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Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition

Anonymous (traditionally attributed to Anton Joseph Kirchweger)

The Golden Chain of Homer

A New Translation from the German Edition of 1723

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The Golden Chain of HomerII.5 · The Anatomy and Regeneration of Chaotic Water

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German & Latin Page · Branch 378 of 504

II.5 · The Anatomy and Regeneration of Chaotic Water

German & Latin

1723 pp 302–304

Damit aber letztlich der Liebhaber mit hellen Augen sehe, daß jeder Disputat von diesen und jenen Dingen nur Lana caprina sey, so betrachte er nur, wie ich vielfältig in diesem Tractat gesagt, daß die Animalia, Vegetabilia und Mineralia nimmermehr Essentia seu Materia unterschieden seyn, sondern Accidentia, ratione Volatilitatis & Fixitatis minoris & majoris, ratione Subtilitatis & Crassitudinis majoris & minoris, ratione Humiditatis sive Solutionis & Siccitatis sive Coagulationis majoris & minoris; ratione autem Originis & Aquae originalis idem sunt. Und sind die Animalia flüchtige Vegetabilia, die Vegetabilia flüchtige Mineralia, also die Mineralia fixe Vegetabilia, die Vegetabilia fixe Animalia. Nun habe ich probiret, daß keine Faeces in Natura sind. Wer eine bessere Probe als diese weiß aufzubringen, der refutire diese, es ist ihm unverwehret. Unterdessen bleibe ich auf meiner Meynung und Experiment. Was ich mit Augen sehe, und mit Händen tractire, das wird mir keiner nehmen. Ferner daß ich die Coagulation interrumpire, und das Corpus aus dem Kolben nehme, solches zerreibe, begiesse, abziehe, reverberire, das Feuer wieder ausgehen lasse, und wieder zerreibe etc. hier folge ich aber der Natur, und kürtze alle meine Wercke ab. Denn was die Natur des Tages durch die Sonne austrocknet, ausdörret, und macrocosmice reverberiret, das befeuchtet sie und imbibirets durch die Kälte des Monds des Nachts, oder auch zu Tage durch einen kühlen feuchten Regen wieder etc. Denn exsiccirts, coagulirts und reverberirts durch die Sonne von oben, und a Centro von unten in Continuum quasi & Infinitum.

1723 pp 302–304

The Golden Chain of Homer: II.5 · The Anatomy and Regeneration of Chaotic Water

1723 pp 302–304

Finally, to see clearly that disputes about this thing and that are only goat’s wool, consider what I have repeatedly said: animals, plants, and minerals differ not in essence or matter but in accidents—lesser and greater volatility and fixity, subtlety and thickness, moisture or solution and dryness or coagulation. In origin and original water they are the same. Animals are volatile plants; plants are volatile minerals; minerals are fixed plants, and plants fixed animals. I have now proved that nature contains no dregs. Whoever can produce a better trial may refute this freely. Meanwhile I remain with my opinion and experiment. No one will take from me what I see with my eyes and handle with my hands. Further, when I interrupt coagulation, remove the body from the flask, grind it, moisten it, draw off, reverberate, let the fire go out, and grind again, I follow nature and shorten all my works. What nature dries, parches, and macrocosmically reverberates by the sun in daytime it moistens and imbibes by the moon’s cold at night, or by a cool moist rain in daytime. Then it dries, coagulates, and reverberates through the sun above and the centre below, almost continually and infinitely.

1723 pp 302–304

About This Reading Edition

The two-book alchemical work of 1723 in German with a new English translation, 399 notes, eight historical diagrams, chapter outlines, keyword essays, a glossary, bibliography, subject index, and 400 discussion questions.

Discussion Questions

Historical Text and Translation

Anonymous, Aurea Catena Homeri. Frankfurt and Leipzig: Johann Georg Böhme, 1723. Traditionally attributed to Anton Joseph Kirchweger; the attribution remains uncertain. Historical diagrams from the Stiftung der Werke von C. G. Jung copy digitized by e-rara.

About Diotimos Editions

This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.

Rights

The supplied edition identifies the 1723 German source and historical diagrams as public-domain material. Its new English translation and editorial apparatus are published with the site owner’s authorization. The complete original files are retained unchanged.