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The History of the Element Silver
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A History of Silver
Anglo-Saxon Prosody©
Since ancient times, silver has been closely associated with the moon and lunar influences. The finest artist eyes have described the midnight sheen cast by the sun's reflection off of the moon in terms of silver. Silver is a cool color, and stands as a diametric opposite to gold. Silver is closely tied to Isis and all things flexible, creative, and emotionally intelligent. In alchemy, silver is an archetype concept - one of seven. Before the periodic table emerged through technological advancement, there were in fact seven sacred metals, of which silver held a place of high esteem. In hermetic philosophy, an alchemical concept more than simply describes physical characteristics. All ideas were centered on discovering and utilizing the essence behind the material manifestation, with the goal of expressing in absolute terms primary principles governing both time and matter. Practitioners of the past were as much poets as scientists, and possessed unparalleled patience in their works. Silver is even attributed in the ancient chakra system - a system of seven sacred energy centers of the body. Silver is associated with the sixth chakra, often referred to as the "third-eye". In this sense, silver certainly represents the concept of reflection, both physically ( all reflective substances are silvery ) and as an internal exercise of self-analysis. Silver has always held a value above material and economic considerations. Gifts of silver jewelry in many cultures are given as a symbol of trust, truth, excellence, wisdom and love. Even the ancient Vedas expound on the intrinsic power of silver. Within the Ayurvedic system of thought, all illness is rooted in an imbalance in the human energy system, and pure metals in precise combinations are used to help restore the body's electromagnetic balance to a state of equilibrium. Medically, silver was known to be a liver and spleen detoxifier. In Roman and Greek Mythology, the First Age was called Golden, the second Silver. Apollo, god of truth and light, teacher of medicine, carried a silver bow. His twin sister Artemis lost a hand in battle and later was given a silver replacement by the Irish god of healing. In the shamanic religion of Bon-Po, a special river filled with silver sands is said to make anyone who drinks the water lovely asa peacock. Islamic alchemy gives silver an important place physically and conceptually. Silver was known as one of the seven sacred bodies. Alchemical procedures were even defined in terms of silver, i.e. the silvering of other metals; the act of giving other metals silver-like qualities. As an example of how these predecessors to modern chemists thought, examine the following passage: The Marrow of Alchemy
In other alchemical texts, silver is closely related to a process known as metal whitening, and specific procedures are followed to transform metals until they reach a state of color described as a blend of all colors - silvery. A related yellowing process refers to turning silver into gold, which is nothing more or less than taking something back to an original or purified state.
Based on evidence found on islands in the Aegean Sea, mankind has practiced the science of separating silver from lead at least as far back as 3000 BC. Advances in technology and analytical methods since that time have brought us to extreme pinnacles in a chemical understanding of silver as both a metal and an element. Silver, Ag, has an atomic number of 47. This means it is the 47th element in the periodic table by atomic weight and contains 47 electrons. The atomic weight of silver is 107.8682, and it is in a solid state at 298 degrees Kelvin. In ground state, it has four filled valence shells and a fifth shell with one electron. Silver has a hardness rated between 2.5 and 2.7, and is therefore one of the most malleable of all metals. Silver is white and lustrous. While it is a metal, it is more aptly described as a transition element. In fluids, silver can exist in four basic forms - as a compound, a neutral particle ( as in ground silver ), a negatively charged aggregate ( particle ), and a positively charged ion. Silver Bromide and other silver-halide salts are used extensively in photography. Various alloys have long been used for jewelry. Silver is an excellent conductor of both heat and electricity and is therefore used extensively for electrical applications. Up until about the 1930's, silver compounds were used as a normal part of medicine, silver nitrate being the prevalent form. Silver Iodide was used in babies' eyes upon birth to prevent blinding as the result of bacterial contamination.
Some practitioners of the art of colloidal silver production believe that celestial events can effect colloidal silver production. In particular, a few researchers have noted that the moon significantly influences colloidal silver production. Amateur tests conducted indicate that the most stable colloidal silver can be made six hours prior to moonrise, or six hours after the moon sets. Such practitioners widely believe that especially high quality products can be made during a full or new moon. Much of the colloidal silver industry is busy creating ways to effectively speed up colloidal silver production to maximize the amount of colloidal silver that can be produced in a short amount of time. However, there are those who hold fast to the ancient alchemical belief that time itself is a key factor in all chemical events and that patience IS, indeed, a virtue. The goal under this type of philosophy is to harness the complete cycles of nature, and to extend the brewing time to a day, week, month, or even longer. Usually, such formulations would be used in homeopathic doses. There are those who also believe that not all silver is created equal! There exists at least one source of silver ( from the Sahara Desert ) that hermetically learned individuals prize for more spiritual reasons. It is unknown if anyone uses such silvers in colloidal silver production - indeed it is the rare individual who even knows of its existence! While modern researchers, scientists and chemists explore the application of silver through hard science and analytical studies, there are those with broader ambitions and a more liberal attitude toward science who have begun to consider ways to improve isolated silver using different approaches. Production methods utilizing flow forms, holoforms, and other energy/electromagnetic patterning will likely begin to surface as time passes. Experimentation with light, sound and various forms of vibration have been underway for some time. The end goal of such pursuits is to create an end product that is energized, highly organized, and as "naturalized" as possible. Regardless of whether such efforts yield any measurable benefit, there is a poetic value in beautifying any process. There is certainly room in the imagination to contemplate the differences between a "cold moon" ( December ) or a "hunter's moon" ( June ) solunar silver! The reality of quantum physics may eventually bring mankind's understanding of natural law closer to its original roots. Studies in standing wave technology, morphogenic fields, and field theory paint an increasingly broad picture of how our universe operates as a dynamically interwoven and elastic reality. While there is ample room for imagination to explore possibilities, one can only wonder if the poetic essence of our highly expressive ancestors will ever fully resurface - or if it will simply continue to lay hidden deep and silent in the soft glow of the silvery night, where the healers of the world bath in peace after the day's work is all but done. See Also: The Value of Silver & Current Silver Pricing
times since August 2009
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Page Last Modified: 11/23/21 07:20
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