Alchemical Glossary

Alchemical Term	Chemical Formula	Discription	Alchemical Zoo
Air		One of the four alchemical elements. Also see Earth, Fire, and Water.	Eagle
Alcohol	Sb₂S₃	Alcohol originally ment a fine black powder, particulary black antimony sulphide. This old meaning persisted and coexisted with the modern meaning (spitit of wine) through the 18^th century.
Alembic		Still-head or complete still.
Amalagama		A composition of gold or silver and mercury.
Antimony	Sb	Antimony is a semimetallic chemical element which can exist in two forms: the metallic form is bright, silvery, hard and brittle; the non metallic form is a grey powder. Antimony is a poor conductor of heat and electricity, it is stable in dry air and is not attacked by dilute acids or alkalis.	Wolf
Aqua Fortis	HNO₃	Nitric acid.Also called Philosophical Spirit of Nitre.
Aqua Regia	HNO₃+3 HCl	Aqua regia (Latin, "royal water") is a highly corrosive mixture of acids. The mixture is formed by mixing concentrated nitric acid and hydrochloric acid, optimally in a volume ratio of 1:3. It was named so because it can dissolve the noble metals such as gold and platinum.	Green dragon
Aquil Coelestis		See Sal Ammoniac.
Aquil Alba		Calomel.
Argentvive		Mercury (see Quicksilver).
Athanor		Furnace.
Aurum Potabile	Au + H₂O	Colloidal gold is a colloidal suspension of submicrometer size particles of gold in a fluid, usually water. The liquid is usually either an intense red colour (for particles less than 100 nm) or blue/purple (for larger particles).
Azoth		Mercury, especially the hpyothetical mercury supposed to be the first principle of metals.
Bain-Marie		Water bath.
Birds		Commonly used as a symbol of sublimation (but not always). When used as a symbol of sublimation, the number of birds typically indicated the number of sublimations.
Black		Symbol for putrefaction or death.
Black Sulphur		See Antimony.
Blue Vitriol	CuSO₄	Copper (cupric) sulphate (also see Vitriol).
Caduceus		Wand of Hermes or other messenger.
Calcination		Conversion of a metal or other mineral to a state of a fine powder, typically by means of heat.
Calx		Product of calcination.
Ceration		Conversion of a substance into a waxy condition.
Cinnabar	HgS	Ore of mercury.
Circulation		Reflux distillation.
Cloud		Symbol for God.
Cohobation		Return of the liquid distallate to its residue followed by further distillation.
Common Salt	NaCl	Salt.
Congelation		Crystalization, the conversion of a liquid into a solid.
Copper	Cu	Metalic copper.
Copperas	FeSO₄	Ferrous sulphate. Also called Green Vitriol.
Croslet		Crucible
Curpel		A crucible made of bone-ask for testing or refining gold and silver.
Curbit(e)		A flask or "gourd" forming the lower part of a still.
Day		A period of 24 hours, or the daylight portion of a day. Also see hour.
Descension		Distillation or fusion in which liquids products flow down into a receiver below.
Digestion		To soften or decompose with mosture.
Distillation		Boiling a liquid and trcovering the vapor into a liquid by cooling. In alchemy the term and also mean the removal of liquid from one vessel to another by capillary movement through a wick or strip of cloth.
Eagles		Like birds, frequently used as a symbol of sublimation. When used as a symbol of sublimation, the number of eagles typically indicated the number of sublimations. Also used as a symbol for air, mercury, and sal ammoniac.
Earth		One of the four alchemical elements. Also see Air, Fire, and Water.
Fermentation		Fermentation is a two-stepped process that begins with the putrefaction of the Hermaphroditic "Child" from the Conjunction resulting in the death and resurrection to a new level of being. The Fermentation phase then begins with the introduction of new life into the product of Conjunction to strengthen it and inure its survival.
Fire		One of the four alchemical elements (he others are Air, Earth, and Water). The alchemists recognized four grades of Fire with which they could work: Elementary Fire: common fire such as the fire of a stove.. Celestial Fire: the fiery power of God’s will. Central Fire: which falls between the extremes of Elementary Fire and Celestial Fire, Central Fire is hidden within matter at its very center. Secret Fire: the fire that is part of the life force of the alchemist.
