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Opus Saturni

One of the most famous paths to the Stone is that of the Opus Saturni - working with literal Lead. This path is written about by many practitioners of this Royal Art, including Raymund Lully, John Dee, George Ripley, Issac Hollandus, Maria the Prophetess, and many others…and was a favorite of Frater Albertus.

Although the material used is a subject of much debate, when this path is followed using Lead metal, the stages of the work do indeed match the descriptions of many authors on the subject.

For example, pictured on the first slide and 3rd is the body of Lead, post-pyrolytic distillation. Due to its propensity to oxidize rapidly, it is easily ignited and produces a beautiful citrine color as it burns. In Ripley’s Bosom Book, he describes the calcination of this material as follows:

“Then take all the rest of the aforesaid black faeces, or Black Dragon, and spread them somewhat thin upon a clean marble, or other fit stone, and put into the one side thereof a burning coal, and the fire will glide through the faeces within half-an-hour, and calcine them into a citrine colour very glorious to behold.”

To learn more about these advanced techniques, join our online TERTIA class. To join, visit our website tristaralchemy.org

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