zodiac

Heavenly bodies are essential in alchemy, particularly the sun, moon, Venus, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn. Symbols of these planets are common in alchemical art along with their Greek god counterparts, and the success of operations were sometimes tied to zodiacal time. Beyond times of the month, day and hour, these heavenly bodies also corresponded to metals, parts of the body, cardinal sins, and cardinal virtues. Images: Clavis artis, Zoroaster, 17th century and De naturae…historia, Robert Fludd, 1680

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Alchemical Art from “Cabala, speculum artis et naturae, in alchymia” by Stephan Michelspacher, 1616 The Mirror of Art and Nature Diagram of an Alchemist’s Furnace

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Ulrich Ruosch’s Alchemical Manual, 1680, is a pocket sized manuscript containing an overview of alchemy and the meaning of planets, numbers, letters, and elements. Alchemical implements, philosophy, and symbolism representing each stage of the process are also found inside.

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Emblems from German Alchemical Manuscript, 1794 Alchemical furnaces from The Key of Alchemy Title page of De Arte divina & sacra

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This Chinese astrology book, made 1597, was for the purpose of military divination, to guide commanders in their battles. The 6 volume book has 15 categories: sun, moon, constellations, stars, wind, clouds, fog, rainbows, rain, thunder, frost, five planets, time of the day, astrological talismans for casting spells, and magic arts in Taoist witchcraft.

The book was classified material, only for the imperial court, because astrology was banned for private use at the time, and carried the threat of severe punishment. From: National Central Library

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Geomantic Tables from Theomagia, or, The Temple of Wisdome The Apparatus of Ceremonial Cystallomancy The Prognosticon, or The Divining Disc of Pergamon

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Grilandas inventum libri by Paolo Grillandi is a series of 16th century diagrams that tied aspects of the human body to astrology. The Italian author wrote seminal books on witchcraft and demonology and was a papal judge in witch trails.⠀

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Alchemical Diagrams from De Roode Leeuw, of het Sout der Philosophen Diagrams from Testamentum Theorica Alchemical Art from “Cabala, speculum artis et naturae, in alchymia” by Stephan Michelspacher, 1616

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