From the book
The Sophic Hydrolith, Water Stone of the Wise
Anonymous and companion authors · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Meaning
Aristotle has several distinct authorizing roles. In the main treatise he is joined with Hermes as an alleged witness to the Stone's supreme truth and power. In Nature's dialogue, however, Nature says that neither he nor Plato knew even a little of her subtle formation of the human body. She nevertheless recommends works attributed to him on meteorology, generation and corruption, and heaven and the world as aids to learning her matter. The alchemist later cites a boundary between natural philosopher and physician and an injunction to turn the elements. Reverence and limitation therefore coexist: named books direct study, but Aristotle is not represented as possessing Nature's entire creative knowledge. These are the dialogue's attributions, not independently authenticated quotations from the Aristotelian corpus.
Places to read
- Part III: benefits and their rank · unit 3Cited with Hermes for truthful, certain and secret divine power.
- Nature’s Demonstration to the Erring Alchemist · unit 10Nature claims superior knowledge of body formation.
- Nature’s Demonstration to the Erring Alchemist · unit 11Nature recommends these works for studying matter, generation and the heavens.
- Nature’s Demonstration to the Erring Alchemist · unit 19Alchemist attributes the natural philosopher/physician boundary dictum to Aristotle.
- Nature’s Demonstration to the Erring Alchemist · unit 21Alchemist attributes the injunction to turn the elements to Aristotle.
Attested forms
Aristoteles; Physicus; Medicus; Elementa verkehren; meteororum; Physicam; de generatione & corruptione; de cœlo, & mundo