top of page
Alchemy: An Allegorical Card for Consciousness Transmutation
The Psychology Behind the Alchemical Process
Hermes met het scheppende vuur, dat Vader Zon en Moeder Maan verenigt.
D. Solcius von Stoltenberg, Viridarium Chymicum, Frankfurt, 1624.
Bron: A. Roob, Alchemie en mystiek
Shrouded in mystery and steeped in mysticism, Alchemy is the art and science of transformation. The multi-layered, symbol-rich philosophy of the centuries functions on both an exoteric (practical) and esoteric (spiritual) level.
Alchemistisch Laboratorium, afbeelding uit Heinrich Khunrath: Amphitheatrum sapientiae aeternae (Amfitheater van eeuwige wijsheid), Hamburg 1595
In the most literal sense, alchemy was the chemical quest to create the Philosopher’s Stone—a legendary substance created through a series of laboratory processes known as the Magnum Opus, The Great Work, or simply The Art. The Philosopher’s Stone was said to transmute gold, and would be the key ingredient in the creation of the legendary elixir of life, which would cure all diseases, grant longevity, and even immortality.
Yet it is clear from the ancient sacred texts known as the Corpus Hermeticum – upon which the Hermetic principles of alchemy are based – that gold transmutation is only the tip of the iceberg, as well as a symbolic teaching, of what is essentially a philosophical and mystical tradition. The Philosopher’s Stone can and often is viewed metaphorically.
“The Stone is a symbol of imperishable wisdom achieved by uniting both rational, intellectual thinking (male, right brain activity) with our intuitive knowing of the heart (female, left brain activity).” (Alchemy and the Philosopher's Stone.)
“Alchemy states that all things in the universe have their origin in the materia prima (first matter),” notes PT Mistlberger in his essay 'Psycho-Spiritual Alchemy'.
“The idea of the ‘primordial material’ was developed by Aristotle and refers to the idea that there is a primordial matter that lies behind all forms, but is itself invisible. It is the womb of creation, the field of pure potentiality, but it only comes into being, in the strict sense of the word, when it is given form.”
Mistlberger continues: 'In the alchemical process, the original material is that which remains when something has been reduced to its essence and cannot be reduced further.'
From a mystical perspective, 'essence' is also often associated with the soul.
“Psychologically,” Mistleberger adds, “this is a powerful symbol for the inner transformation process in which we regularly arrive at 'core realizations' that cannot be further deconstructed, but which themselves become the basis for successful progress in life – 'integrating' as we evolve.
"Only through the discovery of alchemy," notes the pioneering Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, "did I understand clearly that the unconscious is a process and that the ego's relationship to the unconscious and its contents sets in motion an evolution, more precisely, a real metamorphosis of the psyche."
While the imagery associated with alchemy can be startlingly surreal and even disturbing, each detail has a symbolic meaning that becomes coherent when viewed through an allegorical lens.
The 7 Stages (or Operations) of Alchemy provide insight into many of these symbols. The system is believed to be largely based on the ancient text, The Emerald Tablet of Hermes – the jewel in the crown of the Corpus Hermeticum. The first translation dates to the 13th century, although its origins are believed to date back to the 2nd century or earlier.
The Emerald Table.
His father is the sun, his mother is the moon;
the wind carried it in her belly;
the Earth is His nurse.
It is the father of all wonderful works in the whole world.
Its power is perfect, when it is turned into earth.
*Being and referring to the One Thing.
Tabula Smaragdina, Heinrich Kuhnrath, 1606
Bron: A. Roob, Alchemie en mystiek
Calcination (burning to lime, or oxidation)
“His father is the sun”
The alchemical procedure corresponding to fire is calcination. The 'waste' of the personality is burned here to expose the soul.
Chemically, this first stage involves heating the substance over an open flame and burning away the first layer of impurities.
“Psychologically,” notes Dennis William Hauck, an internationally recognized expert in alchemy research, “this is the destruction of the ego and our attachment to material possessions. Calcination is usually a natural process of humiliation, as we are gradually attacked and overcome by the trials of life, although it may be a deliberate surrender of our inherent pride [which fuels] the fire of introspection and self-evaluation.”
“In spiritual symbolism, this stage is sometimes humorously called 'cooking' or 'baking' (and in fact the main symbol of this stage is fire),” notes P.T. Mistlberger in 'Psycho-spiritual alchemy.'
On a spiritual level, as Adam McClean emphasizes in his essay Birds in Alchemy, “the nigredo marks the first stages of the alchemist's encounter with his inner space, by withdrawing in meditation from the outer world of the senses and entering within enter what is initially the dark inner world of the soul.”
