gnation theory, that is found also in the ideas of
children.

Children think of the blowing in of air into the anus as a natural sexual
theory. I know several cases where this practice is carried out with
emphasis on the erotic under the pretense of "playing doctor." A child
once told what papa and mamma do when they are alone; they put their naked
backsides together and blow air into each other.

Another infantile theory explains impregnation by the swallowing of an
object. In myths and fairy lore this motive occurs with extraordinary
frequency. To the swallowing as conception, corresponds defecation as
parturition. Incidentally we should note that the bodies in the
philosophic egg turn actually into a rolling, stinking, black mass, which
is expressly called dung by many authors. The water is also called urine.
The prima materia is also called urine. In the philosophical egg the white
woman swallows the red man, man-eating motive. (Stucken.)

Liber Apocal. Hermetis (Cited by Hohler, p. 105 f.): "... Therefore the
philosophers have married this tender young maiden to Gabricus, to have
them procreate fruit, and when Gabricus sleeps he dies. The Beja [i.e.,
the white maiden] has swallowed him and consumed him because of her great
love."

Now as to the intra-uterine nourishment of the fetus by means of the water
of life:

Daustenius [Ros. vi.]: "... The fruit in the womb is nourished only by the
mother's blood." Id. (Ros. x):

"Without seeds no fruit can grow up for thee:
First the seed dies; then wilt thou see fruit.
In the stomach the food is cooked tender
From which the limbs draw the best to themselves.
When too the seed is poured into the womb
Then the womb stays right tenderly closed.
The menstruum does not fail the fruit for nourishment
Till it at the proper time comes to the light of day."

Later he says (Id., XI): "Lay the son by her that she suckle him." [The
water of life is therefore also the milk.]

The new king is born, and now he and his consort appear in priceless
garments (cf. Section 18 of the parable). The color change of the
substance is expressed by means of the change of garments, like peacock's
tail, rainbow. The process goes from black through gray to white, yellow,
red, purple.

The end is reached with purple. The wanderer at the end describes the
virtues of the philosopher's stone. We have already compared the great
elixir with soma. In the old alch