August 3, 2016: Dissolution

More about Dissolution.  The alchemical process involves dissolving the ashes created by Calcination into water.  This water takes on magickal properties, it becomes an elixir.  The word “elixir” is from the Arabic “ Al-iksi,” which literally means “from the ashes.”  Symbols of Distillation are lakes, floods, underground streams, quicksand, reflecting pools, tears, melting, menstruation, fish swimming on the surface of water, as well as glass vessels, clay pots, cauldrons, and other womb-like vessels. 

It is interesting to me that yesterday when we went swimming, the ocean was filled with seaweed.  We never see this kind of sea weed in Cape May, and never any seaweed in this amount.  Walking through the water, the seaweed clung for a moment and then was washed away by the wave, as if the seaweed was the ashes of Calcination that clung for a moment and then were dissolved into the water.

These first two stages are also known as the Black Phase, or Negredo.  This Phase creates the death of old habits, attitudes, relationships and attachments, those things that we no longer need.  Often, these things reside in our Shadow, the place were those parts of our personality that don’t fit with our conscious presentation all reside.  These consciously rejected traits group together within the realm of Shadow and become a “splinter personality” that is seen as a dragon.  To defeat that dragon and prevent it from taking control of my life, I need to bring it out into the light, I need to examine it and tame it. 

This is a dangerous process.  In chemical alchemy, this Phase creates noxious and even lethal fumes, and explosions caused by overheated containers.  So, too, is there danger in the process of defeating that dragon!

My Wild Unknown Tarot card for today is the Mother of Wands.  Here we have another snake coiled around a Wand, only this time the Wand is laying horizontally within her coils.  She is the Wand, rather than supporting the emanation of the Wand.  And just to prove the presence of strength, fertility and optimism within her, our snake is also coiled around eggs!  She is awareness and protection, she has already proved to the male of her species that she is worthy of reproducing, she is strong and confident that her strength will be sufficient to stay the course and guard her offspring.  She is the mother of creativity and new ideas, and she is guarding them carefully!

This card is reminding me that while I can’t predict the outcome of each of the steps of the Great Work this time, I’ve done this before, with good results.  I need to continue learning, continue processing what I’m learning, and I need to continue being aware of messages that are presenting themselves. 

I am finding that Satevis is way more mellow than Haftorang.  She is always around, drifting through my consciousness, but she just “is.”  I have found that when I become aware of her, there is some important information waiting for me. 

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