George Ripley's Alchemical Scroll

The Ripley Scroll

The Ripley Scroll (attributed to George Ripley, 15th century English alchemist) is a large illuminated manuscript, typically 20-25 feet long when unrolled, depicting the alchemical Great Work through a continuous symbolic narrative.

Multiple versions exist with variations, but the core iconographic program remains consistent. The scroll reads vertically, depicting stages of transformation through a central spine of vessels, dragons, and human figures.

The Ripley Scroll is deliberately sequential and narrative in structure, designed to be "read" from top to bottom as a visual journey through the entire Great Work. Unlike emblematic books with discrete images, the scroll presents a continuous flow of transformation. Multiple versions exist (British Library, Bodleian, Yale, Huntington, and others), with variations in color, detail, and occasional iconographic substitutions, but the core program remains remarkably stable.

The scroll combines Ripley's written instructions (especially from his Compound of Alchemy) with traditional emblematic vocabulary. Some scrolls include additional marginal creatures, botanical details, or geometric diagrams, but those listed constitute the essential alchemical narrative.

What follows describes the standard emblematic sequence found in most complete Ripley Scroll versions.

Upper Section: Invocation and Beginning

1. The Alchemist in Prayer A robed figure (often Ripley himself) kneels in prayer before an altar or beside vessels; invocation of divine aid, establishing the Work as sacred operation requiring grace.
2. The Red King (Solar King Enthroned) A crowned red king sits enthroned, holding scepter and orb, sometimes with sun behind; represents the perfected sulphur as goal, shown at the beginning as prophecy of completion.
3. The Toad at the Base A large toad sits at ground level, often beside or beneath vessels; the base prima materia, the despised starting point containing the hidden seed of gold.
4. The Dragon Eating Its Tail (Great Ouroboros) A massive dragon or serpent forms a circle, consuming its tail, often containing the entire Work within its body; the cyclical nature of the opus, the unity of beginning and end.

Central Section: The Vessels and Operations

1. The First Vessel with Black Matter A large flask or alembic containing dark, chaotic matter; the initial collection and sealing of prima materia, the beginning of putrefaction.
2. The Bird (often Raven) Descending A black bird (raven or crow) descends into or perches upon the vessel; the nigredo intensifying, the blackness as sign of successful mortification.
3. The White Bird (Swan or Dove) Ascending A white bird rises from the vessel or flies upward; the soul separating, the volatile principle freed through distillation, the beginning of albedo.
4. The Peacock's Tail (Cauda Pavonis) Multiple colors appear in the vessel, often depicted as rainbow hues or peacock feathers; the transitional phase where many colors flash briefly before whiteness stabilizes.
5. The White Stage Vessel The vessel contains brilliant white matter, sometimes with silver or moon symbols; the albedo achieved, the white stone or Queen prepared for marriage.
6. The Green Lion Devouring the Sun A green lion consumes or claws at a solar disk or red sphere; the dissolution of gold by vitriol (green lion), releasing the solar seed for regeneration.
7. The Red Dragon and White Dragon Fighting Two dragons (one red, one white) combat viciously, sometimes within or beside vessels; the war between fixed sulphur and volatile mercury, the violent conjunction phase.
8. The Blood of the Red Dragon Red liquid or blood flows from the red dragon into vessels; the red tincture released, the solar essence extracted through the dragon's sacrifice.

Middle Section: Death, Conjunction, and Resurrection

1. The King and Queen in Conjunction Sol and Luna embrace within a vessel or bath, sometimes shown as a two-headed figure; the sacred marriage, the union of opposites in the hermetic vessel.
2. The Hermaphrodite or Rebis A crowned androgynous figure, often double-headed or displaying both solar and lunar symbols; the unified consciousness, the philosophical child in its intermediate form.
3. The Body in the Tomb (Death) A crowned figure lies dead in a coffin, tomb, or sealed vessel, often with skull nearby; the death of the compound, the necessary putrefaction before resurrection.
4. The Descent of Dew Droplets or streams descend from above into the vessel containing the dead body; the celestial water, the purified soul returning as dew to revivify the corpse.
5. The Resurrection of the Body The figure rises from the tomb, restored to life, often with light radiating; the revivification, the matter reanimated by the returning soul, albedo or citrinitas achieved.
6. The Feeding with Milk and Blood The revived body or stone is fed with white milk and red blood from vessels or breasts; the nourishment and multiplication stage, alternating white and red fermentations.

Lower Section: The Red Work and Completion

1. The Reddening Vessel The vessel contains matter turning from yellow to orange to red; the citrinitas transitioning to rubedo, the final stage of the great work beginning.
2. The Red King Restored A crowned red king stands triumphant, fully restored, holding symbols of completion; the red sulphur perfected, solar consciousness achieved in fixity.
3. The Philosopher Holding the Stone The alchemist figure holds aloft a glowing red stone or orb; the medicine universalis achieved, the stone capable of transmutation and healing.
4. The Projection Scene The philosopher casts powder from the stone onto base metal in a crucible; the operative proof, the transmutation of lead or mercury into gold.
5. The Multiplication Vessels Multiple vessels shown with the stone being dissolved and recongealed repeatedly; the exponential increase of the stone's power through recursive operations.
6. The Garden of the Stone (Paradise Restored) A garden scene with the philosopher, sometimes with tree of life and fountain; the achieved state, the adept dwelling in the paradise of completion.

