The Christ-element in the Chemical-elements – the Salt Cross

by Rev. Michaël Merle, reported by John-Peter Gernaat

The substances under investigation are those that form the surface of the earth. This cross may be referred to as the Geospheric Cross. It represents processes of stability, solidity, form, holding and structure. These are salt-process processes. The constellations of the Zodiac that express themselves in these elements are Cancer, Aries, Capricorn and Libra. The mineral cross concerns itself with the minerals and substances that occur on the surface of the crust, not those that we unearth by mining them. Those substances that we unearth through mining are largely the metals which the Ancient Sumerian Culture identified as having been gifted to the earth by the mobile stars – by the planets.
  The Sun gifted gold
  The Moon gifted silver
  Mercury gifted mercury
  Venus gifted copper
  Mars gifted iron
  Jupiter gifted tin
  Saturn gifted lead

The gifts of the zodiac and the planets was multi-fold. The zodiac (as a whole)- gifted the earth with the silicate minerals. Silicon is the manifestation of the quality of one constellation of the zodiac: Aries. The silicates, as a gift from the whole zodiac, indicate to us that the zodiac, as understood by the Ancient Sumerians, works together in cooperation, the constellations do not work in isolation only. The spiritual beings who resonate with the constellations of the zodiac co-operated to form the silicate minerals. The twelve spiritually precious silicates are those twelve that formed the priestly breastplate and will form the foundations of the New Jerusalem. The basic silicate is quartz – silicon dioxide (SiO2) – and is the gift of Aries in co-operation with Aquarius and it requires the co-operation of the rest of the constellations of the zodiac to add the other elements that form the many other silicate minerals. As silicon dioxide is the basis for all the silicates it makes oxygen the most prevalent element on the surface of the earth, within the minerals, where it comprises 46.6% of the elements of the earth’s surface. Although oxygen belongs to the atmosphere it has been bound to the surface of the earth by silicon which gives a life-like quality to the surface of the earth. Oxygen is the element that facilitates the form of silicon. Silicon only forms structure because of its bonds with oxygen. The next most abundant elements on the surface of the earth, leaving out oxygen, are silicon at 27.7%, aluminium at 8.2% and calcium at 4.1%.

Phosphorus, the expression of Cancer, a fire-process element, is not abundant on the surface of the earth but it is lightly scattered throughout the surface of the earth like a sprinkling of pepper or spice into the mix one might say. It is more prolific in the soils of the earth’s surface rather than in the rock minerals of the surface of the earth. Phosphorus, like silicon, bonds with oxygen as the phosphate ion – phosphorus bonded to four oxygen atoms and carrying a three additional electrons (PO43-). The negative charge makes the phosphate ion ready to bond with other elements making it an interesting carrier.

Phosphorus is named from the Greek. Had we used a Latin name it would have been Luciferous, bringer of light.

The phosphate ion combines with potassium to form potassium phosphate (K3PO4) which enriches the soils. The phosphate ion also combines with calcium to form calcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2) which occurs in our bones and makes the carapace of the crab – the shell of the crab – Cancer, the crab.

Phosphorus occurs in minerals as apatite – Ca5(PO4)3(F/,Cl,/OH):

A crystal of naturally occurring apatite, unusual in size as apatite mostly occurs as very small gains within a rock.

Polished apatite from Brazil

As seen in the formula the basic apatite molecule combines with either fluorine to form fluorapatite, or with chlorine to form chlorapatite, or with a hydroxyl ion to form hydroxyapatite.
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Phosphorous is also given off in the decay of certain organic matter where it occurs as phosphine (PH3). Both elements are sulphur-process elements, elements that burn. When there are traces of diphosphane (P2H4) present this gas will burn spontaneously This forms a slightly luminescent pale green flame called will-o’-the-wisp that can be seen rising above some swamps.

Phosphorus is a bringer of light and it can operate like electricity by converting oxygen (O2) to ozone (O3): 3O2  2O3.

