ALCHEMICAL NIGREDO: Finding Light in Our Darkness

The alchemical term nigredo means black or blackening, and is associated with decomposition and putrefaction. As a psychological state, nigredo is “the great suffering and grief” which the detached forces of nature inflict on the soul. We realize in sorrow that what we thought were truths were illusory. Individuals may have taken pride in their virtues, talents or good fortune; societies may have touted their cultural superiority, military prowess, or wealth. When we are stripped of easy beliefs, we have no defense against the desolation of nigredo. But as surely as a seed releases its urge to life underground, blackness is also a place of incubation. Jung states, “Everything psychic is pregnant with the future.” Our task is “to be at home in the darkness of suffering and there find germs of light and recovery” from which new life will come.

HERE'S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

"I was arriving to a commotion in a beautiful open-space garden beside the university building where I graduated. As I was approaching the crowd, I wondered who it was that everyone were so excited about. I was carrying a sort of notebook and was wearing a sort of girly school outfit that indicated that I was a student again. "I was surprised to see a slender gay man who was topless and with a floral headpiece dancing in a circular motion or like he was just so free and flowing and everyone was hoping he would notice them. He was dancing backed up by 3-4 women with floral crowns and white flow-y gowns. He was just so fluid and beautiful. Then he looked at me. And I knew he liked me. When his dance was finished and everybody had left, he came to me and said hi. And then, we kissed. It was a deep and profound kiss; I have never been kissed that way. With our tongues doing the talking, we communicated to each other. He told me, 'Why are you so sad?' I said I was afraid. Then I woke seeing my sleeping baby beside me."

REFERENCES:

RESOURCES:



#jungian #dreamanalysis #analyticalpsychology #dreaminterpretation #jung

[alchemicalgirl]

Wonderful talk - so interesting! The Nigredo/ Albedo/ Rubedo alchemical process is fascinating. In the Nigredo I am reminded of WB Yeats lines “Now that my ladder's gone, / I must lie down where all the ladders start / In the foul rag and bone shop of the heart.” from his poem 'The Circus Animals' Desertion'.

[lorraine]

What a great discussion. I had the dark night of the soul which lead me to the realization that I had things to face and heal. And now I’m on a beautiful, and scary at times, journey to wholeness (holiness). 🙏🔥 We must exercise our wings 🦋 before we take flight. I’m an INFJ and love the practical advice - The moment is the guru 🧘‍♀️ I am the sanctuary.

[alandunn]

Sitting in the Negredo- the hermitic seal till it reaches its peak or bottom - until there is no way further down to go, there is only only up.

[gwendolynmurphy]

Again, so timely. How does this happen? Last night I gave in to the nigredo, did not watch tv but laid in bed weeping, then listening to yoga nidra meditations.

[deborahappreciates]

I first heard of the term Nigredo in Mr. Stanton Marlan's book, The Black Sun. Thank you for this great talk.

[Queenie-the-genie]

A friend once informed me that if the trucks stop rolling - there are about 3 days worth of food on the store shelves. During the pandemic we all discovered this to be true for a while. I do not feel judgement towards people for stocking up on toilet paper or other household food and supplies. I did not find it in any way wrong or greedy. I have an emergency food supply stored in my house and I grow food every summer and dehydrate some. I think these days that it is wise to do so.

[maamsara]

What do I do with my kids that are rampaging the house all day? There you said it. This plunged me right into this whole thing backed up by this lock up. God. You guys. You are virtually hugging me again.😭 Thank you.😭

[Sunshine]

It feels like hell. A tremendous crushing void. Totally disorienting and gut wrenching.

[paulbolton]

A Black Blacker than any Blackness, the open casket !
Dark + rotten + yet all alchemists new the resurrection from the Negredo . The start .

[maamsara]

Now I am making a tweeter account definitely!❤

[ozunfiltered]

Does anyone have any solid information on how long the phases last?

[dreamingofnaomi]

I had an image arise of people I know personally, celebs too, basically the society of America, eating feces like there's no tomorrow. And they're loving it. A female figure who appears to be from a different time period (i assume the 1950s) is serving it up to them. Her face is frightening and demonic. Her eyes are almost bulging out of her head and she has no eyelids and she's smiling. I got the impression she represents what used to be known as "the American dream". These images rise quite often. I even become physically nauseous when they do. Just absolutely disgusting. 🤢🤢🤢
But it makes sense. We live in such a society as Americans. Feeding on shit and believing it's good for us.

[fatema]

I think for the dream analysis....the kiss is a deepening of her Eroticism as she has never felt it before