P.T. Mistlberger-Psychospiritual Alchemy.pdf

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Psychospiritual Alchemy(The following is a partial chapter from my forthcoming book The InnerLight: Self-Realization via the Western Esoteric Tradition, to bepublished by Axis Mundi Books in March 2014).

Introduction to Psycho-Spiritual Alchemy

Aurum nostrum non est aurum vulgi (our gold is not ordinary gold).

—Gerhard Dorn

The key to alchemy is found in the word transmutation, a word that in its originalLatin meaning refers to total change. Physically this denotes a change of theproperties of matter, and thus of substance; psycho-spiritually, it refers to innertransformation—in specific, certain actions to aid in freeing the spiritual essence thatis ‘trapped’ within (echoing the Gnostic view that spirit is trapped in matter). Thisidea had its basis in the ancient belief that within the Earth ‘grew’ metals and that,given enough time, these metals would ultimately become gold. Nature was seen asfundamentally engaged in a process of evolution, and the essential idea of alchemywas to speed this process up—in short, to save time.

Spiritual alchemy is concerned with the transmutation of the personality and itsstructures, so as to allow for the light of unobstructed consciousness and pure Beingto be directly known. The direct knowing of pure Being is gnosis, Self-realization.Spiritual alchemy is thus a means by which we re-structure our personality and thevarious levels of our identification with it, so as to realize the infinite potential of our



true being. It is essentially a comprehensive roadmap, using colourful andsophisticated symbols, detailing the means and steps by which we get ourselves ‘outof our own way’ and allow our highest and best destiny to unfold.

The main difference between spiritual alchemy and alchemy as merely a primitiveproto-science—the supposed precursor of modern chemistry—is that the formerinvolves an interdependent relationship between the subject (self) and the object (allthat is not-self). In materialistic science the subject is the observer distinct from whathe or she studies (the object). In spiritual alchemy this distinction is much lessdefined, because the transformation of the subject, of the personality, is pre-eminent.

A key point found repeatedly within alchemy is the idea that the alchemist can onlysucceed in his work if he approaches it with purity of intent, with a heart free ofulterior agendas (an idea that was mirrored in the Grail myths, where only a knight ofpure heart had any hope of finding the Grail). This idea was emphasized by someearly scribes who noted with irony that alchemy was notorious for its failedalchemists, i.e. those who sought alchemical success in elaborate and expensive

laboratory attempts to create gold but often ended up broke in the process.1 Theesoteric foundation of spiritual alchemy is found in the ancient world-wide myths thatdeal with the life, death and resurrection of a god. The candidate or initiate is toundergo a similar process, in order to awaken to their divine condition—a type ofradical deconstruction and ‘rebirth’. This process involves a number of stages, to besummarized below. Before detailing these stages it is useful to have some grasp of thehistory of alchemy, as well as some of the most basic features of its esotericfoundation.

Background

Historically, there are generally recognized to be three main lines of alchemy:Chinese, Indian, and Western. All three appear to have developed some time duringthe first few centuries BCE, though evidence at present favours the Chinese version as

the oldest.2 Traditionally, alchemy has been associated with two main activities: theattempt to manufacture gold (or silver) from baser metals; and the attempt to create



an elixir of sorts that when ingested would result in great vitality and health, andpossibly even immortality. Chinese and Indian alchemy was concerned at times withproducing gold, but more commonly the focus was on the creation of the magicalelixir that could, it was believed, produce great powers and everlasting life.

Western alchemy in all likelihood had its origins in the early work of goldsmiths,

miners, and metallurgists, especially those of ancient Egypt.3 This form of alchemy,perhaps reflecting the natural inclination of the Western mind toward extroversionand materiality, was ultimately concerned more with the idea of the ‘Philosopher’sStone’, the name given to a substance that could transmute base metals, like lead, intogold. Over time the psycho-spiritual component of alchemy began to develop,possibly in Alexandria, in the early centuries BCE. As with so many elements of theWestern esoteric tradition Western alchemy finds many of its roots in the ideas of theancient Greeks, ideas that were given coherence most notably by Plato and Aristotle.By the time of the early centuries after Christ it had evolved into a specific practice(both a ‘science’ and an ‘art’ in the wider definition of those terms), tailored towardcreating change both internally and externally.

Both Eastern and Western alchemy have a psycho-spiritual esoteric component basedon the essential idea of inner transformation. The material dimension of alchemy mayhave been concerned with such matters as immortality of the body or the productionof gold, but from the esoteric perspective these were ultimately not separate from theGreat Work of inner transformation. Because alchemy was influenced by initiaticstreams of thought (arising from Taoism and Tantra in the East, and Hermeticismand Gnosticism in the West) it was eventually understood, by at least somealchemists, that the practical laboratory work was not separate from the innerprocesses of transformation undergone by the alchemist. This was consistent with theidea of the essential interconnection between mind and matter perhaps bestsummarized by the Hermetic maxim ‘as above, so below’. It is a given that not allalchemists were concerned with inner transformation, that many were largelyconcerned with the pursuit of dreams of wealth and power. But it is also clear thatalchemy through the centuries preserved many of the mystery teachings, includingelements of Gnosticism that were suppressed or exterminated outright by the rising



power of the Church after the 4th century CE.

The focus of this chapter is mainly on Western alchemy and in particular its psycho-

spiritual dimension.4 The English word ‘alchemy’ has uncertain origins, but issometimes thought to stem from the Arabic al-khimia, possibly deriving from theCoptic word kem, which means ‘black land’, another name for Egypt. Thus ‘alchemy’may have originally meant ‘of Egypt’. The black land refers to the soil around the Nilevalley, which was rich with nutrients when the waters of the Nile would recede afterthe annual flooding. An alternate view holds that the Chinese word kim—which refersto the production of gold— migrated to the Middle East where it became the wordkem, and later, al-khimia.

