es el mismo del capítulo primero: en una tintura espagírica lo que cuenta es el efecto sinérgico.
«In a mixture of water and alcohol—60 to 70 percent alcohol is considered the average rule—the plants are set to macerate according to the selected proportion by weight, for example, 100 grams of plants in 500 grams of 60 percent alcohol.» — la receta de la maceración en frío, con la graduación media y un ejemplo de proporciones.
«Well suited for maceration is a sufficiently large preserving jar. Its wide neck allows for easily putting in and taking out the herbs, and the rubber ring seals the glass hermetically.» — el recipiente que recomienda y las dos razones de su elección, boca ancha y cierre hermético.
«The closed glass is now exposed to moderate heat—a place near the radiator or in the sun is well suited. The contents are vigorously shaken at least once every day. Slowly the liquid takes on a dark color.» — el régimen de la maceración, con calor moderado y agitación diaria; el tramo llega hasta el signo por el que se sigue el avance.
«For spagyric tinctures, we usually extract longer, if necessary up to nine weeks. The tincture then has quite a dark color and a rich, astringent taste.» — el plazo largo que reserva a la tintura espagírica, hasta nueve semanas, con el color y el sabor como señal.
«With a suitable filter we now separate the solid plant parts from the liquid. The plants are thereupon well pressed out once more to obtain the rest of the liquid. This rest is added to the liquid already obtained. The tincture is now filtered through paper, and the residue in the filter paper added to the solid plant parts.» — la separación de sólidos y líquido, con el prensado y el filtrado, y el destino de cada resto.
«If we are not in a great hurry, we can also free the tincture from the solid components through sedimentation. To do this, we put the tincture into a high glass cylinder that can be closed, or a high flask, and let the solid parts precipitate.» — la alternativa a filtrar, sedimentar, para quien no tenga prisa.
«Frequent filtering keeps part of the valuable components back. In addition, part of the essential oils are lost in the process. Therefore, care has to be taken not to “overfilter” the tinctures, which would be equivalent to a fragmentation.» — la objeción que hace al filtrado repetido, y el nombre que le da al defecto: fragmentación.
«If we apply the sedimentation process, we finally pour the relatively clear tincture off on top. The precipitated “mud” is then put into a paper filter, and the solid components are thus separated from the rest of the liquid. The rest of the clear liquid obtained in this way is added to the already decanted tincture, and the residue on the filter is added to the solid parts.» — el procedimiento completo de la sedimentación, con el reparto de cada fracción.
«The tincture is poured into a dark bottle and provisionally put away, well closed. We now have to extract the salts from the solid plant parts.» — el envasado provisional y el paso siguiente, sacar las sales del residuo sólido.
«To do this, the remaining plant residues are first completely dried. As our volatile components have already been removed, drying in the sun can now take place. When the plant residues are completely dry, they are burnt to ashes.» — el secado y la incineración de ese residuo, ahora sí al sol porque lo volátil ya se fue.
«Because of the strong formation of smoke, it is better to effect the incineration outdoors. The remaining plant parts cannot simply be set on fire, as they smolder more than burn, and incineration in a flameproof pot has stood the test. The subsequent calcination can then take place in the same container.» — el consejo de incinerar al aire libre, con el detalle de que el residuo humea más que arde.
«Especially well suited for incineration and calcination are the classical wind-furnaces of the ancients. Today, bigger laboratories are using heated combustion furnaces or, as Australerba uses, modern incinerators.» — los hornos de viento de los antiguos y sus equivalentes industriales, con Australerba entre los ejemplos.
«They have the advantage that plant residues burn completely without anything added, and a possible chemical contamination by the open gas flame is ruled out. Only at the start of the incineration is a small amount of ethyl alcohol added to set the» — la ventaja del incinerador moderno, que quema sin añadidos y descarta la contaminación por llama de gas; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«When the formation of smoke in our flameproof container stops, we have at first some black ash before us—everything has turned to charcoal. We now simply heat further toward calcination, and slowly the black ash calcines, gradually changing into white ash. We heat until the ash no longer gets any whiter. There must not be any more black particles of charcoal.» — el punto de paso de la incineración a la calcinación, con la ausencia de partículas negras como criterio.
«Temperatures of 400° to 450° are sufficient for the calcination. A slow calcination at low temperatures is preferable to a short, violent one at high temperatures.» — el rango de temperatura de esta calcinación y su regla constante: lenta y baja antes que corta y violenta.
«The white ash now contains the soluble salts by which the spagyric tincture is completed. We can add the salts to the tincture in various ways.» — declara que la ceniza blanca trae las sales que completan la tintura y anuncia las tres maneras de incorporarlas.
«One way is to add all the ash to the tincture already obtained, shake well, and let the liquid thus extract the soluble salts, while the nonsoluble ones, our Caput Mortuum, sink to the bottom. Shaking daily, we continue extracting in this way up to one week, after which we sediment and pour off the liquid that stands over the precipitate of the Caput Mortuum. The rest is filtered through paper.» — la primera, añadir toda la ceniza a la tintura y dejar que ella extraiga, con el Caput Mortuum precipitando al fondo.
«Another way consists in extracting the soluble salts from the ash with distilled water, whereby we pour about three times the amount of water on the ash. While stirring, we heat the water just a little. The whole is filtered, and the salt solution thus obtained is then evaporated to dryness. In this way the white salts become visible, and we add them to the tincture.» — la segunda, extraer las sales con agua destilada aparte y añadirlas ya secas.
«A third technique consists in extracting the salts with only part of the previously obtained tincture. The tincture containing the salts is then filtered. In this process there is no need to filter all the tincture, which of course means saving time when larger quantities are involved.» — la tercera, extraerlas con una parte de la tintura, con el ahorro de tiempo como razón.
«After the addition of the salts, the tincture changes color even more. In addition, a change in the aroma can be noticed.» — el efecto que la adición de las sales tiene sobre el color y el aroma de la tintura.
«If necessary, the Caput Mortuum can be calcined once again and then added to the tincture so as to extract the rest of the remaining salts. After this, the Caput Mortuum is again precipitated or filtered. Finally, the calcination and extraction of the Caput Mortuum can be repeated yet a third time.» — el aprovechamiento del Caput Mortuum por recalcinación, hasta tres veces.
«Some spagyrists leave the Caput Mortuum in the tincture, but this method is extremely rare.» — consigna la práctica minoritaria de dejar el Caput Mortuum dentro de la tintura, sin discutirla.
«We keep the spagyric tincture thus prepared in a dark bottle in a cool place.» — la conservación de la tintura terminada.
«To take it, a few drops up to a teaspoonful are diluted in water or wine; a cup of lukewarm chamomile tea is also suitable.» — la posología, en gotas o cucharadita, diluida en agua, vino o té de manzanilla.
«If we use a big enough container for the extraction of the plants, good circulation will develop during maceration. The circulation becomes especially intensive if a partial vacuum has been created in the container. To do this, we need a thick-walled flask that can be closed by a rubber stopper with a glass stopcock. We produce the vacuum with a proper pump. Vacuum maceration is gentle but intensive, especially in the sun.» — la circulación que se produce sola en un recipiente grande, y el vacío que la intensifica hasta hacer de la maceración algo suave e intenso a la vez.
«We already know how the Soxhlet Extractor works. With this apparatus we can prepare concentrated tinctures in small amounts in a short time.» — lo que el Soxhlet aporta a la tintura: concentración en poco tiempo y en poca cantidad.
«The dry plants are put into the extraction thimble and slightly pressed against it. The thimble must not be too full if we are to prevent the plants from being washed out during the extraction.» — la carga del dedal, con la advertencia de no llenarlo para que la planta no se lave y se pierda.
«During the first half of the total duration of the extraction process the flask contains nothing but water; the alcohol is added only later.» — la regla que ordena el ciclo: primero solo agua, el alcohol después.
«The ratio between the amount of solvent and the plants can be 1:2 or 1:3. In this way we obtain a highly concentrated tincture.» — la proporción de disolvente a planta que da para esa concentración.
«On account of its lower boiling point, the alcohol always evaporates sooner than the water. Consequently, there develops an alcohol cycle. This is the reason we did not add the alcohol at the beginning, as we would then have obtained a predominantly alcoholic extraction.» — la razón física de esa regla: el alcohol hierve antes y montaría su propio ciclo, dejando una extracción solo alcohólica.
«If we wish to effect the extraction from the beginning with a mixture of alcohol and water, the amount of alcohol should not be more than 50 percent of the volume of the extraction chamber of the Soxhlet apparatus.» — y el límite si aun así se quiere trabajar con mezcla desde el principio: no más de la mitad del volumen de la cámara en alcohol.
«The alcohol, which at first falls cold into the extraction chamber through the funnel, already starts to dissolve those principles of the plants that the water left behind.» — lo que el alcohol frío hace al caer en la cámara, disolver lo que el agua dejó.
«We can now clearly see how limited a water extraction is in comparison with a water-alcohol one. Only part of the active principles of the plants are water-soluble. By means of organic solvents, such as alcohol, we obtain the rest of the valuable principles.» — la conclusión que saca de esa observación: la extracción acuosa es limitada porque solo parte de los principios activos es soluble en agua.
«That is the reason tinctures have been of such great importance from olden times. The ancients also advise maceration in wine or brandy. As these represent a mixture of alcohol and water (aside from other valuable components), the extraction is much more intensive and complete than a simple herb tea or a decoction in water, which always utilizes the plants only partly.» — y de ahí explica la importancia histórica de las tinturas frente a la infusión y la decocción, que aprovechan la planta solo en parte.
«An exception is the popular Integral Herbal Elixirs produced by Australerba, which are offered in liquid form as practical herb teas. They are genuine spagyric products, containing the largest possible amount of valuable, active substances. Because of this fact, the teas prepared from them are complete in a special way, hence the name Integral Herbal Elixirs.» — el caso que exceptúa, los Integral Herbal Elixirs de Australerba, presentados como productos espagíricos en forma de té.
«For obvious reasons, herbal wines are also especially popular. Already in antiquity we find valuable recipes, for instance the famous cinnamon wine of Hippocrates.» — los vinos de hierbas, con el vino de canela de Hipócrates como ejemplo antiguo.
«Later, the famous distillates are added, which were often developed in monasteries, since knowledge of medicinal plants was particularly cultivated there.» — y los destilados de monasterio, con el cultivo de las plantas medicinales como razón de que allí nacieran.
«The advantages of the Soxhlet extraction are the concentration of the tincture and the saving of time. Less desirable are the high temperatures, only a little below the boiling point of the solvent.» — el balance del Soxhlet, con la ventaja y el inconveniente en la misma frase: concentra y ahorra tiempo, pero trabaja casi al punto de ebullición.
«Extractors are also available that work by the cold process, but they require considerably more time if a thick tincture is aimed at.» — la alternativa en frío y su costo, que es de tiempo.
«To work with the Soxhlet at low temperatures, we must produce a vacuum at the upper end of the condenser by means of a pump. All connections are made tight with joint grease. Most pumps have a built-in valve and a vacuum meter; if they are missing, we must install them separately. After the extraction of the water is completed, the vacuum must be interrupted for a short time by opening the valve to allow us to add the alcohol. This done, the vacuum is immediately restored.» — el montaje al vacío para bajar la temperatura, con la interrupción momentánea del vacío para añadir el alcohol.
«The Soxhlet process should not be applied too frequently in plant spagyrics. It is useless for plants with alkaloids sensitive to heat, as it simply causes too much loss of valuable principles.» — su recomendación de no abusar del Soxhlet, y el caso donde queda descartado: plantas con alcaloides sensibles al calor.
«A slowly ripening maceration at lower temperatures is preferable in most cases. Not without good reason do the ancients warn us again and again of too-high temperatures and the “vulgar fire.”» — lo que prefiere en su lugar, y la advertencia repetida de los antiguos contra el fuego vulgar.
«All tinctures have a limited life span. In time, their therapeutic value diminishes. For at least one year, however, their curative powers remain active, after which their powers decrease slowly.» — la vida útil de las tinturas, con un mínimo de un año antes de que sus poderes empiecen a bajar.
«Every spagyric tincture contains considerable curative powers. With sufficient knowledge of botanic medicine we can in this way prepare valuable single and complex remedies.» — lo que sí les reconoce, y para qué sirven con conocimiento de botánica médica.
«The prepared tinctures can also be further processed into homeopathic remedies by potentizing them. As their effect thereby turns into a specifically different one, a precise knowledge of homeopathy and spagyrics is therefore necessary.» — la vía de la potenciación homeopática y el saber doble que exige.
«In the meantime, it is advisable to rely on the quality and experience of leading spagyric laboratories. Homeopathic remedies belong in the hands of experienced naturopaths and physicians.» — y el consejo de dejarlo en manos experimentadas mientras tanto.
«Essences contain only the volatile constituents of the plants from which they are prepared, since they are always distilled. All solid, nonvolatile components stay behind, except part of the water-soluble salts that are added to the essence at a specific time.» — define la esencia por lo que contiene y por lo que deja fuera: solo lo volátil, porque siempre se destila.
«Further below, however, we shall see in Glauber’s method of preparation that in some cases only the “volatile salts” go into the essences, while the nonvolatile salts stay behind.» — la excepción que anuncia en el método de Glauber, donde solo las sales volátiles pasan a la esencia; el tramo corta antes de la aclaración de la plana siguiente.
«The nature of spagyric essences is subtler than that of spagyric tinctures. They are less “corporeal,” more “dematerialized,” and their effect is more penetrating, but very subtle. Everything is subtler than with the tinctures.» — opone la naturaleza de la esencia a la de la tintura, más sutil, menos corpórea y de efecto más penetrante.
«Spagyric essences are therefore considered pure medicines. They are not suitable as household drinks, and they, too, belong in the hands of experienced naturopaths and physicians.» — y de ahí saca su régimen de uso: medicina pura, no bebida doméstica.
«By the processes of potentizing, they can also be turned into highly effective homeopathic medicines. Such medicines are available in pharmacies.» — la vía homeopática también para las esencias, con la nota de que así se venden en farmacia.
«Spagyric essences have a much longer life span—according to experience, a virtually unlimited life span. In many cases the effect even seems to become stronger in the course of time. They ripen like a good wine. For their preparation much experience is required in the art of distilling.» — la vida útil de las esencias, prácticamente ilimitada, con la maduración comparada a la del vino y la pericia que exige prepararlas.
«First we prepare a simple maceration of dry or fresh plants in the normal way in a mixture of water and alcohol as the solvent. Sixty to 70 percent of alcohol is a good average for the solvent.» — el primer método de esencia, que arranca por una maceración corriente.
«If the tincture has attained a good color and density after about ten days or more, the whole is carefully distilled. The total content of the maceration container is put as is into a fractionating flask, and a condenser and receiver are attached.» — el paso de la tintura a la destilación, con el plazo mínimo y el montaje.
«It is best to use slow distillation under vacuum at a low temperature in an installation that increases the “expansion factor”» — la destilación lenta al vacío, con el factor de expansión que busca; el tramo corta antes de la remisión a la figura.
«The empty flask with two joint-connections, inserted between the fractionating flask and the condenser, replaces the classical alembic. It allows for maximum expansion of the vapors, the distance between the molecules becomes great, and the matter is “loosened” (in the alchemistic view» — el matraz vacío intercalado como sustituto del alambique clásico, con la lectura alquímica de lo que hace: aflojar la materia; el tramo corta antes del paréntesis de cierre.
«Distillation is finished when the distillate has no more taste. The distillate thus obtained is then stored in a suitable, tightly closed bottle.» — el criterio de término de la destilación, que es de sabor, y el envasado del destilado.
«Now the total residue in the fractionating flask, including the liquid, is evaporated, or dried, incinerated, and calcined. The solid plant parts can be first separated from the liquid, dried, incinerated, and finally calcined, then the remaining liquid evaporated, the resulting thick condensate carbonized and finally also calcined; or else we can evaporate, carbonize, and calcine the entire residue in a proper flameproof pot without previously separating the solid from the» — el tratamiento del residuo, con las dos vías, separando o no el sólido del líquido; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«As already described above, the white ash can also be directly added to the essence after calcination. Thereafter, the essence is shaken every day until it has dissolved almost all the salts out of the ash.» — la variante de añadir la ceniza blanca directamente a la esencia, con la agitación diaria hasta disolver las sales.
«On account of the salts, the otherwise almost colorless essence is colored slightly yellowish. It is stored in a tightly closed bottle. Time will let it ripen further.» — el efecto de las sales sobre el color de la esencia, y la maduración que le augura.
«Should we prefer fresh or dry plants for the preparation of spagyric remedies? This is a question that cannot be answered as unreservedly as it appears at first.» — plantea la pregunta de fresca o seca y advierte de entrada que no tiene respuesta simple.
«As we have presumably heard a great deal about the advantage of fresh vegetables and fruit, most of us will probably immediately point to the virtues of fresh plants.» — anticipa la respuesta espontánea del lector a favor de lo fresco.
«On the other hand, the difference in the aroma of a tea infusion of fresh plants and another of dry plants would probably surprise us in many instances.» — y le opone la experiencia del aroma, con el té de manzanilla como caso.
«With other plants, the difference will be even greater, for instance, with valerian. During the drying, subtle changes take place in the species» — el caso donde la diferencia es mayor, la valeriana, con el secado produciendo cambios sutiles en la especie.
«To be sure, what always matters greatly is the right drying. Good works on botanic medicine provide us with the necessary directions. Mostly, we dry the plants in the shade in an airy place, but many species, and particularly their parts, such as roots, fruits, and so on, can also be dried in the sun or in the stove.» — lo que decide el valor de la planta seca, el secado correcto, con la sombra como norma y las excepciones al sol o en estufa.
«We should not overlook the fact that the great treasure of experience of the botanic medicine has been acquired precisely through the use of dry plants.» — el argumento histórico a favor de lo seco: el acervo entero de la medicina botánica se hizo con planta seca.
«Most plants have their “balmy period” in certain seasons, when their curative powers are especially active. Medicinal plants, however, are used the whole year round. The ancients therefore always gathered their plants in the respective seasons. In addition, they also considered the position of the moon and the planets, often also the planetary hours. The plants were then gingerly dried and properly stored, so that they were at all times at hand when needed.» — la práctica antigua de la recolección, atada a estación, luna, planetas y horas, con el secado y la conserva como su complemento.
«Of course, the use of fresh plants depended strongly on the climate of each country. All “exotic” spices were in any case only available dried.» — el argumento del clima y del comercio: las especias exóticas nunca llegaron frescas.
«If we look through an important classical or baroque herbal, we will be surprised at the precise description and knowledge of “foreign” medicinal plants. How many species of the most distant lands are exactly described there in regard to their curative effects, and how many proven recipes contain “foreign” herbs!» — y el argumento del herbario histórico, con la precisión de sus descripciones de plantas lejanas.
«Even today, we buy our herbs mostly in the dried state from the famous herb houses. Herbs gathered at the right time and professionally dried are better than fresh ones gathered at unfavorable times.» — su regla de decisión sobre esta disputa: la planta seca bien recogida vence a la fresca mal recogida.
«On the other hand, fresh plants also have their special advantages because of their own juices, that are still the vehicle of the fullness of the essential vital forces—provided we pick them at the right moment.» — lo que sí concede a la fresca, con la condición dentro de la frase: los jugos propios llevan la plenitud de las fuerzas vitales si se corta en el momento justo.
«A mere chemical analysis will hardly suffice to “prove” all their active forces. There are energies involved that are on quite different planes.» — y su objeción al análisis químico como prueba de esas fuerzas, remitidas a otros planos.
«Someone whose consciousness and perception are sufficiently developed to perceive these forces directly can rely on this insight; but not many can do this!» — y el límite honesto de esa vía alternativa, la percepción directa, que él mismo declara al alcance de pocos.
«Many distinguished spagyrists, and spagyric manufacturing firms, frequently work with fresh plants, and we also find special directions for the preparation of spagyric essences from fresh plants in the corresponding classical literature.» — consigna que muchos espagiristas trabajan con planta fresca y que la literatura clásica trae instrucciones para ello.
«As soon as possible after they are gathered, the plants are chopped up and put into a large container. A big preserving jar or a stone pot is well suited. The container must be big enough to prevent any overflowing during the subsequent fermentation.» — el primer paso del método por fermentación, con el recipiente sobredimensionado para que no rebose.
«Now a fairly large amount of good, fresh water—spring water is very good—is poured on the plants, and some yeast is added.» — el agua y la levadura que se añaden, con el agua de manantial señalada como muy buena.
«The time of fermentation differs with the individual plants. The process is complete when the formation of gas ceases.» — el criterio de término de la fermentación, otra vez el cese del gas.
«During fermentation, the alcohol that is forming (Mercurius in statu nascendi, i.e., Mercurius in the state of birth) now dissolves the most important principles out of the plants in a very gentle way, while the water absorbs the rest.» — la doctrina que sostiene el método: el alcohol naciente disuelve suavemente los principios y el agua recoge el resto.
«After the fermentation is completed, everything is gently distilled, preferably at low temperatures (vacuum!) and in an installation with good possibilities of expansion for the vapors.» — la destilación posterior, suave, al vacío y con expansión de vapores.
«The ratio between the quantity of the distillate to be expected and the quantity of the medicinal plants used depends on the practice of the individual spagyrist, since no standard regulation exists.» — declara que no hay norma fija para el rendimiento y lo remite a la práctica de cada operador.
«As an average practical rule regarding the above-described method, the following may hold good: one part of fresh flowers results in two parts of distillate.» — la regla media que sí ofrece: una parte de flores frescas da dos de destilado.
«To the distillate 15 percent of pure alcohol, preferably pure spirit of wine, is then added.» — y la graduación que añade al destilado, con el espíritu de vino como preferencia.
«If fresh plants are not available, which can especially happen with exotic plants, the essence can also be prepared from dry plants. In this case, the ratio between dry plants and the quantity of the distillate to be expected is 1:10; that is, 100 grams of dry plants result in one quart of distillate.» — la variante para plantas exóticas, con la proporción de planta seca a destilado.
«Some spagyrists prefer to add a certain amount of fermentable sugar to the plants to be fermented. In this case, only a small amount of alcohol need be added to the finished essence, as the alcohol content of the distillate is higher. The final alcohol content of the finished essence, however, should never be below 15 percent.» — la variante con azúcar fermentable, y el piso de graduación que en ningún caso baja.
«Some plants contain only very little sugar. The quantity of alcohol forming can therefore be only quite slight if no sugar is added before fermentation.» — la razón de esa variante, que es la del capítulo cuarto: hay plantas con poco azúcar propio.
«As a rule, for the added quantity of sugar the following can be considered valid: 500 grams for 2–3 kilograms of fresh plants.» — la cantidad de azúcar que recomienda, referida al peso de planta fresca.
«The two salt solutions are now poured together and added to the distillate. In so doing, two parts of distillate are taken for one part of the mixed salt solution. If the quantity of the mixed salt solution is greater than half of the distillate obtained, we must reduce it to the desired quantity through evaporation. Nothing must be lost of the salts.» — la reunión de las dos soluciones de sal y su proporción con el destilado, con el precepto de no perder nada de sal.
«Whoever wishes to obtain the greatest possible quantity of salt can also extract the calcining matter with the Soxhlet Extractor. Since the salts react in an alkaline manner, we can ascertain with litmus paper how far the extraction has progressed.» — la alternativa del Soxhlet para agotar las sales, con el papel tornasol como control de avance.
«In the course of fermentation, heat is released. This leads to a certain loss (though only a small one) of essential oils of the plants used» — la razón de la tercera variante: el calor de la fermentación volatiliza parte de los aceites esenciales; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«For this reason some spagyrists prefer to separate the essential oils prior to fermentation. We already know how to carry out this separation in the best possible way. (See here) The oils thus obtained are then provisionally kept in a tightly closed bottle.» — de ahí la preferencia de algunos por separar los aceites antes de fermentar, y su conservación aparte.
«Drawing off the essential oils at the start of the preparation has still another advantage: the water-plant mixture is sterilized. This will prevent a sudden change in the subsequent fermentation due to undesirable microorganisms.» — la ventaja añadida de esa separación previa: esteriliza la mezcla y evita cambios bruscos en la fermentación.
«After separating the oils, the entire residue is fermented with yeast in the fractionating flask. Of course, we wait until the liquid has cooled down to room temperature. After fermentation, we distill gently. The distillation is stopped when the distillate becomes insipid.» — el resto del procedimiento, con la espera a que el líquido enfríe y el criterio de sabor para parar la destilación.
«In like manner, we now prepare the salts of the fixed Sulfur from the liquid remaining in the fractionating flask. The liquid is evaporated, the residue incinerated and calcined. We extract the salts with distilled water, and the solution is filtered and subsequently evaporated. The salts become visible.» — la preparación en paralelo de las sales del Azufre fijo, a partir del líquido del matraz.
«These two salts are now added to the distillate previously obtained. They immediately dissolve in it, and the solution is once again vigorously shaken.» — la reunión de las dos sales con el destilado, que las disuelve de inmediato.
