As Godhood meets the void
Within it we dream and divine;
Our reality envisioned into light
Past, present, future all collide
Fought and cherished as one;
Alchemy of outward opposites
Dissolved by the red and blue
Of ocean flood and hell flame
Reborn through the eye of Isis
Through our communal dust
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The real beginnings of alchemy date back to the first centuries
A.D., when it was practised mainly by Greeks and Arabs. Elements from
various traditions, including Christian mysticism, were later incorporated. It
was essentially a symbolic process involving the endeavour to make gold,
regarded as the symbol of illumination and salvation. The four stages of the
process were signified by different colours, as follows: black (guilt, origin,
latent forces) for ‘prime matter’ (a symbol of the soul in its original condition);
white (minor work, first transmutation, quicksilver); red (sulphur, passion);
and, finally, gold. Piobb analyses the symbolic meaning of the various operations. The first, known as calcination, stood for the ‘death of the profane’, i.e.
the extinction of all interest in life and in the manifest world; the second,
putrefaction, was a consequence of the first, consisting of the separation of
the destroyed remains; solution, the third, denoted the purification of matter;distillation, the fourth, was the ‘rain’ of purified matter, i.e. of the elements of
salvation isolated by the preceding operations; fifthly, conjunction symbolized
the joining of opposites (the coincidentia oppositorum, identified by Jung with
the close union, in Man, of the male principle of consciousness with the female
principle of the unconscious); sublimation, the sixth stage, symbolized the suffering resulting from the mystic detachment from the world and the dedication to
spiritual striving. In emblematic designs, this stage is depicted by a wingless
creature borne away by a winged being, or sometimes it is represented by the
Prometheus myth. The final stage is philosophic congelation, i.e. the binding
together inseparably of the fixed and the volatile principles (the male/invariable
with the female/’saved’ variable). Alchemical evolution is epitomized, then, in the
formula Solve et Coagula (that is to say: ‘analyse all the elements in yourself,
dissolve all that is inferior in you, even though you may break in doing so; then,
with the strength acquired from the preceding operation, congeal’) (48). In addition to this specific symbolism, alchemy may be seen as the pattern of all other
work. It shows that virtues are exercised in every kind of activity, even the
humblest, and that the soul is strengthened, and the individual develops. Evola
(Tradizione Ermetica) writes: ‘Our Work is the conversion and change of one
being into another being, one thing into another thing, weakness into strength,
bodily into spiritual nature. . . .’ On the subject of the hermaphrodite, Eugenio
d’Ors (Introducción a la vida angélica) writes: ‘That which failed to “become
two in one flesh” (love) will succeed in “becoming two in one spirit” (individuation).’
To dream of alchemy, suggests that you are going through a period of turmoil, inner transformation, and self-renewal. You are striving toward perfection. Although these may be tough and difficult times, it will have a positive outcome.
Alchemy is a sign of change, inner change. You might be going through a period of transformation, which will not be always easy, but the rewards will be greater than the pain.
a medieval chemical philosophy or art, having as its asserted aims the transmutation or transformation of base metals into gold. the discovery of the panacea, and the preparation of the elixir of longevity. The miraculous power of transmutation or extraction. Now considered a "psuedo-science" commonly recalled for experiments to transmute base metals into gold, the formulation of a universal cure to remedy all known diseases, the indefinite extension of life through chemical and magical means, and the production of artificial life forms in a laboratory setting. Richly illustrated in symbolism and steeped in arcane traditions, the practice of alchemy eventually led to the formation of accepted sciences such as chemistry. Today, sometimes regarded as a symbolic philosophy for the evolution of the human spirit from 'base man' to 'enlightened man' through the use of alchemical symbolism and imagery.
Dreaming that you are dreaming means your emotional state. You are excessively worried and fearful about a situation or circumstance that you are going through.
To dream that you are born again, indicates that you need to deal with issues that you have been avoiding. You may have been given a second chance to regain what was previously thought to be lost. Alternatively, the dream means that you are starting or entering a new stage in your life. You are looking toward the future instead of dwelling on the past.
Some Christians are described as "born again". Thus the dream may also represent your renewed religious faith and commitment.
Dreaming that you are born again indicates that you need to deal with issues that you have been avoiding. You may have been given a second chance to regain what was previously thought to be lost. Alternatively, you are starting or entering a new stage in your life. You are looking toward the future without dwelling on the past.
In Buddhism, the belief that there is some continuty of mind from one life to the next. Buddhism, however, does not accept the existence of the individual soul and therefore does not view rebirth as the soul's literal re-incarnation.
To dream that your vision is obstructed, indicates that you are about to make an error in judgment. There is something that you are not seeing clearly.
