Duality

Another illustration from my book Kaos Hieroglyphica. I play on several themes in this representation of duality.

One might notice the swirling pattern of the taijitu, with its representation of the yin and yang, the light and shadowy sides of the mountain, and the movement implied as the sun arcs across the sky. However, in the place of dots we have a pentagon and an apple. The apple is the apple of Discord and this tells us that the image is not a direct reference to the taijitu at all, but rather to the Sacred Chao, a holy symbol of Discordianism, representing the balance of hodge and podge, order and disorder, eternally cycling in the Chao. Of course the Discordians were themselves referencing the taijitu, and so we can say this image represents both.

I have also included the alchemical symbols for Salt and Sulphur, from the alchemical tria prima. The third symbol in this triad is Mercury and here the symbol of the egg acts as a standin. In anycase the egg does appear as a symbol for Mercury in some alchemical texts. You may have notices the egg at the center of the four elements image. This is because the egg also symbolises the quintessense, or ether, considered by the ancients the substance of the stars. The egg is a central theme of the book. It represents an outgrowth from the Monas Hieroglyph of Dr John Dee, which appeared in his treatise Monas Hieroglyphica. The name of my book references his.

I am working through these images backwards, heading back to the source. I'm not entirely sure why. I felt inspired to do it this way.