Portal Ibis

Rosarium Philosophorum (Labyrinthus Chimicus), Anonymous (Latin, 16th century), Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana

St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 1727 Georg Straub (after Solomon Trismosin) after 1599/1st half of the 17th century

St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 1727 Georg Straub (after Solomon Trismosin) after 1599/1st half of the 17th century

St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 1727 Georg Straub (after Solomon Trismosin) after 1599/1st half of the 17th century Alchemical manuscript on the search for the Philosopher’s Stone, transmutation, and the secrets of alchemical transformation. It includes the richly illustrated Splendor Solis, with symbolic scenes depicting the stages and mysteries of the Great Work.

The world is constantly telling us what happiness and success are supposed to look like. We pick up these ideas without even realizing it, from our families, our culture, the people around us, and especially from comparing ourselves to others. Over time, it can become hard to tell what we actually want from what we have simply learned to want. Behind the roles we play and the image we show to the world, there is a…