To see visions in your dream, indicate that your mind is free from any restraint and free to wander without any inhibitions. Such dreams are said to have a different feel. Some of these vision dreams may be described as epic dreams.
Dreaming that your vision is obstructed means that you are having difficulties and errors in judgment. Seeing strange visions in your dream indicates misfortune and illness.
To see dust in your dream, suggests that certain aspects of yourself have been ignored or neglected.
To dream that you are covered in dust, signifies that the failure of others will adversely affect you.
To dream that you are dusting, implies that you are clearing out all your past mistakes and starting fresh on a new slate.
To dream that gold dust is running through your fingers, indicates regrets with the ending of some personal relationship. You feel that you've made a terrible mistake.
To dream of dust covering you, denotes that you will be slightly injured in business by the failure of others. For a young woman, this denotes that she will be set aside by her lover for a newer flame. If you free yourself of the dust by using judicious measures, you will clear up the loss.
Seeing dust in your dream, suggest that aspects of yourself have been ignored or neglected. Dreaming that you are covered in dust means that the failure of others will adversely effect you. Dreaming that you are dusting, symbolizes that you are clearing out all your past mistakes and starting fresh on a new slate.
The essence of the question involved here is contained in the saying of
Plotinus that the eye would not be able to see the sun if, in a manner, it were not
itself a sun. Given that the sun is the source of light and that light is symbolic of
the intelligence and of the spirit, then the process of seeing represents a spiritual
act and symbolizes understanding. Hence, the ‘divine eye’ of the Egyptians—a
determinative sign in their hieroglyphics called Wadza—denotes ‘He who feeds
the sacred fire or the intelligence of Man’ (28)—Osiris, in fact. Very interesting,
too, is the way the Egyptians defined the eye—or, rather, the circle of the iris
with the pupil as centre—as the ‘sun in the mouth’ (or the creative Word) (8). René Magritte, the surrealist painter, has illustrated this same relationship between the sun and the mouth in one of his most fascinating paintings. The possession of two eyes conveys physical normality and its spiritual equivalent, and it
follows that the third eye is symbolic of the superhuman or the divine. As for the
single eye, its significance is ambivalent: on the one hand it implies the subhuman
because it is less than two (two eyes being equated with the norm); but on the
other hand, given its location in the forehead, above the place designated for the
eyes by nature, it seems to allude to extra-human powers which are in fact—in
mythology—incarnated in the Cyclops. At the same time the eye in the forehead
is linked up with the idea of destruction, for obvious reasons in the case of the
single eye; but the same also applies when there is a third eye in the forehead, as
with Siva (or Shiva). This is explained by reference to one of the facets of the
symbolism of the number three: for if three can be said to correspond to the
active, the passive and the neutral, it can also apply to creation, conservation and
destruction. Heterotopic eyes are the spiritual equivalent of sight, that is, of
clairvoyance. (Heterotopic eyes are those which have been transferred anatomically to various parts of the body, such as the hands, wings, torso, arms, and
different parts of the head, in figures of fantastic beings, angels, deities and so on.)
When the eyes are situated in the hand, for example, by association with the
symbolism of the hand they come to denote clairvoyant action. An excessive
number of eyes has an ambivalent significance which it is important to note. In
the first place, the eyes refer to night with its myriads of stars, in the second
place, paradoxically yet necessarily, the possessor of so many eyes is left in
darkness. Furthermore, by way of corroboration, let us recall that in symbolist
theory multiplicity is always a sign of inferiority. Such ambivalences are common
in the realm of the unconscious and its projected images. Instructive in this
connexion is the example of Argus, who with all his eyes could not escape death.
The Adversary (Satan, in Hebrew) has been represented in a variety of ways,
among others, as a being with many eyes. A Tarot card in the Cabinet des Estampes
in Paris (Kh. 34d), for instance, depicts the devil as Argus with many eyes all over
his body. Another comparable symbolic device is also found commonly in demonic figures: it consists of taking some part of the body that possesses, as it
were, a certain autonomy of character or which is directly associated with a
definite function, and portraying it as a face. Multiple faces and eyes imply
disintegration or psychic decomposition—a conception which lies at the root of the demoniacal idea of rending apart (59). Finally, to come back to the pure
meaning of the eye in itself, Jung considers it to be the maternal bosom, and the
pupil its ‘child’.
(1)
Thus the great solar god becomes a child again, seeking renovation at his mother’s bosom (a symbol, for the Egyptians, of the mouth) (31).
