Rosenrot, oh Rosenrot!
Strange Cousins: Elements of Spiritual Alchemy in the Literature of Poe and Hawthorne
Alchemy is often known in the western world as the pseudo-science of transmuting a stable element into another stable element; the most well-known example of which is changing lead into gold. Alternatively, it may also refer to a branch of gnostic philosophy, in which esoteric practices and hidden meaning are used to traverse a spiritual path of self-realization and -individuation(Franz 1). The literary works of Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne share many themes, of which spiritual alchemy is a rarely-discussed and particularly intriguing subject. References to both the traditional meaning and the esoteric philosophy can be found in their texts. Poe's alchemy often notes the difficulty of the work of alchemy, and its effects on the unstable mind. Hawthorne, on the other hand, delves into the alchemical ideas of corruption and purification. Both writers seem to share an appreciation for the spiritual and mental implications of self, even while the subject of their fancy often differs.
It is important, first, to understand the basic elements of alchemy - the transmutation of one element into another. The work involved in traditional alchemy is seemingly straightforward: obtain a base element, most often lead; expose it to a “Philosopher's Stone”; introduce a dual element, such as mercury (dual because of its status as both liquid and metal); produce gold (Franz 2). If only gold were so easy to acquire! However, traditional alchemy is not often the subject of Poe and Hawthorne's writing. More often - and more importantly - their works mask the Great Work, or Magnum Opus, of spiritual alchemy(Jung 3). The Great Work consists of four phases, each marked by the relation of their root to a color - negredo, albedo, and rubedo(Franz 4). Negredo is the state in which most people find themselves - blackness. In practical terms, negredo reflects humanity's penchant for corruption, deceit, and self-destruction. Albedo - whiteness - is the state in which a person purifies himself of the self-destructive conceits of negredo, often leading to a sort of spiritual emptiness not-unlike that which is sought in many strands of Buddhism(Glasenapp 5). Finally, rubedo - redness - is the ultimate goal of joining of one's consciousness with the infinite unconsciousness of the universe, and - in many alchemical traditions - God itself. In brief, this process can be summed up by the alchemical maxim, “Solve et Coagula,” a Latin phrase that contextually means, “Dissolve away, then bring back together.”
The Great Work of alchemy can be fraught with perils. Many would consider it dangerous for an unstable mind - or a mind surrounded with instability - to attempt to understand the work of alchemy(Jung 6). Edgar Allan Poe's works often feature a narrator who seems already disturbed, or who becomes increasingly unhinged from his sanity as the story or poem progresses. It is certainly clear that Poe was familiar with alchemical theory, as evidenced in his prose, “Von Kempelen and His Discovery”:
In one corner of the closet was a very small furnace, with a glowing fire in it, and on the fire a kind of duplicate crucible- two crucibles connected by a tube. One of these crucibles was nearly full of lead in a state of fusion, but not reaching up to the aperture of the tube, which was close to the brim. The other crucible had some liquid in it, which, as the officers entered, seemed to be furiously dissipating in vapor.
Obviously the apparatus described here is one of traditional alchemical design. More important, however, is Poe's seeming exposure to the teachings of spiritual alchemy, as seen here in his poem, “Romance”:
I early found Anacreon rhymes
Were almost passionate sometimes -
And by strange alchemy of brain
His pleasures always turn'd to pain.
Spiritual alchemy often uses the idea of self, soul and mind interchangeably(Franz 7). It is safe to say that what is written here is not a clever metaphor, but reference to the transmutation of one element of one's subjective experience with reality - namely, pleasure - to a different element - namely, pain. Poe makes a brief-yet-intriguing point here: transmutation of one's self may not always be for the better. Poe describes ever-more-fully the danger of the work of alchemy in his poem, “The Haunted Palace,” an otherwise seemingly-transparent allegory that describes the very story it is found in: “The Fall of the House of Usher.” First, the author describes the “monarch Thought” - again, an allusion to the interchangeable self/soul/mind. Further, in describing the palace Thought resides in, pearl and ruby emanates from the door to the palace. White, here, refers to the process of albedo - purification. Red refers to the process of rubedo - the joining of the finite to the infinite. The literary symbol of a physical door serving as a gateway to some higher or hidden realm is well-represented here: to enter the kingdom where the mind reigns, one must first endure the process of purification and rejoining to the infinite. Not only this, but one's own divinity might then also flow out from one's self into the world - represented by the Echoes who come flowing and singing out of the palace. Poe later goes on to describe the throne of the mind as being assailed by evil, after which the glowing lights of the door dim, and those who come from the mind no longer emerge joyously. The author's description of spiritual enlightenment seems accurate to reality - regardless of one's own growth, the negredo (corruption) of others in our world does not cease to be. Indeed, Poe's own life of impoverishment and alienation from contemporary writers due to his literary critiques may have fueled a very intimate understanding of a broken world's effect on a man who sought to be more than himself.
