Yelekiah Posted December 16, 2005 #1 Share Posted December 16, 2005 The very word "alchemy" was taken from the Egyptian Kemet or Al Kham, which means "to be black". Middle English-alkamie Old French-alqueme Medieval Latin-alchymia Arabic-al-kimia Greek-Khemeia It refers the preparation of the Stone (or Elixir) by the Egyptians. "Khem" alludes to the black soil of the Nile delta. Esoterically the word refers to the primordial or First Matter (the Khem). Alchemy is the Great Work of nature that perfects this chaotic matter, whether it be expressed as the metals, the cosmos, or the very substance of our souls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
......................... Posted December 16, 2005 #2 Share Posted December 16, 2005 (edited) Alchemical knowledge was hidden (occult) and passed down using symbols. The secret of immortality is what the alchemist strived for. Using the laboratory (Lesser Work) and the inner temple of the self (Great Work). The same phrases were used for each, for example, marriage meant chemical reaction. Here is a link for the symbols alchemists used. Edited December 16, 2005 by Rainbow Rowan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 16, 2005 Author #3 Share Posted December 16, 2005 One of the most recognizable symbols in alchemy is the Ouroboros. The snake eating it's own tail. The Ouroboros isn't the only snake in alchemy. Two serpents, for example, represent a dichotomy (male, female). Three serpents stand for the three higher principles of Sulfur, Mercury, and Salt. Winged serpents represent volatile substances; wingless serpents represent fixed substances. A crucified serpent represents the fixation of the volatile. However, the feathered serpent represents the divine human. The serpent is terrestrial (human), while it's wings are heavenly (divine) in nature. You may also be familiar with the caduceus, a famous symbol in medicine. It was Hermes' magical staff, representing the solar and lunar forces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
......................... Posted December 16, 2005 #4 Share Posted December 16, 2005 [attachmentid=21668][attachmentid=21669][attachmentid=21670] The Ouroboros (or Uroboros) is the symbolic rendition of the eternal principles presented in the Emerald Tablet. The great serpent devouring itself represents the idea that "All Is One," even though the universe undergoes periodic cycles of destruction and creation (or resurrection). In Orphic and Mithraic symbology, the Ouroboros was called the Agathos Daimon or "Good Spirit" and was a symbol for the "Operation of the Sun." In Greek terminology, the Ouroboros was the Aion, which Herakleitos likened to a child at play. To the Greeks, the Aion (from which our word "eon" is derived) defined the cosmic period between the creation and destruction of the universe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 16, 2005 Author #5 Share Posted December 16, 2005 "All Is One," "When Seven Are One" is a hermetic treatsie, where the seven elements (classical planets) come together. Vitriol was the most important liquid in alchemy. It was the one in which all other reactions took place. Vitriol was distilled from an oily, green substance that formed naturally from the weathering of sulfur-bearing gravel. This Green Vitriol is symbolized by the Green Lion in drawings, such as this one. After the Green Vitriol (copper sulfate) was collected, it was heated and broken down into iron compounds and sulfuric acid. The acid was separated out by distillation. The first distillation produced a brown liquid that stunk like rotten eggs, but further distillation yielded a nearly odorless, yellow oil called simply Vitriol. The acid readily dissolves human tissue and is severely corrosive to most metals, although it has no effect on gold. White Vitriol is zinc sulfate; Blue Vitriol is copper sulfate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
......................... Posted December 16, 2005 #6 Share Posted December 16, 2005 (edited) That lion has 7 chakras, and Vitriol is called the Green Lion in Alchemy. Green is significant because it also represents the Emerald Tablets of Thoth, or Hermes, the father of alchemy. The sun is Gold and the moon is Silver. Edited December 16, 2005 by Rainbow Rowan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 16, 2005 Author #7 Share Posted December 16, 2005 The sun is Gold and the moon is Silver. The Moon (Silver), The Sun (Gold), Jupiter (Tin), Saturn (Lead), Mars (Iron), Venus (Copper) and Mercury (Mercury or Quicksilver). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
......................... Posted December 16, 2005 #8 Share Posted December 16, 2005 1 - EARTH 2 - WATER 3 - AIR 4 - FIRE Notice how together the fire and water would make up the Star of David (or Mercury, the androgyne, male/female, sun/moon, fire/water) [attachmentid=21671] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 16, 2005 Author #9 Share Posted December 16, 2005 (or Mercury, the androgyne, male/female, sun/moon, fire/water) Mercury is the Androgyne, representing more than just male and female, but other dichotomies (lunar, solar; yin, yang, etc.) Adam Kadmon represented Mercury as well. Here is a sigil of Mercury from Solomon. Mercury as a symbol, is equating yourself to God, because in alchemy, it is the only one with all the elements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
