| SOLUTIO or DISSOLUTION |
Solutio not only connects us to the energies of Water, but it also serves to complement and
harmonize the energies of Fire. If Fire symbolizes primordial, archetypal energies, Water alludes,
among other things, to the subconscious energies of the Astral World that we must learn to access
if we want to learn to communicate with the various parts of our consciousness.
Strong emotions, such as deep personal losses, feelings of despair or isolation, melancholy, or
depression, are usually processed (or solved) through water and dissolution. Any time when
anything solid feels or seems scattered, it signals that some kind of dissolution is at work. Edinger
reminds us that for the alchemist solutio often meant the return of matter to its original
undifferentiated state of prima materia. But, every time we dissolve and coagulate, we hope that we
are not starting from scratch again. Solutio allows us to liquefy or dissolve the rigid and static
parts of the personality that resist change. Dennis Hauck notes that, “Medieval alchemists
believed that salt in tears was the actual remnant of crystallized thoughts broken down by
crying.”
The picture below, left, from Osho Zen is called “Ice-Olation” and shows golden tears melting the
ice figure, hinting already at the resulting transformative nature of solutio. Next to it on the right
we find a very beautiful interpretation of solutio that completely changes the traditional Hanged
Man, assigned to Key 12 in most decks, and its iconic meaning. Instead, Ellen Lorenzi-Prince
gives us the image of a crone, a simple title, “Sacrifice,” and a simple poem:
I am the Woman Who Weeps
I am the soul who suffers
I bear all wounds
I cry for the beauty that exists
in spite of pain
I cry for the pain that exists
in spite of beauty
I cry for us all
Someday, someday
It will be enough
I should also point out that in the classical Hermetic tradition Key 12 is also assigned to the
Hebrew letter Mem, “water,” and its allegorical meaning is “fountain of wisdom.” Lorenzi-Prince
gives us a powerful rendition of how the transformative power of solutio can become this
fountain.
harmonize the energies of Fire. If Fire symbolizes primordial, archetypal energies, Water alludes,
among other things, to the subconscious energies of the Astral World that we must learn to access
if we want to learn to communicate with the various parts of our consciousness.
Strong emotions, such as deep personal losses, feelings of despair or isolation, melancholy, or
depression, are usually processed (or solved) through water and dissolution. Any time when
anything solid feels or seems scattered, it signals that some kind of dissolution is at work. Edinger
reminds us that for the alchemist solutio often meant the return of matter to its original
undifferentiated state of prima materia. But, every time we dissolve and coagulate, we hope that we
are not starting from scratch again. Solutio allows us to liquefy or dissolve the rigid and static
parts of the personality that resist change. Dennis Hauck notes that, “Medieval alchemists
believed that salt in tears was the actual remnant of crystallized thoughts broken down by
crying.”
The picture below, left, from Osho Zen is called “Ice-Olation” and shows golden tears melting the
ice figure, hinting already at the resulting transformative nature of solutio. Next to it on the right
we find a very beautiful interpretation of solutio that completely changes the traditional Hanged
Man, assigned to Key 12 in most decks, and its iconic meaning. Instead, Ellen Lorenzi-Prince
gives us the image of a crone, a simple title, “Sacrifice,” and a simple poem:
I am the Woman Who Weeps
I am the soul who suffers
I bear all wounds
I cry for the beauty that exists
in spite of pain
I cry for the pain that exists
in spite of beauty
I cry for us all
Someday, someday
It will be enough
I should also point out that in the classical Hermetic tradition Key 12 is also assigned to the
Hebrew letter Mem, “water,” and its allegorical meaning is “fountain of wisdom.” Lorenzi-Prince
gives us a powerful rendition of how the transformative power of solutio can become this
fountain.
What does it take to let go of our tendencies, old habits,
crystallized psychic energies that keep us tied to old memories
and emotions and to sources of affliction? If we could manage
to release, dissolve this energy and bring it to the present
moment we would be claiming back our power.
crystallized psychic energies that keep us tied to old memories
and emotions and to sources of affliction? If we could manage
to release, dissolve this energy and bring it to the present
moment we would be claiming back our power.
Some of the personal challenges that
are dissolved through water do not
necessarily have to be expressed in
despair and melancholy or undergo a
complete dissolution and reintegration
of the ego. Pictures like the two above
also reflect an activation of the
subconscious that might not be
viewed by the ego as a direct threat
There is usually a stage in our soul
progression when we actually “get it”
and from that point onwards we start
to dissolve many irritants or
egocentric propensities from a
perspective of joy and peace,
incorporating rituals that serve to
cleanse us through our personal
identification with the purification
effects of water, as suggested here on
the right with Osho's.
are dissolved through water do not
necessarily have to be expressed in
despair and melancholy or undergo a
complete dissolution and reintegration
of the ego. Pictures like the two above
also reflect an activation of the
subconscious that might not be
viewed by the ego as a direct threat
There is usually a stage in our soul
progression when we actually “get it”
and from that point onwards we start
to dissolve many irritants or
egocentric propensities from a
perspective of joy and peace,
incorporating rituals that serve to
cleanse us through our personal
identification with the purification
effects of water, as suggested here on
the right with Osho's.
