Vol 1 The Black Book
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The Black Book 1
Transcript of Vol 1 The Black Book
The Black Book
1
THE BLACK BOOK
Bob Trubshaw
© 2007
The first stage of the alchemical process isdissolution, commonly called nigredo or theblack stage. The 'salt' is killed, putrified andthen dissolved in the Prima Materia.
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The Mirror of Conscience
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There are two directions in which alchemical
Mercury leads us. On the one hand, it is a complex
elaboration of chemical substance, its various
qualities referring back to the properties of
quicksilver, or ‘common mercury'... But there is
another direction entirely, away from chemical
matter. Mercury is not, finally, a substance, or even
many substances: it is a process... All these
[alchemical writings] point to one crucial idea: that
transformation is something intrinsic and contained
inside matter... Each stage of this self-devouring, self-
generating process bears the name ‘Mercury'.
Mercury, in short, is alchemy itself.
(Charles Nicholl, The Chemical Theatre, RKP, 1980)
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