Adam McLean - Study Course on alchemical sequences
Resource material for lesson 6
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Crowning of Nature.
The Second Cycle of Separations and Conjunctions.


We have here in figures 31-36 three iterations of the expiration-inspiration, during which the elements, and in particular the Earth, receive the essence of the others. We have thus the following metamorphosis of form:
31  -  32        33  -  34        35  -  36
Sep -  Con       Sep -  Con       Sep -  Con

Water  Water     Fire   Fire      Earth  Earth

Fire   Fire      Air    Air       Air    Air

Earth  Earth     Earth  Earth     Water  Water

Air    Air       Water  Water     Fire   Fire
The three higher elements in turn occupy the lowest (or Earth) place, while the Earth element is raised to the highest of the levels in the final Conjunction.






The colors, at all stages, remain in the following relationships,
          Blue        Air
          Green       Water
          Yellow      Fire
          Grey        Earth
which is the particular order found in the forms at the final Conjunction (figure 27) of the first cycle of Separations and Conjunctions).
On the figure illustrating each of the three Separation phases the following descriptions of the transformations are found:
Separation 31       Separation 33        Separation 34

Water ->  Air       Fire  ->  Air        Earth ->  Air

Fire  ->  Water     Air   ->  Water      Air   ->  Water

Earth ->  Fire      Earth ->  Fire       Water ->  Fire

Air   ->  Earth     Water ->  Earth      Fire  ->  Earth


       Fire                Fire                Fire
     /     \             /   |                /    \  
Earth       Water   Earth    Water   Earth      Water
     \     /                 |  /             \    /
       Air                  Air                Air
  [Clockwise cycle]                      [Anti-clockwise cycle]
We note that these cycles through which the elements are transformed relate to one another. The pattern of the first stage is reversed in direction in the last phase, while the central transformation is a hybrid or crossing over of both of these patterns of change.
Through this cycle of metamorphosis, the elements fully participate in each other's essence and the cycle closes with the most subtle element, fire, in the lowest place, and the densest, Earth, in the highest. The spiritual has been brought into incarnation, fixed in the earth realm, and the earthly has been spiritualized.