Perspectives on the Prima Materia
Author: Christopher Chayban
The prima materia could be understood alchemically and psychologically. Edinger says to understand the complex contents of the psyche, the network of images is the psyche’s “own water.” (Anatomy of the Psyche pg. 1). For the alchemist these images were experienced as his own unconscious in matter via the psychological phenomena of projection (Anatomy of the Psyche pg. 1). Projections, which can take place always and everywhere are akin to the ubiquitous quality of the prima materia (Psychology and Alchemy pg.323). Jung says the unconscious content thrown out in projection takes on a highly fascinating, numinous, divine and even a sacred quality (Psychology and Alchemy pg.345). The projection emanates from the individual, is therefore different in each case. Each alchemist projected his own prima materia (Psychology and Alchemy pg.386) and says “ah, yes, that’s the right stuff,” and consequently, we end up with too many names and definitions of the prima materia (Psychology and Alchemy pg.317).
True, the names are manifold, but a name gives identity and points toward what something means. Between the content given in Jung’s and Edinger’s work, the names of the prima materia can be sorted out into twelve categories.
1.Undifferentiated- has no gender, its increatum, formless, chaos and massa confusa.
2.Unity- the one substance, a unity of forms, ubiquitous, found everywhere, a microcosm and a monad.
3.Round-the primal sphere, the round chaos, the Hermetic vessel and is an imitation of the spherical cosmos.
4.Dark- black Earth, the Nigredo, the Mysterium Magnum, found in a dung heap and filth.
5.Elemental-earth, water, fire and air.
6.Nature- the chaos naturae, chaotic waters of the beginning, the water of life, the lumen naturae, natura obscondita, paradisal earth, first matter, dea mater, sea, sky, cloud, dew, and the tree in the western land.
7.Metal/Stone-quicksilver, ore, iron, gold, lead, salt, sulphur, vinegar, the lapis philosophorum.
8.Animal-salamander, dragon, wolf and tail eating Ouroboros.
9.Humanoid-the divine child, filius philosophorum, sick king and the king devouring his son.
10.Astrological–Saturn, who devours his children, the Moon, Venus and the Philosophical Mercurius who stands at the beginning and end.
11.What is found-the essence or soul of the substance, the philosophical water (the stone), the treasure hard to attain and the means of producing the gold.
12.What is extracted- Mercurius, the rebis and the wheel of creation.
The names and meanings are countless and furthermore, psychologically, the prima materia is found in the undifferentiated four functions (Anatomy of the Psyche pg. 10). It is an experience of the unconscious, where the ego is in relation to the infinite, also found in the shadow, the part of the personality that is considered most despicable, painful and humiliating, where one is fragmented and disjointed with moods and petty personal reactions (Anatomy of the Psyche pg. 12-13). But once found, the prima materia can be transformed into the Philosophers’ Stone (Anatomy of the Psyche pg. 14) through a series of operations. In psychological language, this transformation would correspond to process of individuation, the route to psychological “wholeness.”
Resources:
Edinger, E. (1994). Anatomy of the Psyche: Alchemical Symbolism in Psychotherapy. Chicago, Ill: Open Court Press.
Jung, C.G. (1968). Psychology and Alchemy. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
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