Atalanta Fugiens · 1618 · Emblem XVII
Orbita quadruplex hoc regit ignis opus.
A fourfold orbit of fire governs this work.
The fire is not one heat but four degrees, each suited to a stage. Too much, too soon, ruins the material.
What degree of heat does your situation need now?
Michael Maier, Atalanta Fugiens (Oppenheim, 1618). Engraving in the public domain. Motto transcribed from the 1618 edition; translation and reading by The Hermetic School. All the emblems.