Living Life Mythologically: A New and Unique Interpretation of The Rosarium Philosophorum by Paco Dombrowski © Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019 Cover Art: The painting on the cover of this essay is a Tibeto-American “tanghka” of a Tibetan iconographical character named “Dorje Trollo Karma Pakshi” who represents “Divine Madness” which operates solely from intuition and feeling and independent of cognition. The relevance of this image to the essay will become apparent in the reading of it. The original design was by a Tibetan scholar/artist named Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and the rendition reprinted on the cover was painted by American tanghka painter, Greg Smith, in the spring of 2019. Caveat Lector! Reader Beware! The responsible and considered reader will quickly realize that this essay presents an understanding of themes of western esotericism that may confuse or disorient those who do not read the entire essay, and as such, those themes should not be abbreviated, offered in bits and pieces, bandied about, guessed at, hinted at, joked about, stolen, plagiarized, leaked, or paraphrased. The alchemical tradition warns that such incaution is dangerous not only for the listener but for those that reveal the material in a haphazard manner. i ii Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum Living Life Mythologically: A New and Unique Interpretation of The Rosarium Philosophorum by Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 1. INTRODUCTION. This essay provides a prolegomena and a propaedeutic to future anticipated works as well as an initiatory introduction to the “Imagination of Nature” of the alchemists to transform the ordinary individual into an “Alchemist” of the imagination who is then capable of producing the physical Philosopher’s Stone which recipe is presented in a separate work and which has this essay as a prerequisite. Specifically, this essay is a presentation of and instruction on how to accomplish the transformation of ordinary psychology into the psychology of the Alchemist via the 15th century alchemical text called, “The Rosarium Philosophorum (Rosarium).” In point of fact, it is said that the Rosarium presents the method for the creation of both the White and the Red Philosopher’s Stone which is true to a point, but it does not include instructions for physical experiments with chemicals and lab equipment. It presents a psychological method for the transformation of the reader into a psychological form of those stones who is then capable of the lab work necessary for the creation of the physical Red and White Philosopher’s Stone. The actual, physical production of those stones is in no way required and for most readers will seem completely superfluous and unnecessary after completing the Rosarium contemplations and transforming him/herself into a psychological version of those 1 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum stones. This is because working through the woodcuts demonstrates that Alchemy is an example of Mind over Matter, not Matter and Mind, and not Matter over Mind and is superior to those other two alternatives and renders them unnecessary and trivial distractions, which is further explained in due course. Others may be enthralled or plagued by Mind and Matter or Matter over Mind, but the Alchemist will have little concern or interest in such ineffective primitivity. The Rosarium is an Alchemical Text in Latin first published in 1400 as a poem which was later accompanied by 20 illustrative woodcut prints in the mid-1500s. The Rosarium woodcuts are based on a poem from the mid-thirteenth century, but the original poem is rarely studied and is not included in this essay. Though most popular during the Renaissance and lost somewhat in the course of the Protestant Reformation and the arrival of the age of science and industrialization, it has been revived and widely read, studied, and commented on since then by modern philosophers and psychologists, most famously by Carl Jung and his followers. The Rosarium is presented in a style typical of the time and depicts a psychological, transformative series of contemplations that enables the reader to significantly clarify his psychology and to live his life mythologically rather than quotidianly. That is, rather than living a life of the constant repetition of neurotic, instinctual impulses and patterns, those who effect the transformations therein depicted and herein elucidated are connected to a deeper psychology beneath those many neurotic impulses and patterns in a manner that allows those impulses and patterns to arise symbolically and mythologically before they become neuroses and thereby revealing the deeper truth to their origins and a more complete and mythological resolution of them once and for all, which end the fruitless drudgery and misery of constantly and repetitiously responding to daily life neuroses. The full title, “The Rosarium Philosophorum” is Latin for the “Rosary of the Philosophers” and likens the whole exercise to a prayer rosary. While it is not a collection of prayers to be recited and counted as with an ordinary rosary, it is like a rosary in the sense that the 20 contemplations are meant to be done in the prescribed order and can be repeated as often and as many times as the user wishes in order to both master the images and then refresh them and the resultant psychology at will. The only difference between a rosary of prayers is that this is a rosary of imagined contemplations rather than recited orations. The image below presents the 20 woodcuts as a whole: 2 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum Figure 1 The 20 Woodcuts of the Rosarium Philosophorum The images are more important than the original poem in that the images represent the necessary contemplations in which “the Adept” (the practioner of alchemy), imagines him/herself for a bit as each of the depicted images in turn to interact with the deeper, transformative layers of the psyche and to benefit from the insights and energies contained therein. The brief portions of the poem that accompany the woodcuts as captions as well as inscriptions in Latin or German add information about relevant symbolism but are not meant to be recited along with the contemplation. Their meaning and relevance are discussed in due course in this essay. The first ten woodcuts illustrate a proper and safe entrance into deeper layers of the psyche that allows the reader to coordinate his/her daily life consciousness and environment with the deeper layers of the and the transformation of him/herself into the psychological version of the White Philosopher’s Stone, the “White Rebis.” The next seven repeat the “journey” within the Collective Unconscious of the first ten in an enhanced way to create the Red Philosopher’s Stone, the “Red Rebis.” The last three depict the return to ordinary consciousness. Crucial to the accomplishment of the connection to the deeper layers of the psyche and these psychological transformations is an understanding of the alchemical imagination, called, “The Imagination of Nature” which follows. 3 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum The Imagination of Nature. To begin the discussion of the Imagination of Nature, it is of value to view the various forms of mental imagery as an ascending progression of ever increasing degrees of consciousness beginning with the most unconscious and unwilled and proceeding to the most conscious and deliberate which are roughly: dreaming, daydreaming, mental representation of sense data, recall of the quotidian past, generation of images for the quotidian future, fantasizing, active imagination, pretending, and lastly, the Imagination of Nature. In this progression, the Imagination of Nature is the most conscious and deliberate as well as the most holistic. The mode of imagination required for a proper engagement with the images, the alchemical Imagination of Nature, is not ordinary daydreaming, fantasy, memory, or planning for the future but is holistic and world encompassing. However, one may experiment with ordinary fantasy and daydreaming to get started. Using the Imagination of Nature the Adept imagines him/herself as each of the images from the woodcuts in succession in a manner that incorporates and “covers” the body of the Adept in the real world and his/her environment. For example, when imagining him/herself as the King and Queen of woodcut #2, the robes and crown are imagined precisely where one sees and feels one’s clothes on one’s body. In that manner, the Adept’s imagination encompasses nature and is the reason, the alchemical imagination is called the Imagination of Nature. Readers may be familiar with the form of imagination popularized by C. G. Jung and analytical psychology called, “Active Imagination,” wherein one engages in a dialog with characters from a personal dream or fantasy as an active, conscious participant in the imagery in order to gain insights into and transform personal psychology, but the Imagination of Nature is not quite the same. While the Imagination of Nature is a more dynamic form of fantasy than ordinary daydreaming, the “dream work” of the Active Imagination of analytical psychology is still “in the head” rather than on the body and in the immediate environment.. The Imagination of Nature is more static than Active Imagination but more dynamic than daydreaming and much more holistic than both. Readers may also be familiar with a form of imagination called “visualization” as taught in the west through Tibetan Buddhism where one imagines oneself as a particular deity from the Tibetan pantheon in order to develop the psychological qualities of that deity. This Tibetan form of imagination may for some people be the same as is required here, but there is rarely any discussion or instruction concerning the difference between imagining yourself as the deity in your head as in daydreaming or imagining yourself as the deity “on your body” as being discussed here. Thus, an individual’s understanding of visualization may or may not conform to the Imagination of Nature. In short, the alchemical imagination specifically coordinates and integrates imagination and body/environment (nature) to effect its psychological transformation by imagining holistically, and it does not include any dialog or interaction with characters presented in the woodcuts as the Active Imagination of analytical psychology might. As a matter of fact, it mitigates against such dialog as a disruption of the intended psychological transformation which focuses on imagery rather than cognition-dialog. 