Sheppard, The Ouroboros and the Study of Matter in Alchemy

THEOUROBOROS AND THE UNITY OF MATTER IN ALCHEMY 83 THE OUROBOROS AND THE UNITY OF MATTER IN ALCHEMY: A STUDY IN ORIGINS Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry By H. J. SHEPPARD· THE appearance of the serpent in general symbology and in primitive religious cults is so widespread and of such great antiquity that attempts to locate a single origin seem unlikely to meet with very much success; indeed, psychological considerations apart, the most that might be expected with any degree of confidence is to trace the probable derivation of a particular form of serpent symbolism. Apart from its occasional occurrence in the pictographs of the Neolithic Age in Western Europe (ca. 4000-2500 B.C.), the symbolic serpent is a common feature of the mythologies of the Near East and of India; it persisted throughout the early and later Mystery Religions of Greece and Rome and is also encountered in the literature of early Christianity and of Gnosticism. Closely related to present purposes is the significance or the symbol in one of the oldest of the Greek Mysteries-the oracular tradition which prevailed at Delphi. There, the Pythia, prophetess of Apollo, is depicted seated on a tripod and bearing on her knees a serpent: this, it was popularly believed, signified the fact that a dragon from the centre of the earth was the sender of the pneuma (spirit), the generator of enthusiasml . . The Mystery Religions were, of course, particularly prominent in GrecoRoman times, and Clement of Alexandria records that the serpent, as the pneumatic animal, became a symbol of the sexual union of God with man; to enter into man God took the'form of a serpent. The conjunction was symbolized in ritual by the placing of a snake in the bosom of the initiate2• Porphyrius, too, mentioned a similar manifestation of the symbolic activity of the serpent in which, upon a man's death, his soul departed from the body in the guise of a serpent3• (Alchemical references to the Stone that contains a spirit (pneuma) are occasionally met with; the spirit was said to be mercury and its seed ' was symbolized by the Ouroboros.) The use of the symbol in both early Christian apocryphal literature and Gnosticism continued the custom; it is hardly surprising, then, to meet it in the texts of alchemists who practised in the contemporary ambiance prevailing in Hellenistic Egypt. I • Warwick School, Warwick. 1 2 3 F. Hauser, jahreshejte d. osterr. a1'chiiol.Instit., J913, XLlJI, 4~. Clement of Alexandria, Protreptic14.t;,II, Porphyrius, V ita Plotini, TI. 16.2. igines de l'Alchimie. 103 and Plates C and M. J. neither the early alchemists themselves nor the many later commentators gave any explicit reasons for its adoption for such purposes..oauction a l'Etude de la Chimie des Anciens et au Moyen-Age. Remains. Part I (1930). p. CIASurvey of Greek Alchemy". London. J. J & vide M. Sherwood Taylor.. King. in the centre is the inscription EV 'TO .D. Hellenistic alchemical texts are known from the copies embodied in the many manuscripts compiled from the loth century onward. . 111-113.-MS St. pp. Mark (Venice) 299 (ID-IIth century). Of these.62. C. . A/te.PP. 6 F. Unfortunately. Mark 299 (folio 188 verso). hence it is hoped to remedy this in the present study by indicating from the probable origin of the Ouroboros Cl:lld the history and significance of accompanying inscriptions that its employment was entirely in ~eeping with both the exoteric and the esoteric aims of alchemy as it developed. 6 idem.. Paris 2325 (13th century) and 2327 (I5th century) the latter seemingly a fuller copy of the original upon which 2325 was based.. or serpent devouring its tail. They contain most of the Hellenistic texts known today and apparently formed the main source from which the contents of other manuscripts were drawn8• The four illustrations of the symbol which will now be described have been selected from the manuscripts and are in order of increasing complexity of design rather than in chronological order of provenance according to the manuscripts. Int. 2. Paris.. I889. d it isa simple figure of the serpent devouring its tail. 3. 