«Finally, we still add the essential oils previously extracted, and the whole is once more shaken.» — y la incorporación final de los aceites esenciales reservados.
«If we wish to work entirely in the classical tradition, we first pour the distillate upon the salts and then let the oil flow into this mixture.» — el orden que prescribe si se quiere trabajar a la manera clásica: primero el destilado sobre las sales, después el aceite.
«The ancients would say: “The salts are first enlivened (the alcoholic distillate is mercurial = vital principle) and then ensouled (the essential oils of the plants represent the alchemical Sulfur = the soul).» — la lectura alquímica de ese orden que atribuye a los antiguos: las sales se vivifican con el Mercurio y se animan con el Azufre.
«There exists still another variation of the method just described. After the salts have been dissolved in the distillate, this mixture is very slowly distilled at low temperatures. The essential oils are then added to the second distillate.» — una variante más, con segunda destilación de la mezcla ya salada antes de añadir los aceites.
«If dry herbs are used instead of fresh ones, they are first chopped up and then macerated for three days in about a sixfold quantity of water. I prefer maceration in the cold, to prevent possible fermentation.» — el trato de la hierba seca en este método, con maceración de tres días y su preferencia por el frío para evitar la fermentación.
«Thereupon, we proceed as described above and begin with the extraction of the essential oils.» — y el punto donde se retoma el procedimiento común.
«Anyone who has carefully read the mode of operation described under this section will have recognized that here an almost complete separation into the alchemical Essentials or Philosophical Principles takes place, since they are made visible individually.» — señala lo que el lector atento habrá visto: en este método los tres principios quedan separados y visibles uno a uno.
«For an altogether complete separation, only the rectification of Mercury is missing, that is, the fractionating of the watery-alcoholic distillate.» — y lo único que falta para la separación completa, rectificar el Mercurio.
«In the second chapter of his famous Pharmacopoea Spagyrica, Glauber (1604–1668) describes the preparation of plant essences as follows» — presenta el texto de Glauber que va a reproducir, con la obra, el capítulo y las fechas del autor.
«Take plants with their roots, stalks, leaves, and seed, cleaned of all dirt, at least 50 pounds, as less does not easily ferment, chop it up small, pour water over it, put it into a copper alembic up to a good hand’s width, and heat it rather strongly. Now a clear, strongly smelling water goes over with some oil, which is separated in the separator and preserved.» — de Glauber, *Pharmacopoea Spagyrica*: la carga mínima de cincuenta libras y la primera destilación, de la que salen agua olorosa y aceite.
«The residue is now taken from the alembic, and fresh herbs are put into it and distilled as before. [The water is distilled together with the essential oil.» — de Glauber: la repetición con hierba fresca sobre el mismo residuo; el corchete con la aclaración lo intercala Junius.
«The herbs remaining after the distillation are now imbibed with the distilled water [from which the oil has been removed by the separator], and one or two spoonfuls of young brewer’s yeast are added.» — de Glauber: la imbibición de la hierba con el agua destilada ya sin aceite, y la levadura.
«Let it ferment in a wooden, covered container for three to four days, until the plants sink to the bottom. In this way it can give off its pure Salt and its volatile Sulfur through distillation.» — de Glauber: la fermentación de tres o cuatro días, con las plantas hundiéndose como señal, para que suelte su Sal pura y su Azufre volátil.
«Now stir the contents of the container well, put everything into the alembic, and distill gently through a condenser, so that the plants do not burn, until a tasteless phlegma comes over» — de Glauber: la destilación suave hasta que sale flema insípida; el tramo corta antes del corchete editorial.
«When now everything spiritual has come over, it is dephlegmatized three times in a row in the water bath with the help of the alembic. [Rectified three times in a row in the water bath with an alembic. See here. The alembic allows for a good expansion of the vapors and simultaneously causes a fractionation. To rectify, a fractionating column can also be used. To dephlegmatize means to limit the watery part of the distillate through fractionating, i.e., to rectify the distilled spirit.» — de Glauber: la deflemación tres veces seguidas en baño de agua, con el largo corchete en que Junius explica qué es rectificar.
«Now the plants are made into bales, which are dried in the sun or near the fire, then burnt to ashes» — de Glauber: el secado, la quema y la extracción de la Sal con su flema.
«The Salt is made visible through evaporation, then dissolved once more in fresh water, and again made visible; then it is pure.» — de Glauber: la purificación de la Sal por evaporación y redisolución, con el criterio de pureza en el propio texto.
«On one part of the Salt two parts of rectified spirit are poured, and everything is gently distilled in the water bath. Now the spirit attracts to itself as much of the fixed Salt as is necessary, and takes it over with itself, while the fixed Salt retains the phlegma.» — de Glauber: la proporción de sal y espíritu rectificado, con la destilación suave que se lleva parte de la Sal fija; el corchete con la explicación lo intercala Junius.
«The Salt calcined anew [in the fractionating flask] is as good as before. [After evaporating the wateriness, the Salt that stays back in the fractionating flask can be made visible. This Salt is as good as the previous one. The process can be repeated.» — de Glauber: la Sal recalcinada queda tan buena como antes, y el ciclo puede repetirse; los corchetes son de Junius.
«To the quite subtly concentrated spirit [the spirit is simultaneously subtle and concentrated], now pour half of a third of the previously separated oil, shake well, and the spirit immediately dissolves it, and it thereby turns into a clear, strong, and delicious essence, in which the volatile Sulfur of the plants is united with the fixed Salt.» — de Glauber, el remate de la receta: media tercera parte del aceite reservado vuelta sobre el espíritu da una esencia donde el Azufre volátil queda unido a la Sal fija.
«This sentence proves that the Salt that remained in the fractionating flask and which did not become volatile, goes into the essence. We are therefore adding it. The essence contains both the volatile and the fixed Salt. Other masters propose to volatilize part of the Salt through circulation. We shall return to this technique in the following chapter.» — la lectura que Junius hace de esa frase: para él prueba que la Sal que no se volatilizó entra también en la esencia, de modo que la esencia lleva las dos sales.
«This essence mixes well with all liquids. Because of their subtle purity, a few drops have a rapid effect on all diseases against which the plant [used] is helpful.» — de Glauber: la esencia se mezcla con cualquier líquido y unas pocas gotas obran rápido sobre las enfermedades que la planta cura.
«For dry plants Glauber recommends a digestion (maceration in heat) of three or four days. The quantitative relation between dry plants and water is 1:6.» — de Glauber, la variante para planta seca, con digestión de tres o cuatro días y proporción de uno a seis.
«I prefer a cold maceration, to prevent possible fermentation. In the event that alcohol should form, the essential oils can no longer be extracted pure, since they are soluble in alcohol.» — la objeción de Junius a esa digestión caliente y su razón técnica: si se forma alcohol, los aceites ya no salen puros.
«It is strange that Glauber does not mention the Salts of the fixed Sulfur in his method. Presumably, so little liquid remains after distillation that it is completely absorbed by the plants. The special reference to the burning seems to indicate it.» — señala la ausencia de las sales del Azufre fijo en el método de Glauber y propone una primera explicación material.
«It is also possible, however, that Glauber deliberately withholds the preparation of the Salt of the fixed Sulfur. Such deliberate omissions, as often also» — y una segunda, que la omisión sea deliberada; el tramo corta en el marcador de plana que parte la frase.
«deliberate misrepresentations, are not at all rare in the alchemistic literature.» — la continuación de esa frase, que generaliza el hallazgo: en la literatura alquímica no son raras ni las omisiones ni las tergiversaciones deliberadas.
«Leaving out the Salts of the Fixed Sulfur seems to me to be a sin of omission. One has but to realize how many valuable components the liquid in the fractionating flask contains after the distillation. Technically, we are indeed dealing with a decoction of the plants. For a true, integral preparation, pouring off this decoction is not advisable.» — su juicio sobre esa omisión, con el argumento material: el líquido del matraz es una decocción de la planta y tirarla no conviene a una preparación íntegra.
«Finally, we would still mention that distillations are best carried out in the water bath, as it totally excludes burning.» — la recomendación técnica con que cierra el punto, destilar en baño de agua para excluir del todo el quemado.
«The attentive reader will have noticed that Glauber’s mode of operation is closely related to the method described under the previous section» — declara el parentesco entre el método de Glauber y el que él acaba de describir.
«All preparations always contain the three Philosophical Principles, Mercury, Sulfur, and Salt. These Principles were extracted, purified, and then reassembled.» — la respuesta a qué tienen en común todos los métodos del capítulo: los tres principios extraídos, purificados y vueltos a reunir.
«In some instances, Mercury and volatile Sulfur are not separated from each other; only the Salts are first separated and then purified through slow calcination» — el primer grupo de métodos, donde Mercurio y Azufre volátil no se separan y solo las sales se apartan y purifican.
«In other cases, all three Essentials are separated from each other, for example, by the methods described in this and the previous sections, which begin with the extraction of the essential oils, that is, the volatile Sulfur.» — y el segundo, donde los tres se separan por entero, empezando por los aceites esenciales.
«Now a brief remark concerning the second distillation of the “mineralized” Mercury. We have seen by the methods in this and the previous section that the Salts are added to the distillate and that this mineralized spirit is then once again gently distilled.» — la segunda destilación del Mercurio mineralizado, con las sales ya incorporadas al destilado.
«Glauber explains that the spirit absorbs “as much as is necessary” of the fixed Salt and carries it over in the distillation. This at first mineralized and then distilled spirit is also called “Glauber essence.”» — el nombre que esa operación recibe, esencia de Glauber, apoyado en la explicación del propio Glauber.
«The distillation of the Salts is of the greatest importance in advanced alchemical works. The so-called volatilization of certain normally non-distillable Salts is one of the secrets that form part of the Great Work.» — sitúa la destilación de las sales en el centro de la obra avanzada y hace de la volatilización de sales no destilables uno de los secretos de la Gran Obra.
«Here, too, several ways lead to the goal; frequent cohobations probably represent the simplest method.» — y la vía que da por más simple para conseguirla, la cohobación repetida, con remisión al capítulo décimo.
«Cohobation consists in the renewed distillation of a liquid that has been poured back over the same substance from which it has been» — define la cohobación por la operación que la constituye, devolver el destilado sobre su propia materia; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«extracted through distillation. These distillations are often repeated twenty or fifty times and more!» — y el número de veces que llega a repetirse, con el signo de admiración del propio volumen.
«In the alchemistic view, the substance is thus “loosened,” “opened,” or “exalted.” In a similar sense, the circulation is used, also called rotation. We shall deal with it in the following chapter.» — la lectura alquímica del efecto de esas repeticiones y el paso a la circulación, que es el capítulo siguiente.
«Circulation, also called rotation or pelicanization, is a specifically alchemistic technique. It represents a form of elevation (exaltatio), which, in the alchemical view, increases the curative power of the essence considerably.» — abre el capítulo octavo nombrando la técnica por sus tres nombres y declarando lo que la alquimia le atribuye: subir considerablemente el poder curativo de la esencia.
«Exaltation is a process whereby a preparation is brought to a higher (subtler) plane of the matter and to a higher energy.» — define la exaltación por sus dos ejes, plano más sutil de la materia y energía más alta.
«The principle of circulation consists either in a continuous evaporation with a reflux system or in a rhythmization of the essence. In this process a period of expansion and reflux through heating alternates with a period of concentration and calm through cooling. We can therefore speak of a continuous circulation and a rhythmic circulation.» — reparte la circulación en continua y rítmica, con la alternancia de expansión y concentración como rasgo de la segunda.
«On the flask containing the essence, we mount a reflux condenser through which the cooling water flows; the flask is then heated (figure 43A). After some time, the volatilizing vapors are condensed in the condenser and fall back into the flask as drops. This rotation remains constant as long as the flask is heated and the cooling water flows. An intensive condenser is best suited for this operation.» — el montaje de la circulación continua, con el reflujo constante mientras haya calor y agua fría.
«We can also put an expansion flask (alembic) between the flask and the condenser.» — la variante con matraz de expansión intercalado, que es el alambique del capítulo quinto puesto a otro oficio.
«Circulation can also be carried out under a vacuum, in which case the temperatures remain low. Rotation should always proceed gently and not too violently.» — la variante al vacío, con el precepto de que la rotación vaya siempre suave.
«If we wish to apply the technique of rhythmic circulation, we switch the heating off after a few hours and let the matter cool; after a few more hours, we heat again. Frequently, circulation is done during the day, while cooling is done at night.» — la técnica de la circulación rítmica, con el ciclo repartido entre el día y la noche.
«This process is repeated seven times, therefore extended over a week. It would then be called a sevenfold circulation.» — las siete repeticiones que la vuelven circulación séptuple, extendida a lo largo de una semana.
«The two side arms of the pelican (figure 44) allow the reflux of the condensate into the lower belly of the vessel, while the upper belly provides space for the expansion of the vapors.» — la lectura del pelícano por su forma: los brazos laterales devuelven el condensado al vientre bajo y el alto deja expandir el vapor.
«In warm countries, the rotation can easily be done in the sun. If we wish to rhythmize, we put the circulation vessel in the refrigerator overnight.» — las adaptaciones de clima, con el sol para rotar y el refrigerador para dar el ritmo nocturno.
«With a pump over a suitable glass tube with a stopcock, a vacuum can be produced, which also results in a good rotation at low temperatures. Figure 45 presents some proposals for fabricating modern circulation containers. Of course, we can also have a classical pelican made by a glassblower.» — la vía del vacío para rotar en frío, y la posibilidad de encargar un pelícano clásico a un vidriero.
«The pelican. The ancients often used the pelican for circulation. Until today science has been unable to explain why circulation, especially rhythmic circulation, causes an exaltation of the product.» — declara que la ciencia no explica por qué la circulación, y sobre todo la rítmica, exalta el producto.
«It is similar with homeopathic potencies. Experience proves their validity again and again, but an explanation is beyond the present state of official science.» — la analogía que trae, la potenciación homeopática, con la experiencia probando y la explicación faltando.
«Homeopathy, too, applies rhythmization in its own way, for instance in succession and also the successive steps of potentizing.» — y el punto en que la homeopatía coincide, porque también ella ritma en la sucusión y en los pasos de potenciación.
«With potentizing, the matter proper decreases while the energy increases; by contrast, with circulation, the quantity of the matter remains constant.» — la diferencia que sí marca entre las dos: allá la materia mengua y la energía sube, aquí la cantidad de materia no cambia.
«For some preparations circulation is a must, for without its application certain preparations would be incomplete.» — y el peso que da a la técnica: hay preparaciones que sin circular quedan incompletas.
«In his Book of the Archidoxes, under the chapter “De Magisteriis,” Paracelsus (1493–1541) gives the following directions» — identifica la fuente de la receta que va a comentar: el Libro de los Archidoxa de Paracelso, capítulo De Magisteriis.
«But the herbs and their likes are to be taken first and mixed with burnt wine and putrefied therewith for one month. After that, distill per balneum, and again add more and proceed as before, until there is four times less burnt wine than juice of the herbs.» — de Paracelso, la receta entera del magisterio vegetal: mezcla con vino quemado, putrefacción de un mes, destilación en baño y adición repetida hasta la proporción de uno a cuatro.
«Distill this per balneum for one month with new additives; after that separate it, and you will have the magistery of any herb you wish.» — de Paracelso, el remate de la receta: circular un mes con nuevos aditamentos y separar.
«This extremely brief text is by no means unambiguous. We should therefore not be surprised that it has been very differently interpreted. Many spagyrists refer to this passage. Let us examine it closely.» — declara que el texto no es unívoco y que por eso se lo ha interpretado de maneras distintas.
«The plants are first to be mixed with “burnt wine,” which indicates brandy (or spirits), and then “putrefied” therein for one month.» — su primera aclaración léxica: vino quemado es aguardiente, y en él se putrefacen las plantas un mes.
«The word putrefied here means extracted with alcohol and does not at all refer to decaying, as alcohol makes putrefaction impossible.» — la segunda, y es la que rehace el sentido del pasaje: aquí putrefacer significa extraer con alcohol, porque el alcohol impide la putrefacción.
«Through extraction the plants are mutilated in their being; only their “body” remains after extraction. Hence the term putrefied implies decomposition, as valuable principles are dissolved.» — y la razón por la que el término sigue valiendo: la extracción descompone la planta al llevarse sus principios y dejar solo el cuerpo.
«Paracelsus gives us no quantitative data. Moreover, he does not say whether “month” here refers to a calendar month, that is, thirty days, or a Philosophical Month of forty days.» — señala las dos lagunas del texto, la falta de cantidades y la ambigüedad de la palabra mes.
«In the alchemical practice, in connection with maceration over a longer period of time, the period of forty days, the Philosophical Month, is frequently applied.» — y la práctica alquímica que inclina la lectura hacia el mes de cuarenta días.
«Forty is related to darkness; it is the number of waiting and preparation, and hence characteristic of natural processes of disintegration.» — lo que el cuarenta significa en esa lectura, número de espera y de preparación ligado a la oscuridad.
«For forty days it was raining at the Flood, forty days was the time Jacob’s embalming lasted, for forty years Moses led the Israelites through the desert, for forty days Jesus remained in the desert before appearing to the people, and for an additional forty days between Easter and Ascension Day he stayed with his disciples.» — la serie de cuarentenas bíblicas con que lo apoya, del diluvio a la ascensión.
«Indian musicians occasionally undergo a strict yoga-like training period during which they impose certain restrictions upon themselves. The longest of these periods lasts forty days. During this time the musician is not allowed to see the sun.» — y el paralelo indio que le añade, la cuarentena de retiro del músico, con la prohibición de ver el sol.
«After this, everything is to be distilled in the water bath. The distillate contains alcohol, the essential oils, and the water of the plants, together with other volatile components.» — lo que la primera destilación en baño se lleva consigo.
«“Again add more and proceed as before” means that we add more plants to the distillate obtained and again extract for one month.» — su lectura de la segunda instrucción de Paracelso: añadir más planta al destilado y volver a extraer un mes.
«As the plants added to the distillate contain juice, the alcohol content is already thinned in the second distillation, because the major part of the plants’ wateriness goes over in the distillation.» — la consecuencia aritmética de esa repetición: el alcohol se diluye porque el agua de la planta pasa al destilado.
«We repeat the process of the extraction of new, fresh plants in the distillate, which steadily increases in volume till the alcohol content is one-fifth of the total distilled liquid, that is four times less than the juice of the plants.» — el criterio de término del ciclo, con la proporción de uno a cuatro leída como alcohol frente a jugo vegetal.
«If, for instance, we have used 100 milliliters of alcohol for our extraction, fresh plants are successively distilled in the single rounds until the water distilled from the plants amounts to 400 ml and the distillate as a whole amounts to 500 ml. Supposing we used plants with an 85 percent water content, we would then need at least 460 grams of fresh plants for 100 ml of highly rectified alcohol (vinum ardens); but as a total distillation of the water from the plants is technically very difficult, we would require up to 600 grams of fresh plants. The one-fifth of alcohol in the final distillate is enough to stabilize it.» — el cálculo con que traduce esa proporción a cifras de taller, con el contenido de agua de la planta y la merma técnica dentro; el tramo llega hasta la función del quinto de alcohol, que es estabilizar.
«Such distilled herb waters were quite in use in the classical pharmacology. Many old works deal thoroughly with both their preparation and their application.» — sitúa esas aguas destiladas de hierbas en la farmacología clásica, con obras antiguas dedicadas a ellas.
«Our distillate now contains all the components of the total quantity of the plants. We are now to circulate (continuously distill) this distillate for one month with “newen additamentis.”» — lo que el destilado contiene ya, y la última instrucción de Paracelso, circular un mes con *newen additamentis*.
«What additives are meant by these newen additamentis? Here now we have a parting of the ways. This so-often-quoted, vague passage of the Paracelsus text has already sparked many a dispute among spagyrists.» — plantea la pregunta por esos aditamentos y declara ahí el punto donde los caminos se separan.
«Everyone knows of it, no one seems to be quite sure of its meaning, and all seem to refer to it. That is how it is with many passages in the classical alchemical literature.» — describe el estado de la discusión: todos lo citan, nadie está seguro de su sentido, y eso vale para muchos pasajes de la literatura alquímica.
«I shall now try to explain my understanding of the famous text, without, however, intending to raise it to a dogma.» — anuncia su propia lectura y le pone de antemano el límite: no la propone como dogma; el tramo corta antes del punto y coma.
«Anyone who studies the sixth book of the Archidoxes attentively can find the way. In it, Paracelsus speaks several times of the so-called» — dónde dice que está la clave, en el sexto libro de los Archidoxa, donde Paracelso habla varias veces de los Circulata; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«These Circulata, of which there are higher and lower ones, have the power to extract magisteries from fundamental substances.» — qué son los Circulata y para qué sirven: hay superiores e inferiores, y extraen magisterios de las sustancias.
«If now we add an appropriate Circulatum to our distillate, the latter will separate an oily substance that is the magistery proper.» — y su lectura del pasaje: añadido el Circulatum al destilado, éste separa una sustancia oleosa que es el magisterio.
«Paracelsus says that one part of this magistery has the same effect as the two-hundredfold quantity of corresponding dry plants (the plant body). (One-half ounce corresponds to 100 ounces.» — la potencia que Paracelso atribuye a ese magisterio, con la equivalencia en peso puesta entre paréntesis.
«According to the specific weight of the fluids, the magistery finally either floats on the surface of the liquids or collects at the bottom of the vessel.» — el comportamiento físico del magisterio según su peso específico, arriba o al fondo del vaso.
«Depending on the kind of Circulatum used, the separation proceeds faster or more slowly. At first, a milky cloudiness usually forms, the sign of an emulsion. Later, the droplets collect into an oily mass, and the liquid becomes clear.» — y las señales del proceso, con la nube lechosa de la emulsión primero y el aceite reunido después.
«In the following chapter we shall speak about a particularly fastworking Circulatum, the famous Circulatum Minus of Urbigerus, which separates within a few minutes.» — anuncia el Circulatum Minus de Urbigerus como el más rápido, con separación en minutos; el volumen parte *fast-working* por el corte de renglón y la extracción lo devuelve unido.
«The Circulata mentioned in the Archidoxes work more slowly. Because of their ability to separate, the Circulata are also called “liquid Stones” or “the Wet Work.”» — y sitúa los Circulata de los Archidoxa como más lentos, con los dos nombres que la tradición les da por su capacidad separadora.
«The preparation of the Circulata belongs to the most interesting and surely also the most impressive experiments of alchemy. Therefore, every earnest student should first make an attempt at mastering this difficult “Lesser Work.”» — el valor que da a la preparación de los Circulata y el consejo que saca: el estudiante serio empieza por esa Obra Menor.
«After the addition of the Circulatum, Paracelsus now proposes a one-month circulation. The magistery that develops is then separated, for example, with a pipette.» — el cierre de la lectura: circulación de un mes y separación del magisterio con pipeta.
«In the year 1690, there appeared a remarkable publication on the Circulatum Minus by Baron Urbigerus, which was printed in London by Henry Fairborne. In 1691, a German edition followed, printed by Johann Caspar Birckner in Erfurt. This edition was followed in 1705 by a reprint in Hamburg by Benjamin Schiller.» — data la publicación del tratado de Urbigerus y sigue sus tres ediciones, la inglesa de 1690, la alemana de 1691 y la reimpresión de 1705.
«The original English title reads: “Circulatum Minus Urbigeranum, or the Philosophical Elixir of Vegetables with the Three Certain Ways of Preparing It, Fully and Clearly Set Forth in One and Thirty Aphorisms by Baron Urbigerus, a Servant of God in the Kingdom of Nature.» — el título inglés completo, que anuncia las tres vías de preparación en treinta y un aforismos.
«The German title mentions, “Still Three Other Ways of Preparing the Vegetable Elixir Based on Personal Experience. By Baron Urbigerus, God’s Faithful Servant in the Temple of Nature.» — el título alemán, que añade otras tres vías basadas en experiencia propia.
«The linking of his own name with the Circulatum Minus proves that the Baron considered the three ways of preparation described as original and entirely his own contributions.» — lo que Junius lee en el hecho de que Urbigerus ligue su propio nombre al Circulatum: se tenía por autor de esas vías, no por transmisor.
«The actual text consists of a dedication to all serious souls and lovers of hermetic philosophy, a copper plate, the thirty-one aphorisms, and an appendix that is a commentary on the copper plate.» — las partes de que consta el texto, con la lámina de cobre y su comentario en apéndice.
«According to the German alchemist Andreas Libavius (1555–1610), Circulatum means “the Exaltation of a pure liquor [liquid] through a circulating [continuous] dissolution and coagulation in the pelican with heat as the agent.» — de Andreas Libavius, la definición de Circulatum: exaltación de un licor puro por disolución y coagulación circulantes en el pelícano.
«In the preceding chapter, we said that circulation is an improvement of liquid substances. The liquids are continuously, over a longer time, brought from the liquid to the gaseous state, only to return immediately to the liquid state.» — lo que la circulación hace con los líquidos, en el vaivén continuo entre estado líquido y gaseoso.