4 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum The Alchemical “Opus.” As stated, the task or the Alchemical “Opus” (Latin for “work”), is to imagine oneself as each of the woodcuts in sequence and to thereby transform the ordinary quotidian psychology and even neurotic psychology into one which manifests itself symbolically and mythologically and therefore more generally, effectively and efficiently. This Opus can be undertaken by either a male or a female of course, but, as will become apparent, the Opus was originally designed in a male oriented world where there were very few female Adepts, and the female reader may naturally have some concern as to whether or not adjustments are required to accommodate female Adepts. This will be discussed in more detail at the appropriate points in the discussion. In principle, the woodcuts describe a process of transformation that is meant in principle to be done just once to effect the intended transformation, but doing it “just once” will likely be preceded by a half dozen or a dozen or more false starts and clumsy, half-hearted, or exploratory attempts. Depending on the time one has to devote to it, it can take days or even weeks to complete the first pass through all twenty images and then a week or so more to progress to the ability to imagine the entire series in a few minutes. This requires a number of passes through the entire set which becomes easier and easier. In that sense, it is more of a rosary of contemplations and not a one-time effort. When the full set is mastered and completed, there will be a natural tendency to touch in with it for a few days or more until it is completely mastered and eventually dropped, the result being a healthier, more insightful, and comfortable psychology. The creation of the White and Red Philosopher’s Stones is represented by the 10th and 17th woodcuts respectively. After having successfully completed the Rosary of contemplations, the Adept can then touch in with either of those images for either a few seconds or a few minutes to positively transform situations in daily life. Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. The goal of the contemplation is to connect oneself with the dynamic and transformative possibilities of known mythological images, the Archetypes, which are found in the deeper layers of the psyche called, the Collective Unconscious. In particular, the Adept uses established and well-known Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious such as the King and Queen presented in the woodcuts to tap into, connect with, and better unite with the Archetypal forces of the Collective Unconscious. The Archetypal images of the Collective Unconscious are distinguished from images from the Personal Unconscious in that they are cultural or universal, rather than recognized as known and personal images. For example, an individual’s mother or father, significant other, friends, or boss may turn up in the Adept’s ordinary dreams or imagination. These images arise from the Personal Unconscious and daily life and not from the Collective Unconscious. The gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, however, are good examples of the sorts of images that arise from the Collective Unconscious and which highlight their cultural or universal rather than personal nature. The King and Queen, like Mercury and Venus, are also not from the Collective Unconscious, but unlike Mercury and Venus are more universal than cultural. 5 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum Ordinarily, the Archetypes are fixed and permanent dynamics within the collective unconscious and cannot and do not enter into, affect, or interact directly with daily life except indirectly, lightly, and rarely. Similarly, the ordinary Joe or Jane are fixed and permanent members of the conscious world and do not enter directly into or affect the Collective Unconscious except occasionally and haphazardly. However, the alchemical Imagination of Nature when properly understood and engaged enhances daily life experience with the insights and power of the Archetypes through a means of better mixing those two worlds. The process of engaging the Archetypes is analogous to a comic book character becoming a superhero. The secret identity of the superhero is not lost, but it has temporarily taken on a more powerful form to effect a specific purposes, ordinarily, and act of heroism. The images of the Rosarium represent the nature and structure of the Collective Unconscious in a quiescent and tamed state. The Collective Unconsciousness in itself without such focused imagery is an entire universe of chaos composed of both creative and destructive transformative symbols and energies that are disorganized and haphazard. They can only be tamed and utilized through a healthy psychology. Without undergoing a contemplative exercise like that of the Rosarium, the images and the symbols of the Collective Unconscious remain chaotic and random and even with a generally healthy psychology, they still only penetrate into consciousness in a piecemeal and unpredictable manner. However, using images such as those of the Rosarium imposes a form and a structure on the chaos of the Collective Unconscious that parallels the Adepts personal world and allows the images and the energies to enter in a syncretic fashion for a coordinated, mutual relationship and communication. Transforming oneself into an image from the woodcuts creates the connection to the deeper layers of the Collective Unconscious and also helps maintain the necessary, healthy psychology of the Imagination of Nature. The image helps maintain the state of mind and the state of mind helps to generate the image in a reciprocal and maturing relationship. The Mythological World View. The mythological world view is different than the scientific world view and is ordinarily based on a geocentric universe. The earth is either flat or spherical and the stars and planets circle it. There are seven planetary bodies which include the Sun and moon, and they orbit above the earth conscribing seven concentric spheres above and around the earth. The constellations of fixed stars are taken as a final sphere above all the planetary spheres which separates the physical universe from the heavens which exist beyond the stars. As this is an exercise in psychological mythology, there is no need to concern oneself about the realities of the scientific universe. In fact, a heliocentric view of the universe and arguments in support of it takes one away from the mythological and back into the quotidian and should be avoided. It is best to accept the mythological portrait of the universe and recognize it as a dimension of psychology rather than concerning oneself with scientific realties. Glossary of the Main Symbolism. The symbolism presented in the woodcuts is important and enhances the transformations and the connection to the Collective Unconscious. It was quite well-known at the time of the writing of 6 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum the Rosarium though perhaps not in such articulate detail as it is today due to the work of analytical psychologists such as C. G. Jung and his followers. All of it is important and should be maintained and not replaced, added to, or ignored and will be described with each image in the full instructions for the contemplations in Part 2 of this essay. The meaning of the most important and common of the symbols are presented here in this glossary as an introduction to the major, recurring themes. Crows, snakes, flowers, a dove, and several other symbols also occur but are less general and are discussed with the appropriate images as they appear. Male and Female, Masculine and Feminine: In the Symbolism of the Collective Unconscious, the notions of Male and Female, and Masculine and Feminine are not so much references to gender or sexuality as they are to two types of consciousness: the focused and concentrated consciousness that interacts with physical objects and the diffuse and open consciousness which interacts with the environment as a whole. The focused and concentrated consciousness which both men and women use to relate directly to objects and tasks in the world is represented by the King and is identified as the masculine consciousness while the diffuse and open consciousness which is also used by both men and women to relate to a wider awareness and to be alert for possibilities and alternatives while one is engaged with objects and tasks in the world is represented by the Queen, the feminine consciousness. The masculine consciousness in both men and women is active, focused, and engaged in order to relate to particular physical objects, and the feminine consciousness in both men and women is diffuse, passive, and receptive in order to take in the environment as whole. Both consciousnesses always operate in tandem though sometimes in a clumsy and uncoordinated way with one being weaker than the other. Driving a car provides a good example of the tandem operation of the two consciousnesses. While driving, the focused, masculine consciousness concerns itself with the steering wheel, the pedals, and the immediate traffic, while the feminine consciousness concerns itself with the wider environment such as weather conditions, potential hazards, upcoming curves and hills and so forth. For those readers who are familiar with Buddhist meditation, the masculine consciousness is developed through shamatha meditation and the feminine consciousness is developed through vipashyana meditation. It is often the case that men prefer the masculine consciousness and women prefer the feminine consciousness but this is in no way universal. Sun and Moon: The Sun and the Moon are also symbols of the masculine consciousness and the feminine consciousness respectively, but more importantly, in this context they are symbolic of the two consciousnesses projected into the world. That is, the King and Queen represent the masculine and feminine Consciousnesses, while the Sun and the Moon represent the masculine and feminine awareness extended into the environment and reflecting sense data back to the King and Queen. King and Queen: The King and Queen represent the idealized, empowered, and recognized masculine and feminine consciousnesses in their roles as rulers of their respective worlds. 7 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum Mercury and Venus: Mercury and Venus are not specifically depicted in the woodcuts, but the experienced Adept is aware of their importance and their role in the contemplations. Specifically, they represent the idealization of the Adept’s two consciousnesses enhanced with all the talents and qualities of Mercury and Venus. Their importance to the contemplations and their particular talents and qualities are described in more detail following this glossary. The Fountain: The Fountain and its environment represents the totality of the Collective Unconscious as a universal dynamic rather than as an individual personality. Elan Vital: The creative force within an organism that is responsible for growth, change, and necessary or desirable adaptations. It is the spark and the heat of life which condenses the Aether (see below) into the Mercurial Water of the Fountain. The Elements: These play an important role in alchemy and in Renaissance and preRenaissance science (what was then called, “the Philosophy of Nature”) and are only briefly considered in the first, eighth, and sixteenth woodcuts but should be recognized as of fundamental importance. In the west, there are usually only four: Earth, Water, Fire, and Air, but sometimes a fifth called “Aether” has been included even as far back as Aristotle and the pre-Socratics, and is also quite important to the contemplations. The alchemists only first included this element from the 15th century but have regularly included it since, and it is important enough to warrant a glossary entry of its own which follows immediately below. Aether: The fifth element, Aether, also often called, “the Quintessence,” is similar to air but is more pure and more rarified. The alchemists saw it as the “Prima Materia,” the initial, underlying substance from which matter and the other elements and all of the physical universe arose. All objects of matter from the smallest subatomic particles to the largest planets and the universe itself are formed from this Prima Materia. It is analogous to what is today simply called “Matter” or “Substance” in physics, which is paired with “Energy” as the primary components of the physical universe. In Greek mythology, Aether was thought to be the pure essence that the