Fixation		Rendering a substance to be non-volatile.
Glass		Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline) solid material which is often transparent and has widespread practical uses.
Gold	Au	Gold is a bright, slightly reddish yellow, dense, soft, malleable and ductile metal. It is one of the least reactive chemical elements.	Red lion
Green Lion		A symbol for crude material (possibly and acid), copper, ferrous sulphate, mercury, and yellow orpiment.
Green Vitriol	FeSO₄	Ferrous Sulphate (also see Vitriol).
Hen Sitting ON An Egg		Description of the first degree of heat.
Hermaphrodite		Symbol for the union of opposites such as mercury and sulphur or gold and silver.
Hour		Alchemists divided days into 12 hours of the day and 12 hours of the night. Thus, the length of hours veried by the season and latitude.
Hydroststical Principles		Sulphur, mercury, and salt.
Imbibition		See Cohobation.
Impaled Serpent		Symbol for fixed mercury.
Iron	Fe	Metalic iron.
King		Symbol for the sun, gold, sulphur, and masculine principle.
Lac Virginis	PbCO₃	Suspension of basic lead carbonate.
Lead	Pb	Metalic lead.	Black crow
Lime	CaO	Lime is calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide.
Litharge	PbO	Litharge is one of the natural mineral forms of lead oxide.
Liver of Antimony	Sb₂S₃	Fused antimony sulphide.
Liver of Sulphur	(K₂S)n	Potassium polysulfide.
Marcasite	FeS₂	The mineral marcasite, sometimes called white iron pyrite, is iron sulfide with orthorhombic crystal structure. It is physically and crystallographically distinct from pyrite.
Microtized Umber	Fe₂O₃	Iron Oxide.
Multiplication		Transmutation, inducing growth of gold or silver.
Night		The nighttime portion of a day. Also see hour.
Nitre	KNO₃	Niter (American English) or nitre (most English-speaking countries) is the mineral form of potassium nitrate. It is also known as saltpeter.	Dragon
Oil Of Vitriol	H₂SO₄	Sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive strong mineral acid.
Orpiment		See Yellow Orpiment.
Ouroboros		A dragon or snake eating its own tail. Symbol for: primal matter, The cyclic nature of the universe, and The cyclic nature of the work.
Pelican		Form of a circulatory still.
Philosopher's Stone		Originally, an alchemical substance capable of turning base metals to gold. Later thought to also be able to cure all diseases and grant immortality.
Philosopher's Wool	ZnO	Zinc oxide. Also called Tutia.
Philosophical Flowers Of Vitriol	H₃BO₃	Boric Acid.
Philosophical Foliated Earth	CH₃CO₂K	Potassium Acetate.
Philosophical Sal Ammoniac	(NH₄)₂SO₄	Ammonium Sulphate. Same chemical as Secret Sal Amoniac.
Philosophical Spirit of Nitre	HNO₃	Philosophical Spirit of Nitre (nitric acid) was made by distilling saltpeter with sulphuric acid. Also called Aqua Fortis.
Philosophical Spirit of Tartar	KHC4H4O6₃	Philosophical Spirit of Tarter (Potassium Hydrogen Tartrate) was made by distilling tartaric acid with wine.
Philosophical Spirit of Vitriol	HCl	Philosophical Spirit of Vitriol (hydrochloric acid) is a clear, colorless, highly pungent solution of hydrogen chloride in water. It is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid with many industrial uses.
Philosophical Spirit of Wine	C₂H₆O	Grain alcohol extracted from wine by freezing.
Philosophical Water		Aqua Regia.
Preciptate Of Mercury	HgO	Mercuric oxide. Also see Red Preciptate Of Mercury.
Primal Matter		The ubiquitous starting material required for the alchemical magnum opus and the creation of the philosopher's stone. It is the primitive formless base of all matter.
Projection		Addition of the Philosopher's Stone to the material prepared for transmutation.
Puffers		Alchemists.
