Alchemical symbols. Alchemy. Symbols and meanings Alchemical signs of the elements
Alchemy (Late Latin alchemia, alchimia, alchymia) goes back to the Greek chemaia from the Arabic cheo (pour, cast), which indicates the connection of alchemy with the art of smelting and casting metals. Another interpretation of the origin of the word “Alchemy” is from the Egyptian hieroglyph “khmi”, meaning black (fertile) earth, as opposed to barren sands. This hieroglyph represented Egypt, the place where alchemy, often called the "Egyptian art," may have originated. The term “alchemy” first appears in the manuscript of Julius Firmicus, a 4th century astrologer.
Splendor Solis, 1535
Alchemical manuscript
Bas-relief
tombs of Horemheb
Hermes Trismegistus
Medieval manuscript
Alchemists considered the most important task to be the transformation (transmutation) of base metals into noble (valuable), which was actually the main task of chemistry until the 16th century. This idea was based on the ideas of Greek philosophy that the material world consists of one or more “primary elements”, which under certain conditions can transform into each other. The task of medieval alchemists was to prepare two mysterious substances with the help of which the desired ennoblement (transmutation) of metals could be achieved.
The most important of these two drugs, which was supposed to have the property of turning not only silver into gold, but also such metals as lead, mercury, etc., was called the philosopher's stone, the red lion, the great elixir (from the Arabic al-iksir - the philosopher's stone). It has also been called the philosopher's egg, red tincture, panacea and elixir of life. This remedy was supposed to not only refine metals, but also serve as a universal medicine; its solution, the so-called golden drink, was supposed to heal all diseases, rejuvenate the old body and prolong life. Another mysterious remedy, already secondary in its properties, called the white lion, white tincture, had the ability to transform all base metals into silver.
Ancient Egypt is considered the birthplace of alchemy. Alchemists traced the beginning of their science to Hermes Trismegistus (aka the Egyptian god Thoth), and therefore the art of making gold was called hermetic. Alchemists sealed their vessels with a seal with the image of Hermes - hence the expression “hermetically sealed.” There was a legend that angels taught the art of turning “simple” metals into gold to earthly women with whom they married, as described in the Book of Genesis and the Book of the Prophet Enoch in the Bible. This art was expounded in a book called “Hema”. The Arab scientist al-Nadim (10th century) believed that the founder of alchemy was Hermes the Great, originally from Babylon, who settled in Egypt after the Babylonian Pandemonium. There were Greco-Egyptian, Arabic and Western European schools of alchemy.
The basis of all alchemical theories is the theory of the four elements. This theory was developed in detail by Greek philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. According to the teachings of Plato, the Universe was created by the Demiurge from spiritualized Primary Matter. From it he created the four elements: fire, water, air and earth. Aristotle added a fifth to the four elements - quintessence. It was these philosophers, in fact, who laid the foundation of what is commonly called alchemy.
The most important alchemical elements and signs
The triad of alchemists is sulfur, salt and mercury. A special feature of the theory of the unity of sulfur, mercury and salt was the idea of macrocosm and microcosm. That is, a person in it was considered as a world in miniature, as a reflection of the Cosmos with all its inherent qualities. Hence the meaning of the elements: Sulfur - Spirit, Mercury - Soul, Salt - body. Thus, both the Cosmos and man consist of the same elements - body, soul and spirit. If we compare this theory with the theory of the four elements, we can see that the Spirit corresponds to the element of fire, the Soul to the element of water and air, and Salt to the element earth.
Ouroboros from the book "The Philosopher's Stone"
Ouroboros symbol
Sulfur and mercury are considered as the father and mother of metals. When they combine, various metals are formed. Sulfur determines the variability and flammability of metals, and mercury causes hardness, ductility and shine. The idea of unity (all-unity) was inherent in all alchemical theories. Based on it, the alchemist began his Work with the search for the primary substance. The idea of the unity of all things was symbolically depicted in the form of ouroboros (gnostic serpent) - a snake devouring its own tail - a symbol of Eternity and all alchemical Work.
Alchemy, especially Western, is organically woven into the system of natural scientific knowledge and ideas of the Middle Ages. At the same time, one must be critical of the numerous manuscripts of charlatan alchemists, as well as the scholastic way of thinking characteristic of the Middle Ages, the dominance of magic and mysticism in science, which was reflected both in the language of alchemy and in its final results. However, the impossibility of “transmutation” of metals was clarified through experiment, during a futile search, only in the 16th century, at the time of the emergence of iatrochemistry, which, together with applied (technical) chemistry, led to the establishment of chemistry as a science by the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. The artificial production of gold or silver was simply a practical task for the science of that time. The initial theoretical premise of alchemy - the idea of the unified nature of matter and its universal convertibility - can hardly be called false.
Alchemy inextricably combined various manifestations of the creative activity of medieval man. In this regard, the allegorical nature of many alchemical treatises can be explained by the fact that they organically merged natural science and artistic ideas about the world (these are the alchemical poems of the classic of English literature of the 14th century, J. Chaucer, etc.). In addition, the activity of an alchemist is also a philosophical and theological creativity, and one in which both its pagan and Christian origins were manifested. That is why it turned out that where alchemy is Christianized (white magic), this type of activity is legalized by Christian ideology. Where alchemy appears in its pre-Christian quality (black magic), it is recognized as an unofficial, and therefore forbidden, activity. This largely explains the tragic fate of some European alchemists (for example, Roger Bacon, the alchemist Alexander Seton Cosmopolitan, etc.). Thus, European alchemy could combine a theoretician-experimentalist and a practical craftsman, a poet and an artist, a scholastic and a mystic, a theologian and a philosopher, a magician-warlock and a devout Christian. This view of alchemy allows us to understand it as a phenomenon that concentrated many features of the way of life of the Dark and Middle Ages.
This article examines in detail the basics of alchemy - the great counter-science of sciences, which, according to Carl Gustav Jung, was the forerunner of depth psychology. To understand alchemy, we first need to understand the historical context in which it existed.
The beginning of the Middle Ages. The Inquisition is raging throughout Europe, people are forcibly thrown into a state of schism (Christian dualism of spirit and matter is, in fact, a philosophy of schizophrenic schism, which has already shown its inferiority). Everything earthly, material, and sensual is given over to the devil’s competence and is postulated as an obstacle to salvation. All philosophical and religious teachings that adhere to other, healthier positions are destroyed as heresies (see my article on the Ophites). However, “in the unconscious” the need to compensate for the one-sided collective attitude remained, and alchemy became its hidden expression.