gods breathed, filling the space where they lived as opposed to the ordinary Air breathed by mortals. In the contemplations of the Rosarium, Aether is to be included in the atmosphere of both the Personal and Collective Unconscious. Aether is particularly present when one is engaged in the Imagination of Nature and taking note of it makes the entire contemplation more tangible and effective. It is the necessary, extra element that allows the images of the Collective Unconscious to “live” in the physical world and to aid and empower it. “Tangible” Aether. A sense of the presence of Aether is best for the fullest experience of these transformations. While the contemplations have a positive transformative effect if done solely in ordinary fantasy, and a better effect if done with the Imagination of Nature, they are most profoundly effective if the Adept can recognize and relate to a “tangible” experience of the Aether as well. However, even though the Aether is the source of all the other elements, it has no sense qualities of its own. The closest one can get to the actual experience of Aether is a 8 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum better sense of the all-pervasive presence of an airy “something” which cannot be seen, heard, smelled, tasted or touched, Aether is inhaled and exhaled along with Air, but its presence is not distinguishable from the Air. Aether is also carried throughout the body by the blood like Air (oxygen), but also naturally and thoroughly permeates the entire body from without. It is both the source of the body and a sustainer of it. As purer and more rarified than the Air, it permeates everything and is carried and moved with and within everything and is without sense qualities. To gain a better appreciation of the tangible presence of Aether, the Adept needs to get the best sense of unencumbered vastness and an ever present “something” as possible through imagining the universe as pure, unbounded sky and nothing else. The sense of vastness that comes with that is the closest anyone can get. Mercury and Venus. The images of Mercury and Venus and those of the woodcuts are fixed and stable and exist in the Collective Unconscious; the daily life of the Adept is fixed and stable and exists in Consciousness. The two worlds interact a bit through philosophy, religion, and the arts which codify many of the images, but randomly and rarely. However, using the Imagination of Nature, the Adept’s vision of him/herself first as Mercury-Venus and then as the sequential images of the woodcuts provides a more profound and productive connection and interaction such that the Adept may relate more directly and regularly to symbolic wisdom, power, and insight of the Collective Unconscious and bring that into play in daily life Consciousness. As stated above, Mercury and Venus are cultural Archetypes, and the images of the woodcuts are universal Archetypes. That is, the cultural Archetypes are derived from universal Archetypes through having been recognized and adopted by a particular culture and operate within that culture for those individuals and groups who make the effort to relate to them. Over the centuries, the psychological dynamics represented by Mercury and Venus have become known and effective in the quotidian world of western culture and are therefore cultural rather than universal. The King and Queen of the later woodcuts are representative of universal Archetypes as the notions of King and Queen are present in all cultures, and they are not sufficiently defined to identify any particular culture. Due to the study, understanding, and respect that have been devoted to them, Mercury and Venus can serve as cultural intermediaries to the Collective Unconscious and can introduce the Adept to the as yet unknown universal Archetypes. Their descriptions follow: Mercury: Mercury is a major god in Roman mythology. He is the god of financial gain, commerce (particularly the grain trade) eloquence, communication, travelers, and luck, and most importantly in this essay, he is the intermediary between the world of gods and men. He is the connecting and empowering link between the Personal Unconscious and the Collective Unconscious. He also serves as an intermediary for bringing insights from the Collective Unconscious to Consciousness to benefit the Adept in daily life. He is often depicted holding a Caduceus in his left hand. Apollo awarded a magic wand, which later turned into the Caduceus, the wand with two serpents winding up the 9 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum sides. He also wears winged sandals and a winged hat. He is often also accompanied by a rooster, herald of the new day, a ram or goat, symbolizing fertility, and a tortoise, all of which represent his skills. Hendrik Goltzius: Mercury, (Hermes)with his symbols. Venus: Venus is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity and victory. Her name comes from the Latin noun venus ("sexual love" and "sexual desire"). It has connections to venerari ("to honor, to try to please") and venia ("grace, favor"). In Roman mythology she is called Aphrodite. In both cultures she is recognized as the yielding, female principle, essential to the generation and balance of life. Venus absorbs and tempers the masculine, uniting the opposites of male and female in mutual affection. She can provide military victory, sexual success, good fortune and prosperity. In one context, she is a goddess of prostitutes; in another, she turns the hearts of men and women from sexual vice to virtue. Her symbols include roses and above all, myrtle, which was cultivated for its white, sweetly scented flowers, aromatic evergreen leaves, and its various medical-magical properties. 10 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically Venus (Aphrodite). The Rosarium Philosophorum Myrtle, one of Venus’ symbols. . There are of course many other gods and goddesses in the Roman and Greek pantheons, but these two are chosen as they are representatives of effectiveness and success in daily life. In addition, Mercury’s role as messenger between Consciousness and the Unconscious makes him particularly important. Based on personal interest and time, after completing the full series of contemplations with Mercury and Venus as intermediaries, the Adept may want to redo the entire process using others of the Greek and Roman pantheons or even those of the many pantheons of the world, but to make the initial connection and to form the imaginal white and red Philosopher’s Stones, Mercury and Venus are most apt. The Initial Preparation, the Contra-Sexual Counterpart. Before approaching the first image of the series, the Adept adopts a particular psychology and engages the Imagination of Nature. The psychology of the Adept is calm, quiescent, and open, a kind of blank slate. The inner life of the extremes of love, hate, and denial are calmed to one of mild like, dislike, and unconcern. Psychological functions such as cognizing, feeling, sensing, and intuiting are not particularly engaged with anything other than maintaining the image. Having taken a moment to touch in with that psychology, the Adept engages the Imagination of Nature by first imagining him/herself and an imagined Contra-Sexual Counterpart in a personal idealized form. That is, the Adept imagines him/herself as successful in his/her field, charming, intelligent, and so on, whatever the Adept sees as personal ideals and in an idealized mood, demeanor, and clothing. Along with that is the Contra-Sexual Counterpart, also in idealized form. The Contra-Sexual Counterpart is imagined along with the Adept as a kind of a dual image which fades in and out from the masculine to the feminine and back again. Using the images of Mercury and Venus above as an example, it is as if in an animation the two images are morphing one into the other and back again or are static and transposed and intermixed. The imagined personal Contra-Sexual counterpart can be an image of anyone in real life, one which represents the idealized form of the Contra-Sexual for the Adept. The image can be 11 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum someone known to the Adept, a film or television star, or an image from the internet. The point is to awaken both forms of consciousness and bring them both fully, deliberately and consciously into the contemplation in full awareness and coordination by imagining both in on-going transposition. This is not done from the point of view of a potential sexual encounter between two distinct individuals but from the point of view of invoking the two forms of consciousness that exist within everyone at the same time and in an idealized working-in-the-world form. The image below from the tenth woodcut depicts that dual nature of the masculine and feminine depicted as a hermaphrodite. The Renaissance of course did not have animations that would allow them to depict the masculine and feminine as a morphing of one into the other and back again, so they used a hermaphroditic image to indicate that dual nature and its interaction. (The other symbols depicted in the image will be presented and discussed in due course in Part #2 at Contemplation #10.) Figure 2 The Hermaphrodite from Figure 10 of the woodcuts. The dual image of the idealized, personal form of the Adept and the idealized, personal form of the Contra-Sexual Counterpart is then morphed into a dual, transposing image of Mercury and Venus, and finally, in preparation for the image of the first woodcut, Mercury and Venus then morph into an image of a fountain known to the Adept from real life. From there, the Adept is ready to begin the Rosarium contemplations. Transforming into an image of a real world fountain represents descending into the earth through a man-made construction that is seen as a portal to the Collective Unconscious. It is recognized as a portal due to the transformation of the physical elements into a product of man’s intelligence and insight and as an object of art which represents mankind’s nascent connection to the Collective Unconscious. The flowing water of a Fountain is important as well as a representation of the movement of life forces. The initial idealization of him/herself and the idealized Contra-Sexual Counterpart makes the connection to the Personal Unconscious. The transformation of that into Mercury and Venus is the connection to the Cultural Unconscious and the first empowerment of the Adept wherein 12 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum he/she is imbued with the character traits of the god and goddess as described above which provide the means to enter the Collective Unconscious. The transformation into the image of a fountain in daily life is stepping into the doorway of the Collective Unconscious. In addition, taking on the form of the Fountain as a representation of the intellect and arts of all of mankind seals and protects the Adept from negative forces in the Collective Unconscious. In a human, fleshy form, the Adept might be susceptible to bloating, dissolution, or overexposure. Transforming into the Fountain of the first woodcut is passing through the portal and into the Collective Unconscious and the Adept has arrived and begins the journey of transformation. These and all the other imagined transformations involve an active, animation-like movement and transformation from one image to the next, and the Adept remembers each step and recognizes them as a ripening from one to the next as though from seed to sprout to plant to flower rather than as an abrupt and distinct cutting off of one image to become the next. At first this can be a little