ALCHEMY - CABBALA Plate 2 of Steffan Michelspacher's Cabala, Spiegel der Kunst und Natur, of 1616. The plate is said to show the entire secret process of the perfecting of the Philosopher's Stone. The crowned monster (horned beast) is derived from the biblical Revelation, and is symbol of the Materia Prima, the first matter - by extension, it is also the first of heaven, and thus linked with the first zodiacal sign, which is Aries the Ram - hence the horns on the head of the monster. The triple crown is of deep symbolic importance, for it represents the Three Kingdoms [Animal, Vegetable an
ALCHEMY - CABBALA Plate 2 of Steffan Michelspacher's Cabala, Spiegel der Kunst und Natur, of 1616. The plate is said to show the entire secret process of the perfecting of the Philosopher's Stone. The crowned monster (horned beast) is derived from the biblical Revelation, and is symbol of the Materia Prima, the first matter - by extension, it is also the first of heaven, and thus linked with the first zodiacal sign, which is Aries the Ram - hence the horns on the head of the monster. The triple crown is of deep symbolic importance, for it represents the Three Kingdoms [Animal, Vegetable and Mineral] in outer nature, and the Three Principles within Man - that is, Salt, Mercury and Sulphur, the alchemical terminologies for Thinking Feeling and Willing. The symbols for these Principles are found within the corners of the triangle on the back of the monster - which then extend into the three signs within the attached globes. The 23 divisions of the circle are each attended by a word descriptive of an alchemical process or terminology, and with a corresponding letter of the alphabet. Michelspacher designed these arcane images, which were engraved by Raphael Custos.
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Photo credit: © Charles Walker Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -, 17th, 2, alchemy, archival, archive, art, artistic, artwork, cabala, cabbala, century, colour, der, esoterica, historic, historical, history, illustration, image, michelspachers, paranormal, plate, spiegel, steffan
