Alchemical symbols in art
«What is forged with fire is alchemy, whether in an oven stove, or in the kitchen stove»
Paracelsus
The study of alchemy is a vital process, one can never determine when it begins and when it ends. It is about self-transformation through light, consciousness and the heart.
Alchemical symbols in art help us delve deeper into mysticism, magic and the inner world.
Antonio García Calvente’s paintings, Totom, show the path of the alchemist put into practice, day by day, for decades. Sometimes a dark path and sometimes a wonderful one.
In this collection of paintings we will find those most sacred and simple alchemical symbols, which powerfully remind us of who we are and the self-transformation that arises from the action of the fire of the heart.
The sun and the moon
The sun and the moon are two opposites within philosophical alchemy.
They are gold and silver, day and night. Their marriage will result in Philosopher’s Gold.
These two aspects are also in our mind, in the conscious and unconscious, in the clear light and the dark night of the soul.
It is the mystical marriage also symbolized by the mermaid and the centaur, by the nymph and the satyr, by the mother and the father.
Pegasus in art
Pegasus in art is an alchemical symbol that has been portrayed since the Middle Ages in mystical, philosophical and magical works.
It symbolizes spiritual transformation, elevation. The same pure and brute manifestation of the will at the service of the sacred.
It is the human who uses all of his creative power in a high direction. It unites the concepts of power, freedom, and creativity.
It represents the completion of the process of soul development.
In sacred alchemy, it is the end of the work, the conclusion and goal of every alchemist.
The horse in art
The horse in art is a key symbol.
The horse is the will in action, it is the pure and wild creative force. Also represented as the dragon which determines this creativity of the spirit, the horse is a much more accessible symbol for the West as the divine will made manifest.
It is a wild force of nature, indomitable and often uncomfortable, that we all have within us.
It is the human and divine creative power, the ability to be, do, say, decree, manifest, live, experience.
