CLASSICAL PLANETS IN WESTERN ALCHEMY

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Extract and symbol key from 17th century alchemy text.

Alchemy in the Western World and other locations where it was widely practiced was (and in many cases still is) allied and intertwined with traditional Babylonian-Greek style astrology; in numerous ways they were built to complement each other in the search for hidden knowledge (knowledge that is not common i.e. the occult). Astrology has used the concept of classical elements from antiquity up until the present day today. Most modern astrologers use the four classical elements extensively, and indeed it is still viewed as a critical part of interpreting the astrological chart.

Contents
Planets and Metals
See also
External links

Planets and Metals


A table of alchemical symbols from Basil Valentine’s ''The Last Will and Testament'', 1670 ce.

Traditionally, each of the seven planets in the solar system as known to the ancients was associated with, held dominion over, and "ruled" a certain metal (see also astrology and the classical elements).
The list of rulership is as follows:

★ The Sun rules Gold (
)

★ The Moon, Silver (
)

★ Mercury, Quicksilver/Mercury (
)

★ Venus, Copper (
)

★ Mars, Iron (
)

★ Jupiter, Tin (
)

★ Saturn, Lead (
)
One interpretation of the alchemic planetary symbols considers the nature of spirit, mind & material in order of precedence. The circle in each symbol represents spirit, the semi-circle or crescent represents mind and the cross or arrow represents the physical, material nature. Therefore Venus is spirit above matter, just as the goddess Venus represents beauty & aesthetic over utilitarian means. Whereas Mars is matter above spirit, as martial function & necessity precedes tranquility. Jupiter is mind controlling material, as the king of the gods over the earth, and Saturn is material controlling mind, the encroachment of time over the works of men. Mercury is mind above spirit over material; the intellectual inter-actions & conveyances of abstractions & ideals over the objects of being. The sun is pure spirit and the moon is pure mind. Earth is material & spirit in equal parts. One of the two modern symbols for Pluto used this interpretation, and was thus spirit above mind over material; presumably the hereafter terminating the affluence of men over the earth.
Some ''modern'' alchemists/astrologers obviously associate:

★ Uranus with Uranium

★ Neptune, Neptunium

★ Pluto, Plutonium
As these planets were not discovered until relatively recently, there is no classical or traditional basis for these associations as there is for the ancient planets and metals.

See also



★ Isaac Newton's occult studies.

External links



★ "Seals of the planets" - Chakra teachings of the ancient alchemists rediscovered

★ The Seven Planets of Alchemy

★ The Link Between Planets and Metals

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