Today Sophie was absent from class, so I continued my research on Alchemy. During class, I mainly focused on looking at the seven planetary metals. I found much about what the metals have been known to relate to, associated with, and represents.
The first metal I looked at was lead. Lead has been known to represent impurities and sometimes transformation. It is believed to be related to death and transformation. Also that the burning of lead is many times metaphoric for cleaning imperfections. I found that tin many times can represent wisdom, maturity, and education, along with knowledge and logic. It was also believed to be the metals of scholars. This metal is usually associated with philosophical views of life and balance, and is many times connected to prosperity. Another of the planetary metals I looked at is iron. This many times symbolizes the male energy. It is also connected to many things such as aggression, dependence, protection, and many others. Iron is known in Alchemy to promote lust, courage, stamina, along with many other traits. This metal has been considered to be the most "human" of the metals. Another metal I looked at is gold, which is known to represent purity and perfection. It has many times been used in beautification and ceremonial purposes. Gold symbolizes many different things. Some of the things it has been known to symbolize are wealth and charisma. It was many times used to help healing processes, growth, and protection. I then looked at the planetary metal mercury. Mercury is known as being associated with transformation, mystery, and death. It has also been connected with scrying and divination. Lastly, mercury is related to movement, either of spiritual or physical nature. One of the other metals I took notes on was copper, which embodies women and their youthfulness. It is associated with both love and lust. Copper mainly symbolizes feminine beauty, along with affection and balance. This is also known to be a healing metal. It represents living a fulfilling life. Lastly, I looked at the planetary metal silver. Silver is known to be a regal metal and is associated with self reflection and inner wisdom. It is also a feminine metal that symbolizes purity. This metal is connected to spirits and goddesses. Silver has been said to have many different energies, Some of the energies it has been known for are emotion, love, luck, wealth, and wisdom. This metal is also known to symbolize focus, strength, and clarity.
As I was talking to Andrew about how my notes have been going, he was telling me about some of the different things alchemists believed in. One thing he talked about was the Quintessence, better known as the Ether. Alchemists believed this to be the fifth element. It was an intangible element that was known to hold the other four elements together. They also believed that is was the place where the gods lived above the Earth. Andrew also told me about how they believed in spontaneous generation, also known as spontaneous creation of life. Alchemists believed that life could be formed from something that did not originate from life. One example of this was that they believed mice could be created from a mix of hay. This originated from Aristotle, but was starting to be disproved in the 1800's by Luis Pasteaur. In 1859, John Tyndall succeeded Pasteaur's work and proved that spontaneous generation wasn't true.
The first metal I looked at was lead. Lead has been known to represent impurities and sometimes transformation. It is believed to be related to death and transformation. Also that the burning of lead is many times metaphoric for cleaning imperfections. I found that tin many times can represent wisdom, maturity, and education, along with knowledge and logic. It was also believed to be the metals of scholars. This metal is usually associated with philosophical views of life and balance, and is many times connected to prosperity. Another of the planetary metals I looked at is iron. This many times symbolizes the male energy. It is also connected to many things such as aggression, dependence, protection, and many others. Iron is known in Alchemy to promote lust, courage, stamina, along with many other traits. This metal has been considered to be the most "human" of the metals. Another metal I looked at is gold, which is known to represent purity and perfection. It has many times been used in beautification and ceremonial purposes. Gold symbolizes many different things. Some of the things it has been known to symbolize are wealth and charisma. It was many times used to help healing processes, growth, and protection. I then looked at the planetary metal mercury. Mercury is known as being associated with transformation, mystery, and death. It has also been connected with scrying and divination. Lastly, mercury is related to movement, either of spiritual or physical nature. One of the other metals I took notes on was copper, which embodies women and their youthfulness. It is associated with both love and lust. Copper mainly symbolizes feminine beauty, along with affection and balance. This is also known to be a healing metal. It represents living a fulfilling life. Lastly, I looked at the planetary metal silver. Silver is known to be a regal metal and is associated with self reflection and inner wisdom. It is also a feminine metal that symbolizes purity. This metal is connected to spirits and goddesses. Silver has been said to have many different energies, Some of the energies it has been known for are emotion, love, luck, wealth, and wisdom. This metal is also known to symbolize focus, strength, and clarity.
As I was talking to Andrew about how my notes have been going, he was telling me about some of the different things alchemists believed in. One thing he talked about was the Quintessence, better known as the Ether. Alchemists believed this to be the fifth element. It was an intangible element that was known to hold the other four elements together. They also believed that is was the place where the gods lived above the Earth. Andrew also told me about how they believed in spontaneous generation, also known as spontaneous creation of life. Alchemists believed that life could be formed from something that did not originate from life. One example of this was that they believed mice could be created from a mix of hay. This originated from Aristotle, but was starting to be disproved in the 1800's by Luis Pasteaur. In 1859, John Tyndall succeeded Pasteaur's work and proved that spontaneous generation wasn't true.