Stefan Michelspacher s Cabala Spiegel De

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STEFAN MICHELSPACHER’S CABALA: SPIEGEL DERKUNST

UND NATUR, IN ALCHYMIA (1615)

A thriving network of Paracelsian alchemists had existed in the Tyrol during the

early seventeenth century, in spite of the repressions of the Counter

Reformation which had led some Paracelsians to ee to Augsburg! The

Counter"Reformation had been introduced by Peter Canisius in the early !##$s

and he had founded a college at %ienna, along with &esuit houses at 'ra(,

)nnsbruck, *lomouc and others +hen the mperor -aximilian )) died in !#./,

he was succeeded by Rudolf )), who had been brought up in 0pain by &esuits

and had close relations with the Roman Catholic court of 1avaria 2is nephew

3erdinand 42oly Roman mperor, !/!5"6.7 was also &esuit"trained and in !#58"

!/$! he expelled Protestant preachers, teachers and scribes from all territories

of )nner Austria The Protestant faith was maintained in the mountain valleys of

the Tyrol and books were smuggled in from 'ermany9 'illy has identi:ed

2aslmayr as a central :gure among the Tyrolean Paracelsians 2is profession

was that of a teacher and a musical composer and his work had been published

in Augsburg in !#59 2is downfall was due to his polemical engagement with

the &esuits, in his publici(ing of the Rosicrucians as an alternative Protestant

order 2aslmayr;s eschatology in his Propheceyung vom Lowen auss

Mitternacht was modelled on Paracelsian prophecy 3rom !/$6, like other1 Gilly has discussed some of this history in Gilly, " 'Theophrastia Sancta'," Ritman Library (n.d), 1

!.

! See #$ans, Rudolf %% (1&), *11 and R. +. . #$ans, The Making of the Habsburg Monarchy,

1550-1-- an interpretation, (/0ford larendon 2ress, 1&&), *3**&.



Tyrolean Paracelsians, he was being persecuted by the Archduke -aximilian of

Austria and the &esuit Anthon <lesl 42ofprediger7 )n !/$#, he moved among

alchemical circles in Tyrol6 and also communicated with the 'erman

Paracelsists, 1enedictus 3igulus, Carl +idemann in Augsburg and &oachim

-orsius= 'illy notes that Tyrolean and Augsburg alchemists corresponded with

each other in this period, Paracelsian activity in Augsburg being centred on the

Collegium -edicorum )n !/!8, the &esuits accused 2aslmayr of heresy and

>uke -aximilian sent him to the galleys in !/96, but on being released he also

made his way to Augsburg#

This history may have led 0tefan -ichelspacher to remove himself from the

oppressive climate of the Tyrol to the more tolerant atmosphere of Augsburg/

There was a great plague in the Tyrol in !/!! and it is ?uite possible that he

may have left for Augsburg at this time, commencing his publishing career in

!/!# @ittle is known about this :gure, to whose name the texts append his

place of origins, Tyrolensis 0ome general evidence contributing to his

biography may be gathered from his surname The name Pacher originates in

south Tyrol and is still commonly encountered in the Alto Adige of the present

day, although it does not originate historically in any particular family, being a

Gilly, Adam Haslmayr (1&&*), ff.

* Gilly, Adam Haslmayr (1&&*), 1-31.

Gilly, Adam Haslmayr (1&&*), !!.

3 See +ur4en 56c7in4, Kultur und esellschaft in Tirol um 1!00 " des Hippolytus uarinonius#

re$el der %er$&stung menschlichen eschlechts '1!10( als kulturgeschichtliche )uelle des fr&hen 1*+

ahrhunderts , 'Historische tudien, .01) (L6bec7 8atthiesen, 1&3), passim.



generic name for a wayfaring pack"bearer 1y the :fteenth century, numerous

unrelated families of this name had moved to 1runico from the surrounding

valleys )t is intriguing in the present context to note that the famous painter

3riedrich Pacher 4ca !=6#"!#$87 and the sculptor -ichael Pacher 4ca!=6."