......................... Posted December 16, 2005 #10 Share Posted December 16, 2005 (edited) The Star of David, in legend was delivered to King Solomon by the Archangel Raphael as the seal of a ring with which he might bind the demons that were distrupting the building of the temple. In Indian alchemy it is known as the sri-yantra, being the complete interpenetration of Shiva and Shakti, male and female. The mystic alchemist Jacob Boehme called it "the most meaningful sign in the entire universe". He saw it as a symbol of Christ as androgyne, the perfectly balanced, all-reconciling divine human. It is the union of the above and the below, the marriage of heaven and earth, the macrocosm and the microcosm - two things becoming one thing. The interlocking triangles of the hexagram symbolise the union of fire and water, the marriage of soul and spirit, the alchemical wedding of sulfur and mercury. SOURCE: The Book of High Magic by Francis Melville Edited December 16, 2005 by Rainbow Rowan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 16, 2005 Author #11 Share Posted December 16, 2005 The Star of David didn't just have religious meaning to Hebrews, but it was also known as the Mark of Vishnu (half-man, half-fish). The 7 chakras and their corresponence to the human body Most mantras begin with Om, so in a way that is Alpha. Kether, the crown in the Tree of Life *is* Alpha. That is why Om may represent this chakra. The crown chakra (Mercury), which is purple (royal color). The crown chakra is also called Sahasrara, the Thousand Petalled Lotus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
......................... Posted December 16, 2005 #12 Share Posted December 16, 2005 (edited) Speaking of crowns: The King in alchemy represents man, solar consciousness, or Sulfur. The King is naked in the early operations of alchemy and regains his royal robes at the end of his transformation. The King united with the Queen symbolizes Conjunction. The Queen symbolizes woman, lunar consciousness, and Mercury. The Queen is naked during the early stages but regains her royal robes at the end of her transformation. The Queen united with the King is the operation of Conjunction. EDIT: The Tarot deck also corresponds with alchemical knowledge. EDIT: Note the triangles and squares behind the Sanskrit chakra symbols. [attachmentid=21683] Crown or Thousand Petal Lotus Chakra [attachmentid=21682] Third Eye Chakra [attachmentid=21681] Throat Chakra [attachmentid=21680] Heart Chakra [attachmentid=21679] Solar Plexus Chakra [attachmentid=21678] Navel Chakra [attachmentid=21677] Base Chakra Edited December 17, 2005 by Rainbow Rowan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 16, 2005 Author #13 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Kings and queens are related to it as well. So are crowns (crow's head, etc) "Royal" Androgyne This is the alchemical hand. Notice how each finger represents an element. The thumb, for example is a crown, with the crescent moon, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
different Posted December 16, 2005 #14 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Alchemy was not an occult, it was a primitive form of science right? What does chakra have to do with alchemy? All this talk makes me want to go watch FMA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 17, 2005 Author #15 Share Posted December 17, 2005 Alchemy was not an occult, it was a primitive form of science right? Medieval alchemy, but it is related to the Occult. There are different kinds of alchemy (a branch of metaphysics), but a lot of it has to do with respect to wisdom. It's also a spiritual philosophy dealing with transmutation. It even helped to inspire real sciences, such as chemistry. Alchemy also appears in Biblical scriptures. What does chakra have to do with alchemy? Chakras are related to the planets, colors, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
......................... Posted December 17, 2005 #16 Share Posted December 17, 2005 What does chakra have to do with alchemy? Alchemy was common from China, India, Egypt, Germany, France through to England. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 17, 2005 Author #17 Share Posted December 17, 2005 Notice the frog under the roots of the tree in this alchemical woodcut. And the frog holding the crescent moon, also a symbol of mercury, one of the most important elements in alchemy. Also representing the Egyptian goddess Hathor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
......................... Posted December 17, 2005 #18 Share Posted December 17, 2005 Frogs in certain cultures represent the moon, and there is a legend of a jewel in the head of a frog which serves as protection when worn around the neck as a pendant. Also, the fairytale of the Frog-prince. When kissed by the princess the frog turns into a prince (wearing a crown, no less) [attachmentid=21702] There have been a few birds shown too. The dove and the raven were both sent out by Noah in the great flood and only the dove returned with the olive branch. The Raven and Phoenix represent alchemical steps, with the raven/crow being the Alpha, and the Phoenix being the Omega. The raven and the phoenix are the same in the sense that they represent 'death'. Scorpio symbolises the death card in tarot, and of course scorpio is the eagle, scorpion, and the phoenix. The dove is in the bible which represents peace because of the olive branch. [attachmentid=21703] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
