Analyzing the syncs between John & Yoko and the Rosarium
Philosophorum.
(expansion on a sync originally noticed by Alan Green - http://allthehappycreatures.blogspot.com/)
from A Commentary of the Rosarium Philosophorum - by Adam McLean
http://www.alchemywebsite.com/iconology/imag6.htm
We interpret this series as a process for the integration of the three facets of man - the Body, Soul and Spirit. In our present state of evolution these facets do not work together in harmony. There are polarities and vast gulfs between the different realms within our being. It is the task of alchemical transmutation to unite these facets in a new harmony, into a perfected state of being where Body, Soul and Spirit mutually interpenetrate and work together.
In
illustration 1, we have a picture of man's inner soul world. In the lower part
of the soul we see a triple fountain which pours forth the threefold soul-substance. These three streams pour forth from the head of the fountain, at the central
point of the soul, and stream down merging together in the basin at the lowest
part of the soul. This vessel contains the primal substance of the soul forces,
the Inner Mercury, the Mercury of the Philosophers, that is one and yet is
composed of these three streams.
We interpret this series as a process for the integration of the three facets of man - the Body, Soul and Spirit. In our present state of evolution these facets do not work together in harmony. There are polarities and vast gulfs between the different realms within our being. It is the task of alchemical transmutation to unite these facets in a new harmony, into a perfected state of being where Body, Soul and Spirit mutually interpenetrate and work together.
Man's
soul is thus the bridging element between the outer realm of the physical body
and the spiritual world. This bridge must be built out of integrating the
primal polarities of the soul, so that it becomes both a vehicle or vessel for
the spirit and the master and moulder of the physical realm.
In
illustration 1, we have a picture of man's inner soul world. In the lower part
of the soul we see a triple fountain which pours forth the threefold soul-substance. These three streams pour forth from the head of the fountain, at the central
point of the soul, and stream down merging together in the basin at the lowest
part of the soul. This vessel contains the primal substance of the soul forces,
the Inner Mercury, the Mercury of the Philosophers, that is one and yet is
composed of these three streams.
Thus
we have here a picture of the unintegrated soul realm of man. The three streams
pour down from the heart centre into the lower soul world, but are cut off from
a balanced direct connection with the upper soul, the realm of the soul that
can touch upon the spiritual. The only connection with this upper soul
initially is through the unintegrated polarity of the lunar and solar streams
within the soul.
Thus
in illustration 2, there is pictured a personification as King and Queen of
these solar and lunar forces. The Sun King and Moon Queen, have to be
recognized by the alchemist as archetypal polarities within his soul and they
must be brought into a new relationship. These polarities meet and touch,
though at this initial stage, their encounter is very restrained and distant.
As Jung points out in his commentary to these illustrations, they give each
other their left hands in union. The left (sinister) being the dark or
unconscious side of their being. Thus they are united in the unconscious
aspect, in the depths of the lower soul. Their right hands, the more conscious
side of theirbeing, proffer two-blossomed flowers to each other.
and this meeting in consciousness is thus more restrained and distant.
However, from above, from the higher spiritual realm indicated by the Star, a bird descends bearing a further two-blossomed flower and brings a stronger unity into the picture.
In
illustration 3, the process moves one stage further. The court clothes of the
King and the Queen, the veils of consciousness, have been taken off, and the
two participating forces or archetypes in the soul (Jung called these the
Animus and Anima) can for the first time see each other clearly.
At
this stage their gesture changes and they grasp each other's proffered branch
(which now is single blossomed). The solar King holds out his branch in his
right hand and this is grasped by the right hand of the Queen, while her branch
proffered by her left hand is received by the left hand of the King, and from
above the dove still bears its unifying branch. The scroll above the Sun King
states, "O Luna, let me be thy husband", while Luna says, "O Sol,
I must submit to thee", and the dove bears the inscription, "It is
the Spirit which vivifies". The two archetypal facets of the soul are here
proffering to each other, in the form of flowers, an aspect of their forces.
In
illustration 4, the King and Queen, still maintaining their mutual gesture of
uniting their forces through the aid of the spirit, descend into the watery
vessel. This is the realm of the unconscious, the inner ever-flowing Mercury of
the soul, that we met in the first woodcut of the Mercurial Fountain.
"In the
middle of a bath - In the
middle of a bath, I call your name" - Oh, Yoko
The higher archetypal forces within the soul have entered into the vast dark sea of the unconscious realm of the inner soul life. This vessel is here hexagonal, as the triplicity of Spirit, Sun and Moon is still working within this experience.
"Shake your vessels, break your pretzels." - It's Gonna Rain by Yoko Ono
In illustration, number 5, we see the first Conjunction, the Coitus
or inner union of the male and the female forces of the soul. They merge
together in sexual intercourse, the man uppermost. In this first cycle of transformation,
the male forces are spiritually active working upon the passive female forces.