!=587, both of Tyrolean origins though unrelated, had introduced the )talian

single"point perspective system into Austrian art B an aesthetic and

mathematical interest which their namesake -ichelspacher continued into the

early seventeenth century in his own work on optics )n !=/. -ichael Pacher

was working as a citi(en of 1runeck 41runico7, though Rasmo considers that his

family probably came from one of the neighbouring valleys, such as the

'erman valley of %ila 4+ielenbach7 whence a Pacher family of ewellers settled

in 1runico 3riedrich Pacher came from Dovacella. Deither 3riedrichEs nor

-ichael PacherEs coat of arms is related to the one depicted on the title"page of

-ichelspacherEs Pinax Microcosmicus )t is even possible that he adopted the

surname Pacher as a pseudonym, for <lossowski de Rola mentions a rare :rst

edition of the Cabala printed in !/!# in which the surname appears as

-FschelspachenG even though no Austrian families of that name have been

located8 The coat"of"arms that is found in the :rst engraving of the Cabala

refers only to the alchemical principles and is not a personal bearing

ornelia 2lie4er, "9riedrich 2acher," /eue eutsche iographie (5erlin ,1&&), 1&, *3* and

also :icolo Rasmo, Michael 2acher (London 2haidon 1&1), 1ff, !**3.

;losso<s7i de Rola, The olden ame (1&), !.



0ome additional clues concerning his political and religious allegiances may be

gained from the Pinax microcosmographicus 4Augsburg !/!#7 The title"page

displays a maxim Dosce te ipsum, which was the motto of the ancient 'reek

mystery religions 4:g !.7 )t was fre?uently used by rasmus5 and was

subse?uently adopted by 0pirituals, such as 3ranck, +eigel and 1oehme

This work is dedicated to, Philipp 2einhofer HsicI of the city of Augsburg!$

2ainhofer 4Ainhofer7 4!#.8"!/=.7 was a political envoy, as well as an art"agent

for many of the maor uropean courts 1orn in Augsburg to a family of cloth

merchants and drapers, who traded in 3lorence, his great"grandfather 2ans

Ainhofer 4!=/$"!#987, an Augsburg merchant, had also dealt in furs as well as

cloth )n !#8=, 2ainhoferEs mother on the death of her husband moved the

family to Jlm until !#5! in protest at the changes in the calendar adopted by

the city council on the model of papal adustments 2ainhofer had studied at

the Jlm gymnasium till !#5= and then, together with his brother 2ieronymous,

he attended the universities of Padua, 1ologna and 0iena, reading

urisprudence As a result of his employment by >uke +ilhelm % of 1avaria till

!/=# as an art"buyer, he managed to establish contacts with <ing 2enry )% of

& S=4uenny, 3es pirituels (!---), *1.

1- The 4ist of the te0t reads ">aud temporis efflu0it adhinc multum, :obilissime 2raestantissime?ue

@ir, dum ma0ima mea obsecratione aAbB Coctore ?uodam 2hilosophicomedicum tractatum . . . 8erito

i4itur :obilitatem tuam ut $ultu sereno decantati huius operis, ne re tam fructuosa, libera in4enia diutius

defraudentur, oblationem suscipere, praestantioribus $iris commendare, contra serpentinos 8omorum

morsus, beluinos?ue Doilorum insultus, descendere, E Cominus ac 9autis tuae :obilitatis 4ratiis,

/pusculum anatomicum. %llius nominis claritate illustrius redditum" The dedication to >ainhofer reads "%n

omnium utilitatem et Fucunditatem di$ul4ata. @iro 4eneris nobilitate, autoritatis splendore, di4na $irtutem

laude, praestanti?ue artium aestimatione, clarissimo Cn. 2hilippo >einhofero i$i Hu4ustano, Comino suo

unice calendo, S. alends. 9ebr. Hnno 131."



3rance, the -argrave of 1aden and >uke Philipp )) of Pomerania and his brother

in law August von 1raunschweig"@uneberg 3rom !/!."9# he was

1raunschweigEs advisor and his correspondence with the duke is recorded in

seventeen volumes in the +olfenbFttel 1ibliothek und 0taatsarchiv, while in

the Augsburger 0tadtarchiv are located his diaries from April !/69 to *ctober

!/6#!! >ue to his obliging nature and knowledge of languages, he had friends

and patrons everywhere who provided him with many commissions for his

native goldsmiths, clock"makers and scienti:c instrument"makers 2e was also

a member of the city council )n view of the number of commissions that he

obtained on behalf of Augsburg artists, 2ainhofer earned himself the title of the

3ather of Augsburg artists!9 )t has emerged, according to 'illy, that 2ainhofer

had been a friend of &ohann %alentin Andreae, as there exists a letter written to

11 9riedrich 5lendin4er, ">ainhofer, 2hilipp," /eue eutsche iographie, , !*!.

