published 1556
published 1607
published 1893
Be warned and understand truly that
two Fishes are swimming in our Sea.
The Sea as the Body,
the two Fishes are Soul and Spirit.
The fish in the 1556 version of Lambspring appear to have blowholes, indicating a dolphin instead of a generic “fish”. Dolphins are a symbol of Dionysus (the nocturnal sun) and were considered to be psychopomps by the Greeks. The Fishes, identified as the Soul and the Spirit, are half above the Sea (the Body) and half below, so they are not fully unconscious and not fully conscious. They face opposite directions, implying a polarity. The sailboat in the background, though, is mostly above the Sea and is propelled with Wind (Air, Wisdom). The sailboat represents the Mind.
The 1607 version has two Fish, swimming opposite directions. The sailboat seems to be on a cloud (representing Air). Mountains covered with green grass and trees are east of the sailboat; mountains covered with snow and ice are in the background.
The 1893 version of Lambspring has a forest on one side of the sea and a town on the other. In this Figure, there is no bridge connecting the Forest (the Body) to the town (the Mind), but subsequent images show the development of a bridge (and eventually a town on the Forest side).
At the point, the Body, Spirit, and Soul are separate, even though “they are one” and the Alchemist is instructed to cook them and to hold his tongue (“to be silent”). Heat leads to the Nigredo phase.