«Several techniques are united in the art of circulation, which can interconnect digestion, sublimation, distillation, and cohobation.» — y las cuatro técnicas que la circulación puede enlazar.
«Digestion means a ripening in mild “digestive” heat by which a substance releases and yields its inner forces.» — define la digestión por su efecto, madurar en calor suave hasta que la sustancia suelta sus fuerzas internas.
«become subtler, their crude state is modified, and what had been opaque becomes transparent. The impurities, which settle at the bottom, can then be separated.» — lo que la digestión cambia en el líquido, y la separación de impurezas que permite; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«In warmer zones, digestion in the sun is also possible. The ancients often digested in horse dung, which also has a warm, constant temperature in winter.» — las fuentes de calor para digerir, con el sol y otra vez el estiércol de caballo, constante hasta en invierno.
«The duration of the digestion is quite variable; it may be a few days, a Philosophical Month, and even longer.» — y la duración, que va de unos días al mes filosófico o más.
«In the course of a sublimation, a substance is driven into the upper part of a container by heat and precipitated there.» — define la sublimación por el recorrido que impone a la sustancia dentro del vaso.
«Distillation separates volatile, or liquid, substances from nonvolatile (solid or fixed) ones, and also different liquids from each other if they have different boiling points and the temperature can be controlled exactly. Continued separation through repeated distillations is called rectification.» — define la destilación por lo que separa, y llama rectificación a su repetición.
«Rotation and cohobation are related to circulation. The term rotation is also used in the same sense as circulation. Rhythmic circulation in particular is called rotation.» — sitúa rotación y cohobación junto a la circulación, con la rotación reservada sobre todo a la circulación rítmica.
«Cohobation consists of a series of repeated distillations of a solvent over the same substance or the same substances that had been dissolved in it. After each distillation, the distillate is poured back over the residue in the fractionating flask and again distilled, which, according to alchemical concepts, leads to a “loosening” and volatilization of certain materials.» — define la cohobación por su ciclo, el destilado devuelto sobre el residuo, y por su efecto declarado: aflojar y volatilizar.
«To the alchemist it is less important that in this process certain chemical changes occur, since “the same” substances can appear in various forms.» — y lo que al alquimista le importa menos, el cambio químico, porque una misma sustancia puede aparecer en varias formas.
«The technique of cohobation is very frequently used in alchemy, and Urbigerus also proposes it for his Circulatum Minus as the actual circulation.» — declara que Urbigerus propone la cohobación como la circulación propiamente dicha de su Circulatum, con remisión a dos aforismos.
«Finally, we should also know that the term Circulatum Minus in alchemy can simply mean the alchemical work in the plant world.» — el sentido amplio del término Circulatum Minus, que puede nombrar sin más la obra alquímica del reino vegetal.
«In a wider sense, Circulata may also stand for the “Aqua Solvens” of Paracelsus, the “Secret Spiritus Vini” of Raymundus Lullus and the Adepts, of “Aqua Mercurialis,” the “Spiritus Mercurii Universalis,” and others.» — y la serie de nombres con que Circulata puede designar disolventes de otras tradiciones, del Aqua Solvens de Paracelso al Spiritus Vini de Lullus.
«Our Circulatum minus is only a specificated Elixir, belonging to the Vegetable Kingdom, by which without any Fire, or further Preparation of the Vegetables, we can in a Moment extract their true Essence, containing their Virtue, Quality, and Property: which is a great Chymical Curiosity, performing Wonders in the Practice of Physick, and in demonstrating some Works of Nature.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo I: define su Circulatum como elixir específico del reino vegetal que extrae la esencia verdadera sin fuego y en un instante.
«We call it Circulatum, because, tho ever so often used in any Extraction, or Chymical Experiment what-ever, it loses nothing of its Quality, or Property: which is a Prerogative, pertaining to the Universal Elixir, called also the Circulatum majus, because it commands in all the three Kingdoms of Nature; whilst this, being restrained to one only Kingdom, is for that reason called Minus.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo II: el nombre viene de que no pierde nada al usarse, y el Minus lo distingue del Majus, que manda en los tres reinos.
«In alchemy, a difference is made between the Circulatum Minus and the Circulatum Majus. The first is an elixir that can effect in the plant world what the Circulatum Majus can effect in all three kingdoms (plant, mineral, and animal worlds): the separation.» — la lectura de Junius: el Minus hace en el mundo vegetal lo que el Majus en los tres reinos, y lo que hace es separar.
«The Circulatum Minus, provided it is prepared in the right way, loses nothing of its vigor even after frequent use. A Circulatum Minus that I prepared in my Italian laboratory many years ago still separates today within a few minutes.» — el dato de taller con que lo respalda, un Circulatum suyo hecho años atrás en Italia que sigue separando en minutos.
«After every separation the Circulatum Minus can be recovered through a gentle distillation.» — y la propiedad que lo hace reutilizable: se recupera por destilación suave.
«Out of Diana’s undetermined Tears, when Appollo has appeared, after the Separation of the three Elements, Determination, Digestion and glorious Resurrection, we can, without the Addition of any other created thing, prepare this our determined Elixir: Which is the first, noblest, and secretest way of the Philosophers.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo III: la primera vía, la más noble y secreta, parte de las lágrimas indeterminadas de Diana una vez aparecido Apolo.
«The “Tears of Diana” are the pure Mercury, the ethyl alcohol not yet specified by any kind of additives. Later it is determined by the addition of the Salts and essential oils.» — la traducción que Junius da de las lágrimas de Diana: el Mercurio puro, el alcohol etílico todavía sin determinar.
«“When Apollo has appeared” means after the volatile Sulfur—that is, the essential oils—has been distilled from the plants. The appearance of Apollo, which is the separation of the essential oils, is always the first step in separation.» — y la de la aparición de Apolo: el Azufre volátil ya destilado, que es siempre el primer paso de la separación.
«Urbigerus writes that the separation of a species into its three Essentials or Philosophical Principles (here called the Elements) is always a prerequisite for the work.» — lo que Urbigerus exige como condición previa de la obra, la separación de la especie en sus tres principios.
«The Mercury is then “determined” by the addition of the other purified Principles, that is, the Salts, the fixed and the volatile Sulfur. This is followed by a digestion with subsequent distillations (cohobations). In this way we can prepare the Circulatum Minus from a species without any additives. Urbigerus considers this the noblest way.» — la secuencia entera de esa primera vía y el juicio de Urbigerus sobre ella: sin añadidos de otra especie, y por eso la más noble.
«The Determination of our Diana’s Tears consists only in their perfect and indissoluble Union with the fixt Vegetable Earth, philosophically prepared, purified, and spiritualized: for the love of which they are forced to leave their first universal undetermined Property, and be clothed with a determined particular one, which is required to this our Circulatum Minus.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo IV: la determinación de las lágrimas de Diana es su unión indisoluble con la tierra vegetal fija, preparada y espiritualizada.
«Urbigerus explains clearly what he means by the determination of Diana’s Tears. But the Salt (fixed vegetable earth) obtained from the plant body (the plant residue) through calcination must be prepared “philosophically,” that is, in the proper alchemical way, therefore» — la lectura de Junius de ese aforismo, con la exigencia de que la Sal se prepare filosóficamente; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«correctly calcined, purified, and spiritualized (volatilized). In the course of this treatment, the nature of the Salt is changed.» — la continuación de esa lectura y su consecuencia: en ese tratamiento cambia la naturaleza de la Sal.
«Our second way of preparing this our Vegetable Elixir is by a right Manipulation of a Plant of the noblest Degree, standing by itself, or supported by others: after the Preparation of which, and its Putrefaction, Reduction into an Oil, Separation of the three Principles, with their Purification, Union, and Spiritualization, the whole is to be turned into a spiritual ever-living Fountain, renewing every Plant, that shall be plunged into it.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo V: la segunda vía, sobre una planta del grado más noble, hasta volverla fuente espiritual que renueva cualquier planta sumergida en ella.
«Urbigerus here refers to the wine. During the alchemical work with wine, known as Opus Vini, the moment comes when the alchemist can choose between the preparation of a volatile liquid or a solid result, a so-called “Stone.” In alchemistic parlance, we would say he can choose the “Wet Way” or the “Dry Way.”» — la identificación que Junius hace de esa planta, la vid, y la bifurcación del Opus Vini entre vía húmeda y vía seca.
«The third and common way is only a Conjunction of a fixt Vegetable Salt with its own volatil sulphureous Spirit, both to be found ready prepared by any vulgar Chymist, and since in their Preparation the purest Sulphur, containing the Soul, has suffered some Detriment by their not being philosophically manipulated, they cannot be inseparably joined without a sulphureous Medium, by which the Soul being strengthened, the Body and Spirit are also through it made capable of a perfect Union.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo VI: la tercera vía, común, une la sal vegetal fija con su propio espíritu azufroso volátil, y necesita un medio azufroso para que la unión sea indisoluble.
«The conjunction of a fixed plant salt, which we obtain from the plant body through calcination and subsequent extraction of the ash and purification through repeated dissolution and evaporation, with its own sulfurous spirit leads to our Circulatum.» — la lectura de Junius de esa tercera vía, con el origen de la sal fija en el cuerpo de la planta calcinado y purificado.
«The “volatile sulphureous Spirit” is an alcoholic essence distilled from a plant species. “Sulphureous Spirit” always means an alcoholic distillate that contains the essential oil (i.e., the volatile Sulfur) of the plant in question.» — y su traducción del espíritu azufroso: un destilado alcohólico que lleva el aceite esencial de la planta.
«These aromatic essences were also frequently made by common “chymicis,” that is, by ordinary pharmacists who did not master the spagyric art. The latter are also considered “chymici hermetici” in contrast to the “common chymicis.”» — sitúa esas esencias aromáticas fuera del arte espagírico, en manos de los boticarios corrientes, y opone los chymici hermetici a los chymici comunes.
«Examples of the above-mentioned aromatic essences are the well-known “Carmelite Water,” even today» — los ejemplos que da de esas aguas aromáticas; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«popular under the name Klosterfrau Melissengeist, and the “Hungarian Water” or “Water of Elizabeth of Hungary,” which was also sold as a cosmetic.» — la continuación de esa lista, con el agua húngara vendida como cosmético.
«the fixed part of the Sulfur or its Salt, as they did not go over in distilling because of their fixed nature and were therefore discarded.» — lo que a esas aguas les falta, la parte fija del Azufre y su Sal, descartadas por no destilar; el tramo arranca después del marcador de plana que parte la frase.
«From the alchemical viewpoint, this fractionating is unphilosophical, since the fixed Sulfur contains the other part of the soul.» — la objeción alquímica a ese fraccionamiento, con el argumento de que el Azufre fijo lleva la otra parte del alma.
«We shall see later that the organic acids that the fixed Sulfur contains are the key to the secret of the volatilization of the Salts.» — anuncia dónde está la clave del secreto: en los ácidos orgánicos que el Azufre fijo contiene.
«Since the organic acids contained in the distillate called sulfurous spirit do not suffice, others have to be added from outside. Then they act as catalysts and bring body (Salt) and spirit (Mercury) together.» — y por qué hay que traerlos de fuera: los del destilado no bastan, y añadidos obran como catalizadores que juntan cuerpo y espíritu.
«In the following aphorism Urbigerus tells us what this sulfurous matter is and where we can obtain it.» — anuncia que el aforismo siguiente dice qué es esa materia azufrosa y dónde se consigue.
«The proper Medium, requisite for the indissoluble Union of these two Subjects, is only a sulphureous and bituminous Matter, issuing out of a plant, living or dead, which is to be found in several parts of the World, and is known to all manner of sea fishermen (the Copavian we find to be the best, and after that the Italian), by which, after it has been separated from its feculent parts through our Universal Menstruum, all the Pores and Atoms of the fixt Vegetable Salt, which is extremely fortified by it, being dilated, it is made capable of receiving its own Spirit, and uniting itself with it.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo VII: el medio que hace indisoluble la unión es una materia azufrosa y bituminosa salida de una planta, conocida de los pescadores de mar, con la copaiva por delante y la italiana después.
«Urbigerus here clearly refers to resins. These are complex mixtures mainly of aromatic substances with properties of acids, besides alcohols, phenols, strongly unsaturated substances. Resins are closely related to terpenes.» — la identificación que Junius hace de esa materia: resinas, con su composición química y su parentesco con los terpenos.
«We obtain resins by injuring certain trees, especially pines (spruce), firs, larches, and other exotic trees.» — de dónde se obtienen las resinas, hiriendo pinos, abetos, alerces y otros árboles.
«A special resin is amber. Urbigerus’s text contains a decisive pointer: “and is known to all manner of sea fishermen.” This obvious reference to amber put the author on the right track. Succinic acid (acid of amber) is an excellent catalyst.» — la pista que Junius lee en la mención de los pescadores: el ámbar, cuyo ácido succínico es un catalizador excelente.
«But Urbigerus himself tells us which kind of resins he considers particularly suitable for the work.» — anuncia que el propio Urbigerus dice qué resinas prefiere.
«First he mentions the Copavian, which is Copaiva balsam obtained from Copaiva balsama. He considers this best.» — la primera, el bálsamo de copaiva, que Urbigerus tiene por la mejor.
«Next he recommends Italian resin. This is either the resin from the pines widespread in Italy, which give the landscape its characteristic look» — la segunda, la resina italiana, con la duda entre pino y ciprés; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«Pines are often mentioned in Italian poetry, and Ottorino Respighi even wrote a musical piece about them, “The Pines of Rome.”» — el excurso sobre los pinos italianos en la poesía y en la música, con la pieza de Respighi.
«On the other hand, I would like to mention that in Italy I was successful with a particularly high-grade Circulatum Minus from cypress.» — y el dato de taller que lo cierra: en Italia le salió un Circulatum Minus de calidad con ciprés.
«On whichever resin we may decide, it must first be purified of its feculant parts. Distillation would be the best method.» — el requisito común a cualquier resina, purificarla de sus heces, con la destilación como mejor vía.
«In his Chymischer Handleiter the seventeenth-century spagyric pharmacist Le Febure describes this process as follows:» — presenta la receta ajena de purificación y a su autor, el boticario espagírico Le Febure.
«What is called Gum-Elemi (olive-tree resin) by grocers is resin that comes from a kind of cedar which grows in North Africa. The best kind is whitish, clear, and mixed with some small yellowish parts. Formed into a mass or lump, it gives off a not unpleasant smell when lighted.» — de Le Febure, *Chymischer Handleiter*: qué es la resina elemi y cómo se reconoce la mejor calidad.
«Some elemi must be pulverized, mixed with three parts of crushed bricks and one part of common salt previously completely dried by heating. Everything is put together into a retort, which is put in a closed reverberating furnace on a reversed earthenware stand with sand; a good receiver is put in front, the furnace is covered, then heated per gradus till nothing rises any longer.» — de Le Febure, la operación entera: pulverizar, mezclar con ladrillo molido y sal seca, y destilar en retorta por grados.
«Part of this oil can be preserved without rectification, while the other must be mixed with three times as much common salt. This mixture is to be put into a glass retort, and the oil is rectified in sand or distilled once more.» — de Le Febure, el remate: parte del aceite se guarda sin rectificar y el resto se rectifica con sal común.
«For us it is simplest to buy readily clarified resin, be it Copaiva balsam or Canada balsam. Balsams are mixtures of resins and essential oils, partly with aromatic acids.» — la salida práctica que Junius propone al lector, comprar resina ya clarificada, con la definición de bálsamo por su composición.
«Canada balsam is obtained from the North American balsam fir (Abies balsamea). Strictly speaking, Canada balsam is a turpentine. It contains about 24 percent essential oil, 60 percent resin soluble in alcohol, and 16 percent resin soluble in ether.» — la composición del bálsamo de Canadá, con sus porcentajes de aceite esencial y de resinas.
«I experimented with several kinds of resins when making my Circulata. Since I obtained especially good results with Canada balsam, I would like to recommend it in particular. Even today Canada balsam is used in microscopy and is available in an already filtered, pure form, although it is not exactly the cheapest kind of resin.» — su propia experiencia con varias resinas y la recomendación que saca, el bálsamo de Canadá, con su precio como única objeción.
«In Australia, I also had good results with cedarwood oil. If you look carefully at the copper plate in figure 46, you will notice a hole in the tree from which resin flows. The river into which Apollo and Diana step is resinous.» — el segundo hallazgo de taller, el aceite de cedro en Australia, y su lectura de la lámina: el río en que entran Apolo y Diana es resinoso.
«On the other side of the tree Diana comes out of the river. She now holds Apollo’s sun in her left (receiving) hand— Apollo and Diana have become one being.» — el cierre de esa lectura, con Apolo y Diana vueltos un solo ser.
«To fortify the Sulphur, and open the Pores of the Salt, no other Method is to be used, but to imbibe the same with the bituminous Matter in a moderate digestive Heat, as if one would hatch Chickens, and as the Salt grows dry, the Imbibitions are to be repeated, until you find it so fully saturated that it refuses to imbibe any more of the Matter.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo VIII: la imbibición de la sal con la materia bituminosa en calor de incubación, repetida hasta que la sal no admita más.
«“To fortify the Sulphur” indicates that the Salt and part of the Sulfur have already been put together, as one could otherwise not speak of a fortification. Only that which is already present can be fortified.» — la lectura de Junius de esa expresión: si se habla de fortificar el Azufre es porque parte de él ya está con la Sal.
«Only the fixed part of the Sulfur is missing, that part that was lost through unphilosophical manipulation. (See aphorism VI.) The volatile part of the Sulfur, that is, the essential oils, are already together with the Salt.» — y qué parte falta: la fija, la que se perdió por manipulación no filosófica, mientras la volátil ya está con la Sal.
«We now add the resinous matter, imbibing our mixture of Sal and volatile Sulfur with it. The mixture is then placed in moderate heat, about 40°. Whenever the matter becomes dry, we repeat the imbibition.» — la traducción operativa del aforismo, con la temperatura concreta y la repetición cada vez que la materia seca.
«In the Course of Imbibitions the whole Mass is at least nine or ten times a day to be stirr’d with a Spatula, or some other Instrument of dry Wood, by which reiterated Motion, the bituminous Matter receives a better ingress into the Body, and perfects its Operation the sooner.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo IX: la mezcla se agita nueve o diez veces al día con espátula de madera seca, para que la materia bituminosa entre mejor.
«Great care is to be taken, that in the performance of the Imbibitions, no kind of Soil or Dust fall into your Matter, for the prevention of which your Vessel may be kept covered with a Paper, prickt full of holes, or any other suitable Covering, and that nothing come near it, which has its own internal Sulphur: for the Pores of the Salt being very much dilated and opened, it may easily determine itself to any other Subject, and so spoil your Undertaking.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo X: la advertencia contra el polvo y contra cualquier cosa con azufre propio, porque los poros dilatados de la Sal se determinarían a otro sujeto.
«Since at this stage we already work with highly purified substances, we must take care not to spoil the work with impurities. On the other hand, the fear of foreign Sulfur seems somewhat exaggerated, because the resinous matter also contains foreign Sulfur.» — la objeción de Junius a esa advertencia: el temor al azufre ajeno le parece algo exagerado, porque la propia resina lo lleva.
«The imbibition can also be done in a glass flask, which is then closed with a glass stopper. Occasionally the flask is opened to allow for fresh air, then closed again.» — la variante de taller que propone, imbibir en matraz de vidrio con tapón, abriéndolo de vez en cuando.
«must be quite large and contain much air. The danger of contamination is also greatly reduced by working in a closed oven (incubator).» — la condición para que esa variante funcione y la ventaja de la estufa cerrada; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«If in three, or four Weeks time at farthest, your fixt Vegetable Salt does not manifest its full Saturation, it will certainly be in vain for you to go on any further with it: for you may assure yourself, that you either err in the Notion of the Salt or of the real sulphureous Medium, or in the Management of the Imbibitions.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo XI: si en tres o cuatro semanas la sal no se satura, el error está en la sal, en el medio o en el manejo de las imbibiciones.
«When your Imbibitions are fully performed, your Salt will then be in a convenient readiness to receive its own Spirit, by which it is made volatil, spiritual, transparent, and wonderfully penetrating, entring on a sudden into the Pores and Particles of every Vegetable, and separating in a moment their true Essence or Elements.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo XII: cumplidas las imbibiciones, la sal queda lista para recibir su espíritu y volverse volátil, transparente y penetrante.
«If everything has gone well, we can now pour on our Mercury, that is, our rectified ethyl alcohol.» — la traducción de Junius: llegado ese punto se vierte el Mercurio, que es el alcohol etílico rectificado.
«Altho the Salt is fully prepared for the Reception of its own Spirit, yet unless you well observe the right Proportion of them (which is, that the volatil always predominate over the fixt) you will never be able to make any perfect Union between these two Subjects, contrary in Quality, though not in Nature.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo XIII: sin la proporción correcta, con lo volátil siempre por encima de lo fijo, no hay unión perfecta entre los dos sujetos.
«The mixture must be well covered by the alcohol. Even with a proportion of 6:1 or even 8:1, I have achieved good results.» — las proporciones con que Junius dice haber tenido buen resultado.
«It is decisive for the whole work that we should have a sufficiently large quantity of proper essential oil.» — y lo que declara decisivo para toda la obra, disponer de bastante aceite esencial propio.
«Like the anonymous Mercury in the plant world, alcohol is at any time easily available from outside sources.» — el contrapunto sobre el Mercurio, que por anónimo se consigue siempre de fuera.
«Before you begin your Distillations and Cohobations, after the Addition of the Vegetable Spirit to its own Salt, a Putrefaction of eight to ten days is to precede, during which time, the sulphureous Spirit, strengthened by the bituminous Matter, and finding its Salt fit for Conjunction with it, has the power to enter» — de Urbigerus, aforismo XIV: antes de destilar y cohobar hay que dejar putrefacer ocho o diez días; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«In the course of this putrefaction, which is nothing but a further digestion, a change in color occurs and the fine Salt appears like slime. The strengthened Sulfur and the Mercury now act upon the Salt and begin to make part of it volatile. After this, we begin with the distillations.» — la lectura de Junius de esa putrefacción, que es una digestión más, con el cambio de color y la Sal vuelta légamo como señales.
«If after six or seven Distillations and Cohobations of the distilled upon the Remainder, you do not find your Spirit to be extremely sharp, and the Remainder in the bottom altogether insipid, it will be an evident Sign, that you fail in the true knowledge of the Vegetable Spirit, which, being exceeding volatil, has in its Nature power to volatilize its own Body, and unite itself inseparably with it, finding it capable of its Reception.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo XV: si tras seis o siete destilaciones y cohobaciones el espíritu no sale muy agudo y el residuo insípido, falla el conocimiento del espíritu vegetal.
«The fractionating flask is best heated in the water bath. Between the separate distillations, or cohobations—since the distillate is always poured back—additional digestions are occasionally useful, but they are not prescribed.» — la traducción de Junius al taller, con el baño de agua y las digestiones intercaladas como recurso no prescrito.
«After six or seven distillations, or cohobations, the distillate has a peculiar, very penetrating odor and a sharp corrosive taste.» — y las señales del destilado tras esas seis o siete vueltas, por su olor y su sabor.
«It is to be observed, that in the Progress of your Distillations the sulphureous Medium does not in the least ascend: for as it is a real Medium, concurring to unite the Body with the Spirit, before the Spiritualization of the Body, and without the Concurrence of which no perfect Union of these two Subjects is to be expected; so on the contrary in the Progress of the Work its Concurrence would be highly disadvantageous to them both, and totally subvert your Operation.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo XVI: el medio azufroso no debe ascender en la destilación, porque lo que antes unía después estorbaría y arruinaría la operación.
«To avoid this, we make our distillations in the water bath. The resinous matter must not be distilled over or burn. It has accomplished its function as an intensifier of the Sulfur, and we no longer need the rest.» — la traducción operativa de esa advertencia: baño de agua, y la resina ni destila ni se quema porque ya cumplió su oficio.
«Too-high temperatures would also rather result in a fixation of the volatile parts of the fixed Salt instead of its volatilization. We would then end with a solid substance instead of a Circulatum.» — el riesgo del calor excesivo, que fijaría en vez de volatilizar y dejaría un sólido en lugar de un Circulatum.
«Careful and slow distillations are therefore necessary, just as they are in all attempts at volatilizing alkaline Salts. It is here where the practicing alchemist can make many mistakes. Much patience and experience are needed for these distillations.» — y lo que exige la maniobra, con la volatilización de sales alcalinas como caso general y la paciencia como requisito.
«The ascending of the sulphureous Medium, when the Spirit begins to carry over its own Body, to unite itself inseparably, with it, evidently and certainly signifies, that you do not regulate your Fire, as you should, and that, instead of giving a gentle vaporous Heat to facilitate the Union, you give a violent one to destroy it.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo XVII: si el medio azufroso asciende, la señal es de mal gobierno del fuego, violento donde debía ser vaporoso y suave.