1!

%n 131, under >ainhofer's direction, <as created the reno<ned 2omeranian artcabinet for >erIo42hilipp %% of 2ommernStettin (4i$en in 13! to ;in4 Gusta$us Hdolphus). (There e0ists a paintin4 of the

presentation of this obFect to >erIo4 2hilipp in <hich the artists and craftsmen are recorded). The concept

<as >ainhoferJs, the desi4n <as by Rottenhammer, ;a4er and hristoph Lenc7er and the Foinery <as the

<or7 of the cabinetma7er Klrich 5aum4arten. 8ore than t<o hundred obFects comprised the fittin4s,

created by t<entyfi$e Hu4sbur4 masters painters, en4ra$ers, sculptors, 4oldsmiths, cloc7ma7ers, cabinet

ma7ers, instrument ma7ers, boo7binders and more. Hs a miniature "7unst7ammer," it had an automatic

cloc7, toilettearticles, an apothecary, different 7inds of astronomical and mathematical instruments, 4ames,

in7stands, amulets and table<are. See T. >ausmann, "Cer 2ommersche ;unstschran7, Cas 2roblem der

inneren Hufbaues," 4eitschrift fur Kuntsgeschichte, (1&&), $ol. !!, !. Hlso 5runo 5ushart, ;unst

und StadtbildJ in Gottlieb, eschichte der tadt Augsburg (1&), ! ff. >o<e$er, his 4lorious career had

a sad endin4. %n 13!, the S<edes occupied Hu4sbur4 and, on their e0pulsion in 8ay 13, the imperial

estitutionsedikt ("#dict of Restitution") of 13!& imposed the rule of the Roman atholic church,

commandin4 all <ho held 2rotestant beliefs to depart from Hu4sbur4. >ainhofer <as remo$ed from his

office in 13 and became so impo$erished that >erIo4 Hu4ust of 5raunsch<ei4Luneber4 (1&1333),

had to buy his collection for his library in Mlfenb6ttel.



him by Andreae in !/=$!6 This is evidence of 2ainhoferEs interests in religious

reformism and esotericism

The other known connection of -ichelspacher in Augsburg was his publisher

>avid 3rancke, a printer who belonged to the second generation of a successful

family of Augsburg publishers 2is father was -atthaus 3rancke 4active !##5"

!#/87, also known as 3rancus, who had married 1arbara 2ofer, a card"maker

and letter"writer -atthausEs printing house stood in the <rughaus of the

0teuerbe(irk, vom Dewen Thor 2is partner -ichael -anger 4!#.$"!/$67 from

*pferbaum near +Fr(burg, married -atthaus;s widow in !#/5 and inherited his

printing works, but ended his life in :nancial diKculties @ater, between !#5=

and !/!5, a collective of Augsburg printers was in operation working under the

sign Ad insigne Pinus and in !/$6 this included -atthausEs son >avid 3rancke

and his co"worker, Christoph -ang 4-ichael -anger had himself been involved

in this enterprise in !#587 This co"operative issued books in 'reek and @atin

and was regarded as a prestigious asset of Augsburg that increased its cultural

reputation internationally The patrons of this publishing group included the

0tadtpeger, -arcus +elser, rector of 0t AnneEs gymnasium and the librarian,

>avid 2ochsel *n the death of his stepfather -ichael -anger in !/$6, >avid

3rancke 4!/$="!/9#7 continued the family business Christoph -ang had

worked with -anger in !/$6"!/9= and probably continued to work for

3rancke!=

1 Gilly, Adam Haslmayr (1&&*), 3-.



0tefan -ichelspacherEs Cabala: Spiegel der Kunst und Natur, in lchymia :rst

appeared in !/!# in a rarely"encountered 'erman"language edition at the

press of >avid 3rancke, with plates engraved by Raphael Custos, or Custodis

This edition did not contain the dedication to the Rosicrucians which was added

to the !/!/ print <lossowski da Rola also mentions a manuscript translation

found in -0 1ritish @ibrary 0loane 6/./, L !"6/!# Three further @atin

translations entitled Cabala, Speculum rtis et Naturae, in lchymia, were

published in Augsburg in !/#=, !//. and !.$= The four large engravings are

loosely related to a brief alchemical account, structured in the form of a

description of three mirrors displaying four diLerent visions through the power

of a radiating celestial :re The :rst mirror is a :ery sapphire and it shows the

philosophical -ercury and the 0al sapientum, while the second one reveals

the philosophical 0ulphur The third mirror is of a heavenly rosy colour, all

aame, in the midst of which there appears a very great Arcanum, which is

the philosophical :re through which all things come to maturation Putting

together the three mirrors, he makes a fourth, the thesaurus thesaurorum, in

which he sees 'od perfectly!/

1* +oIef 5enIin4, uchdruckerle6ikon des 1!+ hrs 'eutsche prachgebeit( (9ran7furtam.8ain,