Alchemy, in contrast to Christianity, rushes into matter, towards metals and primary elements, in order to achieve salvation through their transubstantiation, while a Christian strives to escape from matter. The Christian directs his soul to God beyond the material, while the alchemist seeks the God hidden in matter. The God of the Christian is perfect, and salvation is achieved through turning to perfection - the God of the alchemists needs man as a liberator from the shackles of the elements. A similar idea had already been found in some Gnostic views, as well as in the system of Kabbalists, and at that time it was reborn from the collective unconscious. Jung cites numerous alchemical parallels in the symbolism of Christ and the philosophers' stone (otherwise known as the "son of the philosophers"). Even the very name “philosopher’s STONE” points to Christ, who in the gospel allegories is called “the stone rejected by the builders, but which became the cornerstone.” Also common allegories of Christ and stone are the pelican, unicorn, etc. Anyone interested in this issue more deeply should read Jung's work Psychology and Alchemy.
However, there is an important difference: while Christ after the ascension is identified only with the spiritual world, the "philosopher's stone" is both spiritual and material, i.e. born from the lowest "prima matter". By the way, again, some alchemists drew a parallel between Christ, born in a manger in a very ignoble environment, with the philosopher’s stone, which is created from the lowest, primary matter, “the darkness of Egypt,” becoming, as a result of alchemical manipulations, the king of kings and the God of Gods. Such parallels, of course, are not accidental and have the deepest psychological significance. The unconscious, not being able to directly compensate for the one-sidedness of the Christian medieval myth, compensated for it indirectly through the rich and complex symbolic series of alchemy, the meaning of which the alchemists themselves, for the most part, had no idea!
The question arises: how is this possible? How can it be that a person, being the bearer of any ideas and views, does not know the meaning of what he preaches and does?
Jung stated more than once: “The trouble with the alchemists is that they did not know what they were saying.” This paradox can only be understood in the context of the teaching of archetypes, which are present whether we are aware of their meaning or not.
Not everyone is capable of directly perceiving psychic reality. For the vast majority, the mechanism of psychological projection works, when one’s own psychological process is attributed to an object whose properties are still unknown.
In alchemical problems, this mechanism is very complex, since there is a relation to a very deep layer of the “collective unconscious”, the eternal archetypal forces of which will always remain a secret of mysteries for a person. Archetypes are activated in special situations - this could be a spiritual crisis or psychotic break, intense spiritual practice or prolonged solitude. The alchemist in this regard was an ideal subject: having left society for his laboratory (where people, out of superstitious fear, preferred not to look), he found himself alone with his unconscious. There is no doubt that prolonged solitude contributed to its activation. Dealing with metals and elements, he did not have scientific knowledge about them, and therefore they turned out to be an ideal “screen” for the projection of the contents of the unconscious.
Thus, in studying alchemy, we first explore the unconscious archetypal aspects of the psyche that were projected onto them. In this respect, alchemy is related to astrology. Just as an astrologer projects his mental processes not into the stars, and, having good contact with the collective unconscious, can quite accurately predict the future (sincerely thinking that he is reading the stars), the alchemist projects archetypes onto metals and elements, being completely convinced that works with pure matter, but in fact manipulates aspects of his own psyche, projected onto the same matter.
Conclusion? Being the least dependent on the collective myth and the most open to the influences of the collective unconscious, the alchemist turned out to be an ideal object for perceiving the need for healing compensation for a one-sided religious myth. Alchemy, without knowing it, becomes the sole heir of Gnosticism and the forerunner of depth psychology. By postulating the creation of God through a great work from ignoble primordial matter (which ultimately becomes the stone of stones, the “third son”, resolving the age-old conflict of spirit and matter), alchemy turns, if you like, into the noble queen of all heresies, prudently masquerading as a banal gold miner ! Few people paid attention to G. Dorn’s statement that “... our gold is not the gold of the mob,” although this statement hides the true truth of alchemy.
Below is a rough interpretation of alchemical symbolism in the context of depth psychology.
LEAD
An ignoble primary matter, it, as the heaviest of metals, became a symbol of powerful inertia, and the danger of being poisoned by lead fumes during smelting created the belief that a demon was certainly present in lead. (Such thinking is quite natural for medieval mystical participation, when the line between external and internal was not drawn). Psychologically, lead corresponds to initial uroboric unconsciousness or a state of severe depression. Even in modern language there are expressions such as “lead fatigue” or “lead melancholy” - extreme degrees of negativity. For an alchemist, as for anyone dealing with archetypal energies, there was a serious danger of going crazy, becoming possessed by an archetype, which in the language of alchemical allegories meant “falling into the power of demonic lead.”
However, it is from this worst substance that the master, through complex manipulations, creates the “philosopher’s stone” - the essence, the ultimate, highest integrity, the self. Jung viewed neurosis as an opportunity for potential growth, following the alchemical thesis "...where there is disease, there is a cure." The Christian thesis that God is revealed through suffering is filled with a special, secret meaning in alchemy.
MERCURY
For a person of medieval mentality, mercury was the exponent of Mercury - the highest and lowest God at the same time. Why? For alchemists, mercury is the embodiment of a paradox: it simultaneously behaves like a metal and like water. In addition, the ability of mercury to evaporate on its own made it, in the eyes of an initiated adept, a material embodiment of the spirit. For a modern, developed personality, such analogies look somewhat strange, but we should not forget the fact that medieval man did not have scientific knowledge, and therefore metals, being something completely incomprehensible, were an ideal screen for any psychological projections. Here are the psycho-properties of mercury:
“-it consists of all conceivable opposites. A pronounced duality, which is constantly called unity;
It is material and spiritual;
She personifies the process of transforming the lower into the higher and vice versa;
She is, one might say, the devil, a savior and a psychopomp, an elusive trickster; finally, the reflection of God in mother nature;
It is also a mirror image of the mystical experience of the alchemist, which coincides with the opus alchymicum; “...as such an experience it represents, on the one hand, the Self, on the other, the individuation process, and also (due to the unlimitedness of its definitions) the collective unconscious.” (C. Jung "The Spirit of Mercury")
Considering the above quoted text, we must understand that the mercury aspect of Mercury is very contradictory and often manifests itself in any metal. This creates considerable confusion for the interpreter, however, speaking directly about mercury, most often the paradoxicality, inconsistency, and creative irrationality of the unconscious itself are emphasized. Mercury begins to literally flood our dreams like a river and turns on a special imagination when we are required to abandon our rationalism and hear what is called “the clap of one palm,” the sound of which will open the soul for healing transformation.
In addition, Mercury has an androgynous nature and in the male psyche, as a rule, manifests itself from the feminine side, as an anima, and in the female psyche it is the bearer of the male (masculine) principle as an animus.
In addition, mercury is chemically related to silver, and Mercury is equally related to the Moon, the great Goddess. Mercury (aka Hermes) is the essence, the basis of all alchemical art. Mercury paradoxically embodies the beginning and end of a great undertaking, a mentor, a guide and at the same time a trickster, an adversary and a fugitive. “We can equate the concept of Mercury with the concept of the unconscious,” Jung wrote. It is no coincidence that in alchemical texts there are a huge number of obvious and hidden parallels between Christ and Mercury, each of which represents the archetype of the Self.
