And now, we are at number 4 in the Arcanum. If Liquor Hepatis represents the soul, then Pulvis Solaris represented the spirit! The "Powder of the Sun" was a mixture of two powders, Black Solaris and Red Solaris. Combining black antimony with sulfur auretum made Black Pulvis Solaris. Black antimony was a common sulfide of antimony, now known as "Stibnite". The mineral was smelted and ground fine. Pure sulfur auretum, or "golden sulfur," was made by adding sulfuric acid to a dried mixture of sodium carbonate, sulfur, lime, and antimony. The reaction gave off hydrogen sulfide gas, while the sulfur auretum precipitated to the bottom of the container. Now, Red Pulvis Solaris was made by combining sulfur auretum with a compound of mercury known as Red Mercuric Oxide. Mercury, (as it was called quicksilver by the ancients) could be found weeping through cracks in certain rocks or accumulating in small puddles in mountain grottos. The early alchemists made Red Mercuric Oxide by heating quicksilver in a solution of Nitric Acid. The acid, which later alchemists called "aqua fortis," was made by pouring sulfuric acid over saltpeter. The reaction of quicksilver in nitric acid is impressive! A thick red vapor hovers over the surface and bright red crystals precipitate to the bottom. This striking chemical reaction demonstrated the simultaneous separation of mercury into the Above and the Below.
Posted on: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 05:50:06 +0000
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