Philosophical Tree in Alchemy

Good day dear community, at the beginning I would like to welcome you all to my new contribution and hope you have a week so far which has brought some interesting experiences into your life! In this article I would like to talk about alchemy and hope you can learn new things.

In the mythology of different cultures, the tree of life has an important meaning and is considered essential for human existence, as in the Norse mythology the tree Yggdrasill, which holds the nine worlds together with its roots. Also in alchemy there are views about a mystical tree which in ancient writings can also be found under the name Philosophical Tree which is closely connected with the Sephiroth from the secret doctrine Kabbalah and this tree was also considered by the alchemists as a carrier of wisdom or hidden knowledge. The philosophical tree is also closely connected with the underworld and was also considered a precursor of perfection or enlightenment, and also in the secret language of the alchemists, trees were generally regarded as a metaphor and associated with different steps of the work, so that recipes could be kept secret and ensure that they only come to those who would understand this language. There are various illustrations about this tree and it was also associated with various symbolism which was linked to the various steps of the practical work and the golden roots of this tree are an important basis for the knowledge and the tree crown attracts the birds that would like to taste the knowledge. Among these birds is a black raven which is connected in alchemy with the nigredo or blackening and from another work from the 17th century you will find an interesting representation of this tree which also symbolises the steps of alchemy through the different floors and on the branches you can find different figures which represent the steps which are of great importance for the creation of the philosopher's stone and on the upper floors, different forces unite. This is also linked to the principle of duality and by combining the different substances the matter is brought into a better state and the best-known work in which the philosophical tree can be found is probably Splendor Solis from the 16th century.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you could learn something new about alchemy! I captured these pictures with my Camera Sony Alpha 6000 plus 55-210 mm lens.