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'Alchemic symbols', originally devised as part of the protoscience of alchemy, were used to denote some elements and some compounds until the 18th century. Note that while notation like this was mostly standardized, style and symbol varied between alchemists, so this page lists the most common.

Contents

Three Primes

Four basic Elements

Seven Planetary Metals

Mundane Elements

Alchemical Compounds

12 Core Alchemical processes

External links

Three Primes

According to Paracelsus, the Three Primes or ''Tria Prima'' are:

★ Sulfur (omnipresent spirit of life)

★ Mercury (fluid connection between the High and the Low)

★ Salt (base matter)

Four basic Elements

★ Fire

★ Water

★ Earth

★ Air

Seven Planetary Metals

Main articles: Classical planets in Western alchemy, Planets in astrology


Planetary metals were "dominated" or "ruled" by one of the seven planets known by the ancients. Although they occasionally have a symbol of their own (denoted by also:), they were usually symbolized by the planet's symbol. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were not yet discovered while Alchemy was commonly practiced, though many modern alchemists consider them representative of Uranium, Neptunium and Plutonium, respectively.

★ Gold dominated by Sol ☉ ☼ (  )

★ Silver dominated by Luna ☽ (  )

★ Copper dominated by Venus ♀ (also:  )

★ Iron dominated by Mars ♂ (  )

★ Tin dominated by Jupiter ♃ (  )

★ Mercury (Quicksilver) dominated by Mercury ☿ (  )

★ Lead dominated by Saturn ♄ (  )

Mundane Elements

★ Antimony ♁

★ Arsenic

★ Bismuth

★ Boron

★ Magnesium ⊛

★ Phosphorus

★ Platinum ☾ ☉

★ Potassium

★ Stone

★ Sulfur

★ Zinc

Alchemical Compounds

★ Sal ammoniac
★

★ Aqua Fortis A.F.

★ Aqua Regia A.R.

★ Spirit of Wine S.V.

★ Amalgama


★ Cinnabar (Mercury sulfide)

★ Vitriol

12 Core Alchemical processes

The 12 Alchemical processes are considered to be the basis of modern . Each of these processes is "dominated" or "ruled" by one of the 12 Zodiac signs.

★ Decomposition through Calcination (Aries )

★ Decomposition through Digestion (Leo )

★ Decomposition through Fermentation/Putrefaction (Capricorn)

★ Modification through Congelation/Coagulation (Taurus )

★ Modification through Fixation (Gemini )

★ Modification through Ceration (Sagittarius )

★ Separation through Distillation (Virgo )

★ Separation through Sublimation (Libra )

★ Separation through Filtration (Scorpio )

★ Union through Solution (Cancer )

★ Union through Multiplication (Aquarius )

★ Union through Projection (Pisces )

External links

Also see Iridius' Info - Alchemy Symbols