difficult and may take some time to affect, even a number of days or weeks, but it is a learnable skill and can be mastered. Finally, in viewing the images of the woodcuts to generate an image in the Imagination of Nature, there are two possible viewpoints: stage-view and mirror view. Stage-view regards the Sun above and on the right of the Fountain and the Moon above and on the left of the Fountain as if they were present on a stage and the reverse of the house-view. From that viewpoint, the viewer imagines the Sun above and to his/her right and the Moon above and to the left as a kind of flip and reverse of the woodcut image In mirror view, on the other hand, the Sun on the left of the Fountain and the Moon on the right does not reverse and the Adept imagines the Sun above and to his right and the Moon above and to the left. Neither the stage-view nor the mirror-view can be immediately rejected as an accurate portrayal of the intention of the artist as this is never stated in the literature. It is also reasonable to surmise that the alchemical images are meant to be taken as depictions of what is seen in the Collective Unconscious as they might be seen in a dream and therefore are to be imagined in the mirror-view rather than the stage-view such that the Adept is “stepping into” a dream image in front of him/her or which is coming forward into the Adept’s world. However, as a general rule, the alchemists always associate the Sun with the right and the Moon with the left-hand sides of the body, and it is therefore reasonable to conclude from that that the stage-view is correct and that the Adept must reverse the right left perspective. In the final analysis though, the matter is no more elucidated in this essay than anywhere else in the history of alchemy. The reader will have to decide for him/herself whether to adopt the stageview or the mirror-view or experiment with both. Completion of the Rosarium Contemplations. With the completion of woodcut 10, the Adept will have transformed him/herself into the White Philosopher’s Stone, the White Rebis, with woodcut 17, the Red Philosopher’s, Stone, the Red Rebis, and the last three woodcuts depict the return from the Collective Unconscious to the world of daily life Consciousness. The effect of successfully navigating and mastering the full set of 20 woodcuts is, as stated earlier, an improved coordination between Consciousness and the Collective Unconscious 13 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum which will be recognized as greater insight, more vivid and transformative dreams, and an increase in poetic and prosaic expressiveness. In addition, the Adept will be able to refresh his connection through quickly going through the full set or merely remembering and maintaining any of the images for a few seconds or a minute or so. The 10th image and the 17th image represent the accomplishment of the white and red Philosopher’s Stones respectively and are most apt for this sort of recall. The 18th through the 20th are also of particular value to recall in sequence if the Adept feels adrift in the unconscious. Briefly imagining oneself as the images in the 10th or 17th woodcut while handling objects of value is said to convey the empowerments to those objects and is an imaginative technique that is more fully described in the essay that follows this one in the series. 14 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum 2. A. THE FULL SET OF THE 20 CONTEMPLATIONS. As stated earlier, the 20 images presented in the Rosarium woodcuts do not represent abrupt or distinct alternations but progress like a ripening from one image to the next as though from seed, to sprout, to plant, to flower. This needs to be remembered throughout as best as possible. Figure #1: The Mercurial Fountain. The Contemplation: The Adept having completed the preparation described in the previous section, morphs his/her form as a fountain from daily life into the Fountain depicted and settles with that and develops it for a few seconds or a few minutes. We are the beginning and first nature of metals, Art by us maketh the chief tincture. There is no fountain nor water found like unto me. I heal and help both the rich and the poor, But yet I am full of hurtful poison. The Symbolism: The fountain of the real word which the Adept entered when he transformed into it is now the vehicle and portal to the Collective Unconscious as the Adept transforms from the one into the other. The Fountain is the most complex and the most important image of the series. It makes an initial connection to the full dynamic of the Collective Unconscious that is balanced, healthy, and thorough. The images as well as the verses and inscriptions that are sometimes present in this and in the later woodcuts provide more details on both the psychology to be developed and maintained as well as a deeper understanding of the nature of the world of the Collective 15 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum Unconscious. The inscriptions and verses should be included in the image being developed in the Imagination of Nature. As stated, the Adept transforms him/herself from his current image of a personally known, real-world fountain into the Fountain of the woodcut with the flower-like crown on the top of the Fountain on the top on the top of his/her head and the spigots roughly at the level of the nose. As the Fountain represents the Adept in sitting position, the base of the Fountain is at the seat of the pants and the lion’s paws represent the seat upon which the Adept is sitting and his/her legs. The diminished nature of the seat and legs as paws merely illustrates that the appendages are not important to the imagery and can be ignored. The environment is composed of the clouds, stars, and so forth depicted in the image which closely parallels the Adepts environment in the real world. The billowing white clouds on the sides represent the meeting place of the unknown and the known worlds and the boundaries of perception. Though this is difficult to depict two dimensionally, the clouds on the sides are actually meant to surround the entire environment and enclose it in a dome. The two-headed serpent at the top is at the apex of the dome of clouds and well above the Adepts crown. The dome of billowing clouds are imagined as the walls and ceiling of the room in which the Adept is contemplating. Inside the dome of clouds is the Collective Unconscious tamed and coordinated with the world of the Adept, outside the clouds is the chaos. The solid basin and column of the Fountain represents the body of the Adept and the water represents the physical processes of the body as well as the flow of the inchoate imagery of the Collective Unconscious. The water is quiescent in the basin and active and flowing from there through the column and out the spigots indicating the activity of the body and the mind together. The full environment includes the ground beneath the Fountain, the dome of billowing clouds, the four stars within the clouds, the fifth star in the center, the sun, the moon, and the two-headed serpent at the apex of the dome. Each image has its own symbolic meaning, and these are explained next, beginning from the top and working downward. The discussion begins with the environment independent of the Fountain. The most important, environmental image of the first woodcut is the six-pointed star in the center near the top abutting and below the two-headed serpent. This represents the fifth element, the Aether which was defined above in the glossary. It is often also called, the “Quintessence.” It is the source of the four elements and of everything else. In its own nature even before it arises as the six-pointed star, it is pure potentiality itself, it can become anything and can perceive anything. It is the Prima Materia of the Alchemists. It is the first matter as absolute elasticity and absolute plasticity in a quiescent interpenetrating intermix and interaction. In that as yet uncognized form, it exhibits no sense qualities but all the senses, all sense data, and all perceptions arise from that pure potentiality. On its own, it is nothing more than a vast empty sky, colorless, soundless, tasteless, odorless, and without tactile sensation. However, it is also cognizant, and that cognizance, coupled with the potential of the vast empty sky is the source of the alchemical universe. When it first takes shape, it separates into the two-headed serpent of Reason and the central, six-pointed star of Aether. 16 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum After the initial separation of the primordial Quintessence into Reason and Aether, The four elements arise through a double bifurcation of the Aether into a quaternity (the cross of a parallel and horizontal diameter within a square or a circle) of two pairs of opposites: Earth and Air and Fire and Water and radiate out to the ends of perception, and on the way, they intermix, begin to cohere and adhere, and dissolve and coagulate as per their relative natures and create the psychological universe. The elements radiate out and are wave-like at first and form the world of imagination. As they dissolve into the white clouds on the edges of perception, the clouds are inhaled, ingested, digested and exhaled by the two-headed serpent of Reason and become the particles of the physical universe. During that dual process or forming the physical and psychological world, they define the space of both the physical and psychological environment as up, down, left, and right, and north, south, east, and west and settle throughout the environment according to their respective natures. As they spread out and intermix, they become the substance of the physical and psychological objects of the world. Earth and Water are near the ground and Fire and Air in the atmosphere. Five of the six points of the six-pointed stars signify the five elements and the sixth, the cognizance of the Aether which has become the two-headed serpent of reason. Those four elements are also represented as six-pointed stars to indicate their origin in the fifth star. The two-headed serpent of Reason is labelled in Latin, mineralis, animalis, and vegetabalis for the animal, mineral, and vegetable kingdoms that are discovered through analysis, evaluation, and judgment of the distribution and interaction of the elements. The serpent both exudes and absorbs those qualities from the physical world and from the Chaos of the Collective Unconscious above. However, in its immediate relation to the Chaos on its upper side, it only exudes and absorbs the energies and images in mineral form that is as inanimate qualities, and in its immediate physically present relation to the physical world, it only exudes and absorbs the animal and vegetable kingdoms. In short, the inanimate and insubstantial images and energies from the chaos only become substantial and animated in the physical world through the serpent. The serpent is both perceiving, breathing, and ingesting the white clouds generated by the exhaustion of the four elements at the edge of perception. The twist in his underside indicates that Reason is separating and distinguishing the elements by using his Animalis nature to take in the Vegetabalis side of the clouds and his Mineralis nature to take in the Vegetabilis side of the clouds. In the ingesting and digesting of the white clouds there is no need for a regurgitation of contents as they are vapor and breathing is sufficient to ensure the on-going exchange. The Serpent digests or better, Reason silently considers, the underlying structure of the world and breathes it back out again reconstituting itself through the “minerals” of digestion, radiating that to the Chaos above and breathing those minerals as well as the now digested contents back into the world. The Chaos above and beyond the Serpent and surrounding the world enclosed by the clouds can be haphazardly and arbitrarily either destructive or creative, but in passing through the serpent, the contents of the Chaos are distinguished and separated into the three kingdoms and the dangers are reduced and benefits increased. The serpent or Reason, seemingly dual in nature, is actually triune in that it represents, the ingestion, dissolution, and reproduction of the three kingdoms of the physical world and the Chaos. 