The Hermetic Museum, Restored and Enlarged

A detailed circular engraving or woodcut. At the top and bottom are celestial depictions of the Sun, Moon, and stars within clouds. Inside the main circle, three haloed figures sit on a grassy mound. The central figure holds a disc with a hexagram, also known as the Seal of Solomon|A six-pointed star formed by two overlapping triangles, representing the union of fire and water. The flanking figures hold discs with triangles. Below them is a subterranean cave containing a group of seated figures. At the very bottom center, in front of the cave opening, sits a stone well. The surrounding landscape includes trees, mountains, and a sailing ship on the sea to the right.

H.R.

original: "Quæ sunt in superis, hæc inferioribus insunt." This is a poetic restatement of the famous Hermetic maxim: "As above, so below." It suggests that the laws of the cosmos are mirrored in the structure of physical matter.

original: "Ignis, Aqua et fluitans duo sunt contraria." In alchemy, fire and water are the primary opposing forces. The "flowing" likely refers to the volatile spirit or air that mediates between them.

Joining opposites is the central goal of the "Great Work." This process is often called the Alchemical Wedding.