[Phosphorescence – the word phosphor was used in the Middle Ages to describe minerals that glow in the dark, before the element phosphorus was isolated and given the same name – is not necessarily linked to the presence of phosphorus. Scientifically it is a slightly lower level of light emission than luminescence. Zinc sulphide is a phosphorescent material, but phosphorus is also used as a coating to produce phosphorescence from objects. Some crystalline substances may form with an atom missing from their structure to trap electrons in the ‘hole’ that has been left, e.g. a missing oxygen in a zinc oxide structure. Heat can release the electron and when the electron falls back to its original energy state a photon of light is released. This makes the substance persistently phosphorescent.]

The glow of fireflies is a chemical reaction in which phosphate is present within the body of the firefly: when oxygen combines with calcium, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the chemical luciferin in the presence of luciferase, a bioluminescent enzyme, light is produced (Scientific American).

Phosphorus occurs in the body and calcium phosphate (CaPO2) in our bones. It is also part of a very important process. Proteins that carry phosphorus can form nerve cells. Our nerve cells are built as a result of the presence of phosphorus. Phosphorus as the bringer of light is connected to consciousness. Thus, our nerves are formed under the influence of consciousness.

Our nerves function between two other realities of the human body: between the bones and the skin. Phosphorus works with calcium in the bones and works with silica in the skin. Between skin and bone is the consciousness of our nerves.

Silicon, which is present in our skin, is connected with Aries, the Ram, where silicon occurs in the wool and in the horns. Silicon is an air-process, radiating out. In the earth, silicon predominantly occurs in the crust of the earth. Silicon is very much a surface element.

Missing from the discussion of the Mineral Cross has been aluminium. Aluminium is the expression of Capricorn, opposite to Cancer, they work in combination. Cancer is consciousness and Capricorn is balance. Aluminium does not occur in the body because balance is something the whole human being must achieve, not only the physical body. We create our own aluminium state through our soul process rather than achieving it from our physical body. Yet, although aluminium is toxic, there is 10 micrograms (10 µg, a millionth of a gram) of aluminium in our blood. The aluminium remains in the blood serum which does not clot, and therefore not really a part of us because we cannot clot it or hold it. (Dialysis results in the increase of the levels of aluminium in the blood, slowly poisoning the individual.)

Aluminium is interesting in the mineral world in its relationship between silicon and calcium. We mine a lot of aluminium, it is the second most mined mineral.

The mineral cross does exist in us, primarily in the skin, nerves and bone with the tiniest amount of aluminium present in, and important to the functioning of, the blood. The skin nerves and bone are the mineral part of us. Even our nerve cells are almost dead. Skin exfoliates because the outer layer consists of dead cells, the cytoplasm has been removed from these cells – thus we can say that we are shrouded in death. There is no quickening or mercury-process in these cells. The outer layer of skin is acidic with a pH of 5.5 which provides protection against bacteria.

Phosphorus is obtained from hard, mature cheeses and eggs. We need phosphorus to build new nerve cells. Nerve cells can be regenerated, despite an earlier belief that nerves are created only once.

The other three elements of the Mineral Cross have an interesting relationship to each other. These are silicon, calcium and aluminium.
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In Ethiopia there are eleven extraordinary churches carved into rock.

The church of St George in Lalibela, Ethiopia.

Legend has it that the king of Ethiopia, King Lalibela, visited the Holy Land in order to visit Jerusalem. When he found that Jerusalem had been conquered by Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub and was in the hands of the Saracens, he returned to Ethiopia and vowed to build a new Jerusalem where Christians could worship. He built these churches (presumably one for each of the faithful disciples) by carving down into solid rock.

