22 key symbols of alchemy and their meaning
18. 11. 2021Have you seen pictures of alchemy symbols and want to know more about what they mean? Symbols of elements of alchemy have existed for centuries and people are often interested in them. But what do these symbols mean? And how were these elements they represent used by alchemists? In this article, we briefly describe the process of alchemy and the symbols of alchemy.
What is alchemy?
Alchemy is an area of study (sometimes described as science, sometimes as philosophy) that has been practiced in Europe, Asia and Africa. It originated mainly in Egypt, Greece and Rome, but eventually spread to India, China and England.
Alchemists had three main goals:
- To create the Philosopher's Stone (a legendary substance that is said to be able to turn lead into gold and give eternal life)
- Create an elixir of youth and health
- Transmute metals (specifically to gold)
Achieving any of the goals would guarantee the alchemist a fame and fortune. As a result, many future alchemists lied about their findings, eventually tarnishing the concept of alchemy and linking it to the idea of deception. Improving scientific knowledge in chemistry has also contributed to the decline in alchemy, with many people realizing that some of the goals of alchemists are not possible.
How were the symbols of alchemy used?
Since the beginning of alchemy, alchemists have used symbols to represent various elements. Symbols of alchemy sometimes contain indications of properties that the alchemist thought the element had (including the history of the element). The use of symbols has helped alchemists keep their work, most of which has been carefully guarded, secret.
Because early alchemy also drew much information from astrology, many symbols of alchemical elements are associated with planets or other celestial bodies. Symbols of alchemy were used until the 18th century and have standardized over time. Today, people enjoy alchemical symbols for their history, interesting shapes, and connections to other ways of thinking about the world.
Below are the four main groups of symbols of alchemical elements along with their meanings.
The first three
The three prime numbers, also known as tria prima, were named by the Swiss philosopher Paracelsus in the 16th century. He believed that the trio prima contained all the poisons that caused the disease, and that their study taught alchemists to cure diseases. He also believed that the trio prima defines people, and assigned each of the elements to a different part of human identity.
Quicksilver
Mercury (which is also one of the seven planetary metals) can mean both an element and a planet. In both cases, this symbol of alchemy represents the mind and a state that could overcome death. In ancient times, mercury was known as a quicksilver and was believed to be able to transition between liquid and solid states. Therefore, it was believed in alchemy that mercury passed between life and death.
Mercury is often represented by a snake / snake and its symbol resembles a cosmic womb. Mercury represented the passive feminine principle, as well as humidity and cold. You can see the standard "female" brand in its symbol.
Salt
Salt is now known as a chemical compound composed of sodium and chloride, but alchemists believed it to be a single element. Salt represents the body, as well as physical matter in general, crystallization and condensation. Salt is often impure when it is first collected, but it can be dissolved and purified by chemical processes. Its symbol is a circle intersected by a horizontal line.
Sulfur
Sulfur is the active male counterpart of the passive female representation of mercury. In ancient times, it was used as a traditional medicine in places from China, Egypt to Europe. Everything is mentioned in the Bible, which states that hell smells like sulfur. Sulfur represents properties such as dryness, heat and masculinity. In alchemy it can also represent evaporation, expansion and dissolution. From the point of view of the human body, it represented the soul. From the trio prima point of view, sulfur was considered to be a mediator combining salt (high) and mercury (low).
The sulfur symbol is usually a triangle on top of the Greek cross (see above), but can also be represented by a Loraine cross on top of Ourob.
The four elements
The classical elements are based on the ancient Greek belief that air, earth, fire and water composed all the matter in the world. Unlike many other elements in this handbook, these four elements are not in the periodic table, but alchemists believe they have significant powers and the ability to create new elements.
Air
Aristotle stated that air represents heat and moisture (moisture is from water vapor, which was considered part of the air). The symbol of air in alchemy can also represent a life-giving force and is associated with the colors white and blue. Hippocrates also connects air with blood. The air symbol is an ascending triangle intersected by a horizontal line, and you may notice that it is also an inverted symbol of the Earth.
Země
Aristotle called the Earth cold and dry. The earth can represent physical movements and feelings, and this is associated with the colors green and brown. The symbol of the Earth is inverse air: a triangle with a horizontal line.