Symbolized by crows, ravens, toads, skulls and skeletons – as well as the alchemist in his own flaming bottle or cauldron – this phase philosophically represents the breaking down of old structures. Calcination, also called the nigredo or "blackening," involved putrefaction and dissolution of the alchemical substances—a "trial by fire" that psychologists often equate with the Dark Night of the Soul, the death of old aspects of the self and the confrontation with the shadow within.
Dissolution (solving)
“His mother is the moon”
The element of the moon is water and the corresponding alchemical procedure is dissolution. The moon is often used in Hermetic texts as a symbol of the One Thing, as the sun symbolizes the One Spirit. Deities associated with the moon are all feminine:
Egypt – Isis (throne)
Babylonia – Ishtar
Persia – Anahita
Greece – Selène
Rome – Diana
Mayans – Ixchel
Asia – Kwannon
China – Heng-Ugo
The moon is the deity of the mind (manas), but only on the lower plane. Manas is twofold:
Lunar in the lower and Solar in the higher part. That is, in its higher aspect it is attracted to Buddhi, and in its lower aspect it descends to and listens to the voice of its animal soul, which is full of selfish and sensual desires. Herein lies the mystery of life, whether of an adept or a profane, and also that of the post-mortem – separation of the divine from the animal man.
Dissolution, also called the albedo or "whitening", the second phase is said to be the result of the washing (ablutio, baptia) of the products of the nigredo. Chemically, this phase indicates the dissolution of the calcination ash in water. Dissolution, often symbolized by a white swan or a white eagle, marks a time of emotional cleansing, a purification through catharsis and letting go.
“It is largely an unconscious process,” says Dennis William Hauck, “in which our conscious mind relinquishes control to allow the unearthing of buried material. It opens the floodgates and generates new energy from the retained water. Dissolution can be experienced as 'flow', the bliss of being put to good use and actively involved in creative acts.
“This phase is often characterized by experiencing the emotion of sadness,” adds P.T. Mistlberger adds, “and allow ourselves to truly grieve over painful incidents from our past that we may have kept hidden for a long time.
“A key to the stage of Dissolution is awakening passion and harnessing the energy of emotional pain toward an object of creativity. We don't just passively witness the reality of our inner pain; we redirect its energy and link it to our authentic personal desires and constructive goals.”
“It is that stage of catharsis, after an intense experience of being consumed in the crucible,” says Adam McLean, “when we glimpse the appearance, however fragmentary, of a new possibility – a flickering light in our soul that draws us to the promise of change.”
Separation (divorce)
“the wind carried it in her belly.”
The child of marriage is the Prima Materia that is beginning to take shape. The wind is a symbol of the stimulating breath of fresh air and higher consciousness needed to create something completely new. The element of wind is air. Taoists talk about Chi. The alchemical procedure involved is separation.
Chemically, according to Hauck, this stage marks “the isolation of the components of Dissolution by filtration and the subsequent discarding of all spurious or unworthy material.
“Psychologically, this process is the rediscovery of our essence and the reclaiming of dreams and visionary 'gold' previously rejected by the masculine, rational part of our mind. For the most part, it is a conscious process in which we review previously hidden material and decide what to discard and what to reintegrate into our refined personality.
The Separation phase, as the name suggests, indicates a time of discernment and taking stock. “In this phase,” Mistlberger notes, “we begin to see what is of value in our lives, and what is not.”
Conjunction (joining)
“The earth is His nurse.”
“Chemically,” Hauck tells us, “it is the recombination (rearrangement) of the stored elements from the secretion into a new substance…”
“Psychologically, it is the empowerment of our true self, the union of both the masculine and feminine sides of our personality into a new belief system or intuitive state of consciousness. The alchemists called it "the lesser stone," and after this is attained the adept can clearly discern what must be done to attain lasting enlightenment, namely union with the Overself. Often synchronicities begin to occur that confirm that the alchemist is on the right track.”
The divided self, often represented by a king and a queen, now purified and healed, is reunited and produces filius philosophorum, or “philosopher's child,” a magical, hermaphroditic baby, representing the reborn, integrated self.
"Esoteric alchemy assumes," Mistlberger explains, "that what remains once the first three stages of calcination, dissolution, and separation have been properly undergone is a state in which we can more clearly mediate between our 'soul' and ' spirit'.
“In this sense, “soul” refers to our embodied spirit, the part of our essential nature that resides entirely on earth, and “spirit” refers to our most tenuous connection to divine, transcendental Source. These two are sometimes categorized as the divine feminine (soul) and the divine masculine (spirit). The combination of the two is the essence of inner tantra, a sacred marriage of spiritual opposites.”
