Of Natural and Supernatural Things by Basilius Valentinus (snow like ashes txt) 📕

Mars and Venus have a Spirit and Tincture as well as Gold and other Metals, be that Spirit which is in each Metal never so mean and little. It is undeniable and known to all, that many men have many minds, though all men originally are of one first Matter, born and produced from one Seed; yet have they divers different Minds, because the Stars have so operated them, and not without cause; for the influences of the great World operates the next to it in the little World; for all Opinions, Natures and Thoughts, together with the whole complection of Man proceed alone from one Influence of the Stars, manifesting themselves according to the Course of the Planets and Stars, so that nothing can prevent, nor can such Influences hinder it, when the Birth hath attained to the end of its perfection.

As a man is naturally inclined to study; one delights in Divinity, another in the study of the Laws, a third in Physick, a fourth will be a Philosopher; moreover there are many Wits who are naturally inclined to the Mechanicks; as the one is a Painter, another a Goldsmith; the one a Shoomaker, the other a Taylor, a Carver, and so forth, divers and innumerable; all this happens by the Stars influence, whereby the Imagination is supernaturally founded & fortified, and whereupon it is resolved to rest; as it is found, that what a man hath once conceived in his Mind, and framed a foundation thereof, none can divert him from a constant resolution and relying thereon, except Death, which at last concludes all. So is it to be understood of Alchymists, who are set upon the search of Natures Secrets, they intend not to cease, till they have discover'd Nature, absolved it quite, and brought all to an end, which cannot well be done.

Even so is it to be understood of Metals, according as the Influence and Imagination is from above, so is the Form; and although the Metals be called Metals in general, and are such, yet you have understood by the various minds of men, which yet proceed from one Matter, that there may be manifold and divers Metals, one hot and dry, another cold and moist, a third assuming a mixt Nature and Complection to it self. Therefore the Metal of Mars being ordained in its degree by a gross Salt before others in the greatest quantity, is found to have the hardest, ungentle, strongest, and grossest Body, which Nature appropriated and granted to it, it hath the least portion of Mercury, but more of Sulphur, and most of Salt, hence, and from such a mixture or composition is its corporal essence descended, and born into the world by help of the Elements. Its Spirit is like to the other Spirits in operation, but if you can know the right and true Spirit of Mars, I tell you truly, and in true Wisdom, that one grain of its Spirit or Quintessence drunk with the Spirit of Wine, strengthens the Heart, Courage, and Senses, so that you shall fear no Foes; it raises up in him the Courage of a Lion, and provokes a desire to hunt and fight at Venus sports. When the Conjunction of Mars and Venus are rightly placed in a certain Constellation, they bring Fortune and Victory in Love and Affection, in Battel and joy, remaining in unity though the whole World should be against them: But because I am an Ecclesiastick under Church Government, and dedicated my Soul to God, without provocation of humane desires, and lusts of the Flesh, for they lead a direct way to Hell without leave; but Gods Commands, Fear, and a rejection of Mans Will, which are tollerated by his Commands, prepare a way to Heaven, if they continue in the true calling upon, and in the true and right Faith of the only Throne of Grace, Mediator and Patron Jesus Christ our Saviour. All Martial Diseases are expell'd, cured, and healed in an admirable manner by this Spirit; such as are the Bloody Flux, the Disease or Menstruous Fluxes of Women, both white and red, and all other Fluxes of the Belly, and open Sores in the Legs, or any part of the Body, together with all those Diseases, both internal and external, howsoever they are called, which bloody Mars hath caused, which I omit to nominate particularly, being well known unto the discreet Physician what Diseases are subject to the jurisdiction of Mars. If the Spirit of Iron be truly known, it hath a secret affinity with the Spirit of Venus, so that both may be conjoined in one, both becoming one only matter, of a like operation, form, substance and being, healing and expelling the self-same Diseases, as also to bring the particulars of the Metals into a change with profit, praise, and excess. But properly Mars must be observed thus with its virtues, that in his Corporal form he only hath an earthly Body, which may be used in many things, for to stanch Bloud, externally in Wounds, to graduate Luna, internally to stop or bind the Body, which yet is not good at all times, and may be used both internally & externally in mans Body, as likewise in Metallick affairs; because without the true known means, which Nature hath in her secret Closet, much profit cannot be gotten per se.

One thing more I must at present propose, that the Magnet and true Iron perform almost a like benefit in Corporal Distempers, having almost one kind of Nature in and with them, as it is with it in the Celestial, spiritual, and Elementary Intellect, between the Body, Soul, and the Chaos, out of which the Soul and Spirit went, the Body at last was found out of the Composition.

How shall we now do? the gross dull-witted Lads will not apprehend it, the middle sort of Wits will take no notice of what I write, and the supernatural wits will descant too much upon it; I must find out a remedy, and would willingly preserve all these over-wise-people to be my Friends still. I will now teach, instruct, and presently inform you, seeing that the Argument it self declares and pronounces its definitive sentence, therefore the resolution lies open, and can be declared and resolved, reserved nor directed to any other sentence of the understanding, further than for it self.

Last of all, reserve this hereupon in this Chapter, that there can be no House kept to stand in unity between the Married Couple, if the one of them turn his Coach and drive to the East, and the other towards the West, for they are not equal, so that they cannot draw the Coach together in an equal weight, whereby there arises a great dissention and hinderance, in obtaining that which was intended: but if true Married People will carry on their House-keeping with a right subsistance, they must be of one spirit, mind, judgment and virtue, to accomplish all whatsoever is in their heart and mind, and that the one operate into the other, if their Love and Truth shall be permanent; for want of one of these things, the three principles cannot be truly together; for the Mercury is banisht, and too little by reason of the firmness and constancy; the Sulphur is too little, it cannot warm the Body of Love, because it is very much extinct; the Salt likewise hath not its right, convenient, natural kind, but is too hard and too much, seeing it makes a hard coagulation, is sharp and biting, because it doth not manifest it self in truth and constancy. Even so it goes now in the World, which goes astray, and is pregnant with such Vices, for the constancy is but small, the Love little, and Truth as little.

I hope you will take this Philosophical Example in good part, because Syrach doth both praise and dispraise the goodness, truth, and wickedness of a false Woman, and both after a different manner; and herewith I bid Mars Farewell, saying, that no man knows how to distinguish the Sentence of one, much less of all things, but he who hath in this point taken notice of them, learned and experimented their Nature and Properties, and truly known and discovered them. God our Heavenly Father, the Everlasting Power, proceeding from all beginning, separate us so in the Form, that the terrestrial corruptible Body may again attain unto, contain, and receive the Celestial, Spiritual and Incorruptible Revelation. Amen.