Theory Thread: Alchemy in Harry Potter for Beginners, Links to topics covering alchemy and its relation and evidence in the |
 Jan 4 2007, 12:20 PM
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The Talking Mirror in Room 7  Posts: 1,759 Joined: 10:48am May 26, 2005 Location: In my own cupboard under the stairs...   |
Alchemy. What is it, and how does it relate to HP? Is alchemy another creation by JKR? Or, is it simply something I should have paid attention to in High School?
This is the thread for you, the members, to read and find all the background information on this fascinating topic. Rememeber, the current discussion of Alchemy is Part V (linked below), but before you tackle that, here are some things for you to chew on... "Alchemy is an early protoscientific practice combining elements of chemistry, physics, astrology, art, semiotics, metallurgy, medicine, mysticism, and religion. Two intertwined goals sought by many alchemists were the philosopher's stone, a mythical substance which would enable the transmutation of common metals into gold; and the universal panacea, a remedy that would cure all diseases and prolong life indefinitely. Alchemy can be regarded as the precursor of the modern science of chemistry prior to the formulation of the scientific method." (From Definition and History of Alchemy, link provided below.) Primarily, alchemy is the combination of religion and science. It is important to note here that alchemy is a three-prong science, encompassing physical, spiritual, and psychological disciplines. Religion plays an important role in the study of alchemy, with the ultimate goal being "Gold," or immortality. The first reference to this is in PS/SS when we readers learn of Voldemort and his desire to possess the Philosopher's/Sorceror's Stone, but this is really only just scratching the surface. Alchemy plays a much larger role in HP. Another important aspect of Alchemy is the transformation of self. This side of alchemy is more mystical than scientific, and can perhaps be an allegory to the HP series as a whole. So, what does all of that mean? Use the links below to find out more and to jump in and ask questions! Frequent posters here have assured us that newcomers are very, very welcome! Discussions in the Lounge: Alchemy in Harry Potter, Part VI This is where the topic of Alchemy is now. Currently, members are discussing Alchemy and how it relates to what might happen in the seventh book. Frequent posters in this thread encourage new members and new entrants to the discussion to bring fresh ideas and perspectives, as well as to ask any questions you may have about Alchemy! Alchemy in Harry Potter, Part V Alchemy in Harry Potter, Part IV Alchemy in Harry Potter, Part III Alchemy in Harry Potter, Part II Alchemy in Harry Potter, Part I (This is the very beginning of this topic. Frequent posters recommend you start here to get a feel of how it all began!) Scribbulus Essays: "Alchemy and Harry Potter (Part I)" an essay by Arianhrod "Alchemy and Harry Potter (Part II)" an essay by Arianhrod "The Mystery of the Number Seven" an essay by memyslfnI External links FYI (Note-these sites are not affiliated with the Leaky Lounge and are intended for information purposes shoud you desire them): Definition and History of Alchemy This site provides a brief definition of alchemy, (the one provided above), as well as a more in depth definition of alchemy and a look at its history as a scientific endeavor. Alchemy Electronic Dictionary This site provides definitions to terms, processes, and experiments. Alchemy - LLewellyn Encyclopedia This site deals with the idea of the spiritual aspects of alchemy and what it means to perfect the soul and reach a much higher state. Links to Related Topics: These links are to subjects that do not discuss alchemy outright, but have been found by our members to intertwine with the subject. In many cases, some of the same subjects or theories discussed in these threads also appear in the Alchemy threads from a different perspective. Arthurian Legends and HP, How do the Names and Symbols Relate? The Four Elements Answer All, Framework of the Story & Key to the End The Elements: Fire, Air, Water, Earth., What roles do they play in the Harry Potter series? The Power of Four, What does it all mean? Ancient Runes This thread discusses the importance of Hermione's study of Ancient Runes. Runes This is an older thread on the presence of Runes in the HP series. Any Tarot-Readers Here? Card 16 The Lightning Struck Tower The symbolic Nature of the Number 7, Is it a lucky number for Harry? The following posts provide a quick (albeit lengthy) introduction to some of the terms and their definitions, as well as the stages and some of the common subjects examined or used in Alchemy. NOTE: A huge thanks goes out to members Arianhrod, Alchemist Apprentice, firephoenix, memyslfnI, towerdweller, mlwl, Asphodel Wormwood, Eeyore, and Pat_Rorrythe for their amazing help with pulling this resource page together! This post has been edited by Piewacket: Feb 20 2007, 04:52 PM -------------------- I am not normal. You are unweird.
