ALCHEMY - MUTUS LIBER, OR SILENT BOOK - PLATE 13 Plate 13 in the series is a sort of recapitulation of plate 10, with the same processes and the same hermetic sealing, by melting the glass tube. The most significant change is in the size of the Elemental target to the left of the bottom register, and the fact that, in this case, the bow string of Diana's bow is now tight. The number 10 (marked significantly near both figures in plate 10) has now changed (we might almost use the word transmuted), in progressions of 10, even to a thousand-fold. Perhaps these figures are an indication of the
ALCHEMY - MUTUS LIBER, OR SILENT BOOK - PLATE 13 Plate 13 in the series is a sort of recapitulation of plate 10, with the same processes and the same hermetic sealing, by melting the glass tube. The most significant change is in the size of the Elemental target to the left of the bottom register, and the fact that, in this case, the bow string of Diana's bow is now tight. The number 10 (marked significantly near both figures in plate 10) has now changed (we might almost use the word transmuted), in progressions of 10, even to a thousand-fold. Perhaps these figures are an indication of the increase to be anticipated in the process of projection - the dross stone may, so to speak, be augmented enormously in the change to gold. Altogether, there are 28 zeros, which suggests that the upright I is now involved with a lunar process (28 is the number of the Moon - the number of days taken by the Moon to circuit the zodiac). Perhaps the symbolism is pointing to an eclipse - hinted at in the fact that Moon and Suns are joined together - Diana rests her hand on the Sun's hand, in a different manner to the gesture in figure 10. The alchemical masterpiece, Mutus Liber (or Silent Book) first appeared in print during 1677 - probably brought into the light of day by the French alchemist, Jacob Saulat, as a book with 13 plates, which was later increased to one of 15 plates (as in the series available here). The book is almost without words, and such words as appear are rarely what they seem to be, and are certainly susceptible to more than one level of interpretation. The alchemical importance of the images resides in the subtle graphic symbolism. A clear exposition of this symbolism may be found in Adam McLean, A Commentary on the Mutus Liber, 1982.
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Keywords: -, 13, alchemy, archival, archive, art, artistic, artwork, book, colour, esoterica, historic, historical, history, illustration, image, liber, mutus, paranormal, plate, series, silent, sort
