French with English translation Simplified English version Now Food of the Wise enters a circular room with walls made of ash and sandalwood . He sees a vine trunk with a pile of white, shining salt on top. Above this trunk is the picture shown at the start of this post, with a crowned white lion and a bunch of grapes resting on a salver that is being kept aloft by the smoke coming from a lit brazier. To his right and left are two doors which lead to very different places. One leads to a...

French with English translation Simplified English version Food of the Wise finds an oval-shaped steel tub which fills with clear water upon his arrival. There's also a fine white sand at the bottom, used to purify the water. The steel vessel is on three brass feet. Brass is copper (Venus) mixed with zinc and steel is iron (Mars) mixed with carbon, so we have both the masculine and the feminine here, though they may just be watered-down versions. On the side of the tub that faces the door...

French with English translation Simplified English version Our narrator, having just discovered the bird, altar, and torch, turns around to realize that he's been standing by a huge palace on the clouds this whole time! Four rows of columns rise at different heights, topped by a golden ball. In order, the columns are white, black, green, and red. While the artist in me can't stand this questionable decor choice, it's clear that this gaudy combination of colors is here for a reason. What can...