Coral is the magic tree born from water and becomes stone when in contact with air. Atalanta Fugiens emblem thirty-two represents both concept and process.
Its epigram is simple: “As Coral grows under Water and is hardened by the Air, so is the Stone.” Atalanta Fugiens by Michael Maier was first published in Latin in 1617 ( the edition before my eyes is the ” Scrutinium Chymicum” Frankfurt 1687) and contained 50 engravings or emblems by Merian, one of the most learned and skilled hermetic gravers of his age.
Michael Maier’s writings are composed of an epigram, a discourse, and a musical fugue for each emblem. Despite Atalanta Fugiens being widely known for its graphic side, and Merian’s engravings are clear enough without too much symbolism, we do not have to undervalue Maier’s writings.
In Emblem thirty-two, we see a man pulling out a coral tree from the waters. A bridge is unifying the two river sides, a Zephyrus or wind personification blowing dry from a corner. The action of pulling out something stands here for drying something from wetness. Waters should not always be taken as an allegory for precious Mercurius. In some cases, which could be the same case, water can signify elemental water—something that can be used as a tool but to get rid of later.
The process of drying is quite literal in this Atalanta Fugiens scene. There is hardly any allegory at all here. We know that Alchemy laboratory’s final goal is making volatile hermetic substances ( Mercurius) go to earth, becoming earthly, and getting fixed. Petrified or at least less volatile. Becoming Sulfur in a few words. Coral is a symbol of perfect Sulfur. Because of the rule of three, Sulfur can signify many meanings: gold, fire, coagula, and redness. In this Atalanta Fugiens picture, we can be pretty sure of being after redness, for coral is mainly a red tree. The whole congealing operation, in this case, is up to the alchemist, for nature provides fixity only for a very long period. Zephirus, or wind personification, on the top left of the picture, is a clear allusion to air movement to be brought about inside the vessel by the alchemist. The woman is volatility; the Man is fixity. They are the workers, and the four elements are their tools. So only a man can lift the coral upwards and out of elemental water. Of course, as we go in alchemical symbolism, the rule of three requires an open mind, and we will find men and women standing for other significations. But when we have to dry our stone, fixity, and volatility are mainly featured.
Congealment is not carried exclusively in third work or exaltation. The bridge in the scene is not a frequently used symbol or allegory in Alchemy. We scarcely found it. And generally mainly in hermetic decorative arts. Nevertheless, Merian decided to introduce it in Atalanta Fugiens. A bridge, of course, unifies two sides otherwise too far to be reached. It is Aqua Pontica, a unifying Mercurius. Which I more extensively talked about in Giorgione’s Tempest post. However, Pontus, in latin, means bridge. And, curtly, it can allude to Secret Fire from the sky unified to that one extracted by alchemists from Materia Tertia or/and a joining between Mercurius and Dry Mercurius. Allegory of Tree stands for the Mercurius metamorphosis during its many colorful phases ( or sonorous in a dry way). And we know that colors are Mercurius and Dry Mercurius offspring. For Rebis, Hermaphrodite means “ two things,” thus a female-male Mercurius or a more fixed Mercurius, without losing its dissolving capability. Furtherly, the Rebis is already a Stone. Of lower degree, though.
Now the Maier’s Discourse, since in Atalanta Fugiens, every scene is accompanied by an epigram, a discourse, and a musical fugue. I only extracted sentences on a topic: The Philosophers call their Stone a Vegetable because it Vegetates, grows and is increased and multiplies like a plant… Who would ever have believed that a Stone should grow under water or that a plant there generated should become a Stone unless Experience and the credible testimony of Writers had confirmed it? Where does that petrifying, where does that tingeing Virtue which hardeneth and tingeth Coral, Exist? Whether in that Water or the Air? We may reasonably believe it to be, as they affirmed a soft and flexible plant under the Waters, yet of a Very earthy Nature, which, when cut and exposed to the cold winds, becomes rigid and may be broken like a Stone. The watery parts that abound are dried up by cold and dry Air (for Northern Winds bring dryness along with them), and the Earthy body, which remains, having cold and dryness as its qualities, is congealed. For constriction or the binding faculty is the Earth’s alone; it does not exist in the Water or Air, as each element has its genuine or proper qualities ( here Maier enumerates animal and vegetable examples) …“The Stone of the Philosophers is likened to these, especially Coral. For as Coral grows in the Waters and draws Nutriment from the Earth, the Philosophic Stone is concreted out of Mercurial water and has taken whatever is worthy in it towards its own Augmentation, the Superfluous Moisture having expired.
The Red Colour is raised upon the Coral by coagulation, which the Ancients called the Tincture of Corals. So it is in the Physical Stone, which becomes red in the last Congelation and appears like the red Coral, which is the Tincture.
But the Coral grows hard by the Cold and dry, the Stone by the Hot and dry, which is augmented it likewise ( in the same way) dissolves: contrary to the Nature of other Stones, which do indeed dissolve, but run into the glass, which thing is in no wise agreeable to this.”
Augmenting here does not mean addition but making perfect or fixed. That’s to say, go on with dryness. Mercurius, while becoming dryer, becoming Sulphur, keeps its dissolving capabilities. Mind that “Northern Winds bring dryness along with them. For the watery parts which abound are dried up by a cold and dry Air”.
Pay close attention to Maier’s last sentence: “ But it must be cut off whilst it is under the Waters, and that with Very Great Caution least it loses its juice and blood and nothing remain but a Terrestrial Chaos without its True Form. For herein consists all the difficulty of gathering Coral. By these Waters, I understand the Superfluous humidity which kills the Stone, which does not suffer the Coralline Rednesse to appear and which admits of no Coagulation, unless it is separated.” Drowning is the main wet-way pitfall. As burning upon the stake is of dry way. ( see an Opus Magnum scheme)
See also Nicaise le Febvre & the Egg inside the Egg ; Glaser 2, Active three Principles , Pietro Perugino and the Lady of the Wind , Symbola Aureae Mensae and the Supreme Purpose ;