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Great Work (Latin: magnum opus) is a term used in Hermeticism and occult traditions descended from it, such as Thelema. [1] Accomplishing the Great Work, symbolized as the creation of the philosopher's stone, represents the culmination of the spiritual path, the attainment of enlightenment, or the rescue of the human soul from the unconscious forces which bind it.
Some alchemists also circulated steps for the creation of practical medicines and substances, that have little to do with the magnum opus. The cryptic and often symbolic language used to describe both adds to the confusion, but it's clear that there is no single standard step-by-step recipe given for the creation of the philosopher's stone.
Suns can correspond to gold, citrinitas, generative masculine principles, imagery of "the king", or Apollo, the fiery spirit or sulfur, [1] the divine spark in man, [2] nobility, or incorruptibility. Recurring images of specific solar motifs can be found in the form of a "dark" or "black sun", or a green lion devouring the Sun.
Rubedo is a Latin word meaning "redness" that was adopted by alchemists to define the fourth and final major stage in their magnum opus. [1] Both gold and the philosopher's stone were associated with the color red, as rubedo signaled alchemical success, and the end of the great work. [2] Rubedo is also known by the Greek word iosis.
Opalite is a trade name for synthetic opalescent glass and various opal and moonstone simulants. Other names for this glass product include argenon , sea opal , opal moonstone , and other similar names.
Citrine “A powerful gemstone crystal in a range of deep yellows, oranges, and yellow-cream-white, the citrine gemstone is said to bring abundance and wealth into one’s life,” Salzer says.
In heraldry, or (/ɔːʁ/; French for "gold") is the tincture of gold and, together with argent (silver), belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it is hatched using a field of evenly spaced dots.
The philosopher's stone [a] is a mythic alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold or silver; [b] it was also known as "the tincture" and "the powder". Alchemists additionally believed that it could be used to make an elixir of life which made possible rejuvenation and immortality .