@ittorio ;lostermann, 1&!), 1, 1, 1&, !-, !. See also +oIef 5enIin4, ie uchdrucker des 1! und 1*

hrs+ im eutschen prachgebiet (iesbaden /tto >arrasso<itI, 1&3), passim.

1 ;losso<s7i de Rola, The olden ame (1&), !.13 8ichelspacher, 7abala (Hu4sbur4, 13*), folio 51$ "2rimum enim Speculum Fucundo Saphyre

colore, i4nea proprietatis, plurimo albo compersum in$eni, cuFus 4ratia $idi 8ercurium et Sal sapientum

tam manifesto, ac si in mea manu essens. >inc aliud Speculum $i et $irtute puri chalybis adeptus fui, in ?uo

$idi sulphur Sophorum instar floris chelidonium dicti, tam di$itis salis naturae $e4etabilis ?uasi crescendo

et au4endo, ut florum ibidem ad sufficientiam decerpere non potuerim, tam fructuosum hoc speculi mihi

comparuit. Tertium Speculum e0 hisce duobus speculis perfecte prosiluit, i4nea plane rubedinis et instar



The !ptica 4!/!/7 was the next short treatise published by -ichelspachers and

it was illustrated by Raphael 1altens )t is related thematically to the

contemporary mania for magic mirrors which, if correctly aligned with astral

forces, could reveal spirits, angels and demons The most notorious of these

mirrors in the early seventeenth century, thanks to the slanderous biography of

-eric Casaubon, belonged to &ohn >ee, its visions being transmitted to him by

dward <elley since he himself lacked the power to use it!. )n this period there

were great advances made in the investigation of the properties of light,

including the reection of light by mirrors and its refraction by lenses, as in the

catoptrical experiments conducted by 'iambattista della Porta 4ca !#6#"

!/!#7!8 -ichelspacher;s own interest in single"point perspective in his !ptica

originated in a multi"layered contemporary discourse, based on metaphysical

concepts of light derived from scienti:c experiments with lenses and the

operation of the human eye The system of single"point perspective had been

invented by @eone 1attista Alberti in his treatise on painting, "e Pictura

i4nis, parum per enim a4itatum statim incalescebat et uti purus i4nis inflammebatur, ita ut sine timore illud

manu prehendere non debueram, ?uia ?uo dedico $idi di$inam potentiam ma0im?ue arcanum intus latitare.

:am Sapientum i4nem ibidem in$eni, cuFus beneficio omnia in omnibus maturantur, mediante $isibili

elementali i4ne, ?ui i4nis plurimis ?uaesitus, paucis $ero in$entus erat. Tria nunc haec specula sedula

dili4entia, Hrtis spa4yrice ope, uni coniunctim speculo conclusi, in ?uo et Ceum et omnia cum pauperum

4aIis perfectissime ?uando libet $ideo unde nuncupari thesaurus thesaurorum recte meretur. %llud sollicite

me furto mihi auferretur, aut cum eo aliis no0ia inferretur apud me custodio."

1 9rench, ohn ee (1&), 111, 111.

1 Giambattista della 2orta, Magiae /aturalis 3ibri %iginti (:aples >oratius Sal$ianus, 1&), 1&

&&, 1!. See also 5oo7 N@%%, !&3 "Ce catoptricis ima4inibus." Cella 2orta's optical theory is

discussed in @asco Ronchi, The /ature of 3ight (London >einemann, 1&-), .