Western alchemy as a specific practice appears to find its origins on the coast ofnorthern Egypt in Alexandria, that extraordinary city founded around 330 BCE byAlexander the Great. With the ascent of Christendom and the decline of Alexandria(including the gradual destruction of its famous library in a series of calamities),alchemy gradually faded from view in the West, but it did not die out entirely. It was,instead, taken up by the Arabs (themselves the conquerors of Egypt), and later by

Jabir ibn Hayyan, an 8th century Persian magus whom some regard as theprototypical alchemist. (Identifying the authors behind early alchemical writings hasbeen notoriously difficult, as a standard practice was to ascribe such works toimportant figures or even gods such as Hermes, but most scholars accept the

legitimacy of Jabir’s name and legacy).5

Modern science tends to view early alchemy as largely the primitive proto-science

that morphed into chemistry around the 17th century via the efforts of Robert Boyle

and others. There is of course some truth to that. By the 17th century alchemy hadbeen largely abandoned as a laboratory ‘science’, but its esoteric side was preserved, if

only marginally, and discussed in various occult circles of the 18th and 19th centuries.

In the popular domain it was C.G. Jung who, in the early 20th century, largely rescuedalchemy from the dusty pages of forgotten library archives by wedding much of itsrich symbolism to his theory of analytical psychology. Some esoteric scholars such as



Julius Evola took exception to Jung’s efforts, believing it to be a kind of debasementof the deeper meaning of the Great Work. In Evola’s view, alchemy is a path ofspiritual awakening that is intended only for psychologically integrated individuals,and is not a symbolic description of the process of becoming psychologically

integrated (what Jung called ‘individuation’).6 Evola, along with other Traditionalistssuch as Rene Guenon, made determined attempts to preserve the sanctity of theesoteric path against what they saw as the vulgar, simplified world-views of ourmodern materialistic times, and it is not hard to find sympathy for their positions ifone takes the time to reflect on some of the side-effects of the scientific revolution andindustrial age. But the fact remains that the average modern day ‘truth-seeker’ israrely a psychologically integrated individual in the ideal sense, and almost alwaysneeds to do considerable psychological healing prior to, or alongside with, morerarefied spiritual practices (such as, for example, simple sitting meditations). Thusfrom a practical point of view it is more than a matter of merely finding sympathy forJung’s work and related psycho-spiritual interpretations of alchemy, it is a matter ofrecognizing the value and usefulness of such approaches for current times.

The Inner Science of Alchemy: the Philosopher’s Stone and Gold

The Arabic term al-khimia also means ‘the art of transformation’, and this applies toboth physical levels (thus being the basis of the later science of chemistry) in whichthe alchemist of old was interested in transforming base materials, like lead, intomore exalted materials such as gold, as well as to the inner practice of alchemy, whichinvolves the transformation of the individual from unconscious ‘raw material’ to the‘finer material’ of self-realization and divine illumination. It is this latter science ofalchemy, the inner art of transformation, that we are mainly concerned with here.

The prized goal of alchemy, in the more traditional sense, was the substance known asgold (and, on occasion, silver). Gold has some interesting chemical properties—it isthe most ductile of all metals, meaning, it can be reshaped into endless forms withoutfracturing. It is also largely immune to most corrosive agents of air or water, andresistant to corruption by fire (which is why it was always valued in makingjewellery). Thus its great strength, and brilliant color, makes it a powerful symbol for



that which is both radiant and indestructible within us, i.e., our highest nature andtrue inner self.

However, according to alchemy, the manufacture of gold was possible only via themedium of the philosopher’s stone. When this latter was applied to base metals, thenthe transmutation, resulting in gold (or silver) allegedly could happen. On the level ofpsycho-spiritual symbolism, the formula…

Base metal (such as lead) + Philosopher’s Stone = Gold (or Silver)

…has not always been fully understood (and on the physical level, never conclusivelyproven to have been achieved). Typically, the end result (gold or silver) has beenthought to represent the awakened self, but it is more technically correct that thePhilosopher’s Stone is the awakened self. The gold or silver represents thetransformation of one’s world, or the manifestation of one’s higher desires. Theessential relationship between the two (Philosopher’s Stone and gold) is cruciallyimportant because they are ultimately interdependent. That is, transformation of selfreally only works when we also have an intention to transform our outer world, i.e.,

shine the light of our being outward in order to realize our highest callings in life.7 Inother words, self-realization without involvement in the world (in some fashion) isincomplete.

The Materia Prima and Solve et Coagula

Alchemy posits that all things in the universe originate with the materia prima (FirstMatter). The idea of the ‘primal material’ was developed by Aristotle and refers to theidea that there is a primordial matter that lies behind all forms, but that is itselfinvisible. It is the womb of creation, the field of pure potentiality, but it only gainsexistence, in the strictest sense, when given form. In the alchemical process, theprimal material is that which remains when something has been reduced to itsessence and can be reduced no further. Psychologically, this is a potent symbol for theinner process of transformation in which we regularly arrive at ‘core realizations’ thatcannot be deconstructed further, but that themselves become the ground forsuccessfully moving forward in life—‘integrating’ as we evolve.



The alchemists of old believed that any given base metal must first be reduced to itsmateria prima prior to it being transmuted into gold. The psycho-spiritualsymbolism here is straightforward. It points to the de-conditioning process that lies atthe heart of spiritual transformation—that is, the deconstructing of that which is falseabout us, to reveal that which is true and real, i.e., our divine self. This‘deconstruction’ was typically likened to a ‘mystical death’, or the reduction toformless chaos, often represented by aquatic symbols, sometimes expressed as‘perform no operation until all be made water’. It denotes the necessary abandoningof the past, the ‘death’ of the initiate’s false self, prior to their rebirth or re-awakening

to their higher self.8 In mystical Christian symbolism this was all symbolized by thecrucifixion and resurrection, an echo of older pagan myths that generally involved thedeath and reconstitution of a god.

