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[Alexandr Korol]

Wikipedia also includes an entire section titled “The Three Prime Symbols.”
“According to Paracelsus, the three primary substances (Tria Prima) are:
• Salt, the fundamental substance or base matter;
• Mercury (Mercurius), the fluid that links Above and Below (the liquid
connecting Heaven and Earth). Cinnabar (mercury sulfide);
• Sulfur (Sulphur), the omnipresent spirit of life. philosophical sulfur —
black sulfur.”

“The Seven Alchemical Metals
The alchemical metals are “governed” by the seven planets of classical astrology. In alchemical practice, the symbol of the ruling celestial body is most often used to denote the metal:
• Sun governs Gold, 79Au
• Moon governs Silver, 47Ag
• Venus governs Copper, 29Cu
• Mars governs Iron, 26Fe
• Jupiter governs Tin, 50Sn
• Mercury governs Mercury (Quicksilver), 80Hg
• Saturn governs Lead, 82Pb
The planets Uranus (1781), Neptune (1846), and the dwarf planet Pluto (1930) were discovered after practical alchemy had given way to chemistry and thus have no corresponding alchemical symbols.”

It’s extremely important for me to list all of this, because the most essential thing about the Philosopher’s Stone is the path — it’s the process. And I must say, I’m truly glad that this process took so many years, because the meaning lies precisely in the journey itself. The meaning is not in the result, but in the process, because only by walking the path do you gain wisdom. Only by walking the path. And the Philosopher’s Stone cannot be found — cannot even be used — if it was found by someone else and you didn’t go through the same journey they did. If, for example, you’re only hearing about the Philosopher’s Stone today for the first time, and someone gives it to you or shows it to you — it won’t mean anything to you. It won’t work. A person must know the path. Only by knowing the path, only by walking the path, will the Philosopher’s Stone hold any meaning for that person. And more than that — it will actually work, I would even say.