A spagyric is a traditional form of plant preparation that emerged within 16th-century European alchemy.

The term was introduced by the physician and alchemist Paracelsus (Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus von Hohenheim), who described a method of separating and then reuniting a plant’s essential principles.

The word spagyric comes from two Greek roots: spao — to separate — and ageiro — to gather or bring back together. The process follows the old alchemical phrase solve et coagula — dissolve and recombine.

This isn’t a modern invention. It’s an old method of working with plants more completely.

In traditional spagyric philosophy, a plant was understood to express three principles:

Mercury — the volatile spirit, carried in the alcohol.

Sulphur — the aromatic and oil-bearing qualities that give the plant its distinct character.

Salt — the mineral body of the plant, revealed through calcination and purification.

These aren’t chemical categories in the modern scientific sense. They are a framework for understanding how life expresses itself through movement, aroma, and structure.

In practical terms, a tincture extracts what is soluble in alcohol. A spagyric continues beyond extraction.

After maceration, the remaining plant material is dried and reduced through controlled heat until only mineral ash remains. That ash is then leached, filtered, and purified to isolate its soluble mineral salts.

Those purified salts are reintroduced to the original extract in measured amounts. The preparation is then allowed to settle and integrate before bottling.

Most herbal extracts stop at separation. Spagyrics continue the process through purification and recombination.

For me, it’s simply a way of working that feels thorough and aligned with the integrity of the plant.