The process of deconstruction can also be seen as a constructive process, and in someHermetic schools of alchemy that is how they saw it—the physical body, beingassociated with Saturn (or lead) being transmuted into the ‘solar body’, or gold.Various world esoteric traditions make reference to this idea of a ‘body of light’ that isattained only through deep and profound practice. The Bible seems to point to it inMatthew, 17:1-2, in what has come to be known as the transfiguration scene:

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeththem up into an high mountain apart,

And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and hisraiment was white as the light.

Ultimately, whether we choose to see the process of transformation as deconstructive(dissolving the ego impurities) or constructive (transforming and thus heighteningour ‘vibration’ so that we attain a more rarefied consciousness) is more a matter ofperspective, and less important than actually engaging the work. But in point of fact,the process of alchemy actually involves both of these actions, through what isreferred to as solve et coagula — the dissolution and coagulation — thedeconstruction and re-construction of our personality. Or put more simply, to



separate and recombine. There is a clear and interesting symbolic parallel here in theEgyptian myth of Osiris, who is killed by his brother Set, has his body dismembered,and then is reconstructed by the gods Isis and Thoth as part of his resurrection in theduat (Otherworld)—a symbolism that is pure alchemical solve et coagula. It definesthe heart of the spiritual process of ‘breaking down’ and being ‘reborn’.

In alchemy, as in all forms of Hermetic High Magic as well as the Tantric schools ofIndia and Tibet, matter, or the physical universe, is not seen as separate from themind, or spiritual realities, but is rather recognized as a reflection of it. The MagnumOpus or ‘Great Work’ of alchemy is ultimately to realize the fundamentalinterrelationship between mind and matter, between self and world, between heavenand earth, finally ending in the non-dual realization (All is One). However—and thisis a crucial point—the apparent dualism of existence is not to be denied or glossedover out of fear of embracing its lessons. Rather, duality is to be embraced (and evencelebrated) as the means by which we uncover key realizations about our innernature. Alchemy is all about altering time, that is, the natural evolution of things, sothat we can pass through our essential lessons quicker. But it is not about denyingthese lessons, nor the joys and struggles of independent selfhood.

Although an alchemist was typically thought to be someone who worked to transformphysical metals to gold only, in the hope of striking it rich (and many did attempt thatmundane approach), it was in fact the alchemist’s spiritual transformation that wassupposed to precede his work with physical materials—or at the very least, toaccompany it. This idea applies equally in current times to the so-called arts ofmanifestation. All our efforts to apply change to our lives via manifestation practicesamounts to little if we are not first seeking to change ourselves for the better.

Psycho-spiritual alchemy is ultimately not about manipulating reality. It is an ancientsystem of psychology in which the alchemist seeks to confront and understand his orher own mind and soul, so as to pass through a deep transformation and emerge freeof the limitations of the personality. Like all traditions, it suffered corruption overtime and distorted versions gradually formed. These corrupted versions are moreconcerned with the manipulation of external events (control)—much as corrupted



versions of science and business exist in current times in the form of those who usescience or commerce to further selfish agendas. However the deeper esoteric work ofthe alchemist was always about personal awakening and union with the divine mindor higher self, much as the true higher purpose of science or business is aboutincreasing both well-being for self and well-being for others (‘win-win’).

This inner awakening is given priority, and then leads naturally to the transformationof our world—much as the alchemist first transforms him or herself, and then seeks totransform the outer world, or how the mage first awakens the inner higher self, andthen interacts with the more elemental energies and spirits. The idea was wellillustrated in a Chinese fable once relayed by Richard Wilhelm, concerning a Taoistmonk and a Chinese village suffering the effects of a prolonged drought. The villagecouncillors, desperate for rain, sought the aid of the monk to bring about rain bysome ‘supernatural’ method. The Taoist simply asked for a private room and shuthimself in for three days. At the end of the third day, rain fell. The monk emergedfrom his room, whereupon Wilhelm asked him what he had done. The monk repliedthat prior to visiting the town he had been merged with the Tao. When he arrived inthe town, he was not connected to the Tao, but after three days of meditating in theroom, he was once again merged with the Tao. He then added that it would be naturalfor that which was around him (the immediate environment of the town) to also be inTao.

The very idea is the essence of alchemy and the core principle of Hermetic wisdom(‘as above, so below’), meaning that in aligning ourselves with the Higher principles,we aid in causing changes around us that follow suit. As we uncover the light within,

so we aid in bringing light to our surroundings.9

Some Basic Alchemical Principles



As mentioned, alchemy essentially begins with the idea of the Prime Matter (materiaprima). This Prime Matter was believed to have a basic fourfold structure, known asthe four basic classical elements—usually recognized as fire, water, air, earth. A fifth‘element’ has been commonly recognized as well, variously called ether, space,quintessence, or spirit. The idea of these basic elements goes back to ancientBabylonia (the Enuma Elish, the chief Babylonian Creation myth, written circa 1700BCE, made mention of them). It fell to the Greek pre-Socratics, in particularEmpedocles (circa 490-430 BCE), to elaborate on the idea, although it was Plato(424-348 BCE) who first used the term ‘elements’ (from the Greek stoicheion), and

Aristotle who fleshed out the scheme.10 Empedocles had been influenced byPythagoras and certain esoteric schools such as the Orphic mysteries, but appears tohave developed his independent view of things. His idea of the four basic elementswas part of his attempt to explain how things come to undergo change, theunderstanding of which lies at the very root of alchemy. Empedocles held that all ofexistence is a process of change via the separation and combination of differentelements. Things do not, he maintained, change by passing from existence to non-existence (as Heraclitus had held), but rather via the process of the mixing, dividing,and the re-combining of different combinations of substances and their elementalproperties.