1 The Jungian idea is expressed as a pun. ‘Niña’ means both ‘daughter’ and ‘pupil (of the eye)’. The
phrase ‘Niña de los ojos’ is like the English ‘apple of one’s eye’, which gives something of the feel of
the pun.—Translator
To dream of seeing an eye, warns you that watchful enemies are seeking the slightest chance to work injury to your business. This dream indicates to a lover, that a rival will usurp him if he is not careful.
To dream of brown eyes, denotes deceit and perfidy.
To see blue eyes, denotes weakness in carrying out any intention.
To see gray eyes, denotes a love of flattery for the owner.
To dream of losing an eye, or that the eyes are sore, denotes trouble.
To see a one-eyed man, denotes that you will be threatened with loss and trouble, beside which all others will appear insignificant.
Seeing your own eyes in your dream, represents enlightenment, knowledge, comprehension, understanding, and intellectual awareness. Unconscious thoughts may be coming onto the surface. The left eye is symbolic of the moon, while the right eye represents the sun. It may also be a pun on "I" or the self. If you dream that your eyes have turned inside your head and you can now see the inside of your head, then it symbolizes insight and something that you need to be aware of. This dream may be literally telling you that you need to look within yourself. Trust your intuition and instincts. Dreaming that you have something in your eye, represents obstacles in your path. Alternatively, it may represent your critical view and how you tend to see faults in others. Dreaming that you have one eye indicates your refusal to accept another viewpoint. It suggests that you are one-sided in your ways of thinking. Dreaming that you have a third eye, symbolizes inner vision and insight. You need to start looking within yourself. Dreaming that your eyes are injured or closed, suggests your refusal to see the truth about something or the avoidance of intimacy. You may be expressing feelings of hurt, pain or sympathy. Dreaming that you have crossed eyes indicates that you are not seeing straight with regards to some situation. You may be getting your facts mixed up.
There are certain significant points of contact between the flame and
light. For Bachelard, the flame symbolizes transcendence itself (1), whereas light
signifies the effect of the transcendental upon the environment. He adds that ‘The
alchemist attributed the value of gold to the fact of its being a receptacle for the
Element of fire (the sun); the quintessence of gold is fire. The Greeks represented
the spirit as a gust of incandescent air’ (1).
To see a flame in your dream, symbolizes purification. The dream may also be a metaphor for "flaming" or some heated online argument or personal attack. Flaming also refers to someone who is overtly gay or an old flame could refer to someone from your past who you had a crush on or who you were in love with.
To dream that you are fighting flames, implies that you will need to invest your best efforts and energy in your road to success and wealth.
To dream of fighting flames, foretells that you will have to put forth your best efforts and energy if you are successful in amassing wealth.
Dreaming that you are fighting flames means that you will need to invest your best efforts and energy in your road to success and wealth.
To dream of hell, suggests that you are suffering from a seemingly inescapable situation. You may have placed your decision or course of action into someone else's hand. Alternatively, you may be possessing a guilty conscious, some inner fears or repressed negative feelings. It is time to quit punishing yourself and take it easy for awhile.
If you dream of being in hell, you will fall into temptations, which will almost wreck you financially and morally.
To see your friends in hell, denotes distress and burdensome cares.
You will hear of the misfortune of some friend.
To dream of crying in hell, denotes the powerlessness of friends to extricate you from the snares of enemies.
There will be bodily suffering and also mental agony. Great suffering due to enemies
and death of relatives, etc.
Dreaming of hell indicates that you may be suffering from a seemingly inescapable situation. You may have placed your decision or course of action into someone else's hand. Alternatively, you may be possessing many inner fears and repressed guilty feelings. It is time to quit punishing yourself and take it easy for awhile.
To dream that you are in a flood, represents your need to release some sexual desires. If the flood is raging, then it represents emotional issues and tensions. Your repressed emotions are overwhelming you. Consider where the flood is for clues as to where in your waking life is causing you stress and tension. Alternatively, the dream indicates that you are overwhelming others with your demands and strong opinion. Still another interpretation could be your desire to wipe everything clean and make a fresh new start.
To see a gentle flood in your dream, indicates that your worries over a certain matter will soon be swept away.
Seeing a raging flood with its muddy debris, represents emotional issues and tension. Your repressed emotions are overwhelming you. Consider where the flood for indications of where in your waking life may a situation be the source of stress and tension.
Heavy rain and the melting of snow cause floods. Water in any form, including rain and snow, symbolises emotions. Dreaming about being in a flood is an indication that the dreamer is currently experiencing powerful emotions that may be overwhelming. The flood in your dream could represent a very powerful, or even violent, emotionally cleansing experience. But don't worry, just like in an actual flood, waters reside and so do emotions. Water at times represents the flow of life and this dream may point to your feelings of being overwhelmed by it. Depending on the content of the dream and your emotional experience in it, the flood could also represent sexuality and be a sexual dream symbol. Superstition-based dream interpretations say that if you dream of a flood, you will have bad luck.