«When your Salt is brought to its perfect Spiritualization, and real Union with its own Volatile Spirit, then you will have in your power your Circulatum Minus, or Vegetable Elixir, and Menstruum, with which you will be able to perform wonders in the Vegetable Kingdom, separating in a moment not only their Principles or Elements, but also at one and the same Operation the Pure from the Impure.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo XVIII: espiritualizada la Sal y unida a su espíritu volátil, el operador tiene el Circulatum Minus, capaz de separar en un instante los principios y de apartar lo puro de lo impuro.
«If all works have been correctly carried out, the alchemist has now prepared the Circulatum Minus according to the third way.» — declara alcanzado el término de la tercera vía.
«From all that has been said, the first way is now also easily understandable, as everything has simply to be prepared from the same plant species from which the resinous matter comes; for instance, you could make a Circulatum Minus from the North American Abies balsamea.» — y de ahí deduce la primera vía, que es la misma obra hecha con una sola especie, la que da la resina, con el *Abies balsamea* norteamericano como ejemplo.
«The resinous matter can be extracted from small branches by steam distillation. In this way natural turpentines are obtained.» — cómo obtener esa resina, por destilación al vapor de ramas pequeñas, que es como se hacen las trementinas naturales.
«If into this your Vegetable Elixir you put any green Vegetable, shred in pieces, it will in less than half a quarter of an hour without any external Heat putrify, and precipitate itself into the bottom quite dead, (which is nothing but the cursed Excremental Earth) and on the top will swim a yellow Oil, containing the Salt and Sulphur, and the Elixir will be of the Color of the Plant, comprehending its Vegetable Spirit; which if it does not, ’tis a sign, that your Operations have not been Philosophical.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo XIX: una planta verde troceada en el elixir se putrefacta en minutos, cae muerta al fondo y deja arriba un aceite amarillo con la Sal y el Azufre, con el propio color de la planta como prueba de que la obra fue filosófica.
«After immersing a finely cut green, that is, fresh, plant—for instance, peppermint or rosemary leaves—there will at first, after shaking, occur a strong turbidity. This turbidity is a sign of the emulsion now obtained.» — la traducción de Junius a lo que se ve: primero una turbidez fuerte, que es la señal de la emulsión.
«If we allow it to stand for some time, the tiny droplets of oil will rise to the surface, where they form a yellowish layer of oil. This oil contains the Salt and the Sulfur of the fresh plant or plants immersed in the Circulatum.» — y después, la subida de las gotitas hasta formar la capa de aceite que lleva la Sal y el Azufre de la planta sumergida.
«In my experience, the color of the oil varies according to the plants used. Some produce a more yellowish oil, others a shining emerald one. With other plants the oil is orange or reddish.» — su observación propia sobre el color de ese aceite, que varía con la especie, del amarillo al esmeralda o al anaranjado.
«Depending on the specific weight of the Circulatum, also of the plants that we separate, the oil also occasionally settles at the bottom instead of floating on the surface. If we incline the vessel, the pearls of oil then appear.» — y la variante física según el peso específico, con el aceite depositado al fondo en vez de flotando.
«Only one drop of this yellowish Oil, given in Distempers according to the Virtue and Quality, attributed to the Plant, every Morning and Evening in a Glass of Wine, or any other convenient Vehicle, will infallibly and insensibly cure those Distempers, and corroborate the vital Spirits, if constantly taken to purify the Blood in sickly and infectuous Times.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo XX: una gota del aceite amarillo en vino, mañana y tarde, cura infaliblemente y purifica la sangre en tiempos de contagio.
«I would here like to warn the reader, however, not simply to trust all information. In the alchemistic literature fantastic effects are often claimed, which are by no means always proven.» — la reserva con que Junius recibe esa promesa: en la literatura alquímica se afirman a menudo efectos fantásticos que no siempre están probados.
«Only experience, in collaboration with qualified physicians and naturopaths, can prove the value of a preparation.» — y lo que propone en su lugar, la prueba por experiencia y con médicos y naturópatas cualificados.
«The value, or the worthlessness, of a spagyric preparation must be honestly tested if alchemy is to be taken seriously, and in this connection the laws in force in each country must be considered.» — y la exigencia que saca de ahí para que la alquimia se tome en serio, con la ley de cada país incluida.
«If you put Coral into this Menstruum, you will see an admirable Experiment: for although its Pores are compacter, than in any other Vegetable; yet it will on a sudden transmit its internal Spirit into the Menstruum, and sending its Soul and Body, like a blood-red Oil to the Top, will at last fall to the Bottom like a greyish Excrement.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo XXI: el coral en el menstruo suelta su espíritu, sube como aceite rojo sangre y cae al fondo como excremento grisáceo.
«If Myrrh, Aloe, and Saffron, of each an equal Quantity, are put into this Menstruum, the truest Elixir Proprietatis» — de Urbigerus, aforismo XXII: mirra, áloe y azafrán a partes iguales dan el verdadero Elixir Proprietatis; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«terms it) which is a most excellent Cordial, and almost of as great Efficacy and Virtue, as the Universal Elixir itself, and curing all curable Distempers, will presently swim on the Top, and its Caput Mortuum will separate itself into the Bottom.» — la continuación de ese aforismo, con la potencia que le atribuye, casi la del Elixir Universal, y el Caput Mortuum separándose al fondo.
«This Vegetable Menstruum dissolves not only all sorts of Gums, or any other kind of Substance in the Vegetable Kingdom, but also all sorts of Oils and Balsams, coming out of Trees, separating their true Essence, by which you may perform wonderful things both upon living Bodies, and dead ones, the last of which it preserves forever without opening or any further Preparation of them.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo XXIII: el menstruo disuelve gomas, aceites y bálsamos de árbol, y preserva los cuerpos muertos sin más preparación.
«Though this Menstruum is only specificated upon Vegetables, it will nevertheless in a moment draw the Tincture out of Metals and Minerals; but it will not separate all their Principles, not being the appropriate Menstruum for such Operations; and though such Sulphurs are highly balsamic for the Lungs and Spleen, yet since our Elixir Proprietatis far exceeds those praeter natural Preparations, we only give this as a curious Chymical Experiment.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo XXIV: aunque específico del reino vegetal, saca la tintura de metales y minerales, pero sin separar sus principios, y por eso lo da solo como experimento curioso.
«Aphorisms XXI–XXIV give us further pointers for the use of the Circulatum. Aphorism XXII is especially important in connection with the previous chapter on the plant magistery of Paracelsus.» — sitúa esos cuatro aforismos como indicaciones de uso y señala el vínculo del XXII con el capítulo anterior.
«An immersion of equal quantities of myrrh, aloe, and saffron results in the famous Elixir Proprietatis of Paracelsus.» — lo que ese aforismo produce, según Junius: el Elixir Proprietatis de Paracelso.
«If we use the Circulatum Minus of Urbigerus, a simple immersion is enough to bring about the separation, and we need then no longer rotate a whole month as with the “simple” Paracelsian magisteries.» — y la ventaja que el Circulatum de Urbigerus lleva sobre el magisterio paracelsiano: basta la inmersión, sin el mes de rotación.
«The Circulatum Minus of Urbigerus is really a Circulatum “of high degree,” as the ancients would say.» — el juicio de Junius sobre ese Circulatum, con la fórmula tradicional del grado alto.
«It also immediately dissolves various lacs, oils, and balsams. Be careful: with a minute amount I instantly ruined the finish of my desk!» — y el dato de taller que lo prueba por accidente: le arruinó el barniz del escritorio.
«In addition, the Circulatum extracts the tincture from certain metals. These tinctures, however, do not represent true separations.» — lo que el Circulatum saca de los metales y lo que no: tintura sí, separación verdadera no.
«There is a great difference between the simple extraction of a tincture and a genuine separation of the Philosophical Principles.» — la distinción de fondo entre extraer una tintura y separar los principios filosóficos.
«To separate metals higher Circulata are required, namely the high Alkahests, whose preparation does not concern us here.» — lo que haría falta para separar metales, los Alkahests altos, que declara fuera del libro.
«Since this Vegetable Menstruum is eternal, you must observe, that you lose nothing of its Quantity or Quality in separating it from the Oil, and Spirit of the Vegetable, which is done by a gentle Distillation in Balneo vaporoso, the Vessel being very well luted and dried before. The Menstruum, coming over with the Flegm of the Vegetable, from which it is by a Distillation in Balneo to be separated for further uses, leaves the Oil at the Bottom, united with its own Spirit, which will easily go over in any common Heat, not leaving anything behind it: which is a Mark of its Spiritualization, Purification, and Regeneration, that it has received from the Menstruum. With this we will end this chapter on the Circulatum Minus.» — de Urbigerus, aforismo XXV: la recuperación del menstruo por destilación suave en baño de vapor, con el aceite quedando al fondo unido a su espíritu como marca de su purificación; el tramo llega hasta el cierre del capítulo.
«In chapter 5 we dealt with the Solve of the alchemistic work and learned how to separate a plant into its Essentials or Philosophical Principles. We kept these Essentials for a later combination. The Coagula is the reunion of the previously separated Principles. In the classical spagyrico-medicinal literature, the terms Elixir, Clyssus, and Lapis Vegetabilis (Vegetable or Plant Stone) often turn up. We shall now deal with them.» — abre el capítulo undécimo retomando el Solve del capítulo quinto y anunciando el Coagula con sus tres nombres clásicos.
«In modern pharmacology the term elixir means a sweetened, aromatic solution, mostly on the basis of a water-alcohol mixture, which has a specific effect on the organism.» — consigna primero el uso farmacéutico moderno del término elixir.
«The significance of the term elixir deteriorated in the course of time by designating as elixirs even nonmedical solutions that were only used as vehicles for flavors or other substances.» — y su degradación, hasta nombrar soluciones no medicinales usadas solo como vehículo de sabores.
«In the spagyric tradition, an Elixir is a pharmaceutical product prepared from several different species of plants. What is decisive is the formula for the composition in quantity and kind as well as the method of preparation.» — frente a eso, la definición espagírica: producto hecho de varias especies, donde deciden la fórmula y el método.
«The greatest importance is attached to the widest possible utilization of the species. It is not a question of fragmented products such as mixtures of essential oils, tinctures poured together, and the like.» — y el criterio que la gobierna, aprovechar al máximo cada especie, con el rechazo explícito del producto fragmentado.
«The classical Elixirs always contain the Salts that are extracted through incineration and calcination of the plant residue. In the later literature Elixir recipes also turn up that do not always contain the calcined Salts.» — lo que el elixir clásico siempre lleva, las sales de la calcinación, y la deriva posterior que las omite.
«Often in later times certain herb and spice teas were also called Elixirs. In the strictly spagyric sense, however, only those products are Elixirs that have been prepared in the philosophical manner, that is, spagyrically, from several plants, and it is assumed that they contain the calcined Salts.» — su definición estricta: solo es elixir lo preparado a la manera filosófica, de varias plantas y con las sales calcinadas.
«Depending on their composition, Elixirs have specific effects on the organism: some stimulate the circulation, others help digestion or sleep, others again have a cathartic effect, and so forth.» — los efectos que reparte según la composición, del estímulo circulatorio al efecto catártico.
«In former times the so-called Life Elixirs or cordials were popular. They were general tonic Elixirs.» — los elixires de vida o cordiales, que sitúa como tónicos generales.
«The Integral Herbal Elixirs of Australerba in Australia are genuine spagyric Elixirs in the sense just discussed. Elixirs are taken either with a spoon or thinned with water or wine.» — sitúa los Integral Herbal Elixirs de Australerba dentro de esa definición estricta, con su forma de tomarse.
«The Australerba Elixirs also contain some citrus pectin, which tones the digestive tract up and helps metabolize toxic food residues, balance excessive gastric acidity, and lower cholesterol levels. Pectins strengthen the resistance of the digestive organs.» — la pectina cítrica que esos elixires llevan y lo que le atribuye, del tránsito digestivo al colesterol.
«Since pectin is hard to dissolve in cold liquids, however, Australerba also offers Elixirs without pectins. They are preferably taken in sweet wines, which are thus transformed into pleasant herb wines.» — y la variante sin pectina, por su mala solubilidad en frío, tomada en vinos dulces.
«As an example from the classical literature, here now follows the recipe for a Life Elixir (tonic) that Andreas Libavius has given us.» — presenta la receta clásica que va a reproducir y a su autor, Andreas Libavius.
«Macerate for one month in 2 or 3 pounds of good Greek wine [or, more quickly, one can boil for half a day in a diploma]: Of each of the following 3 drams [c. 11.6 grams] of wood of aloe, sweet-smelling costus, white and yellow sandalwood; of each 2 drams [c. 7.8 g] of angelica root, lovage, burnet saxifrage, masterwort, canine thistle, and spicknel; half an ounce each [c. 15.55 g] of valerian, white dittany, peony, oak mistletoe, bloodwort, and lemon, orange, and lime peels; 5 drams each [c. 19.4 g] of lemon, avens seeds, laurels, juniper berries, and peony seeds; and 6 drams [c. 23.3 g] of Alpine colt’s foot; everything to be pulverized.» — de Libavius, la primera parte de la receta del elixir de vida, con la maceración en vino griego y la lista de simples pesados uno a uno.
«First, after cutting and chopping them up, make an infusion of the aromatic herbs and the seeds in a sufficient quantity of water, and let it stand for ten days in moderate digestion.» — de Libavius, el orden de las dos infusiones, con la digestión moderada de diez días.
«Now the first infusion is also filtered and pressed and then united with the second. In the extracts poured together, dissolve 1 ounce [c. 31.1 g] of mithridate [dogtooth violet], half an ounce each [c. 15.55 g] of treacle and Aurea Alexandrina, and 6 drams each [c. 23.2 g] of Gallia muschata, and a preparation of pokeberries. After three days of maceration, one should distill.» — de Libavius, la reunión de los dos extractos, los añadidos y los tres días de maceración antes de destilar.
«The collected residue is now burnt to ash by a reverberating fire, and the alkali (the salts) are extracted with betony water.» — de Libavius, el paso que hace de esto un elixir en sentido espagírico: el residuo se calcina y el álcali se extrae con agua de betónica.
«Although not all Elixirs are as complicated to compound and prepare, their preparation nevertheless always requires several fairly long operations.» — su balance de esas recetas: aun las menos complicadas piden varias operaciones largas.
«We are dealing with products in which several kinds of extracts are combined together. Often several extracts are made one after another.» — lo que un elixir es técnicamente, una combinación de extractos hechos a menudo uno tras otro.
«The plant residue is then dried, incinerated, and calcined; the salts are extracted and added to the Elixir. Frequently, still further additions follow, such as spices, distilled oils, pectins, resins, and so on, including mineral preparations for some Elixirs.» — y el resto del procedimiento, con las sales y los añadidos posteriores, incluidos preparados minerales en algunos casos.
«The separate times of maceration or digestion vary with the plants, as does the water-alcohol proportion. With plants with a high content of essential oils, the alcohol content of the solvent is higher.» — lo que varía de una planta a otra, tiempos y proporción de agua y alcohol, con la regla de subir el alcohol para las ricas en aceite esencial.
«Certain aromatic substances are also extracted under higher temperatures in the reflux system. Because of the instability of alkaloids, it is best to extract alkaloid-containing plants cold or with only moderate heat.» — las dos excepciones de temperatura, hacia arriba para los aromáticos y hacia abajo para los alcaloides.
«The preparation of Elixirs requires a thorough knowledge and experience, since an exchange of powers and substances takes place among the species.» — lo que la preparación de elixires exige, y la razón: entre las especies hay intercambio de poderes y sustancias.
«Anyone who wants good recipes should hunt for them by studying old texts and manuscripts. Many of the Elixirs in them were prepared with simple technical aids.» — su consejo para conseguir buenas recetas, buscarlas en textos y manuscritos antiguos, hechos con medios técnicos simples.
«If the Elixirs are mixtures of extracts of various species of plants, the Clyssus (also written Clissus) is a preparation of recombined extracts of only one plant.» — la definición del Clyssus por oposición al elixir: recombinación de extractos de una sola planta.
«In his Magiae naturalis libri viginti, Johannes Baptista Porta says, “The Clyssus is the extraction of the subtlety of all parts of the plant, which flows together into a common being.» — de Giambattista della Porta, *Magiae naturalis libri viginti*: el Clyssus es la extracción de la sutileza de todas las partes de la planta, reunidas en un ser común.
«A Clyssus is always prepared from the whole plant. The plant, together with everything belonging to it, that is, root, blossoms, stem, leaves, fruits, seed, and so on, is first separated in the classical manner, that is, separated into the three Essentials, Mercury, Sulfur (volatile and fixed), and Salt, after which the Essentials are recombined.» — la regla que lo distingue, que se hace de la planta entera separada en sus tres principios y luego recombinada.
«In so doing, either the fixed Sulfur is used as resinous matter, or it is incinerated and calcined, and the salts are extracted. These are then added to the Clyssus.» — las dos vías para el Azufre fijo dentro del Clyssus, como resina o calcinado hasta sus sales.
«The reunion of Sulfur, Salt, and Mercury hardly gives trouble, as everything can simply be recombined. The salts are imbibed with Mercury, to which is added the volatile Sulfur, or the Sulfur is first poured on the salts, and then Mercury is added.» — lo que hace fácil la reunión, con los dos órdenes posibles de mezcla.
«be done gradually until the salt no longer absorbs anything. In this state the Clyssus thus prepared can be melted and poured into a form to cool.» — la imbibición gradual hasta saturar la sal, y el Clyssus fundido y vertido en molde; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«It is a kind of simple Plant Stone that contains, in a concentrated form, certain curative powers of the plants from which it derives. Due to the strong concentration of the salts, it has quite a diuretic and purging effect, and it also improves digestion.» — lo que ese sólido es, una especie de Piedra Vegetal simple, con los efectos que le atribuye por la concentración de sales.
«If we wish to make a more liquid Clyssus, it must contain one part of water to dissolve the salts. In this case, it is best to use water extracted from the relevant plant by distillation, or else residual water from our Mercury rectification, or distilled water. We pour on the salt only as much water as is needed to dissolve it. Then we add the volatile Sulfur and the Mercury. Without Mercury, the volatile Sulfur would float on the water. Only Mercury can combine the oily with the watery parts.» — la variante líquida, con las tres aguas posibles y el papel del Mercurio, que es lo único que junta lo oleoso con lo acuoso.
«A Clyssus can be highly concentrated but also rather thinned, according to the individual practice of the spagyrist. In his Chymischer Handleiter, Le Febure advises the following proportions: one part Salt, two parts Sulfur, and three parts Mercury. These quantities result in a more solid Clyssus.» — la libertad de concentración que reconoce, y las proporciones que Le Febure da: una de Sal, dos de Azufre, tres de Mercurio.
«Among the classical recipes we also find pointers on how to combine the Essentials by means of a simultaneous distilling apparatus. To this end, we put the three Essentials into three different flasks, which then go under one alembic for distilling and are distilled through a common condenser.» — la vía de la destilación simultánea, con los tres principios en tres matraces bajo un mismo alambique.
«Leonhardt Thurneysser zum Thurn describes the process in his Historia.54 He refers to a Clyssus made of olysatrum (Macedonian parsley). The difficult original text is here summarized in modern English on account of its importance» — presenta el texto de Thurneysser que va a resumir y declara la operación que hace sobre él: resumirlo en inglés moderno por ser difícil.
«Paracelsus calls Clyssus not only the medicament described in the following lines but also that other power which originally stems from one thing alone [a single species], after this species has separated into different parts and finally recombines into one thing.» — de Thurneysser, la definición amplia que atribuye a Paracelso: Clyssus es también el poder que vuelve a uno tras haberse repartido en partes.
«If seed is put into the soil, the root system develops first, then the plant grows, which then forms the flower, followed by the fruit, and finally the seed.» — de Thurneysser, la imagen vegetal de ese reparto, de la semilla a la semilla.
«Each of these individually formed morphological parts has its special properties. That is why out of each its proper power is extracted. The relevant individual powers are then combined into a single power.» — y su consecuencia: de cada parte se extrae su poder propio y luego se reúnen en uno solo.
«Such a preparation can be an oil, for instance, or an Arcanum [a secret medicine, prepared in a higher way], furthermore a juice, a powder, a salt, etc., which is then called Clyssus.» — de Thurneysser, las formas que ese producto puede tomar, todas llamadas Clyssus.
«An estate which a father bequeathes to his many children and which then reverts to one child alone because of the death of the» — de Thurneysser, el símil jurídico de la herencia que revierte a un solo hijo; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«brothers and sisters, can also be called a Clyssus. We will here, however, understand the term in the above-described sense. The preparation of a Clyssus is done as follows:» — la continuación de ese símil y el paso a la receta.
«From the three parts (roots, stem with leaves, and flowers, fruit, and seed)—provided that at the right time the roots of the plants were dug up, the plants harvested, and the seeds gathered, hence from the perfectly full-grown roots, plants, flowers, fruits, and seeds—the power and subtlety of each are separately extracted either through distillation, calcination, putrefaction, or other methods, corresponding in each case to the nature of the species used.» — de Thurneysser, la extracción por separado del poder de cada parte de la planta, con el método ajustado a la naturaleza de la especie.
«Since every plant has its specific shape and property, the relevant correct extraction process must be applied in each case, corresponding with the teaching and explanation of the properties of things accessible to intelligent people.» — de Thurneysser, la razón de ese ajuste: cada planta tiene su forma y su propiedad.
«After the subtle powers have been separated one by one, first as an oil, second as a salt, third as a liquid (or whatever we may wish to call them) from the individual plant parts of the species, they are recombined in the following manner into a single spiritual substance and an inseparable being:» — de Thurneysser, el paso a la reunión, con los tres productos nombrados como aceite, sal y líquido.
«We put the previously extracted subtleties into three equally large flasks, the lower part of which is coated with loam as protection from fire (see B, C, and D of the diagram), that is, the salt into flask B, the oil into flask C, and the liquid into flask D.» — de Thurneysser, el montaje: tres matraces con loam en la base, la sal en uno, el aceite en otro y el líquido en el tercero.
«Now we attach a wide-necked alembic, which covers the three openings of the flask simultaneously and equally well, and we seal well with Lutum [an adhesive paste made of clay]. If the three flasks are now simultaneously heated, the subtlety rises upward from each, at the same time becoming volatile with the other two and ascending into the alembic.» — de Thurneysser, el alambique de boca ancha sobre los tres, sellado con lutum, y la ascensión simultánea de las tres sutilezas.
«The receiver E absorbs what is born as would a nurse. This Clyssus is a very useful Arcanum.» — de Thurneysser, la imagen del nacimiento con que cierra: el recipiente recibe lo nacido como una nodriza, y el Clyssus es un arcano muy útil.
«The drawing at the beginning of the original text represents a simultaneous distilling apparatus. With this kind of preparation, problems arise from the fact that the Essentials have different high boiling points; they do not rise at the same temperature.» — la objeción técnica de Junius a ese aparato: los principios tienen puntos de ebullición distintos y no suben a la misma temperatura.
«When using this kind of apparatus, the salts are often dissolved in water before the distillation. Then, during the distillation, they are brought over the alembic partly volatilized. To achieve this, cohobations are frequently required.» — y el recurso con que se salva en la práctica, disolver las sales en agua y cohobar varias veces.
«Now follows another recipe from the Chymischer Handleiter of Le Febure.55 It refers to a Clyssus of angelica; strictly speaking, Le Febure describes a Clyssus made with the roots of angelica:» — presenta la segunda receta de Clyssus y precisa de entrada su alcance: Le Febure lo hace con la raíz de angélica, no con la planta entera.
«The rest is preserved so that, if one wishes to reunite or combine in one body all volatile as well as all fixed parts of the angelica root in order to make a Clyssus of them (which, like a summary, comprises in itself all the virtues of the Mirti, all the parts of which have separated and purified), one can unite the rectified spirit and the heavenly oil by means of the fixed Salt, for without it, the two above-mentioned could never be brought together into one body, because they have different natures and one is always floating on top of the other. But when the subtle and rectified spirit is united with its own Sal alkali, the oil can be mixed with it inseparably, from which a wonderful substance arises.» — de Le Febure, *Chymischer Handleiter*: la Sal fija es lo único que une el espíritu rectificado con el aceite celeste, que sin ella nunca formarían un cuerpo.
«As far as the Clyssus is concerned, however, it does not require so much effort. Only one part of the fixed purified Salt is to be put together with two parts of the distilled oil and three parts of the subtle spirit, and these are to be digested in a circulating vessel in B.V., until everything is quite exactly combined, which usually takes place in a philosophical month, which has 40 days.» — de Le Febure, las proporciones del Clyssus, una de Sal, dos de aceite y tres de espíritu, digeridas un mes filosófico de cuarenta días.
«This Refuedium, if it is prepared as indicated, can rightly be administered instead of the spirit-oil, extract, and Salt, because it contains the powers of these four things.» — de Le Febure, lo que ese producto sustituye y su dosis, entre seis granos y un escrúpulo.