An essential idea behind most esoteric tradition, never to be lost sight of, is that this



material reality we dwell in is a degraded copy of a finer, more subtle and rarefied,dimension. Much of Plato’s highly influential cosmology was based on this idea, andeven Empedocles asserted it in reference to the basic elements, declaring, ‘from them,

flow all things that are, or have been, or shall be.’11 For him, these elementsrepresented phases of transition, a crystallization of subtle energies into materialform. In short, the ‘Supreme Being’ imposed a fourfold structure onto the PrimeMatter, in order to condense the subtle into the material, and thereby create thematerial universe. Such ideas are seen by historians of science as primitive scientificglimmerings (for e.g., complex elements arising from simple elements, as the result ofa star going nova), but they are perhaps more valid when understood as esotericteachings that are central to an understanding of psycho-spiritual alchemy. Elementsof the personality are to be restructured, made concrete, if you will, so that they canbe recognized and thereby transformed. In so doing, the personality becomes morecapable of supporting the growth of higher potentialities, and the emergence of thehigher self.

According to the early alchemists, the four elements—fire, water, air, and earth—come into existence via the combination of specific qualities, recognized as hot, cold,wet, and dry, being ‘impressed’ on to the Prime Matter. For example, when hot anddry are impressed on the Prime Matter, we have fire; if cold and dry, then earth; if wetand hot, then air; if cold and wet, then water. When these qualities are changed, theelements themselves are changed. A few examples will suffice:

1. Add water to fire (substituting wet for dry; hot and dry becomes hot and wet:steam, or air).

2. Add fire to water (substituting hot for wet; cold and wet becomes hot and wet:steam, or air). This is known as vaporization, which can occur via boiling orevaporation.

3. Add cold to air, and air will ‘become’ water (substitute cold for hot; wet and hotbecomes wet and cold; air becomes water). This is known as condensation.

And so forth. Modern chemistry is obviously vastly more comprehensive in its grasp



of such matters as pertains to physical reality—the modern table of elements, orPeriodic Table, recognizes (as of this writing in 2012) no less than 118 isolatedelements, a far cry from the four or five of Empedocles, Plato, and Aristotle—butwhen the esoteric basis of alchemy is understood, it is also understood to beaddressing a domain utterly distinct from that addressed by modern chemistry.

What follows is a brief synopsis of the esoteric significance of the five elements:

Fire: In esoteric studies all elements carry great significance, but in the realm ofalchemy, it may be said that fire rules. It is the key, the mastery of which has longbeen held to be of prime importance by alchemists and shamans of old (as well as bysmiths and potters, craftsmen whose work was related in many ways to alchemy).This is because fire is the element of transmutation par excellence, the key tochanging things from one state to another—beginning with the most obviousexamples of the power of the Sun and the core of our planet to heat the surface of the

Earth, allowing for the possibility for life as we know it to develop.12 Of the fourqualities mentioned above—hot, cold, wet, and dry—only two, hot and cold, arefoundational (being found in space beyond our planet), and as cold is but the absenceof heat, in the final analysis only fire (hot) is the essential transformational force. AsTitus Burckhardt put it.

It is the effect of fire alone that renders the substance in the alchemist’s retortsuccessively liquid, gaseous, fiery, and once again solid. Thus, it imitates in

miniature the ‘work’ of Nature herself.13

In alchemy, fire is traditionally associated with the color red, with the qualities of hotand dry, and the force that rarefies and refines things, as well as causing totaltransformation. Psychologically, fire is usually connected to will, energy, andsometimes intuition. (On occasion it is connected to feeling, although this latter ismore often associated with the water element). Alchemically, fire is symbolized by atriangle with the apex pointing up. In terms of geometry, the Platonic solid that isconnected to fire is the tetrahedron, or four-sided pyramid. (The idea of Platonicsolids corresponding to the four elements derives from Plato, although it was earlier



Greeks who discovered the shapes of the actual Platonic solids. Plato’s scheme issubjective and rather contrived; it is included here more as a historical curiosity. Heconsidered that fire was ‘sharp’, rather like the four-sided pyramid).

Water: Water is traditionally connected to the color blue, and to the qualities of wetand cold. It is a potent symbol in physical reality and for life in particular, as theplanet we live on and the bodies we inhabit are primarily water. Water is the greatdissolver and the womb for creation. Psychologically it is usually associated withfeelings and emotions. In the symbolism of alchemy, it is represented by the trianglewith the apex pointing down. The Platonic solid for water is the icosahedron (a solidwith twenty sides, closest of the five solids to resembling a ball, and thus most similarto the ‘smoothness’ and ‘slipperiness’ of water).

Air: Air is traditionally connected to the color yellow, and to the qualities of hot andwet. Air is a natural purifier, rendering the coarse more fine, and enabling thesubtlety of mind that allows for clearer understanding. Accordingly, air is the elementof thinking and reason. Its alchemical symbol is the right side up triangle with ahorizontal line running through it. The Platonic solid for air is the octahedron (eight-sided solid).

Earth: Earth is the element traditionally associated with the color green (andsometimes black), and with the qualities of cold and dry. It is the symbol for allmatters pertaining to the physical and the practical. Its symbol is the upside downtriangle with a horizontal line bisecting it. The Platonic solid is the cube (six-sidedsolid, its square solidity making it a natural symbol for the solid Earth that supportsus).

Quintessence (or Spirit, or Ether): The word ‘quintessence’, which literally means‘fifth element’, is beyond the four basic elements as such. Aristotle described it asbeing beyond the ‘sub-lunar sphere’ and as being the basic material of the immortaland incorruptible ‘heaven realms’, free of any of the four qualities and incapable ofchange. However, later philosophers and alchemists granted this mysterious elementcertain qualities, such as those of ability to change density, or subtleness beyond thatof light itself. There are grounds for speculating a link between this enigmatic ‘fifth



classical element’ and the ‘dark matter’ currently studied by modern physicists, butthat is highly speculative. Quintessence, or ‘ether’ as it also has been known, issometimes linked to the concept of empty space. Its symbol is generally a circle witheight spokes, and its Platonic solid is sometimes considered the dodecahedron, thetwelve-sided solid, although Aristotle resisted this latter association.