SULFUR
Sulfur in alchemy symbolizes the active male substance embodied in matter. She is a pure type of dynamism. Like any substrate, in alchemy it has ambivalent properties: in the positive aspect it represents the fire of the sun, the light of consciousness, in the negative it is identified with the devil, hellish brimstone, with passions and lusts of all stripes. Marie-Louise von Franz suggests that the association of sulfur with the Devil and hell first arose with a monk who was experiencing sexual temptation and experiencing unbridled energy that seemed to burn to the ground - such a person could easily draw an analogy with highly flammable sulfur!
Sulfur is also associated with the substance of the Solar "redness" and therefore represents the principle of consciousness. "Sulfur represents the active substance of the sun, or, in psychological terms, the factor of motive in consciousness - on the one hand, will, which is best considered as dynamism subordinate to consciousness, and on the other hand, irresistible attraction, involuntary motivation or impulse, starting with simple interest and ending with real obsession." (Jung, MYSTERIUM CONIUNCTIONIS, par no. 151).
SALT
Salt represents the opposite of sulfur and is associated with the feminine, static principle. Like any object in alchemy, it has dual properties, forming a dialectical pair. Salt has long been associated with wisdom. This analogy of comparing the feminine principle with the deep mind is as old as the world - even among the Gnostics, Sophia was identified with the wisdom of God. Parallels can be found in Vajrayana Buddhism, where the feminine principle is associated with wisdom, and the masculine principle with mastery.
The opposite property of salt for alchemists was its bitterness, which once again confirms the paradoxical nature of alchemical thinking, for “...where there is bitterness, there is no wisdom, and where there is wisdom, there can be no bitterness” (Jung, MYSTERIUM CONIUNCTIONIS, par No. 330 ). In addition, salt, as having the property of a preservative, is correlated with the acquisition of immortality, since “salting the body” is a metaphor for acquiring an incorruptible body. However, salt at the same time defines the body as ordinary, perishable matter. Jung explained such contradictions by the fact that, unlike the “ego”, which clearly knows its limits, “the boundaries of the archetype are blurred and can be violated by other archetypes, so that there can be an exchange of certain qualities” (Jung, “MS”, par No. 660).
Jung identifies the alchemical triad (salt, mercury, sulfur) as an archetypal trinity found in Egyptian culture. Thus, sulfur represents the masculine principle, salt the feminine, and mercury the androgynous, uniting opposites together.
STAGES OF A GREAT WORK
PRIMARY SEPARATION, the first stage of the great work begins with initial unconsciousness, when consciousness is at a very low, primitive level (the mystery of unification cannot arise unless separation occurs). The spirit (sulfur), soul (mercury) and body (salt) at the first stage are in a state of undivided unity, where the spirit is subordinate to the soul, and the soul to the body.
Hence, the first priority is the liberation of the soul from the power of matter: “...separation means the extraction of the soul and its projections from the carnal sphere and from all conditions of the environment surrounding the body. In other words, it means introversion, introspection, meditation and a careful examination of desires and their motives” (Jung , MYSTERIUM CONIUNCTIONIS, par. No. 673). That is, psychologically, the stage of liberation of the soul from the shackles of matter corresponds to the withdrawal of projections from the external world and their recognition as internal content.
Alchemists advise placing "Mercury in a sealed vessel and heating until transformation occurs." Psychologically, heating corresponds to close attention and observation, and sealing in a vessel corresponds to the extraction of projections from the object. Since we initially equated the concept of Mercury with the concept of the unconscious, the prescription is: "Take the unconscious in its most appropriate form (say, in the form of a spontaneous fantasy, a dream, a strong emotion) and operate with it. Give it special attention, concentrate on it and keep an objective eye on it." changes occurring. Dedicate all your strength to solving this problem, carefully observe the process of transformation of spontaneous fantasy. The most important thing: do not allow anything from the outside world to get into it, because it already has everything it needs" (Jung, MYSTERIUM CONIUNCTIONIS, par. No. 749).
This short passage contains the whole principle of psychotherapy, the whole secret of healing and liberation. The psychologist does not bring anything new, he only teaches the analysand to see his mental complexes and not project them outside. And the change, if all necessary conditions are met, will not keep you waiting long. In dreams at this stage there are motives of struggle, confrontation, persecution, visions of fire may appear, which marks a strong tension of consciousness. Therefore, the main task is not to slip back into an unconscious state of unconscious opposites and learn to understand your projections.
CONIUNCTIO, the second stage is the process of merging consciousness and unconsciousness. If at first the main object of recognition were the shadow parts, which must be observed as if from the outside, impartially monitoring their transformation in a sealed flask, then this stage implies a meeting with the anima.
At the level of "Coniunctio" there is a flight into the unconscious (catalyzed by anima) and merging with shadow energies. The coniunctio in alchemy is symbolized by the sacred marriage of the royal couple of the Sun and Moon, Christ and the church. Also among the symbols of coniunctio are the motives of consuming or eating like like: “An individual must come to the Last Supper with himself; this means that he recognizes in himself the existence of another person. But if he persists in his one-sidedness, then two lions will tear each other to pieces."
This stage poses a certain danger for the “ego”, since consciousness is threatened with complete disappearance, dissolution in the sea of the unconscious. An incorrect, unsuccessful coniunctio threatens madness. Therefore, the greatest caution is necessary during the passage of this stage. The main task of the analyst is to prepare the individual for a decisive and complete transformation. Here dreams abound with motifs of marriage, dissolution, flights into darkness, identification with unacceptable parts. Conclusion: you need to be able to “let go” of yourself and not interfere with the natural process of transformation.
NIGREDO. The Nigredo stage, as a rule, follows coniuctio, when the fusion of the ego with unconscious complexes has occurred; now both of them in their former form die and disintegrate. Nigredo is the level of death, decay and complete loss of any support; he is characterized by severe depression, sometimes with suicidal desires. It seems as if, where the “I” used to be, a black hole has opened, which absorbs everything and everyone. Any attempts to hold on to the old cause even greater suffering.
The worst thing here is the subjective feeling that now this will never end. Hence, assurance is necessary that such a state is temporary and is a necessary step on the path to higher self-awareness. "Disintegration is the precondition of redemption. The participant in the mystery must experience figurative death in order to achieve transformation" (Jung, MYSTERIUM CONIUNCTIONIS, par. no. 381). In Tibetan Buddhism, at high levels, the practice of “ched” was given, the essence of which is that the practitioner went to the cemetery at night and imagined that hungry ghosts were flying from everywhere and dismembering the adept." As far as I know, this practice is considered the most dangerous of all the practices of Tibet and is recommended only for very well prepared individuals.It can be said that the practitioner of "ched" consciously induces in himself the most powerful state of Nigredo in order to speed up the process of transformation.
As for dreams, they abound with gloomy motives of decay; Claustrophobic locked rooms, dismemberment, crucifixion, castration, falling into the mud are typical. The completion of Nigredo usually marks the appearance in dreams of the mandala motif of quaternary, holistic structures, the experience of which is perceived as sacred.