The
solar-masculine and lunar-feminine forces in the soul have now united together
in the most intimate way possible. Through this union an hermaphrodite being is
formed, as with the next figure, number 6, where the masculine and feminine
soul forces fuse into one body with two heads. After this primal fusion and
exchange of energies within the soul archetypes, an inner darkness, a nigredo
or putrefaction occurs. This takes the form of a descent of the complex of
interconnected male and female energies into the dark unconscious sphere of the
soul.
In
the next illustration, number 7, the Extraction or Impregnation of the Soul, a
masculine soul element separates from the dying hermaphrodite, and rises
upwards in the soul towards the realm of the Spirit, as indicated by the clouds
above.
In
illustration number 8, a dew descends from the spiritual clouds upon the inert
corpse of the female forces. This results in a spiritualization of the feminine
lunar element of the soul, through a washing or purification of this aspect of
the soul forces lying in the unconsciousness. The hermaphrodite needs to be
cleansed both by the waters of the sea of the unconscious and by the higher
conscious spiritual rain. This is the Ablution or Purification.
"In the middle of a dream - In the middle of a dream" - Oh, Yoko
When this stage has taken place, the male facet of the soul returns from its sojourn in the higher spheres and reunites with the hermaphrodite husk.
This process is also pictured at the base of the vessel, as we see a bird above ground meeting with a bird buried in the earth. This is the 'Ortus', the rising or dawning of new consciousness, the Jubilation or Sublimation of the soul forces. New life returns to the feminine lunar element of the soul, which having been through this inner death process, this descent into the primal darkness of the unconscious, has gained a kind of victory over the death forces working in the unstructured soul forces.
The higher archetypal forces within the soul have entered into the vast dark sea of the unconscious realm of the inner soul life. This vessel is here hexagonal, as the triplicity of Spirit, Sun and Moon is still working within this experience.
"Shake your vessels, break your pretzels." - It's Gonna Rain by Yoko Ono
In illustration, number 5, we see the first Conjunction, the Coitus
or inner union of the male and the female forces of the soul. They merge
together in sexual intercourse, the man uppermost. In this first cycle of transformation,
the male forces are spiritually active working upon the passive female forces.
The
solar-masculine and lunar-feminine forces in the soul have now united together
in the most intimate way possible. Through this union an hermaphrodite being is
formed, as with the next figure, number 6, where the masculine and feminine
soul forces fuse into one body with two heads. After this primal fusion and
exchange of energies within the soul archetypes, an inner darkness, a nigredo
or putrefaction occurs. This takes the form of a descent of the complex of
interconnected male and female energies into the dark unconscious sphere of the
soul.
In
the next illustration, number 7, the Extraction or Impregnation of the Soul, a
masculine soul element separates from the dying hermaphrodite, and rises
upwards in the soul towards the realm of the Spirit, as indicated by the clouds
above.
"In the middle of a cloud - In the middle of a cloud, I call your name" - Oh, Yoko
Through
this active penetration of the inner feminine by the masculine polarity of the
soul, this aspect of the inner life has achieved a certain ability to ascend
within the inner world to the realm of the Spirit. The hermaphrodite-body left
below as the husk of the union of the male and female currents, and being
abandoned by the masculine soul forces, is now in essence the vehicle for the
naked female forces of the soul in an entirely unconscious passive form. This
is the turning point of this sevenfold cycle of transformation.
In
illustration number 8, a dew descends from the spiritual clouds upon the inert
corpse of the female forces. This results in a spiritualization of the feminine
lunar element of the soul, through a washing or purification of this aspect of
the soul forces lying in the unconsciousness. The hermaphrodite needs to be
cleansed both by the waters of the sea of the unconscious and by the higher
conscious spiritual rain. This is the Ablution or Purification."In the middle of a dream - In the middle of a dream" - Oh, Yoko
When this stage has taken place, the male facet of the soul returns from its sojourn in the higher spheres and reunites with the hermaphrodite husk.
This process is also pictured at the base of the vessel, as we see a bird above ground meeting with a bird buried in the earth. This is the 'Ortus', the rising or dawning of new consciousness, the Jubilation or Sublimation of the soul forces. New life returns to the feminine lunar element of the soul, which having been through this inner death process, this descent into the primal darkness of the unconscious, has gained a kind of victory over the death forces working in the unstructured soul forces.
