Last week for the Fun Fact Friday we talked about mercury, which is sometimes referred to symbolically as the “white queen.” Now for the “red king” . . . no, it has nothing to do with Valentine’s Day. It’s sulfur!

I mentioned last time that early alchemists wrote about mercury as one of two (later three) “principal substances,” and often connected it to ideas of fluidity or water. Sulfur, on the other hand, exemplified ideas of fire.

But what is sulfur really — aside from that terrible rotten-egg smell we associate with natural gas? Usually, sulfur looks like yellow crystals or powder. Like mercury, it can be found in volcanic areas — though unlike mercury, it is not naturally poisonous. A non-metallic element, today we recognize sulfur as necessary for all life, and sulfuric acid is considered “perhaps the most important chemical manufactured by western civilizations” (Royal Chemistry Society, see link below).

Despite its importance, sulfur often gets a bad rap. Even in the Bible, burning sulfur is used as a sign of very bad things happening. Sulfur-based compounds also form the basis for skunks’ spray, and sulfites in wine get blamed for headaches (to the point where you can buy filters to take the sulfites out of your wine, if you’re so inclined). At the same time, though, scientists have written about sulfur dioxide’s use as a global coolant. Turns out it could be an important part of mitigating climate change (ironic for an element once associated with fire!).

Even though today we know mercury and sulfur separately, in esoteric alchemical texts, the red king and white queen often go hand in hand. Now, I have to be totally honest and say I didn’t actually plan to talk about this pair for Valentine’s Day . . . but since things have worked out that way, who am I to fight it? 🙂 Wherever you are and however you celebrate (or don’t) the holiday, I hope you have a lovely weekend — and be glad all those pink and red decorations don’t actually have anything to do with “the red king” after all!

Selected Resources:

“Sulfur.” The Royal Chemistry Society. https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/16/sulfur

Helmenstine, Anne Marie. “The Three Primes of Alchemy.” ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/tria-prima-three-primes-of-alchemy-603699

Ward, Peter L. “Sulfur dioxide initiates global climate change in four ways.” Thin Solid Films. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0040609009000169