NEW BIRTH (ANDROGYN), completion stage. The opposites are united in a new “I”, which carries within itself the features of each of the conflicting substances, but is neither one nor the other. This is the level of completion of the great work, corresponding to contact with the unus mundus (one mind). There is an experience of total unity: “...if such opposites as spirit and matter, consciousness and the unconscious, light and darkness, and so on are to unite, then the union will occur in a third thing, which is not a compromise, but a new transcendental being that can be described only through paradoxes" (Jung, MYSTERIUM CONIUNCTIONIS, par. No. 765).
Mercury here becomes the embodiment of the Self, ultimate integrity, unity with being. Now latent parapsychological abilities can be activated, many synchronistic coincidences occur: "...if the symbolism of the mandala is the psychological equivalent of the unus mundus, then synchronicity is its parapsychological equivalent. Although synchronistic phenomena occur in time and space, they demonstrate a remarkable independence from both of these indispensable determinants of physical existence and therefore do not obey the law of causality" (ibid., par. No. 662).
Dreams during this period are associated with the birth of a child, symbols of the fourfold and mandala. The final task: accept changes with gratitude and try, if possible, to avoid identification with the Self, because any inflationary tendencies subsequently bring serious problems.
A FEW GENERAL REMARKS
Since development has a cyclical form, the same stages can be played out many times, and on different scales. Above, an archetypal process was described that captures the entire conscious and unconscious psyche (in such conditions, the process, as a rule, occurs in the “mid-crisis”, that is, from 35 to 40 years). However, we must not forget about small coordinates, for example, if we are talking about the integration of a relatively weakly energetically charged autonomous mental complex. The very structure of the stages of integration will remain approximately the same, but, say, Nigredo will not be an all-consuming melancholy, but a mild depression, and the finale will, accordingly, not be a cosmic ecstasy of unity, but simply a pleasant experience. Here we can see most clearly how knowledge of alchemy helps in dream analysis.
MAIN POINTS
1) Alchemy represented a compensation for the one-sided Christian position, turning its attention to matter, looking for the spirit in it. Christianity, on the contrary, tries to discard matter in the name of spirit;
2) The substances with which the alchemist works are different components of the “psyche”;
3) The main theme of the alchemical quest is the creation of the “philosopher’s stone,” which is the unshakable Self, Christ-Mercury, where opposites are united;
4) Opposites in need of unification were symbolized chemically (salt-sulfur); zoomorphic (snake-bird; winged and wingless bird); anthropomorphic (king and queen, Adam and Eve); astrologically (Sun-Moon); in connection with the elements (fire-water, air-earth). Psychologically, this corresponds to the unification of consciousness and unconsciousness in the Self - “a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.”
5) The unification of opposites, contrary to the Christian “ascent to heaven,” among alchemists always began with a descent into matter, where annihilation and disintegration into atoms occurred, followed by albedo i.e. cleansing and resurrection in a new quality.
6) The complexity and inconsistency of alchemical texts is due to the fact that the alchemists themselves did not know what they were talking about, and were objects, not subjects, of the “Great Work”. No person of medieval mentality could withstand the conscious perception of the idea of the dark side of God.
7) Symbols of alchemy are often found in the dreams and fantasies of people who are not familiar with our subject, which is why knowledge of alchemy is necessary when working analytically with dreams. Alchemical stages occur on different scales throughout human existence, but are especially relevant in the “midlife crisis.”
ILLUSTRATION No. 1. Below are two illustrations of how alchemical symbols are produced in the "unconscious" of modern people. The first example I give is from my own experience. In early childhood (at about 13 years old) I had a dream that I always remembered and only much later learned that it had to do with the collective unconscious and was directly related to alchemical symbolism. Here is his description:
"I'm walking around Moscow and go to a cinema. They're showing a film about God. I enter the hall - the action immediately begins on the screen. Instantly, I kind of stop being myself and become this action. Its essence is this: some ideal God is in his world where he can do everything. The only thing he cannot do is play with the crow, which is in the center of the world. God changes the whole world with the power of thought, but does not touch the crow. Then, feeling that he is missing something, he begins pity this crow, "unchanging in the changing." God finally turns his thoughts to her, and just at that moment something happens. He is sucked into the crow, and I see (or does he?) - unfortunately, there is no adequate way to describe it impossible) - how this ideal God disintegrates into molecules and atoms. Certain levels pass in succession before my eyes, I realize that perfection has collapsed “below the level of hell,” and in some incomprehensible way I am “him” and “not-him” at the same time A click before my eyes - I again find myself in the cinema. Leaving the hall, a dying world appears before me - and at the same time, everything seems to remain the same. I am overcome with sadness and sorrow. I tell myself: the main thing is not to cry! Then a friend of mine comes up and asks: “Have you seen the film?” I answer in the affirmative, to which she remarks: “It’s strange that you don’t cry - after all, the whole world is crying after seeing this tragedy!” This is where the dream ends.
AMPLIFIATION. The beginning and end of a dream are related to the personal unconscious, so they need not be touched upon. The main part is important, the action that takes place in the cinema, because this is a rather complex archetypal drama. The archetype of “violation of a sacred prohibition” is present in almost all myths, but here it appears from a somewhat unusual perspective - the main character is not man, but God. Which directly points to the ancient alchemical wisdom: “As above, so below.” Here there is a direct parallel with the Gnostic view of “the spark of God flying into matter and dissolving in it.” In this dream, the alchemical myth of Gabritius, rushing into the arms of Beya and dissolving in her, is played out almost verbatim. Beyya in this myth represented primary matter that underwent transformation. The Crow (one of the most popular allegories of the Devil in medieval scholasticism) among the alchemists symbolized the same primary matter and the stage of Nigredo. Anyone who has carefully read the article will easily recognize in the above dream the stage of Coniunctio, which smoothly and naturally turns into Nigredo. An attentive reader may ask: if such scales are characteristic, first of all, of a midlife crisis, then why was such a process activated in a 13-year-old child, and in all its archetypal grandeur? However, we should not forget that in psychology (unlike other sciences) there are no immutable laws, but only trends. And in this case we are dealing with an exception that occurs from time to time. Such rare archetypal breakthroughs occur if the psyche is for some reason very unbalanced and therefore open to all the “winds” of the collective unconscious. In its endless reserve, the individual ego finds solutions to problems that cannot be solved by conscious effort alone.
ILLUSTRATION No. 2. The following short dream belongs to a woman who has been undergoing psychological analysis for a long time. Its main problem is perfectionism and hyper-rationalism, the strict criteria of which did not allow one to experience the unconscious in all its paradoxical and antinomy. The dream marked a key turning point in the analysis. “I’m at home, I see my son breaking a thermometer and mercury spilling all over the floor. There’s more and more mercury.” I think that this dream is quite clear to anyone who has read this article, so I will not repeat the amplification.
