From the book
Sal Lumen and Spiritus Mundi Philosophici
Clovis Hesteau de Nuysement · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Meaning
II.3.25 describes fire and water as complementary agents for removing what burns or corrupts and what remains as coarse terrestrial impurity. Between these rejected accompaniments lies a substance to be preserved. Middle therefore marks its functional relation to the separations, not necessarily a literal layer at the centre of a vessel.
The later fivefold operations classify how agents can act upon such mixed bodies. Their success is measured by conserving the intended portion, not by maximizing destruction or obtaining the greatest amount of residue. The intermediate substance must also be distinguished from II.1's not-yet-bodily vapour: both are called intermediate in a broad sense, but one concerns a stage of embodiment and the other the retained target of purification. In II.3.31 the retained middle substance is being prepared and directed toward purification and fixation after corrupting adustion departs; its remaining is not itself proof that those ends are already complete.
Places to read
- Book Two · Chapter 3 · Unit 25What is between extremes must survive the two separating assailants.
- Book Two · Chapter 3 · Unit 31The desired remainder is prepared toward purification/fixation while corruptive adustion departs.
- Book Two · Chapter 1 · Unit 6The earlier rising vapour is not yet a body; this intermediate embodiment status differs from the retained middle substance of purification.
Word family
Substance moyenne: the part to preserve between removable extremes. Exact historical spellings are listed separately.
Attested forms
moyenne disposition; sauvee & guarantie; moyenne substance qui reste; moyenne substance