The enemy of man is not a palpable evil, nor is it materialism. It is spirituality divorced from tolerance and patience. - Author Unknown (at least to me) |
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Jan 5 2007, 09:29 AM
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The Talking Mirror in Room 7 Posts: 1,759 Joined: 10:48am May 26, 2005 Location: In my own cupboard under the stairs... |
A mega-thanks to the afore mentioned Alchemy team for putting together this summary of terms!
Here are some alchemical definitions and the seven stages of the transformation: Definitions Solve et coagula-- "Dissolve and coagulate." Reducing a solid to a liquid and back to a solid again. Used as a metaphor for the practice of psychotherapy and self-integration. Prima materia--First Matter or primary matter that has yet to be transformed Massa confusa--The confused mass; broken down in the first stages of transformation Sulfur Sulfur (Sulphur) is one of the three heavenly substances. It represents passion and will and is associated with the operation of Fermentation. Mercury Mercury, called quicksilver by the ancients, is a liquid metal that could be found weeping through cracks in certain rocks or accumulating in small puddles in mountain grottos. It was also obtained by roasting cinnabar (mercury sulfide). The shiny metal would seep from the rocks and drip down into the ashes, from which it was later collected. The early alchemists made red mercuric oxide by heating quicksilver in a solution of nitric acid. The acid, which later alchemists called "aqua fortis," was made by pouring sulfuric acid over saltpeter. The reaction of quicksilver in nitric acid is impressive. A thick red vapor hovers over the surface and bright red crystals precipitate to the bottom. This striking chemical reaction demonstrated the simultaneous separation of mercury into the Above and the Below. Mercury's all-encompassing properties were exhibited in other compounds too. If mercury was heated in a long-necked flask, it oxidized into a highly poisonous white powder (white mercuric oxide) and therapeutic red crystals (red mercuric oxide). Calomel (mercury chloride) was a powerful medicine, unless it was directly exposed to light, in which case it became a deadly poison. When mixed with other metals, liquid mercury tended to unite with them and form hardened amalgams. These and other properties convinced alchemists that mercury transcended both the solid and liquid states, both earth and heaven, both life and death. It symbolized Hermes himself, the guide to the Above and Below. Salt The beginning and the end of the Great Work. Salt is the third heavenly substance in alchemy and represents the final manifestation of the perfected Stone. The Emerald Tablet calls it "the Glory of the Whole Universe." For Paracelsus, Salt was like a balsam the body produced to shield itself from decay. It has also been associated with the Ouroboros, the Stone, and the Astral Body. In general, Salt represents the action of thought on matter, be it the One Mind acting on the One Thing of the universe or the alchemist meditating in his inner laboratory. Vitriol Vitriol was the most important liquid in alchemy. It was the one in which all other reactions took place. Vitriol was distilled from an oily, green substance that formed naturally from the weathering of sulfur-bearing gravel. This Green Vitriol is symbolized by the Green Lion in drawings. After the Green Vitriol (copper sulfate) was collected, it was heated and broken down into iron compounds and sulfuric acid. The acid was separated out by distillation. The first distillation produced a brown liquid that stunk like rotten eggs, but further distillation yielded a nearly odorless, yellow oil called simply Vitriol. The acid readily dissolves human tissue and is severely corrosive to most metals, although it has no effect on gold. White Vitriol is zinc sulfate; Blue Vitriol is copper sulfate. Vitriol survives the process intact. Great Marriage The union of mercury and sulfur, king and queen, quicksilver and gold, red and white. Mercury and sulfur were called "the quarrelling couple." THE SEVEN METALS Lead Gold Silver Tin Iron Mercury Copper THE SEVEN STAGES OF ALCHEMY The Below 1. Calcination -- The first operation in alchemical transformation. It is denoted by the symbol for the first sign of the zodiac, Aries. Calcination is the breaking down of the massa confusa (confused mass) by fire. It is represented by sulfuric acid, a potent corrosive that eats the skin and