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Volatile Salts in Spagyric Essences

Spagyric Essences

THE TRIA PRIMA OF SPAGYRICS

The title Spagyric is derived from the ancient Greek words spao (to draw out) and agerio (to gather). This term highlights the basic technique underlying the many forms of Spagyric medicines:  Separate, purify and recombine. 

It’s central blueprint, the Tria Prima, states that all things are composed of three parts: Salt, Sulphur and Mercury. Regarding plants and fungi, the three essentials include the…

ENERGETICS OF FOODS AND NATURAL MEDICINES

In the realm of the energetics of food and natural medicines a common denominator connecting traditional systems of medicine is the classification of foods and natural medicines by their energetic attributes. Simple concepts such as heat, cold, dryness, and moisture are utilized and correlate intimately with the tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, pungent, and salty.

Plants & Planets

Lets explore the relationship between Plants & Planets. In Alchemy, the system used to categorize and describe the nature of substances (such as herbs, mushrooms etc.) is Astrology. This is the study of the Macrocosmic forces of Nature, their rhythm, influence and manifestation in the Microcosmic material plane.

Plants, minerals, and metals having come before humans, serve a different role in Nature. They display more consistent and pure reflections of these grand archetypal, creative and animating forces..

Spagyric Elixirs

WHAT ARE SPAGYRIC ELIXIRS?

Spagyric elixirs include a balance of fixed and volatile components.  As a balance point between fixed and volatile, they are associated with the Sulphur principle (the soul/emotional body). The soul/emotional body represents the experience/expression of the universal spark of life (Mercury) inhabiting a unique body (Salt). Spagyric elixirs contain not only the volatile Sulphur (essential oil), but also the fixed Salt (mineral salts). With the fixed qualities of the Salt and volatile Sulphur combined, the equation totals as balanced….

Spagyric Tinctures

WHAT ARE SPAGYRIC TINCTURES?

Spagyric tinctures are predominantly fixed in nature, and therefore can be associated with the Salt principle (the physical body). They contain not only the volatile Sulphur (essential oil), but also the fixed Sulphur (other active/nutritional compounds). With the fixed qualities of the Salt and fixed Sulphur combined, the net sum totals as fixed

GEMSTONE TINCTURES VIA SICCA

In “The Art of Volatilizing Alkalis,” Starkey outlines a method for creating glass from “imperfect calx of metals” and alkali salts.  Because of the popular “Ens Melissa” process, the use of plant-based salts as a potent menstruum is well recognized.  But these powerful alkali salts may also be employed in a Dry Path to open and extract the Sulphur of metals and gemstones. In addition to Starkey, Glauber too wrote of this process – particularly mentioning its effectiveness with gemstones…

NANO ORGANO SPAGYRIC ELIXIRS OF GOLD

This article reviews a recipe from Mademoiselle Grimaldi, referenced in the 18th century book “Course of Chemistry” by Nicolas Lemery. It is toted as a safe and reliable way to create “Aurum Potabile”, a consumable preparation of “finely divided Gold”. Differing from other alchemical preparations of Gold, it is specifically Rosemary essential oil which “extracts” Gold nanoparticles. This contrasts with the more common method of using a plant, animal, or metallic based solvent. Recently, this technique has been studied and subsequently validated as an effective method of creating colloidal Gold solutions…

MEDICINE FOR THE HEAD, THE HEART, AND THE HARA

Before diving into this subject, it should be well noted that the definitions and terminology of Alchemy and Spagyrics are both highly contextual and not always universally agreed upon by the many authors on the subject. For the sake of educational value and initiation into the unique perspective and potential applications of the Spagyric extracts created by Secret Fire Apothecary,it would best to further elaborate upon personal and clinical definitions, parameters and context of three primary types of preparations:essences, elixirs and tinctures…

What is Spagyrics?

Re-ignited in Europe by Paracelsus, an early 16th century physician and father of modern toxicology, a new branch of Alchemy sprouted up through what he titled Spagyrics.

Spagyrics draws from the framework and practices of both laboratory and philosophical Alchemy. It forged a methodology of holistic medicine-making based upon a concept known as the Tria Prima; Salt, Sulphur, and Mercury. Otherwise known as the Body, Soul, and Spirit, these are the three “primes” of all things in the manifest world…

May Dew

The Spring is a very busy time for the practicing Alchemist as it is the season of collecting the famous “May Dew”. During the Waxing Moons of Spring, different methods are used to capture dew that carries the essential life-giving Celestial, Invisible, and Secret Nature’s Fire. It is most prevalent at this time of year, waking everything from the depths of Winter.

From this special dew, many different types of Water Works can be performed such as deliquescing salts, the creation of many different solvents, extraction of powerful salts such as Nitre (potassium & ammonium nitrate), distillations, and more. All efforts to extract, utilize, potentiate and evolve this “Fire”…

Processing Techniques

Although this list of processing techniques is not exhaustive, as Spagyric methodology can be complex and ever-changing, the following is a brief outline of primary modi operandi:

1. MACERATION

Often a first step of extraction processes, the herb being worked upon is digested by an all natural and plant based solvent. Fresh or dried plant materials are mixed with an appropriate solvent for the work, and then enter into a warm incubation period of 2-6 weeks on average. Solvents used include ethyl alcohol, vinegar/acetic acid and saturated solutions of Potassium Carbonate. These three menstruums as they are traditionally called, cover the full spectrum of Ph; neutral, acid and alkali…

Demystifying The Volitile Salts

Demystifying the Volatile Salts produced via co-distillation of pure Sulphur (essential oil) and Salt (potassium carbonate) of the plant kingdom.

As described by various authors/laboratory alchemists such as Rubellus Petrinus, Jean Maveric, Starkey, Van Helmont, Steve Kalec, Guy Ogilvy, Heliophilus, and Michael Nottingham, there is said to be a secret method of sublimating the fixed/non-volatile potassium carbonate salts via co-distillation with the essential oils/volatile Sulphur of plants.

The theory proposed is that through proper preparation of the Salt and Sulphur, by purification and opposing hot/cold temperatures of the salt & oil when combining, that the normally fixed and fire-resistant potassium salt will fly over with the Sulphur/essential oil…

Metallic Oils... Or Are They?

As Alchemy continues to skyrocket into modern popularity, along with it is a broadening scope of educational and commercial endeavours proposing to offer info & purchase of the infamous metallic oils
but all that glitters certainly isn’t gold. All throughout the history of alchemy, patients and practitioners alike have been poisoned or even met their demise through ingestion of improperly prepared metallic tinctures, elixirs

and metallic oils
therefore we should all take heed and tread lightly….

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