Horse. The Hermetic Chemists have often taken this animal as the symbol for the volatile parts of their material, because of its lightness while running. This is why they formerly imagined horses pulling the chariot of the Sun or of the Gods. Laomedon refused Hercules the horses he had promised him as a reward for saving Hesione. Hercules had Diomedes eaten by his own mares. See ‘Les Fables Egypt. Et Grecques….

Peacock. Bird consecrated to Juno. The Fable says that this jealous goddess called upon Jupiter with the Nymph Io changed into a cow, and, after obtaining her from Jupiter, put her under the watch of Argus, who had one hundred eyes. Jupiter sent Mercury to get rid of this bothersome guardian. Mercury in effect caused Argus to perish and Juno transported his one hundred eyes to the tail of the peacock. See ARGUS. The Hermetic Philosophers say that this fable is an allegory for the state of the material of the Work at the moment when the colors of the peacock’s tail manifest upon it.

Salamander. Species of lizard that the Ancients believed capable of living in fire, without being consumed by it. The Hermetic Philosophers have taken this animal as the symbol for their stone fixed at red, this is why they have called it the Salamander that is conceived in fire and lives in fire. Sometimes, they have given this name to their Mercury, but more ordinarily to their incombustible Sulfur. The Salamander that feeds off of fire and the Phoenix that is reborn of its ashes are the two most common symbols of this Sulfur.