Alchemical symbol

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Alchemical symbols in Torbern

Bergman's 1775 Dissertation on Elective Affinities.

Alchemical 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
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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

Mercury (fluid connection between the High and the Low)

[edit]Four

Sulfur (omnipresent spirit of life) Salt (base matter)

basic elements

Fire Water Earth Air

[edit]Seven

planetary metals

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

Astrological symbols/glyphs representing the Sun,Moon, Pluto and planets, including the Earth, in Western 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.

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 ( )

The planets Uranus and Neptune and the dwarf planet Pluto were discovered after the time alchemy had been largely replaced by chemistry, and are not part of traditional Alchemical symbols. Some modern alchemists consider the symbols for these planets to represent the radioactive metalsuranium, neptunium and plutonium, respectively. Also, the Monas Hieroglyphica is an alchemical symbol devised by John Dee as a combination of the planetary metal glyphs.

[edit]Mundane

elements

"Squaring the Circle": analchemical glyph (17th c.) of the creation of thePhilosopher's Stone.


[edit]Alchemical

Antimony Arsenic Bismuth Boron Magnesium Phosphorus Platinum Potassium Stone Sulfur Zinc

compounds

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

A table of alchemical symbols fromBasil Valentines The Last Will and Testament, 1670 ce.

[edit]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 12Zodiac signs.

Decomposition through Oxidation (Aries Decomposition through Digestion (Leo )

Decomposition through Fermentation/Putrefaction (Capricorn Modification through Congelation/Coagulation (Taurus Modification through Fixation (Gemini ) ) )

Modification through Ceration (Sagittarius Separation through Distillation (Virgo Separation through Sublimation (Libra Separation through Filtration (Scorpio ) ) )

Union through Solution (Cancer

) )

Union through Multiplication (Aquarius Union through Projection (Pisces )