The Symbolism of Silver in Alchemy and Soul-Making

Hegel proposed that insanity is a necessary stage for the soul to restore itself to perfect inner harmony. Insanity is viewed as an essential part of soul-making, representing a stage that the soul must go through.

In alchemical soul-making, gold emerges from silver, symbolizing the transition from base to noble elements. The concept of brighter awareness arising from lunacy highlights the transformative nature of alchemical processes.

The whitening aspect of alchemy, known as albedo, is often overlooked in favor of the pursuit of gold. Silver, representing the penultimate phase before gold, is a crucial but neglected element in alchemical symbolism.

Silver is considered the metal of the moon in alchemy, symbolizing psychic moisture and lunar influence. The idea of seeds in alchemy signifies psychic fantasies coagulated in the earth, embodying archetypal principles and natural forces.

Silver is consistently associated with whiteness and brightness in alchemical symbolism. The roots of the word 'silver' in various languages emphasize its white, gleaming nature, linking it closely with the moon and lunar qualities.

In alchemy, silver symbolizes air and is associated with the moon. The moon's body is considered to be permeated by ether, making it a fertile place in alchemy. Air is seen as the nourishing principle, while Earth represents the principle of non-growth. Silver, being compared to other metals, is valued for its hardness, conductivity, luster, and stability. It is described as a cool white conductor that toughens gold and works as a mediator in sticking molten metals together.

Silver in alchemy is described as having a frigid and humid body, being hard and dry, and cleansed of oily and greasy substances. It is noted for its ability to resonate when struck, indicating a well-digested state without being dense or sticky. Silver is also known for its role in toughening gold and as a mediator in metallurgy, as well as for its use in mirrors due to its solidified moisture that can hold images.

The moon, symbolized by silver, is considered the recipient of all planetary influences in alchemy. It is believed to contain all other metals within it, subsuming their qualities. Starting with the moon is seen as essential in alchemical processes, as it represents the digestion of other planets and the culmination of diverse influences within silver.

In alchemy, there is a focal place where all influences converge, creating a purified psychic reality. This place represents a psychic reality that is hard, inflammable, and consonant. The proximity of the moon can lead to madness, as described in Robert Duncan's poem, emphasizing the danger of being too close to the moon and losing touch with reality.

Alchemy explains the process of mining silver metaphorically, linking it to the extraction of essential components like sulfur and salt. Sulfur is mined from external sources, symbolizing worldly influences, while salt is mined internally from subjective experiences. The mining of metals, including silver, is a psychological operation, not a literal one, emphasizing the need to extract silver from the depths of the psyche.

In Medieval and Renaissance alchemy, silver mining was often discussed in conjunction with lead, symbolizing the planets Moon and Saturn. The history of silver mining is closely intertwined with that of lead, with both metals representing different aspects of alchemical processes. Agricola's work on metals provides insights into the metallurgical practices of the Renaissance, highlighting the significance of silver extraction in alchemical traditions.

Lead and silver were not widely used before Roman times. While iron and copper were more technically useful, lead and silver held religious and mystical significance. The Romans repurposed lead for plumbing, associating it with Saturn. In the Middle Ages, Vincent of Beauvais considered lead to be debased silver, symbolizing fallen or aged silver.

Metaphorically, extracting silver from lead symbolizes extracting moments of insight from depressive states. However, this process leaves behind a heavier, denser condition, akin to depression being the price of silver. The act of writing with lead pencils represents an alchemical act of extracting silver from lead, reflecting the struggle of finding beauty in melancholy.

Depression is likened to being swallowed by lead, with melancholy historically associated with thinkers. While insights may be beautiful like silver, they often fail to alleviate the burdened mood of depression. The truth is that depression, like lead, is necessary for the mind to produce silver moments, even if the silver itself may not change the leaden condition.

Silver tarnishes when exposed to air, requiring constant care and attention to maintain its shine. This need for upkeep leads to the hiddenness of silver, often found in conjunction with lead. The hiddenness of silver symbolizes its mirroring possibility, reflecting the presence of blackness, silence, and depression where silver is concealed.

