The Green Lion: The Stem and Root of the Radical Essence of Metals
“Of Our Mercury which is the Green Lion Devouring the Sun Know that it is Mercury cold and moist and God hath created all minerals of it, for it is an airy element, flying from the fire.
Therefore, when any part is fixed to it, it effecteth an high matter and it is a profitable spirit, and there is not any thing in the world but it. Neither is there any thing that may stand in the place of it, and it is a thing searching to the bottom in every body, and enriching it.
Therefore, when it is mingled with the body, it reviveth it and illuminates it and converts it from disposition to disposition, and, from one colour into another, therefore it is the whole Elixir of whiteness and redness, and it is a permanent water, and water of life and death..”
— The Rosary of the Philosophers, c. 1550
the Green Lion (Leo Viridis), a symbol that appears in many alchemical texts. The Green Lion is often depicted devouring the Sun, representing the dissolution of the ego and the raw, primal forces of nature that must be harnessed in the alchemical work. It is associated with the prima materia, the chaotic, unformed substance from which all creation arises.
I am the true green and Golden Lion without cares.
In me all the secrets of the Philosophers are hidden.
Of Our Mercury which is the Green Lion Devouring the Sun
Know that it is Mercury cold and moist and God hath created all minerals of it, for it is an airy element, flying from the fire. Therefore, when any part is fixed to it, it effecteth an high matter and it is a profitable spirit, and there is not any thing in the world but it. Neither is there any thing that may stand in the place of it, and it is a thing searching to the bottom in every body, and enriching it.
Therefore, when it is mingled with the body, it reviveth it and illuminates it and converts it from disposition to disposition, and, from one colour into another, therefore it is the whole Elixir of whiteness and redness, and it is a permanent water, and water of life and death, it is virgin's milk, the herb of washing and the animal fountain, of which whosoever drinks dies not, and it is susceptive of colour and a medicine of them causing them to take colours, and it is that which mortifies, dries, moistens and makes hot and cold, and it does contrary things according to the measure of its regimen, and when it is quick it hath other operations, and when it is dead it hath other operations of others, and when it is sublimed there are other operations unto it.
And he is a Dragon which marries himself and does impregnate himself and he brings forth in his day, and kills all animals with his poison, and the fire destroys him, and it destroys in short time by reason of the Argent vive. Neither can he overcome it, nor eat it, but flies from it.
The former wise philosophers have bethought themselves of the means of policies belonging unto it, until by little and little it be made abiding the fire, therefore it does not cease to be graduated upon the fight of the fire, and it is fed of it, so that when any fixion is fixed to it, wonderful and strange mutations happen because when it is changed it changes, and his blackness appears and his sound and his brightness, therefore when it is tincted, it is tincted and it tincteth; when it is dissolved, it is dissolved and it dissolveth, and it whiteneth in the sight of the eye and it maketh red in succession, and it is a water gathering together, and it is milk and strong urine and mollifying oil and the father of all miracles, and it is a mist and a cloud and fugitive servant, and occidental Mercury, which hath preferred himself before Gold and hath overcome it.
Therefore Gold says unto him, dost thou prefer thyself before me. And I am Lord of Stones enduring the fire. Our Mercury says unto it, but I have begat thee and thou art born of me, and one part of me revives many parts of thee, but thou art covetous and givest not any thing in comparison to me, and he which shall bind me with my brother and my sister shall live and rejoice, and it shall suffice him in all his life, if he should live a thousand thousand years, and every day sustain seven thousand men, yet he should never want, and I am the whole secret and in me the Science is hidden, because I convert all bodies into Sol and Luna, when my nature is such that I mollify the hard, and make the soft hard.
And therefore note that the Philosophers' Stone for the true Alchemy itself is this thing only in the whole world, and he which errs in this one thing is thought to run headlong from the matter, but yet it is not perfect in his nature, to which workmanship itself has brought it, for without the magistery it is of no force with us nor of any commodity, neither does it perfectly yield any thing but rather corrupteth, and this therefore I speak so far forth as you use it with the magistery because it is pine phlegm.
Sometimes the Philosophers call it Sulphur and melancholy citrine, by reason of the effect of his miraculous virtue, for as some men will have it, of it God created all nations and appointed the original of them for some men have called this our stone, white copper.
Whereupon Lucas and Eximenus say, understand all you that search after knowledge, that no tincture is made but of our white copper. For our copper is not common copper. Common copper is corrupted and infecteth everything which is put unto it, but the Copper of Philosophers maketh perfect and whiteneth that to which it is associated.
