Abundant in native form, sulfur (sulphur) is a mysterious and essential component of natural life. All living things contain sulfur. It has healing applications for skin, mentioned in ancient remedies. Sulfur is also called brimstone (burning stone) and is significant to alchemy.
The fifth most common element in the Earth, sulfur in natural deposits appears near hot springs and volcanic regions in many parts of the world, especially along the Pacific Ring of Fire. Indonesia, Chile and Japan are top commercial sulfur producers.
Elemental sulfur occurs naturally in oceanic salt domes when bacteria interacts with gypsum in the salt. Sulfur also occurs in meteorites. Pyrite or fool's gold is the most abundant sulfide mineral, often found in sulfur regions along with its sister, chalcopyrite.
The element sulfur can dissolve in water or break into pieces, changing its structure and chemical makeup. Chemists, geologists and alchemists study the mineral in depth. It's used to make black powder explosives, as an insecticide and as sulfuric acid.
In ancient times, sulfuric acid is produced by burning of sulfur and saltpeter in a furnace. The resulting gases are then condensed and collected as sulfuric acid.
In the 3rd century, the Chinese discover sulfur can be obtained from pyrite. While Chinese Daoists are intrigued by sulfur's combustibility and interactions with specific metals, its initial applications are primarily in traditional Chinese medicine.
The Wujing Zongyao of 1044 AD documents different recipes for Chinese black powder, a combination of potassium nitrate (KNO3), charcoal and sulfur. In Europe this formula is discovered by Franciscan friar alchemist Roger Bacon in the 13th century.
The beautiful stone lapis lazuli, beloved for jewelry and ornamentation, gets its blue color from molecular sulfur. In conceptual alchemy, sulfur is part of the prima materia or primal matter of all things.
Along with mercury and salt, sulfur forms the tria prima or prime three elements of which everything is made. This concept is thought to originate in Islamic alchemy, building on Greek nature philosophy, and is a core principle of medieval and Renaissance alchemy.
The alchemical symbol for sulfur is a triangle atop a cross (🜍), signifying the combustible elements. A separate symbol for brimstone is an older one for sulfur, a double crossed line atop an infinity symbol or lemniscate (🜏).
Metaphysically, from Greek philosophers to Islamic alchemists, sulfur corresponds to qualities like heat, dryness and male principle. In processes, it relates to evaporation, expansion and dissolution. As it seems to rise from fires in the Earth, sulfur has deep underworld connections.
Because sulfur forms at vents on the Earth's surface, it's associated with the Underworld, Hades or Hell. Bright yellow crystals correspond to the Sun and fire, but also suffering and death. The Christian bible describes hell as having the smell of sulfur.
Greek philosopher Pliny the Elder discusses sulfur in his Natural History, saying the best-known source is the island of Melos in the Aegean Sea. It's used in ancient Greece for fumigation, medicine, and bleaching cloth.
In Alexandrian alchemy, sulfur and quicksilver (mercury) are vital components. Sulfur melts red and has a blue flame. However mercury takes the central place in alchemical Alexandria, as it's prominent in the work of Mary the Jewess, based on that of early Greek philosophers.
Mercury (Hg) and sulfur (S) form cinnabar (HgS), one of the most toxic rocks in the known world. It's especially notorious for the mines at Almadén, Spain during Roman times. The beautiful red pigment vermillion in ancient times is ground cinnabar.
In medieval alchemy sulfur equates to the soul (anima) and is part of the tria prima in the 16th century. Sulfur has a twofold nature, relating to life and death, creation and destruction. White sulfur is the hidden fire, divine spark in humans, purification and the secret of the philosopher's stone.
As academic alchemy develops further into spiritual or esoteric cycles, sulfur comes to be equated with the Red King, as mercury is with the White Queen. Layer upon layer of meanings arise. These are as significant as you want them to be.
Sulfur is popular in natural health. As ointment, sulfur is used in traditional medicine to treat skin ailments such as:
scabies
ringworm
psoriasis
eczema
acne
Inhaling sulfur fumes can cause severe respiratory problems, burning eyes and throat, allergic reaction. Toxic reaction due to accidental inhalation of sulfur fumes is rare outside sulfur mining environments, but beware of unusual symptoms.
Hot sulfur springs are said to be beneficial to the skin and overall well-being. Sometimes the smell is off-putting. The smell of sulfur on the breath, a rotten egg stink caused by sulfur bacteria, can signify a further health problem such as ulcerative colitis.
In early times people toss coins of silver or copper into a water source to make a wish from the guardian spirit(s) of a well, pool or stream. Both metals are naturally anti-bacterial and help freshen the water and get rid of the smell. This is the origin of the wishing well.
The natural chemicals of copper or silver act against the bacteria causing the rotten egg smell of sulfur. In Europe, inhabitants of the water, nixies, are said to grant wishes or give luck in exchange for an offering of copper or silver.
At first the foremost sulfur production is in Sicily. The horrific conditions at the Sicilian sulfur mines influence Booker T. Washington to write in 1912:
"I am not prepared just now to say to what extent I believe in a physical hell in the next world, but a sulfur mine in Sicily is about the nearest thing to hell that I expect to see in this life."
Today the largest quantity of sulfur is made from petroleum and natural gas, with a few mines in operation. Overall conditions may be better, but harvesting sulfur is done by hand on steep steaming slopes of venting gas.
In ancient Sicily, workers climb through hot narrow tunnels which can go a mile (1.6 km) underground. Conditions are horrendous in early mines of all kinds, and child labor is often used due to narrow tunnels. Today the sulfur specimens from the Sicilian mines are most highly prized for quality by collectors.
In spirituality, the yellow gemstone, sulfur relates to joy, hope, creativity, spiritual awareness, insight or enlightenment. As a chakra stone, sulfur is conducive to opening up the sacral and solar plexus chakras, which rule creativity and emotions.
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