In alchemical symbolism, the brain is associated with silver, akin to the heart being linked to gold. The brain, metaphorically representing the fantasy body, contains silvered fantasies. This silvered brain is described in alchemical texts as a hidden organ, mirroring the moon's association with silver and the brain's role in processing fantasies.

Silver in alchemy exhibits a fascinating transformation process when the moon reigns, lasting three weeks with various forms including liquid and coagulated states. It dissolves and reappears a hundred times a day, presenting as fishes' eyes or silver trees. The substance astonishes observers with its division into beautiful grains of silver, symbolizing moments of brightness and interlaced connections.

Silver, as seen by metallurgists like Agricola, manifests in nature in shapes resembling shovels, hammers, fish, lions, and wolves. The imagery of silver in natural forms signifies a silver mine of fantasy and projection, reflecting the whitening of the mind and the emergence of symbolic figures.

In the Muslim faith, silver is the preferred metal for images and amulets, emphasizing its significance in religious symbolism. The prohibition of using metals other than silver for amulets underscores the cultural importance of silver as a material for creating sacred objects.

Throughout history, silver has been closely tied to the concept of money, with its value linked to gold in various ratios. The debasement of silver in relation to gold during the third century had significant implications, contributing to the decline of Rome. The fluctuating value of silver, influenced by industrial demand and production rates, has historically impacted economic stability and cultural values.

Money has evolved from being a representation of value to a mere medium of exchange, with its intrinsic value diminishing over time. Analysts view money as a functional tool devoid of inherent worth, leading to the debasement of silver. This materialistic interpretation emphasizes money's utility for transactions, focusing on exchange value rather than reflective qualities.

Greek coinage revolutionized the concept of money by introducing beautifully crafted silver coins depicting gods and animals. Greek coins served as a reflection of Greek religion, history, and economics, embodying the Greek appreciation for beauty. Unlike Roman currency, Greek coins seamlessly integrated the realms of Caesar and the gods, emphasizing the divine valorization of commerce and finance.

Money has transitioned from a reflective instrument to a symbol of anti-reflection, where its primary function is to serve as a bottom line for transactions. The cultural emphasis on economic realism has elevated money to the status of ultimate literalism, defining reality and halting psychological exploration. Money has lost its reflective essence, becoming a barrier to delving into deeper existential questions.

Plutarch's theory posits that personality comprises body, soul, and spirit, undergoing two deaths or separations. The first death, known as the death of Demeter, violently separates soul and spirit from the body on earth. The second death, attributed to Persephone on the moon, gently detaches mind from soul, leading to mindless souls and soulless minds. These mindless souls, influenced by lunar effects, can regain sanity through prolonged lunar exposure, preventing premature reentry into earthly bodies.

The moon's influence on the mind results in fluctuating states of lunacy, characterized by affective delusions and monstrous conditions. Spending time on the moon with Persephone allows for the transformation of mindless souls, preventing premature entry into earthly bodies. The moon's winds drive individuals towards a return to the body and earth, benefiting from the dark period of lunacy as an essential phase of psychological growth.

Silver's resonance is a complex phenomenon, influencing the construction of musical instruments and the shaping of Hebrew and Arabic letters. Ruland's dictionary of alchemy suggests that silver resonates with three distinct sounds, reflecting the moon's varying forms. The patterns of speech and sounds are intricately linked to silver's resonant properties, highlighting the subtle and profound connection between sound and this precious metal.

Silver in literature and oratory is symbolically connected to the moon, Christian symbolism, and eloquence. References to silver can be found in biblical verses like Psalm 12:6 and proverbs 10:22, as well as in the works of William Shakespeare and William Jennings Bryan, highlighting its association with purity, righteousness, and oratory prowess.

In William Faulkner's 'Go Down, Moses,' the moon, silver, and throat are intricately linked. The story portrays moonshine not just as a drink made under moonlight but as a metaphor for a cold liquid silver poured into the throat of a black man, leading to his descent into madness and eventual violent actions over money. The moonlight setting, solid silver imagery, and chilling liquid air symbolize the weight and significance of speech, voice, and the throat as a place of transformation and potential destruction.

