Page 13 - A critical exposition of Jung's theory of alchemy

changed into any other metal. At some time, and it is not clear when
(perhaps in the Islamic World), but at least before the late medieval
period in the West, the two exhalations where identified with Sulphur
and Mercury, though again it was often stated that these substances
where not ordinary Sulphur and Mercury, but resembled them: they
were conceptual or ‘Philosophic’ Sulphur and Mercury.

In general Western alchemy is associated with the quest for an
elixir, or a Philosophers’ Stone (Lapis philosophorum) (often described
as a crystalline red powder) which will transmute or perfect all, or some,
substances human and non-human.

Again it is unclear precisely when it happened, but the few known
metals became associated with the planets. This may go back to the
Persian Mysteries as Origen (c.185-254) quotes Celsus (c. 180) as
claiming that the Persians claimed there was a ladder going to heaven
with seven steps; the first step was lead and was assigned to Saturn, the
next tin and Venus, the next copper and Jupiter, then iron and Mercury,
then “a mixture of metals” and Mars, then silver and the Moon and
finally Gold and the Sun (Origen 1976: 583). By the late Renaissance
the ‘standard’ usage was Mercury associated with the planet Mercury,
Copper with Venus, Iron with Mars, Tin with Jupiter, Lead with Saturn,
Silver with the Moon and Gold with the Sun.

Q Sol Gold
Silver
R Luna Mercury
Copper
S Mercury Iron
T Venus Tin
U Mars Lead
V Jupiter
W Saturn

It is possible that this association of planets and metals, means that

the substances written of by early alchemists should be conceived more
as energies and potentials2 than as substances in the way we use the

2. In this kind of context, Jung quotes the late 16th Century alchemist, Gerard
Dorn as writing “Luna consists of the six spiritual metals and their powers…
From the planet Mercury, from Aquarius and Gemini, or from Aquarius and

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