The Three Great Principles

In the early 1500s the Swiss alchemist Paracelsus, inspired by the earlier Sufialchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan, decided to develop the old Greek notion of the fiveelements, introducing the idea of the three basic alchemical principles, those beingsulphur, Mercury (a.k.a. quicksilver), and salt, representing spirit, soul, and body,respectively. Much as with the four basic elements, these three do not refer to theactual physical forms of sulphur, mercury, and salt, but rather to the variousprocesses and stages of alchemical transformation that they represent. It should alsobe noted here that it is easy for the casual researcher of these matters to becomeconfused, as it is uncommon to find any two ‘authorities’ on alchemy agreeingcompletely on the respective symbolic meanings of sulphur, mercury, and salt. Whatfollows is the broadest consensus of the views of a number of scholars and historians.

Sulphur: According to Paracelsus’ original teachings on the three principles ofalchemy, sulphur was considered to be ‘that which boils’, or oil, and thus the aspect ofunctuousness. Psycho-spiritually it symbolizes the immortal Spirit, or pureconsciousness. It is generally connected to the solar and masculine principles, andsymbolically to the lion.

Mercury: Mercury, also known as quicksilver, is the volatile quality oftransformation, representing that which arises as a fume. It is symbolic of the vitalspirit or soul, or what is sometimes called the life-force, known in various traditionsby such terms as ruach, prana, or Shakti (and hence its natural connection to thebreath; see Chapter Five: The Astral Light, for more). As an energetic principle it isconsidered to be connected to both blood and semen, key substances associated withthe vital spirit or life-force. It is sometimes symbolized by the griffon, and is generally



associated with the lunar and feminine polarity. (Although, paradoxically, it is alsooccasionally viewed as hermaphroditic in nature). It is that which unites Spirit andthe worlds of material form. Some authors seem to confuse Mercury with Spirit,probably because one of the terms for the life-force is ‘vital spirit’, deriving from the

Latin word for breath, spiritus.14

Salt: In alchemy, salt represents the physical foundation, and may be thought of asthe body in its corrective state. It is what remains from the transformational process,the ‘ashes’. It serves to ‘ground’ the volatile ‘spirit’. As with so many alchemicalsymbols, the meaning is at times ambivalent and seldom universally agreed on. Forexample, C. G. Jung, drawing from the Turba Philosophorum (a medieval alchemicalwork) associated Salt with the ocean (salt-water), with the lunar symbolism of the

unconscious, and with the feminine polarity (he saw Mercury as hermaphroditic).15

Symbolic specifics notwithstanding, salt as an alchemical symbol can best beunderstood as pertaining to the body-mind in a purified state, in which it serves as aproper vehicle for the full flowering of consciousness.

Alchemical Stages of Transformation

As mentioned, the key to alchemy is summarized in the Latin expression solve etcoagula. ‘Solve’ here means to break down and separate elements and ‘coagula’ refersto their coming back together (coagulating) in a new, higher form. The alchemicalidea of transmuting base metals into gold is also a metaphor for the inner Work. Wemust ‘break down’ aspects of our character that are in the way of the realization of ourdeeper, higher nature. This deeper, higher nature is the Philosopher’s Stone, and our‘higher calling’ in life is represented by the symbol of gold. Thus, solve et coagulameans to see clearly our limiting characteristics, take steps to wear them down bydispersal, and then to reconstitute in a higher, more pure form—which then allows forthe possibility of accomplishing our maximum potentials in life.

There are, in some schools of thought, seven general stages in the alchemical process,which correspond to seven stages of individual transformation. Needless to say, as inall matters pertaining to alchemy, there is no overall consensus among alchemists or



esoteric scholars as to the details of these stages. What follows is a simplified andpsychologized overview of the seven stages, based on a scheme that is a goodrepresentation of the overall alchemical view of inner development.

1. Calcination: This is the first stage of alchemy. Chemically, calcination is the termgiven for the heating and pulverizing of raw matter to bring about its thermaldecomposition, that is, its breaking up (or down) into more than one substance, orinto a phase shift (from, say, water to gas at boiling point).

In spiritual symbolism, this stage is sometimes humorously referred to as ‘cooking’ or‘baking’ (and in fact the prime symbol of this stage is fire). It occurs naturally in life asa process whereby our egos get gradually worn down by the inevitable challenges oflife. In alchemical symbolism this stage is sometimes represented by bringing down atyrannical king. The idea there is that we have two essential elements to us: ouressence, and our ego-personality. The ego serves us in our early years, aiding inprotection and survival, but becomes a problem as we seek to grow and mature intospiritually awake adults. The more we try to hold on to this limiting part of us, themore life will gradually hammer us—‘cooking’ us until we become sufficientlyhumbled to admit that we are going in a wrong direction. A hallmark of this stage is agrowing willingness to be wrong about core issues, a willingness to let go of positionsthat we cling to. The expression from the book A Course In Miracles, ‘Would yourather be right or happy?’ speaks, in a simplified fashion, to this. The ego-self cares



primarily about being right—right that we know, or right that we are not goodenough, or right that we are too good, or right that we are a powerless victim, or rightthat we cannot trust life or love owing to previous experiences, and so on. Calcinationis the process of beginning to get that part of our stubbornness, pride, and arroganceworn down. (This stubbornness, pride, or arrogance need not only express as anoutwardly puffed up nature; indeed, more commonly it tends to disguise itself inshyness, self-doubt, or self-sabotage).

