Dictionary of Hermetic Symbols From Albert Poisson's "Theories et Symboles des Alchimistes"
ANGEL. — Sometimes symbolises sublimation, the ascension of a volatile principle, as in the figures of the Viatorium Spagyricum.
ANIMALS — General Rule: 1. Whenever two animals of the same species and of different sexes are found, they signify Sulphur and Mercury prepared for the Great Work, or also the fixed and the volatile. The male represents the fixed, Sulphur; the female represents the volatile, Mercury. These animals are united to signify conjunction, (Figures of Lambsprinck); or fighting to symbolise the fixation of the volatile, or the volatilisation of the fixed, (Figures of B. Valentin). 2. A terrestrial animal facing an aerian animal in the same figure indicate the fixed and the volatile. 3. Animals may symbolise the four elements: Earth, (lion, ox); Air, (eagle); Water, (whale, fishes); Fire, (salamander, dragon).
APOLLO. — Same signification as the sun.
BATH. — Symbol: 1. Of the dissolution of gold and silver; 2. Of the purification of these metals.
BED. — Symbol of the philosophical egg.
BIRDS. — Ascending: volatilisation, ascension, sublimation; descending: precipitation, condensation. When these two symbols are united in the same figure, they signify distillation. Birds opposed to terrestrial animals signify Air, or the volatile principle.
BLUNT INSTRUMENTS. — Symbols of fire.
CHAOS. — Symbol of the Unity of Matter and sometimes of the black colour of putrefaction.
CHAMBER. — When the king and the queen are shut therein, it is the symbol of the Philosophical Egg.
CHILD. — Clothed in royal robe, or simply crowned, it is the symbol of the Philosopher’s Stone, sometimes of the red colour of the Magisterium.
CIRCUMFERENCE . — Unity of matter, universal harmony.
CROW. — Symbol of the black colour, or putrefaction.
CROWN. — Symbol of chemical royalty, of metallic perfection. In the Margarita pretiosa, the six metals are at first represented as slaves, bareheaded at the feet of the king, but after their transmutation, they bear a crown.
DIANA. – Same signification as the Moon.
DOG. – Symbol of Sulphur, of gold. The dog devoured by a wolf signifies the purification of gold by antimony. Dog and bitch: Fixed and volatile.
DOVE. – Symbol of the grey colour which precedes immediately the white colour, or Diana’s Regimen.
DRAGON. – A dragon biting its tail: unity of matter. A dragon among flames: symbol of fire. Several dragons fighting each other indicate putrefaction. A dragon without wings, the fixed; the dragon with wings, the volatile.
EAGLE. – Symbol of volatilisation and also of the acids employed in the Magisterium. An eagle devouring a lion signifies the volatilisation of the fixed by the volatile. Two fighting eagles have the same meaning.
FLOWERS. – In general, flowers represent the colours of the Great Work.
FOUNTAIN. – Three fountains represent the three principles. Fountain where king and queen come to bathe themselves has the same signification as bath, which see Bath.
HERMAPHRODITE. – Sulphur and Mercury after their conjunction; often the word REBIS is written upon his breast.
JUPITER. – Symbol of tin.
KING AND QUEEN. – See Man and Woman.
LION. – Symbol of the fixed, Sulphur, when alone. If carrying wings, it represents the volatile, Mercury. The lion represents also the mineral, (green vitriol), from whence is extracted the oil of vitriol, (sulphuric acid), which was so extensively used by the alchemists. The lion opposed to three other animals represents the element. Earth. In fine it is the symbol of the Stone. The lioness represents the volatile.
MAN AND WOMAN. – Sulphur and Mercury. Naked, gold and silver in an impure state; united, conjunction; lying in a sepulchre, Sulphur and Mercury in the philosophical egg.
MARRIAGE . – Symbol of conjunction, union of Sulphur and Mercury, of the king and queen. The priest who performs the ceremony represent Salt, means of union between the two other principles.
MARS. – Symbol of iron, and of the orange colour.
MERCURY. – Symbol of silver prepared for the Work.
MOON. – Volatile principle, female, Mercury of the Philosopher, silver prepared for the Work.
MOUNTAIN. – Furnace of the philosophers; Summit of the philosophical egg.
NEPTUNE . – Symbol of Water.
PHOENIX. – Symbol of the red colour.
RAIN. – Condensation, white colour, (albification).
SALAMANDER. – Symbol of fire, sometimes signifies the red or white colour.
SATURN. – Symbol of lead. Figures also the black colour, putrefaction.
