Atalanta Fugiens - Discourse IV
Lessons In Alchemy From Michael Maier's Alchemical Emblem Book...
The terms, “Brother” and “Sister” mean something totally different in their philosophic application in the alchemical process. It does harken to the masculine and feminine principles, but the notion of the union of brother and sister should not be taken literally, it is speaking of the “Alchemical Marriage” or “Alchemical Wedding”, not speaking of the literal marriage of siblings. Like everything else with these philosophical principles, much of it has been misunderstood and misconstrued by people seeking worldly power and influence. That is likely why the “elite” or “royal”families have historically intermarried in this way. They have misapplied the alchemical concept present in this discourse because they interpreted it literally, and that is not the true meaning or intention behind it, it speaks to the alchemical process. Those within the these “elite” family bloodlines believe that marriage with closely related individuals helps preserve their “magick” or “occult” powers within their lineage. As you can see, the alchemical interpretation means something totally different than what the surface reading will render, it is esoteric language speaking to the mixture of hermetic characteristics to steps in the alchemical process. It shows the union of opposites (i.e. - dry and moist, masculine and feminine) as being integral to the production of the tincture or product of the alchemical working. It speaks to different effects seen at different phases of the alchemical process and credited to the appropriate philosophical element of that particular step in the process.
The language used in alchemical treatises such as this one can be confusing to someone unfamiliar with the subject. The use of symbols from mythology and the philosophical elements represent constituent components within the alchemical process itself, and are not intended to be interpreted literally. These symbols are simply substitutions for phenomena pertaining to a particular phase of the alchemical process. Often the symbols used signify something entirely different than what is read at the surface level. It is an esoterically encoded means of communication to those who know the steps of the alchemical process, and have the cipher to translate the constitute components in a particular alchemical working. The symbols used in one alchemical process may mean something entirely different in another alchemical process, depending upon the step in the process that the symbol occurs. This means that the same symbol can be, and often is, used to represent different things in different phases of alchemical processes. Thus, there is not one universal meaning for any given symbol used in an alchemical text, it varies according to specifics of the particular operation. This is one of the things that makes interpreting alchemical texts difficult. The descriptions assigning colors to certain symbols are usually referencing specific parts of the process (black, white, red, and yellow being the primary colors associated with the steps). The Philosophic Mercury, Sulfur, and Salt of the alchemical process are not those literal substances known to our modern chemistry. These are words that are describing something more sublime, and can be thought of as substitution words that represent something else entirely. It has to do with the “essence” or “virtue” of a thing, a more spiritualized, non-physical component that is extracted during the alchemical process. A basic understanding of alchemy is not an easily acquired thing. It takes many years of in-depth study just to foster a preliminary conception of the premises. Even though these discourses are very short, they contain volumes of information that any student of alchemy will take many, many hours to unpack. I hope you find value in these offerings, but remember, a basic understanding of what is presented here will require significant efforts on your part. Alchemical principles are not something that can be learned overnight, the learning is in and of itself a process. Best regards.