a watery [tincture] : and therefore it [The Moon] affordeth the air-spirit, and her tincture doth not stand in the wisdom, and therefore the man must rule her: for the tincture of the fire is the sharp trial of every substance.
113. Mercury is the stirrer up of their [women's] tincture: and therefore they are so talkative; and the moon hath their matrix, which is out of all the planets, and is afraid of the earth, and therefore maketh such haste, and taketh virtue and power in the wheel, from all the planets and stars, wherever it can: It desireth Sol vehemently, and therefore draweth also his lustre to itself; and, as the moon longeth after the sun, (for itself is of an earthly quality, and desireth the heavenly heart), so also the feminine matrix longeth after the heart of the man, and after his tincture, viz. after the soul; for the soul is the eternal good.
114. Thus nature longeth after the eternal, and would fain be delivered from the vanity. And thus the vehement desire in the feminine and masculine gender of all creatures doth arise, so that one longeth after the other for copulation. For the body understandeth it not, nor the spirit of the air, only the two tinctures, the masculine and the feminine understand it, for a beast knoweth not what it doth, only the tinctures know it, which drive it thus.
115. For the Fiat sticketh in them [the two tinctures], they must manifest the great wonders of God: For the spirit of God moveth upon the water of the matrix in
Venus, and in the matrix of Jupiter, (viz. in the matrix of the brain), and leadeth the Fiat.
116. For the heart hath the matrix of Venus, and the brain hath the matrix of Jupiter. Thus the spirit of God rideth upon the wings of the wind in his own Principle, and yet goeth forth from the Father and the Son in the [continual] creation, and openeth the wonders which were seen from eternity in the wisdom: and therefore he is the Workmaster of every being, and is sent of God to that purpose.
THE TENTH CHAPTER
Further of the Creation of every Being: And how a Man may seek and find himself: Also how he may find all Mysteries, even to the Ninth Number, and no Higher.
1. YOUR seeking in the stars and elements, supposing to find the mysteries of nature, is but labour in vain; you find no more but one eye, and see with but one eye; and when you suppose you have found Sol, you have scarce found Luna, but only a glance of Sol, and are far from the heart, and do but run with the moon about the centre.
2. There is but one way which you must go, if you will find the Great Mystery, Mysterium Magnum; for if you should seek in Luna all your life long, it would be wholly in vain; your desire would remain to be but Luna: If you should take great and hard labour and pains in Mercury, and suppose the Stone lieth therein, your alchemy would prove but dung and dross.
3. When you come into Venus, you suppose you have Sol, and that it is gold, but is the woman [or female], and hath only a watery tincture; her life is air, and so you vainly labour in [or upon] the body: But if you take the spirit of the tincture, then indeed you go in a way in which many have found
Sol; but they have followed on the way to the heart of Sol, where the spirit of the heavenly tincture hath laid hold on them, and brought them into the liberty, into the Majesty, where they have known the Noble Stone, Lapis Philosophorum, the Philosopher's Stone, and have stood amazed at man's blindness, and seen his labouring in vain.
a watery [tincture] : and therefore it [The Moon] affords the air-spirit, and her tincture does not stand in the wisdom, and therefore the man must rule her: for the tincture of the fire is the sharp trial of every substance.
113. Mercury is the stirrer up of their [women's] tincture: and therefore they are so talkative; and the moon has their matrix, which is out of all the planets, and is afraid of the earth, and therefore makes such haste, and takes virtue and power in the wheel, from all the planets and stars, wherever it can: It desires Sol vehemently, and therefore draws also his lustre to itself; and, as the moon longs after the sun, (for itself is of an earthly quality, and desires the heavenly heart), so also the feminine matrix longs after the heart of the man, and after his tincture, viz. after the soul; for the soul is the eternal good.
114. Thus nature longs after the eternal, and would fain be delivered from the vanity. And thus the vehement desire in the feminine and masculine gender of all creatures does arise, so that one longs after the other for copulation. For the body understands it not, nor the spirit of the air, only the two tinctures, the masculine and the feminine understand it, for a beast knows not what it does, only the tinctures know it, which drive it thus.
115. For the Fiat sticks in them [the two tinctures], they must manifest the great wonders of God: For the spirit of God moves upon the water of the matrix in
Venus, and in the matrix of Jupiter, (viz. in the matrix of the brain), and leads the Fiat.
116. For the heart has the matrix of Venus, and the brain has the matrix of Jupiter. Thus the spirit of God rids upon the wings of the wind in his own Principle, and yet goes forth from the Father and the Son in the [continual] creation, and opens the wonders which were seen from eternity in the wisdom: and therefore he is the Workmaster of every being, and is sent of God to that purpose.
THE TENTH CHAPTER
Further of the Creation of every Being: And how a Man may seek and find himself: Also how he may find all Mysteries, even to the Ninth Number, and no Higher.
1. YOUR seeking in the stars and elements, supposing to find the mysteries of nature, is but labour in vain; you find no more but one eye, and see with but one eye; and when you suppose you have found Sol, you have scarce found Luna, but only a glance of Sol, and are far from the heart, and do but run with the moon about the centre.
2. There is but one way which you must go, if you will find the Great Mystery, Mysterium Magnum; for if you should seek in Luna all your life long, it would be wholly in vain; your desire would remain to be but Luna: If you should take great and hard labour and pains in Mercury, and suppose the Stone lies therein, your alchemy would prove but dung and dross.
3. When you come into Venus, you suppose you have Sol, and that it is gold, but is the woman [or female], and has only a watery tincture; her life is air, and so you vainly labour in [or upon] the body: But if you take the spirit of the tincture, then indeed you go in a way in which many have found
Sol; but they have followed on the way to the heart of Sol, where the spirit of the heavenly tincture has laid hold on them, and brought them into the liberty, into the Majesty, where they have known the Noble Stone, Lapis Philosophorum, the Philosopher's Stone, and have stood amazed at man's blindness, and seen his labouring in vain.
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