Therefore Plato says, all gold is copper, but all copper is not gold, therefore our copper has body, soul and spirit, and these three are one, from one, and with one, which is the root of it, therefore the copper of the Philosophers is their Elixir accomplished and perfected of body, soul and spirit. So the Philosophers have named the Stone by diverse names that it might be manifest to the wise and hidden from the ignorant, but by what name soever it is named, yet is it always one and the same thing.
Whereupon Merculinus says:
It is an hidden stone and buried in a deep fountain And cast in the ways and covered with dirt or dung This one Stone hath all names Whereupon Morienus, that godly man,says:
This Stone is a Stone and no Stone
It is a bird and no bird
It is Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Venus,
And Luna
Now silver, now gold and now an element
Now water, now wine, now blood
Now virgin's milk.now spume of the sea or vinegar
Now Sal Gemme, now common salt
Now auripigmentum
Now the purged sea purified with Sulphur
And thus they figure it because they would not reveal it to the Ignorant Nor conceal it from those that be wise
And that the Copper which is handled be not distributed to fools This only Luna is called by all names
And these are the orders of the operations of this Stone by the help of which this thing which we seek is engendered and is brought into actual essence.
And Sublimation is one means, Descension another. Distillation the third Calcination the fourth. Solution the fifth. Congelation the sixth, Fixion the seventh. Iteration the eighth, Ceration the ninth and many more like these they recite, which orders surely although they be diverse in reason, yet they are all one in matter, for sometimes the Philosophers considering the matter of them which when it is in the vessel and feels the Sun or the heat incontinently and breathes and evaporates away into the form of most subtle fume, and ascends into the head of the vessel. And this they have called Ascension and Sublimation.
Afterwards, they seeing the matter which ascended to descend to the bottom of the vessel, they have called it Distillation or Descension, moreover they seeing that substance or matter to thicken and wax black and to give an evil savour, they have called it Putrefaction. They seeing a black and dark colour and perceiving it after a long time to cast forth an evil smell and a little whiteness to come like the colour of ashes, they have called it Inceration or Dealbation.
- The Rosarium Philosophorum, c. 1550
"About our Mercury, which is the Green Lion devouring the Sun, see schema 18.
Mercury is this: And you should know that it is both cold and moist, and from it God created all metals. For it is itself the element and the sharp spirit driving out.
When a part is separated from it, it produces a sublime vapor, and it is the volatile spirit, which is not found in the world, except in a very few things, but stands in this place as what is drawn out and refined (it saves in the whole body, raising itself). When it is joined to the body, it unifies itself, illuminates, and converts it from disposition to disposition and from color to color.
Thus it is the whole elixir of whiteness and redness, and it is the permanent water, and the water of life and death, and the milk of the virgin, herb washings, and the animal fountain: of which whoever drinks will not die, and it receives their color and medicine, and it makes one acquire colors, and it is that which mortifies, dries, moistens, heats and cools, and it makes opposites according to the measure of its regimen.
And they are, when it is alive, different operations, and when it is dead, other operations by others: and when it is sublimated, other operations. And it is the dragon, which marries itself, impregnates itself, and gives birth in its own day, and is killed by its own poison among all animals, and fire destroys it, and it disperses in a short time because of its dryness: one cannot rule over it, nor eat it, but it flees from itself.
However, the first wise men of philosophy discovered it by ingenuity, waiting for the fire: it is said that it is placed in the fire’s sphere: and it is polished by it, so that when it follows a fixation, wonders and mutations come about: for as it itself is changed, it changes others, and blackness appears from it, and its sound and splendor are from it: When it is tinged, it is anointed and dyes: when it is dissolved, it is solved and it itself is and it itself whitens in the vision of the eye, and reddens in succession, and it is the congregating water, and the milk and strong water, and the softening oil, and the father of all wonders, and it is darkness and clouds, and the fugitive servant, and the western Mercury who preferred himself to gold, and conquered it: say to it, "You are better than me? And I am the Lord of stones, bestowing the sign."
Our Mercury says to it, "Indeed: but I have begotten you, and from me you were born, and a part of me has enlivened many parts of you: but you are gold, and you give nothing in comparison to me, and whoever will join me with my brother and sister, lives and rejoices, and it suffices in its life, and if he were to live a thousand thousand years, and if he were to feed seven thousand men every day, he would not lack: and I am the whole secret, and in me is hidden science: because I turn all bodies into the Sun and Moon, when my nature is such that I soften what is hard and harden what is soft, and therefore it is known that the philosopher's stone itself and the true alchemy are to be procured, it is one in the whole world, and whoever errs from this one, is believed to have gone astray into the precipice, nevertheless, it is perfect in its nature, to which art has brought it. For without the magistery, nothing is of value to us, nor is it of any utility to anyone, nor does it surpass anything, but rather it is corrupted: and therefore I say, so far as you use it with the Magistery: because it itself is pure phlegm.