Alchemy has been around for over 2000 years. During this long period, mysterious science went through periods of revival and extinction. The modern world has received spiritual experience in the form of valuable alchemical symbols. At first they were used to designate individual chemical elements. Now the signs of alchemy not only characterize an object, but also reveal its true meaning. Through them, a person comes to a true understanding of the world and his purpose in it.
Concept
To unravel alchemical symbolism, you must first become familiar with the theory. You can understand alchemy by changing your worldview and habitual thinking. This process is quite long and labor-intensive. Scientists have devoted energy and effort to the study of alchemy for many centuries. According to legend, the mysterious science was discovered by Hermes Trismegistus. Its principles were understood by the Chaldeans, Babylonians, and Phoenicians; practiced it in Greece and Rome. And among the Egyptians, alchemy was the main science.
Since ancient times, alchemists tried to turn mercury and lead into noble gold and searched for the philosopher's stone. It was believed that it was the basis for preparing the “elixir of youth”, which could cure any ailment.
In the modern world, alchemy is considered as a philosophical doctrine of the transformation of various substances into each other. The alchemist has a keen sense of nature; he applies internal and external practices, tries to change himself and the world around him in order to achieve harmony and perfection.
The signs of alchemy are the basis of science. Symbolic designations of objects are the path to revealing their true meanings.
4 elements
This theory is the basis of alchemy. It was developed and described in detail by the Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle.
It says: the creator of the Universe is the Demiurge. He created it from primary spiritualized matter, from which, in turn, 4 basic elements appeared: fire, air, earth and water. Plato wrote about this more than once. Aristotle added one more element to the teaching - the fifth - quintessence.
All subsequent theories were built on the basis of the primary teachings of Greek philosophers. Only new signs of alchemy were added to the already existing elements. And their meaning was subsequently deciphered.
Problem with no solution
An unusual geometric figure is often found in historical cultural compositions. Squaring a circle is a mathematical problem that has no solution. And that's why. In a circle with area “x”, you need to build a square with the same area “x”.
Jung described this symbol this way. According to his philosophical beliefs, a square represents the smallest composite number "4". It symbolizes the mental state of a person who is deprived of internal balance. The circle, on the contrary, personifies spiritual wealth and inner harmony. Intersecting, two geometric figures form an octagon. And he, in turn, is a symbol of the four elements: earth, water, air and fire. This symbolism underlies some Christian elements.
The squaring of a circle in Buddhism has a different meaning. The square and circle there symbolize opposites connected to each other: heaven and earth, Yin and Yang, sun and moon.
According to Chinese philosophy, the corners of a square represent the seasons and parts of the world. Together with the circle, it forms the number 5, which is sacred to the Chinese.
In Ancient Greece, some temples were built in the shape of a circle with a square base. Among them is Philippeion (Olympia). A similar combination is found in Jerusalem - the temple-altar of Solomon.
Alchemy Symbol Analysis
There are rules here. The signs of alchemy are analyzed in a certain sequence.
- The type of the symbol is determined. It can be simple (one figure) or complex (several figures).
- Complex symbols are broken down into simple components.
- Their position is analyzed.
- The main plot idea stands out.
The resulting picture is deciphered. To do this, alchemists use intellectual intuition, which is developed during research.
Example: there is a symbol - Leo, which absorbs the Sun. We analyze it according to the above rules.
- The symbol is complex.
- We divide it into simple elements - Leo and Sun.
- Let's analyze: the sun represents gold, the lion represents mercury metal. The daylight is located on the right side, and the predatory beast is on the left.
- Let us highlight the main idea of the plot: The lion eats the Sun - mercury absorbs gold. That is, the alchemical element shows the process of dissolving gold with mercury.
Alchemy Stone
In mysterious science, much is indicated by symbols, ciphers and codes. Among them is the alchemical stone, which is also called the “philosopher’s stone”. Alchemists said that it can be obtained from sophic Mercury, which is considered the primary matter of metals.
The Moon is silver and Mars is iron. The metal is hidden in an ore called Mercury. A metal component is released from it - Regulos. When star-type crystals are found on its surface, the result is the stellar regulos of Mars. All this is difficult for modern people to understand. But alchemy has always been distinguished by its versatility and mystery.
In fact, alchemical treatises are encrypted. Their translation opens up reasonable explanations for certain chemical processes for scientists. For example, the cold dragon crawling out of a cave described in one of the alchemical treatises turned out to be a code for a crystalline substance that often forms on cave walls. And the alchemical (philosopher's) stone is a substance that transforms base metals into noble ones.
John Dee's Hieroglyphic Monad
The work received its name in honor of the outstanding mathematician, astrologer and astronomer. His name is John Dee. It was he who created a mysterious treatise revealing the language of alchemical symbols. John Dee's hieroglyphic monad is based on the cross of the Ankh, which contains the symbols of the alchemical planets:
- zodiac sign Aries;
- a cross representing the 4 main elements;
- Sun;
- crescent.
The monad symbolizes the unit, the one, the whole. She personifies the primary movement of the Abyss and the emergence of the highest Mind, or God.
Alchemical symbols and compounds
Christianity does not recognize alchemy. In ancient times, this science was called a heretical craft. Alchemists were sentenced to death or tortured. But still the mysterious teaching continued to exist; alchemical theories formed the basis of many scientific discoveries.
Let us highlight the main alchemical compounds:
- Abracadabra. The magic formula appeared in the 1st century. n. e. Traditionally, it has been represented by sound vibrations that lift a person into an unearthly state or trance. The formula is pronounced according to the principle of “disappearance” - the full name gradually reaches one letter. Some people buy amulets in the form of a pendulum of the same name. It is believed that “Abracadabra” cleanses and removes evil energies and diseases.
- Aleph. The most ancient alchemical symbol, formed by the combination of Kabbalah with the “secret Tradition”. It represents the spiritual root of any harmony.
- Caduceus. The symbol is a rod, around which two snakes (poisonous and healing) and wings are intertwined, symbolizing the ability to “fly” any boundaries.
- Ergon. The alchemical symbol is made in the shape of an eye. It represents the right eye looking into eternity.
Earth sign
It is represented as an upside down triangle. The pointed end of the three-headed geometric figure faces down. The triangle is the sign of the earth. Alchemy personifies it with another element codenamed "Salt". It symbolizes the human body.
Gold Sign
Alchemical symbols reveal the sacred meanings of the mysteries. They are also a means of knowing the truth and transmitters of mystical experience.
The sign of gold in alchemy is represented as a circle with a dot in the center. The symbol also denotes the sun, resurrection, and a great deed. He is often depicted on amulets and talismans. The sun gives strength, energy, vitality. “Solar” amulets endow their owner with positive energy and vitality.
Symbolism
Alchemy is built on mysterious symbols and codes. Signs and symbols are numerous here. But among them there are key elements that have been used by many philosophers since ancient times.
Sulfur or sulfur represents the masculine principle.
Mercury or mercury is the feminine principle.
