The exact meaning of specialized terms used in alchemy is always a tricky business. Many words are used in several different manners, such as salt and mercury, thereby adding to the confusion. The following definitions are given to assist aspiring alchemists in developing their own lexicons. When looking for the meaning of a specific alchemical term, always look to the source it is derived from and the context it is used in first, as this will help you to decipher the inner and outer meaning of the term. Difficult-to-pronounce words in Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, and Latin are followed by a pronunciation guide in italics.
Alchemy-(Arabic: al-keh-mee) The art and science of interior initiation and spiritual awakening that uses material operations to aid in the work as well as to demonstrate the actual efficiency of the process through the creation of plant and mineral products and tinctures. The most famous of these are the Philosopher's Stone and the Elixir of Life.
Angel Water-The liquefied potassium carbonate used in the creation of an Ens. Angel Water is created only during the spring months, when the ambient life force is increasing. Angel Water is caustic and should be handled carefully.
Calcination-(Latin: kahl-sin-ay-shun) Reducing plant residue to a fine ash after it has been used in the creation of a tincture.
Caput Mortuum-(Latin: cah-poot mort-ehm) Literally "dead head." See Feces.
Chaos-The primordial essence from which everything arises. See Hyle.
Circulation-Creating a tincture by percolating it. The herb is placed in a container that allows for the menstruum to evaporate and drip back onto the herb. A low heat is often used.
Correspondences-The relationship between energy, matter, and consciousness in the visible and invisible realms through analogy.
Distillation-Purifying a solid or liquid through heat and evaporation. Distillation allows the alchemist to remove minerals from water, thereby creating distilled water; to separate alcohol from red wine, thereby producing a menstruum for creating tinctures; and to separate the constituent parts of a tincture-sulphur and mercury-for the further refinement of the tincture. Distillation is the primary tool of the alchemist.
Elements-There are four basic elements or expressions of energy and matter in alchemy: fire, air, water, and earth. The manipulation of these elements is part of the alchemical process. The three essentials represent a specific relationship between them, and together, they represent two means of expressing the underlying harmony that alchemy seeks to express.
Elixir-A tincture that is refined, sometimes known as a Magisterium. It can also be a tincture composed of more than one plant. Elixirs use the parts of a plant that have medicinal value.
Ens-(Latin: ehns) A special tincture produced with Angel Water and generally made for initiatic purposes.
Feces-Residue after certain alchemical operations. This can refer to the plant matter prior to its calcination that remains after the creation of a tincture or to oils that are separated from distilled products.
Fermentation-Soaking a plant in fresh rain or distilled water at room temperature to create a tincture.
Greater Circulation-A phrase sometimes applied to working with minerals, as well as the spiritual or interior aspects of alchemy.
Great Work-The entire work from beginning to end; learning the secrets of transmutation in all three kingdoms for the purpose of selfperfection.
Hermes-A Greek god who was associated with the Egyptian god Thoth, thereby combining the two into Thoth-Hermes, and later simply assum ing the duties of Thoth completely. Hermes is the patron deity of Hermeticism, of which alchemy is one of the chief operative arts and sciences.
Hyle-The primordial essence from which everything arises. See Chaos.
Kingdoms-The three main areas of life in alchemical practice. These are the plant, mineral, and animal kingdoms.
Leaching-A process in which plant salts are soaked in distilled water in order to draw out any water-soluble salts that were not separated during the creation of a tincture.
Lesser Circulation-A phrase sometimes applied to spagyrics in preparation for mineral work, or simply in reference to the physical methods of alchemy.
Maceration-Creating a tincture by placing the fresh or dried herb in alcohol.
Magisterium-(Latin: mah-gist-ear-ee-uhm) A tincture that has been highly refined through repeated maceration and distillation. Sometimes known as an Elixir.
Menstruum-A liquid used in the creation of a spagyric or alchemical product; usually pure alcohol or distilled water.
Mercury-One of the three essentials; the carrier of life force in a particular kingdom. In the plant kingdom, alcohol is the carrier of life energy; in the mineral kingdom, it is metallic mercury; and in the animal kingdom, it is blood.
Natural Magic-Occult operations that utilize energies of nature found in matter in connection with planetary cycles.