1887.. though here the associations are magical rather than alchemical and call to mind the simple inscriptions of the tail-eating serpent engraved upon the so-called Abraxas stones of the Gnostics6 (fig. Forming part of a page of apparatus and D1YStical esigns entitled Chrysopoeia (Goldmaking) of Cleopatra. 213-3°3 and illustrations on p. The Gnostics and thei. FIG. 18. three are of major importance : St.)4. as such. Berthelot.. Hellenic Stud. Paris. 4 and 5 of the present study appear together with other drawings from Greek MSS in Berthelot. 250-350 A. Int."av-the One is the All. ALCHEMICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF THE OUROBOROS The earliest mention of the Ouroboros in connexion with alchemyis contained in the Leyden Papyri V and W (ca. 2.9. The illustrations depicted in figs. pp. I). it is usually accepted as symbolizing in general the essential Unity of Matter and in particular the Work which had neither beginning nor end.H. SHEPPARD Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry The particular form which the alchemical symbol took was that ot the Ouroboros. 1885.oduction. W. Les O. I 3 85 . 2 UNITY OF MATTER " IN ALCHEMY FIG.Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry THE OUROBOROS AND THE FIG. FIG. Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry l(~t 86 O~Ht FIG. FIG. 4 5 H. J. SHEPPARD XT-V-CO-mllL . of course. 1924 (reprinted recently).) FIG. oVO O'VV Ep. There appear again the signs for gold.EUTI. but bearing the same axioms in red. Folio 279 of the same manuscript shows another serpent. with 'head and three ears depicted in bright red. p. or tetrasomia. 3. while the inner must be a confused version of that in the Chrysopoeia. Stillman. in MS 2327 (folio 80). without the concentric circles.\ N. In MS 2327 (folio 220) the symbols of the metale.l El JL~ EXO" TO '1Tav ovo€v Ern-tV TO wav. but is obviously a stylized re'presentation of the Ouroboros.) . \. New York. (One is the Serpent having the two compositions and the poison. . It consists of three concentric circles. the central one of which enclosesthe' symbols for gold. while the eye is white with a black pupil. silver and nlercury. In the inner ring is inscribed Els. The outer ring contains the inscription. and if it has not All.0 EXWV TOV LOV /LETa 0150 uvv8£p.V 0 ocPl.aTa Kat TOV tOV. confined exclusively to alchemy. The middle ring is also scaly and coloured yellow. for as a '1 vide J. (One is All through which is All and in it All.. 5. According to the description in the manuscript the four feet represent the basic elements. while the inner one.. The significanceof these inscriptions will be considered later. This. and to it AU. Mark 299 (folio 188 verso). this time composed of two circles only (in red and green). THE ORIGIN OF THE OUROBOROS The Ouroboros was not. 8' \ \ . forms part of the Chrysopoeia of Cleopatra.THE OUROBOROS AND THE UNITY OF MATTER IN ALCHEMY 87 Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry FIG..aVT6 TO 'TTav lea.. bearing tour feet. The inscriptions are probably degenerate forms of those present in Fig. . Inner InscnptIon: EIS Ern-tV 0~ O'f'tS.S. 172. M. ~" \ ~.-MS St. accompanied by those for lead and cinnabar (or the Egg).-MS Paris 2327 (folio 196).. is portrayed entirely in green.. the outer one is incomplete. .-MSS Paris 2325 (folio 82) and 2327 (folio 220). 3 and consists of two concentric rings with inscriptions. The Story of Alchemy and Early Chemistry. 4. This stylized representation is a later variant of fig. *'Ev TO 'lTav Ka~ 0'" atJ7'ov TO 'ITO-V Kal €~s. again. Outer inscription: €V TO 'TTav Bt' OV TO wav (Ka~ St' aVTOV TO 'lTav) Kat EV aVTcp TO 'lTav. nlercury and orpiment)'. .aTa.0 EXWV To.) Also. 4 . which doubtless served as a model for later copyists. and the three ears the sublimed vapours (possibly sulphur. FIG. (One is All and through it is All. The serpent is composed of three concentric rings. silver (bearing a tail) and mercury.are missing. The outermost is scaly.l. (One is the Serpent having its venom according to two compositions. is yet another variant. All is nothing). the dragon of the Old Testament9. This. Graecorum. 319. 