Alchemical symbol
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[[Image:Alchemical-symbols-1775.jpg|250px|right|thumb|'''Alchemic symbols''' in [[Torbern Bergman]]'s 1775 ''Dissertation on Elective Affinities''.]]
'''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.
==Three Primes==
According to [[Paracelsus]], the [[Three Primes (alchemy)|Three Primes]] or ''Tria Prima'' are:
* [[Sulfur]] (omnipresent spirit of life) [[Image:Sulphur.svg|20px]]
* [[Mercury (element)|Mercury]] (fluid connection between the High and the Low) [[Image:Mercury symbol.svg|30px]]
* [[Salt]] (base matter) [[Image:Line within circle.png|20px]]
==Four basic Elements==
*[[Fire (classical element)|Fire]] [[Image:Alchemy_fire_symbol.svg|20px]]
*[[Water (classical element)|Water]] [[Image:Alchemy_water_symbol.svg|20px]]
*[[Earth (classical element)|Earth]] [[Image:Alchemy earth symbol.svg|20px]]
*[[Air (classical element)|Air]] [[Image:Alchemy_air_symbol.svg|20px]]
==Seven Planetary Metals==
{{main|Classical planets in Western alchemy|Planets in astrology}}
[[Image:Astrological Glyphs.svg|275px|thumb|[[Astrological symbols]]/[[glyph]]s representing the [[Sun]], [[Moon]], [[Pluto]] and [[Solar system|planets]], along with the [[Earth]], in [[Western 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.
*[[Gold]] dominated by [[Sun (astrology)|Sol]] ☉ ☼ ( [[Image:Sun symbol.svg|20px]] )
*[[Silver]] dominated by [[Moon (astrology)|Luna]] ☽ ( [[Image:Crescent.svg|15px]] )
*[[Copper]] dominated by [[Venus (astrology)|Venus]] ♀ (also: [[Image:Copper_symbol.svg|30px]] )
*[[Iron]] dominated by [[Mars (astrology)|Mars]] ♂ ( [[Image:Mars_symbol.svg|20px]] )
*[[Tin]] dominated by [[Jupiter (astrology)|Jupiter]] ♃ ( [[Image:Jupiter_symbol.svg|20px]] )
*[[Mercury (element)|Mercury]] ([[Quicksilver]]) dominated by [[Mercury (astrology)|Mercury]] ☿ ( [[Image:Mercury_symbol.svg|20px]] )
*[[Lead]] dominated by [[Saturn (astrology)|Saturn]] ♄ ( [[Image:Saturn_symbol.svg|20px]] )
The planets [[Uranus]], [[Neptune]], and the [[Dwarf Planet]] [[Pluto]] were discovered after the time [[Alchemy]] had been largely replaced by [[Chemistry]], and are not part of traditional Alchemical symbols. Some modern alchemists consider the symbols for these planets to represent the radioactive metals [[Uranium]], [[Neptunium]] and [[Plutonium]], respectively.
{{clear}}
==Mundane Elements==
[[Image:Squaredcircle.svg|thumb|150px|"[[Squaring the circle|Squaring the Circle]]": an [[Alchemy|alchemical]] [[glyph]] (17th c.) of the creation of the [[Philosopher's stone|Philosopher's Stone]].]]
*[[Antimony]] <big>♁</big> [[Image:Antimony-symbol.svg|15px]]
*[[Arsenic]] [[Image:Arsenic alchemical symbol.svg|15px]]
*[[Bismuth]] [[Image:Bismuth_symbol.png|20px]]
*[[Boron]] <big></big>
*[[Magnesium]] <big>⊛</big>
*[[Phosphorus]] <big></big>
*[[Platinum]] <big>☾ ☉</big>
*[[Potassium]] <big></big>
*[[Rock (geology)|Stone]] [[Image:Stone_symbol.svg|20px]]
*[[Sulfur]] [[Image:Sulfur_symbol_1.svg|20px]] [[Image:Sulfur_symbol_2.svg|20px]]
*[[Zinc]] <big></big>
==Alchemical Compounds==
*[[Sal ammoniac]] <big>*</big>
*[[Aqua Fortis]] <big>A.F.</big>
*[[Aqua Regia]] <big>A.R.</big>
*[[Spirit of Wine]] <big>S.V.</big>
*[[Amalgam|Amalgama]]<br>
*[[Cinnabar]] ([[Mercury sulfide]]) [[Image:Cinnabar_Symbol.svg|20px]]
*[[Vitriol]] <br>
[[Image:Alchemytable.jpg|200px|thumb|A table of alchemical symbols from [[Basil Valentine]]’s ''The Last Will and Testament'', 1670 ce.]]
==12 Core Alchemical processes==
The 12 Alchemical processes are considered to be the basis of modern [[:Category:chemical processes|Chemical processes]]. Each of these processes is "dominated" or "ruled" by one of the 12 [[Zodiac]] signs.
*[[Decomposition]] through [[Calcination#Alchemy|Calcination]] ([[Aries (astrology)|Aries]] [[Image:Aries.svg|16px]])
*Decomposition through [[Digestion (alchemy)|Digestion]] ([[Leo (astrology)|Leo]] [[Image:Leo.svg|16px]])
*Decomposition through [[Fermentation (biochemistry)|Fermentation]]/[[Putrefaction]] ([[Capricorn (astrology)|Capricorn]][[Image:Capricorn.svg|16px]])
*[[Modification]] through [[Congelation]]/[[Coagulation]] ([[Taurus (astrology)|Taurus]] [[Image:Taurus.svg|16px]])
*Modification through [[Fixation (alchemy)|Fixation]] ([[Gemini (astrology)|Gemini]] [[Image:Gemini.svg|16px]])
*Modification through [[Ceration]] ([[Sagittarius (astrology)|Sagittarius]] [[Image:Sagittarius.svg|16px]])
*[[Separation]] through [[Distillation]] ([[Virgo (astrology)|Virgo]] [[Image:Virgo.svg|16px]])
*Separation through [[Sublimation (chemistry)|Sublimation]] ([[Libra (astrology)|Libra]] [[Image:Libra.svg|16px]])
*Separation through [[Filtration]] ([[Scorpio (astrology)|Scorpio]] [[Image:Scorpio.svg|16px]])
*[[Union]] through [[Solution]] ([[Cancer (astrology)|Cancer]] [[Image:Cancer.svg|16px]])
*Union through [[Multiplication (alchemy)|Multiplication]] ([[Aquarius (astrology)|Aquarius]] [[Image:Aquarius.svg|16px]])
*Union through [[Projection (alchemy)|Projection]] ([[Pisces (astrology)|Pisces]] [[Image:Pisces.svg|16px]])
== External links ==
Also see [http://www.iridius.info/current/info/ Iridius' Info - Alchemy Symbols]
*[http://www.alchemywebsite.com/emblems.html Gallery of Alchemy]
[[Category:Alchemy]]
[[Category:Religious symbols]]
[[Category:Symbols]]
[[bs:Alhemijski simboli]]
[[es:Símbolo alquímico]]