Z2 הּ (Alchemy) Paraphrased & Comments

In order to understand the Z2 Final Heh formula for Alchemy I translated it into Psuedo-Code, and for more clarity regrouped and paraphrased that.

Some Notes

• Always invoke stated energy into the Matter, unless specified.
• Direction listed with an invocation is where the Matter is supposed to rest.
• Checking means seeing if the Matter has a specific color or quality. If it doesn't then summon a "local" elemental, and seeing if it has those qualities. If neither doesn't, then the operation failed.
• All tablets used are to be of in flashing colors of the stated energy. As to which tablet such as a Kamea or just basic sigil is not stated.
• Sigil flaming sword refers to drawing a sigil of the Flaming Sword above and into the Matter.

Paraphrasing

INITIAL PROCESS
Invoke HGA to Self, dedicate for work, blah blah blah
Awaken Matter (4x Purify & Concecrate ???)
Distill, Calcinate, Disolve
Matter on element/planet/serphira tablet on Triangle
Dedicate Matter with Aries (for beginings)

SATURN
Ferment --> check Black color
Invoke Saturn (North)

LUNA
Distill, Calcinate, Dissolve
Invoke Moon Wan & Dragon Tail (West)
Expose Moonlight 9 days
Distill, Calcinate, Dissolve
Invoke Moon Wax & Dragon Head (West)
Expose Moonlight 9 days

SOL
Invoke Sol (East)
Expose Sunlight 12 hours per day ??? days (probably 7)

BALANCE
Matter between Sun and Moon tablet on Triangle
Invoke Spirit
Quit Night Seek Day, Khabs Am Pehkt etc., Flaming Sword sigil
Evoke Matter's element/planet/sephira --> check element/planet/sephira color
If not ready try up to three more times
    Expose Sun & Moon tablets 7 days

MARS
Matter on Mars Tablet (East)
sigil Flaming Sword
invoke Mars
Expose Pillars 7 days

MERCURY
Distil in Water Bath, Distil in Sand Bath
Get fluid only, see JUPITER for solid
Invoke Mercury
check --> Brilliant
Expose Sunlight 7 days --> check Flashing

JUPITER
Get solid only, see MERCURY for fluid
Calcinate solid
Invoke Jupiter
Expose Darkness 7 days  --> check Flashing a little
    If not ready try up to two more times

5ELEMENT
Don't mix fluid or solid!
Matter among Kerub Tablets
SIRP for all 5 elements
Expose Kerub Tablets 5 days
check --> Flashing Colored Light in both fluid and solid

KETHER
Matter on Kether Tablet, Empress Scale color, on Triangle
Basic invoke Kether, aspire for work, blah blah blah
sigil Flaming Sword solid, sigil Flaming Sword fluid
check fluid --> diamond sparkle
check solid --> gem gleam
Combind solid and fluid, should be cloudy
Expose Sunlight 10 days

VENUS
Matter on Venus Tablet on Triangle
Invoke Venus
Expose triangle 7 days
check --> soft color
Digest in Water Bath 7 days 
Distill in Water Bath from gentle to violent heat till no effect of Distilling
If needed bake in Anathor for 7 days

Comments

As one can see, the formula is much clearer than its original form. However it is still quite a puzzle. Taking cue from this article "An Analysis of the Z.2 Mss on Alchemy" by Jean-Pascal Ruggiu it seems that the purpose of Z2 is to show how use magic with alchemy rather than an alchemic formula. Just by a simple regrouping of the steps from the original A, B, C, ... V we have a simple pattern:

1. Do the alchemic operations in the laboratory, if needed.
2. Open temple and invoke proper element into the Matter for the completed stage.
3. Expose the Matter to the proper light.
4. Check the Matter for the proper coloring.
5. Repeat for the with the next phase.