The sooner we understand the point that in most cases we are the architect of ourown frustrations and failures, the better, because we can avoid years of unnecessarysuffering. Ideally the spiritual path is about hastening the process of calcination,rather than it being drawn out over the course of a whole life, only to realize in old agejust how intransigent and controlling we have always been. The reason why thisprocess is so essential is because the personality we cling to, the sense of personalidentity, the ‘me’ that we invest so much energy in maintaining, is ultimately illusory,based as it is on identification (with body, form, history, borrowed knowledge, and soon). Aging, and eventually death, will wear down and destroy this false self in time.Learning to let go of constructed mental positions, pride, excessive stubbornness,reactive blame of others, playing small owing to crippling self-doubt, and fear ofconfronting our falsehoods, will hasten the process and potentially give us more timeto experience our deeper nature while still alive.

2. Dissolution: Chemically, ‘dissolution’, or ‘solvation’ as it is also called, refers to aprocess whereby a solute (like salt) dissolves in a solvent (like water).



Psycho-spiritually, the element that symbolizes dissolution is water, and this stagerepresents a deep encounter with our subconscious mind. After our ego has beensufficiently cooked (humbled) from calcination, what remains of our personality hasto be further processed, and this is brought about by its dissolution in a solvent likewater.

Dissolution, or deep deconstruction of the ego, is a challenging phase, especially forthose with strongly developed personalities and egos. The common expression thatsomeone ‘has a lot of personality’ is conventionally taken as a compliment, but fromthe point of view of psycho-spiritual alchemy it is problematic, because usually it justmeans that the person has a stronger ego-system and greater defences built up overtime. Whether this ego is unpleasant or charming is secondary. Either way, it has tobe dissolved in order for the true self to be liberated.

Ego-dissolution is directly related to our beginning to take responsibility for ourprojections—in short, to our beginning to truly grow up. We begin to move beyondvictim-consciousness, the tendency to blame the world for our struggles, and thetendency to see in others what we most dislike about ourselves.

This stage is often characterized by experiencing the emotion of grief, and allowingourselves to truly grieve painful incidents from our past that we may have long



buried. Repressed or with-held pain keeps us dry and contracted. These psychic knotsof pain need to be dissolved via permitting ourselves to truly experience the pain withawareness, as opposed to avoiding it with endless distractions, narcotizations (mind-altering substances like drugs or alcohol, including excessive T.V. watching), orendless other forms of avoidance. In many cases the stage of dissolution is forced on aperson by unexpected accidents or illnesses. If a right attitude is brought to bear onsuch apparent misfortunes, overall maturing and growth can result.

A key to the stage of Dissolution is the awakening of passion, and the harnessing ofthe energy of emotional pain toward an object of creativity. We do not just passivelywitness the reality of our inner pain; we redirect its energy, wedding it to ourauthentic personal desires and constructive aims. In so doing we are participating andaiding in the dissolving of our false self. We are using the energy freed up by letting goof old, stale ego-positions, in the service of re-aligning our life in the direction of ourhigher purpose.

3. Separation: Chemically, separation, or ‘separation process’, refers to theappropriate extraction of one substance from another—for example, the extraction ofgasoline from crude oil. In spiritual alchemy, separation refers to the need to makeour thoughts and emotions more distinct by isolating them from other thoughts andemotions. For example, the process of forgiving someone is usually only authentic ifwe have first honestly recognized our negative thoughts and feelings toward thatperson, such as anger. We must first experience the anger prior to moving into anauthentic forgiveness. When attempting to come to terms with our ‘shadow’-side, weneed to identify and isolate particular elements of our character in order to honestlysee and assess them. This is very much like a scientific process of extractingsomething from something else, in order to gain knowledge and insight about it.Developmentally it relates to the importance of a young adult differentiating fromtheir parents (or other influential relatives) in order to clarify their own identify. On asocio-political level, it lies behind the idea of the separation of church and state.

This stage represents the need to focus on what has been revealed in us after the firsttwo purification stages, so we can get clear on what precisely needs to be given



attention. Navigated successfully, the separation stage aids us in taking a clearer stockof our life, honestly admitting our errors in judgment. A common symbol for thisstage is the black crow, which in its color denotes the dying away of the false that hasoccurred in the first two stages, as well as the positive possibilities for the futuresymbolized by the crow’s capacity to fly.

The Separation stage is of crucial importance on the path of awakening, if onlybecause it is most commonly both feared and overlooked. Many ‘feel-good’approaches to personal transformation, or diluted new age teachings, in their rusheddesire to reach an idealized state of unity with existence, gloss over the need to faceand assume responsibility for one’s inner shadow element, or darker nature. TheSeparation stage is entirely concerned with the need to both see and takeresponsibility for the shadow within. If we fail to do this, the shadow elements will beprojected onto the world, usually showing up in the form of others who appear tosubject us to unjust treatment.

In this stage we begin to see what is of value in our life, and what is not. To illustratethe point with a simple example: back in the 1990s the former NY Times reporterTony Schwartz quit his stressful job and decided to travel the country seeking outmany prominent cutting edge psychologists, philosophers, and spiritual teachers andinterviewing them. He wrote a book about his journey and what he’d learned fromthese teachers, titling it What Really Matters. When we’ve been humbled enough bylife that we begin to recognize what really matters, then we’ve begun the alchemicalprocess of separation. We are literally separating the wheat from the chaff both fromwithin us and from our outer lives as well. However this is only possible when we aretruly ready to be deeply honest with ourselves, by taking ownership of ourfrustrations and self-imposed limitations, and the entire range of thoughts andfeelings within, from the positive to the negative—in short, of our entire self-image.Such a step makes it possible to achieve a radical breakthrough in our lives,something that may take the form of a thorough change in attitudes and innerpositions, if not also in outer circumstances.

4. Conjunction: The fourth stage in the alchemical process is conjunction. Psycho-



spiritually, this refers to the proper combining of the remaining elements of ourbeing, after the purification and clarification of the first three stages. It speaks to aninner unification that is made possible by the hardships, purifications, and innerdivisions that happened in the first three stages.

