12. The Elemental Beings of Alchemical Tradition
In the rich tapestry of alchemical knowledge, ball lightning shows up as a manifestation of elemental entities or spirits. Sometimes alluded to as visible representations of the salamanders—the elemental spirits of fire—Middle Ages and Renaissance alchemists called these bright orbs According to alchemical tradition, the four main elements—earth, air, fire, and water—each with their own class of elemental entities, help to shape the planet. Linked with fire, salamanders were supposed to show as dancing flames or, in rarer cases, as perfect spheres of live fire—a description strikingly similar to those of ball lightning. Not simply as natural anomalies, alchemists considered these incidents as tremendous emblems of the mysterious energies functioning in the universe. Knowing and maybe regulating these fundamental expressions, they believed, would reveal the secrets of nature and enable one to accomplish the ultimate alchemical goals, including the synthesis of the philosopher’s stone or the elixir of life. Often incorporating advanced instruments and esoteric drugs, several alchemical writings describe thorough ceremonies and experiments intended to call or engage with these flaming spirits. A sign of success in these pursuits, the sight of a ball of fire signaled the moment the curtain dividing the ordinary from the magical was suddenly raised. This alchemical portrayal of ball lightning catches the mix of philosophy defining the alchemical perspective, mysticism, and proto-science. It answers the human need for activity and significance in natural occurrences as well as for linking the visible world with the domain of the spiritual or supernatural. Though modern science has various explanations for ball lightning, the alchemical perspective still intrigues; it offers a glimpse into a time when the boundaries between science, magic, and spirituality were far less obvious.