«Here we recognize a somewhat different conception, the making of a Clyssus from the root instead of the whole plant.» — la observación de Junius sobre esa receta: aquí el Clyssus se hace de la raíz, no de la planta entera.
«On the other hand, there are Clyssus recipes that prescribe the complete utilization of all plant parts, even if they are only available in different seasons. This is proven by the following recipe for a juniper Clyssus by Andreas Libavius.» — anuncia la receta contraria, la que aprovecha todas las partes aunque solo estén disponibles en estaciones distintas.
«One is to be distilled from the green berries, a second from the black ones, a third from the bark, a fourth from the wood and the root. From the shoots the viscus (thick juice) is to be prepared; from the wood and the bark, the oil from one, the resin from the other; from the residue, the salt (through incinerating, calcining, leaching, and evaporating); from the whole plant, the alkali.» — de Andreas Libavius, el Clyssus de enebro: cuatro destilaciones separadas, viscus de los brotes, aceite y resina, sal del residuo y álcali de la planta entera.
«The four waters are to be poured together and the salts dissolved in them.» — de Libavius, la reunión de las cuatro aguas con las sales disueltas en ellas.
«The substances can also be turned into a form of electuary [confection] by forming the coarser ones into a paste which is to be imbibed by and by with the waters.» — de Libavius, la variante en forma de electuario, con la parte gruesa hecha pasta e imbibida poco a poco con las aguas.
«Technically seen, this Clyssus is an emulsion, since no Mercury is added in the form of alcohol that combines the oils with the waters. On the other hand, an attempt is here made to extract the maximum from the juniper plant.» — la objeción técnica de Junius: sin Mercurio ese Clyssus es una emulsión, aunque reconoce el intento de aprovechar al máximo el enebro.
«A special technique is proposed by Porta in his Magiae naturalis libri viginti. Should the Clyssus require the simultaneous distillation of resinous substances, for instance of the fixed Sulfur, he proposes the apparatus shown in figure 47.» — la técnica que atribuye a Porta para destilar resinas a la vez que las aguas.
«The resins are put at the bottom of the flask, the waters are above them in a cup. As the heat is stronger under the resinous matter, the balsam of the resin is driven over faster, so that it can unite with the watery vapors during distillation, as Porta expresses it, “in the manner of spirits.» — cómo funciona ese montaje y lo que Porta dice que consigue, la unión a la manera de los espíritus.
«Let us now turn to the preparation of a solid Vegetable Stone, also called Plant Stone. We have just seen that there are different views about the concept of Clyssus. It is similar with the Stones.» — el paso a la Piedra Vegetal sólida, con la advertencia de que también aquí las opiniones difieren.
«We have already made the acquaintance of the liquid Plant Stone in connection with the Circulatum Minus. It has the ability to separate.» — recuerda que la Piedra Vegetal líquida ya apareció como el Circulatum Minus, definida por su capacidad de separar.
«Although in alchemical circles it is often said that the fixed Plant Stone can also separate, I am skeptical about this assertion, as I do not find it confirmed in the majority of the texts on this subject or in practice.» — su escepticismo declarado ante la idea de que la Piedra fija también separe, fundado en los textos y en la práctica.
«The tiny “small membrane” that appears on top when a fixed Plant Stone is brought into maceration does not represent a real separation, in my view.» — lo que rechaza como prueba de esa separación, la membranilla que aparece al macerar una Piedra fija.
«Anyone who has experienced a genuine separation with the Circulatum will never confuse it with the effect of the Plant Stone on fresh plants in water.» — y el criterio experiencial con que lo sostiene: quien haya visto una separación con el Circulatum no la confundirá.
«For a separation the liquid Plant Stone is used, the Circulatum. The medicinal value of the Plant Stone, however, is always greatly stressed in the relevant works.» — el reparto de oficios que resulta: la Piedra líquida separa, y de la fija los textos ponderan el valor medicinal.
«Conversely, the Circulatum Minus itself is not a medicine; it serves only to separate the oils and magisteries that then have great medicinal value.» — y el reverso, que el Circulatum Minus no es medicina: solo separa aceites y magisterios que sí lo son.
«In alchemy, there are Stones and Stones. Texts and practice, however, make it plain that a genuine Lapis Vegetabilis, in the true sense of the word, is more than a Clyssus, insofar as in the last part of its preparation it must always go through the slow process of fixation in the fixing glass.» — lo que a su juicio distingue a una verdadera Lapis Vegetabilis de un Clyssus: pasar por la fijación lenta en el vaso.
«Later, the glass is broken and the Stone taken out, or it is cast while still hot. Fixation takes place in a hermetically sealed glass through prolonged heating in a hot-air furnace, the Athanor.» — cómo se saca del vaso y dónde se fija, en el atanor herméticamente cerrado.
«This applies to Stones from fresh plants, dry plants, honey, and also from wine.» — y a qué materias se aplica ese régimen, planta fresca, planta seca, miel y vino.
«Nonfixed compounds of Salts, Sulfur, and Mercury are stonelike compounds and certainly true spagyric preparations, but they are not Plant Stones in the higher and real sense.» — lo que quedan siendo los compuestos no fijados: preparaciones espagíricas verdaderas, pero no Piedras en sentido alto.
«In the year 1659, the Opus Vegetabile of Johannes Isaac Hollandus was published in Amsterdam.59 This text will now serve as the basis for three works.» — data la publicación del Opus Vegetabile de Hollandus y declara que le servirá de base para tres obras.
«The first concerns the preparation of the Plant Stone from dry herbs, the second its preparation from fresh herbs, the third its preparation from honey. In Hollandus’s work, the Plant Stone is also designated as Quinta Essentia.» — el reparto de esas tres obras, con la Piedra Vegetal nombrada también Quinta Essentia en Hollandus.
«First, the unabridged original text is given in translation, followed each time by a brief summary of the necessary processes in modern language.» — y el método de presentación que se impone: texto original íntegro traducido, y después el resumen de los procesos.
«Now my child should further know that I have said in the previous chapter that one should kill the herbs and let them die, and make a powder or ash of them. This is to be understood as follows: one should draw off the impure wateriness or let it dry of itself, which is best» — de Hollandus, *Opus Vegetabile*: la instrucción de sacar la acuosidad impura, mejor por secado natural, antes que nada.
«because the bad moisture is what hinders the spirit most and keeps it imprisoned so that it cannot prove in man or in metals the power that is in» — de Hollandus, la razón de esa instrucción: la mala humedad es lo que aprisiona al espíritu; el tramo corta antes del signo dibujado a mano, que el troceo no recoge.
«The miserable simpletons work with the moisture, and if it should happen by chance that something good were done or discovered by them, the evil moisture would take from them what they were looking for.» — de Hollandus, lo que les pasa a los que trabajan con la humedad, que pierden hasta lo que encuentran por azar.
«They set the herbs to putrefy, distill them afterward, and operate with the putrefied distillate. They take much trouble, but at the end everything the poor wretches have done is lost.» — de Hollandus, el procedimiento que les reprocha, putrefacer y destilar, y su resultado.
«Thus the Art seems impossible to them, and they begin to despise and slander it.» — de Hollandus, la consecuencia de esos fracasos: el Arte les parece imposible y acaban despreciándolo.
«You might well believe that they separate the four Elements and wonder what the reason is that the spirits do not exercise their power. That, however, is because of the evil wateriness with which the herbs have been putrefied and with which they have worked.» — de Hollandus, la objeción a quien crea que ellos separan los cuatro elementos: la acuosidad mala es la causa de que los espíritus no obren.
«An accident known beforehand is more easily dealt with and prevented, and that is why I have told you about it.» — de Hollandus, la razón por la que lo advierte, con el refrán del accidente previsto.
«Furthermore, when you now have distilled the evil moisture and the herbs are dry, distill the spirit per descensum, as I will teach you later, and calcine the Corpus till it is as white as snow.» — de Hollandus, el paso siguiente: destilar el espíritu por descenso y calcinar el cuerpo hasta que quede blanco como la nieve.
«Now you have two natures, namely, body and spirit, and you can dissolve the spirit in very good Aqua Vitae, or in good distilled wine vinegar that is pure, and that is the liquid with which you should work.» — de Hollandus, lo que se tiene entonces, cuerpo y espíritu, y el líquido con que hay que trabajar.
«But you still have no perfectly glorified Corpus, since the spirit is not yet united with the body and they are not yet married and combined.» — de Hollandus, el límite de ese estado: sin la unión de espíritu y cuerpo no hay Corpus glorificado.
«That is also why they do not yet have their perfect power, although they are clean and pure; and although they had been ash and water and have now again come alive, they still differ in as much as each is by itself. Nevertheless, each has a special power that it bestows, each in its own vehicle.» — de Hollandus, y su matiz: separados no tienen el poder perfecto, pero cada uno guarda un poder propio en su vehículo.
«To better understand what I have said, you should know that there are two different kinds of diseases in man, and likewise in . In man is a disease called spiritual sickness» — de Hollandus, la distinción de dos clases de enfermedad en el hombre; el tramo corta antes del signo dibujado a mano y del salto de plana.
«disease called accidental sickness. However, I do not mean troubles of the soul when I speak of spiritual diseases, but I am of the opinion that men may well have different dispositions in their bodies.» — de Hollandus, la aclaración de lo que no quiere decir con enfermedad espiritual, que no son males del alma.
«What I call spiritual sicknesses, however, are those that come upon man accidentally or by chance, such as are due to anger, fantasies, regrets, or grief, or to unexpected misfortunes, or losses, or too much studying, or too much stress on the senses, or anxiety, or afflictions of the senses, or fear and fright which befall men or are caused them, and too many other things that would take too long to describe here, all spiritual diseases from which severe sicknesses can result for man, that is, bad fevers, bad inflammatory diseases, and others too many to enumerate here.» — de Hollandus, lo que sí llama enfermedad espiritual: la que sobreviene por ira, fantasías, pesar, sustos o exceso de estudio, con las fiebres que de ahí resultan.
«All those infirmities must be treated with the spirit of plants, provided they have been prepared by themselves, meaning that the spirit will purge them.» — de Hollandus, con qué se tratan esas dolencias: con el espíritu de las plantas preparado aparte.
«In addition, there are still other diseases in man which are called accidental, and these spring from too much eating and drinking, or from ingesting bad food and drink, or from overindulgence in eating and drinking after suffering great hunger and thirst. This results in bad diseases, abcesses, bad water-galls on the liver and spleen. The lungs are damaged through harmful cold and heat. In addition, the kidneys are injured through excessive feeding and too much incontinence, by which the blood of the loins is lost.» — de Hollandus, las enfermedades accidentales y sus causas, todas de exceso en comida, bebida e incontinencia.
«These and similar diseases, of which there is a great number, are called accidental sicknesses, and they are cured with the body of the herbs, provided they are prepared in this way, and that is the plant body’s power and effect.» — de Hollandus, con qué se curan esas otras: con el cuerpo de las hierbas, que es donde reside su poder.
«But when body and spirit are united, they have such a wonderful effect that no pen can describe how» — de Hollandus, lo que ocurre cuando cuerpo y espíritu se unen, dicho como lo indecible; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«much power and virtue they have, and there is no master in the world who could completely fathom the power and capability that the Lord God has conferred upon them.» — de Hollandus, el remate de esa alabanza: ningún maestro del mundo alcanza a sondear el poder que Dios les confirió; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«Thus, the spirit of all plants, trees, and species is so noble that all the doctors in the world could not comprehend the “ancientness” of a single Spirit, even if it belonged to the very meanest little herb that God has created in the world. How could they know the powers of all plants, trees, and species, since every species has a particular nature and spirit? One spirit is always nobler than another.» — de Hollandus, la nobleza que atribuye al espíritu de cualquier planta, con la jerarquía dentro: un espíritu siempre es más noble que otro.
«I am well aware, however, that among all insensitive spirits none is as noble and efficacious as the excellent spirit of the noble vine, because God Almighty has provided from the beginning of time that the noble grape should grow on it, later to be changed into God’s blood and body.» — de Hollandus, la cima de esa jerarquía, el espíritu de la vid, fundada en que de la uva sale la sangre y el cuerpo de Dios.
«Consequently, the wise know well that the spirit of wine surpasses all other spirits.» — de Hollandus, la conclusión de los sabios sobre ese espíritu.
«is the reason why the philosophers of old have found in no plants, trees, or species greater powers than in the spirit extracted from wine.» — de Hollandus, el apoyo en los filósofos antiguos, que en ninguna planta hallaron poderes mayores; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«That is why I may well state that the noble spirit of the vine is the noblest and best of all things. Accordingly, some spirits are nobler than others, but no one can measure or find their extreme power except God alone.» — de Hollandus, su propia declaración sobre la vid, con el límite puesto en Dios como único capaz de medir esos poderes.
«The fattest plants, however, which carry seed, are best for making Salarmeniac [sal ammoniacus, or ammonia]. After these, the best are the hottest herbs, from which the most powerful and strongest Salarmeniac is made.» — de Hollandus, qué plantas dan mejor Salarmeniac, las más grasas con semilla y después las más calientes.
«If now you wish to prepare a medicine that is to act upon metals and Mercury, you must take some hot and healthy plants or roots that neither human beings nor animals can use, and make Salmiac and an Elixir of them, as I will teach you later.» — de Hollandus, la regla de selección según el destino: para obrar sobre metales, plantas calientes que ni hombre ni animal aprovechen.
«But if you wish to make a medicine or Elixir for human beings, take nice, good plants that are helpful to people and which they can use. Make a medicine or Elixir of them with which you can operate inside man. Then you will achieve wonderful cures in man, so that the whole world will be surprised at you and everybody will wish to see you.» — de Hollandus, y su reverso para la medicina humana, con plantas buenas y útiles a la gente.
«Know that there is still another spirit of Salarmeniac, that is, one extracted from saline things, which is also Salarmeniac, because the spirits of all insensitive things are called Salarmeniac when they are separated from their bodies, so that the spirit of all salts is called Salarmeniac.» — de Hollandus, el segundo Salarmeniac, el de las cosas salinas, con la regla de que todo espíritu separado de su cuerpo lleva ese nombre.
«But it is not the Salmiac that the Philosophi mean, the Salarmeniac extracted from plants, which contains the four Elements. That is the Salmiac which the Philosophi mean, and from the Salmiac they make Elixiria, but one cannot make Elixirs from the other kind.» — de Hollandus, la distinción que importa: el Salmiac de los filósofos es el de las plantas, que contiene los cuatro elementos, y solo con él se hacen elixires.
«That is the philosophers’ soap and washing water with which they clean the Corpora. With it they dry the evil moisture of the Elements, with it they also dissolve the Corpora, and with it they conjoin the things that are contrary or antagonistic to each other.» — de Hollandus, los oficios de ese Salmiac, jabón y lejía de los filósofos, que limpia, seca, disuelve y conjunta lo contrario.
«It is a flying spirit, one that comes and goes, and if it were not present, the Elixir would not succeed.» — de Hollandus, su naturaleza volátil y su papel indispensable: sin él el elixir no sale.
«In this Salmiac there are many hidden things that cannot all be described, because wonderful things can be accomplished with it if it has previously been fixed. But that is not necessary for this work.» — de Hollandus, lo que ese Salmiac esconde, con la fijación como puerta a más cosas y la advertencia de que aquí no hace falta.
«everything the Salmiac from the salts achieves is also done by the Salmiac from the plants. And from the Salmiac extracted from the plants an Elixir can be made without the addition of other species—which cannot be done with the Salarmeniac from the salts.» — de Hollandus, la equivalencia y la diferencia entre los dos Salmiac, con el de las plantas capaz de dar elixir sin añadir otras especies; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«Now I will teach my child further and describe the powers and virtues that plants have when the Elements have been purified, cleansed, calcined, distilled, and afterward recombined and made fixed, and a glorified Corpus has resulted from all this.» — de Hollandus, el anuncio de lo que va a enseñar, los poderes de las plantas una vez purificados, calcinados, destilados y refijados en Corpus glorificado.
«Neither I myself nor all the doctors in the world can sufficiently understand the powers and nature that I have seen in them and tested, and of which the journeymen with whom I worked and other masters have told me. For no one but God can understand them when they have thus been prepared and turned into a perfect Corpus; no one can know it but God alone. He knows, and no one else.» — de Hollandus, el límite de su propio saber sobre esos poderes, remitido a Dios.
«In addition, you should know that there are many errors among those who work in this Art, which errors I have previously touched upon when I spoke of the evil wateriness that plants contain, with which they work and putrefy. Afterward, when they have distilled that wateriness off the plants, they call it the Element Water, but in the end they cannot achieve any perfection with it, of which I shall write more later.» — de Hollandus, la vuelta al error de la acuosidad, con la crítica a llamar Elemento Agua a lo que se destila de las plantas putrefactas.
«Here, however, I will teach how to separate the Elements. You should know that there are many kinds of separations, since there have been many artists who wished to learn the way of separating, because of which the Elements can then be separated in many different ways, but one separation is better than another, though both are good.» — de Hollandus, el reconocimiento de que hay muchas maneras de separar y de que unas son mejores que otras sin ser malas.
«We also find many simpletons among scholars and the illiterate who would also dare to undertake these works. They begin to work in the laboratory and imagine that they also have an understanding of the art of separation of the four Elements.» — de Hollandus, la burla de los que se creen capaces de separar sin haberlo aprendido.
«Then they say that they have separated the four Elements one from another, each separately. And then they imagine that they have performed great wonders. They say, “We have made the Quinta Essentia.” True, with it they drive away many diseases in man, because it has in itself much power and good virtue; that is certain, more than they themselves know.» — de Hollandus, lo que esos sí obtienen, un remedio de más poder del que ellos mismos saben.
«But that the miserable fools imagine that they have made the Quinta Essentia and separated the Elements one from the other, that is nothing but sheer deception.» — de Hollandus, y lo que niega: llamar a eso Quinta Essentia es pura falacia.
«medicine, moreso than they realize. But that they pretend and say, “We have the Quinta Essentia,” is far from true.» — de Hollandus, la continuación de esa negativa; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«You poor simpletons, you have no Quinta Essentia. Quinta Essentia is quite another thing than you believe. It is a glorified Corpus that has been brought to perfection and is fixed and lasts eternally. Whoever has that can say he has the Quinta Essentia.» — de Hollandus, la definición positiva que da: Quinta Essentia es un Corpus glorificado, llevado a perfección, fijo y eterno.
«Such a person has an earthly treasure that is better than a kingdom, and it is a gift of God which He bestows especially upon His friends. Happy is the person who has attained it and knows how to use it well for the salvation of his soul and the benefit of the poor.» — de Hollandus, lo que vale ese tesoro y para qué debe usarse, la salvación del alma y el bien de los pobres.
«He will fare well in this world and in the other. Instead, those who use these gifts of God differently shall have their troubles in this world and afterward suffer infinite torture in the eternal hellfire.» — de Hollandus, el reverso de esa condición, con el tormento eterno para quien use el don de otro modo.
«Therefore, take care that you use this Art to the honor of God and the salvation of your soul. For I swear by the living God Who has created heaven and earth that, if you use this gift differently, you shall not live long and shall be tortured here in this world with temporal and afterward with eternal pain.» — de Hollandus, el juramento con que refuerza la advertencia, con pena temporal y eterna.
«Therefore, watch out what you are doing. It would be better for you never to have been born than to have the Art and misuse it. Therefore, you yourself must take great care. Enough said to those who understand.» — de Hollandus, el cierre de la exhortación, con la fórmula de los que entienden.
«First, extract the “evil” wateriness from the plants, which is best done by drying them normally in a place sheltered from the sun, otherwise in a flask heated in a water bath.» — el primer paso del resumen que Junius hace de esa obra: sacar la acuosidad mala, por secado a la sombra o en baño de agua.
«When the plants are dry, the “spirit” is drawn off by a dry distillation (Descensum). Heat for twelve hours, draw the steam over, slowly increase the heat, then for twenty hours increase the heat even more, until finally the barrel (container) is red hot; then the red oil will also go over.» — el segundo, sacar el espíritu por destilación seca, con los tiempos y el aceite rojo al final.
«In my experience, the Descensum can easily be performed in a strong flask with gas heating. The receiver now contains some distilled water, on top of which floats the evil-smelling oil.» — su experiencia propia con ese descenso, con el matraz fuerte y el gas, y lo que aparece en el recipiente.
«It is removed with a feather, as it will not become part of the work. The oil can be stored separately for other purposes. It is quite a dangerous substance and, in the view of Hollandus, can cause cancer.» — qué hacer con ese aceite maloliente, apartarlo con una pluma, con la advertencia de Hollandus sobre su peligro y el reconocimiento de que bien aplicado cura.
«The distillate thus obtained is again distilled (in the water bath), then poured back on the residue (cohobation). The precipitating feces are filtered, and the distillate is once more distilled in the water bath. This process is repeated until everything is pure without feces.» — la purificación del destilado por cohobación repetida hasta que no queden heces.
«Earth is calcined for three days, then ground with alcohol or distilled wine, again put in the water bath, the feces are filtered, again new alcohol is poured on, then again set in the water bath, then the liquid is filtered and poured back on that drawn off first. This process is repeated until everything is extracted from the fecibus.» — el mismo trato para la Tierra calcinada, con alcohol y baño de agua hasta agotarla; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«Now the alcohol is extracted through distillation, a white Corpus stays behind. By cohobating with alcohol, the Earth can be considerably fortified, especially by cohobating four times.» — lo que queda tras destilar el alcohol, un Corpus blanco, y la fortificación de la Tierra por cuatro cohobaciones.
«The purified Earth and the purified spirit are ground together, dissolved in water (according to other instructions, in the water of wine or alcohol), and digested for fifteen days in the water bath.» — la reunión de Tierra y espíritu purificados, con quince días de digestión en baño.
«Now we distill again. Only water is allowed to go over; the Mercury combines. If spirits go over, we pour back (cohobate) after every distillation and again distill, until only a watery substance comes over.» — la destilación siguiente, con la regla de que solo pase el agua y la cohobación si suben espíritus.
«We now put the residue into a flask and as much rectified water (alcohol or vinegar) as has been drawn off, until everything is dissolved. Gently we now let the water evaporate; we set everything into the athanor (laboratory furnace) for forty days, at summer temperature. Then the Stone can be cast.» — el paso final, con los cuarenta días de atanor a temperatura de verano y la Piedra ya lista para vaciarse.
«Now you will learn another way of distilling plants, when the water goes over first, by which are understood all kinds of plants from which the cloud-water [ordinary water] rises over first [as steam]. For in connection with this operation and teaching everything that can be made from green plants and roots will be understood. After this, the teaching will concern all dry species, gums, woods, and everything that is dry, each taught separately.» — de Hollandus, la apertura del segundo tratado, sobre las plantas de las que el agua sube primero.
«Now my child should know that we wish to make the Vegetable Stone from green plants from which the cloud-water goes over first, and my child must know above everything at what time the plants are to be gathered and stored; when they have the greatest strength to prepare the Stone from them.» — de Hollandus, la pregunta que declara previa a todo: cuándo recoger la planta, en el momento de su mayor fuerza.
«they are sprouting. Then they are like a newborn child without strength and power, who is moist and watery.» — de Hollandus, la primera de las tres edades de la planta, comparada con el recién nacido; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«The second age is like that of a man of twenty-five years. He is in the prime of life till his fortieth year. Likewise with plants as they are growing, until they begin to bloom and go to seed. Then they are in their flowering time until the seed is ripe.» — de Hollandus, la segunda edad, la de la planta que crece hasta florecer y granar; el tramo corta donde la frase pasa a la línea siguiente.
«The third age is like that of a man from his fortieth to his eightieth year, when all his strength begins to disappear. Likewise with plants. When the seed is ripe, the plants begin to die and wither gradually until they are altogether gone.» — de Hollandus, la tercera edad, la del declive hasta la desaparición.
«Therefore my child should take the plants when they are full-grown and begin to go to seed or to ripen, because all plants begin to seed and are sometimes blooming at the same time.» — de Hollandus, la consecuencia práctica de esas tres edades: recoger la planta granada aunque siga floreciendo.
«Accordingly, take the plants that you see have mostly gone to seed, although many of them are still blooming and do not yet bear seed. Pick them together with their leaves, flowers, roots, and seed, on a clear day, when the sun shines strongest.» — de Hollandus, el criterio de recolección y el momento del día, con el sol en su fuerza.
«Clean them rapidly without washing them or adding any moisture; put them thus whole into a jar, packed as tightly as you can, up to the neck, add the alembic gently, and set it in the Balneum.» — de Hollandus, el trato inmediato de la planta cortada, sin lavar ni añadir humedad, prensada entera en el tarro y al baño.
«Begin at once to distill so that you do not loose the wild spirits that fly away invisibly, about which I shall teach you in the treatise on the wine.» — de Hollandus, la urgencia de destilar para no perder los espíritus salvajes que vuelan invisibles.
