[The Apparition of a Flower]

In the simple operations of nature many wonderful things are wrought, which, upon a superficial view appear impossible, or else to be the work of the devil. These certainly ought to be considered in a far different light from magical performances, and should be classed among the surprising phenomenae of nature. Thus lamps or torches made of serpents’ skins, and compounded of the fat and spirit of vipers, when lighted in a dark room, will, bring the similitude of snakes or serpents writhing and twisting down the walls. So oil compounded of grapes, being put into a lamp, and lighted, will make the room appear to be full of grapes, though in reality it is nothing more than the idea or similitude.–The same thing is to be done with all the plants and flowers throughout the vegetable system, by means of a chemical analysis, whereby a simple spirit is produced, which will represent the herb or flower from which it is extracted, in full bloom. And, as the process is easy, simple, pleasing, and curious, I will here state it in such a manner as might enable any person to put it in practice at pleasure.

Take any whole herb, or flower, with its root, make it very clean, and bruise it in a stone mortar quite small; then put it into a glass vessel hermetically sealed; but be sure the vessel be two parts in three empty: then place it for putrefaction in a gentle heat in balneo, not more than blood warm, for six months, by which it will be all resolved into water. Take this water, and pour it into a glass retort, and place a receiver thereunto, the joints of which must be well closed; distil it in a sand heat until there comes forth a water and an oil; and in the upper part of the vessel will hang a volatile salt. Separate the oil from the water, and keep it by itself, but with the water purify the volatile salt by dissolving, filtering, and coagulating. When the salt is thus purified, imbibe with it the said oil, until it is well combined. Then digest them well together for a month in a vessel hermetically sealed; and by this means will be obtained a most subtil essence, which, being held over a gentle heat of a candle, the spirit will fly up into the glass where it is confined, and represent the perfect idea or similitude of that vegetable whereof it is the essence: and in this manner will that thin substance, which is like impalpable ashes or salt, send forth from the bottom of the glass the manifest form of whatever herb it is the menstruum, in perfect vegetation, growing little by little, and putting on so fully the form of stalks, leaves, and flowers, in full and perfect appearance, that anyone would believe the same to be natural and corporeal: though at the same time it is nothing more than the spiritual idea endued with a spiritual essence. This shadowed figure as soon as the vessel is taken from the heat or candle, returns to its caput mortuum, or ashes again, and vanishes away like an apparition, becoming a chaos or confused matter.

From Book 4. Online at Twilight Grotto–Esoteric Archives.