17 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum Reason is thus the authority and rule of the physical environment. The Cognizance of the Aether is the authority and rule of the psychological world. The Sun and the Moon are not a product of the serpent’s activity but represent the masculine and feminine consciousness of the Adept. These are also not the Sun and the Moon of the seven planets and planetary spheres as indicated by the faces on the images and their placement within the near environment of the Adept rather than outside the atmosphere. The faces indicate they are personal elements rather than planets and represent the presence of the dual conscious awareness of the Adept, the masculine consciousness as the Sun and the feminine consciousness as the moon. They are indicative of the awareness of the two consciousnesses spreading throughout the environment and reflecting back the sense data. Turning now from the environment to the center of the image, to the Adept as the Fountain, the process just described is also occurring in parallel with the fountain, where the two headed serpent and Aetherial Star are within the crown of the Fountain, and the white clouds of the dome of the environment are the sensations of the Adept. However, this is not depicted because the star, serpent, and clouds are immediately transformed through the on-going perception of the Adept. Both the environment and the Fountain are producing the same image, but the Adept as a vehicle of perception as well as a source of sense data is taking in the sense data of the environment as well as that of its own production through perception. Therefore, the dome of clouds, and the serpent and star are both produced and dissolved immediately through perception. The environment and the Fountain are in a relationship of mutual and reciprocal production, dissolution, and reproduction, but only the Fountain appears as stable and only the environment demonstrates the operation of nature because the Fountain perceives and the environment does not. Thus, the base and column of the Fountain is the dome of clouds developed through perception while the dome of clouds does not solidify as it does not include a perceiver. The water in the basin is called the Mercurial Water, and it is created through the inhalation of the Adept. The inhaled breath flows down into the basin of the Fountain below the column where the heat of the Elan Vital condenses it into the undifferentiated Mercurial Water. The Mercurial Water circulates through the column as it is heated by the Elan Vital, and as the Adept exhales, the breath flows out again into the environment infused with the Mercurial Water as the Mercurial Water pours out through the spigots and back into the basin. The Elan Vital, the spark and fire of life, resides in the center of the water in the basin of the Fountain half-way below the column and the bottom of the basin. It is often referred to as the fire of the Athanor or furnace of the alchemists. The condensation of the Aether into liquid occurs immediately closest to the Elan Vital and becomes solid when it is far enough from the heat to form the basin and the column with its spigots. Though not depicted, the Adept should include the Elan Vital as well as a small red ball of hot light in the basin and in the center of his body behind the naval. The Elan Vital is the center and source of both the environment and the Fountain. It is also the source of the original separation of the primordial Aether, the vast empty sky into the five elements and Reason as well as what maintains it. Initially, the Elan Vital “wakes up” in the primordial, empty sky and its Reason goes to the heights as it drops to the base and the five elements arise and disperse. The Elan Vital is thus transformed into the diffuse, uniting 18 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum environmental, feminine consciousness, and Reason becomes the focused, discriminating, particular masculine consciousness. The base of the Fountain is decorated with six jewels paralleling the six points of the elemental stars which represent the six senses. Ordinarily, only five senses are distinguished, but the sixth in this case is the cognition of the Aether which coordinates and distinguishes the data of sense input. It is a rudimentary form of consciousness which the Alchemists called, “the Understanding.” When the original primordial Aether separated into the five elements and the serpent, the more sophisticated cognition of Reason was split off into the serpent, but the Understanding, which distinguishes and coordinates the presentations of sense data from the elements. The inscription on the rim of the basin states in Latin (with abbreviations expanded), “Unus est Mercurius mineralis, Mercurius vegetabilis, Mercurius animalis.” which translates into “The Mineral Mercury, the Vegetable Mercury, and the Animal Mercury are one,” indicating that the water in the basin of the Fountain as well as the Fountain itself are primordial and as yet undifferentiated products of the three kingdoms of nature. As the Mercurial Water is heated by the Elan Vital and begins to move through the column, it separates into three distinct waters which are bi-products of the mineralis, animalis, and vegetabilis. The waters flowing from the spigots are labelled in Latin, Lac Virginis, Aqua Vitae, and Acetum Fontis and are on the left, center, and right of the Adepts nose behind the bridge and nostrils. The Latin translates into “Virgin's Milk,” “Water of Life,” and “Spring of Vinegar.” Virgin’s Milk corresponds to the animalis, Water of life to the mineralis, and Spring of Vinegar to the vegetabilis. The Virgin’s Milk is white in color and represents the lunar energy of the feminine consciousness in liquid form. It is the energy of coagulation. Just as milk coagulates and can coagulate other things, this water causes things to coagulate and solidify, it is the source of the hardness of objects in the world. The Spring of Vinegar is red-wine red and represents the masculine and solar energy which dissolves things. The Aqua Vitae is sky blue and represents a balanced state of coagulation and dissolution. Milk White Sky Blue. Red-Wine Red. The color of the Mercurial Water itself is the color of liquid crystal, like melted sky, and is colorless itself but radiates rainbow light like a prism. The Fountain is like white marble because of the nature of the Mercurial Water, the condsensed liquid crystal, now solidified is the presence of all the colors of the rainbow at once or white. The Verse: In the first line of the verse beneath the image, the, “We” refers to the alchemists of the past and the Adepts undergoing this exercise as well as the Archetypes, the images, and the various elements of the images. That “we” represents the personification, personalization, and enlivening of all of it as well as their interrelation. It also forms an egregore of individuals with 19 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum similar interests. “The metals” refers to the seeming rigidity of the physical world in its various forms which becomes pliant and malleable through heat and knowledge. In the second line, “Art by us maketh the chief tincture,” refers to the application of reason, heat, and knowledge as herein and elsewhere described to create the Philosopher’s Stone, which can tincture other things by its nature. The third line indicates that this is solely a psychological procedure, and there is no fountain or water to be found outside of the imagination and using the pronoun “me,” it emphasizes the personal nature of the entire endeavor in contrast to but at the same time in parallel with the “we” of the first line. “All for one and one for all” might be a suitable paraphrase. The fourth line indicates it is a matter of the faculties of the mind and not on of material resources and circumstances. The fifth and final line points out that for most people the experience of psychology is or can be very painful and debilitating and may not make the effort to transform it. It also indicates that the success with these exercises does not guarantee an end to the possibilities of such misery. Figure #2: The King and Queen The Contemplation: The Fountain and its environment transforms into the King and Queen as depicted in the woodcut reproduced below. Specifically, the environment first dissolves into and empowers the Fountain, and then the Fountain transforms into and empowers the King and Queen. Only the sun, the moon, and the six-pointed star are maintained from the environment and are located between the King and Queen. The serpent has been dissolved into the star of the Aether and emerges below as the dove, bring the superior cognitive abilities of Reason to the King and Queen. The original six pointed star is there as well as the source of everything. The waters of the Fountain are transformed into the robes of the King and King and the crown of the Fountain transforms into the crowns of the King and Queen. The Adept settles with that for a few seconds or a few minutes. 20 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum The Symbolism: The Adept is now empowering his/her role in life as ruler of his/her world through the images and powers of the Collective Unconscious. The Sun and Moon of the two forms of Consciousness of the Adept are withdrawn their focus from the environment and consider one another instead. This withdrawal of focus from the outer onto the inner world is represented by the Sun and Moon being now located at their feet and the transformation of the Fountain and the environment into the King and Queen. Between the King and Queen and above their heads the six-pointed star of the Aether is now in private world of the King and Queen. The dove represents the now internalized Reason of the two-headed serpent, and the flower in his beak represents the Understanding. The other five flowers represent the sense data of five elements. Though not always apparent, the Mercurial Waters are always present. In this image, they are represented by the robes of the King and Queen. The Fountain itself has become the bodies of the King and Queen. Mercury and Venus are more personal than the King and Queen who represent formal roles rather than personalities. The gods and goddesses such as Mercury and have rather generalized and non-specific personalities, but much more personality than the formal roles of King and Queen. The personality traits are general and vague enough to allow the details of the Adepts personality to remain intact as the personalities of Mercury and Venus empower them with their positive qualities and the King and Queen now empower the roles of the Adept in life. That is, they are empowering themselves in their roles in life whether that be of an actual king and queen, lawyer and doctor, or teacher and skilled laborer. The images of the King and Queen empower the authority and majesty