The integration of the active, "pervasive" principle of the divine spirit is often depicted as the masculine sun, or Sol, while the receptive principle of the body receiving that spirit infusion is represented by the feminine moon, or Luna.
“In combination with this, fears melt,” adds Nephtalia Leba in her essay “Alchemical Transformation.” “The old scripts that played in our heads telling us that we 'should' or 'should' have quieted down, if not disappeared. There is more joy now. We begin to see the world more clearly. The actions we do – even the mundane ones – take on greater pleasure.”
Fermentation (fermentation)
“Separate the earth from the fire, the fine/subtle from the coarse/massive, mild/gentle/thoughtful and with great insight/great zeal/ingenuity.”
Fermentation is the process in which new life emerges from dead, decaying matter. The state is achieved by removing the "earth" from the fire of consciousness, separating the subtle from the massive. However, before fermentation can take place, another, less pleasant process must take place; rot. Organic matter decomposes as it digests and decays within itself. Putrefaction is the absolute dissolution of the ego to make way for a higher identity.
Chemically, fermentation is the growth of a ferment (bacteria) in organic solutions, as occurs when fermenting grapes to make wine. And this idea is reflected in the psycho-spiritual stage it represents in the seeker's journey. Fermentation is a two-step process that begins with putrefaction.
In this phase, Hauck explains, “matter is allowed to disintegrate and decompose. The alchemists often added manure to help the process along... The dead material seems to come back to life with an influx of digesting bacteria as fermentation begins.
“This new life force changes the fundamental nature of the material in what the alchemists saw as a process of spiritualization [the second stage of Fermentation].
“Psychological Fermentation is the introduction of new life into the purified presence that developed during Conjunction. However, this child of the Conjunction is actually just an amalgamation of personality opposites that may still be contaminated with traces of ego, so it is necessary to "sacrifice" it to bring about its resurrection on a new plane of existence.
“During psychological death or putrefaction, the 'child' of the Conjunction, which is the strongest presence you can create within your earthly personality, is exposed to the decadent dampness of your deepest and most tenacious psychic components, the psychological manure in which most of us wallowing.”
Hauck continues: “The fermentation then begins with the inspiration of spiritual power from Above that reanimates, energizes and illuminates the blackened soul. It can be achieved through various activities, including intense prayer, desire for mystical unity, breakdown of personality, transpersonal therapy, psychedelic drugs and deep meditation. In the simplest terms, Fermentation is a living, loving inspiration from something completely beyond us, something that exists entirely Above in the realm of pure spirit.
Like the first 'nigredo' phase of Calcination, the Fermentation phase is psychologically associated with the Dark Night of the Soul (see below).
“Here we undergo a kind of rebirth,” Mistlberger notes, “which comes from the deep willingness to let go of all elements of [ourselves] that no longer serve our spiritual evolution. This marks the true beginning of inner initiation, of entering a 'higher' life in which our best destiny has the opportunity to unfold.”
This phase is often associated with the peacock due to the reported accompaniment of multi-colored visions upon entering the spiritization phase, known as "the peacock's tail."
Interestingly, the cobalt blue center of the fantail is often used in Eastern mystical symbolism to represent “the blue pearl,” a third eye phenomenon observed by those who practice meditation.
Distillation (cleaning by evaporation)
“It rises from earth to heaven, and descends again to earth, fusing within itself the forces of both the Above and the Below.” – (that it may receive the power of the Higher and the Lower.)
To purify the soul you must isolate it, prevent it from binding to anything. Giving up yourself completely – distilling the essence of your life experiences and separating your life from concerns about living in the mundane, normal life – is what happens in distillation. The goal is to ensure that no psychological impurities survive.
Chemically, this stage involves boiling and condensing the fermented solution to increase its purity, as occurs when distilling wine to make brandy.
“Psychologically,” Mistlberger explains, “distillation represents a further purification process, which is about an ongoing process of integrating our spiritual realizations into our daily lives – dealing with seemingly mundane things with integrity, being as impeccable as possible in our lives , and not using the inner work as a means of escaping the world…
“…At this stage, the remaining impurities, hidden as 'shadow' elements in the mind, are washed away and released, crucially if they do not surface later (a phenomenon that can occur when a renowned saint, or sage, who operates from a relatively advanced level of self-realization, seems to have fallen from grace).”
Mistlberger tells us that a common alchemical symbol for this phase is the Green Lion devouring the sun, signifying “a robust triumph and an embrace of a limitless source of energy.”
