Mercurius, however, had several things in common with the Devil…It is of the essence of the transforming substance to be on the one hand extremely common, even contemptible (this is expressed in the series of attributes it shares with the Devil, such as serpent, dragon, raven, lion, basilisk, and eagle), but on the other hand to mean something of great value, not to say divine. – The Portable Jung, ed. Joseph Campbell
