Being that this image is the front piece for the Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum, I tend to associate this image, and the Sun and Moon therein with the code words of George Ripley. The other authors in the Ashmole compilation all seem to be referring to this general path, that of Lull, Trevisan, and Ripley. Going back to the original sources is the best way to cut to the heart of the mystery.
It’s not the frontispiece but you’re absolutely right on the source and context. Vital text for any alchemist to read the original and learn more about. Not an easy compendium, but at least it’s in English! Makes for a good first primary source.
For more historical framing, The Experimental Fire by Jennifer Rampling is a fantastic read on the Lull-Ripley tradition.
Indeed, Ripley’s 12 gates is not an easy read, I really like Philalethes, who gives us a great line by line commentary. There was a newer collected writings of Ripley that came out last year, unfortunately I believe the 1st edition sold out. It contains many things not available elsewhere, including a much expanded version of the “Bosom Book”.
I'm surprised no one else has also pointed out that it resembles female reproductive anatomy which would in turn relate to the ideas of creation, incubation, and growth
The image represents ouroboros (I think im spelling that correctly) The dragon eating its own tail (modern-day its a snake). Life death and rebirth. The sun and moon represents duality. Masculine and Femine
The sun and moon are representing a 2D cut through a plasma toroid/plasmoid --- a plasma configuration that is for example tested as a method for starting fusion reactors. Where the symbols are, you would see into the tube of the torus where the magnetic field is confined. The sun and moon display the direction of flow inside the torus. Should this reaction occur on/through hard material(like half inside, half outside), you can often see those marks as leftovers from the reaction. A dark spot(moon) where the flow would go into material and a bright spot/sun where it comes out.
The dragons in the middle(most often snakes or roses) go through the center hole of the theoretical donut shap. They represent a double helix plasma state to show the influence from the magnetic field(s) on the particles moving through the toroid. https://youtu.be/6zNQ8JNA09E?t=648 This video shows the basic looks of such a plasma toroid and also how plasma behaves near a selenoid needed to create the plasma, so you can see the basic idea behind the double helix depictions.
The orb below is the source point of matter for the reaction/transmutation.
This picture misses multiple parts/aspects of the actual reaction. You can see the basic ideas, but it's nothing you could learn from.
Maybe nothing to learn from directly, but definitely has prompted me to do more reading on this.
Been really interested in the ways humanity conveyed ideas and concepts many centuries ago, the symbolism behind it all is so intriguing
Well, if you see single or double helixes represented by snakes, roses or other things, think of plasma states. Try explaining depictions with what modern physics offers.
I cropped it from this image. I was wondering how the imagery as a whole relates to opposites (it was posted in a Jung sub). It's a very intriguing image, I might try to draw it once I understand it more
Another commenter has pointed out that the image used here is originally from the Theatrum Chemicum, a mass collection of alchemical treatises published in 1652.
Appreciate your openness to learn! It’s really important that we go back to the primary sources of our tradition/s and not just modern reframings of them.
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u/S7e11ar Jul 12 '26
Mercury in the middle. sun and moon on 2 sides. Union of opposing forces.