Coagulation (clotting/curdling)
“Thus you will obtain the Glory of the Entire Universe. All obscurity will be clear to you. This is the greatest power of all powers, because it overcomes every subtle thing and penetrates every solid thing.”
This paragraph describes a fifth element, the quintessence. It is formed during the fermentation process and is released during distillation. The quintessence is also called the “greater stone” or “philosophers stone”. It is perfected Prima Materia in us, the purification of the soul and its fusion with the spirit.
“The end result,” Mistlberger concludes, “is the Philosopher's Stone, also called the Androgynous, and is often symbolized by the Phoenix, the bird that has risen from the ashes.
Een Phoenix in de vlammen (Aberdeen Bestiarium, 12e eeuw)
Afbeelding van de Phoenix in het prentenboek van Friedrich Justin Bertuch 1806
“This is closely related to the idea of the Resurrection Body of mystical Christianity, or the Rainbow Body of Tibetan Buddhism, which encompasses the esoteric idea of the ability to navigate through all possible levels (dimensions) of reality, without loss of consciousness.
“It is the form of the enlightened and fully transformed human being, in which matter has been spiritualized, or the spiritual has fully entered the material. Heaven and earth seen as one, or as the Buddhists say: nirvana (the absolute or formless) is samsara (the world of form). In this final state, wherever we look, we see the divine, because we have come to realize our own complete divinity.”
the Rainbow Body
Below, an alchemical woodcut depicts the Stone as eternally youthful and fully integrated. He controls the forces of duality and wards off any materialistic advances upon his unified Soul and Spirit.
“In this way was the universe created. From this come many wondrous applications, for this is the pattern.” (For this purpose wondrous changes and applications are brought about, the means for which are here given.)
“Therefore I am called Thrice Great Hermes, for I have all three parts of the wisdom of the Whole Universe. In this I have explained the workings of the sun in its entirety.”
The Tablet in paragraphs
- Introductory paragraph:
“In truth, without deception, definite and very real.”
- Paragraph orientation:
“That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the wonders of the One Thing. And as all things come from that One Thing, through the meditation of One Mind, so all created things come from this One Thing through transformation.”
- Puzzling (enigmatic) paragraph:
“Its father is the Sun, its mother is the Moon. The Wind carries it in its belly, the Earth is its nurse. It is the Origin of All, the consecration of the Universe. Its inherent Power is perfected when it is transmuted into Earth.”
- The Pyramid Paragraph:
“Separate the Earth from the Fire, the Subtle from the Solid, with great deliberation and ingenuity. It ascends from Earth to Heaven and descends to Earth again, fusing within itself the forces of both Above and Below.”
- Paragraph of the Stone:
“Thus you will obtain the Glory of the entire Universe. All obscurity will be clear to you. This is the greatest power of all powers, because it overcomes every Subtle thing and penetrates every Solid thing.”
- The pattern paragraph:
“This is how the Universe was created. From this come many wonderful applications, for this is the pattern.”
- The trinity paragraph:
“Therefore I am called Thrice Greatest Hermes, for I have all three parts of wisdom of the Entire Universe. In these I have explained the workings of the Sun in its entirety.”
'Sol Niger or the black sun'
This concerns a darkening of sunlight, an eclipse or solar eclipse. The Sol Niger is the shadow side of the psyche. This withdraws from consciousness as long as it is not consciously, or in terms of light and dark, made lighter. Because it concerns a dark, dead part of the psyche, it is often represented in the West by a skeleton. Here a skeleton stands on a darkened sun. The black crow on the skeleton's hand has the same meaning as the black sun below him. It is said about the carrion crow: If someone cuts off its head, it loses its black color and will take on the whitest color. Separating the head from the torso is called in alchemy 'putreficatio', literally rotting. Becoming aware of unconscious feelings is only possible by taking the time. Deep feelings only become conscious by removing the control of the mind (head). When attention follows the energy downward into the body, problems often resolve themselves.
Evoking a feeling of tranquility, peace and harmony calms the mind and allows consciousness to descend to the dark core.
Another way to 'cut off the head' is what the Taoists call the 'wu-wei method'.
Wu-wei 'silence and no action'
Doing by not doing and letting it be what you want to be based on trust. This can only be done by 'cutting off your head' and abandoning thinking. Evoking a feeling of tranquility, peace and harmony calms the mind and allows consciousness to descend. When attention follows the energy downward into the body, problems often resolve themselves.