194ff. pp. depicted so well in the Ophitic diagram described by Origen12. whose tail lies in his mouth"ll. 12 Origen. expect to find in these some pointer to the origin of the symbol. The Gnostic Religion. 1958. SHEPPARD Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry form of the encircling serpent it was equally prominent in contemporary astrological. 320. 1958. 25. 1884. we seem to be dealing with that same dragon of outer darkness which separates this world from the outer-Leviathan. The Pearl sought after lay Hinthe middle of the sea which is encircled by the snorting serpent" -again. Paris. son of him . 32. astralag. Paris. may be likened to the dragon Leviathan. 113. Doresse. the encircling serpent of chaos. A. R. 1896. Acts of the Apostle Thomas. then. 35. vide H. The journey in search of the Pearl symbolized the descent of the Saviour into matter in search of the SOUP3. the orbit of the dragon circumscribes seven spheres. starless sphere of the planets and the zodiacthe sphere which enclosedthe heavens and the earth. which must be annihilated before the lowerworld can be redeemed. "De dracone caelesti".• p. whose authority in such matters cannot be dismissed lightly. VIII (Brussels.. In the apocryphal Acts of the Apostle Thomas (3rd cent. p. also J.. A. Pistis Sophia. VI. H 8 F. 1951. Contra Celsum. Opecit . J. G. We might.): Outer darkness is a huge dragon with its tail in its mouth. 13 Jonas.) there are again allusions to the tail-eater: "I am the offspring of the serpent nature . Gnostic and apocryphal texts. In the same Acts occurs the "Song of the Apostle Judas Thomas in the land of the Indians". who encircles the sphere . too. it is outside the world and surroundeth it completely"lo. La Gnose. • vide Book of Job. Cod. 277 ff. considers that it is a derivative of the draco caelestis. para. A. pp. If this be so. Cumont.D. the dragon of the Babylonians and Chaldaeans. S. Hilgenfeld. p. Die Ketzergeschichte des Urchristentums. sec. The first indication of this comes from the Hellenistic astrologers. Mead (trs. 102. who is around the ocean. . and controller of solar and lunar eclip~es8 . commonly known as "The Hymn of the Pear]". Boston. and Franz Cumont.88 H. the evil principle of matter. or celestial serpent. 4th cent. p. also.). This is recalled in the Gnostic Pistis Sophia (ca. p. a very good description is to be found in H. 1929). in Catal. 10 1!.. Leipzig.. 117.116. Jonas. Les Livres Secrets des Gnostiques d'Bgypte.. Leisegang. those of the seven planetary powers. there..D.. who assigned the symbol to the ninth. London. as Cunlont suggests. References to him come from Philo of Byblos. 9. pp. liKing of the worms of the earth. believed the serpent to be the longest-lived animal because. 17 Macrobius. 1849). I. Muller. Das iranische Erlosungsmysterium. another reference in the Pistis Sophia and alluded to by Schmidt. the Ouroboros is no\v assimilated to the sun's sphere-Phanes-Heliosand becomes a symbol of solar pantheism. whose tail lies in his mouth . 136.'nz C. Schmidt. a likely suggestion comes from Macrobius. 12. Bonn. 3 and I.C. Paris. but in the Kingdom of Light. I. and. in his travels. 572. p.) also discusses the nature of the serpent. . Schriftsteller. 24. 19°5. in casting its skin. 20. 158 fl. Reitzenstein.. the enigmatical Sanchuniathon of Beirut18. Here. the serpent was associated on occasion with both Darkness and Light.D. it is said. 1921. Here it must be noted that Schmidt regarded the Pistis Sophia as the \vork of the Syrian sects known as Barbelo-Gnostics. the serpent that led astray the first Adam". Philo of l1yblos (42-117 A. by four powers in the shape of white horses"15. chap. At any rate. 14 R. but the original text is written in Sahidic. Wendland. (cd. This suggests a different origin. the Aeon: its power of rejuvenation and growth. the culminating phase of astral religion16. Ope cit. may be of Babylonian or Chaldaean origin.). Saturnalia. In all these references the serpent or dragon appears to be founded upon Leviathan. christl. 13). the origin of the symbol he ascribed to the Phoenicians17• Dubious confirmation of this comes indirectly from another source. p. then. Part 2. must be taken into account: "But the disk of the sun was a great dragon. Tubingen. and the presence of Egyptian influences in the Pis tis Sophia shows clearly that whatever the origin may have been. which ascended to seven powers of the left and was drawn. it continually renewed its youth. However. is a plausible reason for the adoption of the Ouroboros as a symbol of the life-span of the Cosmos. who. \vith its tail in its mouth. 