I ask this because I searched my name for shits and giggles [Reid] only to find this symbol, but I realized I recognized it from this artwork from Pinterest. Does anyone know what this symbolizes?

Thoughts on this and the Wheel of Fortune card?

I have translated 60 old alchemical texts from Latin, German and French into modern English. They are available as printed books on Amazon. See my page https://www.alchemywebsite.com/bookshop/alchemical_translations.html

So what's actually meant by transmutation?

To approach Alchemy from a merely material point of view only paints a miniscule part of the picture, and could be likened to "missing the forest for the trees". It's easy to rest on the notion that the Realm of Matter is the penultimate one, because it's all that most of us ever get to experience.

The Kabbalists, however, have a "Map of the Universe" called the [Tree of Life](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_life_(Kabbalah), which shows something else entirely. All the circles (Sephiroth) are subdivisions of reality, and varying states of consciousness. The Sephirah situated at the lowest point in this diagram is Malkuth, or "Kingdom".

What Malkuth is referring to is the Material Plane, the Realm of Matter, which exists as the lowest point in Creation -- that which is furthest away from God. Everything you see around you with your eyes is, as cited in the Sepher Yetzirah (here's a very good commentary on the text by Aryeh Kaplan) exists on the Axis of Spirituality (Kether to Malkuth) on the furthest side of Evil.

Now, this doesn't mean that matter is bad per se, it just means it's what's the furthest away from holiness as anything can possibly get; matter is essentially turned away from God.

Why are we bringing Jewish mysticism into a discussion about Alchemy? Well, for two reasons:

(1) All true traditions/systems will have the notion of Alchemy in them, but veiled in different forms of symbolism and allegories.

(2) Alchemy, as we work with it in Western Esotericism, originates from Egypt (thus the term Al-Khem, which literally means "Egypt"). Judaism is, at its core, an amalgamation between the Babylonian and Egyptian traditions, which is shown by the Biblical stories of them as captives by these nations (they're pointing out their origins).

So Malkuth, being the plane of Matter, shows us by its very nature that the physical, material Alchemy so many of us think of when it comes to the subject (think Spagyrics, Metallurgy, chemistry labs, etc.) is only part of what Alchemy actually entails - in fact, it is the lowest aspect of Alchemy, based off of the Tree of Life.

But here comes an important point: the Sephirah of Malkuth is also called The Gate. Nothing from the higher realms can come into manifestation, unless it is through Matter. This means that laboratory Alchemy is neither the key or method of Alchemy, but a way of confirming transmutation through manifestation in matter. The simple view of this would be: if you have managed a spiritual, alchemical transmutation, it will show in matter, too. And here is where tests and experiments are required, not necessarily with laboratory equipment, but through some form of physical experiment.

(An interesting fact: the word Laboratory originates in the Latin "Labora et Ora", which means "work and prayer", thus pointing to the fact that work alone is not enough, but there needs to be a spiritual counterpart to the labour, too.)

So, now that we've established this, we can examine our original question: what're we actually supposed to be working on in life? What are we supposed to transmute? What is Spiritual Alchemy?

Well, the simple answer is that it's everything you are. Your thoughts, emotions, will, dreams, and of course, your physical body.

You are the matter which is worked upon. Everything you are, up until this very point in life, is your Prima Materia, the substance which can eventually be transmuted into Gold.

Who are you?

What is really you? What's the product of upbringing, of society, of friends, of -isms, etc. that has formed the idea of who you believe you are? That has formed the idea of who others believe you are? What of all this is You?

Some of us were beat up as children, and that has caused us to have issues with authority. Some were bullied, and that has caused us fear and anxiety towards others. Some of us explode into hate and rage over the tiniest things that goes against our notions.

Are you your haircut? The clothes you wear? The name your parents gave you? Who. Are. YOU?

All of these things are reactions. Reactions to our surroundings, to society, to families, friends, expectations from others, and even limitations we've placed on ourselves. The true you cannot react to anything, for the I is driven merely by the highest of powers -- Will. The True you can only act and never react, for the true you is fully driven by Will.

