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+--- Thread: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS (/thread-1745.html)
RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - bi3mw - 22-07-2026
Yes, Giovanni Aurispa is also an interesting figure. This supports my theory that there may have been a spirit of optimism regarding Greek texts and their translation in the early 15th century.
RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - GracefulShinjo - 24-07-2026
You know I have argued the Voynich manuscript is an alchemical notebook that managed to survive being destroyed. Glad to see someone else has considered the connections to alchemy.
RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - peepeehead - 08-10-2026
Hey, found some more parallels to alchemy in the Ashburnham 1166 manuscript aka 'Miscellany of Alchemy'.
I don't have a link to the full book, I'm going off images I found here: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - nablator - 08-10-2026
(08-10-2026, 12:45 PM)peepeehead wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I don't have a link to the full book, I'm going off images I found here: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
Nice!
Full size double pages:
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RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - JustAnotherTheory - 09-10-2026
Here's another example, from Chimica figurata (You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.):
RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - DG97EEB - 09-10-2026
I think we should rename Voynich as "The Greatest Hits of Medieval literature".. in one place we can find alchemy, Taccola, De Balneis, French goats, German words, German Crossbowmen, French wolkenbanden, German parchment (I'll post on this later), and herbals that could be Italian or German, oh and either Egyptian or non medieval containers... No wonder it's so bloody difficult to unlock... But something or someone unites these things....
RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - JustAnotherTheory - 09-10-2026
(09-10-2026, 07:05 AM)DG97EEB wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I think we should rename Voynich as "The Greatest Hits of Medieval literature".. in one place we can find alchemy, Taccola, De Balneis, French goats, German words, German Crossbowmen, French wolkenbanden, German parchment (I'll post on this later), and herbals that could be Italian or German, oh and either Egyptian or non medieval containers... No wonder it's so bloody difficult to unlock... But something or someone unites these things....
I have the same feeling. But for me, the fact that all of these "greatest hits" can be found in a single manuscript points towards some kind of foul play, or forgery.
RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - MarcoP - 09-10-2026
I understand the three faces (and plausibly the 3 colors in the T-O diagram) stand for:
Earth,Terra / Mercury (child?)
Fire / Sun (Pater/father)
Water / Moon (Mater / mother)
Elixir philosophorum componitur ex tribus, i.e. ex lapidi Lunari, Solari et Mercuriali. In Lunari existit sulphur album, in Solari sulfur rubeum, et Lapis Mercurialis amplectitur utramque naturam, albam et rubeam, et hec est fortitudo totius magisterii.
"The Elixir of the Philosophers is composed of three [things], namely, the Lunar, Solar, and Mercurial Stones. In the Lunar [Stone] there is white sulphur; in the Solar [Stone], red sulphur; and the Mercurial Stone embraces both natures, white and red. And this is the strength of the entire Work."
In the Wellcome ms there's a typo: the Sun is mis-labelled "Mater", but it was Pater in the earlier Ashburnham 1166 ms.
RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - nablator - 09-10-2026
(09-10-2026, 07:37 AM)MarcoP wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.In the Wellcome ms there's a typo: the Sun is mis-labelled "Mater", but it was Pater in the earlier Ashburnham 1166 ms.
Ashb. 1166 is full of spelling errors too. It's a collection of citations from famous books but what matters in this manuscript is obviously the lavish illustrations. Some of them, like the VMS-relevant ones, seem to be original (AFAIK), not copies of earlier models.
From You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.:
Quote:Elixir autem philosophorum componitur ex tribus, scilicet lapide lunari, solari, & Mercuriali. In lunari existit sulphur album, in solari sulphur rubeum, & lapis Mercurii amplectitur vtranque naturam albam & rubeam, & hæc est fortitudo totius magisterii.
From You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.:
Quote:Prima materia corporum non est Mercurius vulgi, sed est vapor unctuosus et humidus. Nam ex humido fit lapis mineralis, & ex unctuoso fit corpus metallicum. In talem namque vaporem unctuosum oportet ut corpora convertantur, et ...
RE: Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS - pjburkshire - 09-10-2026
(09-10-2026, 07:37 AM)MarcoP wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
I understand the three faces (and plausibly the 3 colors in the T-O diagram) stand for:
Earth,Terra / Mercury (child?)
Fire / Sun (Pater/father)
Water / Moon (Mater / mother)
Elixir philosophorum componitur ex tribus, i.e. ex lapidi Lunari, Solari et Mercuriali. In Lunari existit sulphur album, in Solari sulfur rubeum, et Lapis Mercurialis amplectitur utramque naturam, albam et rubeam, et hec est fortitudo totius magisterii.
"The Elixir of the Philosophers is composed of three [things], namely, the Lunar, Solar, and Mercurial Stones. In the Lunar [Stone] there is white sulphur; in the Solar [Stone], red sulphur; and the Mercurial Stone embraces both natures, white and red. And this is the strength of the entire Work."
In the Wellcome ms there's a typo: the Sun is mis-labelled "Mater", but it was Pater in the earlier Ashburnham 1166 ms.
I don't see the 3-part "Elixir of the Philosophers" recipe as a good match for f67v2. The colors on f67v2 are clearly green, blue, and red.
I don't see the T-O Map as a good match either.
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f67v2 has 3 colors but 4 faces; two of the faces are up and two are upside down. Which way is the top? The rest of the page implies rotation. A cycle of some kind. Possibly the moon. Possibly the seasons of the year. Possibly some cycle we haven't thought of yet. I think it is more likely to be Zodiac related than alchemy or geography.