1912. III. 77. Die hellenistisch-romische K ultur in ihren Beziehungen zu ] udentwJ'l und Christentum. who likened the setting and rising of the sun-ageing and rebirth-to the sloughing of the snake's skin (rejuvenation).THE OUROBOROS AND THE UNITY OF MATTER IN ALCHEMY 89 Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry A like theme from the Jewish apocryphal Acts of Kyriakos and Julitta is mentioned by Reitzenstein14: the hero. ]{optisch-gnostische Schr~ften (in Griech. encounters a dragon.. Fragmenta Historicorum Graeco1"l. As to the identification of the sun with the serpent. a Coptic dialect.P. 16 vide P. 15 C. B. Leipzig. 262.f. the \\lork was of some importance in Egypt. 18 Sanchuniathon of Beirut was a legendary figure said to have existed in the reign of Shamsi Adad V (9th cent. situated not in the realm of the Prince of Darkness. "Gno::lticismand Alchemy". 11 The idea of self-devouring. p. Though there appear to be no earlier written references to an original Primeval Serpent. London. p. Many references to a Primeval Serpent occur: for example. 50.. "The Mystery of the Serpent".2. It symbolizes creation by word-or. AMBIX. the possibility that Egyptian mythology inclined to its acceptance might shed some further light on the provenance of the symbol suggested itself and reference to a recent important publication by R. the belief that the universe in its variety is based upon the realization of the commands of a designing and conscious mind25. The continuing significations of the symbol may be followed in the Coffin Tests of the 7-Ioth Dynasties (ca. the secondhand nature of the evidence certainly leaves much to be desired-though. Leisegang. the present writer formerly 21• However. Rundle Clark..9° H. Ope cit. 50.. 16 II . J. 218. I am the Provider of Attributes serpent with its many coils. or Ka. 1957. 2250 B. II J. Myth and Symbol in Ancient Egypt. 2350-2250 B. Often. here symbolizes the God-Spirit assigning to everything its essence. while in other regions it was Sito (USonof Earth"). London. apparently composed by Heliopolitan priests. onwards). form the largest single collection of religious compositions from the period under discussion. II The Pyramid Texts.C. NO. 1955. Sheppard. as Rundle Clark says. The Mysteries (Papers from the Eranos Yearbooks). evidently derives from the Herakleitean doctrine of the creation of the Cosmos from the element fire and its return to that state at the end of the Cosmic cycle. we find an interesting allusion to the manifestation of the Creator-Spirit: til am the outflow of the Primeval Flood. 1959.C. I am the Scribe of the Divine Book which says what has been and effects what is yet to be"24. 10 H. idem. ended by self-devouring. Rundle Clark22 showed conclusively that the tail-eater \vas a common symbol in early Egyptian life. The earliest references to cosmogony are found in the so-called Pyramid Texts23 of the 6th Dynasty (ca. S& Rundle Clark. like Leisegang20. VI. accord well with the idea of a Cosmos which is rejuvenated every spring but ends by consuming itselfl9• As far as the assignment of the symbol to either the Babylonians or Phoenicians is concerned. 21 H. R. in Thebes it was Kematef26 (Uhe who completed his time"). adopted by the Stoics. The serpent. idem. T.).. p. 51. creator of multiplicity. p. he who emerged from the waters. SHEPPARD Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry its longevity. . . seem probable that it was the early Egyptian form which was adopted by both Gnostics and alchemists of Greco-Roman Egypt. 28 Ope cit. passim. In a hymn from the CoffinTexts it is clear that the creative word. or Re. idem. 240. 211 idem.C. Elliot Smith... p. fig. the difiusionist school of anthropologists. I was encircled in my coils. 1933. 8I. Elliot Smith. again.THE OUROBOROS AND THE UNITY OF MATTER IN ALCHEMY 9I Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry the world. 