The process for making a homunculus, as described in historical alchemical texts, is more of a symbolic and ritualistic procedure than a literal scientific one. The most famous "recipe" comes from the 16th-century alchemist and physician Paracelsus in his work De Natura Rerum.
It is important to understand that many scholars believe these instructions were intended to be an allegory for a spiritual process of self-creation and inner transformation, not a physical experiment. However, when read literally, the recipe is as follows:
The Paracelsus Recipe
1. The Vessel and Ingredients: Take human semen and place it in a glass vessel known as a cucurbit (a type of retort used in distillation). The vessel must be hermetically sealed, meaning it is completely airtight.
2. Incubation: The sealed vessel is then to be buried in a pile of fermenting horse manure (venter equinus in Latin) for a period of 40 days. The manure provides a consistent, gentle warmth that simulates the temperature of the human body.
3. Animation: After 40 days, Paracelsus claims that the contents of the vessel will begin to show signs of life, moving and stirring. At this point, it will appear as a transparent, miniature human form.
4. Nourishment: For the next 40 weeks (the length of a human gestation period), the alchemist must carefully nourish the homunculus. This is done by feeding it with the "arcanum of human blood," which is a highly debated phrase. It is thought to refer to a specially prepared blood essence or a concentrated form of spiritual energy.
5. Growth: Throughout this period, the vessel must be kept at a constant temperature. If all the steps are followed correctly, the transparent form will grow into a "true and living infant," with all the members of a human child, though it will be much smaller.
The Symbolic Meaning
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