DiotimosReading Desk

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

Explore the Lexicon
The Golden Chain of Homer2 From Whom or What Everything Was Born

Swipe or use the arrow keys.

English Page · Branch 41 of 504

2 From Whom or What Everything Was Born

German & Latin

1723 pp 3

Das Wasser ohne den Geist ist recolaceum, das ist, ohne Krafft, u. der Geist ohne Wasser ist nichts oder ohne Bestand, weilen der Geist ein corpus haben muß, so er corporalische oder wesentliche Dinge würcken soll. Denn GOtt wolte es so haben, daß der Geist vermittelst des Wassers solte alles in allen würcken, weilen das Wasser sich leichtlich mit allen Dingen vermischet und vermittelst solchen der Geist alles erweichen, durchdringen und gebähren, auch wieder zerstören kan. Das Wasser ist das Subjectum oder Corpus, das Gehäuß, das Instrument: Der Geist ist der Würcker, der beschriene Welt-Geist, Anima & Spiritus mundi, der allwürckende Geist und Krafft GOttes. Der Universal-Saame, Sperma Universi, das wahre Agens, der Schmid aller natürlichen Dinge. Anfänglich von seinem Ursprung an war dieses Wasser und Geist gantz flüchtig, unbeständig, wie leicht zu erachten, als ein Dampff, Nebel und Rauch-Wasser. Hieraus kan nun jeder schliessen, was die Natur und was dessen Ursprung, und von was Anfang solche herrühret, denn solches klärlich kan und wird nachgehends dargestellet und gewiesen werden.

1723 pp 3

The Golden Chain of Homer: 2 From Whom or What Everything Was Born

1723 pp 3

Water without the spirit is recolaceum: that is, powerless. Spirit without water is nothing, or has no subsistence, because the spirit must have a body if it is to bring about bodily or substantial things. God willed the spirit to work all things in all things through water. Water readily mixes with everything, and through it the spirit can soften, penetrate and generate everything, and destroy it again. Water is the subject or body, the dwelling, the instrument. The spirit is the worker: the renowned world spirit, the soul and spirit of the world, the all-working spirit and power of God; the universal seed, the seed of the universe, the true agent, the smith of all natural things. Initially, at its origin, this water and spirit was entirely volatile and unstable, as can readily be understood: a vapour, mist and smoke-water. From this anyone can infer what nature is, what its origin is, and from what beginning it proceeds. This can and will be clearly set out and demonstrated below.

1723 pp 3

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.