Alchemy and Individuation

Alchemy was an ancient practice that sought to transform non-precious materials into gold and healing elixirs. It was practiced throughout the world for hundreds of years and served as the foundation for modern day inorganic chemistry. During the middle ages, alchemy also became a spiritual discipline as alchemists realized that the transformation of non-precious materials into precious ones could serve as a metaphor for the transformation of the personality and the individuation process.

Carl Jung took a great interest in alchemy during the second half of his career. Jung conjectured that alchemists were actually projecting unconscious material onto the substances in their laboratories. Jung believed that the alchemical symbolism depicted in manuscripts and drawings was especially close to the language of the unconscious and if studied appropriately, could offer information concerning the universal task of transforming sickness and suffering into health and well-being.

The alchemical process traditionally contained 4 stages. Within each of these stages, a psychological parallel is understood to be present. In other words, each alchemical stage is symbolic of a particular psychic process related to the experience of individuation. The four stages of the alchemical/ individuation process include:

1) Nigredo- literally “blackness.” Nigredo is described alchemically as the putrification, dissolution, and/or decomposition of the “prima materia” or base material (usually a form of lead). Traditionally, this base material was placed in a vessel and cooked over a fire, producing a black substance. Psychologically, this alchemical state is representative of the initial stage of chaos in which one is thrust into when their sense of psychic equilibrium is disrupted by an event or realization. The nigredo state is often associated with depression but can actually be the manifestation of any cluster of symptoms that causes despair. The alchemical vessel is representative of the therapeutic space and the therapeutic attitude of introversion. Marie-Louise Von Franz describes this stage by writing, “The illusion that the whole trouble lies outside oneself has to come to an end and things have to be looked at from within….it is also the torture of fire because…one is roasted, roasted in what one is.”

2) Albido- literally “whiteness.” Albido is described alchemically as the purification or cleansing of the base material with “aqua vitae,” a concentrated solution of ethanol that was thought to transmute the blackened substance into silver. Psychologically, this alchemical stage is representative of the period in which one develops a relationship to their suffering, claiming it as a legitimate part of themselves and attempting to integrate it into the whole of their being. Because this state is dependent on relatedness or “eros,” a trait attributed to the feminine component of the psyche, it is often depicted by the light of the moon. During this time, one’s depression (or other symptoms) may begin to subside or become increasingly manageable.

3) Citrinitas- literally “yellowing.” Citrinitas is the third stage of the alchemical process that was curiously abandoned after the 15^th century. It is described alchemically as the transmuting of silver into gold or the yellowing of lunar consciousness. Psychologically, this is the stage in which one develops wisdom as a result of reflection in the albido stage. Because this stage is dependent on insight, a trait attributed to the masculine component of the psyche, it is often depicted by the sun.

4) Rubedo- literally “reddening.” Rubedo is described alchemically as the realization of the alchemical opus in which gold, another precious metal, or the elixir of life is produced. Psychologically, this alchemical stage represents the self archetype and the realization of one’s true nature. Rubedo is addressed by philosophers as enlightenment and by theologians as a unification with god.

The metaphor of the alchemical process is helpful in illuminating the nature of suffering and healing when one can go no further with intellectual observation and structure. Moreover, its symbolism can represent either the whole of an individuation process during a single lifetime or any acute period of suffering in which one is called to confront a psychic truth that has previously been overlooked or denied. The analysis of alchemy, like so much of Jung’s work, was yet another attempt at understanding the complex workings of the human psyche. While it is often dismissed by critics, it is in fact, one of Jung’s most significant contributions to the study of psychology.