51. then. at the end of time. in the Louvre. and. will again become a serpent30• The cycle will have been completed. in the Book of the Dead it is revealed that. I am Sito. who dwells in the farthest regions of the world 28. though. 52. shows the tail-eater as a symbol of the Cosmic Ocean surrounding the world. p. assuming the latter attributions to be true and not merely part of the Hellenistic tendency to attribute ancient wisdom to Oriental sources. Whether these antedate allegedBabylonian and Phoenician examples. a mummy-like figure on the innermost shrine of Tutankhamun is ringed above and below by two encircling serpents-the serpents of Sky and Earth31• The earliest first-hand references to the tail-eating serpent thus appear in Egypt somewherearound 2300 B. But. as represented by the late Prof. p. p. 31 32 idem. referred to as Hermopolis. of course. ~o idem. cannot at present be decided. Thus is affirmed the everlasting cyclic nature of Sito. The Diffusion of Culture. ~ die and am reborn every day. indeed. was uttered by the serpent who is God and is yet within his own coils: II ItI bent right around myself. 241. the Serpent was "Scribe of the Divine Book". was symbolized by a huge serpent biting its tail27• In chapter 87 of the Book of the Dead we read ItI am Sito dilated with years. would have welcomed it as yet further evidence of the diffusion of cultural elements from Egypt to surrounding countries32• From the connotations of the symbol it does. :n Rundle Clark. or Logos. London. the world will revert to the primary state of undifferentiated chaos and Atum. II. God is now separate from the serpent. one who made a place for himself in the midst of his coils. G. the Supreme God. His utterance was what came forth from his own mouth"29• In a sense. As we have already noted. p.. At least two pictorial representations could be cited in confirmation of these ideas: the inner coffinof Zepi.. certainly. it is possible that there may yet be found earlier references among the cuneiform inscriptions of Mesopotamia which await decipherment. G. and. Later. It is clearly a formula expressing unity in diversity and has pantheistic implications which.!j€Vo~avovs'TOV KoAoepc1JVI. for example. An observer of nature.. But in origin it is anterior to the Stoics. A. the excerpt from Hippolytos (3rd cent. gr. the way in which the manifold varieties of individual existence arose out of the basic One and were again resolved into the One. enides is patently false. 3. Doxogr. O'TI. Doxogr..p. Anaximenes-were preoccupied with the problem of identifying the basic substrate out of which everything was fashioned. and in his works one might. I. Of the latter. 'Vorsokr.). 34 36 idem. then.37 33 E. 'TTav . Diels suggests that Cicero's attribution to Xenophanes of the expression "unum esse omnia" ('that all things are one') was almost certainly based on Theophrastos34.) also quotes an expression of . 37 idem. B. J. Diels. SHEPPARD INSCRIPTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OUROBOROS Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry The simplest inscription is. . The Neoplatonist Simplikios (6th cent. 1931.D. 25. A. that from Galen (2nd cent. as reference to the pre-Socratic fragments will readily show.): AEi'E' 8€ •. the statement that Xenophanes was a pupil of Parm. frag.. might be attributed to Stoic influence. The first to speak categorically on this matter appears to have been Xenophanes of Colophon (ca. ('Theophrastos says that Xenophanes of Colophon.C. EV 'TO ov Ka. EV 'TO 'TTav ECl'TI. of course. 18. Theophrastos of Eresos (4th cent. Anaximander. 570-460 B.H.D. p. Again. likewise. however. 249 fie H. The early philosophers of the Ionian school (6th cent. other questions arose-in particular.. As in the case of the other pre-Socratics. or that being is one and whole')35. \ " *' \ ~ .C. \ Th eoph ras t os: J-L.oV 'TOV IIapJ-LEvlSov 8t8auKaAov trTTo'Tl8EU8al cPTJu.. one suspects.V ('he says that the whole is one'). 565. 112. he sensed beneath the diversity of phenomena an underlying unity in both matter and spirit. pp.)-Thales.~\ OE \ .): 'TO Elva" 'TTav'Ta EV ('the fact that all things are one')evidently derive from Theophrastos. gr.v <> 8EoeppaU'Tos. B. the pupil of Parmenides. Zeller. . \.D.