And herein lies the material of our Spiritual Alchemical transmutations. It's you. Do you have trouble eating onions? Eat so many that they eventually mean nothing to you, and disregard them then if they don't conform to your True Will. Does something scare you? Expose yourself so much to it that you no longer react to it, at all. Malkuth is the gateway to all of this. Bring into manifestation/Matter the things you want to transmute. Expose yourself to them. Beat yourself up with them. Work, work, work!

Once we've transmuted everything that we think is ourselves (and I really mean everything) then the person who began the Alchemical Process is dead, which in alchemical symbolism is symbolized by the color Black. As black as the fertile soil of the Nile, from whence this Art finds (one of) its origins.

At this point, we've achieved the Alchemical phase of Nigredo and have taken the "first step in the pathway to the Philosopher's Stone".

I figured out some of those but I couldn't find (reliable) sources on a few. Would love any suggestions to what the following symbols might mean: the slightly tilted mercury symbol, the circle with a quarter symbol, the twin drops(?) symbol, the tilted (or straightend) iron symbol, the symbol between the lead and the iron, the empty circle, the six pointed star.

Specifically what is the symbol below Metatron's cube, and what are the symbols around the top of the staff?

Apparently the Greek says 'a lie'.

Thank you!

I'm interested in the intersection of medicine and Healthcare and was wondering if there were any symbols or art that anyone is aware of that show this. More specifically I'm interested in designing a tattoo that incorporates both the Healthcare side of things and alchemy side of things and was looking for ideas or etc.

Hey everyone, first time poster here. I looking for some help with an old family crest of mine (Tompa). The crest is from the late 1500s- early 1600s and most likely from the south of nowadays Hungary. The symbols I do know of are (top left) and (bottom right) they are Pelicans or ('The Pelican in her Peity) which are often used as symbols of Christ. The (top right) is a "Patriarchal Cross" another Christian Symbol, and also the symbol used by the first kings of Hungary and is now Hungary's national flag. The symbol I need help with is the (bottom left) which is a left facing crescent moon and a six-sided star. It almost looks like an Islamic symbol with the moon and star except that it is facing left, not right, and the star is six-sided like the Star of David, a Jewish symbol. There are old Hungarian legends of a time when Christians, Muslims, and Jews lived together in harmony in disconnected city's. There of course is little to sparce evidence of this, but I find it extremely interesting that it looks like all three symbols may be under one crest. Anyways could anybody help me with this left facing crescent moon and star?

https://preview.redd.it/6n2qbja7qm981.jpg?width=133&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=10fd25c72df6bab31d21520afe8c3c2065e6238f

link will be either in post or in comments to the picture im referring to. it is the skeleton under the “sol niger” subsection.

link to picture

link to article

this drawing/symbol is called the (sol niger)black sun. it originates in alchemy and i think its a really cool image so i would like to get it tattooed on me. problem is it unfortunately shares a name with the nazi/runic image also called the black sun. this concerns me greatly as a jew (non observant thats why im getting a tattoo) as i obviously dont want anything remotely similar to nazi imagery on my skin. i tried to do some research to determine if the symbols are connected in any way, but turned up nothing. however before i get it tattooed i want to be 100% certain so i figured id ask here. if the symbols are related in any way besides their names i would NOT want it on me. does anyone have any insight on this? help is greatly appreciated!

As far as i know the dragon symbolizes chaos or the mother/ father complex. Is there a symbol which has the same symbolic meaning as the dragon? Maybe the snake or basilisk? But I have heard that snake symbolizes the shadow.

HISTORY

Etymologically, alchemy is believed to stem from the term Al Chemia. The word Chemia, or Chem, used in both 'chemistry' and 'alchemy', is derived from the ancient name for Eygpt, Khemet, meaning 'black land' (referring to the fertile soils of the Nile). Al or El is an Oriental/Semitic prefix, meaning 'the', but is commonly used when addressing names of God (Such as Allah, or Elohim). Combining these two, we find that Alchemy means "That which is from Egypt" or "The Divine Egyptian (Art)".