«The spirits are the greenness, the taste and the smell, and the life of the plants. That is why the philosopher Dantin says, “See to it that you carefully preserve your greenness, or you shall look in vain.» — de Hollandus, qué son esos tres espíritus —el verdor, el sabor y el olor— y la sentencia de Dantin sobre guardar el verdor.
«Now, my child, I have taught you at what time you should gather the plants. We shall now see from what plant we shall make this Vegetable Stone.» — de Hollandus, el paso a la elección de planta.
«To this end, we do not find a more common plant and one that is esteemed less than Chelidonia. I am telling you for certain, my child, that there are three plants that have preference over all others. They are Chelidonia, Solaria, and Lunaria.» — de Hollandus, las tres plantas que prefiere sobre todas, Chelidonia, Solaria y Lunaria, con la primera presentada como la menos estimada.
«All are useful for the Art when they are prepared, and they congeal into true about which I will teach you in the work on the Mineral Stone. I am telling you, my child, that the noblest of all three is Chelidonia» — de Hollandus, lo que las tres pueden hacer y su jerarquía; el tramo corta antes de los signos dibujados a mano, que el troceo no recoge.
«because the other two die in winter, but Chelidonia always remains in its greenness and flowers. All other plants in the world wither and dry when it is warm in the summer, but this Chelidonia remains ever green, and even if it were lying under the snow through the winter, it would still not perish, neither in heat nor cold, dryness nor humidity.» — de Hollandus, la razón de esa preferencia: la celidonia no muere en invierno ni se seca en verano.
«It is the very best and strongest of the three plants, but is not much esteemed because it is found in abundance.» — de Hollandus, la paradoja que consigna: por abundante, la mejor de las tres es la menos estimada.
«Therefore, my child, we will extract the other and second Vegetable Stone from it, to cure all men from their days of sickness and keep them healthy to the last hour of their lives» — de Hollandus, la influencia que atribuye a esa planta, más de lo que nadie puede expresar.
«Accordingly, we will pick the plant when it is first flowering. Clean it and press it into three or four clean jars, as much as you can, without chopping it up. At once put an alembic on, set it in the Balneum to distill everything, draw all the water off until it is dry enough to be pulverized, then grind it on a stone with its water, so that one could paint with it, and put it into a big stone jar.» — de Hollandus, el destino que le da, la segunda Piedra Vegetal, para curar y mantener sano al hombre hasta su última hora.
«When you have filled four or five jars with Chelidonia, put all the matter together into a stone jar. You must start with many plants in order to obtain much matter and much water.» — de Hollandus, la recolección de la celidonia en flor y su tratamiento sin trocear hasta molerla con su propia agua.
«These plants, since they are not chopped up, take up much room. But my child might ask: Why do you not chop up the plants?» — de Hollandus, la advertencia de partir con mucha planta para tener materia y agua bastantes.
«Know then that if the plants were crushed, part of the three spirits would fly away, namely, the greenness or color, and part of the air or taste, and part of the natural warmth, since the three spirits are so volatile that they do not permit any pounding or crushing.» — de Hollandus, la pregunta que él mismo pone en boca del discípulo: por qué no se trocea la planta.
«You would therefore lose the major part of them, and afterward your work would be spoiled. You would only treat a dead Corpus, deprived of its soul and life, because the plant is mortified by crushing it.» — de Hollandus, la respuesta: al machacar se irían parte de los tres espíritus, que son demasiado volátiles para soportarlo.
«Try it: pound a green plant very small in a mortar. It will quickly lose its green color and natural moisture, since the whole house where the pounding is done is filled with the smell of the plant.» — de Hollandus, la consecuencia de machacar: se trabajaría un cuerpo muerto, mortificado.
«The smell, however, no longer comes back after the nature of the plant has been broken and is mortified, so that it is, so to speak, alienated from the nature and influence of heaven, which cause its smell to grow.» — de Hollandus, la prueba doméstica que propone, machacar una planta verde en el mortero y ver la casa llenarse de su olor.
«Also, heaven and the stars, which give or radiate their influence into it, no longer help it because it is broken, so that it no longer gets help from any source.» — de Hollandus, lo que ocurre después: el olor no vuelve, porque la naturaleza de la planta quedó rota.
«Accordingly, immediately separate from it the three volatile spirits which are its Soul and Quinta Essentia.» — de Hollandus, y la razón cosmológica que añade: rota la planta, el cielo y los astros dejan de auxiliarla.
«You understand, therefore, that plants cannot suffer any pounding or crushing, no more than a human being wants to be chopped to pieces, because the soul, which is his life, would at once escape from him.» — de Hollandus, la instrucción que se sigue de todo eso, separar de inmediato los tres espíritus volátiles, que son su alma y su quintaesencia.
«Consequently, my child, do not crush any green plant, but do as is taught above, so that you do not work with a dead body, which has been sufficiently proved before.» — de Hollandus, el símil humano con que lo cierra: la planta no admite ser picada, como no lo admite un hombre.
«Now we go to our work. All that has been left over, you must pulverize on a stone. Put everything together into a big jar, place it into a lukewarm Balneum, pour its own water on it, stir it well with a wooden spoon, put a small ground glass on the mouth, let it stand thus for two days and two nights» — de Hollandus, el precepto final sobre las plantas verdes.
«fourth or fifth hour, so that the water can draw out the Elements well. At the end of the two days, remove the can, set it aside, let it settle for three or four days, then pour the clear liquid from the fecibus into another jar, filter it, put the liquid into another jar—it is a golden water—plug it up well, and preserve it.» — de Hollandus, el arranque de la extracción, con la materia pulverizada y puesta en baño tibio con su propia agua.
«Now again pour other water on the feces and stir well. It would also be good if it were well dried before the water is poured on it, etc. Set it again in the Balneum for two days and two nights, stir it as before, cover it, etc. After this, let it cool, do as before, pour the water to the first, take once again some water and pour it on the feces. Do this until the feces no longer color the water; then you have the Air and the Fire out of the Earth, and the pouring has been sufficient.» — de Hollandus, la agitación cada cuatro o cinco horas y el reposo hasta obtener el agua dorada; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«But should it happen that you have not enough water from the plants, you can take common water that has been twice or three times distilled per Balneum, and extract with it all Vegetable works, provided it is well distilled so that it does not leave any more feces. Then it is good for all green plants.» — de Hollandus, la repetición del lavado hasta que las heces ya no tiñan el agua, con lo que quedan sacados el Aire y el Fuego de la Tierra.
«With dry plants, however, one cannot extract or distill with common water, only, with distilled aceto.» — de Hollandus, el recurso si falta agua de la planta, agua común dos o tres veces destilada, válida solo para plantas verdes.
«Now, my child, we will return to our work, to rectify our Air and Fire again together and to purify them of their fecibus.» — de Hollandus, y su límite: con planta seca hay que extraer con vinagre destilado.
«Pour all the colored water into a clean dish. Then take the white of 40 or 50 eggs, beat them quite thin like water, then beat them for half an hour together with the water, so that everything is well mixed.» — de Hollandus, el paso a la rectificación del Aire y el Fuego para purificarlos de sus heces.
«Now put the kettle over the fire, let it gently get warm and finally boil, but do not stir it at all. Then remove it from the fire.» — de Hollandus, la clarificación con clara de cuarenta o cincuenta huevos batida con el agua.
«Have at hand a big white woolen Ypocras-bag. Pour all your water into it, let it percolate into a glass dish, and when it no longer drips, take distilled water and pour it upon the coagulated egg white. Let it sink through the feces in order to draw the Elements out of the fecibus.» — de Hollandus, la cocción de esa mezcla, con la prohibición de removerla.
«Do this as long as the feces color the water. Then you have extracted all the Elements. Dry the feces in a pan and keep them.» — de Hollandus, el filtrado por manga de lana y el lavado de la clara coagulada para sacarle los elementos.
«They must be put back into the Earth in the flask to extract from them the combustible oil with the Salarmeniac, because there are many feces in the water of the egg whites.» — de Hollandus, el criterio de agotamiento y la instrucción de guardar las heces secas, porque llevan todavía aceite combustible con el Salarmeniac.
«After this, take the liquid out of the bag, put it in the Balneum, stir it well, and let it stand for 24 hours in the warm Balneo, occasionally stirring it with a spoon, and cover the mouth again with some cut glass.» — de Hollandus, la digestión de veinticuatro horas del líquido filtrado, con la agitación intermitente.
«Then take it out, let it settle for three or four days, then tip it gently to one side and pour it off gently per filtrum. See if you can find some feces at the bottom. If not, it is clarified enough; but if you find feces, it is» — de Hollandus, el criterio de clarificación por ausencia de heces al fondo; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«My child should know the following regarding all things in the world: If one draws their water off dry per distillations, so that they turn to powder, and then crushes and percolates them, afterward pulverizes them on a stone, and if one again pours on them the water that had been drawn off from them, or other common distilled water, and one sets it in the Balneum, the water attracts to itself all Elemental Water, Air, and Fire.» — de Hollandus, la regla general que declara válida para todas las cosas: secadas y molidas y devueltas a su agua, ésta atrae los elementos Agua, Aire y Fuego.
«It turns red, and the redness lies in the innermost of the greenness that the plant has, and when it is congealed and dissolved with the water, it always precipitates its feces.» — de Hollandus, el color rojo de ese extracto, que dice escondido en lo más íntimo del verdor.
«If one repeats the operation frequently, it will finally clean and purify itself until no more feces precipitate. Yet this is a long way, and it takes less time with the white of eggs.» — de Hollandus, la purificación por repetición y su costo en tiempo frente a la clara de huevo.
«But in regard to the green plants that have been dried in the sun and pulverized, even if you poured on them all the water in the world, it would not extract or color anything—they must be extracted with distilled vinegar.» — de Hollandus, la excepción de la planta secada al sol, que solo cede con vinagre destilado.
«Further, the vinegar will not turn red but rather a bad yellow, since the plants have lost the greenness which had been their life, soul, and Quinta Essentia.» — de Hollandus, la señal de esa pérdida: el vinagre no enrojece sino que amarillea, porque el verdor que era su vida se fue.
«The yellowness comes from the Elements that are still in it (the vinegar), but the three spirits are usually gone, and it is a dead corpse.» — de Hollandus, su diagnóstico de esa materia: quedan elementos pero faltan los tres espíritus, y es un cadáver.
«Now we shall recapitulate. If you find no more feces at the bottom of the jar, you must pour all the liquids together into a stone jar, set it in the Balneum, and distill off all the water, but not totally, so that you can pour the feces from the jar into a glass vessel, otherwise you will have to break the jar.» — de Hollandus, la recapitulación de la destilación del conjunto, con la advertencia práctica de no llevarla a seco para no romper el tarro.
«After this, set the glass into a basin of sand, and set this basin on top of a basin of water. Into that, put the glass with the matter; let the water boil and the matter evaporate to dryness. Then take it out and break the glass, and your matter is clear, dry, and red; thus you have the Elemental Water, Fire, and Air.» — de Hollandus, el paso al baño de arena sobre baño de agua, con el resultado: materia clara, seca y roja, que son Agua, Fuego y Aire elementales.
«coagulated them to a Massa, but they are not fixed. Put them in your dry room until we need them.» — de Hollandus, el estado de los tres espíritus a esa altura, coagulados en masa pero no fijos; el tramo arranca después del marcador de plana que parte la frase.
«In this way, my child, the Elemental Fire, the Elemental Water, and the Elemental Air, together with the three spirits, must all six be extracted from the Earth, without distilling, in the form of a Massa.» — de Hollandus, la tesis del tramo: los seis se sacan de la Tierra en forma de masa y sin destilar.
«They cannot be extracted from the Earth in any other way, since the three spirits, of which I have spoken before, rest in natural warmth and heat, that is, in taste, tincture, and» — de Hollandus, la razón de esa tesis: los tres espíritus residen en el calor natural, y por eso están en sabor, tintura y olor; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«These three do not suffer any heat given by fire, for if one were to extract Water, Air, and Fire from the Earth through distilling, it would have to be done with the hot dryness from fire, ashes, or sand. If done in the Balneum, the Elemental Water, Air, and Fire will not rise, solely the cloud-water.» — de Hollandus, lo que ocurre según el modo de calentar: por fuego suben los elementos, en baño sube solo el agua de nube.
«If one wished to drive the Elemental Water, Air, and Fire over through distilling, it would have to be done by fire, while the three aforesaid Spirits cannot stand the heat given by fire. They would evanesce invisibly, and then you would lose their life, soul, and Quinta Essentia, and you would have instead a dead Corpus.» — de Hollandus, la disyuntiva que eso plantea y su costo: destilando por fuego se pierden los espíritus y queda un cuerpo muerto.
«Nevertheless, you would have the four Elements together, but they would be devoid of their Soul and their Quinta Essentia, which keep the four Elements together and connect them.» — de Hollandus, lo que quedaría entonces: los cuatro elementos sin alma ni quintaesencia, que es lo que los mantiene unidos.
«For when these three Spirits are separated, the four Elements cannot stay together but must depart from each other and begin to decay and die, each Element returning to its nature, such as Air to Air, Fire to Fire, Water to Water, Earth to Earth» — de Hollandus, lo que pasa al separarse los tres espíritus: cada elemento vuelve a su naturaleza; el tramo corta antes del etcétera.
«Take, for instance, a man who has died and his natural warmth is gone. Soon the color that was in the blood, his natural smell and taste, all three are separated from man, which three are the soul that keeps the body together in one being.» — de Hollandus, el símil del muerto, donde color, olor y sabor se van juntos y son el alma que sostenía el cuerpo.
«Understand well, my child, what it is when a child is conceived in its mother’s womb by natural means. Within forty days a human being is formed; all members are perfectly arranged through the warmth of nature that the mother has in her blood, because the three spirits rest in the blood as in the natural warmth, smell, and taste.» — de Hollandus, el paralelo de la concepción, con el cuerpo formado en cuarenta días por el calor de la sangre materna, donde residen los tres espíritus.
«From the woman’s blood the members are formed with the help of nature, as it has pleased God, and thus these three spirits rest in the woman’s blood, and the child’s members are formed with the aid of nature.» — de Hollandus, la formación de los miembros a partir de la sangre de la mujer.
«Since these three spirits are in all the child’s forms and members, when his parts are formed, that is, within 40 days, they are at first so tender and small as if they were threads, and he is like a little seed.» — de Hollandus, lo pequeños que son esos miembros a los cuarenta días, como hilos, como una simiente.
«Therefore, there cannot be much of these three spirits in him, and as slight as the little members are, God sends the soul into them, which comes from His supreme Will, springing from it in quite a miraculous manner, of which nothing will be said here because it does not belong to the matter under discussion.» — de Hollandus, la entrada del alma en ese cuerpo mínimo, con la reserva de que el asunto no pertenece a esta materia.
«The soul has an eternal Essence, without beginning, in God; that is why it comes out of God, and the little members are not formed too small for the soul to come into being and at once operate in the body.» — de Hollandus, la doctrina del alma que declara: esencia eterna sin principio en Dios, que obra en el cuerpo desde que entra.
«For if the Soul did not enter it immediately, the three spirits would escape from it. That is why all three spirits must first be in the human being before the soul flows into it, and the three spirits keep the soul together in the» — de Hollandus, la condición que hace necesaria esa entrada inmediata: sin alma los tres espíritus escaparían; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«body. As long as these three spirits are in the body, the soul also remains, and when the body becomes bigger, older, and stronger, these three spirits also gradually become bigger, older, and stronger. That is why they are called growing spirits.» — de Hollandus, la reciprocidad entre alma y espíritus mientras el cuerpo crece, de donde les viene el nombre de espíritus crecientes.
«And as fast as these three spirits leave the Corpus, the soul must follow and vacate the body, because it has no place where it can rest.» — de Hollandus, y su reverso: cuando los espíritus se van, el alma se va detrás por no tener donde reposar.
«Try this with a man as soon as he is dead: cut, do what you want, you will not find any blood in him, or warmth, or smell, only a stench.» — de Hollandus, la prueba que propone sobre un muerto, sin sangre ni calor ni olor, solo hedor.
«Nevertheless the four Elements are in the corpse, namely, the Elemental Fire, Air, Water, and Earth, mixed with their stinking fecibus, but the Quinta Essentia is gone. That is, the three spirits: the natural warmth, the color, and the air.» — de Hollandus, lo que sí queda en el cadáver, los cuatro elementos con sus heces, ida la quintaesencia.
«God has devised these three, and when these three spirits escape from the Elements, they do not stay together any longer. Each withdraws to where it came from; nothing remains but stinking feces.» — de Hollandus, el desenlace de esa partida: cada cosa se retira a su origen y solo restan heces hediondas.
«If one knew this, all works would proceed better, but they do not notice that no Spirit will stay in the body without a medium, to keep the spirit together with the body.» — de Hollandus, lo que a su juicio ignoran los operadores: que ningún espíritu se queda en el cuerpo sin un medio que lo retenga.
«They do not know that the media must be spirits that are quite volatile and are in the depth of matter. To the ignorant it is an unknown spirit.» — de Hollandus, la naturaleza de esos medios, espíritus volátiles en lo hondo de la materia, desconocidos para el ignorante.
«Understand also, my child, what these three spirits are, because if you do not know these three spirits and their nature, you will not succeed either in plant, animal, or mineral matters, but you will treat a dead Corpus.» — de Hollandus, la advertencia con que cierra la doctrina: sin conocer los tres espíritus no se logra nada en ninguno de los tres reinos.
«Therefore, according to the above-mentioned evidence, these three spirits can be drawn over with fire and air, so that they congeal together into a Massa, but in no way different from the one we have just taught.» — de Hollandus, la única vía que admite para llevarlos consigo, coagulados en masa como acaba de enseñar.
«Do not look for any other media, or you will lose the three spirits invisibly and will then have a dead Corpus. Understand my words well—they are open words without any hidden meaning— so that you should not fall into error.» — de Hollandus, la prohibición de buscar otros medios y su declaración de escribir sin sentido oculto.
«Now we shall recapitulate. Take all the feces that have remained in the jar and the white of the eggs with which you have clarified and which also contain feces. Put everything into a big earthenware retort, well sealed outside, as has been taught in the Work of the Wine, set it in a furnace in such a way that the fire and the flames can get at it on all sides.» — de Hollandus, el arranque de la obra del aceite combustible, con las heces y las claras en retorta sellada dentro del horno.
«Attach to the retort a big stone jar almost full of distilled water and seal it quite tightly. First use a small fire, increased every three hours during 24 hours, then let it glow gradually, becoming stronger by and by, until the vessel is red-hot all around. Keep it standing thus for six hours.» — de Hollandus, el régimen de fuego, creciente durante veinticuatro horas hasta el rojo vivo, sostenido seis horas.
«Within that time, the combustible oil will go over together with the Salarmeniac. Let it cool, then remove the» — de Hollandus, lo que pasa en ese tiempo, el aceite combustible saliendo con el Salarmeniac; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«jar and pour everything together into a big earthenware wellglazed cupel. Let it stand for three or four days, then the combustible oil will rise to the top.» — de Hollandus, el reposo de tres o cuatro días hasta que el aceite combustible sube; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase, y el volumen parte *well-glazed* por el corte de renglón.
«Take it off carefully, as cleanly as possible. Put the wet stuff that is in the cupel into a big stone can and preserve it until you are ready to rectify by coagulating and dissolving.» — de Hollandus, la separación del aceite y la guarda del resto húmedo hasta la rectificación.
«Now take the combustible oil and put it into a small container, about which instructions have been given in the Work of the Wine. Pour boiling distilled water upon it, start clarifying as if you were making butter, just as has been taught in the Work of the Wine, where the combustible oil is purified of the Salarmeniac. It is all one operation.» — de Hollandus, la clarificación del aceite combustible con agua destilada hirviendo, comparada con hacer mantequilla.
«When the oil is pure, put it into a clean glass; use it for all sufferings that come from cold and liquid diseases, to clean lame limbs, and for paralysis.» — de Hollandus, los usos que da a ese aceite ya puro, sobre males de frío, miembros tullidos y parálisis.
«After this, take the water in which the combustible oil has been purified and the water from which the combustible oil has been taken off. Set everything together to coagulate in a Balneum, then let the feces sink, draw them off per filtrum, as has been taught in the Work of the Wine, to rectify it of the Salarmeniac, and when your Salarmeniac is well rectified and quite dry, white as snow, store that also in a dry room.» — de Hollandus, la rectificación del Salarmeniac hasta dejarlo blanco como la nieve y seco.
«After this, take all the feces that have remained in the retort, also those left in the rectification, set them all together to reverberate, as has been taught in the Work of the Wine, until they become snow-white. Then rectify them again by pouring distilled water upon them, and let the water stand over them. After this, let the feces settle, then distill per filtrum and congeal again. Do this as has been taught in the Work of the Wine until your Earth is as white as snow.» — de Hollandus, la reverberación de todas las heces hasta blanquear la Tierra.
«Then take the white Earth, dissolve it in your rectified water, put your Salmiac into the same water, distill the water dry to powder, then put it into the egg, calcine it in the secret furnace, and proceed in everything just as has been taught in the Work of the Wine. When you have calcined it in the manner taught in the said Work, etc., the Salarmeniac is ready to make the Stone.» — de Hollandus, la unión de Tierra blanca y Salmiac, la calcinación en el horno secreto y el Salarmeniac ya listo para la Piedra.
«Now take your Fire and Air and your Elemental Water, as also your Earth, dissolve them together in Aqua rectificata, coagulate again, then put it in the egg, as is taught in the Work of the Wine, hang it in the secret furnace, and proceed as above. When everything is calcined, dissolve it in your Aqua rectificata, let the feces sink, draw it per filtrum, coagulate, and do as before until no more feces are left.» — de Hollandus, el mismo ciclo aplicado a los cuatro elementos, repetido hasta que no precipiten heces.
«Thereafter coagulate your Elemental Water, Fire, Air, and Earth once more; then you have your Massa rectificata of external and internal fecibus, in addition to your Salmiac, and they are now ready for you to make of them the Vegetable Stone.» — de Hollandus, el estado final antes de la Piedra: la masa rectificada de heces externas e internas, junto al Salmiac.
«Now take a large Receptacul, as is taught in the Work of the Wine. Put in it your Sal Armeniac, Elemental Water, Air, Fire, and Earth, plus their three spirits.» — de Hollandus, la carga del recipiente con el Sal Armeniac, los cuatro elementos y los tres espíritus.
«Pour upon them some of your Aqua rectificata which has been drawn off from them, enough to dissolve well, but no more.» — de Hollandus, la cantidad de agua rectificada, la justa para disolver y no más.
«Now set it into a crucible with sifted ashes, cover the glass with a small ground glass, not sealed but with a weight upon it. For 24 hours give if fire as warm as midsummer sunshine, then let it cool, pour it into the egg, and set it into a crucible with sifted ashes; let it evaporate with gentle heat until it is all quite dry, which you should test with a whetted knife put on the mouth of the neck of the egg. See if it is covered with vapor. If no moisture appears, it is dry; but to be more assured of it, let it stand in the heat for three or four days.» — de Hollandus, el régimen de calor de veinticuatro horas y la prueba de sequedad con el cuchillo sobre el cuello del vaso.
«Following this, seal it well with luto Hermetis, and hang it in the secret furnace for 40 days, with heat like the summer sun or somewhat warmer.» — de Hollandus, el sellado con lutum de Hermes y los cuarenta días de horno secreto.
«After the 40 days, let it cool, remove the powder, and break the glass. Take the powder, put it into a crucible of Venetian glass, set it on burning coal, and the powder will melt like glass.» — de Hollandus, lo que se hace tras esos cuarenta días, romper el vaso y fundir el polvo en crisol veneciano.
«Pour it into a small glass form that has previously been coated with oil. When it is cold, it is hard as stone, clear as crystal, red like a ruby, and transparent.» — de Hollandus, la colada en molde aceitado y el aspecto del producto frío: duro, claro, rojo como rubí y transparente.
«This is the second Vegetable Stone which cures all diseases and infirmities in the world. If you take of it, in wine, every day, the equivalent in weight of a grain of wheat, you will see wonders after wonders in a few days.» — de Hollandus, lo que declara de esa segunda Piedra Vegetal y su dosis, el peso de un grano de trigo en vino.
«Especially suitable for the work are celandine, solaria, and lunaria. Whole, full-grown plants are cleaned but not washed. With these we fill a flask to the rim. We distill to dryness (draw off the moisture).» — el resumen que Junius hace de esa obra, con las tres plantas y la planta entera sin lavar puesta a destilar hasta seco.
«According to Hollandus, fresh herbs must not be ground, as it would lead to a loss of the spirits and the astrological influences.» — y la razón que recoge de Hollandus para no moler la planta fresca: se perderían los espíritus y las influencias astrológicas.