According to Piobb, the Graeco-Roman conception of the ocean
encompassing the earth was a graphic representation of the current of energy
induced by the terrestrial globe (48). Setting aside its grandeur, the two most
essential aspects of the ocean are its ceaseless movement and the formlessness of
its waters. It is a symbol, therefore, of dynamic forces and of transitional states
between the stable (or solids) and the formless (air or gas). The ocean as a whole,
as opposed to the concept of the drop of water, is a symbol of universal life as
opposed to the particular (38). It is regarded traditionally as the source of the
generation of all life (57), and science has confirmed that life did in fact begin in the
sea (3). Zimmer observes that the ocean is ‘immense illogic’—a vast expanse
dreaming its own dreams and asleep in its own reality, yet containing within itself
the seeds of its antitheses. The island is the opponent of the ocean and symbolic
of the metaphysical point of irradiating force (60). In keeping with the general
symbolism of water, both fresh and salt, the ocean stands for the sum of all the
possibilities of one plane of existence. Having regard to its characteristics, one
may deduce whether these potentialities are positive (or germinant) or negative
(destructive) (26). The ocean, then, denotes an ambivalent situation. As the begetter of monsters, it is the abysmal abode par excellence, the chaotic source
which still brings forth base entities ill-fitted to life in its aerial and superior
forms. Consequently, aquatic monsters represent a cosmic or psychological situation at a lower level than land-monsters; this is why sirens and tritons denote a
sub-animal order. The power of salt water to destroy the higher forms of land-life
means that it is also a symbol of sterility, so confirming the ambivalent nature of the ocean—its contradictory dynamism (32). The ocean is also to be found as a
symbol of woman or the mother (in both her benevolent and her terrible aspects)
(56). As Frobenius comments in Das Zeitalter des Sonnengottes: ‘If the blood-red
sunrise is interpreted as the “birth” of an astral body, then two questions arise:
Who is the father? And how did the mother come to conceive? And since she, like
the fish, is a sea-symbol, and since our premiss is that the sun plunges into the sea
and yet is born in it, the answer must be that the sea previously swallowed up the
old sun and the appearance of a “new sun” confirms that she has been fecundated.
The symbolism here coincides with that of Isis whose twin lunar horns embrace
the sun.’ This appearance of the sun and its disappearance back into the deeps of
the ocean confirm that the ‘Lower Waters’ signify the abyss out of which forms
arise to unfold their potentialities within existence. Thus, the ocean is equated
also with the collective unconscious, out of which arises the sun of the spirit (32).
The stormy sea, as a poetic image or a dream, is a sign of an analogous state in the
lower depths of the affective unconscious. A translucent calm, on the other hand,
denotes a state of contemplative serenity.
To see an ocean in your dream, represents the state of your emotions and feelings. It is indicative of spiritual refreshment, tranquility and renewal. Alternatively, the dream means that you are feeling empowered and unhindered. You have a positive outlook in life and are not limited by anything. If you are sailing across the ocean, then it signifies new found freedom and independence. You are showing great courage. If the ocean is rough, then the dream represents some emotional turmoil. You are doing your best to handle life's ups and downs.
The state of life will be as the ocean is perceived to be in dream, viz., calm and
peaceful life when the ocean is calm and troublesome life when the ocean is stormy, etc.
To dream of the ocean when it is calm is propitious.
The sailor will have a pleasant and profitable voyage.
The business man will enjoy a season of remuneration,
and the young man will revel in his sweetheart's charms.
To be far out on the ocean, and hear the waves lash the ship, forebodes disaster in business life, and quarrels and stormy periods in the household.
To be on shore and see the waves of the ocean foaming against each other, foretells your narrow escape from injury and the designs of enemies.
To dream of seeing the ocean so shallow as to allow wading, or a view of the bottom, signifies prosperity and pleasure with a commingling of sorrow and hardships.
To sail on the ocean when it is calm, is always propitious.
Seeing an ocean in your dream, represents the state of your emotions and feelings. It is indicative of some spiritual refreshment, tranquility and renewal.
It traditionally represents our great unconscious, memories, emotions, and individual soul and collective experiences. Look at all of the details in this dream. Is the water clear or murky? Is it calm or turbulent? Are you catching fish, or are you stranded and afraid? Look, listen, and try to comprehend the messages in this dream. No one is in a better position to give meaning to your dreams than you can. Concentrate and learn for yourself.