The Language of Birds: Alchemical Symbolism Part 2, The Nigredo Stage
In part one I gave a short introduction to alchemy, went over some of the overarching symbols in alchemical art, and outlined the different stages of the alchemical process. For this article, I will be exploring the symbolism behind the first stage of the alchemical process: The Nigredo or Black Stage.
The Nigredo stage is where our subject, often the alchemist themself, goes through a "death" and reveals and confronts their shadow side. Putrefaction and dissolution take place before the transformation or transmutation. As a storyteller, I immediately think of the Death/Facing the Abyss stage of The Hero's Journey story structure, which fits nicely into the personal development goal of spiritual alchemy.
The primary symbols of the Nigredo stage are the raven, the black sun, and the personification of death. Instead of breaking these up into sections by symbol, I'm going to explore them by image, as they often appear together.
Okay, so there's clearly a LOT going on in this image above from Philosophia Hermetica. First of all, we got the guy at the pot, who is clearly the alchemist performing the work, not much symbolism there. The fire under the pot represents the catalyst of the alchemical process, either the will of the alchemist or literal fire used in physical alchemy. The dragon that the fellow doesn't seem to be paying much attention to is a representation of the trials the alchemist needs to face before entering the nigredo stage and beginning the alchemical process. The fact that it's on the edge of the crucible may represent that these trials are ongoing throughout the personal development of the alchemist and process.
And representing the nigredo stage itself, we have the raven in the cauldron. As the ghost of Edgar Alan Poe can attest, the raven is an established symbol of death. Often alchemical texts will talk of "cutting the head off the raven", but I've never seen that represented in an image. But by cooking the raven in the crucible, the alchemist is engaging with death and the abyss. The latin text on the banner roughly translates to "richness of different colors extracted". This, and the way the alchemist is pointing in front of themself, seems to communicate that by engaging with the nigredo stage, the alchemist is on their way to the Peacock or Rainbow sub-stage before reaching The Albedo or White Stage.
The black lobster was the hardest to figure out. The lobster is a symbol that corresponds to the Zodiac sign Cancer, and according to A Treatise on the Great Art (1898), Cancer is another name for The Red Stone. The Red Stone refers to the completion and perfection of The Philosopher's Stone, the alchemist's goal. But why is the lobster black, then? My theory is that it is trying to communicate the alchemical concept that the alchemist is not creating something new through the process, they are merely bringing out the light that is already present in the darkness. The Philosopher's Stone hiding inside the prima materia, waiting to be transformed and refined.
Okay, wow that's a lot in just one image and this article is getting longer than intended. Instead of fully analyzing more images, I'll put a few more cool engravings below with a little extra info on the symbolism.
Colorized engraving from Philosophia Reformata by Johann Daniel Mylius, 1622. This plate features the Black Sun, a symbol that represents the dark side of all things. Along with the raven and skeleton, it represents the need for "death" before growth. Colorized by Adam McLean.
Colorized engraving from Theatrum Chemicum, 1613. You can see the alchemist's corpse with the raven, symbolizing the spiritual death of the practitioner. The symbols in the stars are planetary (Venus, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn), they may represent ingredients, and the order they're shown in is instructional. You can see the elemental symbolism of fire and air as well.
Colorized engraving from Splendor Solis, 1532. The different birds represent the Nigredo, Albedo, and Rubedo stages. The crown symbolizes the successful completion of the alchemical process. Colorized by Adam McLean.
Well, I hope you enjoyed Part 2 of the series. I would love to hear from you if you did. In part 3 we'll be exploring The Peacock or Rainbow stage, and it's roots in Greek mythology. So until then, be well.