Salt is a material substance formed by the union of mercury and sulfur. The element represents the human body.
The development path includes 3 stages: nigredo (black), albedo (white), rubedo (red).
Nigredo is the initial stage. It is characterized by denial, separation, separation. It corresponds to sulfate combustion. At the nigredo stage, novice alchemists get rid of the collective thinking that is imposed by society. A person frees himself from external values through a break. This is difficult, but necessary to comprehend the highest secrets of the Universe (adept). In religious practices, this stage corresponds to hermitage. During this period, people are initiated into shamans. The main thing is not to remain at this stage, but to smoothly move to the next level. Otherwise, a person will face madness.
Albedo is the second stage. It is compared to climbing. A person, like a small sprout, tries to break through the black soil. The air element also opens here.
Rubedo is the final and most difficult stage on the path to becoming an adept. Its symbols are rose and fire. A person becomes like a scarlet fragrant flower. This state is called adept.
And it all ends in silence.
The key point of alchemy is the similarity between the external world and the internal. A person must realize that the philosopher's stone is located within, and is not just created from the outside. Without this understanding, it is impossible to comprehend the meaning and true meaning of alchemy.
Main rules
The signs of alchemy are sometimes extremely difficult to understand and explain. It takes a lot of time to understand magical science and comprehend all its secrets. Famous alchemical philosophers have identified the basic rules that should be followed by everyone who wants to unravel the mysteries of the Universe.
- Do not break silence so as not to expose yourself and your business to danger.
- You need to be serious about choosing a place to work. It should not only be comfortable, but also not flashy in appearance.
- Any business should start and finish on time. You need to work slowly, but excessive slowness will not bring the desired result.
- You need to learn patience. Any business should be started and continued patiently and diligently. The desire to take a break is a sign of future defeat.
- You need to be a professional: know your business well. Knowledge requires constant perfection.
- During the work process, only clean materials and substances must be used.
- The Great Deed should not be started without self-confidence and a supply of necessary funds. Otherwise, the activity will lead to defeat and professional failure.
The One is the root cause that gives birth to any thing. Everything earthly exists in the One, flowing from it. Alchemists have been trying to convey this important truth to people for centuries.
Signs of alchemy and their meaning. Basic alchemical symbols - all the secrets of esotericism on our website website
Alchemical symbols and signs
THE REASON FOR THE BLACKING OF THE MEANING OF THE HERMETIC TREATURES
The Hermetic treatises are obscure to the reader: firstly because the readers are usually not familiar with alchemical theories; then, and especially because philosophers deliberately obscured them. They looked at Alchemy as the highest science."Alchemy is the art of arts, it is true science" , Kalid cried enthusiastically in The Book of Three Words. Such a science should be known, in their opinion, only to a small number of adherents. Can they be blamed for this? Now this view seems exaggerated to us, but in ancient times the mysteries served to convey certain laws of Nature and the rules of philosophy. In the Middle Ages, corporations of artisans had practical secrets that no member of the corporation would dare expose. The preparation of certain paints constituted a precious heritage that great artists passed on to their beloved students. While scientists did not hesitate to sell solutions to intricate problems, the Hermetic philosophers hid their science and did not sell it to anyone. When they came across a neophyte worthy of initiation, they showed him the way, without revealing everything at once. They demanded that he achieve it himself, and only guided him and corrected him: one indicated the composition of the matter of the Great Work, the other - degrees of heat, the order of color taken by the composition, the structure of the chemical furnace - athanor; but there was not a single complete description of the entire Great Work, since they believed that for this they could incur heavenly punishment - instant death.“I cannot imagine the possibility of writing this in understandable Latin, since God would immediately punish me,” says Nicola Flamel in his discussion of Abraham the Jew (“Hieroglyphic Figures”).
As for the accusation that the alchemists were accused of obscuring the meaning and symbolism that overzealous theologians could level at them, it seems to me that the symbols and strange figures that fill their writings could serve better to accuse them of Magic. Roger Bacon, Albertus Magnus, Arnold of Villanova - did not escape accusations of Magic and godlessness. Meanwhile, the alchemists were very devout: in the scriptures one constantly comes across appeals to God. They divided their time between study, work and prayer. Some even thought that people received the secret of making the Philosopher's Stone from God himself.
It’s good that alchemical treatises are not all as dark as the “Concord of Philosophers” (“Turba philosophorum”). And they can be understood and distinguished between true and false, with a little skill. For those who would like to delve deeper into the study of Hermetic Philosophy, we recommend paying attention to the treatises of Albertus Magnus, Roger Bacon, Bernard of Trevisan, Jean D'Espanier, Nicolas Flamel, Hyginus of Barma, Heinrich Kunrath, Raymond Lull, Paracelsus, Eugenius Philalethes, John Ripley, Michael Sendivogius, Basil Valentin, Arnold of Villanova and Denis Zacher; and from anonymous works: "Texte d" Alchymie" and "La Tourbe des philosophes".
MEANS OF CONCEALING THE WAY OF GREAT WORKS
Alchemical signs
Before explaining the signs and symbols relating to the Great Work, we will indicate what means were used by alchemists to hide the science of the Sacred Stone from the profane. First of all, signs are installed. They appeared along with Alchemy. The Greeks were the first to introduce them, receiving their science from the Egyptians, where it was depicted using hieroglyphs. The sign of water is the same with the hieroglyph of water, like others, for example, gold and silver (Hoeffer's History of Chemistry, Volume I and Berthelot's Origin of Alchemy). Alchemical signs are very numerous, in some treatises, for example, in Kunrath’s work “Confessio de chao physico chimicorum”, where he replaces with them the names of chemical bodies and stages of the operation.
Alchemical symbols
Symbols had just as much use; for example, birds taking off meant the separation of steam, and birds descending, on the contrary, meant haste, impetuosity, rashness. The Phoenix was a symbol of the Philosopher's Stone, capable of turning metals into gold and silver. The raven symbolized the black color that matter takes on at the beginning of the process of the Great Work, when it is heated. The strange hermetic book, "The Silent Book" or "Book Without Words", essentially contains only one line of text. It consists of symbolic drawings illustrating the process of the Great Work.
Mythological names
Mythological names were in great use... Mars meant iron, Venus - copper, Apollo - gold, Diana, Hecate or Moon - silver, Saturn - lead (see the section of the site "Metals"); The Golden Fleece signified the Philosopher's Stone, and Bacchus the matter of the earth. This is Greco-Egyptian symbolism; In the Middle Ages, mythological names were used to designate metals, but at the end of the 16th century they became so complicated that the Benedictine Don Antoine-Joseph Pernety had to write two thick volumes of “Myths of Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt” to explain their meaning and origin.
Foreign words
A large number of foreign words were added to the mythological names; Jewish, Greek and Arabic. According to the origin of Alchemy, it should have contained Greek words such as: hile- primary matter, hypocleptic- a vessel for separating volatile oils, hydrooleum- emulsion of oil and water, etc.
