"But in this Second Work if thou extract our Air and our Fire with the phlegm water, they will the more naturally and easily be drawn out of their infernal prison, and with less losse of their Spirits, than by the former way before described"
- George Ripley
About this Quote
This quote by George Ripley is referring to a process of extracting elements from their natural state. He is recommending that if air and fire are extracted with phlegm water, they will be launched from their "infernal prison" more quickly and with less loss of their spirits. This is in comparison to the "previous way" which is not specified. This suggests that the previous way was harder and resulted in more loss of the components' spirits.
Ripley is most likely referring to a procedure of alchemy, which is the change of matter from one kind to another. In alchemy, air and fire are 2 of the 4 elements, along with water and earth. The procedure of drawing out these components from their natural state is known as "spagyrics" and involves using phlegm water, which is a kind of liquid that is used to separate the aspects.
Ripley's quote suggests that the procedure of spagyrics can be enhanced by using phlegm water, as it will result in less loss of the components' spirits. This is likely due to the truth that phlegm water has the ability to separate the aspects more effectively, leading to a more effective extraction process.
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