In Alchemy, all things are said to be made up of three principles: salt, sulphur, and mercury (which themselves are made up of the Four Elements). Many of the mistakes made by novices have been due to their literal interpretation of these principles.

The alchemical salt is not necessarily sodium chloride (table salt) - it is simply a word that denotes the physical matrix of the final substance. To obtain a perfected matrix, the operator must first separate the salt principle from the other three principles, then continually refine and purify it - this is one of the most arduous processes in alchemy, and has been aptly called "The Labor of Hercules" due to its immense difficulty. Similar processes must be applied to the other two elements: seraration and purification.

Once the three elements are separately purified, they are then very carefully brought back together

perfected state cannot be obtained - and all the applied labor is lost. Maintaining a 'philosophical state' is extremely difficult, due to the fact that too much radical energy will destroy the philosophical qualities that were there previously.

One must read a multitude of books to understand how this is accomplished, as it is a combination of obtaining, strengthening, and maintaining this spiritualized state. This concerns what is known as the 'Secret Fire' - a Fire which does not burn, but instead touches the alchemical elements with divine life - breathing into it the Prana: the Breath of God. This is perhaps the most sacred of all alchemical secrets, and must therefore be discovered only after due diligence. Many clues can be found scattered within the writings of such great men as Urbigerus, Paracelcus, Artephius and Valentine - and in such legendary works as 'The Golden Chain of Homer' and 'The Emerald Tablet of Hermes'...