Philadelphia, or brotherly love to the studious in the hermetick art (1694) - Page 2

HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY

original Latin: Philosophia Hermetica. This refers to the spiritual and scientific tradition attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, often focusing on alchemy and the transformation of the soul.

An alchemical emblem is centered on a white rectangular mount. The emblem consists of a blue oval framed by a green border. Within the oval, golden rays descend from the top onto a white pelican "in its piety," The "pelican in its piety" is a traditional symbol of a bird pecking its own breast to feed its young with its blood. In alchemy, it represents the stage of "multiplication" or the self-sacrifice required to perfect the Philosopher's Stone. pecking its breast to feed its young with its own blood. The pelican stands on a grey crescent or nest, which rests atop a white cube. The front face of the cube is decorated with a brown saltire, which is an X-shaped cross, and four red roses, one in each of the quadrants formed by the cross. Encircling the green border is a circular inscription in a faint, light-colored serif font. A handwritten capital letter 'A' is located in the upper left corner of the white mount.