Talk:Magnum opus (alchemy)

[Untitled]

Moved in some information from the Philosopher's Stone page. Copied most of this without alteration. This information may require further edits and reference checking. Car Henkel (talk) 21:58, 27 May 2011 (UTC)

I've taken a look at the information and references given for the information I previously moved in under "Expansion..." I've never heard of these steps listed in this way and can find no reputable source. Will shortly rework this if no one objects, by drawing on academic authors who list Ripley as an example etc.Car Henkel (talk) 01:10, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

Old content

As above, the following seems spurious / new age and can find no sources. Rewriting and transferring some old content here. Maybe some of this can be reintegrated?...

Alchemical authors often elaborated on the three or four color model by enumerating a variety of chemical steps to be performed. These could be arranged in groups of seven or twelve stages. The Tabula Smaragdina is the oldest document<ref>it is unclear if the text originates in the Middle Ages or in Late Antiquity, but it is generally assumed to predate 1150, when [[Gerard of Cremona]] translated it from the Arabic ([[Mircea Eliade]], ''History of Religious Ideas'', vol. 3/1)</ref> said to provide one such "recipe".

According to this description, which was taken as the basis of numerous later works, the procedure consists of seven stages:

1. solutio or liquefactio, the "dissolution" or "liquidation" of the materia prima
2. putrefactio, also nigredo, a "blackening" or a descent into the nether sphere in which the materia becomes black or putrid. This stage is symbolized by the raven and by the burial of a dead body in the earth.
3. albedo or "lightening", the putrid or blackened substance is made white or pure once again, symbolized by the transition of the raven into a white dove.
4. citrinitatio or "yellowing". The materia must be re-enriched by "philosophical milk" or lacta philosophica, the completion of which is indicated by the assumption of a yellow colour, symbolized as cauda pavonis or peacock's tail.
5. destillatio, also, rubedo or "reddening", symbolized by a red dragon
6. coagulatio or fixatio, a coagulation or solidification of the materia
7. tinctura, the completion of the lapis

Other sources name twelve stages, the first seven corresponding to those above, but with an added five steps following the production of the tinctura:

1. calcinatio (solidification by fire, ruled by Mercury),
2. putrefactio or mortificatio (purification by decay of the impure components, ruled by Saturn),
3. sublimatio (sublimation of the materia into volatile form, symbolized by a chalice or a raven's head on which a little white bird is sitting, ruled by Jupiter)
4. solutio (symbolized by the "silver queen" riding a griffin, ruled by the Moon)
5. distillatio (ruled by Venus)
6. coagulatio (symbolized by hieros gamos, by an androgynous figure or a combination of a unicorn and a stag, ruled by Mars)
7. extractio (ruled by the Sun)
8. digestio
9. ceratio
10. fermentatio
11. multiplicatio
12. projectio, the final transmutation of the base metal into gold.<ref>H. Biedermann, ''Lexikon der magischen Künste'' (1998), p. 407.</ref>[[User:Car Henkel|Car Henkel]] ([[User talk:Car Henkel|talk]]) 17:44, 12 July 2011 (UTC)

So... just be clear

Does no one now understand wtf they were talking about? or is it just the editors of this article so far?

"The reddening" of what? If there are several different expositions, give them but don't just list nonsense like "the green stage... under the influence of Mercury" that simply repeats the allegorical codes the alchemists were using to keep their secrets away from the hoi polloi. — LlywelynII 09:08, 25 October 2015 (UTC)

Yup... a link to prima materia should have been in there. Inserted. (Could also be "philosophical matter", "aether", "chaos" or any of the other synonyms listed on the prima materia page). Wtf they were talking about still depends on your interpretation of the symbolism. As that's the case I think it's appropriate to repeat the symbolic descriptions that were more-or-less consistent and long standing. Thoughts?Car Henkel (talk) 14:07, 25 November 2015 (UTC)

I Think I figured It Out

I Think I Figured Out Where These Stages Show Up. When You Are Opening Your Chakras Via Mantras, Your Chakras Go Through These Same Stages, But You Have To Be Really Patient. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:246:803:6EF0:60D1:506A:608A:7E84 (talk) 02:19, 31 December 2021 (UTC)

The answer is Truth.

It is more complicated than that, but through understanding, there is a path forward that allows everyone to live their lives meaningfully.