«ground with the distilled water and are again put into the flask. More distilled water is added. We let everything stand for two days and two nights. Every four to five hours we stir with a wooden spoon. Now we let the feces settle for three to four days, then pour the water off on top and filter, the water has a golden color.» — el paso siguiente del resumen, con la molienda tras el secado y los dos días de reposo hasta el agua dorada; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«The residue in the flask is extracted in the same way with distilled water, until there is no more coloring.» — la repetición de la extracción hasta que deje de teñirse el agua.
«The feces are now dried in a pan and then added to the Earth in order to extract from it the bad-smelling and combustible oil as well as the Salarmeniac.» — el destino de las heces secas, sumarlas a la Tierra para sacarle el aceite combustible y el Salarmeniac.
«The filtered liquid that has been passed through the wool bag is distilled to dryness in the water bath; the water is then poured back, and everything remains in the water bath for twenty-four hours. Now we filter and observe whether any feces are precipitating. If some feces appear, we clarify as before. If no feces fall out, we have done enough.» — la clarificación del líquido filtrado por la manga, con el criterio de suficiencia por ausencia de heces.
«If the work is done in this way, the water draws all the Elemental Water, Elemental Air, and Elemental Fire out of the ground plant powder. This extract is red. The redness lies hidden in the greenness.» — lo que ese procedimiento consigue, sacar los tres elementos del polvo vegetal, con el rojo escondido en el verdor.
«Purification can also be done by repeatedly distilling, dissolving, filtering, and renewed distilling; but clarification with the white of eggs is faster.» — la vía alternativa por destilaciones repetidas y su desventaja frente a la clara de huevo.
«When no more feces precipitate, the water is distilled (in the water bath) and the residue carefully evaporated. The matter thus obtained is clear and red.» — el remate de esa fase, con la materia clara y roja.
«All former feces, including those of the white of eggs, are now distilled with strong firing at increasing temperatures. There must be some distilled water in the receiver. After about thirty hours of distillation, we use a feather to remove the bad-smelling oil floating on top. The oil is purified in distilled water; the water is added to the distillate.» — la preparación del aceite combustible y del Salarmeniac, con las treinta horas de destilación y la pluma para retirar el aceite.
«The remaining liquid with the washing water of the oil is now distilled in the water bath, the distillate is poured upon the residue, the feces are filtered, and we distill again until the Salarmeniac is as white as snow.» — la rectificación del Salarmeniac hasta dejarlo blanco como la nieve.
«Then follows the purification and rectification of the Earth. This, too, is done in the usual way through repeated distilling (coagulating), pouring back of the distillate, filtering of the feces, and another new distillation, till the Earth is quite white.» — la purificación y rectificación de la Tierra por el mismo ciclo.
«The white Earth is then dissolved in distilled water, the Salarmeniac is added to it, and the water is distilled to bone-dryness.» — la unión de Tierra blanca y Salarmeniac y la destilación hasta sequedad de hueso.
«The residue is calcined in a flask in the laboratory furnace. With its own distilled water the whole mixture is now once again purified of the feces and coagulated. Now the Salarmeniac is ready to make the Stone.» — la calcinación del residuo y el Salarmeniac ya listo para la Piedra.
«Take the Fire, the Air, the Water, and the Earth and dissolve them in rectified water, coagulate again, put the matter once more into a flask, again calcine in the laboratory furnace. After this, it is again dissolved in distilled water, the feces are filtered, and we coagulate again. This is repeated until no more feces precipitate.» — el mismo ciclo sobre los cuatro elementos, repetido hasta que no precipiten heces.
«Now we put everything into a flask and pour only just as much water over it as is required for the solution. We now digest for twenty-four hours in the ash bath at summer temperature. Subsequently, we evaporate carefully until everything is dry (testing with a knife or mirror). Following this, we leave everything in the heat for three or four days. Everything is now hermetically sealed and left for forty days in the athanor at a hot summer temperature.» — la fase final del resumen, con la digestión de veinticuatro horas y los cuarenta días de atanor a temperatura de verano.
«After this, we let everything cool, remove the powder, put it into a glass crucible, and melt it. We then pour the Stone into a form coated with oil. While cooling, it will become hard, red, and transparent.» — y la colada de la Piedra, dura, roja y transparente al enfriar.
«In this text Hollandus conceals certain things; he does not always express himself clearly. We must also read somewhat between the lines.» — declara que Hollandus oculta cosas y no siempre se expresa con claridad, y que hay que leer entre líneas.
«In the author’s experience, for instance, Salarmenia goes over easily. To get it, we have to catch it in the tubes during distillation and then quickly scratch it out.» — lo que su propia experiencia le enseñó contra la letra del texto: el Salarmenia sube con facilidad y hay que atraparlo en los tubos.
«Because of its enormous volatility, it is also called “eagle” in alchemy. Accordingly, we must build an eagle’s trap with the tubes, in the hope that it gets stuck en route during distillation by precipitating on the glass wall.» — de ahí el nombre de águila que la alquimia le da por su volatilidad, y la trampa de tubos que propone montarle.
«The directions quoted are in no way simple recipes in the sense of cookbook instructions. The interested laboratory worker should first venture upon these works and remember that we learn as much from mistakes as from success.» — su advertencia sobre el género de estas instrucciones: no son recetarios, y del error se aprende tanto como del acierto.
«The pleasure of achieving will be twice as great if the Stone has been produced through one’s own know-how.» — y el motivo que ofrece para intentarlo igual: el gusto de haber hecho la Piedra con saber propio.
«Now I will reveal to you a great secret of the Vegetable Work, namely, the wonderful nature of honey, which is the subtlest and noblest of all plants and flowers, from whose purer and noble part it is elicited by the bees.» — de Hollandus, la apertura del tratado de la miel, presentada como lo más sutil y noble de plantas y flores.
«For the nature of bees is such that they extract the best from them [plants and flowers], as has been reported in detail in the Animal-Work, where instructions are given on how to extract the nature of Animalia, especially described in chapter 84 of the Work.» — de Hollandus, la razón de esa nobleza, que remite a la naturaleza de las abejas y a su propia obra animal.
«My child should know that everything God has created is extremely good, perfect, and imperishable, like heaven; but all things found here on earth, such as animals, fish, and whatever is sentient, as well as herbs, plants, and whatever it may be, have a double nature, that is, a perfect and an imperfect one.» — de Hollandus, la doctrina de la doble naturaleza de todo lo terrestre, perfecta e imperfecta.
«Essentia; the imperfect one, however, the feces or the poisonous combustible oil.» — de Hollandus, los nombres de esas dos naturalezas, quintaesencia y heces o aceite combustible venenoso; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«You must separate those feces and the combustible oil, and what then remains is perfect and is called Quinta Essentia. It lasts eternally like heaven and cannot be corrupted by anything, including fire.» — de Hollandus, la operación que se sigue, separar las heces y el aceite, y lo que queda: incorruptible hasta por el fuego.
«This I am telling you out of love: God has put a secret nature or influence into all created things, and a general influence into all of nature, and also a particular influence or virtue into every single species or genus, either regarding medicine or other secret effects, which are partly brought to light through natural art but are by far still more hidden than is known to our senses.» — de Hollandus, la doctrina de las influencias, general en la naturaleza y particular en cada especie, más ocultas de lo que los sentidos alcanzan.
«Do you believe that a plant determined for this or that disease does not contain still other powers than those known to us? In truth, many more.» — de Hollandus, la pregunta retórica con que la refuerza y su respuesta.
«I say, if the feces and the combustible oil, which is a poison in everything, causing death, are removed from this thing or that plant, and the Elements are purified and made to rise together over the alembic and are together united in one, it can afterward be a help and cure for all diseases, be it prepared from a plant, animal, or poison, as is shown in the preface to this book in chapter 14 and also in the preface to the Animal-Work, where instructions are given as to how to extract the Quinta Essentia from all, including poisonous animals, birds, worms, flies, and the like, and to bring them to a state where they can help the infirmities of all people.» — de Hollandus, la promesa que hace de esa vía: quitados heces y aceite y unidos los elementos, cualquier cosa, hasta un veneno, sirve para curar.
«This can also especially be obtained from human blood, because with it it can best be proved that a person or an animal does not require any farfetched medicine for an accidental disease, for every animal has its own remedy for that disease.» — de Hollandus, el caso extremo que consigna, la sangre humana, con la doctrina de que cada animal lleva su propio remedio.
«Without injuring a person or an animal, a medicament can be elicited from him or it with which the disease can be wonderfully cured, of which both the theory and the practice are taught there» — de Hollandus, y su corolario: el medicamento se saca del enfermo sin dañarlo.
«I only wished to insert this so that my child might understand what great wonders are contained in honey, which is taken from all flowers and gathered into one. Therefore, it must necessarily comprise various powers.» — de Hollandus, la razón de haber insertado todo eso: entender qué maravillas encierra la miel, tomada de todas las flores.
«For if God has infused into other things the power to heal, what will there be in honey, which is extracted from countless flowers, since each plant has its own gift?» — de Hollandus, el argumento a fortiori sobre la miel, con el don propio de cada planta reunido en ella.
«Truly, if one can bring it to its highest potency, it will operate wonderfully. Therefore, take note of what is hidden in this Quinta Essentia, so that you do not underestimate it but keep it secret as the most excellent of the whole Animal-Work. And when you have it, you do not require anything else» — de Hollandus, la exhortación a no menospreciar esa quintaesencia y a guardarla en secreto; el tramo llega hasta la promesa de que basta para todo mal.
«Now I will pass to the practical work. Take 12 quarts of the best fresh virgin honey, put it into a big stone jar, put an alembic on it, lute [seal] it twice, set it in the Balneum and lute a receiver on it, let the Balneum boil, and distill as long as something rises.» — de Hollandus, el arranque de la práctica, con doce cuartos de miel virgen fresca en el baño.
«My child must know that there is no cloud-water in honey, only the Philosophical Elemental Water.» — de Hollandus, la afirmación que distingue a la miel de las plantas: no tiene agua de nube, solo Agua Elemental Filosófica.
«The Element Air will first go over, together with the Element Fire, in which the Air is locked. The Air tastes like distilled Aqua Vitae and first ascends from the honey. Nor can it be distinguished from Aqua Vitae in looks or taste.» — de Hollandus, el orden de salida, el Aire con el Fuego encerrado en él, indistinguible del Aqua Vitae.
«Continue distilling until nothing rises any more. After this, let the jar with the alembic and receiver stay in the Balneum for 15 more days, the Balneum boiling all the time so that the matter may become quite dry, since the distillation of honey through the Balneum is very difficult on account of its fattiness. It must really stand in it for 15 or 20 days before it becomes quite dry.» — de Hollandus, los quince o veinte días de baño hirviendo que exige la miel por su untuosidad.
«Now let it cool and take it out, detach the receptacle and alembic, and pour what is in the receptacle upon the dry matter. Set it in the Balneum, put on it a stopper or a piece of ground glass that fits well into the mouth of the jar, and seal it as well as possible—but the Balneum must only be lukewarm.» — de Hollandus, la devolución del destilado sobre la materia seca, con el baño solo tibio.
«In this way, my child, one could (and it would be a good thing) extract the Fire with its own Air, if one were willing to wait that long. It would also become much stronger, and the ancients did it in this way, but it is to be feared that the water would evaporate at the opening of the vessel, because it is subtle like wine, since the Air must each time it is drawn off be poured on again, and both the receptacle and the alembic must again be sealed on, and putrefaction must take place in the lukewarm Balneo.» — de Hollandus, la vía antigua que describe y la razón de temerla: el agua se evaporaría por la boca del vaso.
«In the aforesaid way, the distillation must be repeated until all the Fire is out blood-red. However, in our times another way has been discovered, and that is as follows.» — de Hollandus, la repetición hasta sacar el Fuego rojo sangre, y el anuncio de la vía moderna.
«When, as said above, you have extracted all the Air and have completely dried the residual matter, take off the receptacle and stopper as well.» — de Hollandus, el arranque de esa vía moderna, con el Aire ya extraído y la materia seca.
«Now have at hand rainwater distilled two or three times, pour a good amount of it—as much as you deem sufficient—into the jar, cover it, but do not seal it. Keep it in the boiling Balneo for three days and nights, stirred every day four or five times with a wooden spoon.» — de Hollandus, el agua de lluvia destilada dos o tres veces y los tres días de baño con agitación.
«Then let it cool, take it out, and let it settle. Now take another clean jar, pour the clear liquid off into it, again pour good distilled water on the feces as before, and again set the jar in the Balneum.» — de Hollandus, el ciclo de decantar y volver a lavar.
«portion of other distilled water on it, as before. Do this until the water no longer gets colored. Then you have got all the Fire out» — de Hollandus, el criterio de agotamiento del lavado: hasta que el agua deje de teñirse, con lo que queda sacado el Fuego; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«of the Earth. Preserve the Earth or feces until I teach you what to do with it, because it still contains the combustible oil.» — de Hollandus, la instrucción de guardar la Tierra, porque todavía lleva el aceite combustible.
«Take the big stone jar containing all your colored water in addition to the Element Fire, distill all the water from it in the boiling Balneo, let it dry well and cool. Remove the alembic but leave the jar in the Balneo.» — de Hollandus, el paso a la rectificación del Fuego, con el agua coloreada destilada a seco.
«Pour the water back on the matter, and stop up the mouth of the jar. Let the Balneum boil again, and keep the matter in it for three days, every day stirring it in the jar four or five times.» — de Hollandus, la devolución del agua sobre la materia y los tres días de baño con agitación.
«Then let it cool, take it out of the Balneo, and let it settle. Now pour the clear liquid carefully off into a clean jar, and again pour fresh distilled water on the feces. Stir well, set it in the Balneum, let it once again settle for one day, pour the clear liquid off to the previous, and add the remaining feces to the others.» — de Hollandus, el ciclo de decantar y volver a lavar hasta reunir todas las heces.
«Then put the jar back in the Balneum and distill the water off in the boiling Balneo until it becomes dry as before. Repeat this work until no more feces stay at the bottom. Put all the feces together with the previous Earth.» — de Hollandus, la repetición del ciclo hasta que no quede nada en el fondo.
«Thus you have the Element Fire quite pure. After this, the Element Air must also be distilled over until no feces remains in fundo vitri. Then you have the Element pure.» — de Hollandus, el resultado, el Elemento Fuego puro, y el mismo trato para el Aire.
«At last, draw the Fire off from the water and dry it, and you will have a transparent Massa, or a clear red matter, shining like camphor.» — de Hollandus, el aspecto del Fuego ya seco, masa transparente y roja que brilla como alcanfor.
«Preserve the Fire in a clean glass jar, and keep the Air with the water well closed in a glass until you have also prepared the Earth.» — de Hollandus, la conservación de Fuego y Aire hasta tener lista la Tierra.
«Take therefore all the Earth with the fecibus and extract its combustible oil per descensum by means of two containers, one sealed upon the other. One of them must be dug into the earth, but on the other a fire must be made as long as the oleum combustible goes off.» — de Hollandus, la extracción del aceite combustible de la Tierra por descenso, con los dos recipientes y uno enterrado.
«This oil is used for cold weaknesses and other diseases that would take too long to mention here. But if you do not want this oleum, let it go; it is not worth much.» — de Hollandus, los usos de ese aceite y su tasación: si no se quiere, no vale gran cosa.
«Take the Earth and calcine it quite gently in the reverberating furnace until it becomes white as snow.» — de Hollandus, la calcinación suave de la Tierra en horno de reverbero hasta blanquearla.
«Then put it into a big stone jar, pour upon it a sufficient quantity of distilled common water, stir it with a wooden spoon, set it in the boiling Balneum for three days, stirring it every day ten or twelve times.» — de Hollandus, el lavado de esa Tierra con agua destilada, tres días de baño y agitación repetida.
«Repeat this imbiding and decanting a third time. When that is done, pour the feces out, for they are no longer of any use.» — de Hollandus, la tercera repetición del lavado y el desecho de las heces por inútiles.
«Now extract the water from the Earth, and you will find it [the Earth] beautiful and clear like a crystal, and thus you will have your Element pure.» — de Hollandus, el resultado, la Tierra clara como cristal, con el elemento ya puro.
«Thereupon, in God’s name, take a large glass that can stand the fire. Pour your Earth and Fire into it, and pour the Air upon it. Put that glass on a furnace in a cupel with ashes, firmly lute [seal] an alembic on it with a hole on top instead of a button, so that the water, after it has been completely distilled, can again be imbibed through a funnel.» — de Hollandus, el montaje de la conjunción, con el alambique agujereado para reimbibir por embudo.
«Then, first, start a small fire under it, which you must make stronger by and by until you see the matter boil through the glass. Now keep it thus boiling at an even temperature until it is distilled off to a pint.» — de Hollandus, el régimen de fuego creciente hasta destilar a una pinta.
«Afterward remove the receiver, open the hole in the alembic, mount a glass funnel on it, and through it pour all the water in the receptacle on the Earth. Lute again, and again distill the water over as before, and repeat this ten times.» — de Hollandus, la devolución del destilado por el embudo y las diez repeticiones.
«Hereafter, distill everything over, because the Earth has become volatile after the tenth distillation. Consequently, the Air, the Water, the Fire, and the Earth rise simultaneously through the alembic as one substance» — de Hollandus, lo que ocurre tras la décima: la Tierra se ha vuelto volátil y los cuatro suben a la vez como una sola sustancia.
«and those which before were four have now become a single one in nature and are now simple like the imperishable heaven.» — de Hollandus, la consecuencia doctrinal: lo que eran cuatro es ya uno solo, simple como el cielo incorruptible.
«They are not yet fixed, however, but conjoined in such a way that they cannot be separated but will eternally remain a simple Corpus like a crystal or like that indestructible heaven.» — de Hollandus, el matiz que le pone: todavía no está fijo, aunque ya es inseparable.
«What do you think, my child: should the Quinta Essentia not be able to drive away all diseases that may befall man because of their high temperature, be it a disease due to heat, cold, humidity, or dryness? Everything is in it, to give to each what is required, like heaven, which, when the earth» — de Hollandus, la pregunta retórica sobre la potencia de esa quintaesencia frente a las cuatro cualidades; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«requires cold, warmth, moisture, or dryness, gives it all to it, and yet it is neither warm, cold, moist, nor dry but a simple essence and endowed with such a nature that it can give to each what he needs. Likewise with this Quinta Essentia. Therefore, my son, rejoice and thank the Lord who has given the knowledge of it to the philosophers.» — de Hollandus, la respuesta, con la quintaesencia dando a cada cual lo que le falta sin ser ella misma ninguna de las cuatro cualidades.
«Now, my child, if you wish to bring this Quinta Essentia to great perfection, take a big circulating glass or pelican, which is a glass with a big head like an alembic. In the upper point of it there must be a hole, so that the matter can be poured into it with a funnel and the hole immediately closed tightly.» — de Hollandus, el paso a la fijación, con la descripción del pelícano y su boca para cargar por embudo.
«From the head two crooked arms go to the belly, and that which then rises flows back into the belly through the arms. The “pelican” has the shape of a glass that drives substances up and down within itself —it looks like a pelican» — de Hollandus, los dos brazos curvos que devuelven al vientre lo que sube, y el nombre que le viene de la forma del ave.
«Therefore, take the Quinta Essentia, put it into the Pelican, distill on sifted ashes or, better, on dry prepared salt, light a fire that is warm like the summer heat, and the Quinta Essentia will rise in the form of a red oil, and will again descend through the arms of the glass, and will become even thicker through frequent ascending and descending until it finally stays at the bottom and no longer rises.» — de Hollandus, la circulación en el pelícano, con la quintaesencia subiendo como aceite rojo y espesando en cada vuelta.
«Now increase the fire to make the Quinta Essentia rise and fall again, and keep the fire at the same grade until it no longer ascends but stays below. Then increase the fire to make it rise and fall once more, and keep that same grade of heat until it stays below. Observe such an increase of the fire carefully until the matter becomes fixed.» — de Hollandus, el régimen de fuego por escalones, subido cada vez que la materia deja de ascender, hasta que queda fija.
«When the Quinta Essentia no longer rises, it is fixed and brought to the highest virtue. Remove it from the glass while it is still warm. Otherwise, if you let it grow cold and hard, you would have to break the glass.» — de Hollandus, la señal de la fijación y la advertencia práctica de sacarla en caliente para no romper el vaso.
«It melts in the heat and becomes hard when cold. It penetrates everything hard as oil does dry leather; its color is ruby-red and like a transparent crystal; it glows in the dark enough to read by its light.» — de Hollandus, las propiedades de la Piedra: funde con el calor, endurece en frío, penetra como aceite y luce en la oscuridad lo bastante para leer.
«What do you think of it, my child? Has God not created wonderful bodies? In truth, he has not endowed the philosophers with lesser gifts so that they can see that which is hidden in nature.» — de Hollandus, la exclamación con que lo celebra y el don que atribuye a los filósofos.
«This medicine has an unbelievable effect, because, as it consists of the subtlest of all plants, trees, flowers, and blossoms of fruits from which the little bees gathered it when the herbs and trees were in bloom, it may rightly be called Lapis Philosophorum.» — de Hollandus, la razón por la que llama a ese producto Lapis Philosophorum: está hecho de lo más sutil de plantas, árboles y flores por obra de las abejas.
«It is fixed and fusable like wax. Like the Mineral Stone which transmutes imperfect metals into and , this Stone changes all diseases into health.» — de Hollandus, la analogía con la Piedra Mineral: una transmuta metales, la otra transforma toda enfermedad en salud; el tramo corta antes de los signos dibujados a mano.
«that honey has preference among all vegetable things. However, as long as it is still in its impure and crude form, it is hardly suitable for medicines.» — de Hollandus, el reverso del elogio: la miel cruda apenas sirve para medicina; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«That is why honey is good for one infirmity and harmful for another. For each acts according to its property when the separation is done in the body, and from that comes the blood and other humors.» — de Hollandus, por qué la miel es buena para un mal y dañina para otro, según lo que se separe en el cuerpo.
«It can be compared to gunpowder, which does not do any harm as long as it lies still, but as soon as it gets together with fire, it shows its hidden power and burns with a fierce fire that cannot be extinguished with water. Because of the quarrel among cold, heat, moisture, and dryness, there occurs such a bang and wind that it shatters everything close to it.» — de Hollandus, el símil de la pólvora, quieta inofensiva y encendida devastadora por la pelea de las cuatro cualidades.
«Likewise with honey. When it reaches the region of the liver, in order to separate, it shows there its nature by puffing up violently, so that it would not be surprising if such a quarrel would cause the veins of the liver to rupture, as happens sometimes. That is the reason why abcesses develop at various places.» — de Hollandus, la aplicación del símil al hígado, con las venas reventadas y los abscesos como consecuencia.
«Honey causes such puffing that the veins can easily burst from it. And although there are many who extol it with great praise, they are nevertheless no sons of philosophy, nor do they understand nature.» — de Hollandus, su juicio sobre quienes alaban la miel cruda: no son hijos de la filosofía ni entienden la naturaleza.
«But when honey is brought to a simple, fixed essence, it is the highest medicine among the Vegetabilia, like wine, so that nothing like it can be found in the world.» — de Hollandus, y el reverso: llevada a esencia fija y simple, la miel es la mayor medicina vegetal junto con el vino.
«Thank God and be good to the poor. The dose is one grain, to be taken in the morning on an empty stomach and every day at night, until the end of the sickness. All infirmities are cured by it, just as the Mineral Stone makes projection on metals. Praise God and work diligently.» — de Hollandus, el cierre del tratado, con la dosis de un grano en ayunas y la exhortación religiosa.
«Honey is distilled to dryness in the water bath, when the Elements Air and Fire go over first (it requires much time, fifteen to twenty days). The Air tastes like Aqua Vitae.» — el resumen que Junius hace del tratado de la miel, con el orden de salida de Aire y Fuego y los quince o veinte días que exige.
«The distillate is poured back; the flask is closed and set in a lukewarm bath. The Element Fire is now extracted with its own Air. The distillation is repeated until all the Fire is out blood-red.» — la devolución del destilado y la extracción del Fuego con su propio Aire, repetida hasta el rojo sangre.
«Another way: After the Air has been drawn off to dryness (to be kept till later!) the residue is washed with rainwater three times distilled. (Dissolve in the boiling water bath.)» — la vía alternativa, con el Aire apartado y el residuo lavado con agua de lluvia tres veces destilada.
«precipitate, the liquid is decanted, more distilled water is poured on the feces, again we extract through the water bath, let the feces precipitate, and decant the liquid. This process is repeated until there is no more coloring.» — el ciclo de decantar y lavar hasta que deje de teñirse; el tramo arranca en la plana siguiente a la que abre la frase.
«The liquids are then poured together. Now the Fire Element is rectified.» — la reunión de los líquidos y el paso a la rectificación del elemento Fuego.
«The colored water is distilled to dryness in the water bath. We let the feces precipitate, pour the liquid off, add new distilled water upon the feces, and extract again. The resulting liquid is added to the first; the feces are added to the Earth. The extracted liquid is distilled, poured back, the feces filtered, and so on, until everything is pure. The Fire-Salt is then evaporated in the water bath through evaporation.» — el ciclo de esa rectificación, con las heces sumadas a la Tierra y la repetición hasta que todo salga puro; el tramo llega hasta la evaporación de la Sal de Fuego.
