As always in these writings, alchemical symbols are susceptible71 tomultiple interpretations—sun and moon can represent dual powers in thesoul, soul and spirit, creativity and receptivity, and so on. But therepresentation of the mystic marriage in the ancient text is also overtlysexual, depicted in recurrent fanciful and mysterious images of sexualunion. As Mark Haeffner observes in A Dictionary of Alchemy, “Graphicimages of Coniunctio72 in alchemy books are frank portrayals of sexualintercourse by a crowned couple. No mere chemical combination but anarchetypal copulation of the reigning principles of nature at that time ...Sol is the masculine sun: fiery, active, fixed, symbol of sulfur. Luna is thevolatile, feminine, liquid principle of the moon.”
This makes a lot of sense if I think about it like this: Base notes are often warm, like the sun, sometimes leathery, often masculine, and floral heart notes, intoxicating, like the moon is said to be.