The Egyptians believed Alchemy was gifted to them from the god Thoth, who in the Greek mystical tradition became Hermes Trismegistus, the father of what we today call Hermeticism. Thoth gifted the Egyptians the Book of Thoth, said to contain all human knowledge, being the key to human regeneration and immortality. Here I'll quote MP Hall on his account of the book:

According to legend, the Book of Thoth was kept in a golden box in the inner sanctuary of

the temple. There was but one key and this was in the possession of the "Master of the Mysteries," the highest initiate of the Hermetic Arcanum. He alone knew what was written in the secret book. The Book of Thoth was lost to the ancient world with the decay of the Mysteries, but its faithful initiates carried it sealed in the sacred casket into another land. The book is still in existence and continues to lead the disciples of this age into the presence of the Immortals. No other information can be given to the world concerning it now, but the apostolic succession from the first hierophant initiated by Hermes himself remains unbroken to this day, and those who are peculiarly fitted to serve the Immortals may discover this priceless document if they will search sincerely and tirelessly for it.

This brings us to our first lesson: Nothing is meant to be taken literally.

Meanings and hidden procedures are obscured and veiled with 'simple' practices, imagery and rituals on purpose, to hide the true meaning of the Work from those unfit to see it. It was the way adepts communicated to their initiates back in the day (and still are).

So let's start by stating the following: The book isn't real, neither is 'Thoth'. Why?

Thoth is the principle agent of Wisdom and Intelligence that is engraved on each person's mind. He gifted the knowledge of reading, writing, mathematics, music, magic, and so on. These are all stuff our own brains have produced. Thoth is our consciousness. And his teachings are locked away in a golden chest, buried in the sands of a foreign land. Here we're beginning to introduce the concept of gold as the holy altar by which our temples are built around. Gold is that deepest part of your being, the essence of your Soul, a drop of God, which carries the secrets of the Universe, Nature, and Man. The knowledge of all things are buried within you, a chest that can only be unlocked with the keys of immortality.

Which is what Alchemy is all about.

History's been littered with those who've tried to understand the mystery behind the Self, that which is covered in Gold. You may recognize some of the following names, all of whom were prominent (Western) alchemists:

Roger Bacon, Raymond Lully, Nicolas Flamel, Basil Valentine, Paracelsus, Heinrich Khunrath, Jan Baptist van Helmont, Sendivogius, Comte de Saint Germain, John Dee.

For more information on the history of alchemy, it's practitioners and their stories, I recommend the following two books with all my heart:

Orders of the Great Work by Hall, and Lives of Alchemystical Philosophers by Waite.

PHILOSOPHIC FOUNDATIONS

All of Creation stems from a three-fold Nature.

For all mystical practices, across the world, this has been the most central key in understanding the functions of the Cosmos. To the medieval (Western) mystics, the usage of Christian Symbolism was obvious. It was the Trinity: The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit.

But to the Hindus it was: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva.

The Mayans: Tohil, Jacawitz, Awilix.

And to the Greeks: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades.

What it boils down to, no matter the creed, is that the three-fold nature is made up of the following:

Salt (body), Sulphur (Spirit), Mercury (Soul). These are alchemy's universal symbols for the constitution that makes up Man, Nature and God. So once again, these have never been literal, but meant to veil what 'part' of your Being that the alchemical procedure is concerning.

Added to this, we have the four elements: Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire. The philosophy behind this was most famously explored by the Ancient Greeks, but can also be found in India, China, Egypt, etc. What these describe are the further constitutions of life, in the following manner:

Earth is the corporeal matter, the material elements from which all life is made.
Water is the subject which flows through matter, your life, consciousness or mind.
Air is the spirit of your being, that which flows freely in the heavens and mingles on earth.
Fire, the blazing heat from the Creator, the Light of Truth and Knowledge. This is your innermost sanctuary, where the Father dwells and incense can be smelled in the air.

So, Salt = Earth, Sulphur = Water & Air, Mercury = Fire.

Now read the following verse from Genesis 2:7,

And the Lord God formed man of the dust (Earth) of the ground, and breathed (Air) into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living (Water) soul (Fire).