SCYTHE. – Same signification as the sword.
SEPULCHR . – Philosophical egg.
SERPENT. – In general, same significaiton as the dragon. Three serpents, the three principles. The two serpents of the caduceus signify Sulphur and Mercury. A winged serpent, the volatile principle; deprived of wings, the fixed principle. A crucified serpent: fixation of the volatile. A serpent with several heads represents the three principles emanating from one universal matter or cosmic ether.
SKELETON. – Putrefaction, black colour.
SPHERE. – Unity of matter.
SQUARE. – Symbol of the four elements.
SUN. – Ordinary gold, or gold prepared for the work, also Philosophic Sulphur.
SWORD. – Symbol of fire.
TREES. – A tree bearing moons signifies the lunar work, or transmutation of metals into silver; if it bears suns, it is the symbol of the G.W. or solar work. If it bears the signs of the seven metals, or those of the Sun, the Moon and five stars, it represents the inique Matter from whence originate all metals.
TRIANGLE. – Symbol of the three principles.
VENUS . – Symbol of copper.
VULCAN. – Symbol of fire, ordinarily represented as a lame man.
WOLF. – Symbol of antimony.
Lion: Often symbolizes strength, courage, and the element of fire. It can also represent the red stage (Rubedo) of the alchemical process. Dragon: Symbolizes the primal forces of nature, chaos, and the transformative power of alchemy. Dragons can represent both the base material and the final purified substance. Raven/Crow: Represents the blackening stage (Nigredo) of the alchemical process. It symbolizes death, putrefaction, and the beginning of transformation. Swan: Symbolizes purity and the albedo stage of the alchemical process. It represents the whitening or purification phase. Phoenix: Represents resurrection and the red stage (Rubedo) of the alchemical process. It symbolizes the cycle of death and rebirth, and the achievement of spiritual perfection. Ouroboros: A serpent or dragon eating its own tail, symbolizing eternity, cyclicality, and the unity of all things. Pelican: Represents self-sacrifice and nurturing, often depicted as feeding its young with its own blood. It symbolizes the alchemical process of distillation and purification. Hermes Trismegistus: A legendary figure often considered the founder of alchemy and Hermeticism. He symbolizes wisdom, knowledge, and the merging of the spiritual and material worlds. Mercury: Represents the fluid, changeable nature of the mind and spirit. It is a central element in alchemy, often depicted as the mediator between sulfur and salt. Salt: Symbolizes the fixed, stable nature of matter and the body. It represents crystallization, preservation, and the material aspect of existence. Sun and Moon: The sun symbolizes gold, the masculine, and sulfur, while the moon symbolizes silver, the feminine, and mercury. Together, they represent the union of opposites. Caduceus: A staff entwined by two serpents, symbolizing balance, harmony, and the integration of dualities. The Tree of Life: Symbolizing growth, wisdom, and the connection between the earthly and divine realms. The Pelican: A bird that feeds its young with its own blood, symbolizing self-sacrifice and the purification of the soul. The Salamander: A mythical creature believed to live in fire, symbolizing the purification process through fire. The Philosopher's Egg: Symbolizing the vessel in which the alchemical transformation occurs. The Androgyne: A figure combining both male and female characteristics. The androgyne symbolizes the union of opposites and the attainment of wholeness, a central goal in the alchemical process. The Unicorn: Symbolizes purity, innocence, and the pursuit of the spiritual quest. The Crucible: Represents the container used for heating substances to effect transformation, symbolizing the alchemist's work on the self. The Green Lion: Represents vitriol (sulfuric acid) and the process of dissolution, often depicted devouring the sun. The Alembic: A type of still used in distillation, symbolizing purification and refinement of substances. The Phoenix: Symbolizes rebirth and resurrection, rising from its ashes to signify the completion of the alchemical process. The Toad: Represents the base material or prima materia, undergoing transformation to achieve spiritual perfection. The Serpent: Often representing wisdom, regeneration, and the transformative power of alchemy. The Red King and White Queen: Representing the union of sulfur and mercury, or the conjunction of masculine and feminine principles. The Crucified Serpent: A symbol of the fixation of volatile elements, representing the binding of spirit and matter. The Winged Dragon: Symbolizes the volatile principle in alchemy, often mercury. The Peacock: Symbolizes the stage of multi-colored display (Peacock's Tail) during the alchemical process. The Alchemical Garden: A walled garden representing the alchemist's laboratory and the inner space where transformation occurs. The Seven-Headed Dragon: Symbolizing the seven stages of the alchemical process or the seven classical planets.