43lorence, !=6#7!5 Alberti had imagined rays of light being proected by the eye

in the form of a pyramid 2e then constructed their mirror"image on the canvas

in the form of a reversed pyramid with its apex located in the middle of the

painting, which was the vanishing point absorbing all the orthogonal lines of

the drawing9$

This graphic perspectival system was transposed into a magical context by

&ohn >ee who believed that pictures drawn according to the single"point

perspective system could become a type of magical mirror >ee produced his

own treatise on perspective which is found in -0 @ondon, 1ritish @ibrary Cotton

%itellius C %)) and he mentions >Frer as his main exemplar9! )n his

Mathematicall Pre#ace 4!#.$7 he commended Agrippa;s "e !cculta Philosophia

which depicted the human"body as a model of the Pythagorean cosmic order 99

>ee;s term for perspectival geometry was Mographie, distinguishing it from

common drawing and painting which was only a mechanical art"form

Mographie, is an Arte -athematicall, which teacheth and demonstrateth,how, the )ntersection of all visuall Pyramides, made by any playneassigned, 4the Centre, distance, and lightes, beying determined7 may be,by lynes, and due propre colours, represented96

1& See ecil Grayson (ed.), 3eone attista Alberti+ 8n 2ainting and on culpture (London 2haidon,

1&!), passim.

!- These ideas are e0plained in +ames S. Hc7ermann, "Hlberti's Li4ht" in %r$in4 La$in and +ohn

2lummer (editors), tudies in 3ate Medie9al and enaissance2ainting in Honour of Millard Meiss (:e<

Oor7 :e< Oor7 Kni$ersity, 1&), 1!.

!1 London, 5ritish Library 8S otton @itellius . @%%, folio 13r.

!! ohn ee, The Mathematicall 2reface to the :lements of eometrie of :uclid of Megara, 15*0

(:e< Oor7 Science >istory 2ublications, 1&). #dited by Hllen G. Cebus.

! ohn ee, The Mathematicall 2reface. Cebus ed. (1&), folio diF$.



2e seems to have believed that a painting whose spatial system was organi(ed

in accordance with Pythagorean geometrical ratios would magically attract the

corresponding planetary inuences )n other words, a painting could become a

magical talisman, or a catoptrical mirror, registering and enhancing the

celestial virtues

-ichelspacher;s four mirrors in the Cabala 4!/!#"!/7 may have originated in

>ee;s graphic magic, as perhaps did his interest in optics 2e employs these

ideas, however, in a polemical manner to defend the Protestant 'nostics

against both Roman Catholics and @utherans The essence of his political

position is displayed in the fourth engraving of the Cabala, depicting Christ as

the philosopherEs stone seated in a baptismal font 4:g !79= This is decorated

with an elaborate centre"piece, consisting of three tiers of water"basins, in the

topmost of which stands alchemical -ercury 1elow him is 0aturn 4holding a

baby7 and >iana 4holding a stag;s head7 and below these there appear -ars

and %enus Above -ercury there are the cryptic initials % + ) + % 4displayed

also in the second engraving7 At the top left of the engraving is the

Tetragrammaton, the 2ebrew Dame of 'od, shining in an aureole of light

3lying towards the sacred Dame from the -ystic +ine Press is the dove of the

2oly 0pirit, who then descends to the font The birdEs traectory, along with that

of a stream of blood emanating from the wine press, inscribe the shape of an

!* The motif of hrist in the 9ountain of life is e0amined in @lober4, 3;:ucharistie dans l;Art

(1&*3), 1!.



e?uilateral triangle, whose apex lies in the Tetragrammaton, while the font and

wine press form its basal corners The scene is set within the semi"circle of a

rainbow, while the font is enclosed by a s?uare vineyard The geometrical

structure created thereby is that of the s?uared circle This geometry is

conceptually related to two other geometrical diagrams appearing in the :rst

engraving of the Cabala that display the same con:guration of circle, s?uare

and triangle )n the :rst engraving, the diagram is stated to be an image of the

Paracelsian A(oth, e?uated with Christ in <hunrath;s mphiteatrum in !#5#

4:g 9!79#

The second engraving of the Cabala depicts a beast wearing a papal crown that

symboli(es the alchemical prime matter, its form being drawn from engravings

of the Antichrist based on @uther;s iconography 4:g 9979/ -ichelspacherEs

1east is a composite of four characters from RevelationN the 1east from the 0ea

and the 1east from the arth, plus the dragon who pursues the Apocalyptic

%irgin and the +hore of 1abylon This startling creature has dragon;s feet and

tail, cowEs udders and horns and a female face belching forth hell":re This

image reveals the political divisions within the Protestant community in the

! See the discussion of ;hunrathJs theosophy in SIula7o<s7a, The Hlchemy of Li4ht (!---), &

1. hrist, the Ruah#lohim, became the 2aracelsian "aIoth." See >einrich ;hunrath, %om Hylealischen

das ist pri-materialischen oder algemeinen naturlichen 7haos (8a4debur4 +. Schmeidt for +ohann

9ranc7en, 1313), , 3. hrist is also identified <ith the 2aracelsian "Salt," the prime matter of

creation.