•••. expect to find the earliest literal expression of the Unity of the All.) is probably the most important source from which were derived the opinions of Xenophanes. A.C. Outli'nBs of the History o/Greek Philosophy (trs. London.av T1]v apx:rJv 7'I'TOI. the extant fragments of Xenophanes'writing must be sought in the works of later reporters.)33.24. Ev 'TO 'TTav-the One is the All.- Diels. 604.I. assumes that there is one first principle. III. 36 40. 2. in the light of the single excerpt from Plato. though somewhat tenuous.. " .) has preserved a fragment. 1945.earlier. (All things are one)"l. Clement of Alexandria (2nd-3rd cent. also A. origin. . is interesting...D.D. Stromata. the evidence for an . Festugiere. Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry ('the Whole is One' or 'All Things are One')38. reputedly Orphic. . 1956. J. Norden suggests a metrical reconstruction for the original expression of Xenophanes: EV SE TO 'ITO-Vor EV Se TO. . 259. c1Js EVOS OVTWS TWS 7Tc1VTWV KaAovfLEVWV OVTW 8t€~EXETa. thus go back at least to the time of Xenophanes. Stuttgart. (All things were one)42.)40. ('The Eleatic school. The cyclic nature of the Unity IS It E. are examples of its' earliest appearance in alchemy. Poimandres: Studien zur griechisck-agyptischen und fruhchristlichen Literatur. Reitzenstein.THE OUROBOROS AND THE UNITY OF MATTER IN ALCHEMY 93 Taking the wording of Theophrastos. or modifications of it. VI. TOtS fLV8ots.. TO. . ('All things are one in which all these things revolve. This is part of a series of texts purporting to convey religious and philosophic teaching-in this case. Leipzig. . Clement of Alexandria. 'lTc1VTa.. the two elaborations of E TO 7T0-V in Figs. Norden.D. we find in the Poimandres: EV EUTt. Sopk. notably in Gnostic and Hermetic writings contemporary with the alchemical inscriptions. p. 'lTetvTa T€TVKTat. 7TetvTa. Orphic. but somewhere around 200 A. and the more mysterious serpent motif. in a Gnostic apocryphal work referred to by Clement of Alexandria': EV ~V TO.. Agnostos Tkeos. widespread by the 2nd century A. 4 and 5.. . 247. EV cP Tc18€ 'lTetvTa KVKA€tTat. Nock-A. The date is uncertain. 242 D.)39.D. 'lTaVTa. The formula 'The One is the All'. 8.Now.P~c1fLEVOV. 52~ •. co Plato. Thrice Greatest"). fire and water and earth'. A. p. The affirmation of Cosmic Unity was. The elaborations of the theme 'The One is the All' are self-explanatory. 12. and again. then.J. vide R. III. but the serpent inscription requires interpretation. 8 PI a t 0: TO O€ • • • • • • tEI\'''8' l\€aTtKoV € VOS) a7T0 J:!IEVO~aVOVS TE Kat ETt 'lTpoa EV a. which may well relate to a yet earlier source--one upon which Xenophanes could have drawn: EV 8E TO. beginning with Xenophanes and even earlier. To quote only two.. U ope cit. in apocalyptic form as revealed to one who had attained the highest state of Enlightenment (the state of "Hermes. with its degenerate form. IItip Ka~ vSwp Kal yata. p. I. . Corpus Hermeticum. Another possible hint of an origin earlier than Xenophanes is provided by ' ~. explain in their accounts that what is called 'all things' is really one. Paris. 1904.. Of the preservation of the maxim and its appearance in Hellenistic times there are abundant examples. C1 Poimandl'es. persisted. followed by the return of the diverse forms into the One. ignored by some commentators. thus stressing the ambivalence of the symbol. But it was a syncretism in which the members blended together and modified each other in such a fashion that it is difficultto weigh accurately the contribution made by any individual theory. What has to be grasped is the fact that certain fundamental concepts-the idea ot a prima materia. to reappear vigorously in the eclecticism which marked the period during which alchemy aro. can scarcely be discarded-whereas Chinese influence upon the later European alchemy seems to have been negligibleor non-existent. the Unlimited (Anaximander). . our present concern is not with the origins of alchemy but with the accord between certain Hellenistic conceptions (some of middleeastern origin) and the underlying nature of alchemy. are symbolic ot the two parts of this cycle. Cosmic correspondences. The assumption that there existed a prima materia was variously formulated by the early pre-Socratics--e. but one fact. a course which indicates a complete misconception of the subject. To understand the nature of alchemy we cannot. the development of opposites. and the ultimate return of the All into the One-hence it seems likely that allusions to two compositions of serpent poison..g. the relative roles played by the contributing schools of philosophy and by oriental mysticism are difficult to assess with any degree of accuracy. or venom. Here.