Tablets

In each section the Matter is exposed to a flashing tablets of sorts. The only ones without it are the Luna, Sol, Mercury, and Jupiter. Right off the bat the Luna and Sol are covered in the following section of Balancing, leaving Mercury and Jupiter to ponder. What sets them apart is that they are the only time when the elements are specifically separated. This is true during the 5Element and Kether stages, but not quite since they are together in ritual. In any case their exlcusion is odd since their includsion would have the rite cover all the planets. The reasoning it seems is one of balance. Sol pairs with Luna, Mars with Venus, and the 5 elements with themselves. The intro is netural. Saturn also is neutral or incorporates all the planets with itself especialy in the sense of Calcination to break everything down. Mercury and Jupiter don't match well at first, but their tablest are forgone since the Matter is split into its components and exposure would only bring half to what they both need. Since both planets are invoked they are "covered" for a formula that must include all seven planets. It seems that if they were to be exposed one would have to do it twice so each half would get and even amount.

Flaming Sword

During the formula the Flaming Sword is drawn during the Balance, Mars, and Kether parts, and thus we can see why. The Sword is drawn at the parts which exalt the Matter. At Balance and Kether the Matter is integrated with itself with Sol and Luna and its philosophic principles respectively. Mars in the GD scheme is the planet for power and energy. Since it is the start of "phase two" (see Formula below) which is different in kind from the first phase the Flaming Sword is appropriate.

Light Type

Each light type is appropriate to the stage it belongs too. The odd balls are the Intro, Saturn, Mars, and Venus. The Mars stage is the inception of "phase two" and the drawing of energy so between the Pillars is appropriate. Venus is the final stage and symbolic of gestation and birthing, so the Triangle is proper since it is the sign of the influx of LUX. At the intro the Matter is in its Chaos form so exposure won't do anything good. Saturn is with Calcination breaks everything down, so yet again exposure at the time would defeat the purpose of having a "fresh" start.

Repetition

Of the exposures only the Balance and Jupiter are allowed retries. Multiple attempts for the balancing is appropriate, for like a scale perhaps the energies will sway over their borders until equilibrium is attained. Attempts for Jupiter is odd--though Jupiter is always the odd ball in this formula. My only probable remedy is that at this point the alchemist is dealing with the very refined Salts of the Matter. Being the lowest or more feminine of the priciples it may take a longer time for it to balance itself or just be exalted compared with the other two. Salt is supposed to be feminine and inert.

Formula

Compared with my little knowledge of alchemy this formula is bunk and stereotypical of the Golden Dawn fitting square pegs into round holes at first glance. However according to the article by Ruggiu, the presence of the exposure to lights sudgest that it was written by a legitimate alchemist. The steps up to Balancing fit very nicely with basic alchemic tenants. The Saturn, Luna, and Sol stages mirror the Blackening, Whitening, and Reddening stages a.k.a. split up, purify, and join with minor stages of finding the Primary Matter and Coagulation by means of the Intro and Balancing steps.

The sections from Mars to Venus do not make sense at first glance when compared to the whole process. Taken by itself and ignoring the Energies associated, it too mirrors the basic alchemic formula. First the Matter is charged with energy (Mars), the split and refined (Mercury and Jupiter), then it is exalted and refined magically (5Element), and finaly joined together (Kether and Venus). The problem arises with the energy associations, but works from the perspective of gender.

Astrologically Mars is active, masculine, creative, and the starter of the process. Note that Aries rules Mars and it too is the starter. Venus is passive, feminine, formative, and the ender of process. After being exalted to Kether the Matter is gestated in the Motherly Venus before its "birth".

As stated before several times Mercury and Jupiter don't match. Mercury gets the fluid part since it fits properly with the non-physical Soul and Spirit, while Jupiter gets the Body since it is the only planet leftover and all seven of them have to be used once. Mythologically Zeus the king of the gods was the passive message dispatcher, while Hermes was the active messanger. That is a weak arguement to resort to mythology for what has thus been alchemical. For processes Mercury natural has Distlation, and Jupiter fits Calcination by ruling Saggitarius which is assigned the process of Incineration. Yet again it an anomoly since the other planets don't start to associate themselves with their Signs.

However when you match Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter on the Tree of Life it makes sense. They are the Planets of the Sephira surrounding Sol and Tipharet. Mercury is not netural or feminine Soul, but Firey Hod, and Jupiter is Watery Chesed. Now the Kether steps makes sense, especialy the "10 days to be raised from Tipharet to Kether". Phase two deals with Sephira and not the elements or planets. So the whole Z2 formula follows the more complex alchemic process: exalt the elements, then refine the principles (sephira).

So in examination the Z2 method makes sense, but how alchemically sound despite the fitting is another story.