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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 Homer6 What Is Finally to Be Concluded From the Preceding Long Chapter

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Facing Pages · Branch 394 of 504

6 What Is Finally to Be Concluded From the Preceding Long Chapter

German & Latin

1723 pp 318–319

Mit u. durch alle geistlich gemachte [Sal] oder Ω [Nitrum] & [Sal] müssen die mineralia coagulata & siccata zurück gehen, und in ihr eigenes mineralisches coagulirtes exsiccirtes humidum acidum aufgewecket werden zu agiren, und zu destruiren sein eigenes Corpus, und durch solche dasjenige werden, was sie im Anfang ihrer coagulation gewesen, nemlich ein Sal specificatum minerale spirituosum, oder ein Sp. salinus, minera-metallicus, ein Vitriol und dieser denn per retrogressum ein Geist, und dieser Spiritus per regenerationem ein glorificirter durchdringender medicinalisch-balsamischer Leib, jedes nach seiner Art, und so sie denn einmal so weit gebracht werden, so können sie erst alsdenn mit dem flüchtigen Universal-Wasser oder Saamen, und Chaos-▽, oder aber durch die vegetabilia & animalia in eine weitere spiritualität und Angenehmheit gebracht und erhöhet werden, flüchtig und fix, wie mans haben will, vegetabilisch und animalisch oder universalisch: denn es muß sich jede Creatur verwandeln lassen in alle andere, weil sie aus einer materia geboren sind. Denn die animalia sind extendirte vegetabilia, die vegetabilia concentrirte animalia. Wiederum sind die vegetabilia extendirte mineralia, und diese alle ein Universal-Saame oder Chaos. Denn das animale ist volatile, je mehr das volatile concentriret wird, je mehr acidum vegetabile, je mehr aber acidum vegetabile concentriret, je mehr wirds mineralisch, und also e contra, je mehr das Minerale extendiret wird, je volatilischer es wird, also daß es per gradus ascendendo in ein vegetabile & animale mutiret wird. Dieses nun voran geschicket, wollen wir das Reich der animalien zu destruiren vor uns nehmen, und davon Quint-Essenz heraus suchen.

1723 pp 318–319

The Golden Chain of Homer: 6 What Is Finally to Be Concluded From the Preceding Long Chapter

1723 pp 318–319

With and through all salts made spiritual, or spirits of nitre and salt, coagulated and dried minerals must go backward. Their own mineral, coagulated, dried-out acid moisture must be awakened to act and destroy its own body. Through this they become what they were at the beginning of their coagulation: a specified, spiritual mineral salt, or a saline mineral-metallic spirit, a vitriol; and this in turn, by going backward, becomes a spirit. By regeneration this spirit becomes a glorified, penetrating, medicinal-balsamic body, each according to its kind. Only when they have once been brought so far can they be brought and raised to further spirituality and pleasantness through volatile universal water or seed and chaos-water, or through plants and animals: volatile and fixed as desired, vegetable and animal, or universal. For every creature must be capable of transformation into every other, since they are born from one matter. Animals are expanded plants; plants are concentrated animals. Plants, in turn, are expanded minerals; and all these are one universal seed or chaos. The animal is volatile. The more the volatile is concentrated, the more it becomes vegetable acid; the more vegetable acid is concentrated, the more mineral it becomes. Conversely, the more the mineral is expanded, the more volatile it becomes, so that, ascending by degrees, it changes into the vegetable and animal. With this established beforehand, let us take up the destruction of the animal kingdom and seek its quintessence.

1723 pp 318–319

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.