Star Regulus The final preparation of antimony we will briefly examine is that of the so-called Star Regulus of Antimony.

This preparation is considered to be an advanced alchemical work as there is some danger involved and requires the operator to have developed laboratory skills. Many of the ancient sages describe this operation in extremely veiled terms. Some of the clearest writings come from such notables as Eiraneus Philalethes, Nicholas Flamel, and even Isaac Newton. In fact, this path is often referred to as The Flamel Path. Taken to completion, it leads to the confection of The Philosopher's Stone and as such, represents the summit of laboratory alchemical works in the Dry Way. The term Regulus of Antimony has always been used to refer to the metallic antimony reduced from its ore. When it is well prepared and purified, you will see a starry pattern on the surface of the metal. The metal itself is quite brittle and reduces to a powder fairly easily. Hidden in the Regulus is the spirit of antimony. In Antimony are Mercury (in the regulus), Sulfur (in the redness) and Salt (in the black earth which sinks to the bottom), which three, corrected, separated, and finally united together in the proper manner of Art so that fixation be obtained without poison, give an opportunity to the artificer to approach the Stone of Fire. Isaac Newton Regulus The most common way of producing the Regulus begins with stibnite or the Kermes mineral. Isaac Newton recommended two parts stibnite, one part of iron filings, and four parts of burnt tartar. The mixture is fused in a crucible and allowed to cool slowly. A slag or scoria forms at the surface and easily comes off the metal with a hammer blow. Save this scoria from the first reduction of the ore to metal, it contains the Seed of Gold. The metal or Regulus at the bottom of the crucible may show some signs of starring, but generally requires additional purification by grinding and fusion with niter to bring out the stars. The use of iron in the reduction produces iron sulfide by taking the sulfur from the stibnite, leaving the antimony free as metal which sinks to the bottom. Other methods of obtaining the Regulus include the use of niter in the mixture, For example, twelve parts stibnite, five parts iron filings, six parts niter, and nine parts raw tartar. Even small iron nails can be used for the reduction in place of iron filings. The inclusion of raw tartar is said to increase the yield of the Seed of Gold in the scoria during the first fusion. The exact proportions will depend on the quality of the stibnite you begin with. A word of caution: the mixtures with niter are essentially a form of gunpowder which you will be placing into a very hot crucible. Add material slowly or you will soon find out why the ancients called this process Detonation. The Regulus, once obtained, is ground and mixed with twice its weight of niter, then fused again in a crucible to purify it. This purification may be repeated several times in order for the starry

qualities to develop in the metal. This Star Regulus of Antimony is also called the Martial Regulus because of the iron used in its production. Regulus Healing Powers The Regulus has healing power of its own. An extraction of the powdered metal with spirit of turpentine turns a deep red. Removal of the turpentine leaves an oil which is dissolved into spirit of wine and used for all pulmonary illnesses. This is called the Balm of Antimony. Animation of Mercury with Regulus + Silver + Copper By far the greatest interest surrounding the Regulus is its fixed spirit or Mercury, which can be transferred to other metals in order to reanimate them and awaken their generative power. This path leads to confecting the Philosopher's Stone. In one approach to this path, the Martial Regulus is alloyed with about twice as much pure silver and a small amount of copper to produce a Lunar Venusian Regulus which has a beautiful violet color. This Regulus is then amalgamated with purified metallic mercury, washed and then distilled. The amalgamation and distillation is repeated seven to ten times and is referred to as letting the eagles fly. The Regulus of antimony will not amalgamate very easily with mercury metal, so the silver is added to absorb the fixed spirit of antimony and transfer it to the mercury. The silver then, often called the Doves of Diana, acts as a medium to transfer the life force of the antimony into the mercury. After the distillation, the residue of silver which remains in the retort, called now the Dead Doves of Diana, is cleaned and used again. With each cycle of amalgamation and distillation, the mercury metal becomes more enlivened and ultimately is called Animated Mercury, containing the generative power of the metallic realm. It is the fertile field wherein the seed of metals is sown. Purified gold metal is seeded into this animated mercury and digested over a long period. The matter will pass through a black stage, then gradually whiten and finally redden into the ferment or Red Stone which can be multiplied using fresh animated mercury. The Red Stone forms the basis of the Elixir or Universal Medicine for Man and Metals. It also has the power to transmute the lesser metals into gold, but it must become dedicated to that purpose by a further process called Inceration, which we will talk about later. After this process, it serves only for transmutations of metal and not for medicinal use. Regulus + Gold + Urine Alkahest Another approach for using the Star Regulus to confect the stone, without the use of metallic mercury, unites the Regulus with gold through a long digestion with a menstruum, derived similarly to the urine alkahest, in a closed vessel. The same progression of colors from black to white to red will be observed. In this case, the Regulus is called the Mercury or Our Luna and the gold is called Sol or Sulfur. The liquid menstruum is also often referred to as Mercury to confuse you or is called the Secret Fire. It is the catalyst which unites the contrary metals. Thus you will often see pictures of the Sun and Moon being united by Mercury in alchemical works.