In Kundalini Yoga, the throat chakra, known as Vasudha, holds immense importance. It is considered the locus of the white elephant, where air gains weight symbolizing the enduring weight of the mind. Words spoken from the throat chakra carry significant weight, with Jung emphasizing the power of psychic realities and the heaviness of thoughts, concepts, and intuitions that manifest through speech. The throat chakra becomes a profound source of expression and manifestation, reflecting the depth and density of one's inner world.

The art of 'hearing musically' involves listening with silver and white in one's ears to perceive resonances and deeper meanings in words. Tom Moore's concept of musical therapy emphasizes the importance of letting words resound and resonate, akin to the second musician in Shakespeare's play, who plays upon the first musician's 'silver sound of music' to reveal additional reflections and meanings. By mining silver from syllables and hearing musically, individuals can uncover hidden depths and nuances in communication, enriching their understanding and interpretation of spoken words.

Paul Kugler's exploration of psychology from the perspective of the Vasudha chakra offers a unique approach to understanding the human psyche. By focusing on the throat chakra rather than traditional centers like mooladhara or Anahata, Kugler emphasizes the importance of sound, speech, and communication in shaping psychological realities. This perspective highlights the significance of finding firmness, value, and clarity in one's psychic beauty and reflections, ultimately leading to a sound mind through attentive listening and resonating with the depths of one's inner world.

The concept of reflection evolves from a mere two-dimensional representation to a multidimensional, imaginal reality that illuminates the world. Plato's idea of coming to the world from the moon symbolizes a shift in perception, where the moon shines in its own light rather than as a reflection. This transformation signifies a deeper understanding of the world through the lens of imagination and inner reflection, where words and thoughts resonate with a brightness and clarity that transcends mere reflection, revealing the true essence of reality.

Delving into the realm of voices, the discussion touches on the concept of lunacy and the depths of reflection. It explores how words themselves sound their own depths through illusions, alliterations, puns, and rhetorical guises. The conversation highlights the thinning of angels previously constrained by golden rules of logic, reference, and definition. The mind is portrayed as a choir of voices, discordant and antiphonal, allowing the dead souls within us to speak, including the ghosts of ancestors and the unborn. The lunatic phases are likened to silver mines, where entering the mind leads to temporary lunacy.

Transitioning to the topic of alchemy and albedo, the conversation introduces the concept of whitening the earth and silvering the psychic body. Albedo in alchemy symbolizes the transition between the black Negredo and the gold or red Rubedo. The distinction between the primary white, representing innocence and purity, and the second white, associated with corruption and depression, is emphasized. The alchemical work involves blackening, scorching, and corrupting the primary white to achieve the albedo, a whitened earth or Terra Alba.

Discussing the characteristics of the second white or albedo, the conversation delves into its nature of innocence but not inexperience. It is described as a state of disidentification with experience, embodying a casual ignorance of the world's ways. This whiteness signifies a detachment from worldly concerns rather than a hermit-like rejection of the world. The albedo is seen as a transition marked by relief, lightening, and lifting of mood after turmoil and depression, akin to the cooling effect in Kundalini Yoga after intense heat.

Exploring the symbolism of bluing in alchemy, the conversation discusses how despair transitions into a state of blues, characterized by recollections without guilt but with a tinge of sadness. This bluing process represents a washing away of the sense of sin, cooling, and desiccating effect. Silver, known for its astringent properties, is likened to a healing balm that should be applied to open, bleeding wounds to cool, detach, and dry them.

The Alchemist warns of dangers during transitions, such as the risk of losing one's identity and becoming something entirely different, like going from black to white. Conversion can occur through experiences like falling in love or baptism, leading to a sense of being free from sin. However, caution is advised against rushing this process as premature transformation can destroy the essence of life and turn one into a glassy, insoluble problem.

Vitrification, the process of turning into glass, can occur during the transition from the moon's rule to Venus's realm. If the whitening process happens too rapidly with excessive heat and passion, it can lead to a fixed, insoluble state. This transformation warns against overly corporalizing the spirit and losing the psychic body in the pursuit of intense reflection.

