According to Fulcanelli, alchemy is, and I quote: “the search and awakening of the life secretly dormant beneath the thick covering of being and the hard crust of things.” In other words, it is what gives meaning to man on earth.
Alchemy, as we know, was the process of transforming lead into gold. Due to its laborious evolutionary process, it was seen as a parallel to the progress of human beings on their path of moral and spiritual development, ultimately achieving transcendence.
What is the relationship between hermeticism and alchemy?
Hermeticism encompasses a wide range of arts, such as astrology, the anima mundi (the belief that the world is endowed with a soul and spirit), meditation, Greco-Egyptian ceremonial magic, among others, and also includes the study of alchemy.
Knowing this, it is easy to conclude that both alchemy and hermeticism are intimately connected to the path we follow in Freemasonry as an initiatory school of training and self-improvement.
Continuing with the explanation of the “dazed eagle” of John the Evangelist, in the “biblical bestiary,” the eagle is one of the four “tetramorphs” symbolizing the power of resurrection and dominion over the heavens. It represents John the Evangelist because, of the four Gospels, his is the most extensive, characterized as liturgical, profound, symbolic, and mystical. The other three evangelists—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—are more synoptic in nature.
The four tetramorphs, derived from the root tetra, are: the man or angel, the lion, the ox, and the eagle, representing the four evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
In the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which, according to Fulcanelli, is the finest artistic representation of alchemical science due to its sculptures and rose windows, the central medallion of the red rose window features the four tetramorphs surrounding the Pantocrator, or the Christ of the Apocalypse, who represents the unifying fifth element.
Given the interest that Gothic art holds for all of us, I would like to elaborate further by mentioning that the red rose window of Notre Dame is the largest of the three. Its color and orientation illuminate the cathedral’s interior with a striking, intense flaming red hue, a term derived from the Latin flamiger, from which this architectural style takes its name: “Flamboyant Gothic” or “Late Gothic,” as it developed from the 14th century onwards.
The color red in alchemy has several interpretations:
- On one hand, it symbolizes Jesus Christ, or the Pantocrator, the New Testament, resurrection, and ultimately the dominance of spirit over matter.
- The color red also represents gold and is associated with the final stage of alchemical cooking, culminating in perfection through the third process, “Solve et Coagula.”
- Additionally, red is the fiery symbol of the philosophical dragon, as we will see a little later.
In these two stone sculptures, the one on the left corresponding to the façade of the Cathedral of Burgos and the one on the right to the portal of the Church of Saint John the Baptist in Moarves de Ojeda, Palencia province, we can more clearly see the four tetramorphs alongside the “Pantocrator.”
Pantocrator is a word derived from Greek: panto means “all,” and krator means “power,” referring to the all-powerful Christ. He is always depicted with his right hand raised in a gesture of blessing and his left hand holding the Volume of the Sacred Law. His head is seen touching the clouds, an alchemical symbol of esotericism or hidden knowledge, which is only accessible to those who progress in self-perfection or in the alchemical sciences.
At times, Christ is also depicted within a mandorla, an Italian word meaning “almond.” As seen in the image on the right, this almond-shaped frame or halo was used to encircle sacred figures, most commonly the resurrected Christ but also the Virgin Mary or saints.
According to the alchemical hypothesis, the four tetramorphs also correspond to the four basic elements: air, earth, water, and fire.
Given the close relationship between Freemasonry and alchemy, I would like to begin with this science to explain its connection to this symbol. For alchemists, the two solstitial gates represented a duality, which they symbolized with the androgynous figure of Rebis, a figure that, when viewed from the front, has a masculine profile on the left and a feminine profile on the right.
As you can see, Rebis is enclosed within an egg. Alchemists often depicted figures inside an egg to symbolize mystery, associating it with the maternal womb. Knowledge is what allows us to break this egg and reveal and understand its contents. What we will do now is delve into its solstitial knowledge, and with humility, I will dare to break this egg.
Mythological legend says that the Great Architect of the Universe initially created Rebis in His own image and likeness. Rebis was a very powerful god, as powerful as his creator. The G.A.D.U. regretted granting him so much power and decided to weaken him by endowing him with two independent sexes, giving him the ability to reproduce on his own and expand the species.
We can observe that Rebis holds a compass in his masculine half, associated with his father, the sun, or the representation of the heavens, and a square in his feminine half, associated with his mother, the moon, or the representation of the earth. The square and compass symbolize that Rebis possesses the “Virtues of Heaven and Earth,” represented also by a square, created with the square, and a circle, traced with the compass.
In the image, we see Rebis standing atop a dragon. This is the philosophical dragon or the Babylonian dragon of the alchemists. The dragon is the guardian of the highest wisdom, considered a custodian of knowledge on the same level of enlightenment as illuminated men.
Its power is related to mastery over the four primary elements that metaphysically govern nature: earth, air, water, and fire. The reasoning is as follows: its reptilian body represents its connection to the earth; its scales symbolize its power over water; its wings demonstrate its dominion over the air, and its fiery breath proclaims it as the master, guardian, and lord of fire.
Just as the solstices represent the Mason’s renewal and purification, for alchemists, the dragon’s fire must destroy in order to regenerate. Once again, the principle of “Solve et Coagula” emerges, leading to the awakening of the sacred fire or Kundalini, as a pure element of renewal.
The dragon is supported on a winged sphere. It is winged because, in ancient Egypt, wings symbolized divinity, royalty, and power. Within it, we once again see the square representing earth, the circle representing the heavens, and the equilateral triangle, which in alchemy symbolizes the triple influence of matter, life, and intelligence.
Applied to our alchemical purification as Masons, our soul originates from the elemental world, represented by sulfur. The spirit emanates from the heavens, represented by mercury or radical moisture, which adheres to the sulfur. These two distinct substances belong to the same body, united by an element that binds them: the philosophical salt or Babylonian dragon.
Rebis is the keeper of the two keys that open both solstitial gates, which are unidirectional—they only allow exit and no return. These gates symbolize the following:
- The gate of the summer solstice represents the awakening of the feeling of renewal and our will to change.
- The gate of the winter solstice signifies the departure from the darkness of the profane world into the initiatory light of wisdom and knowledge.
In this illustration, we have explored the topic in depth. There is more symbolism to uncover, but that will be the subject of another presentation. We will conclude here.
Fermín Caballero
