We are the metals’ first nature and only source
The highest tincture of the Art is made through us.
No fountain and no water has my like
I make both rich and poor both whole and sick.
For healthful can I be and poisonous.
Above is the translation of the Latin inscription that is beneath the first alchemical plate of the Rosarium Philosophorum. This first plate depicts the Mercurial Fountain which represents the sealed vessel or vas hermiticum. All lies within including the opposites. C.G. Jung believed this vessel perfectly represents the analytic relationship. We will be exploring in our own way how the unconscious waters from the fountain interplay with our conscious lives. We will alos be exploring literature, philosophy and analytic writings to develope a deeper understanding of ourselves. Much like the alchemists.
The fountain depicts the three spouts of liquid which included the lac virginis (virgin’s milk), acetum fontis (vinegar of the spring) and aqua vitae (water of life). Also in the image are the opposites, the sun and the moon. We will be referring back to this image and others throughout this blog.
So I see the quaternity of four stars.
ReplyDeleteThree streams of water.
And two polar opposites of sun and moon.
What do these prime numbers signify?
Well the four represents wholeness for Jung and was reiterated throughout his works. There is actually four implied with the three liquids because the fourth is the mixture of the three. The image of the mandala for Jung was really the completion of the 4 corners of a square, so the mandala was also the symbol of the self. We can look at one of Jung's works, the Psychology of the Transference, to wrap up his view on this symbology at some point.
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