Thus
the soul gains a mastery over the lunar element within its being. This is the
inner experience of the White Stone,
the inner foundation in the soul for consciousness of the potentialities working in this lunar- feminine element which lies within us all, and it is pictured in the last illustration from this sevenfold development, number 10
which shows us the hermaphrodite of the soul now reborn from its tomb, winged (indicating its spiritual development), and standing upon the crescent of the Moon (signifying mastery of the lunar forces) which is further emphasized by the appearance of the Moon Tree.
the inner foundation in the soul for consciousness of the potentialities working in this lunar- feminine element which lies within us all, and it is pictured in the last illustration from this sevenfold development, number 10
which shows us the hermaphrodite of the soul now reborn from its tomb, winged (indicating its spiritual development), and standing upon the crescent of the Moon (signifying mastery of the lunar forces) which is further emphasized by the appearance of the Moon Tree.
So, John & Yoko were just as winged as Paul & Linda.
Thus it is in
illustration 11, we see again the Conjunction - the Coitus of the two soul
facets. This is called the Fermentation distinguishing it from the conjunction
of the White phase. This time the female forces are active, and in their
intercourse it is the woman who lies on top of the man. The figures are also
winged, indicating the degree of spiritual development that has occurred during
the first cycle of transformation which resulted with illustration 10 in the winged hermaphrodite.
"It's time to spread our wings and fly" - Just Like Starting Over
The male solar
forces of the soul enter now into the darkness of the unconscious realm within,
as we see in the following illustration, number 12, the Illumination, in which
a winged solar disc descends into the vessel of transformation that contains
the living mercury, the ever mobile flowing energies of the unconscious. As the
text indicates, "Here Sol dies again and is drowned with the Mercury of the philosophers."
In illustration 13, the two
facets of the soul have again fused into the hermaphrodite which is resting
within the dark grave like realm of the unconscious. The hermaphrodite is
winged, and thus still bears the spiritual development from the previous cycle
of transmutations, however, this too must be cast off if the solar
transmutation is to take place.
This
we see in the following illustration 14, the turning point of this cycle, where
the now wingless hermaphrodite also gives up the female side of its forces,
which soars up into the spiritual world, leaving the male aspect bound to the
husk of the hermaphrodite body. This is the Fixation of these forces in the unconscious
realm.
Then,
as with the previous cycle, a dew descends from the spiritual realm above upon
the corpse-like hermaphrodite, in the Multiplication of illustration 15, and
the male solar forces of the soul are purified and washed by this gentle rain
of the spirit.
"Watching the Rain" is a song by Yoko Ono on her 2009 album, Between My Head and the Sky
This done, the female soul
element is free now to return from her journey to the higher spiritual realm of
the soul, and rejoin and revivify the hermaphrodite figure in the lower soul,
as is pictured in illustration 16.
Then the round of this second cycle of transformation is complete and the hermaphrodite arises in illustration 17, displaying the perfection of the Red Stone.
On the left of the hermaphrodite we see the Sun Tree,
while on the right, the Pelican in its piety gesture, nourishing its young on the blood from its own breast, is a symbol of the Red Tincture. Behind, is a Lion, another solar symbol, and the hermaphrodite stands upon a mound below which is a triple-headed serpent, each head of which is mutually feeding upon the others. This symbolizes that the Spirit, Soul and Body are becoming united and penetrate each other, though this being still polarized in the form of the serpent (the head and tail polarity), indicates that final harmonization of these realms is yet to be achieved.
in Alchemy, the white and the red rose are well-known symbols for the lunar and the solar tincture, from which the "precious rose-coloured blood" of Christ-Lapis flows...
The
being of the alchemist during the hermaphrodite stages has dipped into this
well of his being, but has never entirely penetrated deep into its mystery.
However, this experience is necessary for the complete inner development of the
alchemist, and it is pictured in illustration 18 as the Green Lion devouring
the Sun. The sun here represents all that the alchemist has so diligently won
for his consciousness, through working this process of inner development. The
Green Lion is the devouring, dissolving aspect of the unconsciousness.
So,
with the final illustration, the alchemist is seen having achieved a kind of
resurrection which is paralleled with that of Christ. In the Green Lion stage
he descended deep into the dark inner mysteries of his soul, as Christ
descended into Hell, but has returned with renewed energies in a resurrection
body bearing the mystery of the upper trinity. This is the true transmutation.
Those who have gone through this experience are fundamentally changed, having
undergone a self initiation that parallels the inner experiences that were
gained through initiation into the ancient Mysteries of Greece, Egypt or
Britain.
Thus it is in
illustration 11, we see again the Conjunction - the Coitus of the two soul
facets. This is called the Fermentation distinguishing it from the conjunction
of the White phase. This time the female forces are active, and in their
intercourse it is the woman who lies on top of the man. The figures are also
winged, indicating the degree of spiritual development that has occurred during
the first cycle of transformation which resulted with illustration 10 in the winged hermaphrodite."It's time to spread our wings and fly" - Just Like Starting Over
The male solar
forces of the soul enter now into the darkness of the unconscious realm within,
as we see in the following illustration, number 12, the Illumination, in which
a winged solar disc descends into the vessel of transformation that contains
the living mercury, the ever mobile flowing energies of the unconscious. As the
text indicates, "Here Sol dies again and is drowned with the Mercury of the philosophers."
