Pseudo-Aristotle, Tractatulus de Practica Lapidis ALCHEMICAL
cited in 16 emblems
The Tractatulus de Practica Lapidis Philosophici is a short Latin alchemical treatise falsely attributed to Aristotle, transmitted through the Artis Auriferae compilation and widely known in early modern alchemical circles. De Jong (1969) identifies it as the direct motto source for Emblems IV and V, providing both the brother-sister marriage imagery (the union of hot/dry and cold/moist principles) and the striking image of the toad suckling at the woman's breast. These two emblems draw their central conceit of elemental union through mutual transformation directly from the Pseudo-Aristotelian text.
Cited in
Emblem III ALBEDO
Go to the woman who washes the sheets
Go to the woman who washes the sheets and do as she does.
Emblem IV NIGREDO
Join brother and sister
Join brother and sister and give them the cup of love.
Emblem V NIGREDO
Woman suckling the toad
Put a toad to the breasts of a woman, that she may suckle it, and the woman may die and the toad grow big from the milk.
Emblem V NIGREDO
Woman suckling the toad
Put a toad to the breasts of a woman, that she may suckle it, and the woman may die and the toad grow big from the milk.
Emblem VI ALBEDO
Sow your gold in the white foliated earth
Sow your gold in the white foliated earth.
Emblem VII CITRINITAS
Young bird flying from nest and falling back
A young bird flies up from the nest and falls back into the nest again.
Emblem XIV NIGREDO
Emblem XIV
This is the dragon that devours its own tail.
Emblem XIX NIGREDO
Emblem XIX
If you kill one of the four, every body will be dead immediately.
Emblem XXI RUBEDO
Circle-square-triangle-circle formula
Make a circle out of a man and a woman, out of this a square, out of this a triangle, make a circle, and you will have the Philosopher's Stone.
Emblem XXIX CITRINITAS
Emblem XXIX
Just as the Salamander lives in the fire, so also the Stone.
Emblem XXXI RUBEDO
King transformation continued
The king, swimming in the sea, calling in a loud voice: He who saves me will receive a great reward.
Emblem XL RUBEDO
Emblem XL
Make one water out of two waters, and it will be the water of holiness.
Emblem XLII RUBEDO
Emblem XLII
What Nature, Reason, Experience and Reading teach you, let that be the fire, the vessel, the water and the earth.
Emblem XLV RUBEDO
Emblem XLV
Sol and his shadow complete the work.
Emblem XLVI CITRINITAS
Emblem XLVI
Two eagles meet, the one from the East, the other from the West.
Emblem XLVII NIGREDO
Emblem XLVII
The wolf coming from the East, and the Dog coming from the West, have bitten each other.