You know, I really just want one good modern textbook, written in English, that explains exactly the “usual” scientific practice behind the four stages, and a glossary of alchemical terms with their decknamens and imagery. I want to be more systematic about researching this in a way that might provide illumination on the VMs illustrations. I have been disappointed in a few promising ones that I’ve read. They tend to either deal with just a few recipes or veer off into Jung or the esoteric. If anyone knows of a promising one, let me know; otherwise I’m just going to write to one or more of these scholars and ask their opinion on a good text.
One piece of good news: remember I said re the Nigrido page You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. that Koen had found a compelling comparable illustration of the dead nymph with ring/mirror, identified as the “Whore of Babylon”, which I then said would be a perfect symbol of putrefaction? This same figure is the stinky black mass on You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in the rainbow sub-stage? I just found one of the decknamens for the mass: the “whore”. Koen for the win as usual!
One piece of good news: remember I said re the Nigrido page You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. that Koen had found a compelling comparable illustration of the dead nymph with ring/mirror, identified as the “Whore of Babylon”, which I then said would be a perfect symbol of putrefaction? This same figure is the stinky black mass on You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in the rainbow sub-stage? I just found one of the decknamens for the mass: the “whore”. Koen for the win as usual!