reacts with all metals except gold. The alchemists created sulfuric acid from a substance called vitriol, another highly corrosive agent. The chaotic massa confusa, excavated from the mountain, has to undergo a long process in which it is repeatedly dissolved and coagulated (solve et coagula) and from this the prima materia emanates, the raw material for making gold. The psychologist Carl Gustav Jung was very occupied with the archetypal aspects of alchemy, and was struck by the similarities between opus magnum and the psychoanalytical process. In Jung's psychoanalysis, the massa confusa of the subconscious is the prime instrument for reaching a state of mental balance and completeness. Calcination itself represented the breaking down of the ego and attachments to material possessions. Through this process the Seeker becomes introspective and begins to evaluate his life. The massa confusa is depicted as a snake holding its tail--the Ouroborus. The snake often was used as a symbol for duality - its long drawn out body separating the polarities of head and tail. Sometimes the figure of a winged dragon was used here in place of the snake, in order to close the circle with the dragon at the beginning of the work. When the snake or dragon seized its tail it united the polarities into a circle, a symbol to the alchemists for achieving solidity amongst the dualistic energies of the soul forces. The creation of the Philosophers' Stone was the formation of solid inner ground upon which the alchemical philosophers could build their personalities, and experience the full potentiality of being human. 2. Dissolution -- The second stage of alchemy is dissolution, represented by iron oxide or rust. Rust demonstrates the immense corrosive power of water. Iron oxide is formed when vitriol is broken down; it forms sulfuric acid and iron oxide. The second stage represents the further breakdown of the ego. Unconsciously, the mind begins to allow buried memories and repressed thoughts come to the surface. According to Adam McLean, dissolution can be described as a "flow," the bliss of being well-used and actively engaged in creative acts without traditional prejudices, personal hang-ups, or established hierarchy getting in the way. 3. Separation -- Separation was the isolation of the compounds formed in the second stage by filtration, then discarding any "unworthy" or unusable material. The third stage was represented by sodium carbonate, an alkaline substance that forms as ash in lakebeds. The alchemists referred to sodium carbonate as natron, which meant simply the tendency of all salts to form precipitates in the bottom of a container. This stage also represented the reclaiming the part of ourselves where our hopes and dreams lie; it is a conscious process of mental housekeeping, where we decide what to keep and what to throw away, keeping only the parts that fit with our new outlook on life. It means letting go of old restraints imposed by teachers, parents and others, so we can finally begin to be ourselves. 4. Conjunction -- The fourth stage of alchemy was called "conjunction." Alchemically, this stage meant the recombination of the components of the third stage into a new substance. Conjunction was symbolized by potassium nitrate (saltpeter), which the alchemists called (like sodium carbonate) natron or salt. Natron acid (nitric acid or aqua fortis) was made by mixing potassium nitrate with sulfuric acid and was used to separate silver from gold and produced an inert precipitate at the bottom of the container. Conjunction represents the union of the masculine and feminine (yin and yang) into a new belief system or an intuitive state of consciousness. It was called "The Lesser Stone", because when it was achieved the Seeker knew exactly what it was that needed to be done. The Above 5. Fermentation -- Known as the Black Stage or melanosis, the fifth stage of alchemy is also the first one to take place in the "Above", or in the higher planes of consciousness. Fermentation was a two-step process, the first of which involved the "death" of the inert precipitate born in the conjunction stage. This was called "putrefaction" and symbolized death and resurrection to a higher level of being. Once completed, the process of fermentation began with the new life being "born" from this resurrection, aimed at strengthening it and ensuring its survival. The soul sloughs off the things that are wearing it down; this occurs in a flash of iridescent color called The Peacock's Tail. In HP, this is (IMO) represented by the flashes of color Harry sees as he travels by portkey from the MoM to DD's office...it is the ending of the black stage and the beginning of the white. Alchemically, fermentation was the growth of bacteria in an organic solution (yogurt, cheese, etc.). This stage is represented by a substance called Liquor hepatis, or Liquor of the Liver, which is an oily, reddish brown mixture of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. Liquor hepatis was believed to be where the soul resided, and produced a fragrant compound used as a perfume called The Balsam of the Soul. Harry is burnt up, broken down or dissolved, and bled until everything that he thought he was—star Quidditch player, his best friend's superior, pet of the headmaster, lover of his school, son and spitting image of a great man, victim of the Dursleys, valiant enemy of Snape, even his being the hero and man of action in time of crisis—is taken from him or revealed as falsehood. The boundaries of his world collapse; magical enemies come to his home with the Dursleys, and Aunt Petunia knows about them. The Dursleys' house is no longer a sanctuary, however miserable, and Hogwarts is no longer edifying or any joy to him. The world is no longer separated into good guys and bad guys. Harry has been reduced to his formless elements. (Granger) According to Hauck, in The Sorcerer's Stone: A Beginner's Guide to Alchemy, salt is the key to alchemy, the beginning and the end of the Great Work. According to this, and to make a long story short, the black stage is terminated by the soul leaving the body. Sirius' death, in other words. 6. Distillation -- Also called the White Stage or leukosis, distillation involved boiling and condensing the fermented solution from step 5 to increase its purity. This stage is represented by Black Pulvis Solaris, which is a mixture of metallic antimony and purified sulfur. These two combine to form a rock-hard substance called a bezoar(sound familiar?), which are actually hard balls of undigested food found in the intestines; they were discovered by the ancient Egyptians as they worked on their mummies and were believed to be a magic pill formed by the "serpent" in man; ie, the intestines. A red bezoar could be formed by mixing red mercury oxide with sulfur. As we know from Harry Potter, bezoars were widely believed to be an antidote to most poisons and were actually prescribed by physicians as a cure for many ailments. The Egyptians also looked for a similar "pill" in the "small serpent" in man—the brain—and may have found it in the pineal gland. In the same way that the Egyptians believed bezoars were formed in the intestines, they believed that gold was formed within the bowels of the earth. This gave rise to the belief that gold was a mineral bezoar. Psychologically, distillation is the purification of forces needed to ensure that no imperfections from the id and the ego survive into the final stage. The Seeker renders himself impervious to emotion, sentimentality and even personal identity, raising himself to the highest possible spiritual level so he can complete his transformation. 7. Conjunction -- The Red Stage or iosis, the ultimate and final stage of alchemical transformation, is called coagulation, when the elements of the first six stages coalesce into the highest stage of perfection. It is here that the Great Marriage is performed--the union of sulfur and mercury, king and queen, quicksilver and gold, sun and moon. It releases the Ultima materia of the soul—the Astral Body, which is the Philosopher's Stone. With the Stone, the alchemists believed they could exist on all planes of reality. Coagulation is represented by Red Pulvis Solaris, which was in effect a red bezoar or a mixture of pure sulfur and mercury oxide. Pulvis solaris means "Powder of the Sun", and the alchemists believed it would instantly perfect any compound they added it to. This post has been edited by Piewacket: Jan 8 2007, 08:25 AM -------------------- I am not normal. You are unweird.
The enemy of man is not a palpable evil, nor is it materialism. It is spirituality divorced from tolerance and patience. - Author Unknown (at least to me) |
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Jan 5 2007, 09:32 AM
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The Talking Mirror in Room 7 Posts: 1,759 Joined: 10:48am May 26, 2005 Location: In my own cupboard under the stairs... |
Another mega-thanks to the afore mentioned Alchemy team for putting together this summary as well!