-of early appearance in Greek philosophy.94 H. J. Middle Platonism and Neoplatonism. Neopythagoreanism. the sanle problem is encountered in Gnosticism: while the main trend of thought is abundantly clear. or regeneration. etc. However. This is not to overlook the existence of Chinesealchemy which arose at an earlier date. there is in the European texts a constant recurrence of ideas and symbolism derived from the Hellenistic works and Gnosticism.se. SHEPPARD of All is dualistic-the separation of the All out of the One. In the closing stages of Hellenistic philosophy many streams of thought contributed: late Stoicism. the Unity of Matter. separate the exoteric and esoteric aspects. ending in a reversion to the primary state. Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry COSMIC UNITY AS THE BASIS OF ALCHEMY In its various manifestations the Ouroboros emphasised the cyclic nature of that which it symbolized: the idea of a growth. it may be noted. water (Thales). It should be noted that the present writer accepts the premise that the term 'alchemy' may be properly applied to the bulk of the texts collated by Berthelot. In the illustrations from Hellenistic alchemy this was qualified by the inscriptions confirming and stressing the rise of multiplicity from the undifferentiated. as was formerly attempted. gr. is widely manifested. 1959. The concepts of Cosmiccorrespondencesand the Unity of Matter are closely linked-the former specific.g. and the whole is harmonious within itself"48. Likewise. ~"ympathie: Neue Untcrs. as it were. passim. Reinhardt. the microcosm. reflects in all its aspects the behaviour of the outer world. whereby it is both drawn together and remains compact. Alex. e. By late Hellenistic times. To this there is abundant testimony: the early Stoic Cleanthes (ca.C. Festugiere. the latter a generalization. Alexander of Aphrodisias (ca.g. U 45 I: Astrologie et les Sciences idem. De 1IIIixt. too. 235.) "lays it down that all existence is brought into a unity by the penetration. The importance of sympatheia in the pract~cal work of alchemy has been discussed by the present writer earlier in this Joumal46 and will not be repeated here. e. Munich. VI. This notion of sympatheia was of oriental origin and its introduction into Hellenistic philosophy is almost certainly attributable to the Stoic Poseidonios (I35-5I B. the belief that the world of man. by . J. 41 H.THE OUROBOROS AND THE UNITY OF MATTER IN ALCHEMY 95 Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry fire (Herakleitos). etc. No. occultes.D. Aphrod. Sheppard. 200 A. "The Redemption Theme and Hellenistic Alchemy". the colour itself being indicative of formlessness43. when alchemy arose in Egypt. p. 654. 30. VIII. 43 A. J.C. Fusion brought about a blackening (melanosis). or macrocosm. Proximate materials of readily fusible nature were accepted just because they easily yielded a liquid fornl. the influence of the seven planets upon the seven metals.. Paris.. La.C. 142• . Kosmos u. 47 48 Diels. it would seem that a modification of Thales' notion-what might better be termed 'liquidity' rather than 'water'-became the prima materia. 