Marginal and Supporting Imagery

1. The Solar and Lunar Trees Trees bearing solar (gold fruit) and lunar (silver fruit) growing from a common root; the dual manifestation of the single philosophical matter, the two medicines from one source.
2. The Fountain with Three Spouts A fountain with three streams (often white, red, and clear) flowing into basins; the mercurial fountain, the threefold prima materia as living water.
3. The Salamander in Fire A salamander sits unharmed in flames; the fixed principle that survives and is perfected through maximum fire, the incombustible essence.
4. The Seven-Stage Flask A single large vessel divided into seven horizontal sections, each with different colors; the seven stages of the Work corresponding to the seven planets and metals.
5. The Winged and Wingless Dragons One dragon with wings (volatile mercury) and one without wings (fixed sulphur) shown together; the dual nature of mercury that must be balanced—flying and fixed.
6. The Crowned Child Emerging An infant or young crowned figure emerges from a vessel or flower; the filius philosophorum, the stone as offspring of the philosophical marriage.
7. The Phoenix on the Pyre A phoenix stands in or rises from flames, often near the final vessels; the self-regenerating stone, the immortal medicine that creates itself eternally.
8. The Eagle and Lion Coupling An eagle (volatile) and lion (fixed) join sexually or struggle together; the forced marriage of opposing principles, spirit wedding body.
9. The Pelican Vulning Itself A pelican pierces its breast, feeding young with its blood; the multiplication through self-sacrifice, the perfected stone giving of itself to increase.
10. The Crowned Serpent A serpent wearing a crown, often encircling the final vessel; the mercurial principle crowned, the volatile made royal through fixation.
11. The Final Alchemist Figure The philosopher stands in robes of glory, holding completed stone, often with aureole; the adept transfigured, made immortal through participation in the Work.

Footer/Completion Section

1. The Inscription of Completion Text panels declaring success, often with Latin verses from Ripley's works; the verbal seal on the completed opus, the declaration of mastery achieved.
2. The Red and White Medicines Two vessels or figures representing the white stone (lunar medicine) and red stone (solar medicine); the dual completion, both tinctures prepared.
3. The Sphere of Perfection A perfect sphere or circular mandala containing all symbols unified; the philosopher's stone as microcosm, containing all principles in harmony.

THE SCROLL OF GEORGE RIPLEY This celebrated alchemical "Scrowle" was originally compiled by the English Hermetist, or one of his immediate followers, for the instruction of those seeking the formula for the Philosophers' Stone. Ripley died circa 1490, and the scroll is first mentioned about this time. The work is of considerable size, 18 inches wide and 20 feet long. It consists of a series of symbols and figures representing alchemical processes accompanied by verses in English. In nearly all examples of this scroll, the title, enclosed within a floriated border, is missing. This is probably due to the fact that it was more exposed to wear, as this section formed the outer covering of the roll. The complete title of the scroll is Rotulum Hieroglyphicum Pantarvae Philosophorum. The symbols begin with a large drawing of an alchemist who supports a chemical bottle containing a book sealed with seven seals. From these seals extend chains which terminate in seven circular drawings of the chemical processes. The book and its seals appear in the upper part of the section of the scroll reproduced here. The symbolism unfolds with elaborate designs and concludes with a vigorous drawing of an Adept of the Mysteries. It is believed that the celebrated mathematician Dr. John Dee, Astrologer to Queen Elizabeth, derived much of his esoteric knowledge as the result of his meditations upon the secret symbolism of Ripley's Scroll."

— Manly P. Hall, Horizon Journal 1946-Spring

The Red Lune. The Spirit of Water. Red Sol. The Red Sea. On the ground there is a hill Also a serpent within a well His tail is long with wings wide All ready to flee by every side Repair the well fast about That thy serpent pass not out For if that he be there a gone Thou lose the virtue of the stone Where is the ground you must know here And the well that is so clear And what is the dragon with the tail Or else the work shall little avail The well must run in water clear Take good heed for this your fire The fire with water bright shall be burnt And water with fire washed shall be The earth on fire shall be put And water with air shall be knit Thus ye shall go to purification And bring the serpent to redemption First he shall be black as a crow And down in his den shall lie full low Swelling as a toad that lieth on the ground Burst with bladders sitting so round They shall to burst and lie full plain And this with craft the serpent is slain He shall shine colors here many a one And turn as white as whale's bone With the water that he was in Wash him clear from his sin And let him drink a little and a light And that shall make him fair and white The which whiteness be abiding Lo here is a very full finishing Of the white stone and the red Lo here is the very true deed."

— The Ripley Scroll

Bodleian Library MS. Ash. Rolls 52, George Ripley's alchemical roll, 16th century or 17th century

"The Red Sea, the Red Moon, the Red Sun" "Now let the body and soul be bound together in the Elixir" "On the ground, there lies a body, Which is base and black to behold. It is the foul Toad, heavy with poison, Which dwells in the hellish lake. Yet from that poison, a medicine is made, One that is perfect and of great fame. For it is a fire and burning venom With which the Dragon is forced to be tamed. He who can make the Raven white And free the foul Toad from poison May command the world at will, And alchemy shall be his art. Then he shall see perfection, A true transformation of the Red Sea, And he shall gain the knowledge To uncover all secret things. For he must both purge and burn, Burning both the black and the white, Until the Dragon is tamed and slain, And all is turned into red light. Thus, he who perfects all things And makes them of one nature Shall find the Red Lion And bring it into the Elixir."

"The cyclical course of nature and the operations of generation and corruption. The unity of beginning and end, the perpetual circulation of matter, and the self-renewing nature of the Work."