......................... Posted December 17, 2005 #19 Share Posted December 17, 2005 (edited) Chakras correspond with the elements, just as the triangles do in the above post. Chakras also relate to the flow energy, which is also a serpent symbol. Chakras - energy flow [attachmentid=21705] Eros relief (Eros, with the serpent entwining his body and wings on his back, created birds in the greek myth. Eros was the creator god in the original greek legend, but was gradually replaced by a child-like cupid. Eros was born from an egg) [attachmentid=21706] Alchemy woodcut (Note the crown) [attachmentid=21707] Caduceus (Oldest medical symbol, still in use today) Edited December 17, 2005 by Rainbow Rowan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 17, 2005 Author #20 Share Posted December 17, 2005 (edited) Eros and Ra from two separate Creation myths, sprung from an egg that emerged from Chaos. 'The Philosopher's Egg' was the name given to the crucible in which Alchemists hoped to be able to produce the 'Philosopher's Stone' - the substance which could turn all other metals into gold (or even silver). It was shaped like an egg and for special reasons. The egg has symbolic associations with the four elements all necessary in the transmutation process for alchemists: SHELL - EARTH MEMBRANE - AIR WHITE - WATER YOLK - FIRE The egg in the photograph above corresponds to all the elements. The egg is also known as the vesica. Edited December 17, 2005 by Yelekiah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
......................... Posted December 17, 2005 #21 Share Posted December 17, 2005 Long before Christians used the sign of the fish to represent Jesus Christ, the Vesica Pisces was the symbol for absolution of karma through the Greater Love which emanates from the Universal Christos into the human experience. The Vesica Pisces was the all-encompassing womb of holiness which embraced the 'unborn' (ignorant) and prepared them for an illumined birth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 17, 2005 Author #22 Share Posted December 17, 2005 Here is a crop circle vesica Essentially the intersection of two, overlapping spheres, the Vesica Pisces (including the interior portion of it, and/or the more common two dimensional version) represents, among other things: 1) The joining of God and Goddess to create an offspring, 2) A symbol for Jesus Christ, 3) In art a pointed oval used as an aureole in medieval sculpture and painting, 5) The basic motif in the Flower of Life, 5) An overlay of the Tree of Life, 6) The formative power of polygons, 7) A geometrical description of square roots and harmonic proportions, and/or 8) A source of immense power and energy, In the earliest traditions, the supreme being was represented by a sphere, the symbol of a being with no beginning and no end, continually existing, perfectly formed and profoundly symmetrical. The addition of a second sphere represented the expansion of unity into the duality of male and female, god and goddess. By overlapping, the two spheres, the god and goddess created a divine offspring. The Vesica Pisces motif (and its derivatives, the Flower of Life, Tree of Life, and fundamentals of geometry) has a history of thousands of years and easily predates virtually all major religions of the current era. The vesica also appears naturally such as this nebula Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
......................... Posted December 17, 2005 #23 Share Posted December 17, 2005 The yin/yang symbol and the Cancerian Zodiac symbol and the numbers 6 and 9 are also similar symbols. [attachmentid=21708] [attachmentid=21709] [attachmentid=21710] The eagle is always a symbol of volatilization. For instance, an eagle devouring a lion indicates the volatilization of a fixed component by a volatile component. The egg is symbolic of the hermetically sealed vessel of creation. Stoppered retorts, coffins, and sepulchres represent eggs in many alchemical drawings. Note the egg-shape in the background of the 15th century alchemy wood-cuts [attachmentid=21711] [attachmentid=21712] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted December 17, 2005 Author #24 Share Posted December 17, 2005 (edited) Animals are used often to symbolize basic components if not a processes of alchemy. They may be used to symbolize the four Elements such as the lion (Earth), fish (Water), eagle, birds (Air), or dragons (Fire). Birds represent volatile principles, while terrestrial animals are fixed principles. Whenever two animals are found, such as in the picture posted above, their union signifies a relationship between the fixed and the volatile. I liken it to the Feathered Serpent, a union between heaven and earth, or a divine human. The lion (terrestrial, human) and the eagle (heavenly, divine). Also, in the second to last picture posted, you'll notice 43 degrees. It is the difference between a triangle and a square. In my opinion, the four-sided square is the 4th dimension and four elements (fire, water, earth, air). The triangle or third dimension, is also body, mind, and soul. When they intersect, their union is a type of divine synthesis. Edited December 17, 2005 by Yelekiah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
......................... Posted December 17, 2005 #25 Share Posted December 17, 2005 When they intersect, their union is a type of divine synthesis. The space between the two circles of the vesica is also the divine synthesis. It is represented by a fish, an eye, and also the egg. Mercury, or the androyne, is also a synthesis of the divine, meaning male and female coming together as represented by the Star of David, or two triangles. [attachmentid=21713] As above, so below. [attachmentid=21714] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now