Alchemy may be considered a noble pursuit by some, due to its focus on self-improvement and reaching for divinity; others, though, may find it to be only for the self-absorbed and tedious. Can not the same be said of Nathaniel Hawthorne's body of work? The themes of sin, penance and the struggle for self-identity and dignity run rampant through his prose. In his short story, “The Minister's Black Veil,” Hawthorne's Reverend Hooper suddenly appears in a black veil. His precise reasons for wearing the veil are not explicitly stated, but it becomes clear during the course of the story that it is meant to remind people of their own sinfulness. One may make the assertion that this is merely meant to be a metaphor for the Christian concept of sin in Hawthorne's time, but this may be too simple a view. According to some accounts, Hawthorne changed the spelling of his last name to dissociate himself from his Puritan relatives(Macfarland 8) - one of whom had even acted as a judge in the Salem Witch Trials(Macfarland 9). Looking closer at the events of “The Minister's Black Veil,” it also seems apparent that Reverend Hooper himself does not ascribe to the very message of universal forgiveness that he, as a preacher, would be thought to convey. It seems possible that Hawthorne used the hidden meaning of his text - a method oft-employed by those who study alchemy(Jung 10) - to rail against the hypocrisy of the Christians around him, by placing blackness - negredo - over the eyes of a symbol of their very leadership! Further, when one analyzes the person of Hester Prinn in The Scarlet Letter, we see a woman who becomes aware of the blackness of her life, after she has a child born of adultery and is cast out of the town in which she resides. In her new life, she spends her time in penance. Her daughter is named Pearl - can the symbol of the color white be made any more clear? The child is willful and demanding, yet Hester seems to love her with all her heart. Is not the process of purification not one of tedium? Is it not a demanding, tiresome work? Moreover, Hawthorne again lashes out at what he perceives as the hypocrisy of the Christian establishment - we find that it is the local minister, Dimmesdale, who lay with Hester and fathered Pearl! Finally, the divinity of rubedo is seen in the scarlet letter itself, in that Hester ultimately seems to find peace, and is buried next to her lover under the sigul “A.” As has been stated, the purpose of alchemy is not to forget the leaden burdens of negredo, but to form them into something of greater value than they were at the start(Jung 11).
Despite their shared interest in spiritual alchemy, it is clear that the men did not see eye to eye. As contemporaries, Poe took a dim view of the content of Hawthorne's morality stories(Macfarland 12). In the same vein, Poe seems far more interested in the dangers and obstacles of alchemy, whereas Hawthorne - ironically - uses his Christian morality stories as vehicles to examine the inner morality and processes of the alchemical purification of self. Whereas Poe worries about the possibility of mere temporary spiritual rebirth in “Ligeia,” Hawthorne seems convinced in The Scarlet Letter that spiritual rebirth is a process revisited and replayed throughout life, until death. Hawthorne further seems hung up on pointing fingers and snickering at Christian morality in both The Scarlet Letter and “The Minister's Black Veil,” while Poe concerns himself in “The Fall of the House of Usher” and other tales with the overriding and general lack of morality inherent in humanity. Both seem to be fascinated by idea of rubedo - the realm of the divine - but Poe's vision in “The Haunted Palace” is one of grandeur and joy, contrasted by Hawthorne's seeming insistence in The Scarlet Letter that divinity is experienced as gentle peacefulness.
Given the imagery of colors and the hidden meanings in the works of Poe and Hawthorne, it is probable that they each were at least familiar with, if not students of, spiritual alchemy. They may have been intrigued by very different themes within the subject, but both may be hailed as purveyors of the hidden knowledge of Gnosticism and spiritual alchemy. Though not necessarily the pinnacle of the authors' life works, their rich allegories of the Magnum Opus - the alchemist's Great Work - may someday serve as a wealth to those who seek a path that claims to bring one to higher consciousness, greater holiness, and the realm of the infinite and divine.
Bleh. Talk about ham-fisted. Well, that's what I get for researching, writing, and editing all in the span of 3 hours.