Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS

[nablator]

Why the green water?  In many alchemical emblems of the hermaphrodite, s/he is standing upon a green dragon.  The VMS green pool is not dragon-shaped, but nevertheless probably identifies for us the same thing: prima materia.  The rebis, hermaphrodite, arises from prima materia.  This is possibly thematic of the whole balneological section, blue water is heavenly, green is earthly prima materia from which the heavenly water must be distilled.

Hi Barbrey,

About the green water... The hermaphrodite/rebis is standing upon a dragon in the Buch der heiligen Dreifaltigkeit, but the dragon is not green. Its back is covered with something green. Is it a weird wing or a leaf? A typical illustration: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

I suppose it could be identified/confounded with the green lion in Morienus' Liber de compositione Alchemiae (that calls it a glass), illustrated in the Rosarium Philosophorum (1550):

   

The You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (17th century) is certainly green but there is no hermaphrodite standing on it. Confusing imagery, as always. Is it the Water or Mercury of the Philosophers and also the prima materia? Maybe.

From the Rosarium Philosophorum You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.: "Of Our Mercury which is the Green Lion Devouring the Sun". I have not looked for the source for this part yet - the Rosarium, as its name indicates, is a hodgepodge of various texts, quoted without attribution.

In the first of the sequence, the fountain pours forth the three substances that supposedly flow from the centre of the soul. These are 'Lac Virginis' (the Virgin's milk), 'Acetum fontis' (the spring of vinegar) and 'Aqua Vitae' (the water of life). The latter represents the force within man, that which originally exists. The other two represent, once again, a contribution from both the feminine, receptive, lunar forces, and those of the penetrating, sharp, solar male. These mingle and mix in the lower part of the soul - the fountain's basin - and the substance created is known as the water of Mercury. The latter stages of the alchemical process take place in these waters.

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