1926. of spirit through it all. 300-220 B.'participation in which we. AMBIX. Correspondence..) records that Chrysippus (280-207 B. upon the seven main body organs and upon plants and precious stones44. become endowed with a soul"47.). lead is mentioned in the Physika kai Mystika of Pseudo-Demokritos as the source of the first matter. Doxogr. The Stoics adopted the earlier conception of the Unity of Matter but built it up into a vast pantheism in which they conceivedthe Divine interpenetrating everything in such a way as to admit of no essential differencebetween God and the Cosmos-both were of the same essence. Re1:elation d'Hermes Trismegiste. though admittedly it is nowadays felt that much of the oriental influences earlier ascribed to him have been somewhat exaggerated45.) affirmed that "there is one soul interpenetrating the whole Cosmos. -aberPoseidonios. Chap. I. 1950. K. Rundle Clark. IV. and one God through all. VII. U 60 Marcus Aurelius. in the case of exoteric alchemy-was essen~ially interference in the life of living substances. that there was thought to be correspondence between God. VI. and one law.A. thus it came about later that Christian alchemists symbolized the changes undergone in the alchemical process in terms of the Passion.. first to prima materia. His salvation (salvatIon of the part) meant recognition of his place and fulfilment of his function in the whole. idem. 38. perhaps.H. And again: "The world is one living organism. Camm. On the esoteric side the importance for the alchemist lay in the complementary process-=-the obtaining of personal redemption as a result of participation in a process carried out on the mineral plane.. as part of the Cosmos. Operations carried out on one plane of Cosmic existence-the transformation of matter. and one substance. 40.D. and one reason common to all intelligent beings. Cosmos and man. V. for so courteously allowing the reproduction of many translations of Egyptian texts contained in his excellent \\Pork HMyth and Symbol in Ancient Egypt". then. It follows. grateful thanks are due also to R. M. the witnessing of experiences undergone by proximate materials as they were· transformed.. man. and in this respect alchemy resembled Gnosticism.. M.): "There is one universe. G. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS For assistance in the translation of the Greek texts quoted the writer is much indebted to his friend F. then through succeeding stages to the state of perfection. 21. better sought in terms of the depth psychology of the late C. consisting of all. Just how this occurred is not particularly clear. Cosmic Unity involved the participation of God. in some way induced in the operator a mental condition appropriate to that possessed by one who had shared in the experiences of a religious initiation.A. why the adept should feel the urge to seek his redemption in this way is. SHEPPARD Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry That the same idea was widespread at the time Hellenistic alchemy arose is clear from yet another Stoic source. of the University of Birmingham. was in sympathy with it as a whole. 9: ct. Death and Resurrection of Christ. The attainment of this condition was akin to the receiving of inner illumination. J. Marcus Aurelius (121-180 A. with one substance and one SOul"50. 40. . IV. and one truth"49. Jung. Davey. Documents Similar To Sheppard, The Ouroboros and the Study of Matter in AlchemySkip carouselcarousel previouscarousel nextAlchemical MeditationsJoannes Agricola - Treatise on GoldChange Log - PR - From 1.1 to 1.2Alchemy and Mysticism (Gnv64)Jean Dubuis - Mineral Alchemy Vol 1ESM_017_05_500-522_Hakansson_offEnochian Color117795407 Myth and Symbol in Ancient Egypt by R T Rundle ClarkCha 2030 Book123HipBone TS Yeats and JungNaga Dosha Remedy – Freedom VidyaA3F87E68d01Name 1 2 3 4 5 6Witch Warlock and Magician by W (1)Alchemical Traditions SampleMore From nemoomenSkip carouselcarousel previouscarousel nextDe_SiglisForshaw, 'Alchemy in the Amphitheatre'Waite, The Pictorial_Symbols_of AlchemyBailey, The Meanings of MagicForshaw, Cabala Music and AlchemyForshaw, Paradoxes, Absurdities and Madness'Webb, The Alchemy of Man and the Alchemy of God - The Alchemist as Cultural Symbol in Modern ThoughtFooter MenuBack To TopAboutAbout ScribdPressOur blogJoin our team!Contact UsJoin todayInvite FriendsGiftsSupportHelp / FAQAccessibilityPurchase helpAdChoicesPublishersLegalTermsPrivacyCopyrightSocial MediaCopyright © 2018 Scribd Inc. .Browse Books.Site Directory.Site Language: English中文EspañolالعربيةPortuguês日本語DeutschFrançaisTurkceРусский языкTiếng việtJęzyk polskiBahasa indonesiaYou're Reading a Free PreviewDownloadClose DialogAre you sure?This action might not be possible to undo. Are you sure you want to continue?CANCELOK