In this being we see united all dualities into one. Male and female, body and spirit, heaven and earth, above and below, fixed and volatile. In Alchemy, this being is called the “Rebis” and is depicted as a two-headed and winged androgyne. It symbolizes the “philosopher’s child” which results from the conjoining of King and Queen.
“That which is Below correspond to that which is Above, and that which is Above corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the miracles of the One Thing. And just as all things have come from the One Thing, through the meditation of One Mind, so do all created things originate from this One Thing, through Transformation” — The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus
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Size: 2.5″ x 2.5″
Mixed media: oil, paper, ink, varnish, gold leaf, metallic threads, on canvas.
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Tagged as:
Alchemical,
Hermes,
Illumination
A symbol that appears frequently in the emblematic illustrations of alchemy is the Green Lion. Typically he is shown grasping and devouring the sun. In metallurgic alchemy, the meaning of this is the power of sulphuric acid to dissolve all metals such as iron, copper, and even gold, the king of the metals (represented by the sun).
In organic alchemy, the alchemy of potions, the green lion stands for chlorophyll, made by plants “eating” sunlight. Modern interpretations of the “inner path” of alchemy see the green lion as a symbol of the way consciousness can be overwhelmed when bottled-up, intense emotions (the passions) are finally released. Have you ever loved something or somebody so much you wanted (perhaps irrationally) to simply devour them?
Size: 3.5″ x 2.5″
Mixed media: oil, paper, ink, varnish, gold pigment on canvas.
Tagged as:
Alchemical,
Animal,
Illumination,
Lion,
Mixed Media,
Sun
Hard is the stone, but harder still
The delicate preforming will
That guided by a dream alone,
Subdues and moulds the hardest stone,
Making the stubborn jade release
The emblem of eternal peace.
If but the will be firmly bent,
No stuff resists the mind’s intent;
The adamant abets his skill
And sternly aids the artist’s will
To clothe in perdurable pride
Beauty his transient eyes descried.
-Oliver St. John Gogarty, “The Image-maker”
Size: 2.5″ x 3.5″
Mixed media: oil, paper, ink, varnish, and gold pigment on canvas.
Tagged as:
Alchemical,
Equinox,
Illumination,
Mixed Media,
Sun
The self-devouring serpent, symbolizing the universe (without beginning or end) rests atop an inverted pyramid representing the hierarchy of planets. The golden key if acquired grants access to the mysteries of the heavens.
Size: 2.5″ x 3.5″
Mixed media: oil, paper, ink, varnish, gold leaf, and gold pigment on canvas.
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Tagged as:
Alchemical,
Dragon,
Elementals,
Equinox,
Illumination,
Mixed Media,
Ouroboros,
Serpent
