The Coat of Arms

Two crowned lions with forked tongues either side of a shield, one red on the left, green on the right. The red lion is a common alchemical symbol representing sulphur, a component of the philosopher's stone, denoting active energy and combustion. The green lion symbolizes the prima materia, or the beginning substance in alchemy and represents the process of purification. Each holds an entanglement of six snakes, the left six bleeding from the mouth. One snake from each side has a longer tail which reach down and touch two small snakes around the symbol of Mercury. Intertwined, they may represent the union of opposites, a central theme in alchemy symbolising the integration of dualities to achieve wholeness. The central shield is quartered with a crowned moon in the top left and bottom right of the quarters, and white wings in the others. In the centre a crowned shield has a star, with an orb beneath, merging symbols of antimony and vitriol, suggesting the fusion of substances in the alchemical process. Above the main crest the helmet adorned with a radiant sun symbolizes enlightenment and vitality. Above the sun stands Mercury (Hermes), the messenger god, holding a caduceus.