What is Sciomancy?

Sciomancy is the Art of Shadowing. These shadowings:

• are the basis for many Arts
• have revealed many hidden things
• have caused all Spirits and Astral bodies to be known.

These are Cabalistical signs, that cannot deceive.

Divining Rods Uncertain

You must not be seduced by the divinations of uncertain Arts.

They are vain, and fruitless, especially Divining rods, which have deceived many Miners.

For every time they truly show a thing, they fail 10 times.

We must not trust other fraudulent signs of the devil. These are made, and appear in the night, and at some inconvenient times preternaturally, such as are ghosts, & visions.

The devil can show and cause signs, but it is out of meer fraud and deceit.

So there is no Church built, but the devil hath his Chappel there.

There is no Chappel built, but he sets up his Altar.

There is no good seed, but he sows amongst it his tares.

The same is the nature of Visions, and supernatural Apparitions, in Crystals, Berills, Looking-glasses, and Waters, as they are by Ceremonial Negromancers contrary to Gods command, and the power of the light of Nature basely abused.

Visions are not absolutely to be rejected. They have their place. But they must be done after another process.

For now wee are not any longer in the first generation, but the second. Ceremonies therefore, and Conjurations are not any longer to be used by us Christians in the regeneration, as the Ancients in the old Testament, who lived in the first generation used them. For those prefigurations were for us who were to live in the New Testament.

Whatsoever things therefore the Ancients that were under the Old Testament, and in the first Generation did doe by Ceremonies, Conjurations, &c. wee Christians of the second Generation, and in the New Testament must doe by prayer, knocking, and seeking, and procure by faith.

What is the virtue of the Tincture of Philosophers?

Metals, which are yet in their first being, send forth their Coruscation, i.e. Signes, so also the Tincture of Philosophers, which changeth all imperfect Metals into Silver, and Gold (or White Metals into Silver, and Red into Gold) puts forth its proper signs like unto Coruscation, if it be Astrally perfected, and prepared.

As soon as a small quantity of it is cast upon a fluxil metall, so that they mix together in the fire. There arises a natural Coruscation, and brigthness, like to that of fine Gold, or Silver in a test, which then is a signe that that Gold, or Silver, is freed and purged without all manner of addition of other Metals.

How the Tincture of Philosophers is made astral?

Every Metal, as long as it lies hid in its first being, hath its certaine peculiar stars.

So Gold has the stars of the Sun, Silver the stars of the Moon, Copper the stars of Venus, Iron the stars of Mars, Tinne the stars of Jupiter, Lead the stars of Saturn, Quicksilver the starres of Mercury.

But as soon as they come to their perfection, and are coagulated into a fixt Metalline body, their stars fall off from them, and leave them, as a dead body.

Hence it follows, that all such bodies are afterwards dead, and inefficacious, and that the unconquered star of Metals doth overcome them all, and converts them into its nature, and makes them all Astrall.

Gold that is made by the Tincture is better then naturall.

For which cause also our Gold, and Silver, which is tinged, and prepared with our tincture, is much more excellent, and better for the preparation of Medicinall secrets, then that which is naturall, which Nature generates in the Mines, and afterwards is separated from other Metals.

So also the Mercury of a body, is made Astrally of another body, and is much more noble, and fixt then common Mercury. And so of the other Metals.

I say therefore, that every Alchymist, which hath that star of Gold, can turne all Red Metals into Gold by tinging of them.

So by the star of Silver all White Metals are changed into Silver: by the star of Copper into Copper: by the star of Quicksilver into Mercury of the body; and so of the rest.

But now how all these stars are prepared according to the Spagiricall Art, it is not our purpose at this time to declare: but the explication of them belongs to our bookes of the Transmutation of Metals.

1. The Red Tincture

This contains the stars of Gold to bee of a most fixt substance, of most quick penetration, and of a most intense redness, in powder resembling the colour of Saffron, but in its whole body the colour of a Rubie; I say it is a Tincture as fluxil as Wax, as transparent as[Pg 133] Crystall, as brittle as Glasse, and for weight most heavy.

2. The white Tincture

This containes the star of the Moon is after the same manner of a fixt substance, of an unchangeable quantity, of wonderfull whitenesse, as fluid as Resine, as transparent as Crystall, as brittle as Glasse, and for weight like to a Diamond.

3. The star of Copper

This is of a wonderfull citrine colour, like to an Emrald, as fluxill as Resine, much heavier then its Metall.

4. The star of white Tin

The starre of white Tinne is as fluid as Resine, of a darke colour with some mixture of yellow.

5. The star of Iron

The star of Iron is very red, as transparent as a Granate, as fluxil as Resine, as brittle as Glasse, of a fixt substance, much heavier then its Metall.

6. The star of Lead

The star of Lead is like Cobaltum, black, yet transparent, as fluxile as Resine, as brittle as Glasse, equall to Gold for weight, heavier then other Lead.

7. The star of Quicksilver

The star of Quicksilver is of a wonderfull white, sparkling colour, like to snow, in the extreamest cold weather, very subtile, of a penetrating, corrosive acrimony, as transparent as Crystall, flowing as easily as Resine, very cold to the tast, but very hot within, as if it were fire, but of a very volatil substance in the fire.

By this description the stars of the Metals are to be known, and understood.

Also you must understand, that for the preparation of both tinctures, viz. of the Red and White, you must not in the beginning take of your work the body of Gold, or Silver, but the first being of Gold, and Silver. For if in the beginning there be an errour committed all your pains, and labour will be in vain.

So also you must understand of Metals, that every one of them receives a peculiar signe in the fire, by which it is known.

Of this kind are sparks, flames, glisterings, the colour, smell, taste of fire, &c.

So the true signe of Gold, or Silver in the test is glistering.

That appearing, it is certain that Lead, and other Metals that were mixed are fumed away, and that the Gold, and Silver is fully purged.

The signes of Iron being red hot in the furnace, are cleer transparent sparks flying upward. Those appearing, the Iron unlesse it be taken from the fire is burnt like straw, &c.

To know how Metals have more or less of the three principles. After the same manner any earthly body shews its peculiar, and distinct signes in the fire, whether it have more of Mercury, Sulphur, or Salt, and which of the three principles it hath most of. For if it fume before it flame, it is a signe that it containes more Mercury then Sulphur.

But if it presently burn with a flame, and without any fume, it is a signe that it contains much Sulphur, and little or no Mercury.

This you see in fat substances, as Tallow, Oyle, Resine, and the like: but if without any flame it goes all into fume, it is a signe that there is in it much Mercury, and little or no Sulphur.

This you see happens in hearbs, and flowers, &c. and other Vegetable substances, and volatile bodies,[Pg 135] as are Minerals, and Metals, remaining yet in their first being, and are not mixed with any sulphureous body, which send forth a fume, and no flame.

Minerals, and Metals, which send forth neither fume nor flame, doe shew an equall mixtion of Mercury, and Sulphur, and a perfect fixation.