Fire
In alchemy, fire represents emotions such as passion, love, anger and hatred - in alchemy, sometimes referred to as "fiery" emotions. It is represented by the colors red and orange. In addition, fire is also seen as a more masculine symbol.
Water
Aristotle called the water cold and wet. It is associated with intuition and also with blue. It is often associated with the alchemical symbol of mercury (because both are considered female symbols). The Greek philosopher Thales believed that water was the first substance created in the world. This symbol is sometimes said to resemble a container for storing water, such as a cup or urn.
Seven planetary metals
Each of the elements below is a metal, and each is associated with a celestial object, as well as the day of the week and an organ in the body. Astronomy was a major part of early alchemy, and during the classical era, each planet was considered "ruling" over the associated metal. You may notice that Uranus and Neptune are not included - because these symbols were created before the telescopes were invented, and therefore only the planets visible to the naked eye were known.
Lead
- Celestial Body: Saturn
- Day of the week: Saturday
- Organ: spleen
Lead has a symbol known as the "crescent under the cross" and looks similar to a scythe or a stylized "h" with a cross at the top.
Tin
- Celestial Body: Jupiter
- Day of the week: Thursday
- Organ: Liver
The tin symbol is known as the "crescent under the cross" and looks like the stylized number "4".
Iron
- Celestial Body: Mars
- Day of the week: Tuesday
- Organ: Gallbladder
The symbol for Mars is the "Male" symbol, which often represented the planet Mars.
Gold
- Celestial Body: The Sun.
- Day of the week: Sunday
- Organ: Heart
Gold represented perfection and was one of the most important symbols of alchemy. The key (and unfulfilled) goal of many alchemists was to learn how to convert lead into gold. The symbol of golden alchemy can be two symbols. The first looks like a stylized sun with rays radiating from it, and the second is a circle with a dot in the middle.
Copper
- Celestial Body: Venus
- Day of the week: Friday
- Organ: Kidneys
The symbol for copper can be either a "female" symbol (also used to represent the planet Venus) or a set of crossed and horizontal lines.
Quicksilver
- Celestial Body: Mercury
- Day of the week: Wednesday
- Organ: Lungs
Mercury has the same symbol as it is when it is part of the Three Primes: the "cosmic womb."
Silver
- Celestial Body: The Moon
- Day of the week: Monday
- Organ: Brain
The silver alchemical symbol looks like a crescent moon, just as the golden symbol looks like a small sun. The crescent can be drawn either to the right or to the left.
Secular elements
Secular elements make up the rest of the elements used in alchemy. These are usually newer additions to alchemy and do not have as long a history as some other elements. As a result, less information is known about their alchemical symbols and what they represent, although alchemists have sometimes used them.
Antimony
Antimony are wild (animal) parts of human nature. The antimony symbol is a circle with a cross above it (or an upside down symbol) and is sometimes also represented as a wolf.
Arsenic
In alchemy, arsenic is often represented by swans or swans. This is because as a metalloid, arsenic is able to transform its physical appearance. Its symbol is a pair of overlapping triangles.
Bismuth
Not much is known about how Bismuth was used in alchemy, but until the 18th century it was often confused with tin and lead. Its symbol looks like the number "8", which is open at the top.
Magnesium
Magnesium is not in pure form, so alchemists used magnesium carbonate (also known as "alba magnesium") in their experiments. Because magnesium cannot be easily quenched, it represented an eternity for alchemists. It can represent several symbols; this is the most common.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus was an important element for alchemists because it seemed to have the ability to capture light. (When the white form of phosphorus oxidizes, it glows green.) It represented a ghost, and its symbol is usually a triangle at the top of a double cross.
Platinum
Alchemists believed that platinum is a combination of gold and silver, and therefore its symbol is a combination of the symbols of each of these elements.
Potassium
Potassium is naturally not found as a free element, so alchemists used potassium carbonate in their experiments. The symbol of potassium is a rectangle at the top of the cross.
Zinc
Zinc oxide was called "philosopher's wave" or "white snow" by alchemists.
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