I've done a bit of analysis myself, over the books I collected...
The blacked out theology book...well, it seems to me that someone has desecrated all texts within it that do not agree with the town's religion. However, it still didn't leave me enough information... I already knew about the incubus monster, but couldn't find anything to explain the other creatures around here, from one of the other books I got. Rituals...connect to all kinds of religions. I haven't found any connections in the ritualistic symbols and this one, though. I know that the Aztecs sacrificed people to their Gods, but haven't found any Aztec representations here in Silent Hill. There are Wiccan symbols on the seal but generally they didn't use darker magics, however they did have a Goddess, and the masculine God was second in command.
So, what I've got to conclude with is their God is female. In some cultures, like the ancient Roman and Greek, there were multiple gods and goddesses, and most of the goddesses were associated with art and love and motherhood, things like that, but there were two others from that- a goddess of war, and a goddess of discord. There are also various cultures who deem goddesses as the more powerful beings - in the supposed religion that I belong to, God is considered male. So, this is going to be a religion I'm not familiar with, but hopefully can find out more from this list...
For example, you said that sulphur represented a 'omnipresent spirit of Life' which would go towards their diety, as would the gold - immortality...Aqua Regia, I'm not sure of, since you say it can dissolve gold...dissolution of immortality, perhaps? Or the loss of. Decompose may go along with that part as well...
Sublimation, though. I don't know much about the scientific process, but putting it into religion it is a word that describes that which nothing can be compared to, the highest up, the ultimate... Mmm, and then, Freud, I believe it was, had a psychological ideal about sublimation...he described it as that, somehow the spirit is reflected by one's libido. Which could possibly tie back into the Incubus. A couple of other psychologists, though I can't for the life of me remember their names, described it as when displacement was deemed to serve a higher purpo- a socially or culturally useful kind of higher purpose. And since the astrological sign Libra is there...separation through sublimation...
Cinnibar- Murcury Sulfide, or murcury and sulfur, which, if you put the definitions in... "Omnipresent spirit of Life" and "a fluid connection between the High and Low"... I feel like I really should know what that means...
Psh, watch. I bet we got the discord Goddess. I've never heard of Greeks or Romans or Aztecs though.
When I first looked over these texts, I just sort of assumed gold must represent immortality on some level, but for a component that dissolves gold to be included I was a bit thrown off. I wonder if decomposition and fermentation tie into that as well.
I don't really get theology or religion, but the way this is starting to look, it's like they're just using alchemical figures to represent certain bits of this Order's symbolism. Like for example, cinnabar could represent their God, and salt, or "base matter", could represent the world. In that case, what does mercury represent? Humans? If you think of it that way, from a theological point of view, humans could be acting as the "connection" between "God" and the "world", since humans tend to be the ones doing "God's" bidding and whatnot.
True, but from the definitions above, mercury is the fluid connection between High and Low. High and Low could be the Heavens an Earth, Gods and humans, but when I hear that I think of some liquid...so perhaps it's something that acts as a link between man and the Gods? Mmm...I believe there was a philosopher at some point - Nicholas Flemmel, made some sort of elixir of life...or stone. Something like that, solid to liquid or a liquid to solid, could link humans and Gods by immortality... One of Crowley's assumptions was that the people who are disappearing are being sacrificed for the Order's immortality or strength, but...I disagree.
The fluid connection would make sense, but when you throw sublimation into the mix, it doesn't really add up. In chemistry or alchemy, it literally means changing a solid to a gas, while giving the whole liquid stage a skip. It's like ice turning to steam without first melting into water. Almost as though it's bypassing the standard set of rules.
Elixir of- the Philosopher's stone? In my experience, it can come in any form. Liquid, solid... even human.
[Ed goes quiet on his end for just a moment. HE DOESN'T LIKE WHERE THIS IS GOING]
...No, his theory makes sense. If you bring up something like the philosopher's stone... at least the way it existed where I'm from, it all makes perfect sense.
The Philosopher's Stone and/or Elixir of Life were just myths, though - Flemmel never succeeded, they were mere rumors...[though now he sounds suspicious and says slowly] ...what do you mean, human...?
What I disagree with Crowley about is, why would they desire immortality for themselves if they're doing all of this for their diety? Strength and power, perhaps, which would also explain the taking of our own powers, but...
This uh. Guy I know. It's...hard to explain? Basically, where I'm from, Philosopher's stones are made from human souls. Most of the ones I've seen were stone-like, but there was this alchemist a couple thousand years or so ago that got suckered into helping this homunculus create a Philosopher's stone and ended up with half a million souls inside his own body, thus creating a living Philosopher's stone.
Well, two actually, the homunculus ended up with the other half million souls. Wiped an entire civilization off the map in the blink of an eye.
Anyway, both of them are pretty much immortal right now.
[clears his throat in a dismissive manner. TALKING ABOUT HIS DAD LIKE THIS IS WEIRD]
And man who knows, maybe they want to "serve" their God for eternity. People have sought after immortality for stupider reasons. Or maybe they think their God will "save" them, and this is how they interpret being saved. These aren't exactly normal religious nuts we're dealing with.
