Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS

[R. Sale]

And then there's the question of language. Is it Latin or Greek, Arabic or Croatian?

@Barbrey

I like what you said here: "Alchemy started with dyeing so it might mean just that. No idea what the phrase would mean, sounds like more code. It’s never nonsense, though, just code. 50% of it is in code, even when the writer says they’ll explain it all in simple terms!  Never believe them!"

Perhaps you could explain more about "It's never nonsense,". Of course they had processes for dyeing, tanning, metallurgy, etc. They knew how, but they didn't know why. Any explanation of alchemical work, based on the classical four elements theory was derived from a paradigm that is innately flawed and fictional. What results is utter nonsense. It's actually a code for nonsense. To say nothing about the toxicity of mercuric vapor to those cooking up that stuff.