INTRODUCTORY.

allegorical pictures, executed by an unknown artist, Trismosin in veiled language and by means of artistic Symbols reveals his mind about that mysterious and disputed subject—the Red Tincture Red Tincture: In alchemy, this is the final stage of the "Great Work," representing the Philosopher's Stone in its most potent form, used for transmuting base metals into gold and creating the Elixir of Life.—the Philosopher's Stone.

Here then is a rare, and at one time, highly prized, Alchemical Classic, written by an adept, rescued from the oblivion of over three centuries,—why not give the book a fair trial?

It evidently has a two-fold meaning, and like the Book in Revelations A biblical reference to Revelation 5:1, describing a scroll written on both the inside and the back, implying that the text contains both a literal surface meaning and a deeper, hidden spiritual meaning., is written within and without.

As a Guide to Physical and Spiritual Adeptship, SPLENDOR SOLIS Latin: "The Splendor of the Sun." stands both for GOLD SPLENDOUR and SOUL SPLEN-DOUR, and intends to convey the Secret of Physical Alchemy by the text, and of Spiritual Alchemy by the Allegorical pictures.

For this reason, as Photography At the time this introduction was written (early 20th century), color photography was not yet a standard or affordable way to reproduce the vivid colors of medieval manuscripts. cannot reproduce the beautiful colourings of the Manuscript's original paintings, a minute description of the 22 pictures, fully aware of their Mystic meaning, has been inserted in the middle of the text of SPLENDOR SOLIS, that the allegorical importance of the figures may not be overlooked. Their Mystic Meaning seems to be identical with that of the 22 keys of the Tarot The twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana, which many esotericists believe represent a path of spiritual evolution., and they observe the same order.

For the Spiritual Interpretation of these Mystic Pictures,