Alchemical Symbolism in the VMS

[pjburkshire]

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.