of that. Mercury and Venus on the other hand having more personality empower the social lives, personal activities, and extraneous projects of the Adept. The six flowers represent the dissolution of the world of perception into the consideration of the King and Queen in symbolic form. Like the six jewels on the side of the Fountain, there are six rather than five senses where the sixth is the faculty that distinguishes and coordinates their input. The basin and column and spigots are also aptly represented by the flowers. The Elan 21 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum Vital now exists in the abdomen of both King and Queen who are essentially one person, the Adept, who is allowing his/her masculine and feminine consiousnesses to relate. The flowers are directed toward the organs of sense in the face of the King and Queen. The flower from the Dove, touching the hands indicates the presence of the Aether at the center of the interaction. In this withdrawal from the outside world, the masculine consciousness and the feminine consciousness have distinguished themselves and separated and begin to relate to one another for a better discrimination and understanding of their respective roles in relating to the world. They are fully dressed in their formal attire with the crowns and robes of their rank. The robes and crowns are formed from the Mercurial Water. They are rather formally, but somewhat affectionately, indicating their essential relatedness and connectedness through their left hands. They are using their left hands to indicate the potential for intimacy rather than conflict. It is not a formal handshake but somewhat more like holding hands though still rather tentatively. They are using the left hands because the left side is generally associated with weakness, and they are warmly recognizing and accepting each other’s weaknesses. From their right hands they each offer flowers of one stem with two blossoms directed toward the sense faculties of the other, representing their respect and admiration for the other’s strengths. The possibility of coordinated and affectionate relationship between the two aspects of consciousness is made possible through the meeting of the left hands. Rather than standing back from one another and asserting their personal strengths and attacking the weaknesses of the other, they are recognizing the value of working together by admitting their personal weaknesses and admiring the strengths in the other. Thus, rather than an individual posturing and puffed up assertion of their strengths and the demeaning and nitpicking of the other’s weaknesses in bickering and conflict, they can interact through acceptance and sympathy with each other’s weaknesses and respect and admiration of each other’s strengths and pleasant communication and cooperation and can coordinate their efforts through mutual respect, admiration and sympathy The Adept is now involved in an internal process and is not concerned with the environment. He/she is contemplating his/her psychology as opposed to relating to the world. It is more private and intimate and indicates an intimacy toward oneself in diverse and sometimes undeveloped psychological functioning. This attitude is conserved and developed through to the last woodcut. Woodcut #3: The Naked King and Queen The Contemplation: The King and Queen now morph into a naked form. The robes of the King and Queen dissolve into their speech as depicted in the inscriptions on the scrolls. 22 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum The Symbolism: The robed King and Queen have transformed into the naked King and Queen as the “The Naked Truth” that is revealed through their growing familiarity and intimacy. Their hands are no longer connected indicating a further level of communication that has been enhanced through mutual recognition and understanding and growing intimacy. As they recognize their understanding of one another grows, their communication is no longer just instinctual but becomes spoken as well. The scroll above the King translated from the German reads, "O Luna, let me be thy husband", while the one above Luna also in German translates into, "O Sol, I must submit to thee," and the dove bears a scroll with the Latin inscription, Spiritus est qui unificat, which means, "It is the Spirit which vivifies." The fact that speech that is uttered is presented on scrolls indicates that both the spoken and written forms of the speech of the King and Queen have become empowered through this process. The scrolls are the transformed robes of the King and Queen and still represent the Mercurial Waters. More specifically, the inscriptions are the Mercurial Waters and the Scroll as the walls of the Fountain. In traditional Alchemy, the Solar King and the Lunar Queen are sometimes given the personal names Sol and Luna. Here the use of the personal names indicates the growing intimacy of the encounter and the personal nature of the communication. Their statements to each other indicate both submission and respect and a desire for a permanent relationship on that basis. The statements of all three are produced spontaneously and simultaneously rather than as a response to one or the other. The dove, still representative of the Understanding which is shared by both King and Queen, is now infused with the spirit of their relationship and gains the ability to speak and write and remarks that it is the Spirit, the relationship between Sol and Luna that brings vibrancy, effectiveness, and life to the relationship as well as to the elements and the environment. Woodcut #4: Immersion into the Bath. 23 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum The Contemplation: The Naked King and Queen become more intimate and the Sun and Moon beneath their feet transforms into the hexagonal bath and the Mercurial water as they sit down. The Symbolism: The six flowers now have become four or at least two on each side have been compressed into one. The flower in the beak of the dove has become somewhat withered through its depletion through speech and the dual flowers of the King and Queen have melded into one as the right hand of the Queen and the left hand of the King meld them into one. The elements and senses that the six blossoms represent are beginning to meld into and empower the King and Queen with their respective abilities, qualities, and strengths. The scrolls have transformed back into the Mercurial Waters and the six-pointed star of the quintessence has dissolved into the dove. The Sun and Moon and the Star have transformed into the hexagonal bath. It is six sided rather than three sided due to the presence of both King and Queen, three sides for each representing their participation in Aether, Sun, and Moon. The bath is actually an enclosures the extends to the top of the scene and becomes a roof. It is similar to the dome of clouds but now represents the heightened consciousness on the boundaries of perception. The King and Queen have withdrawn their awareness totally unto one another in a private environment. They are now sinking into instincuality and unconsciousness again and no do not speak and the scrolls dissolve into the Mercurial Water. The speech has also disappeared into the Mercurial Water and the Sun and Moon disappear into the hexagonal structure of bath. The flowing Mercurial Water of the Fountain of Woodcut #1 first transformed into the royal robes of the King and Queen and later became the inscriptions representing their speech in woodcut #3. The flowing water of woodcut #1, the royal robes of woodcut #2, and the inscriptions of woodcut #3 all represent the development of personal expression. Undifferentiated at first, then as the royal robes, and then as personal expressions. As they become more intimate and personal with each other and being to reunite the personal expression dissolves into the Mercurial Water. 24 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum They are now in a solution of the Mercurial Water which will further heighten intimacy and mutual understanding. The Sun and the Moon have coalesced into a hexagonal shaped basin to indicate that the undifferentiated wholeness of the circle of the original Fountain has been further defined due to greater discrimination. The hexagon also represents the unification of the King and Queen in the tripartite nature of animal, mineral, and vegetable nature of the Mercurial water, three sides for the King and three for the Queen. Woodcut #5: The Conjunction. The Contemplation: The hexagonal bath loses its definition and becomes an indistinct pool in some indistinct hills. Their bodies and crowns remain but the Sun and Moon reemerge at their feet. O Luna, by means of my embracing and sweet kisses, Thou art made beautiful, strong and mighty like as I am. O Sol, thou art to be preferred before all light, But yet thou needest me, as the cock does the hen. The Symbolism: Likened to the absorption in one another of partners in a sexual encounter, the King and Queen utterly lose track of their environment and reunite in affection in their focus on each other rather than on the world. The King and Queen reunite in the Mercurial Waters but do not completely lose their personal distinctions and transform into the Mercurial Waters. They are united but distinct. The Verse: The first two lines of the Verse indicates that Sol is empowering Luna with his qualities and the last two indicate that Luna appreciates and accepts this empowerment and that she is empowering him as well and that life cannot be supported without her. Woodcut #6: Coffin and Putrefying Conception. 25 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum The Contemplation: As their intimacy is depleted, they fall into a deep sleep, likened to death. The pool in the hills becomes more focused again as the Sun and Moon at their feet disappears with their decreased focus on each other and reconnection with the environment and transform into a sepulcher of the Mercurial Water in which they lose consciousness and blend together again. Here lie the King and Queen dead. The Soul is separated with great grief. The Symbolism: The “death” of the King and Queen is that of deep, dreamless sleep without images or sounds. It is a continuation of the analogy with a sexual encounter and a reference to what is called in French, La Petite Mort, the “little death,” or sexual orgasm which is often said to be the closest experience to actual death that one can have without actually dying. This same experience is also had, but lighter still, when one is suddenly and sharply startled. It is a complete loss of all conscious focus in a kind of blank, lifeless state of mind. Remembering such states of mind is of value in understanding the image. The enclosure containing the Mercurial Waters is referred to as a sepulcher which is a small, but complete structure for the above ground internment of the deceased. As such, it is a reminder that though the image could not be depicted within such an enclosure with Renaissance era artistic knowledge, the Adept should extend the enclosure to its completion in the contemplation of the image. The Verse: The verse likens the deep sleep to death and refers to that total loss of consciousness to death and a loss of soul, which is depicted in the next woodcut. “Grief” is a reference to the feeling of falling that deeply asleep and its similarity to the experience of grief and the loss of conscious focus that results from it. Touching in with personal feelings of grief and the experience of falling very deeply asleep would aid the imagination and understanding of the image. Luna’s grief is deeper than Sol’s which keeps her alive but Sol is completely lost in deep sleep and his soul escapes. 