!3 +ohn >uss and Sa$anarola had identified the 2ope <ith Hntichrist for moral reasons, rather than on

the basis of historical e$idence. See 2eter 8artin, Martin 3uther und die ilder <ur Apokalypse, ie

=konographie der =llustrationen <ur 8ffenbarung des ohannes in der 3utherbibel 15>> bis 15.!

(>ambur4 itti4 1&), 1--.



manner in which the 1east lashes with his tail at six stars that, at one level,

represent the lower metals At the top of the picture is the :ve"pointed star of

the ?uintessence A comparable image appears on the frontispiece to

ParacelsusEs commentary on the Duremberg 3igures published in !#/5 in

1asle 4These were apocalyptic images dating from the early sixteenth century

that prophesied political chaos and the downfall of the papacy and other

princes79. )n addition, the design of the seven stars in -ichelspacherEs

engraving of the 1east is similar to a scene of the seven planets on the

frontispiece of ParacelsusEs Practica$gemacht au# %uropen 4Duremberg !#957,

a popular compendium of his eschatological predictions98 -ichelspacher;s own

image illustrates the :rst chapter of Revelation in which the dragon is

described as sweeping away the stars with his tail95 The text of Revelation !N

9$ explained that the seven stars are angels of the seven churches, referring

to the early Christian communities threatened by the forces of Rome )n his

contemporary context -ichelspacher could have been alluding to communities

of 0piritual dissidents threatened by the Counter"Reformation in his native

Tyrol The images of miners within mountain caves in the :rst engraving 4:g

9!7 could be a reference to the same political issues 0ilver miners from 0axony

! These pictures may be found in Sudhoff, 2aracelsus+ ?mtliche @erke, $ol. 1!, 0i0iii see

especially fi4. !.

! Sudhoff, 2aracelsus+ ?mtliche @erke, $ol. , *- ff see fi4s. 1!, 1!a, 1.

!& G. ;. 5eale, ohn;s se of the 8ld Testament in e9elation (Shefield Sheffield Hcademic 2ress,

1&&), 1-ff on the dra4on and the "se$en lampstands" (that is, hurches). Lampstands and stars are

e?uated in Re$elation 1 !-.



had settled in Austria where they had proved to be a particularly receptive

audience for radical lay preachers

There is a subtle eschatological text embedded also within the :rst engraving

of the Cabala showing two geometrical diagrams set within a large rectangle

The circle on the left is labelled a(oth 4Christ7, while the @ullian"style circle on

the right records alchemical substances and their relation to the liberal arts

4:g 9!7 )t is the obscure lettering, half"hidden in the dark background around

the edges of the rectangle, which is the most signi:cant element in these

:gures At the four corners, the capital letters form the word '*TT, while

additional letters in the middle of the rectangle form an A within an *

1elow this anagram of 'od appears -ichelspacherEs personal monogram in the

form of the entwined letters -, @, P, 0, e?uivalent to -HicheI@ 0PHacherI

The A * is a reference to Revelation !N 8

) am the Alpha and the *mega, saith the @ord, which, and which was,and which is to come, the Almighty6$

A* is a @atini(ation of the name of 'od O2+26!

The third engraving of the Cabala is an illustration of the alchemical

conunction 4:g 967 )t shows the seven planets standing on a mountain at

whose heart is concealed a phoenix, a symbol of resurrection, perched on the

- See also Re$elation 1 1, !!1.

