From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordA water identified through Mercury.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 5; facsimile PDF page 333.
Historical definition
Aqua celestina is mercurial water.
Meaning
The short definition makes the Mercury association decisive. It does not equate this water with ordinary rain or with every preparation bearing a heavenly name. The distinction becomes especially useful beside Aqua Celestis, which the dictionary defines as rectified wine. Their similarity in spelling can mislead a reader who overlooks the final letters.
For use in a passage, preserve the exact expression and inspect its preparation. Acetum Philosophorum is also described as mercurial water, but shared wording does not by itself prove that every writer intends the same liquid under both names.
Places to read
- Aqua celestinaRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- Aqua CelestisRectified wine described through a heavenly comparison.
- Acetum PhilosophorumA philosophical solvent described as a mercurial water and Virgin’s Milk.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 5; facsimile PDF page 333 — Facsimile
Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary (1650), s.v. Aqua celestina ; compare Aqua Celestis, Acetum Philosophorum