<strong>The</strong> <strong>Great</strong> <strong>Art</strong> page 102Addenda.Dictionary of Hermetic SymbolsFrom Albert Poisson’s<strong>The</strong>ories et Symboles des Alchimistes.ANGEL. — Sometimes symbolises sublimation, the ascension of a volatile principle, as in the figuresof the Viatorium Spagyricum.ANIMALS — General Rule: 1. Whenever two animals of the same species and of different sexes arefound, they signify Sulphur and Mercury prepared for the <strong>Great</strong> Work, or also the fixed and thevolatile. <strong>The</strong> male represents the fixed, Sulphur; the female represents the volatile, Mercury.<strong>The</strong>se animals are united to signify conjunction, (Figures of Lambsprinck); or fighting tosymbolise the fixation of the volatile, or the volatilisation of the fixed, (Figures of B. Valentin).2. A terrestrial animal facing an aerian animal in the same figure indicate the fixed and the
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Great</strong> <strong>Art</strong> page 103volatile. 3. Animals may symbolise the four elements: Earth, (lion, ox); Air, (eagle); Water,(whale, fishes); Fire, (salamander, dragon).APOLLO. — Same signification as the sun.BATH. — Symbol: 1. Of the dissolution of gold and silver; 2. Of the purification of these metals.BED. — Symbol of the philosophical egg.BIRDS. — Ascending: volatilisation, ascension, sublimation; descending: precipitation, condensation.When these two symbols are united in the same figure, they signify distillation. Birds opposed toterrestrial animals signify Air, or the volatile principle.BLUNT INSTRUMENTS. — Symbols of fire.CHAOS. — Symbol of the Unity of Matter and sometimes of the black colour of putrefaction.CHAMBER. — When the king and the queen are shut therein, it is the symbol of the PhilosophicalEgg.CHILD. — Clothed in royal robe, or simply crowned, it is the symbol of the Philosopher’s Stone,sometimes of the red colour of the Magisterium.CIRCUMFERENCE. — Unity of matter, universal harmony.CROW. — Symbol of the black colour, or putrefaction.CROWN. — Symbol of chemical royalty, of metallic perfection. In the Margarita pretiosa, the sixmetals are at first represented as slaves, bareheaded at the feet of the king, but after theirtransmutation, they bear a crown.DIANA. – Same signification as the Moon.DOG. – Symbol of Sulphur, of gold. <strong>The</strong> dog devoured by a wolf signifies the purification of gold byantimony. Dog and bitch: Fixed and volatile.DOVE. – Symbol of the grey colour which precedes immediately the white colour, or Diana’sRegimen.DRAGON. – A dragon biting its tail: unity of matter. A dragon among flames: symbol of fire. Severaldragons fighting each other indicate putrefaction. A dragon without wings, the fixed; the dragonwith wings, the volatile.EAGLE. – Symbol of volatilisation and also of the acids employed in the Magisterium. An eagledevouring a lion signifies the volatilisation of the fixed by the volatile. Two fighting eagles havethe same meaning.FLOWERS. – In general, flowers represent the colours of the <strong>Great</strong> Work.FOUNTAIN. – Three fountains represent the three principles. Fountain where king and queen <strong>com</strong>e tobathe themselves has the same signification as bath, which see Bath.HERMAPHRODITE. – Sulphur and Mercury after their conjunction; often the word REBIS is writtenupon his breast.JUPITER. – Symbol of tin.KING AND QUEEN. – See Man and Woman.LION. – Symbol of the fixed, Sulphur, when alone. If carrying wings, it represents the volatile,Mercury. <strong>The</strong> lion represents also the mineral, (green vitriol), from whence is extracted the oil ofvitriol, (sulphuric acid), which was so extensively used by the alchemists. <strong>The</strong> lion opposed tothree other animals represents the element. Earth. In fine it is the symbol of the Stone. <strong>The</strong>lioness represents the volatile.MAN AND WOMAN. – Sulphur and Mercury. Naked, gold and silver in an impure state; united,conjunction; lying in a sepulchre, Sulphur and Mercury in the philosophical egg.MARRIAGE. – Symbol of conjunction, union of Sulphur and Mercury, of the king and queen. <strong>The</strong>priest who performs the ceremony represent Salt, means of union between the two otherprinciples.MARS. – Symbol of iron, and of the orange colour.MERCURY. – Symbol of silver prepared for the Work.MOON. – Volatile principle, female, Mercury of the Philosopher, silver prepared for the Work.MOUNTAIN. – Furnace of the philosophers; Summit of the philosophical egg.NEPTUNE. – Symbol of Water.PHOENIX. – Symbol of the red colour.
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