Putrefaction		Conversion of a metal into an apparently inert mass or powder.	Crow
Pyrite	FeS or CuFeS	Originally any "fire-stone" from which sparks could be struck. Eventually came to mean an iron sulfide or iron-copper sulfide.
Queen		Symbol for the moon, silver, mercury, and feminine principle.
Quicksilver	Hg	More commonly known as mercury, quicksilver is a meticalic mineral that is liquid at room tempeture.	Dove, eagle, fish, flying eagle, green lion, serpent, tail of a dragon, or winged dragon.
Raven		Like the skull, the raven is a symbol for putrefaction and death.
Realgar	AsS	Realgar (arsenic sulphide) is one of the ores of arsnic. Also see Red Sulphur and Yellow Orpiment.
Red		Symbol for: Sulphur, and Second stage complete.
Red Precipitate of Mercury	HgO	Mercuric oxide. Also see Preciptate Of Mercury.
Red Sulphur	AsS	Arsenic Sulphide. Also see Realgar.
Red Work		Conversion of base metal into gold. Also see White Work.
Regulus		A Regulus ("little king") was metal was reduced from an ore or a heavy substance that sank to the bottom of the crucible. "Regulus" (without further specification) meant regulus of antimony.
Sal Ammoniac	NH₄Cl	Sal ammoniac is a rare mineral composed of ammonium chloride.
Sal Mirabile	Na₂SO₄	Glauber's salt, sodium sulphate.
Secret Fixed Sulphur of the Philosophers'		The calcined residue when sulphur is distilled with linseed oil.
Secret Fire		The "secret" fire was the primary fire with which the spiritual alchemists worked. The this fire is part of the life force of the alchemist himself. The alchemists called it their "Secret Fire," and they went to great pains to disguise its true nature.
Secret Sal Ammoniac	(NH₄)₂SO₄	Ammonium Sulphate. Same chemical as Philosophical Sal Ammoniac.
Separation		To isolate or obtain from a compound mixture.	Eagle, or white eagle.
Skull		Like the raven, the skull is a symbol for putrefaction and death.
Slver	Ag	Silver is soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it possesses the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and reflectivity of any metal.
Solution		Disolving one substance in another.
Sublimate Of Mercury	HgCl₂	Mercury chloride	Fish
Sublimation		To cause a substance to convert from a solid to a gaseous state by the application of heat or pressure, and then to solidify again.	Bird, blue bird, blue eagle, or eagle
Sugar of Lead	Pb(C₂H₃O₂)₂	Lead acetate. The first recorded artificial sweetener (used by the Romans). Use continued into the middle ages (Pope Clement II died in October 1047 from what is now believed to be poisoning from sugar of lead). Lead acetate is no longer used in the production of sweeteners in most of the world because of its recognized toxicity.
Sulphur	S	Sulfur or sulphur is an abundant, multivalent non-metal.	Unwinged dragon
Sword		Symbol for the "secret" fire.
Tin	Sn	Tin is a metal. It has been used on a large scale since 3000 BC to make was bronze, an alloy of tin and copper. After 600 BC, pure metallic tin was produced.
Tincture		Philosopher's stone or its action upon base metals.
Toad		Symbol for crude matter, dregs of distillation, and petrefaction.
Tutia	ZnO	Zinc oxide. Also called Philosophers Wool.
Vinegar	C₂H₄O₂	Chemically known as Acetic Acid.
Virgin	ZnO	Symbol for prime matter.
Vitrol		A hydrated sulfates: Blue, or roman, vitriol is cupric sulfate. Green vitriol is ferrous sulfate. White vitriol is zinc sulfate. Red, or rose, vitriol is cobalt sulfate.
Water		One of the four alchemical elements. Also see Air, Earth, and Fire.	Swan
Weapon		Symbol for the "secret" fire.
White		Symbol for primal matter.
White Work		Conversion of base metals into silver. Also see Red Work.
Yellow Orpiment	As₂S₃	Orpiment is a deep orange-yellow colored arsenic sulfide mineral. It is found in volcanic fumaroles, low temperature hydrothermal veins, and hot springs. Also see Raalgar.	Green Lion