Arcanum VIII – Justice In this chapter we will study the eighth key of Basil Valentine, an illustration from the Viridarium Chymicum. The eighth key is a clear and perfect alchemical allegory of the processes of death and resurrection that inevitably occur in the esoteric preparation of the Philosopher’s Stone. All the metallic transmutation and the intimate preparation of the stone are represented in this allegory. All the human material used in this work dies, rots, corrupts and turns black in the Philosophical Egg, only to later whiten wonderfully. All the work of the Great Work is contained in the Philosophical Egg. The male and female loving principles are contained in the egg. Just as the dove emerges from the egg, just as the Universe emerges from the Golden Egg of Brahma, so also the Master emerges from the Philosophical Egg. A corpse represents death in the illustration from the Viridarium Chymicum. Some ravens represent putrefaction, a humble farmer represents sowing, an ear of wheat represents growth, and resurrection is represented by a dead man rising from the grave and an angel blowing the trumpet ofmiele