The essence of psycho-spiritual conjunction is to provide an inner space in which tomediate between two apparently distinct opposites. For example, we all know what itis to experience conflicted feelings toward another person, especially someone we areclose to, the typical ‘love-hate’ scenario. In the previous stage, separation, we need todistinguish these two states clearly if we are to be authentic. We need to be fullyhonest with ourselves about all of our inner states—put another way, we need to bringall of our unconscious thoughts and feelings about this person, and who/what theyrepresent to us, to the light of consciousness. In conjunction, we worry less abouttotally unifying these thoughts and feelings than we do about developing the innerspaciousness in which to allow them to be there without condemning any as ‘wrong’.In this sense, ‘conjunction’ is not a forced joining of distinct and opposite states ofmind, but rather a natural connecting process that happens as we honestly recognizethe reality of both within us.



Additionally, esoteric alchemy proposes that what is left if the first three stages ofcalcination, dissolution, and separation have been properly undergone is a statewherein 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 is fully onEarth, and ‘spirit’ refers to our most rarefied connection with the divine,transcendental Source. These two are sometimes categorized as the divine feminine(soul) and the divine masculine (spirit). The combining of the two is the essence ofinner tantra, a sacred marriage of spiritual opposites, or what the depth psychologistC.G. Jung called the mysterium coniunctionis. Alchemical symbolism sometimesrefers to this as the marriage of the Sun (spirit) and the Moon (soul).

All this speaks to the important of balance on our path of awakening, and inparticular, direct and honest awareness of those parts of us that remain out ofbalance. In achieving a conscious balance of our spirit-soul/masculine-feminineenergies, we become capable of deeper spiritual realizations and more effectivemanifestations in our life. Put in practical terms, we maintain a balance between ourmaximum context transcendent awareness (meditation) and our embodied,integrated immanence (which is essentially relationship, in all its forms—relationshipwith others, with our practical affairs, our immediate surroundings, and so on).

The conjunction phase is sometimes compared to the spiritual Heart (or ‘heartchakra’), which as metaphor speaks to the ability to ‘hold a space’ in which conflictingelements can work out their differences and become resolved to a higher potential. Itis here where we realize a definite maturity, understanding that differences, especiallythose of polar opposite qualities, do not get resolved via force, but rather by holdingspace, i.e., cultivating the patience to allow integration and change to occurorganically.

However this stage is not the end of our process of transformation, as elements of egoremain, and must in turn be processed.

5. Fermentation: In biochemistry, ‘fermentation’ refers to the process of oxidizingorganic compounds (changing their oxidation state). Examples of products offermentation are beers and wines. In spiritual alchemy, fermentation has to do with a



new stage in the process of transformation in which so-called higher energies begin tobe tapped in to. The first four stages all dealt with the energies of the personality (andits remnants), but with fermentation we are beginning to access the energies of thehigher dimensions (or subtle inner planes, depending on how we view it).

Fermentation occurs in two parts, the first being Putrefaction. In biology,putrefaction refers to the breakdown or decomposition of organic material by certainbacteria. Spiritually, this refers to a kind of inner death process in which old,discarded elements of the personality are allowed to rot and decompose. It issometimes referred to as the dark night of the soul, and can involve difficult mentalstates such as depression. In the Tarot, this phase is represented by the Death card,which denotes the death of an aspect of our lower self that no longer is needed.

Putrefaction is followed by a stage called Spiritization. Here, we undergo a type ofrebirth resulting from the deep willingness to let-go of all elements of us that nolonger serve our spiritual evolution. This marks the true beginning of inner initiation,of entry into a ‘higher’ life in which our best destiny has a chance to unfold.

6. Distillation: Chemically, distillation refers to a separation process of substances. Ithas a long history, being used for the production of such things as alcohol and



gasoline. Psychologically, distillation represents a further purification process, beingabout an ongoing process of integrating our spiritual realizations with our daily lives—dealing with seeming mundane things with integrity, being as impeccable in ourlives as we can be, and not using the inner work as a means by which to escape theworld. At this stage remaining impurities, hidden as ‘shadow’ elements in the mind,are flushed out and released, crucial if they are not to surface later on (a phenomenathat can be seen to occur when a reputed saint, sage, or wise person, operating from arelatively advanced level of self-realization, appears to have a fall from grace).Repeatedly practicing this leads to a strong and profound inner transformation that isrooted in integrity. Most standard definitions of ‘enlightenment’, in the Eastern senseof that word, correspond to this stage. A common alchemical symbol for this stage isthe Green Lion eating the sun. It suggests a robust triumph and an embracing of alimitless source of energy.

7. Coagulation: This stage brings to a completion the seven phases of the Solve etCoagula process of alchemy. Biologically, ‘coagulate’ refers to the blood’s ability toform clots and so stem bleeding, thus being a crucial life-saving function. In spiritualalchemy it symbolizes the final balancing of opposites, symbolized in the Tarot by themeeting of Magician and Devil, or higher self and the raw material of form, theultimate marriage of Heaven and Hell. The end result is the Philosopher’s Stone, alsosometimes called the Androgyne, and is often symbolized by the Phoenix, the birdthat has arisen from the ashes. This is closely connected to the idea of theResurrection Body of mystical Christianity, or the Rainbow Body of TibetanBuddhism, which includes the esoteric idea of the ability to navigate all possible levels(dimensions) of reality, without loss of consciousness. It is the form of the illuminedand fully transformed human, in which matter has been spiritualized, or the spiritualhas fully entered the material. Heaven and Earth as seen as one, or as the Buddhistssay, nirvana (the absolute, or formless) is samsara (the world of form). At this endstage, whatever we set eyes on we see the divine, as we have come to realize our ownfull divinity. We have arisen from the ashes of limited individuality, and been rebornas our true Self.

