Image of the Week 029

In this painting, the eagle represents the philosophic Mercury. The male part of the androgyne corresponds to the bodily dimension, the female to the person's psyche. The androgyne is an allegory of the philosopher's stone obtained through a harmonious synthesis of the elements (corporeal, psychic, and spiritual) that form all substances, the two cosmic principles (male and female), and the two states (fixed and volatile).

The Androgyne, a miniature from the Aurora consurgens, mid-15th century.

The male part holds a hare, famous for its speed. The female holds a bat, a flying mammal who symbolizes the fixation of the volatile state. Even the eagles on the ground allude to fixation, or the "fall" of the volatile parts of matter.