ANIMALS IN ALCHEMY Animals Animals are often used to symbolize the basic components and processes of alchemy. They may be used to symbolize the four Elements such as the lion or ox (Earth), fish or whales (Water), eagles (Air), or salamanders or dragons (Fire). Aerial animals generally indicate volatile principles, while terrestrial animals indicate fixed principles. Whenever two animals are found, they signify Sulfur and Mercury or some relationship between the fixed and the volatile. Basilisk The Basilisk is a symbolic alchemical creature said to have the head of a bird and the body of a dragon. The wingless serpentine animal was hatched from a hermaphroditic frog's egg and nursed by a serpent. Psychologically, the Basilisk represents the melding of our higher and lower natures in Conjunction, a process that must be continued in the next three operations of alchemy for this "Child of the Philosophers" to become the Living Stone of the fully integrated Self. Biologically, the Basilisk represents the mammalian embryology, the genetic replaying of the stages of evolution within the egg or womb. The Basilisk also has chemical connotations, which probably have to do with a metallurgical process involving cinnabar. Birds Ascending birds indicate the volatilization of compounds or their sublimation. Descending birds indicate the fixation of compounds or their condensation and precipitation. Birds shown both ascending and descending indicate the process of Distillation. Crow Crows are the symbols of the black phases of Calcination and Putrefaction. Dogs Dogs signify primitive matter, natural sulfur, or material gold. A dog being devoured by a wolf symbolizes the process of purifying gold using antimony. Dove The dove is a symbol of renewed spirit or infusion of energy from Above. Chemically, it signifies the change from the Black Stage to the White Phase of transformation. Dragon The dragon in flames is a symbol of fire and Calcination. Several dragons fighting is symbolic of Putrefaction. Dragons with wings represent the volatile principle; dragons without wings represent the fixed principle. A dragons biting its own tale is the Ouroboros and signifies the fundamental unity of all things. Eagle The eagle is always a symbol of volatilization. For instance, an eagle devouring a lion indicates the volatilization of a fixed component by a volatile component. Griffin's Egg The griffin is a half-lion and half-eagle creature that symbolizes the Conjunction of the fixed and volatile principles. An allusion to the Vessel of Hermes. Serpents Two serpents represent the opposing masculine and feminine energies of the Work. Three serpents stand for the three higher principles of Sulfur, Mercury, and Salt. Wingd serpents represent volatile substances; wingless serpents represent fixed substances. A crucified serpent represents the fixation of the volatile. Wolf The metal antimony symbolizes the animal nature or wild spirit of man and nature, and it was often symbolized by the wolf. Alchemist Basil Valentine named the metal, after feeding it to some monks in a Benedictine monastery. The monks got violently ill and some even died, hence the Latin name that means "anti-monk." Spiritually too, monks feel most threatened by their own animal nature. Oddly enough, the Tincture of Antimony cures venereal diseases. THE BIRDS IN ALCHEMY Expression turned Inward: a)Black Crow Represents the black stage; withdrawal from dependence on physical senses The Black Crow sometimes also the Raven is the beginning of the great work of soul alchemy. This indicates the initial stages of the alchemist's encounter with his inner space, through withdrawing from the outer world of the senses in meditation, and entering what is initially the dark inner world of the soul. Thus this stage is also described in alchemical texts as the blackening, the nigredo experience, and it is often pictured as a death process, as in the caput mortuum, the deaths head, or as some alchemical illustrations show, the alchemist dying within a flask. Thus in the symbol of the Black Crow we have the stepping out in consciousness from the world of the physical senses the restrictions that bind us to the physical body. b)White Swan Black stage; experience of the etheric body The next stage, is often shown as The White Swan or eagle. Now the alchemist begins to experience the inner world as being light filled - the initial inner brightness which is often erroneously mistaken for true illumination. This is merely a first conscious encounter with the etheric world, and in comparison with physical sense experience is for many souls so overpowering as to be pictured as bright white light. The alchemical tradition recognised this and symbolised this stage as the White Swan. The swan is a bird which is rarely seen in