THE BETTER KNOWN METHODS

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (NewT:Romans 8:28)

The Aristotle Method

  1. Start with a piece of matter with no distinct tendencies. An alloy of lead, tin, copper, and iron is especially favored, since it is black and therefore devoid of all color.
  2. Whiten the matter using quicksilver or mercury. This produces a "silver" superior to common silver, because it is already yellow on the inside.
  3. Yellow the matter by adding a little gold (i.e. seeding the material) and any yellowing substance, such as sulfur. This produces a "gold" superior to ordinary gold. This "gold" has enough yellow to change a few other substances, while normal gold only has enough yellow for itself.
  4. "Iosis" or the production of violet. Considered by some to be the purest tint of gold. Also considered to be the color of the Philosopher's Stone.

[Condensed from Alchemy: Child of Greek Philosophy by Arthur Hopkins.]

The "Red Lion" Process as interpreted by J.K.

  1. Take 4 ounces calcined alum, 4 ounces calcined saltpter, and 2 ounces calcined sublimate, and sublimate [refine] in a proper subliming vessel.
  2. Carefully take out the sublimate, and resublimate it with 10 ounce fresh salts. During this operation it will be wholesome, on the account of the poisonous fumes, to eat bread thickly spread with butter.
  3. Put the sublimate in a glass retort, and cover it with alcohol, and distill it over in water bath until half the fluid remain as an oil behind.
  4. The alcohol distilled over is poured back (cohobated) on the residue in the retort, until it is covered about the finger's breadth.
  5. This distillation repeat three times, and the whole of the sublimate will pass over into the recipient. This is the Mercury of the Philosophers, the Mercurial Water, as it were "the Hellish fire in water." This Mercurial Water fumes away, and must be kept in a closed phial, or glass-stoppered bottle.
  6. Take fine gold, in leaf or thin beaten, put it in a glass retort, justcover it with the Mercurial Water, and put the retort on gentle heat, when the Water will begin to act upon the gold, and dissolve it, but it will not be reduced to a liquid entirely, and only remain at the bottom like a greasy substance, then pour off the Mercurial Water, which can be used again.
  7. The gold sediment divide into two parts. Take one half and pour thereon alcohol, and let the mixture putrefy on gentle heat fifteen days, and it will become blood red; this is the Lion's Blood.
  8. This Lion's Blood pour into another glass retort, or phial, which seal hermetically, and give it the heat of the Dog Days, and it will at first turn black, then variegated, then light gray; when the heat is increased it will turn yellow and at last deep red. This is the first Tincture. (Provided it does not explode!)
  9. The Red Tincture triturate (How will a fulminate triturate?) in a glass mortar. Take one grain thereof, wrap in paper project on it 1000 grains of gold in fusion. When it has remained in fusion for 3/4 hour, the gold will turn into the second Tincture.
  10. Take one part of this Tincture, project it on one thousand parts fine silver, and it will transmute it into fine gold.
  11. Project one part of the first Tincture, wrapped in paper, upon 1000 parts of pure quicksilver, which has been heated until the fumes arise, and the quicksilver will be changed into the third Tincture.
  12. Take one part of this Tincture, wrapped in paper, project the same on 1000 parts heated quicksilver, and it will become fine gold.
  13. Take one part of the second Tincture, and project it on copper in fusion, and it will be transmuted into gold of a very red color.
  14. Project some of the second Tincture on red hot iron, insert the iron again into the blaze, and it will be transmuted into brittle gold.
  15. Melt the gold that has been transmuted of the iron, with equal gold which has been transmuted from quicksilver, and it will become good malleable gold.
  16. Dissolve some of the second Tincture in strong alcoholic wine, and take a spoonful in the morning. It will strengthen and renew your constitution. It rejuvenates the aged and makes women prolific.

[From Alchemy, the Ancient Science by Neil Powell; pages 65 and 67.]

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