In dreams, white animals symbolize a psychic presence, representing self-awareness and reflection. Silvered objects like needles, thimbles, and dishes signify crafts and activities that lead to achieving a reflective state. The appearance of silvered chalices or containers in dreams merges reflection and containment into a unified concept, emphasizing the importance of psychic containers as reflections of the mind.

The concept of white earth symbolizes a spiritual ground where reflection and containment converge. This white earth, as described by Henry Corbin, serves as a grounding element for ideational excursions and flights of fancy. Grounding these thoughts is essential to avoid becoming lost in heady concepts and to maintain a connection to the earth as a symbol of matter and grounding.

Corvo's work offers a unique perspective on grounding and earthing, distinguishing between the firmament above as an archetypal angelic grounding and the mundus below, emphasizing the subtleties of the earth and the reflection of silvered psyche. This perspective challenges traditional notions of heaven and empowers individuals to be grounded in essentials and eternal archons.

The silvering of psyche symbolizes consciousness as a mirror reflecting things beyond sense perception, symbolic meaning, and metaphor, turning the world into a flow of passing images. This process, especially affecting the ear as a silver trumpet, signifies the angelic grounding of all things, where messages or angels reveal the underlying invisibility and essence of matter.

The angelic grounding of things involves all things resonating with words and messages, allowing them to transcend their empirical naturalness. Each thing carries a name and face, signed into a specific form, embodying a word or logos that speaks through it. This process emphasizes the importance of grounding the mind in the whitened earth to resolve the nominalist-realist controversy and recognize the reality of names and forms.

The grounding of the mind in the whitened earth represents the poetic basis of consciousness, challenging conventional views of brain function and emphasizing the ongoing poetic process of creative spontaneous generation. This perspective highlights the significance of turning to poetry for a deep comprehension of the mind, as it offers insights into the reflective nature of images and the formation of fantasies like dreams.

Exploring alchemical discussions on whitening, Mary the Jewess emphasizes the unity of volatile and fixed elements for transformation to occur. The whitening process, involving the combination of two into three with white sulfur, signifies a crucial step in alchemical work, where spiritual elements must align for meaningful change to take place.

The speaker discusses the concept of fixating the volatile, emphasizing that problems serve as necessary places where fixation occurs. These fixations must transition to a state of freedom, simplicity, and spontaneity for whitening to occur.

Before whitening can take place, the spirit must be embodied, and the body must become spirited. This transformation is crucial for the transition to a higher state of being where psychic reality is felt.

The speaker introduces the concept of the 'third place,' the metaxu, which represents the realm of soul between body and spirit. This place of images and reflection is essential for transcending the duality of opposites.

A discussion on the 'white earth' is presented, drawing from an alchemical tale by John Trinik. The white earth symbolizes a state of purity and refinement, contrasted with the vile sulfur, representing impurity and pursuit. The narrative explores the struggle for release from desiccation and the need for transformation.

The imagery of reciprocal unfruitful knots is used to describe the relationship between the white earth and the vile sulfur. This dynamic symbolizes a complex interplay of hypomanic hunger, reflective passivity, and nostalgic desires, highlighting the struggle for transformation and release.

The concept of the whitened earth symbolizes a state of transformation and transcendence from the salty, desiccated state. This transformation is essential for moving beyond the opposites and achieving a higher state of being.

The speaker references Isaac Newton's interpretation of the 'doves of Diana' in alchemy, associating it with an amalgam of silver and antimony. This symbolic representation underscores the alchemical process of transformation and the quest for spiritual enlightenment.

The discussion delves into a unique kind of silver that contains the heart of a lion, symbolizing the heat, light, and desire of the animal King. This silver, unlike traditional silver, beats with the heart of the Beast, embodying a more active and powerful essence.

The doves of Diana are highlighted as entities that tame the dragon of the green lion, a ferocious force that kills with poison. By embracing the dragon, the doves pacify it, symbolizing a transformative process akin to the white earth's love for white sulfur.

The concept of interpretation from above downward is discussed, emphasizing a shift in perspective that enables the envisioning of the sense world through the imaginal world. This shift deprives the lion of its power, allowing for a mirrored and imaginative view of reality.

