Alchemical symbol

From Includipedia, the inclusionist encyclopedia

Alchemic symbols, originally devised as part of the protoscience of alchemy, were used to denote some elements and some compounds until the 18th century. Note that while notation like this was mostly standardized, style and symbol varied between alchemists, so this page lists the most common.

Contents 1 Three Primes 2 Four basic Elements 3 Seven Planetary Metals 4 Mundane Elements 5 Alchemical Compounds 6 12 Core Alchemical processes 7 External links

Three Primes

According to Paracelsus, the Three Primes or Tria Prima are:

• Sulfur (omnipresent spirit of life) Image:Sulphur.svg
• Mercury (fluid connection between the High and the Low) Image:Mercury symbol.svg
• Salt (base matter) Image:Line within circle.png

Four basic Elements

• Fire Image:Alchemy fire symbol.svg
• Water Image:Alchemy water symbol.svg
• Earth Image:Alchemy earth symbol.svg
• Air Image:Alchemy air symbol.svg

Seven Planetary Metals

Main articles: Classical planets in Western alchemy and Planets in astrology

Planetary metals were "dominated" or "ruled" by one of the seven planets known by the ancients. Although they occasionally have a symbol of their own (denoted by also:), they were usually symbolized by the planet's symbol. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were not yet discovered while Alchemy was commonly practiced, though many modern alchemists consider them representative of Uranium, Neptunium and Plutonium, respectively.

• Gold dominated by Sol ☉ ☼ ( Image:Sun symbol.svg )
• Silver dominated by Luna ☽ ( Image:Crescent.svg )
• Copper dominated by Venus ♀ (also: Image:Copper symbol.svg )
• Iron dominated by Mars ♂ ( Image:Mars symbol.svg )
• Tin dominated by Jupiter ♃ ( Image:Jupiter symbol.svg )
• Mercury (Quicksilver) dominated by Mercury ☿ ( Image:Mercury symbol.svg )
• Lead dominated by Saturn ♄ ( Image:Saturn symbol.svg )

Mundane Elements

• Antimony ♁ Image:Antimony-symbol.svg
• Arsenic Image:Arsenic alchemical symbol.svg
• Bismuth Image:Bismuth symbol.png
• Boron
• Magnesium ⊛
• Phosphorus
• Platinum ☾ ☉
• Potassium
• Stone Image:Stone symbol.svg
• Sulfur Image:Sulfur symbol 1.svg Image:Sulfur symbol 2.svg
• Zinc

Alchemical Compounds

• Sal ammoniac *
• Aqua Fortis A.F.
• Aqua Regia A.R.
• Spirit of Wine S.V.
• Amalgama
  
• Cinnabar (Mercury sulfide) Image:Cinnabar Symbol.svg
• Vitriol
  

12 Core Alchemical processes

The 12 Alchemical processes are considered to be the basis of modern Chemical processes. Each of these processes is "dominated" or "ruled" by one of the 12 Zodiac signs.

• Decomposition through Calcination (Aries Image:Aries.svg)
• Decomposition through Digestion (Leo Image:Leo.svg)
• Decomposition through Fermentation/Putrefaction (CapricornImage:Capricorn.svg)
• Modification through Congelation/Coagulation (Taurus Image:Taurus.svg)
• Modification through Fixation (Gemini Image:Gemini.svg)
• Modification through Ceration (Sagittarius Image:Sagittarius.svg)
• Separation through Distillation (Virgo Image:Virgo.svg)
• Separation through Sublimation (Libra Image:Libra.svg)
• Separation through Filtration (Scorpio Image:Scorpio.svg)
• Union through Solution (Cancer Image:Cancer.svg)
• Union through Multiplication (Aquarius Image:Aquarius.svg)
• Union through Projection (Pisces Image:Pisces.svg)

External links

Also see Iridius' Info - Alchemy Symbolsbs:Alhemijski simboli es:Símbolo alquímico