26 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum Woodcut #7: The Extraction or Impregnation of the Soul. The Contemplation: The loss of Soul mentioned in the verse of the previous woodcut is here depicted as a male child exiting their body and rising into the clouds at the edge of perception. This represents a deeper sleep on the part of Sol whose soul ascends. The Adept should imagine the full Ascent of the soul from the heart of the body of Sol and and Luna through Sol’s crown and straight up into the clouds above the sepulcher. Here the Four Elements are separated, And the Soul is most subtly severed from the Body. The Symbolism: Still in the “death” of deep, dreamless sleep, the soul of Sol is released as a young boy from the heart of the body of Sol and Luna and ascends through the top of Sol’s head to the clouds in the sky. The clouds are the same clouds that surrounded the Fountain in Woodcut #1 at the edges of perception, and they should also be extended to surround the entire image in a dome. In sleep that follows La Petit Mort, the Elan Vital and Aetherial element of the body join at the heart which causes the four elements to separate. The Verse: The verse indicates that in that deep, dreamless sleep, the soul’s departure is the result of the separation of the four elements, which is again a reference to the blank state of mind of the La Petit Mort. As the elements are dispersed they enter and construct the structure of the Sepulcher and their absence causes the body of Sol and Luna still soaking in the Mercurial Water to be without color or substance and are thus black. It would not be inconsistent to imaging them as a bit putrefied due to the lack of the elemental components. At this point they are comprised solely of imagination, the fifth element, or Aether. The four elements are also needed for structured dreams and cause the dreamlessness of this deep sleep. 27 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum Woodcut #8: The Washing or the Mundification (the Cleansing of a Wound). The Contemplation: The clouds now begin to drip dew and fall into and mix with the body of Sol and Luna, the Mercurial Water, and the Sepulcher. The Adept may want to linger at this point a bit imagining the rain purifying the entire image. Here the dew falleth from heaven, And washeth the black body in the sepulcher. The Symbolism: The soul of Luna dissolving into the clouds at the edge of perception causes a dew to begin to fall. This is referred to as dew and not rain so that it is clear that the inside and the outside of the image is soaked in it. This is the slow return of the elements and the perceptions and it has a purifying effect as they return in this liquid form. The soul dissolved into the clouds which are a mixture of the pure elements and were thus purified. The Verse: The “black body” referred to in the verse is that of Sol and Luna in deep, dreamless sleep and the lack of color and substance due to the loss of the four elements. Woodcut #9: Of the Rejoicing or Springing or Sublimation of the Soul. The Contemplation: As the dew stops, the body of the soul reforms itself and returns to the through Sol’s crown to the heart of the body of Sol and Luna. The Adept should complete the image by imaging the soul reentering the body of Sol and Luna. 28 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum Here the Soul descendeth from on high, And revives the Putrified body. The Symbolism: As the rain of illuminating dreams purifies the Adept and perceptions begin to return the soul of the Adept as a young boy also reforms and returns in the sleep of dreams. The soul has been purified in the clouds and the body of Sol and Luna has been purified by the rains. The soul returns from straight above, through the crown of Sol and into their heart. The black birds in the front of the image, (the right side of the sepulcher) indicate the blackness that was purified by the rain and which now exists in the environment rather than in the King and Queen. The crow partly buried in the ground represents the purification of the masculine consciousness of Sol and the bird on the surface represents the purification of the feminine consciousness. Both birds have been externalized, grounded and rendered inactive as negative influences in the world of Sol and Luna. Woodcut #10: The New Birth: Rebis. The Contemplation: The image now morphs into that of the White Rebis and her environment which indicates the successful completion of the transformation of the Adept into the White Philosopher’s Stone. 29 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum Here is born a noble and rich Queen Whom the wise men liken unto their daughter She increaseth and bringeth forth infinite children Which is immortal pure and without spot The Queen hates death and poverty She excels both Silver and Gold and precious stones And all medicines both precious and base There is nothing in this world like unto her For which we render thanks to Immortal God The Symbolism: As the Adept awakens, the environment and the Adept arise purified and positively transformed. The chalice with three serpents represents the transformed King’s ability to identify, contain, and digest the particular contents of the Collective Unconscious, and the single serpent in the Queen’s hand indicates her ability to recognize, subdue, and relate to the environment in the Collective Unconscious. In a manner not unlike that of specific and general or species and genii, the two consciousnesses relate to the unconscious with their own natures: the masculine consciousness relates to particular objects, and the feminine consciousness to more general or environmental dynamics. The bird on the ground now lighter in color represents the two black birds of the previous image united and further tamed through this process. The Tree of Thirteen Moons indicate that the entire environment is imbued with the qualities of the feminine consciousness represented by the twelve signs of the zodiac plus the Adept on top. The wings on the Rebis recognize the whole operation as a spiritual transformation and the rising of the King and Queen to a higher psychological viewpoint, and the lack of the Sun beneath the feet reiterates that the White Philosopher’s Stone is essentially a transformation into a feminine nature in its melding with the feminine Collective Unconscious. The Verse: The first line of the verse indicates that even though the White Rebis includes both Sol and Luna, the transformation is essentially a loss of masculine consciousness in the sense that the masculine and feminine are now both fully in the Collective Unconscious which is itself 30 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum feminine. The world of Consciousness is utterly left behind during this stage of the contemplations. The rest of the verse describes the value that this transformation brings to the Adepts life. 2. B. SECOND SERIES: THE RED STONE A MORE EXPERIENCED REPITITION. The second half of the Rosarium woodcuts presents the means of creating the red Philosopher’s Stone and the transformation and empowerment of the feminine consciousness. The Adept, having completed the first series of 10 contemplations, and emerged as the white Rebis, now reenters the “Vessel of Transformation” the pool and indistinct hills of conjugal bliss to begin the transformation into the red Philosopher’s stone, the red Rebis. Woodcut #11: Fermentation: Entry into the Vessel of Transformation. The Contemplation: The white Rebis transforms into the naked, but winged Sol and Luna in the pool of Mercurial Water in the undistinguished environment. Here Sol is again included, And is circusmpassed [spanned] with the Mercury of Philosophers. The Symbolism: No longer inexperienced and virgin-like and more conscious, there is more frank sexuality in the image as represented by their more deliberate participation and entwinement. The presence of the wings recognizes that Sol and Luna have completed the transformation into the white Rebis and do not regress in their reentry into the vessel. Sol is a bit more passive while Luna is a bit more active. In the transformation into the white Rebis, Sol has been eclipsed by the feminine, and now becomes completely “circumpassed” with the Mercurial Water; that is, he is imbued and soaked through with it and drowns in it. The masculine consciousness is generally quite resistant 31 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum to environmental consciousness, but the process of the transformation has both engaged him and subdued him. Woodcut #12: Illumination. The Contemplation: The image is now of the winged solar consciousness alone sinking into the mercurial waters of a squared bath. Here Sol plainly dies again, And is drowned with the Mercury of the Philosophers. The Symbolism: The focus is now on the death of Sol who being completely imbued and soaked with the Mercurial Water now sinks into it and drowns in it. Sol has completely lost his focus on the particular and is lost in the environmental. The squareness of the bath indicates the fully and solely masculine nature of the transformation, the square is typically representative of the masculine consciousness, and the triangle though not depicted is that of the feminine consciousness. Luna has always been one with the environment and has no qualm with being soaked through by them. For Sol, however, this is complete death. He has utterly lost his primary life focus and purpose and become environmental. Woodcut #13: Nourishment. The Contemplation: With Sol’s death and submersion into the Mercurial Water, they once more become one. 32 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum Here Sol is made black like unto pitch, With the Mercury of the Philosophers. The Symbolism: This second death is again a deep, dreamless sleep and here is likened to the blackness of pitch, blacker than the previous as Sol’s grief is far deeper than Luna’s in his transformation. Woodcut #14: Fixation. The Contemplation: Like image #7, the soul again ascends from the bodies into the clouds above but this time as a girl. The girl is a bit older than the boy of woodcut #7 rises from the heart of the body of Sol and Luna and out Luna’s crown, and then straight above into the clouds. Here ends the life of Luna, And the spirit subtly ascends on high. 33 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum The Symbolism: Again in the deep dreamless sleep, the four elements as the soul of the masculine consciousness ascends into the clouds. This time in the form of a young girl representing the soul of Luna. The girl is a bit older than the boy of woodcut #9 reflecting the greater maturity of the second entry into the vessel of transformation. The Verse: In this case, it is Luna who dies, and it is her soul which ascends as the Elan Vital and Aether join at the heart due to La Petit Mort from the heart of their body and through her crown. In this case, Sol’s grief is deeper than Luna’s due to his second death, which keeps him a bit alive and Luna falls into the depths of dreamless sleep and loses her soul in death. Woodcut #15: Multiplication. The Contemplation: Again the dew descends and soaks and purifies Sol and Luna and the environment. Here the water is diminished, And bedeweth the earth with his moisture The Symbolism: The dew soaks and permeates and purifies Sol and Luna, the bath, and the environment. The dew is again the representative of the beginning of the return of the perceptions and the movement from deep, dreamless sleep to the sleep of dreams. Woodcut #16: Reviving / Revificatio. 