flight, but rather swimming upon lake or river, gracefully moving on the surface of water- in soul terms, on the soul's surface, its etheric interface with the physical. Turning point c)Peacock Sometimes called the Green Stage; represents astral body consciousness With the Peacock stage, the alchemist has entered into the inner experience of the astral world, which initially appears as ever shifting patterns of colour. This experience is often symbolised in alchemy by the appropriate image of the peacock's tail with its splendid iridescence of colour. In terms of this series of five stages, the turning point is reached with the Peacock. Up until this point the alchemist has experienced aspects of his being which he was formerly unconscious of - the etheric forces and the astral body. Essentially these experiences have happened to him, although he had to make himself open to the experiences through entering into the initial Black Crow state, however, in order to progress he must begin to work upon his inner being. The Peacock's Tail is the central experience to this process, the point of inner transformation, which arises from a true consciousness of the astral body. We note also that the other stages mirror each other. Thus the Black Crow and the Phoenix are related as beginning and end of the process, but in a deeper sense they are both connected with death-processes. The dying to the senses of the Black Crow stage is ultimately transformed into the triumph over the death process of the physical, that is pictured by the Phoenix. There is a further mirroring of the White Swan and Pelican stages. The White Swan is an experience of the etheric forces in one's being, and this is later transformed into a conscious mastery and outward expression of these life forces. The Peacock's Tail stage - the conscious experience of the astral body - stands alone in this picturing of the process, though it was sometimes split into two facets, in the writings of some alchemists - an initial winged dragon phase which resolved into the Peacock's Tail. In the initial encounter with the astral body, the negative distorted aspects of one's being can dominate, and these can be pictured as the winged dragon, but through soul purification, ultimately the full beauty and splendour of the astral body are revealed in the Peacock's Tail. Expression turned Outward: d)Pelican Represents the white stage; conscious use of the forces of the etheric body The Pelican is shown stabbing its breast with its beak and nourishing its young with its own blood. The alchemist must enter into a kind of sacrificial relationship with his inner being. He must nourish with his own soul forces, the developing spiritual embryo within. Anyone who has made true spiritual development will know well this experience. One's image of one's self must be changed, transformed, sacrificed to the developing spiritual self. This is almost invariably a deeply painful experience, which tests one's inner resources. Out of this will eventually emerge the spiritual self, transformed through the Pelican experience. The Pelican was in this spiritual sense a valid image of the Christ experience and was used as such by the early alchemists. Phoenix Represents the red stage/flame; freeing of the spirit from the bounds of the physical The Phoenix completes this process of soul development. The Phoenix bird builds its nest which at the same time is its funeral pyre, and then setting it alight cremates itself. But it arises anew from the ashes transformed. Here we have captured the alchemists experience of spiritualisation, He has integrated his being so much, that he is no longer dependent upon his physical body as a foundation for his being. He now stands upon the sureness of the spiritual - he has in this sense attained the Philosopher's Stone, the Spiritual core of his being. Thanks to crystallinks and Adam McLean for that. This post has been edited by Piewacket: Jan 8 2007, 08:25 AM -------------------- I am not normal. You are unweird.
The enemy of man is not a palpable evil, nor is it materialism. It is spirituality divorced from tolerance and patience. - Author Unknown (at least to me) |
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Feb 28 2007, 12:47 PM
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Stargazing on the Astronomy Tower  Posts: 3,908 Joined: 8:04pm September 28, 2005 Location: Astronomy Tower  |
A new Alchemy topic is in Magical Theory:
The stone, the veil, alchemy all related?: A thread on the effects of the Philosopher's Stone. --------------------  "We need metaphors of magic and monsters in order to understand the human condition."-Stephen Donaldson "One of the greatest talents in the world is to never say two words when one will do." |
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