In alchemy the Red King and White Queen are vibrant with meaning. Their union or sacred wedding, hieros gamos, reflects alchemical elements and processes leading to creation of the Philosopher's Stone. White and red are also phases in the alchemical opus.
The heiros gamos is performed in many cultures as a sexual and fertility ritual involving the King and a priestess / Goddess or the Queen with a priest / God. God and Goddess may be acted out by the King and Queen themselves. This is meant to ensure fertility of the land.
"Join the male and the female, and you will find what is sought."
Mary the Jewess aka Maria Prophetissa, first alchemist (bet. 1st & 3rd century BCE)
The Red King and White Queen also represent stages in the hieros gamos. They may appear clothed, first meeting; or unclothed, ready to unite. They often stand on their celestial symbols. In terms of alchemy the Red King is sulfur, relating to the Sun and gold.
He also embodies elemental fire, while the Queen's element is water. The six-point star is a symbol made of the upward pointing triangle (man, fire) and the down-pointing triangle, (woman, water), representing their harmonious union.
"One becomes two, two becomes three, and out of the third comes the one as the fourth."
- Axiom of Maria
Traits of mercury (quicksilver) are attributed to the White Queen. She represents the Moon and silver. Her symbol can be a crescent or full moon. The crescent moon in Egyptian lore is a time of increased fertility of land, people and livestock, given by moon god Khonsu.
The seventeenth dictum of the Turba Philosophorum (c. 900 AD) speaks in metaphor:
O Turba of Philosophers and disciples, now hast thou spoken about making into white, but it yet remains to treat concerning the reddening! Know, all ye seekers after this Art, that unless ye whiten, ye cannot make red, because the two natures are nothing other than red and white. Whiten, therefore, the red, and redden the white!
The Turba Philosophorum is one of the oldest European alchemy texts, translated from Arabic.
Albedo, the whitening stage, is associated with purification, clarity, and illumination. Rubedo, the reddening stage, signifies the final transformation and the emergence of the Philosopher's Stone.
The union of Red King and White Queen symbolizes merging of opposing forces in alchemy and culmination of the alchemical process. The Red King embodies active, and fiery aspects, while the White Queen represents the intuitive and fluid qualities.
When these two archetypal figures come together, it signifies the harmonious balance of all elements within the alchemical work. The depiction of this union as mirroring the procedures of albedo and rubedo adds another layer of complexity to the symbolism.
In alchemy the Dove plays a crucial role as mediator between body and soul. The dove is a sign of harmony between the divine aspects. A unifying element between two lovers, the dove eases resolution of contrasting elements, nurturing a holistic, integrated sense of self.
Also called the alchemical union or chemical marriage, joining of the Red King and White Queen in alchemy represents harmonious fusion of opposites. Masculine and feminine energies integrate in the convergence of conscious and unconscious parts of the psyche.
The Red King embodies the fiery, active, and masculine principle, while the White Queen represents the cool, receptive, and feminine principle. Portrayed in various ways in alchemical texts and illustrations, union of Red King and White Queen is a sacred process.
Sulfur and mercury are crucial elements in the alchemical mix. Touted by ancient Greek philosophers as composing all things, the theory of chrysopoeia or changing metals to gold becomes a possibility. One simply changes the ratio of mercury / sulfur in the subject.
The Red King and White Queen in unity are visual representations of the alchemical goal of achieving wholeness and spiritual transformation. Their union culminates in creation of the Rebis or divine child.
In the tree is the spirit Mercurius as dragon. "Dragon" is also one of many names given the alchemist's goal, the prima materia or substance of the Philosopher's stone.
" ... When the alchemist speaks of Mercurius, on the face of it he means quicksilver (mercury), but inwardly he means the world-creating spirit concealed or imprisoned in matter. The dragon is probably the oldest pictoral symbol in alchemy of which we have documentary evidence."
~ Carl Jung, founder of analytical psychology
Rebis is a hermaphrodite. In alchemy, where junction of male and female, the resolution of opposites or unity of opposites is a significant goal, a hermaphroditic being is seen as having special gifts or powers.
Through the hieros gamos, alchemists seek the Great Work able to grant immortality and transmute base metals into gold. The union of opposites is a physical process but also a spiritual and psychological integration of opposing forces within the Self.
Two-headed figures appear often in alchemical symbolism. They're also found in ancient art, though they might not be male/female. A common conjunction in art is that of two goddesses, sharing a body but with two heads and four breasts.
The carved sculpture below comes from a Neolithic archaeology site, Çayönü Tepesi, a c. 9500 BCE settlement in today's Turkey. "Double Goddesses" are found world-wide. They often represent the intrinsic duality of all things, a popular theme in alchemy and spirituality.
In alchemy the unification of the Red King and White Queen signifies the harmonious balance of all elements within the alchemical work. The depiction of this union as mirroring the procedures of albedo and rubedo adds another layer of complexity to the symbolism.
Non-Fiction Books:
Fiction Books:
READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure
READ: Lora Ley Adventures - Germanic Mythology Fiction Series
READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries
留言