Question pertaining to Alchemy Diagram

[Dominance]

Before you go all skeptic on me, I am just curious of the meaning of this:

http://www.la-rose-bleue.org/Images/etudes_table_emeraude_Solve-Coagula.jpg

My friend and I are curious.

So far we've gathered,

- Ouroborous
- The Seven Stars

Raised some assumptions referring to the eternal cycle of life.

I understand it's not exactly within the realms of modern day science, but it's pretty interesting, if even just for the knowledge.

Thank you.

[zoobyshoe]

I know a girl who reads Medieval Latin and knows a lot about the times. She's actually attending a scholar's conference in Poland right now, but I'll ask her to have a look at it when she gets back.

Having read Charles Singer's From Magic To Science a couple years ago, I recall that there were a lot of cult-like schools of "philosophy" in the middle ages, each with it's own spin on the structure of the spiritual/physical universe. This looks like a copy of a chart from one of those schools.

[Dominance]

Excellent, thanks for your reply.


Like I stated, I kind of figured it has something to do with an eternal cycle, and the seven stars, but that's kind of broad, haha.

Always matter being destroyed and created to coincide with some sort of balance, I guess?


Anything spring to mind off the top of your head?

[zoobyshoe]

Anything spring to mind off the top of your head?
"Fixum" below, "Volatile" above: suggests they're describing a continuum from immutable to mutable things.

Inside the circle: male on the left, female on the right. A yin/yang sort of dichotomy.

I see: animalia, vegetabilia; mare, terra. Animal, vegetable, sea, earth. I'm sure their positions in the "Star of David" imply something about their relationship to each other.

"Abyssus" just about everywhere outside the circle. It means "depths", "hell", "chaos". (On the right the abyss has some sort of superior and inferior aspect, it seems. ? ) Anyway, things inside the circle are probably structured, coherent things, while outside is unfathomable chaos.

As I said it looks like a "copy" of such a chart. There's something more, say, 16th, 17th, 18th century about it. Maybe the integral-like S's.

[micromass]

The symbols in the middle of the chart are the seven planets (with the moon and the sun considered as a planet). I think the middle of the symbol is the symbol for mercury, which was of prime importance in alchemy.
The male and female symbol stand for mars and venus.

[zoobyshoe]

The symbols in the middle of the chart are the seven planets (with the moon and the sun considered as a planet). I think the middle of the symbol is the symbol for mercury, which was of prime importance in alchemy.
The male and female symbol stand for mars and venus.

That gives us seven planets and seven elements:

Gold dominated by Sol ☉ ☼ ( )
Silver dominated by Luna ☽ ( )
Copper dominated by Venus ♀ (also: )
Iron dominated by Mars ♂ ( )
Tin dominated by Jupiter ♃ ( )
Mercury (quicksilver) dominated by Mercury ☿ ( )
Lead dominated by Saturn ♄ ( )[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemical_symbol

[Evo]

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://freeforumzone.leonardo.it/lofi/il-dodici-esoterico/D7556926.html&ei=I5z-TcrBNO3ciAL_9OHvBA&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDIQ7gEwAw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dabyssus%2Bvolatile%2Babyssum%2Binferi or%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4GGLL_enUS339US339%26prmd%3 Divns

[zoobyshoe]

Also, the "Star of David" might be a combination of earth and air, from the four basic elements section of that Wiki article (it wouldn't let me copy and paste).

[Evo]

Dominance did you have some point? If you do, I'm not seeing it.

[zoobyshoe]

Dominance did you have some point? If you do, I'm not seeing it.

He just seems to be curious what the chart means. I find it to be of interest how those "philosophers" thought. Newton, himself, probably had a few charts like this around: Newton scholars say he wrote more about alchemy than about physics, and that he was trying to find a way to change lead into gold.

Edit: link:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/newton-alchemist-newman.html

[Dominance]

Dominance did you have some point? If you do, I'm not seeing it.

No point to make, like I stated, I was just curious about the meaning behind it; I did not know what said diagram meant, so I figured I'd ask on a forum where there might be people with some form of background on the matter.

Thank you for the link.


Thanks for all of your input, I appreciate it.

[AlephZero]

Different bibles have different divisions of the book of Psalms, and so
"Invocat Ps 42.8." probably refers to Psalm 41 verse 8 in modern Protestant bibles, or the second half of the verse.

An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more. (KJV.)

Referring to the circle formed by the serpent (= Satan?) and dragon (= St Michael?), I suppose.