It is an actual symbol, wompy2, although I am no expert, not by a long way, in alchemical, nor astrological, symbols.
As mentioned by joechip and Alan, the main central symbol does look rather similar to the alchemical symbol used to indicate Mercury, but, as pointed out by Ken Sharpe, it's not that.
The main symbol dates back less than 500 years, but the components it consists of and their meanings are significantly older. Dr. John Dee created this esoteric symbol, which is essentially referring to singular authority/ a 'Godhead', and the symbol is meant to express the mystical unity of all creation...the symbol is known as Monad of Dr. John Dee...
Basically, John Dee was a 16th century English astronomer, occultist, alchemist, mathematician and philosopher.
He created this representative symbol in 1563, using a combination of visual indicators of other significant phenomena, as follows:
During recent visit to the exhibition "The Rosicruscian Revolution" at the Embassy of the Free Mind captured these two pictos of Dee's Monas ;-)
...thanks everybody, very informative
It is an actual symbol, wompy2, although I am no expert, not by a long way, in alchemical, nor astrological, symbols.
As mentioned by joechip and Alan, the main central symbol does look rather similar to the alchemical symbol used to indicate Mercury, but, as pointed out by Ken Sharpe, it's not that.
The main symbol dates back less than 500 years, but the components it consists of and their meanings are significantly older. Dr. John Dee created this esoteric symbol, which is essentially referring to singular authority/ a 'Godhead', and the symbol is meant to express the mystical unity of all creation...the symbol is known as Monad of Dr. John Dee...
Basically, John Dee was a 16th century English astronomer, occultist, alchemist, mathematician and philosopher.
He created this representative symbol in 1563, using a combination of visual indicators of other significant phenomena, as follows:
POINT WITHIN A CIRCLE: astronomical symbol for the sun
HALF-CIRCLE/CRESCENT: indicative of the moon
EQUAL-ARMED CROSS: representative of the four elements (fire, earth, air and water)
DOUBLE CURVE: alchemical symbol for fire
...and the TRIANGLE is the symbol for water.
Anyway, that's my (very) basic take on it...It's no doubt much more complex than that..🙂
Here Comes Mr Mercury? 😉
Not the same. I always thought it as an abstract drawing of Man.
symbol for mercury?