Daily Meditation: Sunday, April 20, 2025

Jesus - ‘Unless you die, you shall not live’, a summary of alchemical work

04/20/2025

Alchemy is the science of the transformation of matter. The alchemist places the base material in a crucible, where it initially dies and putrefies; this operation corresponds to the colour black. Next, the matter is dissolved and purified: it is said to ‘whiten’. After this comes distillation and conjunction, and the material turns red. Finally, through sublimation, the colour turns to gold. These operations should be interpreted as different stages of the inner life. The work the alchemist performs on the matter in the crucible is, in reality, the work of resurrection that disciples must do in the crucible of their body. It is their life’s work. The ‘resurrected’ matter emerges from the crucible transformed into gold: resurrected man rises from the cross. Jesus said: ‘Unless you die, you will not live.’ These words can be taken as a summary of alchemical work, and Jesus himself is our example: he died and rose again.*