34 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum The Contemplation: The female soul descends from the clouds and enters the King and Queen. The Adept should complete the image with the soul entering the crown of Sol and descending into his heart. Here the Soul descendeth gloriously from heaven, And raiseth up the Daughter of Philosophy. The Symbolism: As with the descent and the return of Luna’s soul in woodcut 9, Luna’s soul returns as the young girl in the sleep of dreams. Woodcut #17: The Demonstration of Perfection. The Contemplation: Sol and Luna and the bath now transform into the Red Rebis and its environment. 35 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum The Symbolism: The Red Rebis is still primarily a feminine symbol as it is still the Collective Unconscious and is called the “Daughter of Philosophy.” This is quite similar to the White Rebis but now enhanced with more imagery where the angel’s wings have transformed into dragon’s wings and the robes of royalty have returned to signify the greater power of this stage. The return of the robes is also the first indication of the immanent return to the Conscious world of daily life. In addition, the masculine consciousness that dies has twice died has yet to reassert itself which is a necessary requirement for the return to daily life. The cup with three serpents on the right and the single serpent on the left retain the same significance as before. The Tree of Thirteen Moons has been replaced by the Tree of Thirteen Suns indicating the presence now of the masculine consciousness throughout the environment of the Collective Unconscious. In addition, there are now three more transformative symbols that have been added: the Pelican eating its own flesh, the Green Lion in the background not eating anything, and the three headed serpent devouring itself below the feet rather than the Sun and the Moon. The blood dripping from the mouths of the Pelican and the serpent represent the ability to ingest, digest, and incorporate the energies and images of the Collective Unconscious which the masculine consciousness as the Green Lion sheltering behind the image cannot yet do. In the next woodcut, when the Green Lion devours the sun, the dripping blood has the same significance. The three-headed serpent devouring itself represents a development from the two headed serpent due to the unification of the masculine and feminine consciousness. As the two-headed serpent, it was not fully aware of its own nature but now, due to that unification it recognizes it is the source of all three kingdoms rather than just a vehicle of their ingestion, digestion, and return, the dualistic logic of the two-headed serpent has advanced to the level of the triune dialectical logic of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis, and in recognition of their continual interplay, the serpent is depicted devouring itself with three separate heads. Whereas the Tree of Thirteen Moons and the Tree of Thirteen Suns represent the presence and activity of the masculine and feminine consciousnesses in the environment of the Collective Unconscious, the Green Lion and the Pelican represent their presence and activity 36 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum with the particular rather than environmental. These are particularly important symbols indicating that now both Sol and Luna can relate to both the particular and the environmental in their activity in the Collective Unconscious, a diversification and improvement of their skills which will be taken back to the world of daily life. In the beginning at the Fountain, these skills were split between them, but now they are shared by both. Their union, based on the mutual submission and respect represented in woodcut #3, has resulted in these empowered and shared abilities through the conjugal encounters and particularly through the Elan Vital and the Aether meeting at the heart center through La Petite Mort.. The Sun and Moon are no longer beneath the feet of the Red Rebis because they are representative of the duality of the two consciousnesses which are now united. The three headed serpent is now a better representative of the standpoint of the Red Rebis and is placed beneath its feet. The integration of the three new symbols into the central image are the next and last three steps of the woodcuts as well as the description of the return to Consciousness. Woodcut #18: The Green Lion Devouring the Sun. The Contemplation: The Green Lion behind the Red Rebis, now reasserts itself and comes back to life. Through this his assertion he transforms the entirety of the environment into the sun and he devours it blooding pouring down to the ground. I am the true green and Golden Lion without cares, In me all the secrets of the Philosophers are hidden. The Symbolism: The masculine consciousness as Green Lion, recognizing the new found ability of the masculine consciousness to relate to the environment as whole rather than as a world of separate and distinct objects reasserts itself and that power which transforms everything into the Sun which he then devours. His reassertion of his primary nature as relating to objects must be reasserted in order to return. It is the beginning of the return from Oz. This is not to be taken as the male consciousness acting on its own, but rather as the unified Red Rebis recognizing, 37 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum integrating, and utilizing one of its new found skills. The Red Rebis “biker’s up” for a moment and initiates the return to consciousness and instantiates the next step, the isolation, integration, and utilization of the feminine consciousness. Woodcut #19: Assumption and Coronation. The Contemplation: The Green Lion transform into the image below which is one step closer to the world of daily life by the Ancient Adepts who inhabit the boundaries between the two worlds. She is assumed into the clouds that have comprised the entirety of the conscious world since leaving for the Fountain of woodcut #1 and enters back into daily life where the journey first began and she is greeted, welcomed, honored, praised and crowned by the Ancient Adepts for her efforts and triumphs. The Symbolism: The Aetherial dove is now directly above her head and represents the greater awareness and power of the Adept’s achievement in the Collective Unconscious by its nearer proximity. This is indicative of the unification of the two consciousnesses as well as the enhanced mastery over the environment gained through the journey. The wisdom and Reason of the three-headed serpent is represented as the three figures: the Ancient Adept on her left is the “thesis” head of the serpent; the Ancient Adept on the right is the “antithesis” head of the serpent; and she is the syncretizing, “synthesis” head of the serpent and the three-headed serpent of Reason is now fully integrated and conscious. Thesis and antithesis are representative of the dualistic logic of the earlier ununified masculine consciousness, and she is representative of the unifying nature of synthesis as a quality of the feminine consciousness. The Ancient Adept on her right as thesis is the King and the status quo; the Ancient Adept on her left is the Saint as antithesis and needed development 38 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum within the status quo; and she is the rising star that unifies and depolarizes thesis and antithesis, status quo and delivers the needed change to the culture via moderation. Woodcut #20: Christ Arising from the Grave/Tomb. Resurrection. The Contemplation: The entire scene now transforms into the form of the masculine consciousness as a saint likened to Christ stepping out of the Collective Unconscious which is again represented as a sepulcher. After my passion and manifold torments I am again risen, Being Purified and cleansed from all spots. The Symbolism: As the image transforms, the Adept is stepping out of the sepulcher of the Collective Unconscious, in the location of the original fountain from personal life. The Adept’s successful journey and return is likened to the resurrection of Christ. He has the halo of sainthood and the banner of victory, and is wearing the robes of humility. Just as the White and Red Rebis are both necessarily feminine to reflect that the Collective Unconscious is feminine in nature, the arisen Adept is necessarily in masculine form as that is the primary orientation of daily life consciousness, and it signifies the return to that world. The Aetherial dove is now the halo behind and arising from his head indicating even further understanding and mastery as well as full unification of both environments and both consciousnesses. The right hand is in the gesture of teaching indicating the ability to communicate what has been learned. The left hand holding the staff of the banner of victory 39 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum represents the ability to consciously bring the symbolic knowledge of the Collective Unconscious into play in daily life. The banner of victory itself celebrates the journey and triumphal return. The robes of humility represent the unification of the robes of monarchy and daily life clothing and which are necessary to get along in ordinary life. The Sepulcher is again an enclosed edifice with no windows or doors. The risen Christfigure is stepping into the real through the walls of the Sepulcher without impediment. The Sepulcher remains enshrining the dual fountain of the real world and that of the first woodcut. \ The Adept can return or not as he pleases unimpeded though no one else can. The sepulcher can be engraved with the carved-in-stone words, “Sepulcher of the Adept.” The Final Return. The final image than dissolves into the person and the environment of the Adept who has successfully completed the union of the two types of consciousness through their initial separation and the journey from daily life consciousness into the Collective Unconscious and back again. King and Queen, Mercury and Venus, and Adept and Contra-Sexual Counterpart are now fully united, purified, and empowered. The Adept can return to his ordinary life, but now with a treasure chest and tool kit full of images that can be reviewed and refreshed as desired as well as the energies, abilities, and insights of the journey. His/her life is also enriched with the closer and more poignant alignment of Consciousness and the Collective Unconscious. – END – The full set of twenty woodcuts is presented again below on a single and separate page for easy reference. 40 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum The Full Set of the 20 Woodcuts. 41 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved. Living Life Mythologically The Rosarium Philosophorum ONLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE READ TO THIS POINT It is now of value to do the entire sequence again but this time one stage deeper. The Adept begins the contemplation again including all the preparatory steps before “entering” the first woodcut, but this time in the torso. The regular body has already been transformed by the previous work with the images, but now the inner body must be transformed as well for maximum results. The entire sequence is gone through again but this time in the torso where the base of the fountain is at the hips and the crown is in the neck. That’s it. You are now ready to make the philosopher’s stone out of physical materials, which recipe is presented in a separate essay. 42 ©Philip A. Bralich, Ph.D. 2019. All rights reserved.