Philosophers sometimes call it sulfur and melancholic citrine because of its wonderful effect of virtue: for whatever God wanted, He created all people and established their origin. They also called this our stone, which some called white. Hence all science seeking the knowledge, which is not any tincture except from our white: for our brass is not common brass: common brass is corrupted, and infects everything to which it is applied: but the brass of philosophers perfects and whitens whatever it is joined with. Therefore Plato says: All gold is brass, but not all brass is gold.
Therefore our brass has body, soul, and spirit, and these three are one: because all these are from one and from one God, and with one, which is its root.
Thus the elixir of the philosophers is their spirit, body, and soul complete and perfect, which philosophers call the philosopher's stone by various names they had named, so that it was manifest to those who were able, and hidden to those who were not. But by whatever name it is called, it is still one and the same, and of the same."
— Philosophia reformata by Mylius Johann Daniel, c. 1622
The Green Lion
(From Facebook, probably from AI) “The Green Lion holds a central place in the allegorical language of alchemy, representing a transformative and essential force within the Great Work. Found in numerous classical texts and imagery, the Green Lion symbolizes processes such as dissolution, purification, and the uncovering of vital essences. This essay will explore the meaning and function of the Green Lion through references to historical alchemical literature and its practitioners. The Green Lion as a Symbol of Vital Mercury In Basil Valentine’s "Twelve Keys", the Green Lion appears in the context of the dissolution process. Valentine describes it as a devouring force that consumes the "Sun" to extract its inner purity. Here, the Sun is often interpreted as gold or sulfur, representing the fixed or essential principle, while the Green Lion signifies the volatile spirit, which is often associated with Mercury. Valentine writes: "The Green Lion devours the Sun, and from this act, the soul of the King is released to undergo purification." This passage emphasizes the Green Lion’s role in breaking down the dense material to release and refine its spiritual essence. Ripley’s Scroll: The Consuming Green Lion George Ripley, in his Ripley Scroll, presents the Green Lion in vivid symbolic imagery. The lion is often depicted as a beast of life, devouring or consuming symbols of fixed matter. Ripley’s verse describes: "There is a Lion green, strong and great / In his belly holds venom innate / Melt him in balneo, till he be dead / And he will bring forth a tincture red." The reference to the "balneo," or bath, suggests the use of gentle heat (the bath of dissolution) to extract the tincture, or the red elixir. Ripley connects the Green Lion to the first phase of transformation—the alchemical solve—a process that dissolves matter into its primal components. Paracelsus and the Green Lion Paracelsus, though less allegorical than some of his predecessors, also discusses concepts that align with the Green Lion. In his writings, he emphasizes the power of vital forces found in nature, particularly in the vegetative and mineral kingdoms. While not explicitly naming the Green Lion, he refers to a "universal solvent" present in all things that extracts the quintessence. His approach often integrates practical chemical operations, hinting at the Green Lion as a natural agent of transformation within both the physical and spiritual realms. The Green Lion as Vitriol The Green Lion has frequently been associated with vitriol (sulfuric acid), a crucial substance in alchemical practice. Vitriol was seen as a powerful agent capable of dissolving metals and minerals, embodying the lion’s devouring nature. The phrase "the Green Lion devours the Sun" can thus be understood as vitriol dissolving gold, an essential step in creating the Philosopher’s Stone. This interpretation is supported by works such as The Rosarium Philosophorum, where the Green Lion is described in terms that resonate with vitriol’s properties. Philosophical Interpretations of the Green Lion The Green Lion is more than a mere chemical symbol; it also represents the alchemist's spiritual journey. It signifies the initial chaotic energy, the raw, untamed force that must be mastered and refined. As Michael Maier articulates in Atalanta Fugiens: "The lion green is the force within, but beware—it is destructive if not tempered by wisdom. In it lies the foundation of transformation, yet also danger." Maier’s words highlight the dual nature of this symbol, emphasizing the need for balance and caution in the alchemical process. Conclusion The Green Lion stands as one of alchemy's most profound symbols, embodying both the raw power of nature and the transformative potential of the alchemist's art. From Basil Valentine to George Ripley, and through the works of Paracelsus and Michael Maier, the Green Lion represents a necessary and dynamic force in the journey toward perfection. Its devouring nature, often linked to vitriol, dissolves impurities and releases hidden essences, signifying the alchemical process of death and rebirth. As the Green Lion devours the Sun, the alchemist learns to navigate the volatile energies of transformation, ultimately revealing the hidden light within matter.”
"I am the true green and golden lion without worry. In me lies all the secret knowledge of the philosophers." — Rosarium philosophorum. Secunda pars alchimiae de lapide philosophico vero modo praeparando, continens exactam eius scientiae progressionem, c. 1550
