ALCHEMICAL SYMBOLOGY

Here is an interesting subject to reflect about in alchemical symbology. The First Tablet of Abraham the Jew that we had already commented previously.

Le Livre Des Figures Hieroglyphiques, Flamel, Retz, Paris, p. 74: « On the inside pages of the book, its leaves had been engraved with great care, writings with an iron burin, in beautiful and very clear coloured Latin letters. »

P.77: «First, in the fourth Tablet he painted a young Man with wings at his heels, holding a rod (caduceus) in the hand, with two Snakes around it. A Helmet is covering his head. In my opinion he symbolizes the God Mercury of the Heathen ones. Coming fast towards him, and flying with open wings, we see a large Old man with a clock on his head. In his hands he is holding a scythe as does Death, terrible and furious he wants to cut the feet of Mercury. »

However, as Flamel relates in the text, the image would be coloured as the one that was published by Molinier.

In the coloured image there is a very important detail. Inthe clock that "winged" Saturn has placed on his head, there is red sand. Spagyricaly a symbol that very well can symbolize gold. Given the path referred to, the gold-dust is means by which Saturn (Saturnie) will be able to cut the feet of Mercury.

If you verify the black and white image, the winged Saturn has not the wings placed on his shoulders but on his head, which symbolically represents the same thing. We also see below a dragon which confirms the symbology of winged Saturn as not representing Saturn but, as Flamel says, and we have previously relate this in the explanation of this Tablet, is the Saturnie that is completely different. From the black and white image of the German source, published in Uraltes Chymiches, Werk, Leipzing, 1760, there is at the lower part of the image a dragon that the coloured Tablet does not show.

In our opinion, in this image, there is a lack of the symbolic representation with which the Saturnie will be able to cut the feet of Mercury that is the amalgam with the Mercury.

In summarizing, which of the images deserves our greater confidence? We don’t know this exactly because we don’t know the original images of the book of Abraham the Jew.

It is this that cause and will continue to cause students of alchemy greater confusions, because each artist represents the alchemical symbolism according to his understanding.

Fortunately, for us, who know the modus operandi of the path of Flamel, that Saturn represented in these Tablets with wings never could be Saturn but Saturnie that is a mineral completely different and that, for having been represented with wings, is volatile and has the property to purge the gold, such as was described in the First Key of the Twelve Keys of Basil Valentine.

To be able "to cut" the feet of Mercury, the Saturnie will have to be first melted with the Sun or Moon and after, yes, it will be able to cut the feet of Mercury (amalgamated) with the young winged messenger of the Gods.

Rubellus Petrinus