Child’s Play
image credit:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Splendor_Solis_20_children_at_play.jpg/508px-Splendor_Solis_20_children_at_play.jpg
“The next is COAGULATION,
which is turning the WATER again into the CORPUS or MATTER…”
Plate 20 shows a nursery, filled with young children, the previous Plate’s ‘rebirth’ now embodied. The orientation of Plate 20 is opposite the previous Plates of the Flasks. The chariot, rather than being at the top of the Plate, is located at the bottom (and the perspective of the drawing makes it seem to be below the floor level of the nursery). Water (dressed in Blue) and Air (dressed in Yellow) keep the child from falling off the Fire cushion chariot.
Mars’ Plate showed people fighting; the Sun’s Plate showed people competing; Venus’ Plate showed people reconciling. Fighting, competing, and reconciling are imperfect reflections of children learning about the nature of the four elements through play.
The Magician in Plate 2 carried a flask of gold liquid. Plate 20 has two flasks of gold liquid, shelved above the doorway leading to a darkened room. In the nursery, the woman in red has a black collar, an imperfect reflection of the woman in the darkened room. We have not yet crossed the Veil of Reflection, but the door has been opened.
This is the Albedo phase.