Alchemy and Mercurius
In alchemy the figure Mercurius has a close association to the substance quicksilver and to the planet Mercury, and therefore also to the Greek Hermes. Indeed the term Hermetic Art associates directly to this figure.
As a substance, the element mercury exhibits remarkable properties. In Alexandrian alchemy it was used to affect a spectacle of transformation. Specifically, by crushing and heating a piece of cinnabar ore, a metallic vapor was released. This vapor could then be distilled to yield quicksilver. Reheating the quicksilver transformed it into a red-like crystal, reminiscent of the original cinnabar ore. In effect, it portrayed a transformation mystery whereby a piece of earthly matter could undergo a “tortuous ordeal of purification and renewal.” In the animistic worldview of archaic alchemy, it illustrated the idea of a spirit “captured in matter” that could be released and transformed through alchemical operations.
The alchemists also noted the highly...
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Mather, M. (2010). Alchemical Mercurius and Carl Gustav Jung. In: Leeming, D.A., Madden, K., Marlan, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-71802-6_804
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