Niter-The energies of life and consciousness that come from Chaos or Hyle. Combined with salt, they give rise to the four elements and the three essentials.
Planetary Hours-A cyclic expression of the influences of the planetary energies across the week, as well as their variation each day. Charting of planetary hours starts on Saturday and follows the descent of the energies on the Tree of Life. Because of their regularity, planetary hours are used extensively in spagyrics, alchemy, and natural magic.
Plant Stone-An actual physical object created out of the separation and recombination of the salt, mercury, and sulphur of a plant. These "Stones" are often small and hard like a pebble, but they may also be soft like licorice. A hard Stone is often used to create a homeopathiclike tincture in water and should not degrade over time despite constant immersion.
Quintessence-The pure and essential life energy in a plant, mineral, animal, or kingdom, brought to fruition and expression through alchemical practices. The elements in balance, or in perfect proportion to each other, is also known as the Quintessence.
Red Stone-The Philosopher's Stone, also known as the Stone of the Wise, the goal of alchemy. The Red Stone is a physical expression of an interior initiation in the alchemist's own consciousness. The Red Stone gives outer confirmation that such a state has been achieved and that the alchemist is not deluding him or herself. In Qabala, this would be a permanent initiation into Tiphareth, or the Sun. Also known as the Red Lion.
Salt-The basis of physical life; the material matrix of any physical object, be it plant, mineral, or animal. Salt contains powerful mineral energies that are refined and essential in the creation of spagyric and mineral products. Salt on the cosmic scale is the basis of all matter and, combined with niter, gives rise to the four elements and the three essentials, one of which bears its name.
Solve et Coagula-(Latin: sol-vay eht koh-ag-ulah) "Separate and recombine," the basis of all alchemical operations. Through the process of separation, energies of a person, plant, or mineral become more subtle and potent; through recombination, the physical body or form is able to absorb and utilize more energy.
Spagyrics-(Greek: spah jir-iks) A subspecialty of alchemy that produces tinctures, Stones, and other products from plants. The term spagyrics was coined by Paracelsus and comes from the Greek equivalent of "solve et coagula." The procedures utilized in spagyrics are identical to those used in mineral alchemy, and therefore many students learn the basic procedures by working with plants before moving on to the more technically demanding mineral work.
Sulphur-The individualized essence of a plant, mineral, or animal; one of the three essentials. In plants, it is composed primarily of essential oils; in minerals, it is referred to as an oil; and in animals, it is consciousness, or the soul.
Thoth-The Egyptian god of wisdom, associated with the Greek god Hermes and the Roman god Mercury. Thoth was the supreme god of magic in ancient Egypt and the patron deity of alchemy.
Three Essentials-Everything is made of three parts, or essentials. These are its salt, mercury, and sulphur. The separating and recombining of the three essentials is the basis for all spagyric and alchemical procedures.
Tincture-The product resulting from the immersion of a fresh or dried plant into a menstruum to remove the sulphur from the salt. Tinctures are generally made with alcohol that is 90% to 95% pure and a single plant or herb. Tinctures can be made from resins, bark, roots, leafs, stems, or any other part of a plant or plant byproduct. Spagyric tinctures are unique in that, unlike herbal tinctures, the plant matter from which they are created is calcined and added to the product.
White Stone-A significant step in mineral alchemy is the creation of the White Stone. Identical to the Red Stone, only less powerful, the White Stone demonstrates mastery over the lunar or astral worlds.
For additional alchemical terms and their various meanings, see:
Greer, John Michael. The New Encyclopedia of the Occult. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2003.
Johnson, Kenneth Rayner. The Fulcanelli Phenomenon. Jersey, Channel Islands, UK: Neville Spearman, Ltd., 1980. See: Glossary.
Jolande Jacobi, ed. Paracelsus: Selected Writings. Bollingen Series XXVIII. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1951. See: Glossary.
Lapidus. In Pursuit of Gold: Alchemy Today in Theory and Practice. Jersey, Channel Islands, UK: Neville Spearman, Ltd., 1976. See: Glossary.
Pernety, Antoine-Joseph. An Alchemical Treatise on the Great Art. Foreword by Todd Pratum. York Beach, ME: Weiser, 1995. See: Addenda: Dictionary of Hermetic Symbols from Albert Poisson's Theories et Symbols des Alchemistes.