The rock is a basic lava, which means that it was volcanic rock from deep within the earth that cooled rapidly in an explosive eruption trapping air within the lava. The result is a hard but light rock because of the cavities where the air was trapped. Being a basic rock it is high in calcium content. These lavas are almost 50% calcium. Silicon is present in these rocks and the relationship between the calcium and silicon is facilitated by aluminium.
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If you think these eleven churches of Lalibela are extraordinary, there are high mountain chapels that are visited daily by pilgrims. Rather than describe these chapels you are invited to watch this short video on the pilgrim’s route to one of the high chapels: 

The second most used substance by humanity after water is concrete. Concrete is made of calcium and silicon with aluminium present for the concrete to work.

Silicon is the manifestation of the quality of Aries and calcium is the manifestation of the quality of Libra. These constellations stand opposite to each other and offer very different impulses. (You may wish to note that the congregation in Johannesburg is served by an Aries priest and a Libran priest.) Capricorn exists between the constellations of Aries and Libra and provides balance that is manifested as aluminium.

Silicon comes to us from the ram. The gift of the ram to the ancient world was two-fold: the wool and the horns. Both the wool and the horn are an expression of silicon, both are hair which contains silicon. Both the wool and the horn ray out into the air. Silicon becomes present on the earth from stone meteorites called aerolites. Silicon fell to earth through the air in the formation of the earth. Silicon derives its name from the Latin silex or silicis, meaning “flint” or “hard stone”. This material was also used by humans to manufacture the first stone tools. Silicon as rock, also called quartz, is the element silicon bonded to two oxygens (SiO2)..

Concrete is made with sand which is silicate, mainly quartz (beach sand) and the cement part is made of calcium oxide. When the water is removed concrete becomes rock hard and this property is given to it by the calcium.

Silicon has a tremendous capacity for shaping. Early sponges (animal sea sponges) have a skeleton made of silica (SiO2). Sponges are mobile and can change shape. This flexibility is given to them by their silica skeleton. The animal skeleton is fixed and is only given mobility where it is jointed. The animal skeleton therefore consists of calcium phosphate with a hydroxyl ion.

Polycrystalline silicon is a wonderful semi-conductor and provides us with a pathway for communication. The silicate ion (SiO44-) which contain an additional four electrons dissolves into water to provide silicic acid (Si(OH)4) that is important to life in rivers and the ocean, giving these water bodies the ability to “shape” life. Silicon, an aerogen-process – a moving process, showed life how to shape itself and provided a model that calcium could mimic, and then perfect.

Silicon is present in our skin, hair and nails and also in our connective tissue, everything that helps to give us shape. Connective tissue helps to shape our organs.

Silicon has the ability to form a glass which it does in the form of asbestos, which is a hydrous magnesium silicate that forms a fibrous structure that, when inhaled, cuts human tissue, such as the lungs.

Silicon will become more valuable as it is an important component of solar panels.

How can we better see silicon as an aerogen? Firstly, it rained down onto the earth in aerolite meteorites. Secondly, take bird feathers and burn them and 77% of the ash is silicon. Silicon is strongly connected with air-processes. Science has learned that some common animals will not grow their bones without silicon being present. Whether this applies to all animals, and therefore humans, is not yet understood. Our health in terms of our silicon can be determined by our nails and their health. We ingest silicon form green beans, bananas, leafy greens, brown rice, oat cereals, lentils and lager beers.

Horsetails absorb a lot of silicon and were used in times past as pot scourers.

Calcium is the manifestation of Libra which is a geogen-process. The name is derived from the word calc meaning lime. This also gives the name to limestone which is predominantly calcium derived from animal life. The calcium that forms the shells of marine creatures is calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Our bones and teeth are composed of calcium hydroxyphosphate – (Ca5(OH)(PO4)3.
Calcium oxalate – CaC2O4(H2O)x – occurs in many plants so that it is easy for us to obtain calcium through our diet: cabbage, broccoli and onions, and also from egg yolks, almonds, cheddar cheese and milk chocolate (the combination of milk and cacao).