In illustration 13, the two
facets of the soul have again fused into the hermaphrodite which is resting
within the dark grave like realm of the unconscious. The hermaphrodite is
winged, and thus still bears the spiritual development from the previous cycle
of transmutations, however, this too must be cast off if the solar
transmutation is to take place.
This
we see in the following illustration 14, the turning point of this cycle, where
the now wingless hermaphrodite also gives up the female side of its forces,
which soars up into the spiritual world, leaving the male aspect bound to the
husk of the hermaphrodite body. This is the Fixation of these forces in the unconscious
realm.
Then,
as with the previous cycle, a dew descends from the spiritual realm above upon
the corpse-like hermaphrodite, in the Multiplication of illustration 15, and
the male solar forces of the soul are purified and washed by this gentle rain
of the spirit."Watching the Rain" is a song by Yoko Ono on her 2009 album, Between My Head and the Sky
This done, the female soul
element is free now to return from her journey to the higher spiritual realm of
the soul, and rejoin and revivify the hermaphrodite figure in the lower soul,
as is pictured in illustration 16.
Then the round of this second cycle of transformation is complete and the hermaphrodite arises in illustration 17, displaying the perfection of the Red Stone.
On the left of the hermaphrodite we see the Sun Tree,
while on the right, the Pelican in its piety gesture, nourishing its young on the blood from its own breast, is a symbol of the Red Tincture. Behind, is a Lion, another solar symbol, and the hermaphrodite stands upon a mound below which is a triple-headed serpent, each head of which is mutually feeding upon the others. This symbolizes that the Spirit, Soul and Body are becoming united and penetrate each other, though this being still polarized in the form of the serpent (the head and tail polarity), indicates that final harmonization of these realms is yet to be achieved.
in Alchemy, the white and the red rose are well-known symbols for the lunar and the solar tincture, from which the "precious rose-coloured blood" of Christ-Lapis flows...
The
being of the alchemist during the hermaphrodite stages has dipped into this
well of his being, but has never entirely penetrated deep into its mystery.
However, this experience is necessary for the complete inner development of the
alchemist, and it is pictured in illustration 18 as the Green Lion devouring
the Sun. The sun here represents all that the alchemist has so diligently won
for his consciousness, through working this process of inner development. The
Green Lion is the devouring, dissolving aspect of the unconsciousness.
The
alchemist must be prepared to make this sacrifice of his conscious achievements
to the dark well of his unconscious being, if he is to further the process of
integration, for only in this way can he fully encompass this realm and unite
the three streams that pour from the fountain into the vessel of the lower soul
(Illustration 1).
A
similar inner task must be undertaken with regard to the upper soul realm, and
this is portrayed in the penultimate illustration, where we see the being of
the alchemist receiving a crown from the upper three streams of the Father
aspect (body), the Son-Christ (soul) and the Holy Spirit. The alchemist must
again make an ego sacrifice this time in respect to his upper soul. He must be
prepared here to receive the blessing of this spirit that pours into his upper
soul and recognize that the source lies outside his being. If he were at this
stage to identify his self with this stream of spirit, he would be overwhelmed
with egoism. The alchemist thus experienced through the sacrificial gestures
towards his lower and upper soul (figures 18 and 19), the true spiritual ego
that resides within his being, and which receives its essential foundation from
the uniting of the Body, Soul and Spirit facets in both the upper and lower
soul realms.
So,
with the final illustration, the alchemist is seen having achieved a kind of
resurrection which is paralleled with that of Christ. In the Green Lion stage
he descended deep into the dark inner mysteries of his soul, as Christ
descended into Hell, but has returned with renewed energies in a resurrection
body bearing the mystery of the upper trinity. This is the true transmutation.
Those who have gone through this experience are fundamentally changed, having
undergone a self initiation that parallels the inner experiences that were
gained through initiation into the ancient Mysteries of Greece, Egypt or
Britain.
The
series of illustrations in the Rosarium outlines a process for the inner conscious encounter, separation,
purification, re-conjunction and harmonization of the male and female facets of
the soul, and working through such a process brings about an initiation of the
alchemist. The various blocks to the free flow of these inner energies are thus
removed and the alchemist is able to experience life more fully, having both a
living perception of the spiritual and the ability to express his being
creatively in his encounter with the physical realm.
In 1968, Lennon & Ono held their bagism art piece at the Royal Albert Hall. The event was called The Alchemical Wedding.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagism#The_Alchemical_Wedding
In 1968, Lennon & Ono held their bagism art piece at the Royal Albert Hall. The event was called The Alchemical Wedding.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagism#The_Alchemical_Wedding
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