Alchemical Consciousness Separation and the Solve et Coagula Process

One must proceed calmly, starting from absolute bodily immobility, avoiding those interior and exterior "viper strikes" that would have made the experimenter immediately fall back into an ordinary waking bodily state, catching them first and blocking them, adapting to them in such a way as to always maintain at least a minimal state of self-presence that can then be amplified and fixed after detachment. Here then is another application of the motto "Solve et Coagula": dissolve consciousness, the bonds it has with the physical body, so much as to allow it to slip into another interior state—such as the dream state—in which the body does not intervene and here, therefore having escaped the hegemony of the physical body, coagulate consciousness itself by resuming waking consciousness but this time without the hindrance of the physical body. Precisely because of its analogy with the process of death, this operation has been called by alchemists not only separation, splitting, dissolution, first extraction of mercury from its mine, etc... but also mortification and sometimes has been represented with the color black: "the black and dark color expresses the state of the body when its soul has been taken away, in place of this must burst forth the white smoke (this new fluid state of consciousness) that multiplies its waters" Testament of Morienus. The final term of this sentence, that is "multiplies its waters," refers to the multiplication of dream states and visions that are no longer mitigated by the presence of the body, so the alchemist in this state can easily be deceived by dream images produced by himself, as often happens to us in the dream state. Therefore the alchemist, to overcome these illusions, must do exactly what he did with the physical body: that is, put to rest, calm and soothe and, in a certain way, detach himself from his emotions and his own thoughts, while always remaining awake, but without them. By doing so he establishes dominion over what are called elements in man: that is, earth in reference to the physical body, water in reference to emotions, air in reference to thoughts. When alchemists speak of conquering the elements and establishing dominion over them, as the first meaning they refer to this procedure and to dominion over the elements in man before those outside him not yet individuated. Here then we have a process of progressive dissolution that will lead the Alchemist to "revert," to withdraw into himself more and more, freeing himself from the bonds of matter until the Alchemist finds himself in himself, with a certain degree of dissolution from matter. The term "revert" has various meanings, generally it is associated with the symbol of the Fountain of Youth. This symbol implies the alchemist's communication with the Waters in a not yet differentiated state, with pure Mercury so that consciousness itself, through the action of this water, results as "rejuvenated," that is, as it was before "aging" and falling into matter. Sometimes it is said that metals that are "dead" (individuated) must be reverted and thus become "alive" according to a technique we shall see later. Breaking of the King At this point the Alchemist has reached a certain degree of dissolution, he now by means of fire must complete the putrefaction with a series of operations that are often symbolized by the destruction of gold. It is a long and difficult thing so much that Alchemists often say that "it is more difficult to destroy Gold than to make it." They imply however that this destruction is necessary: "Who does not know the destruction of metals (dissolving the knots of consciousness), necessarily does not know their construction according to nature" The Secret Book of Artephius. In this image the process is symbolized by a wolf (which implies a voracious solvent) eating a King, symbol of Gold, other times the same symbol is considered as one of the possible variants of the Green Lion eating a sun or a Red Lion, or of any green thing (which would represent in this meaning the solvent) that devours or destroys any red or gold thing. In the first key Basilius Valentinus specifies: "Throw to this Wolf the body of the King so that it may receive nourishment (dissolve the nucleus of consciousness by means of this powerful solvent). When it has devoured the King, make a great fire and throw the Wolf into it to consume it entirely and then the King will be liberated. When this is done three times (in relation to the three principal knots of consciousness), then the Lion will have triumphed over the Wolf and it will find nothing more to eat in that. Thus our body is good for the Work. Black of the Work With these well-conducted operations the matter is brought to perfect philosophical solution and perfect putrefaction. We have reached the "blackest black of black," sign of the correct performance of the operations. "Who does not see this black color at the beginning of his operations completely fails the mastery, whatever color he sees" Flamel. Alchemists say to rejoice at the vision of this black because—they say—dawn is near. The alchemist, in fact after these operations, has freed himself and gained autonomy from matter and can begin the work to construct the philosopher's stone with the first operation that is indicated by the name of sublimation, or eagles of Philalethes, or doves of Diana, or washing of the Laton. The Guardian of the Threshold At a certain point in this procedure of progressive dissolution from matter the Alchemist sees himself, as in a mirror, sees the specter of himself as materialized in an entity external to him, the alchemist sees himself as he has conceived himself consciously and unconsciously. It is as if in this fluid matter an echo had formed of all the conscious and unconscious conceptions of the alchemist. To this entity the Alchemists have given various names, sometimes diplomatic like mirror of the art, loyal servant, subject of the wise or first old man who must become cherubim according to the alchemical motto "yesterday's old man is tomorrow's cherubim." But sometimes they...