Alchemy teaches of three kinds of circulations occurring in three worlds: the outer Earthly, the Paradisiacal, and finally, the Celestial World. Mass concentrates in the outer World where the gross, corporal elements, Water and Earth, predominate. The subtle elements, Air and Fire, predominate in the paradisiacal and celestial World.
In the first World, the Earth is drowned in Noah's flood of sin and bottoms out into the ground. In the next World, the Earth is evaporated by the warm breeze, and the rainbow appears. In the third world, the Earth is purified by fire, crystallized, and coagulated. In each World, the Elements procede along their orbit: Water turns into Air, Air into Fire, Fire into Earth. The same order is also used for Reduction. Eventually this cycle repeats. The first World has seven circulations of Water. The second seven circulations of Air. The third seven circulations of Fire. The Latin scholar Morienus, who moved to Jerusalem from Rome, said that you find what you seek when you change the Water into Air, the Air into Fire, and the Fire into Earth. Ebner [sic] agrees with Hermes, saying: It come into Its full power when It turns to Earth, which must occur gradually and without damage, or else the Work is lost.
