The Alchemical Self

The Alchemical Self.

Perfecting Metals into Gold.

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Spirit in process develops as an Image,

from consciousness as a stream of myths;

understanding and conceiving an over-Soul,

from immanence a transcendent Individual.

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Elemental image-making in the mind,

conjures-up an ego identity self-defined;

the four elements compose ego and id,

earth, water, air, and fire employed.

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But an eternal Self is now required,

at death the elements are catabolized;

an everlasting Image we must create,

three Metalloids of the Imago Dei.

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Instinct and emotion compound as Salt,

a new skin memBrane of lead crystal;

lucidity aroused from the lower drives,

with fear and desire sublimated on high.

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Emotion and thinking combine as Mercury,

airy ideation self-reflects with fluidity;

silver develops and captures an Image,

and a "still small voice" begins to emerge.

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Thought and intuition unite as Sulfur,

creative fire completes the Tria Prima;

four into the trinity of our Metalloids,

solidity of fixed Sulfur, perfected Gold.

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Spirit of Mercury reddens into Rubedo,

the Blood-Moon distils a blushing glow;

the Sun now shines in full radiance:

Imago Dei, the god-Self countenance.
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The Monad is the One true Light,
refracting the prism of Allness abright; 
Imago, the final stage of metamorphosis,
the Ideal Image behind consciousness.

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John Dee's symbol for the Monad.
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And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;  and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. (1Kings 19:11)
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My alchemical symbol for the quantum Monad, a combination

of metallic Salt, Mercury and Sulfur. Inside the Mind of dissolved

Salt the Wave function is collapsed into a Point of fixed Sulfur;

Mercury's fluidity flows as the universal Spirit of connectivity.

Tria Prima: the three metalloid compounds of the higher Self.

"Mercury is the Spirit, Sulfur is the Soul, Salt the Body." (Paracelsus).

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Quantum Monad.

The god-Self Imago.

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Metallic Salt dissolves into awareness,

thoughtless knowing of consciousness;

the flat-lined Mind of higher Manas,

collapsing the Wave into one Image.

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Mercury quadratus of the risen Spirit,

the silvery Moon and Sun both kiss;

Luna turns to blood, water into Wine,

the universal Wave of love divine.

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Sulfur of the Soul fixed into Gold,

the Point of Individuality resolved;

the archetypal Centre of the Stone,

Pyramidion of four and three into One.

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Thoughtless Bubble of a memBrane,

collapses the Wave but stays the same;

a quantum Monad focally converged,

yet still in universal love diverged.

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A Wave and Point in quantum SpAce,

everywhere spread, yet in one place,

is the paradox of a Wavicle on high,

holographic Imago, all-seeing Eye.

~*~