Lumen de Lumine

Now the Ancient Magi in their Books speake of strange Astrologicall Lamps, Images, Rings, and Plates, which being us'd at certaine Hours, would produce incredible extraordinarie Effects. The common Astrologer, he takes a stone, or some peece of Metall, figures it with ridiculous Characters, and then exposeth it to the Planets, not in an Alkemusi, but as he dreams himself, he knows not how. When this is done, all is to no purpose, but though they faile in their practice, yet they believe they understand the Books of the Magi well enough. Now Eugenius that thou mayst know what to doe, I will teach thee by Example. Take a ripe graine of Corne, that is hard, and drie, expose it to the Sun-beams in a Glasse, or any other vessell, and it will be a drie graine for ever. But if thou doest bury it in the Earth, that the nitrous Saltish moysture of that Element may dissolve it, then the Sun will worke upon it, and make it spring and sprout to a new Body. It is just thus with the common Astrologer, he exposeth to the Planets a perfect compacted Body, and by this means thinks to performe the Magician's Gamaea, and marry the Inferior and Superior Worlds. It must be a Body reduc'd into Sperm, that the Heavenly Feminine moysture, which receives and retains the Impresse of the Astrall Agent, may be at Liberty, and immediatly expos'd to the Masculine Fire of Nature. This is the ground of the Beryl, but you must remember that nothing can be stellified without the joynt Magnetism of three Heavens; what they are I have told you elsewhere, and I will not trouble you with Repetitions.