...no offense, you understand, but I'm glad that I'm not from your world...
And I agree with you, there...despite the lack of alchemy the way your world uses it, there have been horrible things done in the name of religion still.
And the Order does seem that ruthless...[sighs] What an awful thing we've been caught up in...take our powers then our lives. I wonder how they plan on sacrificing Crowley and myself...
Well...both use magic, I suppose, but itches mostly us spells and incantations...
He thought I was a witch because there was a circle I was using to communicate with my people Upstairs, and he saw... [sighs] A bit...overzealous. Though, to his credit, there were candles about as well...
Candles? So what, you used candles and used some sort of circle and that made you a witch? I don't get people. Then again, I guess a lot of things are different where I'm from.
I've done a bit of analysis myself, over the books I collected...
The blacked out theology book...well, it seems to me that someone has desecrated all texts within it that do not agree with the town's religion. However, it still didn't leave me enough information... I already knew about the incubus monster, but couldn't find anything to explain the other creatures around here, from one of the other books I got. Rituals...connect to all kinds of religions. I haven't found any connections in the ritualistic symbols and this one, though. I know that the Aztecs sacrificed people to their Gods, but haven't found any Aztec representations here in Silent Hill. There are Wiccan symbols on the seal but generally they didn't use darker magics, however they did have a Goddess, and the masculine God was second in command.
So, what I've got to conclude with is their God is female. In some cultures, like the ancient Roman and Greek, there were multiple gods and goddesses, and most of the goddesses were associated with art and love and motherhood, things like that, but there were two others from that- a goddess of war, and a goddess of discord. There are also various cultures who deem goddesses as the more powerful beings - in the supposed religion that I belong to, God is considered male. So, this is going to be a religion I'm not familiar with, but hopefully can find out more from this list...
For example, you said that sulphur represented a 'omnipresent spirit of Life' which would go towards their diety, as would the gold - immortality...Aqua Regia, I'm not sure of, since you say it can dissolve gold...dissolution of immortality, perhaps? Or the loss of. Decompose may go along with that part as well...
Sublimation, though. I don't know much about the scientific process, but putting it into religion it is a word that describes that which nothing can be compared to, the highest up, the ultimate... Mmm, and then, Freud, I believe it was, had a psychological ideal about sublimation...he described it as that, somehow the spirit is reflected by one's libido. Which could possibly tie back into the Incubus. A couple of other psychologists, though I can't for the life of me remember their names, described it as when displacement was deemed to serve a higher purpo- a socially or culturally useful kind of higher purpose. And since the astrological sign Libra is there...separation through sublimation...
Cinnibar- Murcury Sulfide, or murcury and sulfur, which, if you put the definitions in... "Omnipresent spirit of Life" and "a fluid connection between the High and Low"... I feel like I really should know what that means...
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When I first looked over these texts, I just sort of assumed gold must represent immortality on some level, but for a component that dissolves gold to be included I was a bit thrown off. I wonder if decomposition and fermentation tie into that as well.
I don't really get theology or religion, but the way this is starting to look, it's like they're just using alchemical figures to represent certain bits of this Order's symbolism. Like for example, cinnabar could represent their God, and salt, or "base matter", could represent the world. In that case, what does mercury represent? Humans? If you think of it that way, from a theological point of view, humans could be acting as the "connection" between "God" and the "world", since humans tend to be the ones doing "God's" bidding and whatnot.
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Elixir of- the Philosopher's stone? In my experience, it can come in any form. Liquid, solid... even human.
[Ed goes quiet on his end for just a moment. HE DOESN'T LIKE WHERE THIS IS GOING]
...No, his theory makes sense. If you bring up something like the philosopher's stone... at least the way it existed where I'm from, it all makes perfect sense.
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What I disagree with Crowley about is, why would they desire immortality for themselves if they're doing all of this for their diety? Strength and power, perhaps, which would also explain the taking of our own powers, but...
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Well, two actually, the homunculus ended up with the other half million souls. Wiped an entire civilization off the map in the blink of an eye.
Anyway, both of them are pretty much immortal right now.
[clears his throat in a dismissive manner. TALKING ABOUT HIS DAD LIKE THIS IS WEIRD]
And man who knows, maybe they want to "serve" their God for eternity. People have sought after immortality for stupider reasons. Or maybe they think their God will "save" them, and this is how they interpret being saved. These aren't exactly normal religious nuts we're dealing with.
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And I agree with you, there...despite the lack of alchemy the way your world uses it, there have been horrible things done in the name of religion still.
And the Order does seem that ruthless...[sighs] What an awful thing we've been caught up in...take our powers then our lives. I wonder how they plan on sacrificing Crowley and myself...
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Like I'm gonna let another nut job try to use me as a sacrifice. To hell with that! If I let these bastards win, my brother would kill me.
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He thought I was a witch because there was a circle I was using to communicate with my people Upstairs, and he saw... [sighs] A bit...overzealous. Though, to his credit, there were candles about as well...
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...not...really...
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