So does the Bible incorporate the ideas of alchemy, or is it the opposite? Well, alchemy is older.

In fact, all of Creation in Genesis is one big alchemical formula. Man (or the Homonculus) was made on the 6th day. Prior to that, God contains all of creation within a sphere, mixing light/fire and water and earth. This is a retort, it's the vessel of the alchemist. In here lies the secret of creation the Philosopher's Stone, or the Magnum Opus of alchemy. OT is actually littered with alchemical formulas, see The Flood as another example (a vessel containing all the elements of life, that lies in water for 40 days and 40 nights). Exodus is the same.

So as you can see, alchemy is everywhere, and if you understand how to find it and where to read it, you're well on your way to discovering the processes by which All of Creation operates. The three-fold nature the four elements are the absolute basics, and see how much we can already discover. Add to this the following list, read up on the symbolism, and you'll have a solid foundation for interpreting almost anything mystical (from any tradition):

Seven (Heavens, Ladder, Planetary Spheres), Dualistic Cosmology (Male & Female, Light & Dark)

ANALYSIS

Now that we're equipped with a basic understanding of symbols used within alchemy, we can perform a basic analysis on our own.

Consider this Emblem from Museum Hermeticum Reformatum et Amplificatum.

First, we notice that there's an apparent hierarchy to the image, so we start by analyzing it vertically. The world seems to be divided into two parts, the lower and the upper realms. In the higher spheres we find the Trinity of Christianity, from left to right: The Son, The Father, and the Holy Spirit; surrounded by their angels, the Seraphims and Cherubims. This division between the two planes is carried out by two things: the line separating them, and the circle of heavens in the center (a starry sky, itself obscured by clouds).

Among the stars, we find 5 birds, from left to right: a crow (saturn; lead), a swan (jupiter; tin), a cock (mars; iron), a pelican (venus; copper) and the phoenix (mercury; quicksilver). Afterwards comes a 7-layered sphere, with the following inscribed in Latin, from the outermost to the inner:

1. The Twelve signs of the Zodiac,
2. "The solar year, the stellar year, and the year of winds”,
3. “The mercury of the sages, corporeal mercury, and common, or visible mercury”
4. “Combustible sulphur, fixed sulpur, and volatile, or ethereal sulphur”
5. “Elementary salt, earthly salt, and central salt”
6. “Four kinds of fire are requisite for the work.”
7. A white triangle with the symbol of Mercury inside it, representing the "Solar Mercury".

The entirety of the upper half is depicting a sun - but not the physical sun, but the spiritual Sun. Its dominion are these spheres, the heavens, and all the world that is below it (symbolic of Man's soul having dominion over both the spirit and the body).

On the ground, we find a hill that's closely lifted towards the Heavens. Upon the trees are alchemical symbols, of which Basil Valentine's table of alchemical symbols is a good resource for diving deeper into them. We can point out the tree closest to the sky bears the alchemical symbol of the Sun (once again notice that this sun is only symbolic of the real Sun).

The world is split into night and day (inferior and superior), which is why Water flows out the right side of the hill, and there's a fire burning on the left side. Starting on the left, The eagle bears Fire and Wind under its wings, while on the opposite side, the eagle is carrying Earth and Water. Male and Female are both found on opposite sides, each linked to the Divine by a golden chain. This represents the nature of all living things, made of that eternal duality, of which the destruction will break the illusion of separation and unite the philosopher into a compact vessel of the True Divine.

The Lion, representing Soul and Will, can be found on the left side, while the Deer, who represents Spirit and Intuition, is found on the right. The deer is holding a clover, representing the three-fold nature of all things.

And in the center, we find the consummated Magnum Opus, the philosophic equilibrium. The single-headed, double-bodied lion, represents the unison of all things that were once scattered and split apart, as does the robe of the philosopher standing above it. This alchemystical philosopher, having shattered the illusion of light and dark with both his maces (illumined intellect), unites the Cosmos into a single Androgyne Entity. It has become the Philosopher's Stone.