The Regimen of Saturn
The following extract is taken from an alchemical treatise, “An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King,” 1645. This, with many other similar works, may be found in The Hermetic Museum, edited by A. E. Waite:
“All the Sages who have written on our Art, have spoken of the work and regimen of Saturn, and their remarks have led many to choose common lead as the substance of the stone.
“But you should know that our Saturn, or lead, is a much nobler substance than gold. It is the living earth in which the soul of gold is joined to Mercury, that they may bring forth Adam and his wife Eve. Wherefore, since the highest has so lowered itself as to become the lowest, we may expect that its blood may be the means of redeeming all its brethren.
“The Tomb in which our King is buried, is that which we call Saturn, and it is the key of the work of transmutation; happy is he who can salute this planet by its right name. It is a boon which is obtained by the blessing of God alone: it is not of him that willeth, or of him that runneth, but God bestoweth it on whom He will.”
It is extremely interesting to observe the distinction made between the two phases of Saturn, the “common lead” and “our Saturn or lead,” “a much nobler substance than gold.”
This higher Saturn has reaped all experiences in its multitude of earth-lives, and is therefore enriched, ennobled, beyond the primal solar spark. It is the crown of evolution, the summit to which the Personality has slowly climbed, and now, in order that the New Birth may be accomplished, it is willing to he “lowered” to make way for the reign of the New Man, “our King.”
We further see that for this last act of transmutation it is necessary for Mercury or Wisdom to be vivified anew by an influx of Divine Will and Power. Then the alchemist’s dream is realised in the “fixed mercury,” wherein the unstable is rendered stable, the oscillating balance is stayed in permanent equilibrium.
Modern Astrology, Volume 7, page 264, 1900
Attachments
Regimen of Saturn.doc (6 downloads)