| Alchemy, Chemistry, Numerology and Symbolism 
Make from male and female a circle, then a square, afterwards a triangle, from which make another circle, and thou shalt have the Philosophers' Stone... . The repetitious pattern of unions is connected with the alchemists' attempts to reconcile the numbers 4, 3, and 2, and reduce them to 1. The riddle of the Sphinx was, "What has four feet in the morning, two at midday and three in the evening?" Oedipus answered "man", but another answer is 'alchemy', which began with the belief that all things are made of 4 (elements), then developed the theory that they are made of 2 (mercury and sulphur ) and finally the theory that they are made of 3 (mercury, sulphur and salt). The adoption of a new theory did not cause the discarding of an old one; they continued to exist side by side. From the alchemist's point of view, the riddle was, "How are 4 turned into 2 and then into 3, which is also 1? The 4 changes into the 2 because the four primary qualities of the four elements are all contained in the two opposites of sulphur (hot and dry) and mercury (cold and wet). But it is not enough to say that all things are made of 2, because 2 is the number of evil, Hostility and unreconciled opposites.* All things must be made of 3, which joins the opposites in unity, but this 3 must contain the original 4. The 3 contains the 4 in alchemy because mercury has a double nature. The trinity of mercury, sulphur and salt conceals a quaternary. Mercury can be seen as single or double, as required. Michael Maier's solution to the Sphinx's riddle, was "From a man and a woman make a circle, then a square, then a triangle, finally a circle and you will obtain the Philosopher's Stone." In sublimation, the alchemist takes 'a man and a woman', mercury (spirit) as male and salt (body) as female and joins them together or makes them into a circle. In fermentation, sulphur (soul) is added to make four or a square-- salt (1) + mercury (2) + sulphur (1). In exaltation, these are regarded as three, or a triangle, and they are joined or made into a circle which is the Stone, or 1. * This is a Numerology concept. Excerpt from The Black Arts |
Free Forum Hosting
Important Announcement