The doves of Diana not only tame the green blood and hot heart but also bring the gift of tongues, symbolizing the recognition that speech is a powerful tool. This gift, coupled with refined imagination, offers a new perspective that transcends naturalistic views, fostering a deeper understanding of the world.

The discussion touches upon the psychological faith in images, exemplified by Jung's dream involving doves. This faith instills a belief in the depths of the psyche, emphasizing the soul as the primary reality. It signifies a profound trust in the symbolic language of the unconscious.

The conversation concludes with the acknowledgment of lunacy as a crucial element in the journey of the soul. Drawing from alchemical and philosophical perspectives, lunacy is seen as a prerequisite for spiritual conjunction, highlighting the transformative power of madness in the realm of the psyche.

There are two widespread forms of lunacy discussed in the transcript. The first is delusional literalism, seen in paranoid schizophrenia, where a fantasy is believed as a fact without being shaken by evidence or reason. The second form is depersonalization, which can occur in various psychological states and is described as a feeling of detachment from oneself and the world.

The transcript delves into the transformation of uncertain images, like those in dreams, into unshakable delusions. It questions how an image can transition from a vague, uncertain state to being perceived as a factual reality, leading to delusional literalism and a loss of reflective thinking.

An alchemical metaphor is used to explain how premature conjunctions of 'metals' (psychic realities) can lead to delusional states. Proper 'alloys' (malleable psychic realities) are necessary to withstand the 'blows of the hammer,' symbolizing challenges. When psychic realities are not fully realized, they can quickly become delusional, dominated by solar energy.

Solar dominance over the lunar realm leads to paranoid delusions and literalisms. The transcript discusses how fantasies become spiritual certainties under the influence of the Sun, transforming night world visions into day world visibility. This dominance prevents reflective thinking and leads to delusional statements and insanity.

Depersonalization is described as a common symptom that can occur in various psychological states, affecting individuals from puberty to old age. It is characterized by a feeling of detachment from oneself and the world, leading to a sense of apathy, monotony, and a lack of dimension or importance in one's experiences.

Stevens discusses depersonalization as the reverse of paranoid delusion, where everything fits into a deluded sense of meaningful coincidences and significance. The soul, silver-coated with gold, is transformed into fixed importance and highest value. The warm world turns into a great cold sea, sharing nothing, with mechanical beetles symbolizing mercilessness.

The concept of vitrification is explored, where the warm world is silvered over, leading to a glassiness of animation. This transformation results in a depersonalized world, described by Coleridge in 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.' Psychology itself is likened to vitrification, attempting to define psyche as a substance rather than a mode of seeing and reflection.

Psychology is discussed as a form of vitrification, attempting to define psyche as a substance rather than a mode of seeing. The act of seeing through something leads to transparency, but also the risk of solidifying it into a new piece of glass. The dissolution of 'seeing through' without solidification is crucial to avoid further vitrification.

The prevention of insanity is debated, with the suggestion that calling off medical interventions could prevent the pathologizing of lunacy into insanity. However, according to Hegel and alchemy, the mistakes and transformations of lunacy are deemed necessary and even usual. Prevention is envisioned through psychic education akin to alchemical training, but succumbing to the transformations may still occur.

Metals like silver and gold serve the purpose of depersonalization and detachment, aiming to assert the domination of the impersonal over the personal. This is achieved by whitening and deadening the Sun, symbolizing that humans are shades capable of standing on the moon. The true essence lies in the psychic imagining of the anima reflective factor that silver brings to gold, emphasizing the importance of going to the moon before inheriting the earth.

Paranoid delusions, such as plots or obsessions, involve an erotic component, representing the gold's attempt to unite with silver. Archetypal therapy views paranoid delusions as a gold-silver amalgam, aiming to integrate desires with lunar fantasies into the common world.

The task in soul work is to recognize 'moon moments' or 'silver states' to understand and inhabit them. This involves listening to the moon, embracing purposeful workings of the soul, and moving away from the medical model that pathologizes such experiences.

There is a need for new modes of theology in psychology to address mental health issues. By reverting 'lunacy to the moon and silver,' a shift towards understanding psychopathology through archetypal psychology is proposed. This approach dehumanizes and de-secularizes conditions, giving them religious value and turning to poets as the voices of the soul.