Alchemy · The Self
Symbol · Science & Alchemy
Alchemical Sun
Sol / Aurum
The symbol for the sun and gold, representing consciousness, intellect, and masculine energy.
What it meansSol is gold and gold is the metal that does not tarnish — the one substance the alchemists knew that time could not touch. It stands for the part of a person that is already perfect and only needs uncovering, which is why the work is described as purification rather than construction.
Symbol · Science & Alchemy
Alchemical Sulfur
The Combustible Soul
The symbol for sulfur, representing the active, fiery, masculine soul and the principle of combustibility.
What it meansSulphur is soul in the tria prima: the combustible principle, what burns and gives the substance its character while doing so. It is the active half of every pair, and its danger is in its definition — a thing that can only express itself by being consumed.