Gold
The
opus, the work [Dorn says], consists of two basic steps: first comes the
solution, the dissolution of the body; and second the coagulation or
condensation of the spirit [by which we can guess he means the opening of the
body to the heavenly influence by melting or evaporating it and destroying what
we would call the coarse outer appearance] after which the hidden gold appears
which has to be coagulated into a new body, and that would be the gold. As
you remember, gold is the form separated from the body. These three simple
operations are like making the quintessence of wine. AAI 45