The I Ching sees life as a wave movement between heaven and earth as a continuous line. From the depth (yin) it eventually turns into an upward movement towards the height (yang). Just like the yin yang sign, one carries the seed of the other. Thus there is a constant recurrence of the same thing.
The point is precisely that man has a tendency to rebel against one thing and thus elevate the other as a new truth instead of accepting and accepting the movement within himself and thus moving along with it. Wu Wei; doing by not doing, not forcing from will, but moving along with what wants to be. This requires trust. You can find this confidence by directing attention to the heart – your emotional center.
“Real people know without learning, see without looking, achieve without striving, understand without trying. They feel and react, act when necessary, act when left with no other choice, like shining light, like shining rays.”
Mesoamerica
In Mesoamerican mythology, the black sun has many mystical meanings and is associated, among other things, with the god Quetzalcoatl. To the Mexicans there were two suns, the young Day sun and the old Dark sun. Some scholars consider the mythological Black Sun to be the ancient feminine origin of all, it is both the grave and the womb. In this way it is the unity that uniformly integrates unconsciousness, death and yet an expectation or fecundity.
The Aztecs associated the passage of the Black Sun, on its nightly journey through the underworld, with the image of a butterfly. The butterfly is in turn an archetypal symbol of the transcendent soul, transformation and mystical rebirth, although it can also be seen in the figure of the fearsome earth goddess Itzpapalotl, the "Obsidian Butterfly", who devoured people during the solar eclipses, while the Aztec underworld is the eternal abode of souls. According to the Codex Rios, the underworld consisted of nine layers. The first level was the Earth's surface, which was also the entrance, or face, of a gigantic toad that devoured the dead and provided access to the other eight lower levels. The souls of the dead occupy the ninth level known as "Mictlan Opochcalocan".
India
The black feathered sun is an Indian symbol with stylized feathers pointing both inwards and outwards; inward to the center and outward to the periphery. It combines the symbols of the sun and the eagle and depicts the universe; the center; solar energy; appearance of strength; and majesty.
Hermetics
In alchemical and hermetic traditions, suns are used to symbolize a variety of concepts, much like the sun in astrology. Suns can correspond to gold, citrinitas, generative masculine principles, imagery of 'the king' or Apollo, the fiery spirit or brimstone, the divine spark in man, nobility or incorruption. Recurring images of specific solar motifs can be found in the form of a "dark" or "black sun", or a green lion devouring a sun.
The dark night of the soul
(source: mysteries and symbols of the soul)
At the beginning of the spiritual path the personality soul is creative and the soul is receptive. Now it is a matter of the personality soul surrendering to the soul and thereby and thereby dying in the symbolic sense, so that the spirit soul can become creative and can raise up a renewed personality soul, whereby it becomes a suitable instrument for the spirit soul.
The purifying period of the dark night of the soul begins when the old personality soul has more or less died, but the spirit soul is not yet active. As the name suggests, this phase, which can last for many years, is experienced as unpleasant. The pupil of the soul has lost his worldly interests, feels lonely and abandoned and has no future prospects.
Then there are two ways to escape from that unpleasant condition, which is somewhat similar to depression.
The first way is to no longer pay attention to the spiritual path and to go back to the fleshpots of Egypt, that is to say, to lose oneself again in all kinds of fascinations that this world has to offer so that the soul falls asleep again.
The second way is to exercise patience and persevere by still continuing to feed the soul with the good, the true and the beautiful, and to keep in touch with fellow students who are also in that process or have already gone through it. Then, in time, the light of the spirit-soul will inevitably break through.
Carl Jung interpreted the nigredo as a moment of maximum despair and saw it as a prerequisite for further personal development.
The 'Void' (the great abyss)
(Source: Nicky Oosterbaan – The Tree of Life)
The experience of the Void is a deeply moving and shocking experience, and it happens to many of us without any spiritual preparation.
The Void is the experience of emptiness, a penetrating realization that there is no hold, a radical clash with the fear that insists that we have a foundation to stand on. In the Void everything is meaningless, nothing matters. Everything that motivated us up until then turns out to be mechanical and movable. We fall outside the social games that usually occupy us. All that remains is nothing. Nothing is the foundation, nothing to win, nothing to conquer. This phase can sometimes last for years, years in which what needs to be done is done automatically. Despair and despair.
Sources:
Psycho-Spiritual Alchemy – PT Mistlberger
The Emerald Tablet – Dennis William Hauck
Psychology of acupuncture – Arno Roelofs
Mysteries and symbols of the soul – André de Boer
The Tree of Life – Nicky Oosterbaan
Personal notes
C. van Nielen
bottom of page