Calcium presents itself in nature as an ion (Ca2+) and has great affinity to bond. What it is attempting to do is to form – stable forms that are fixed.

The intake of fluorapatite or fluoroapatite is a way of rebuilding bone mass. We build bone mass up to the age of 35. Bone mass remains stable thereafter till 45 or 50 (depending on diet and lifestyle and on menopause in women) and then we begin to lose bone mass.

The silicon-process works from the circumference inwards while the calcium-process works from the inside out. This is beautifully described by Dr Hauschka. This can be seen in that silicon rained down onto the earth during its formation; coming from outside onto the earth. Calcium builds from the inside to provide a structure around us while silicon draws from the periphery to create a form.

Aries tend to draw from the periphery to create something while Librans prefer to start from a solid centre (the fixed centre point of the scales) and slowly work outwards. Both may achieve the same outcome, but the method is very different.

Our skin, which contains silicon, provides shape from the outside while calcium that occurs in our bones provides structure from within. Both are important to the form of the human being.

Aluminium, the manifestation of Capricorn, derives its name from the Latin ‘alumin’, which means ‘bitter salt’. It does an incredible job in nature balancing between calcium and silicon. Calcium is earthly and dry while silicon, ideally, is airy, heavenly, moist. Aluminium plays the role of a balancing bridge between ‘heaven’ and ‘earth’. Aluminum was the name for this element before the time of the American War of Independence. The name changed in Europe to aluminium while the Americans retained the name aluminum and remain adamant that the English were incorrect in adopting the new name.
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Aluminium is the second most mined substance and is essential in industry, our homes and in our transportation where it is used in metal tubing, window frames, cookware, engine parts, aeroplane parts, car body parts, cooking foil, etc. It is amazingly strong but lightweight (like the volcanic rock into which the Lalibela churches in Ethiopia are carved which has a well-balanced amount of aluminium in the mineral structure of the rock).

The quality of aluminium that makes it so very useful is that it operates in combination with oxygen – a biogen-process element (aluminium) working with another biogen-process element (oxygen) – to form a very thin film of aluminium oxide on the surface of the metal. This film is less than a micrometre (1μm) thick but this is sufficient to prevent the aluminium beneath reacting with water or air. Therefore aluminium does not corrode.

Human lifestyle has transformed to concrete and aluminium – concrete is calcium and silicon. The mineral structure of the earth predominates in our life today, instead of life - wood – which used to predominate in the structures made by human beings.

Aluminium forms the most beautiful gemstones that are aluminium-based without silicon present, such as sapphire and ruby. They are not silicates and therefore not a part of the gemstones that form the foundation of the New Jerusalem. Aluminium oxide combines with cobalt to form sapphire and with chromium to form ruby. Aluminium based gemstones are much harder than silicates.

Aluminium is very versatile. In the 1980s an aluminium foam was developed that is structurally strong and has very good insulation properties. It was used in the space shuttle. Aluminium was used to replace what silicon does in birds, giving structure and lightness. Aluminium is used in flocculation where aluminium sulphate (Al2(SO4)3) and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) are added to water to remove free aluminium from water by forming aluminium oxide, and removes bacteria.

The earth whereon we walk, when we exclude oxygen, is made of silicon, aluminium and calcium, in that order, with a light sprinkling of phosphorus throughout. Calcium expels water to harden, it binds rock-hard. Silicon holds water. Clay is high in silicon that holds water, calcium that expels water in order for it to dry rock-hard, and aluminium, in small amounts, to bridge the silicon and calcium. The more aluminium in clay the more plastic it will be and the harder it will bake when fired in a kiln. The idea of the human being, with skin, connective tissue and bone with the tiniest amount of aluminium in our blood, being formed from clay is an insightful picture.

The Mineral Cross or Salt-Process Cross is one of holding and structure. We, human beings, have mineralised the world in which we choose to live: our buildings, our cars, aeroplanes and more. We have drawn the mineral cross out of the earth and reshaped it as our home.