Alchemy · Dreams & the Unconscious
Symbol · Science & Alchemy
Alchemical Moon
Luna / Argentum
A crescent used in alchemical notation for the Moon and silver.
What it meansIn the Rosarium philosophorum, Luna speaks as Sol's cold, moist partner. Their union changes both bodies and gives her the power to endure the fire.
The FindingThe Rosarium printed in 1550 explains Sol and Luna's union through goldsmiths making solder: the marriage has a practical metallurgical comparison.
Symbol · Science & Alchemy
Alchemical Air
The Barred Ascent
Fire's upward triangle crossed by a horizontal bar: air, the hot and moist element.
What it meansIn Agrippa’s account, air is a vital spirit that binds and animates things, receiving celestial influences and passing them to other elements.
The FindingA 1671 table published under Basil Valentine’s name records air’s barred triangle among signs for laboratory substances and operations.