Atalanta Fugiens · 1618 · Emblem XXVII
Qui Rosarium intrare conatur Philosophicum absque clave, assimilatur homini ambulare volenti absque pedibus.
Whoever tries to enter the Philosophers’ rose garden without a key is like a man who wants to walk without feet.
There is no entry without the key. In Maier’s own terms elsewhere in the book, that key is nature, reason, experience and reading.
Which key are you trying to skip?
Michael Maier, Atalanta Fugiens (Oppenheim, 1618). Engraving in the public domain. Motto transcribed from the 1618 edition; translation and reading by The Hermetic School. All the emblems.