1 See the e0planation in Richard 5auc7ham, The clima6 of prophecy" studies on the ook of

e9elation (#dinbur4h TET lar7, 1&&), ! ff.



roof of a summer"house +ithin this dwelling sit a naked king and ?ueen

*utside, at the foot of the mountain, a blind man stands helpless, while a

sighted man catches rabbits There is a cabbalistic content within this image

consisting of the circle of the Modiac around the mountain"top The

constellations, however, do not appear in their natural order of procession,

being instead grouped in pairs to represent the conunction of opposing

elements, such as earth and air 4Taurus next to @ibra at the lower left of the

circle, for instance7 The :gure of -ercury at the summit signi:es his perfection

as the ?uintessential stone )n fact, he is stands in exactly the same position in

the fourth engraving 4:g!7 )n Revelation 9!N !$ &ohn recounts how he was

taken to the top of a great mountain and shown the Dew &erusalem which has

descended from heaven onto a great mountain The image of the mountain

could also allude to the cosmic mountain where heaven and earth meet as

described in (ekiel =$N 9, 98N!=

There is another cryptogram hidden within the second and third engravings of

the Cabala 4:gs 99, 967 which inter"relates them with the fourth emblem of

Christ in the fountain 4:g!7 At the top of these images there appear the

initials %+)+% standing for Jnser +asser ist +asser Jnser This is an

ancient alchemical axiom that alludes to the tincture, or elixir 2ere it has been

Christiani(ed and made to bear the connotations of &ohn =N !=N

+hosoever drinketh of the water that ) shall give him shall never thirstNbut the water that ) shall give him shall be in him a well of waterspringing up into everlasting life



The baptismal font in the fourth engraving is labelled >er 1run des @ebens,

but the image is probably a 'nostic reference indicating a personal

transformation, rather than the institutional rite

+hen read within an apocalyptic context, the fourth engraving of the Cabala

becomes an alarming prediction concerning the dire fate of -ichelspacher;s

political and religious enemies 4:g!7 )nitially, the picture suggests an

appealing image, that of the feast celebrating the wedding of the -essiah to

the Dew &erusalem at the Parousia, to which the elect are invited 4Revelation

!5N ."57 +ho, speci:cally, are the elect in -ichelspacher;s opinion As has

been previously remarked, the image of the vine"yard has a very dark aspect in

Revelation !=N !."9$ which concerns the gathering and pressing of the grapes

on the @ast >ay *ne of Christ;s earlier parables had dealt with the same theme

in -atthew 9!N 66"=6 where the master of the vine"yard sends his son to

oversee his servants in the vineyard and they murder him This was interpreted

as a prediction of ChristEs death on the cross and of 'odEs punishment on his

murderers )n Revelation !=N !."9$, the wine"press signi:es the punishment

that will be inicted on the unust and unfaithful69 -ichelspacher;s image of

the enclosure in which Christ sits also recalls a passage from )saiah #N !".

where the lord of the vineyard casts the vines that have born wild grapes into

the eternal :re

! 5auc7ham, Theology of the ook of e9elation (1&&), &3&.



-y wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hillN And he fenced it,and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicestvine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a vine"pressthereinN and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it broughtforth wild grapes And now go toG ) will tell you what ) will do to my

vineyardN ) will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten upG andbreak down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden downN And ) will lay itwasteN it shall not be pruned, nor diggedG but there shall come up briersand thornsN ) will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it

Those who are usti:ed on the >ay of >oom will be welcomed by the ban?uet

which the ucharist anticipates, a covenant proclaimed at the time of the @ast

0upper, as in @uke 99N 9$, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is

shed for you )n the engraving, another symbol of the sacramental covenant is

the rainbow around the throne, an citation of 'odEs promise to Doah in 'enesis

5N !6, reiterated in Revelation =N 6 where &ohn sees around the throne of the

@amb a rainbow like an emerald in appearance

An study of the motif of the couple kneeling before Christ in the engraving

brings to mind other apocalyptic themes 3or example, there are the oyous

connotations of the -arriage 3east of Cana, another pre":guration of the @ast

0upper 4&ohn 9N !"!$7 @ying on the ground between the couple are three

crowns symboli(ing the three principles of 0alt, -ercury and 0ulphur, but also

evoking the scene in Revelation =N!$ in which the twenty"four elders cast"down

their crowns before the throne of 'od The male and female :gures are also

related to the two witnesses in Revelation !!N 6"!6 who are martyred, then

resurrected and enter heaven after three and a half days This narrative

accords with the alchemical process in which the prime materials are



considered to be tortured, cast into Purgatory and resurrected This pair are

the chosen elect among metals The other :ve, like the 3oolish %irgins in

ChristEs parable of the Parousia, are reected and remain below in Purgatory

They wait, heads bent, pleading for the purifying :re of the 2oly 0pirit and

oLering the alchemical bellows to Christ who does not acknowledge their

presence )n this image, Christ is the @ogos whose sacraments are an inner

enlightenment reserved for an elite group66

-ichelspacherEs alchemical apocalypse should be located within the huge

revival of astrological interest in 'ermany in the mid"sixteenth century 3rom

the outset even @uther had had to accept certain aspects of astrology since,

according to @uke 9!N 9#, Christ had stated that the :rst signs of the end would

appear in the sun, moon and stars6= The ?uintessential star in the CabalaEs

second engraving could be a reference to the star of !/$=, regarded as a

harbinger of Christ;s 0econd Advent 4:g 9976# )n this picture the astral

constellations are arranged in an unusual manner, for the water signs seem to

This scene is ?uoted on the titlepa4e of the Musaeum Hermeticum (9ran7furt Luca +ennis, 13!).

