From The Laboratory
Recently on the Alchemystica News Group a fellow queried the following:
Hello Group,
First post. There should be many more coming. Have made a "basic seven" and wish to make another with absolute alcohol and salt calcined to a pure white.
OK. Here we go. This question involves Mr. Reid and the PON courses.
I want to make seven planetary spagyric tinctures. On the one hand (PON) we extract the tincture under the soxhlet. Then we calcine and leave the salts outside to draw back in the "flame of life". The next step is to combine the extract and the salts together and distill over (under vacuum). The temperature remains low, so in theory the flame of life isn't lost and the tincture is restored it's vibration or life force. Really fast method = time saved.
In Mr. Reid's course (much respect) he states (hope you see this big fella) that even under ultra high vacuum "the spark is destroyed".
THIS IS WHAT IS DOING MY HEAD IN. Mr. Reid says we work at mild temp only. Perfectly reasonable, if "under vacuum destroys the spark", is the procedure laid out by Mr. Dubuis wrong?
I guess what I’m trying to say is what's the difference between 33.5 degrees and 33.5 degrees under vacuum? Why does the spark of life go out under vacuum at a low temperature but not go out at the same
temperature under normal atmospheric conditions?
My Reply was this:
First let me state that I have the greatest respect for Mr. Dubuis, and his experience in the Art, he is most definitely an Elder Brother in the work, so I would not frame the question as me vs. him, we just have different thoughts on procedures.
While I will agree that vacuum work is faster, that does not mean it is better. For one thing many volatile components can be lost during the use of a vacuum, as one constantly has to release pressure until it is stabilized. The second and most important thing is time, just because a thing happens faster does not mean it is better. Time allows disparate things to come together, to blend, marry and unite. There is a reason why Paracelsus recommends circulating wine for three months prior to beginning any distillation work.
As to the use of soxhlet's to extract salts I think this is a waste of time also, as the higher heat will cause some particles that would not readily go into solution at room temperature to do so during the use of the device. Thus when going to the work of crystallization you will find a great deal more precipitate in your water than you do if just allowing it to extract at body temp over time. I suppose if one where to use a soxhlet under vacuum for the extraction of salts this would not be a problem, but then another principle can be missed. Water left in contact with ash for periods of time goes through a slight putrefaction process, which opens the salt more. This is one of the reasons that I advocate composting the plant residue after extraction of the essential oils, and fermentation of the plant body to make an alcohol.
In truth even plant work is a form of mineral alchemy, even though it may not appear to be so on the surface. Take a look at well-composted plant mater that has been thoroughly dried and ground, and that of dried earth. You will see very little difference to the naked eye, indeed we must follow in the foot steps of Nature, not supplant her work but rather pick up where she has left off. Many suppose this to mean after the plant has matured and been harvested. But a life cycle is usually drawn ac a circle and a circle has neither beginning nor end, we intersect with it where we choose. At each point of the life cycle we have the choice to do some phase of the work, but we must allow Nature her reign, and her work and then pick up where she has left off.
Hello Group,
First post. There should be many more coming. Have made a "basic seven" and wish to make another with absolute alcohol and salt calcined to a pure white.
OK. Here we go. This question involves Mr. Reid and the PON courses.
I want to make seven planetary spagyric tinctures. On the one hand (PON) we extract the tincture under the soxhlet. Then we calcine and leave the salts outside to draw back in the "flame of life". The next step is to combine the extract and the salts together and distill over (under vacuum). The temperature remains low, so in theory the flame of life isn't lost and the tincture is restored it's vibration or life force. Really fast method = time saved.
In Mr. Reid's course (much respect) he states (hope you see this big fella) that even under ultra high vacuum "the spark is destroyed".
THIS IS WHAT IS DOING MY HEAD IN. Mr. Reid says we work at mild temp only. Perfectly reasonable, if "under vacuum destroys the spark", is the procedure laid out by Mr. Dubuis wrong?
I guess what I’m trying to say is what's the difference between 33.5 degrees and 33.5 degrees under vacuum? Why does the spark of life go out under vacuum at a low temperature but not go out at the same
temperature under normal atmospheric conditions?
My Reply was this:
First let me state that I have the greatest respect for Mr. Dubuis, and his experience in the Art, he is most definitely an Elder Brother in the work, so I would not frame the question as me vs. him, we just have different thoughts on procedures.
While I will agree that vacuum work is faster, that does not mean it is better. For one thing many volatile components can be lost during the use of a vacuum, as one constantly has to release pressure until it is stabilized. The second and most important thing is time, just because a thing happens faster does not mean it is better. Time allows disparate things to come together, to blend, marry and unite. There is a reason why Paracelsus recommends circulating wine for three months prior to beginning any distillation work.
As to the use of soxhlet's to extract salts I think this is a waste of time also, as the higher heat will cause some particles that would not readily go into solution at room temperature to do so during the use of the device. Thus when going to the work of crystallization you will find a great deal more precipitate in your water than you do if just allowing it to extract at body temp over time. I suppose if one where to use a soxhlet under vacuum for the extraction of salts this would not be a problem, but then another principle can be missed. Water left in contact with ash for periods of time goes through a slight putrefaction process, which opens the salt more. This is one of the reasons that I advocate composting the plant residue after extraction of the essential oils, and fermentation of the plant body to make an alcohol.
In truth even plant work is a form of mineral alchemy, even though it may not appear to be so on the surface. Take a look at well-composted plant mater that has been thoroughly dried and ground, and that of dried earth. You will see very little difference to the naked eye, indeed we must follow in the foot steps of Nature, not supplant her work but rather pick up where she has left off. Many suppose this to mean after the plant has matured and been harvested. But a life cycle is usually drawn ac a circle and a circle has neither beginning nor end, we intersect with it where we choose. At each point of the life cycle we have the choice to do some phase of the work, but we must allow Nature her reign, and her work and then pick up where she has left off.
posted by Spagyria at
11:47 AM
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