«Now the combustible oil is distilled from the Earth and the fecibus; it does not become part of the work. The Earth is washed out of the residue with distilled water (let it stand in the water bath for three days), the solution is decanted, further extracted with fresh distilled water, again decanted, and the feces are extracted yet a third time, after which we throw them out.» — la destilación del aceite combustible, que queda fuera de la obra, y el lavado de la Tierra por tres veces.
«The Earth-Salt and the Fire-Salt are now put into a flask, the Air extracted in the beginning is poured on them, and the liquid is distilled in the ash bath to one pint. (The matter in the fractionating flask is boiling.)» — la reunión de la Sal de Tierra y la Sal de Fuego con el Aire, destiladas en baño de ceniza hasta una pinta.
«Ten cohobations now follow; the distillate is therefore poured back each time and again distilled. In this way the Earth becomes volatile and rises over with the rest.» — las diez cohobaciones que vuelven volátil a la Tierra, con la remisión al Circulatum Minus.
«Now everything is rotated in the pelican at a temperature equal to the heat of the summer sun. When no more matter rises, we increase the heat until it again stays below.» — la rotación en el pelícano a temperatura de sol de verano, con el fuego subido cada vez que la materia deja de ascender.
«We increase the fire until the matter remains fixed. After this, we heat once more strongly for twenty-four hours until the Quinta Essentia (the Stone) no longer rises.» — el remate de la fijación, con las veinticuatro horas finales hasta que la Piedra deja de subir.
«As long as the Stone is still warm, we can take it out of the pelican; it will get hard in the cold. We can either cast or mold the Stone. It has a red color and is transparent and fluorescent.» — la extracción de la Piedra en caliente y su aspecto, roja, transparente y fluorescente.
«We can also let the Stone get hard in the pelican or the congealing glass, and then break the glass to remove the Stone.» — la alternativa de dejarla endurecer en el vaso y romperlo después.
«Finally, there now follows a slightly simplified form of the Opus Vini, the work with wine. The text stems from the famous collection Aureum Vellus or Gulden Schatzkammer (1598; Hamburg edition, 1718).» — presenta el último texto del capítulo, una forma simplificada del Opus Vini, con su procedencia en el Aureum Vellus y las ediciones que maneja.
«The Golden Vlies has also been published by the Akademische Druck- und Verlagsanstalt in Graz, Austria, under the title» — la edición moderna de esa colección que declara conocer; el tramo corta antes del título.
«First, in the Name of God, take clear Rhine wine or other fine, clear wine drawn from the mother [a thick sediment in wine], because there must not be any impurity in it, as the philosophers say that we must draw our Stone from one thing without adding anything foreign to it.» — del *Tractatus de Quinta Essentia Vini*, la materia de partida, vino del Rin claro y sin impureza, con la regla de sacar la Piedra de una sola cosa.
«Therefore, take good, clear wine, good of smell and taste. Separate its four Elements as much as possible, because it is impossible to separate the Elements perfectly» — del *Tractatus*, la exigencia de separar los cuatro elementos y la imposibilidad declarada de hacerlo del todo.
«That is impossible, as the Air is hot and moist. Consequently, the moisture cannot be perfectly separated from the heat. Water is cold and moist, and therefore we cannot separate the cold from the moist perfectly. Likewise the Fire. It is hot and dry, therefore we cannot separate the heat from dryness.» — del *Tractatus*, la razón de esa imposibilidad, con las cualidades cruzadas de cada elemento.
«Accordingly, it is impossible to separate the Elements simultaneously, but they must first be and remain mixed together, because in every Element there are two natures, one manifest, the other secret.» — del *Tractatus*, la doctrina que de ahí sale: en cada elemento hay dos naturalezas, una manifiesta y otra secreta.
«Exemplum: Water is cold and moist. The moisture is manifest, the cold is secret and invisible, and is a soul without a body, and is hidden under the moisture.» — del *Tractatus*, el ejemplo del Agua, con el frío como alma sin cuerpo escondida bajo la humedad.
«The Air is hot and moist. The moisture is manifest and visible; the heat, however, is a spirit and secret.» — del *Tractatus*, el ejemplo del Aire, con el calor como espíritu secreto.
«Fire is hot and dry and clear, and is both subtle and spiritual. The clearness and redness are manifest, the heat is secret as dryness, for if you see a light burn, you will well see the clearness and redness from outside with your eyes, but you cannot see the heat that the fire has within. Yet put a finger into the light and you will feel the invisible heat.» — del *Tractatus*, el ejemplo del Fuego, con la prueba del dedo en la llama para el calor invisible.
«The Earth is cold and dry. Its dry body is visible and tangible, but its coldness is invisible and is a spirit without a body.» — del *Tractatus*, el ejemplo de la Tierra, con el frío como espíritu sin cuerpo.
«It is therefore evident that it is impossible to separate the Elements, but they must be mixed together—and yet we must do it as much as possible. We can separate them, as we shall see later, and rectify them of their imperfection, and can make them so pure, beautiful, hard, and fixed when they are united that we can never again separate them, and they will in all eternity be a clarified Corpus that cannot be consumed by fire.» — del *Tractatus*, la conclusión y su reverso: no se separan del todo, pero sí lo bastante para rectificarlos y unirlos en un Corpus que el fuego no consume.
«Aristotle says in a little book he has written that everything on earth has two natures, one secret, the other evident. That which appears by nature on the outside has its contrarium inside. That which is hot and dry outside is moist and cold inside.» — del *Tractatus*, la sentencia que atribuye a Aristóteles: todo lo terrestre lleva fuera su naturaleza manifiesta y dentro su contraria.
«bring their inside outside, and vice versa; then we can achieve a perfect work. And this must be done from one single thing without adding anything foreign to it.» — del *Tractatus*, la consecuencia operativa de esa doctrina: hay que volver lo de dentro afuera, y todo a partir de una sola cosa.
«That is why Aristotle says: When you have the Water from the Air, and the Air from the Fire, and the Fire from the Earth, and have separated them perfectly from every impurity, you have the right Art, and out of it comes a Stone, and it is no stone and not of the nature of a stone, but an eternally perfect body, lasting in all eternity. And this is the secret that God has left to the world.» — del *Tractatus*, la sentencia de Aristóteles sobre sacar cada elemento del anterior, con la Piedra que no es piedra y dura eternamente.
«Therefore, take fine, good, clear wine, the best in smell and taste. Put it into a big stone jar, containing about 16 or 20 Mass [quarts]. Put an alembic on it and lute [seal] it tightly, set it in B.M. [Balneum Mariae, or water bath], add a receptacle, and distill with gentle heat, in six stages, as slowly as the clock strikes.» — del *Tractatus*, el arranque de la práctica, con las cantidades de vino y la destilación en seis grados, lenta como el reloj.
«When you see a small drop appear inside the alembic, like dew, remove the receptacle and take the jar out of the B.» — del *Tractatus*, la señal por la que se para, el rocío dentro del alambique.
«Now have ready another jar, the bigger the better. Put your Air [distillate] into it, set the alembic on the jar, lute it very well, attach a receptacle, distill it with a lukewarm fire in six stages, and continue distilling it thus in this heat until you see the dew come into the alembic.» — del *Tractatus*, la segunda destilación del Aire, con la misma señal como criterio.
«Then remove the receptacle, close it well, lute another receptacle in front, carefully attached to the tubes of the alembic. Distill until you notice a clear thin water coming out.» — del *Tractatus*, el cambio de recipiente y el agua clara y delgada que sale después.
«Now take this receptacle, plug it up with wax, remove the alembic from the jar, and pour what is still in the jar into the first water which you had first retained. Clean your jar thoroughly, dry it with a nice linen cloth so that no moisture remains in it.» — del *Tractatus*, el manejo de los recipientes y la limpieza del tarro para que no quede humedad.
«Then pour that which you drew off last back into it, again put the alembic on the jar, well luted as before, until you can again see the dew appear in the alembic.» — del *Tractatus*, la tercera vuelta, con la misma señal del rocío.
«Now take a fine glass, put into it all the Air you have, attach an alembic, distill it in the B. with the same heat as has been taught before. Repeat the distillation until nothing remains at the bottom of the glass and there is no dew above in the» — del *Tractatus*, la repetición en vaso de vidrio hasta que no quede nada al fondo ni rocío arriba; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
«When everything goes over clear— what is in the glass port stays as it was when you poured it in— and you see no more dew come into the alembic, you have rectified the Air.» — del *Tractatus*, la señal por la que el Aire queda rectificado: todo pasa limpio y no hay rocío.
«Put it into a glass phial, stop it well with wax, and preserve it until you need it.» — del *Tractatus*, la conservación del Aire en redoma cerrada con cera.
«Now take your jar still containing the water, put an alembic on, set it in the B., and distill it with a small fire in the third degree, until the matter becomes dry.» — del *Tractatus*, el paso al agua, destilada a fuego pequeño hasta que la materia queda seca.
«When you see that nothing will distill anymore, increase the fire under the B.M. to make the water boil strongly, and keep it thus boiling for twenty-four hours, so that if some Fire had remained with the Fire and the Earth, the same could all be drawn off nicely.» — del *Tractatus*, el hervor fuerte de veinticuatro horas para arrastrar lo que hubiera quedado de Fuego.
«Set it in the B., distill with a gentle fire, so that you might count to six between every drop falling from the tubes of the alembic. Distill thus until it no longer drips, then increase the fire under the B. to boiling for four to five hours.» — del *Tractatus*, la destilación siguiente con la cadencia contada, seis entre gota y gota, y las cuatro o cinco horas de hervor.
Sobre la obra
39 entradas — lo que el aparato y la investigación dicen de ella«CHAPTER 10: THE CIRCULATUM MINUS OF URBIGERUS Circulatum Minus Urbigeranum or the Philosophical Elixir from the Vegetable Kingdom, Prepared in Three Different Ways» — la tabla de contenidos anuncia el capítulo décimo con el título completo del tratado ajeno que reproduce dentro: el volumen incorpora textos de otros autores como partes propias, no como apéndices.
«CHAPTER 11: ELIXIR—CLYSSUS—VEGETABLE STONE The Opus Vegetabile of M. Johannes Isaac Hollandus Treatise Tractatus de Quinta Essentia Vini» — lo mismo en el capítulo undécimo, que la tabla de contenidos desglosa en el *Opus Vegetabile* de Hollandus y el *Tractatus de Quinta Essentia Vini*; es el capítulo más largo del libro.
«The book outlines a coherent and true path. Starting with basic theories and simple effective processes, Manfred Junius builds to more complex spagyrical processes such as the Circulatum Minus.» — [Cotnoir] lee el orden del libro como una progresión graduada, de la teoría básica a los procesos más complejos.
«The Circulatum Minus is a solvent that can separate out, rather quickly, the principles of any fresh herb.» — [Cotnoir] define para el lector el disolvente que da nombre al capítulo décimo.
«He shows clearly how to obtain this unusual liquid using the techniques given in a seventeenth-century text.» — [Cotnoir] sitúa la fuente del procedimiento en un texto del siglo XVII, que es el de Urbigerus.
«There is no one better qualified to do so as Manfred Junius was, perhaps, the first to recover this process and successfully make a Circulatum Minus—which indeed does some rather remarkable things.» — [Cotnoir] atribuye a Junius la primera recuperación efectiva del proceso, con la reserva *perhaps* dentro de la misma frase.
«The book then gives a complete and very interesting primary text on working with wine. By the time you have worked through your collaboration with the processes given, you are more than ready to venture alone into this vast field of alchemy.» — [Cotnoir] describe el último tramo del volumen como texto primario sobre el vino y como umbral de la práctica autónoma.
«And from this work, with grace, you will have realized in your heart that the real secret of alchemy is that there is no secret, no tricks, no special ingredient, only the work.» — [Cotnoir] enuncia como conclusión del prologuista que el secreto del arte es que no hay secreto ni ingrediente especial.
«While Spagyrics is, by all appearances, a modest handbook—a “cookbook” some have even said, using a term that may seem to diminish the work—until you actually have to do the cooking, until you actually engage in the work, only then do you come to appreciate» — [Cotnoir] recoge el mote de recetario que otros le han dado al volumen y lo devuelve como argumento; el tramo corta donde la frase pasa a la plana siguiente.
«You won’t find much discussion of the spiritual or inner work involved with alchemy in this book, no real in-depth discussion of “higher alchemical” practices, and this is perhaps as it should be, as these practices are based on initiation and cannot be taught through books.» — [Cotnoir] declara qué NO trae el libro y da la razón: la alquimia interior descansa en iniciación y no se enseña por escrito.
«Although he was never very specific about the spiritual aspects of alchemy, he did urge one to a consideration of purpose as well as ethics.» — [Cotnoir] matiza esa ausencia con lo que sí recuerda de Junius: la insistencia en el propósito y la ética.
«He would often say that the work is “karmically secure” if it is dedicated toward healing in particular and in helping others in general.» — [Cotnoir] atribuye a Junius, como dicho de viva voz y no como texto del libro, el criterio de seguridad kármica del trabajo.
«When he wrote this book, he wrote it with the mind and heart of a healer.» — [Cotnoir] resume así la disposición desde la que dice haberse escrito el libro.
«This work is not to be followed slavishly but listened to, experimented with.» — [Cotnoir] indica al lector cómo usar el manual: no seguirlo servilmente, sino escucharlo y experimentar con él.
«The only thing missing is the agent to do the work: the heart, mind, and hands to bring it all to completion. The door to alchemy is literally in your hands.» — [Cotnoir] cierra el prólogo poniendo lo que falta del lado del lector.
«Now, in 2007, we have a new edition for which I was delighted to assist in freshening the reproduction of the engravings from the alchemical literature.» — [Cotnoir] declara ahí su propia intervención en esta tercera edición: refrescar la reproducción de los grabados.
«The illustrations and diagrams have been left as originally rendered by Manfred Junius and his hand-drawn symbols remain in the chapter about alchemical signs and symbols.» — [Cotnoir] acota esa intervención: ilustraciones, diagramas y símbolos dibujados a mano quedan como los hizo Junius; es el dato que explica que las once planas de tablas de signos del capítulo 12 no lleven capa de texto en el troceo.
«Brian Cotnoir is the author of The Weiser Concise Guide to Alchemy. He has studied alchemy for thirty-five years and was a contributor to Parachemy, the journal of Frater Albertus’ Paracelsus Research Society. He first met Manfred Junius in 2000 at an alchemy conference in the Czech Republic.» — nota biográfica del prologuista impresa al pie de su firma, fechada *WINTER SOLSTICE 2006*; la relación con Junius se declara personal y tardía.
«Small crucible furnaces are also practical.—Ed. of German edition.» — la única nota al pie que el volumen atribuye al editor de la edición alemana, sobre los hornos de crisol pequeños; es aparato editorial, no voz de Junius.
«The translations of Urbigerus’s aphorisms are from Frater Albertus, Golden Manuscripts (Salt Lake City, Utah: Para Publishing Co., 1973). —Ed. of English edition.» — la otra nota al pie, del editor de la edición inglesa, que adjudica la traducción de los aforismos de Urbigerus a los *Golden Manuscripts* de Frater Albertus, con pie de imprenta; es el mismo dato que la plana de derechos consigna como permiso.
«Publisher’s note: These resources were added to the 2007 edition to alert readers to some of the products and information available about spagyrics. While certainly not all-inclusive, these sites represent the range of spagyric material available online.» — la nota del editor que declara el origen y el alcance de la lista de recursos: la añadió la edición de 2007 y no pretende ser exhaustiva.
«Run by Adam McLean, provides links to alchemical texts, images, bibliographies, study courses, and a bookstore. Hosts the discussion group Alchemy Academy, for those interested in more scholarly research.» — la entrada de The Alchemy Web Site, con Adam McLean como responsable y el foro Alchemy Academy para la discusión erudita.
«Provides a platform for discussion of subjects ranging from laboratory techniques to inner spiritual practice, drawing from both Eastern and Western traditional works on alchemy.» — la entrada de Alchemystica, foro que declara ir de la técnica de laboratorio a la práctica espiritual interior, con fuentes orientales y occidentales.
«Offers spagyric essences, magisteries, initiatics, somalixir-spiritualized formulas, erosoma nectars of love, and custom elixirs. Also provides background information explaining the physical, energetic, and initiatic characteristics of alchemy.» — la entrada de Al-Kemi, que vende esencias y magisterios espagíricos y ofrece información sobre los caracteres físico, energético e iniciático del arte.
«Offers alchemical products including artwork, esoteric equipment, hermetic arts, tinctures and elixirs, meditation supplies, and laboratory equipment.» — la entrada del Crucible Catalog, con obra gráfica, equipo hermético y material de laboratorio.
«An online store where you can purchase spagyric elixirs, tinctures, tonics, and salts. Also provides a list of alchemy resources.» — la entrada de Spagyrium, tienda en línea de elixires, tinturas, tónicos y sales espagíricas.
«Professor Manfred M. Junius (1929-2004) served as the production manager for spagyrics for Australerba Laboratories and was head of the Australian School of Ayurveda in Adelaide, Australia.» — la nota biográfica del autor impresa al final del volumen, con las fechas, el cargo en Australerba y la dirección de la Australian School of Ayurveda de Adelaida.
«His Western alchemical knowledge was obtained through many years of personal instruction from Augusto Pincaldi in Switzerland.» — y la filiación alquímica que declara, años de instrucción personal con Augusto Pincaldi en Suiza; el apellido se imprime aquí *Pincaldi* y en el prefacio y en el capítulo primero *Pancaldi*, y las dos grafías se consignan sin arbitrar.
«Founded in 1975, Inner Traditions is a leading publisher of books on indigenous cultures, perennial philosophy, visionary art, spiritual traditions of the East and West, sexuality, holistic health and healing, self-development, as well as recordings of ethnic music and accompaniments for meditation.» — la nota editorial sobre Inner Traditions, con su fundación en 1975 y las materias de su catálogo.
«In July 2000, Bear & Company joined with Inner Traditions and moved from Santa Fe, New Mexico, where it was founded in 1980, to Rochester, Vermont. Together Inner Traditions • Bear & Company have eleven imprints: Inner Traditions, Bear & Company, Healing Arts Press, Destiny Books, Park Street Press, Bindu Books, Bear Cub Books, Destiny Recordings, Destiny Audio Editions, Inner Traditions en Español, and Inner Traditions India.» — la fusión con Bear & Company en el año 2000 y los once sellos que el grupo reúne, entre ellos Healing Arts Press, que es el que imprime esta obra.
«For more information or to browse through our more than one thousand titles in print and ebook formats, visit www.InnerTraditions.com.» — el pie promocional con que cierra esa nota.
«Healing Arts Press is a division of Inner Traditions International Copyright © 1979 by Edizioni Mediterranee English translation copyright © 1985, 1993, 2007 by Inner Traditions International» — la plana de derechos, con Healing Arts Press como división de Inner Traditions International y los dos copyrights, el italiano de 1979 y el de la traducción inglesa.
«First U.S. edition published in 1985 by Inner Traditions under the title The Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy.» — la primera edición estadounidense de 1985, bajo el título con que el libro se conoció antes.
«Second edition published in 1993 by Healing Arts Press. Third edition published in 2007 by Healing Arts Press under the title Spagyrics: The Alchemical Preparation of Medicinal Essences, Tinctures, and Elixirs.» — las ediciones segunda y tercera, de 1993 y 2007, esta última ya con el título actual.
«Note to the reader: The book is intended as an informational guide. The remedies, approaches, and techniques described herein are meant to supplement, and not to be a substitute for, professional medical care or treatment. They should not be used to treat a serious ailment without prior consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.» — la advertencia al lector que el volumen imprime: la obra es informativa y no sustituye la atención médica profesional.
«Originally published: The practical handbook of plant alchemy. 1993. Includes bibliographical references and index. print ISBN-13: 978-1-59477-179-8 ebook ISBN-13: 978-1-62055-491-3» — la ficha de catalogación, con la obra registrada como reedición del *Practical Handbook* y los dos ISBN, impreso y electrónico.
«Materia medica, Vegetable. 2. Alchemy. I. Title. RS164.J7613 2007 615'.321—dc22 2007013911» — las materias con que la Library of Congress clasifica el volumen y su número de control.
«All page number are refer to the print edition of this title. Page numbers in italic indicate illustrations» — la advertencia del índice, que remite sus números a la edición impresa; es aparato editorial, no voz de la obra.
«Australerba Herbal Products & Spagyric Laboratories Ridleyton, Australia http://australerba.com.au/home.html Manfred Junius was a founding partner of this company.» — la entrada de Australerba, el laboratorio que el libro cita como propio a lo largo del texto, del que declara a Junius socio fundador; el tramo corta en el salto de plana.
Conceptos tratados
Azufre (principio sulfúreo) — Segundo de los tres Principios Filosóficos: alma y consciencia, ígneo, masculino y activo, siempre consciente y nunca anónimo; en el mundo vegetal se dobla en volátil —los aceites esenciales— y fijo, la miel que queda al evaporar.
Mercurio de los filósofos (Mercurius) — Primer principio: espíritu de vida, volátil y etéreo, femenino, pasivo y anónimo; en el reino vegetal su portador es el alcohol etílico, y por anónimo puede traerse de fuera de la especie.
Cuatro elementos (fuego, aire, agua, tierra) — No son sustancias básicas en el sentido de la química sino estados de la materia, con dos cualidades cada uno que permiten separarlos y mezclarlos; en el recipiente de fermentación se leen los cuatro a la vez.
Quintaesencia (quinta essentia) — Está dentro de los cuatro elementos sin ser ninguno; fuerza que liga y sin la cual los elementos serían materia muerta; el libro le da además dos usos de taller, el alcohol etílico y las Piedras Vegetales. Para Hollandus es un Corpus glorificado, fijo y eterno, y llamarla de otro modo es engaño.
Materia prima — Con la Prima Energia forma el Principio Divino; su signo es a la vez el del vacío, y el libro lo empareja con la tierra informe y vacía del Génesis.
Piedra filosofal (lapis philosophorum) — Hollandus llama Lapis Philosophorum a la quintaesencia fija de la miel, y el Tractatus llama Rey de la Eternidad a la piedra que se saca rompiendo el vaso; en la Piedra Vegetal cabe además la Obra Menor entera.
Atanor (el horno de fuego constante) — Horno de aire caliente donde la Piedra se fija en vaso herméticamente sellado; cuarenta días a temperatura de sol de verano.
Putrefacción (putrefactio) — El libro le retira el sentido de descomposición: en Paracelso significa extraer con alcohol, y en Urbigerus es la digestión de ocho o diez días previa a las cohobaciones. Como ciclo cósmico, cada descomposición exalta la materia y la hace subir de reino.
Horas planetarias — El capítulo sexto expone seis sistemas de cómputo, todos con la misma serie de regentes y la primera hora del día para el planeta del día; Junius declara su preferencia por el que reparte las veinticuatro horas en siete tramos iguales.
Mansiones lunares (los 28 sectores del recorrido de la Luna) — Dos casas lunares gobiernan la elección del momento: la vigésima segunda, doblemente saturnina, para las sustancias sólidas, y la vigésima sexta, en el paso de Acuario a Piscis, para las volátiles.
Caduceo (vara de Mercurio) — Las dos serpientes del bastón mercurial figuran el Solve et coagula; el libro lo alinea con el bastón de Moisés, el de Asclepio y la columna vertebral con idā y piṅgalā.
Nigredo (la obra al negro) — Primero de los cuatro colores de la Gran Obra que el libro reconoce en el marco de una miniatura rajastaní, junto con el blanco, el rojo y el oro.
Albedo (la obra al blanco) — Segundo de esos cuatro colores; en el taller es el término de la calcinación, que la alquimia define como hacer blanco como la tiza.
Rubedo (la obra al rojo) — Tercero de esos cuatro colores; es el color con que el libro describe la Piedra terminada, clara como cristal y roja como rubí.
Iniciación (recepción por grados / metamorfosis del ser) — La práctica alquímica alta solo se transmite por instrucción personal de un maestro cualificado; leer los clásicos sin esa preparación no basta, y el arte queda fundado en iniciación personal.
Cadena de transmisión (quién tomó de quién) — El libro traza su propia genealogía: China, India y Egipto antiguos, la enseñanza en los templos de Menfis y Tebas, los árabes como agentes principales del traspaso a Europa y la fusión europea con la tradición cristiana.
Decknamen (nombres cubiertos) — El libro declara que sus fuentes ocultan cosas: Hollandus no siempre se expresa con claridad y hay que leer entre líneas, y en la literatura alquímica no son raras ni las omisiones ni las tergiversaciones deliberadas.
Secreto (lo que se jura no fijar por escrito) — La volatilización de las sales normalmente no destilables se declara uno de los secretos que forman parte de la Gran Obra; Hollandus manda guardar la quintaesencia de la miel como lo más excelente de su obra.