Arabic words are even more numerous there, such as: elixir, alcohol, alkali, borax, except for those that have not reached us, forgotten, but found in hermetic treatises, which are: alcani, etain, alafar, matras etc. As for Jewish names, they can only be found in alchemical-kabbalistic treatises. For the study of all these names, we ask the reader to consult Perneti's Mytho-Hermetic Dictionary and Jonson's or Ruland's Lexicon of Alchemy.
Anagrams
Obviously, this special terminology should have been sufficient to eliminate the profane, but the alchemists also used other means. They often used anagrams. At the end of "Songe verd" there are several of them, and here is the explanation of two of them: "Seganissegede" means the genius of wisdom, and "Tripsarecopsem" - spirit, body, soul.
Parables and riddles
They used parables. Here's one that's easy to explain:“The whole world knows the Stone, and I swear to the living God that everyone can have matter, which I clearly called in the book: “vitrium”, for the ignorant, but we must add L and O to it; the question is where to put these letters " (Helias "Mirror of Alchemy"). The word you are looking for is "vitriol" (vitriol).
A curious riddle, well known to alchemists, is found on page 744 of the third volume of the Theatrum chimicum, accompanied by a commentary by Nicholas Barnold. Here she is:"Aelia Laelia Crispis is my name. I am neither a man nor a woman, nor a hermaphrodite, nor a maiden, nor a youth, nor an old woman. I am not a libertine, nor a virgin, but all this taken together. I did not die of hunger or iron , not from poison, but from all these things at once. I rest neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor in water, but everywhere. "Lucius Agatho Priscius", who was neither my husband, nor my lover, nor my slave , without bitterness, without joy, without tears, ordered me to be kidnapped, knowing and not knowing for whom this monument, representing neither a pyramid nor a mausoleum, but both together. Here is a grave that does not contain a corpse, and a corpse that is not enclosed in grave. The corpse and the grave are one." Barnold states in his commentary that this passage refers to the Philosopher's Stone.
Another rebus, no less famous, is borrowed from Greek authors.“I have nine letters and four syllables; remember me. - The first three have two letters each. - The others have the remaining five consonants. - Know me, and you will have wisdom.” The answer seems to be "Arsenicon".
Acrostic
There is also a way to obscure the meaning; this is an acrostic poem. In it, the initial letters of the words of any phrase or inscription constituted a word hidden by the Hermetic philosophers. We have given two such acrostics in the attached drawings (Two engravings with the encrypted word "Vitriol").
Here are the means of hiding words. Let us now indicate how the alchemists hid ideas.
Legends and myths
In the first place are legends borrowed from Greek, Latin and Egyptian mythology. They are found among later alchemists during the Renaissance. Myths were used not only to hide the Great Work, but on the contrary, they tried to prove that Homer, Virgil, Hesiod, Ovid were Adepts and taught the practice of the Philosopher's Stone. One opinion attributed Adam's knowledge of the Stone. Antoine-Joseph Pernety, in his dictionary, does not hesitate to give a Hermetic explanation of the Iliad and Odyssey. No myth escapes his explanation. Perneti was a follower of Libois, who wrote the "Encyclopedia of Gods and Heroes" (Libois - "Encyclopedie des dieux et des heros, sortis des quatre elements, et de leur quintessence, suivant la science hermetique", 2 vol.).
Allegorical stories
Allegorical stories have also been used by alchemists at all times. The Greek Zosimas gives a rather typical report on this, reported by Hoeffer in the History of Chemistry. One, more modern, indicates the colors taken on by matter during the Great Work: black, gray, white, yellow, red.“So, when I intended to travel, I met between two mountains with an important gentleman and a modest and serious peasant, dressed in a gray cloak and a black hat; a white scarf was tied around his neck, and a yellow belt was tied around his waist; on his feet were red boots " ("Cassette du petit pausan" par Ph... Vr...). The allegory continues for several pages. Many curious allegories can be found in this literature, such as: the allegories of Merlin and Hoeffer; or in Figier’s historical essay “Alchemy and the Alchemists.” These authors give them very funny interpretations; Thus, Hoeffer sees in the allegory of Merlin an indication of chemical analysis, carried out both dry and wet.
Cryptography
Now it remains to talk about cryptography, that is, the art of secret writing using special letters and signs, or allegorical transmission of true meaning. Alchemists used special alphabets made up of hermetic signs, sometimes mixed with numbers. Johannes Trithemius in his “Poligraphia” gives several alphabets made up of special characters.
Sometimes alchemists wrote words backwards, or added unnecessary letters; while others skipped letters. Paracelsus also distorted the words, so: "Aroma philosophorum" he wrote "Aroph. D" Arte mont"; in "Tombeau da la pauvrete", he even replaces entire phrases. Fortunately, at the end of the book there is a key or translation of these strange terms.
Raymond Lully prefers a special method of cryptography, denoting the main periods of experience, works and preparations with alphabet letters. So in his “Process of the modification of the soul” (“Compendium animae transmutationis”) it is written: “Look, my son, if you take F and put it in C, you will get H, that is, the first figure F.C.H., etc.” F stands for metals, C stands for acids, and H stands for fire of the first degree.
Each alchemist used special methods of cryptography; this lengthy science is useless and would carry us too far. It is enough to talk about the most common techniques.
Alchemical pentacles
Pantacles are symbolic figures made up of a wide variety of elements that summarize the whole theory. The pentacle helps to understand and remember some system. This is a short formula that can be developed as desired. Pentacles are not uncommon in treatises on Alchemy. The works of Vasily Valentin “The Twelve Keys of Wisdom” and Heinrich Kunrath “The Amphitheater of Eternal Wisdom” contain a large number of them. Barchusen's work "The Chemical Elements" (Barchusen. "Les Elements chimiques") contains a treatise on the Philosopher's Stone, where the course of the operation is depicted in 78 pentacles. The four large figures of Ianitor Pansophus summarize the entire Hermetic Philosophy. We will have occasion to give a brief explanation of many of these figures. In this chapter we will look at the symbols, or pentacles, with which the alchemists summarized their theories.
SYMBOLS OF PRIMARY MATTER
The Greeks depicted Primordial Matter one like a snake biting its own tail. This is the Ouroboros of the Gnostics. One of his first images is in the Alexandrian manuscript “Chrysopee Cleopatra” (2nd century AD), where a black and white Ouroboros entwines the words “one is all” (see Berthelot “Origines de l"Alchimie Further, the unity of matter was depicted simply by a cross. Ouroboros, oroboros (Greek οὐροβόρος, from ουρά “tail” and βορά, “food, food”; lit. “devouring [its] tail”) - a mythological world serpent entwining a ring around the Earth , grabbing himself by the tail. Considered a symbol of endless rebirth, the transitory nature of things, one of the first symbols of infinity in human history. Ouroboros is also a symbol of self-reference, cyclicity, like the Phoenix, as well as the idea of primordial unity. In Alchemy, the ouroboros symbolizes both Primary Matter and and the completion of the Great Work, and is sometimes depicted as a figure eight or more complex figure.According to some researchers, the impetus for the creation of the symbol was the shape of the Milky Way galaxy. |
SYMBOLS OF THE THREE PRINCIPLES (PRINCIPLES)
The three principles have their own special signs: the sign of “Mercury of the Wise” is depicted as a circle, on top of which the moon is placed, and below - a cross; also represent ordinary mercury. “Brimstone of the Philosophers” is depicted as a triangle with three arrows or a cross at the bottom. “Salt” was represented by a circle crossed out in the middle.