%n an under4round ca$e are seated the 4od Hpollo and the si0 8uses. /n the earth abo$e, there is a <ell or

a fountain, as in 8ichelspacherJs prototype, <ith three fi4ures one female, one male and a third fi4ure in

their midst <ho carries a si0pointed star si4nifyin4 their union (li7e the star in the 7abala's second

en4ra$in4.) Hbo$e them, appear the sun, fi$e stars and the moon representin4 the se$en metals (as in the

7abala), <ith the four elements located around these.* 5arnes, 2rophecy and nosis (1&), !131&.

2aul :a4el of LeipIi4 in his Himmels 4eichen+ rosse 7onBunctiones 2lanetarum superiorum,

und neuer @understern, so Anno 1!0. (>all in Sachsen, 13-) and 7atoptromantia 2hysica (LeipIi4,

131-) stated that in order to read the hea$ens correctly, it <as necessary to 7no< mathematics, medicine,

scripture, 5iblical prophets such as %siaiah, Caniel, #Ie7iel and #noch, as <ell as the boo7 of Re$elation.

8oreo$er, only the elect <ho understood apocalyptic astronomy <ould be sa$ed at the eschaton.



be governed by Capricorn 4an earth"sign7, the water signs by @eo 4a :re"sign7,

while the air signs are ruled by Taurus 4earth7 They are oined together by a

triangle in whose corners are the signs for sulphur, mercury and materia The

reference is to the circulation of the elements, in the course of which they are

transmuted into their diametrical opposites 2owever, there is also an

apocalyptic signi:cance in this geometry, for the inverted triangle of the

elemental stars cuts into the body of the papal 1east )n astrology such trigonal

astrological alignments traditionally heralded doom for the established order )n

-ichelspacherEs picture, the large star of the ?uintessence has the form of an

4albeit irregular7 geographical compass )f north is at the top, then the star

showers a :ery south wind onto the alchemical ask and through the

constellations onto the 1east6/ There had been one such trigonal governed by

the :ery constellations and planets in !#8=, and it had had caused enormous

excitement

)n both Roman and @utheran dogma the sacraments of 1aptism and of

Communion were integrally related, the water of life being the blood of Christ

The ucharist in particular was considered to be an instance of election through

the grace of the 2oly 0pirit -ichelspacher had further narrowed down the

criteria for the elect by demanding from them a personal knowledge of the 2oly

0pirit experienced as the regeneration of both body and soul 2ence, the theme

of the fourth engraving of the Cabala is not only salvation and transformation,

3 %n the Aurora 7onsurgens the south <ind is fiery, li7e the alchemical fire, and so is the >oly

Spirit see $on 9ranI, Aurora 7onsurgens (1&33), 3.



but also udgement on the reected among both the @utherans and the Roman

Catholics -ichelspacher;s Cabala seems to be a polemical treatise responding

adversely to the persecution of Paracelsians and other religious dissidents by

the three established Churches Recompense for their suLerings would be

awarded to the 'nostics on the >ay of >oom



Figure 1: Stefan Michelspacher, „1. Spigel der Kunst und Natur”, rst

engra!ing, Cabala, 1616.





Figure ": Stefan Michelspacher, „". #nfang: $%altati&n”, sec&nd engra!ing,

Cabala, 1616.



Figure ': Stefan Michelspacher, „'. Mittel: &niuncti&n”, third engra!ing,

Cabala, 1616.





Figure 5. aracelsus, Auslegung e! F"gu!en, s# $u Nu!nbe!g ge%unen, 1st

ed., *asle: eter erna,

Figure 6. aracelsus, P!a&'"&a(ge)a&*' au% Eu!#+en, Nure+erg:

#le%ander -essen&rn, 15"/

&mages with the permission o# the 'odleian Library

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