Part 2 - AMORC

effect which culminates in a harmonious andperfect unity. The result of this combination ofthe elements leads to the manifestation of a fifthelement, commonly known as the quintessence orsometimes aether. The alchemical writer JohannMylius (c.1583-1642) in his Philosophia Reformata(1622) described this element as “a mixture ofall the elements and a reduction of them to one pureThe combination of the elements leads tothe manifestation of a fifth, commonlyknown as the quintessence.substance.” The work itself is a hidden one andcomplementary to the spiritual development of theindividual. The process involved is known as theopus circulatorium or “rotation of the elements.”Heat is the primary agent of this circulation,combining the elements in a special way accordingto their qualities of coldness and dryness, heatand moisture. Since matter can’t have contradictoryqualities so the quintessence must be an immaterialpure spirit, and is diagrammatically placed at thecentre. This is the goal of the process.A symbol that conveys this idea is that of themonad, typically seen as a point in the centre of acircle. Another popular representation is the ouroborus,where we see a dragon or serpent swallowing itsown tail before collapsing into a single monadicpoint. But perhaps the best example of the rotationof the is elements, conveyed by a turning wheel,known as the “philosophical wheel.” In anotheralchemical metaphor the process is described as thetransformation of the square (the four elements) intothe circle (the quintessence).Toward the Philosopher’s StoneTransmute yourselves from dead stonesinto living philosophical stones.[Gerhardt Dorn (1530-1584)]To reiterate, the metaphysical fire burning withinus is the principal agent by which the rotation ofthe elements is driven. The work is a continuousone that is repeated many times to ensure that werid ourselves of the dross that has accumulatedwithin. In alchemical terms this is known as solveet coagula (dissolve and coagulate) or separationand union.A better explanation is found in yet anotherterm for the quintessence, the azoth, the mercurialwater or solvent that purges the unclean matteror dross mentioned above. Paracelsus calls it the“universal medicine” that can cure the diseaseof man. Essentially, we recognise our faults anderrors and transmute them into acts of goodwillwhich dissolve the spots and stains (in alchemicalterminology) of self-will. This is achieved throughthe increasing manifestation of pure love that is theresult of our spiritual progress in this manner.An alternative name for the quintessence andpopularised over recent centuries, is that of thephilosopher’s stone. Much has been said or writtenconcerning its nature but essentially it possessesthe power to perfect imperfection. Just as at thephysical level the quintessence or philosopher’sstone can transmute base metals into pure goldthrough the action of fire, so too can it transformthe individual into an illumined philosopher. In theRosicrucian Order this is referred to as the Masteryof Self.A Chemical WeddingA further aspect of our inner work, and an importantone in alchemy, concerns the reconciliationof the active and passive components of ournature. These are the male (sulphur) and female(mercury) expressions that have to be unified inthe production of the philosopher’s stone. Thisis easier to understand when we consider howthese two aspects of our being correspond tothe four elements: fire and air relate to the malecomponent and water and earth align themselveswith that of the female.Keeping the rotation of the elements in mindthen, we can see how this “chemical wedding” ofopposites operates, namely, sun and moon, and kingand queen. Parallel to the work of bringing togetherthe elements, there is a complementary processgoing on that unites the male and female energiesDiagram of the rotation of the elements with the quintessenceportrayed at the centre.28The Rosicrucian Beacon -- June 2008