Three Stages of Transformation



The above describes seven stages of transformation. Spiritual alchemy in placesabbreviates all this into a more compact scheme. From roughly the time of Christ

until up to the 15th or 16th centuries, it was defined as four essential stages, based onfour colors mentioned by Heraclitus, via the following Greek-Latin terms: melanosisor nigredo (blackening), leukosis or albedo (whitening), xanthosis or flavum(yellowing), and iosis or rubedo (reddening). By the 1500s the stage of ‘yellowing’ wasgradually dropped, on rare occasions replaced by ‘greening’.

Nigredo: Nigredo means ‘blackening’. Traditionally it referred to the challenging andoften discouraging first phase of the alchemist’s work, in which they would becompelled to face directly into the chaotic void—what the Old Testament referred toas the ‘face of the deep’. Nigredo represents the first stage of awakening, characterizedby a breaking down, or a challenging encounter with the parts of our ego that areclearly in the way of our inner growth. The process of nigredo begins as we truly andsincerely begin to walk the path of transformation. The first step faced by all whodesire to know themselves is to face the ego, and in particular, its means of sabotagingour inner flowering and overall success in life. In the seven-stage scheme presentedabove, nigredo may be said to encompass the first two stages, calcination anddissolution.

Albedo: Albedo means ‘whitening’. In this phase, the alchemist brought tocompletion the work of nigredo—the confrontation with the chaotic, undifferentiatedvoid—by separating things and creating division, i.e., two substances in opposition toeach other. This phase of the Great Work thus involves the creation of divisionnecessary for the further unification of these opposites (for e.g., Spirit and body). It ishere that the symbol of Mercury plays a crucial role, representing the guidance andassistance that appears to come from outside of the personality and ego-system, andthat brings about the corrective balancing and integrating of the opposites, a processreferred to by the term mysterium coniunctionis. Albedo also refers to the inner lightthat arises in the face of genuine suffering and the breaking down of old conditioningbrought about by the first stage. The white dove is a common symbol for this stage.Albedo corresponds to the above stages of separation, conjunction, fermentation, anddistillation. It is in this stage where a kind of rebirth happens for us, once we have



dispensed sufficiently with the old conditioning of the ego, via the stages ofencountering the void, creating coherence and clarity via division into opposites, andre-unifying these opposites.

Rubedo: Rubedo, meaning ‘reddening’, is the final stage. Whereas nigredo andalbedo were concerned with the chaotic void and division, rubedo is entirelyconcerned with unity, with the result of this unity being the Philosopher’s Stone. Thefigure of Mercury herein undergoes a symbolic change, no longer being seen as thecause of the process of synthesis of opposites, but now as the goal itself, leading usback to the state of integrated wholeness and unity. However, this wholeness is not amere return to the Primal state (something Freud, for one, defined as ‘infantileregression’). Rather, we re-capture the primal unity of the child-like state, while at the

same time achieving something much more, the mature wisdom of a sage.16 Rubedothus points toward genuine self-realization occurring while still in a physical body. Itcorresponds more or less to the last stage in the seven stage scheme, that ofcoagulation. This stage is the main objective behind all inner practices of spiritualtransformation (although it may be confidently said that very few truly reach thisstage in their lifetime). Nevertheless it remains the goal, the light at the end of thelong, dark tunnel of embodied existence that we all seek, even if not alwaysconsciously.

Notes

1. James Hannam, God’s Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid theFoundations of Modern Science (Australia: Allen & Unwin, 2010), p. 131.

2. P.G. Maxwell-Stuart, The Chemical Choir: A History of Alchemy (London:Continuum Books, 2008), p. 1; p. 19.

3. One of the most thorough and concise histories of Western alchemy is MirceaEliade’s The Forge and the Crucible, originally published in French in 1956, firstEnglish translation by Rider and Company in 1962.



4. For those interested in practical laboratory alchemy, a good primer to begin with isBrian Cotnoir, The Weiser Concise Guide to Alchemy (Weiser Books, 2006).

5. Rudolf Bernoulli, Spiritual Development as Reflected in Alchemy and RelatedDisciplines; from Spiritual Disciplines: Papers from the Eranos Yearbooks, edited byJoseph Campbell (New York: Bollingen Foundation, 1985), pp. 308-309.

6. Julius Evola, The Hermetic Tradition: Symbols and Teachings of the Royal Art(Rochester: Inner Traditions International, 1995), p. xi.

7. Catherine MacCoun, On Becoming an Alchemist: A Guide for the ModernMagician (Boston: Trumpeter Books, 2008), p. 164.

8. Mircea Eliade, The Forge and The Crucible: The Origins and Structures ofAlchemy (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1978), p. 153.

9. Charles Ponce, The Game of Wizards: Psyche, Science, and Symbol in the Occult(Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1975), pp. 181-182.

10. Empedocles, in his Fragments, refers to the elements as sun, earth, sky, and sea.

11. Empedocles of Acragas: Fragments,www.abu.nb.ca/courses/grphil/EmpedoclesText.htm, accessed April 4, 2012.

12. Eliade, The Forge and The Crucible, p. 79.

13. Titus Burckhardt, Alchemy: Science of the Cosmos, Science of the Soul (Louisville,Kentucky: Fons Vitae, 2006; originally published by Walter Verlag-Ag, 1960), p. 95.

14. Ibid., p. 140.

15. Mark Haeffner, The Dictionary of Alchemy: From Maria Prophetissa to IsaacNewton (London: The Aquarian Press, 1991), p. 225.

16. Karen-Clair Voss, Spiritual Alchemy; from Gnosis and Hermeticism: FromAntiquity to Modern Times, edited by Roelof van den Broek and Wouter J.Hanegraaff (Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1998), pp. 160-161.



Copyright 2008-2012 by P.T. Mistlberger, all rights reserved.

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