Page 17 - A critical exposition of Jung's theory of alchemy

approach meant Paracelsus was obscure. He used a huge variety of
neologisms such as astrum, arcanum, archeus, illiaster and zinkum, few
of which he attempted to define except through his usage. In any case
the main guide for any of his followers was not to be his writings but
their experience.

In alchemical theory Paracelsus replaced the four elements of
Aristotle with the Three Principles of Salt, Sulphur and Mercury.

The Three Principles

Heat

Flame

D SULPHUR Structure

Substance

Oil

G SALT Solidity
Colour
Coagulation
Balsam

Vapour

Smoke

A MERCURY Activity

Virtue

Arcana

These principles, like the Elements, were not substances. Sulphur
was the cause of combustibility, structure and substance. Salt gave
solidity and colour. Vapour, and fluidity came from Mercury. In burning
a twig, the flame was the Sulphur, the smoke the Mercury and the ashes
the Salt (Debus 1966: 27-8). This seems to have freed his followers from
the confines of four element theory and, from then on, a huge variety of
different numbers of principles were elaborated (quite often five of
them), as well as other ways of thinking about matter (Debus 1966: 39).

The early 17th century alchemist Van Helmont proposed that Nature
acted by imagination and instruction, on a basic substratum of the single

13