The three principles are symbolized by three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These principles are also represented by three serpents or one serpent with three heads, to show that they have only one root - matter, like the Blessed Trinity, combining three persons in one. We have already seen that the three principles were reduced to two: “Sulphur” and “Mercury”; They were then depicted as two snakes forming a circle. One, with wings, represented “Mercury,” feminine, volatile; the other, without wings, represented “Sulphur,” masculine and steadfast.
"Sulphur" and "Mercury", components of the active and passive principles, were symbolized by a man and a woman, usually a king and queen. Thus they are depicted in volume II of the work “Ar tis Auriferae" ("The Art of Gold Making"). Under the symbol of the king and queen they are represented in the Twelve Keys by Basil Valentine.
The union of the king and queen constituted a philosophical marriage. “Know, my son, that our work is a philosophical marriage, in which the masculine and feminine principles must participate.” (Ph. Rouillac “Abrege du Grand-Euvre”). As a matter of fact, after this marriage, or union, matter takes on the name “rebis,” symbolizing a bisexual body. This chemical hermaphrodite is found very often in the Hermetic treatises: at the beginning of “De Alchimia opuscula complura veterum philosophor u m" ("Collected short works of ancient philosophers on Alchemy"), in "Viatorium spagyricum", in the German translation of the work "Crede Mihi de Northon" ("Trust me" by Norton), etc.
In the manuscript Hermetic treatises the king is dressed in red and the queen in white, since "Sulphur" is red and "Mercury" is white. “This is our double “Mercury”, this matter is white on the outside and red on the inside” (Anonymous essay “Texte d'Alchimie”).
“Sulphur” and “Mercury” were also depicted as signs of Gold and Silver; this meant that "Sulfur" should be extracted from gold, and "Mercury" from silver. The signs of Gold and Silver correspond in the pantacles of Barchusen’s work “Liber singularis de Alchimia” (“Barchusen’s Special Book of Alchemy”) to “Sulphur” and “Mercury”. This point will be developed in special sections of the site.
One drawing by Barkhusen shows the sign of "Sulfur" corresponding to the Sun, and the sign of "Mercury" as the sign corresponding to the Moon, Silver. The symbols of "Sulphur" and "Mercury", as began, can be applied: to "Sulphur" and "Mercury", taken in the sense of the Matter of Stone, as well as to Gold and Silver.
Since “Sulfur” is stable, and “Mercury” is volatile, the alchemists depicted the first as Leo, the king of beasts, and “Mercury” as the Eagle, the king of birds. The "Mercury" of philosophers is the volatile part of matter; The Lion is the stable part, the Eagle is the flying part. Philosophers talk only about the struggle of these two animals (Perneti “Myths of Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt”). Therefore the Eagle devouring the Lion will signify the volatilization of the solid parts; on the contrary, Leo nailing the Eagle will mean the precipitation of the volatile ("Mercury") with the help of "Sulphur". Let us say in passing that the word “Eagle” in the work of Evgeniy Filalet has a different meaning: for him it is a symbol of perfection in an operation. Thus, seven eagles signify seven perfections (see "Entree ouverte au Palais ferme du roi" ("Open entrance to the closed chambers of the king").
In the same symbolic sense, images of two dragons or snakes were used, one of which was winged and the other without wings.
We talked about the main symbols of “Sulfur” and “Mercury”. There are an infinite number of other symbols, which is quite understandable if we remember the saying: “Sulphur”, being male and stable, and “Mercury” - volatile and female, are represented by opposite substances (stability, volatility) or animals of different sexes (male and female). In the Lambsprinck figures they are depicted as two fish, a lion and lioness, a stag and a fallow deer, and finally two eagles. The most common one is the symbol of two dogs. “Sera” is called a male, and “Mercury” is called a female. “My son, take black dogs, put them together and they will give birth.” (Calid "Secrets d" Alchimie") (Calid "Secrets of Alchemy").
“Sulfur” and “Mercury” had a huge number of symbolic names, of which it is necessary to know the main ones.
Synonyms for "Sulfur": rubber, oil, sun, precision or stability, red stone, sour milk, saffron, poppy, yellow copper or brass, dry, paint, fire, alcohol, agent, blood, spirit, red man, earth, king , husband, wingless dragon, serpent, lion, male, bronze, philosophical gold, etc.
Synonyms for “Mercury”: feminine, white, moon, white gold, raw gold, undercooked, nitrogen, water, milk, white blanket, white manna, white urine, cold, dampness, volatility, white woman, patience, white lead, glass , White flower.
Synonyms for “Salt”: bark, blanket, poison, vitriol, air, etc.
SYMBOLS OF THE FOUR ELEMENTS
The four elements have the following signs:“Air” is represented by a triangle, with its apex pointing upward and crossed out by a line parallel to the base; “Water” - a triangle with the top down; “Fire” - with a triangle with the apex up; “Earth” - a triangle placed with the apex down and crossed out by a line parallel to the base. The six-pointed star and quadrangle symbolize the four elements. These elements were also symbolized as follows: “Air” was depicted as a bird; “Water” - a ship, fish or vessel filled with water; “Fire” - a salamander, a dragon spewing flame, a lit torch; “Earth” is a mountain, a lion is the king of beasts, or a man.This is how they are depicted in the essay “Gloria mundi” (“Glory of the World”) in the collection Mus a eum hermeticum" ("Hermetic Museum"). In the sign of “Mercury” they saw an image of a caduceus - the rod of a Greek god or an Egyptian god with the head of an ibis, above which there is a disk of the sun and horns, symbolizing fertility.
SYMBOLS FOR METALS, ACIDS AND METALS DISSOLUTION
To indicate the operations performed with Gold and Silver, alchemists used a lot of symbols. In Alchemy, the Sun symbolizes Gold, therefore the sign of the Sun and Gold is the same, it is a circle with a dot in the middle, which symbolizes the wheels drawn by four horses, the heavenly chariot of the Sun god Helios (Apollo) (see section of the site). As for symbols, Gold and Silver were usually represented by the king dressed in red and the queen dressed in white. “The masculine is symbolized by red, the feminine by white” (Isaak Holland “Opera Mineralia”). Gold and silver were also depicted in the form of large rosaries. Their clothes signified foreign impurities, impurities that polluted them. Alchemists spoke
