Graduate Research Library: A Library Guide to Jung's Collected Works: Alchemy

Reference publications on Alchemy

Alchemy. In A Critical Dictionary of Jungian Analysis
Call Number: BF173.J85 S275 1986
Publication Date: 1986
"Like analytical psychology and psychoanalysis in their time, alchemy can be seen as a subversive and underground force: its vivid and earthy imagery contrasting with the stylised and sexless expression of mediaeval Christianity, just as psychoanalysis startled Victorian prudishness and complacency."
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Alchemy In International dictionary of psychoanalysis by Beverley Zabriskie
Call Number: REF RC501.4.D4313 Vol. 1 2005
Publication Date: 2005
"Alchemy is a philosophical and chemical "opus" with roots in ancient times and branches throughout the world's cultures. It is both an experimental and symbolic practice, a technical research into the nature of matter, and an imaginal exercise on the spirit of matter and its potential for change. It is also a mythopoeic meditation and a projective method, a moving Rorschach for the practitioner."
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Alchemy In New Dictionary of the History of Ideas by Maryanne Cline Horowitz
Call Number: REF. CB9 .N49 2005 v.1
ISBN: 9780684314525
Publication Date: 2004-12-01
Available from Gale Ebooks.
This dictionary includes two entries on alchemy:
Alchemy: China and Alchemy: Europe and the Middle East
Five entries on alchemy in Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism
Call Number: REF B638.D53 2005
Publication Date: 2005
Entries on alchemy include:
Introduction | Antiquity-12th Century | 12th/13th-15th Century | 16th-18th Century | 19th-20th Century

Print dictionaries available from the library:

A Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery by Lyndy Abraham
Call Number: REF PN56.A44A27 1998
Publication Date: 1999
This dictionary documents alchemical symbolism from the early centuries AD to the late-twentieth century, for use by historians of literary culture, philosophy, science and the visual arts, and readers interested in alchemy and hermeticism. Each entry includes a definition of the symbol, giving the literal (physical) and figurative (spiritual) meanings, an example of the symbol used in alchemical writing, and a quotation from a literary source. There are fifty visual images of graphic woodcuts, copperplate engravings and hand-painted emblems, some reproduced here for the first time.
Lexicon of Alchemy by Martin Ruland
Call Number: REF QD25.R913 1984
Publication Date: 1984-01-01
Containing a full and plain explanation of all obscure words, Hermetic subjects, and arcane phrases of Paracelsus.
Dictionary of Alchemy by Mark Haeffner
Call Number: QD26 .H33 1994
Publication Date: 1994-01-01
This dictionary is the distillation of many years' research into the extensive arcane literature. It is a reference work to guide readers through the labyrinth of pre-Newtonian science and philosophy. The dictionary covers not only the materialist dimension of the search for the elixir of life and the transmutation of metals, but also the inner search for the gold of mystical illusion.

"Alchemical Mercurius & Carl Gustav Jung" In Encyclopedia of psychology and religion (3rd ed.) by Mathew Mather
Publication Date: 2020
"In alchemy the figure Mercurius has a close association to the substance quicksilver and to the planet Mercury, and therefore also to the Greek Hermes. Indeed the term Hermetic Art associates directly to this figure. As a substance, the element mercury exhibits remarkable properties." Read more
Jung, Carl Gustav, & Alchemy in Encyclopedia of psychology and religion (3rd ed.) by Alane Sauder-MacGuire
Publication Date: 2020
"The practice of the alchemical arts has its origin in the second or third century BCE in Greece. It spread through the ancient Near and Far East. In the most basic understanding, alchemy has always been about transformation and remains so in the psychological theory of Carl Jung. The name, alchemy, in fact, derives from the Arabic al-kimia meaning the art of transformation." Read more
Hillman, James, and Alchemy in Encyclopedia of psychology and religion (3rd ed.) by Stanton Marlan
Publication Date: 2020
"While Jung critiqued Christianity via his alchemical vision, for James Hillman, Jung’s psychology was still overly influenced by Christian psychology, its images and its metaphysics. This led Hillman to make a distinction between a psychology of alchemy and an alchemical psychology, the former representing Jung’s views and the latter Hillman's. For Hillman, the transformation of the psyche must be differentiated from the Christian idea of redemption. For Hillman, images speak more directly when their Christian and metaphysical coverings are set aside; then the “level of the collective consciousness can be peeled away, so that the material may speak more phenomenally. Then pagan images stand out: metals, planets, numerals, stars, plants, charms, animals, vessels, fires and specific locales” (Hillman, 2003: 101)." Read more
Alchemy [collection of 6 entries]. In Encyclopeda of Religion
Call Number: REF BL31 .E46 1987
Publication Date: 2005
Entries include: An overview, Chinese alchemy, Indian alchemy, Hellenistic and medieval alchemy, Islamic alchemy, Renaissance alchemy

Alchemy. In The handbook of Jungian psychology by Stanton Marlan
Call Number: BF173 .H333 2006
Publication Date: 2012
" ... as his inquiry grew deeper, Jung concluded that the alchemists were speaking in symbols about the human soul and were working as much with the imagination as with the literal materials of their art. The gold that they were trying to produce was not the common or vulgar gold but an aurum non vulgi or aurum philosophicum, a philosophical gold (Jung 1963)." Read more
"Jung and alchemy" in A Guided Tour of the Collected Works of C. G. Jung by Robert H. Hopcke
Call Number: REF BF173 .J85 H66
ISBN: 9781570624056
Publication Date: 1999
"As any reader can see in looking at the Collected Works on a shelf, volume 12, Psychology and Alchemy, volume 13, Alchemical Studies, and volume 14, Mysterium Coniunctionis, constitute a sizable portion of Jung’s writings, and the physical space these volumes occupy accurately indicates the significance of alchemical symbolism in Jung’s thought. Jung’s formulations on the nature of the psyche, his continued attention to psychic processes, and his own experiences of archetypal transformation led him to see in alchemical imagery and symbolism a language, a mode of thought, and a method whose history, development, and spiritual- psychological focus closely mirrored his own understandings. Alchemical imagery had certain advantages, however, that in Jung’s opinion much modem psychological terminology did not have." (Hopcke, p. 163) [Read more]
See also the related sections:
Alchemical Interpretations of Classical Myths. In Handbook to the Reception of Classical Mythology by Didier Khan
Publication Date: 2017
A Handbook to the Reception of Classical Mythology presents a collection of essays that explore a wide variety of aspects of Greek and Roman myths and their critical reception from antiquity to the present day. Reveals the importance of mythography to the survival, dissemination, and popularization of classical myth from the ancient world to the present day Features chronologically organized essays that address different sets of myths that were important in each historical era, along with their thematic relevance Features chronologically organized essays that address different sets of myths that were important in each historical era, along with their thematic relevance Offers a series of carefully selected in-depth readings, including both popular and less well-known examples

"Alchemical Transformations" in The Quotable Jung by C. G. Jung
Publication Date: 2015
"It must now be sufficiently clear that from its earliest days alchemy had a double face: on the one hand the practical chemical work in the laboratory, on the other a psychological process, in part consciously psychic, in part unconsciously projected and seen in the various transformations of matter." Psychology and Alchemy (1944), CW 12, para. 380.

"[W]e can see how effectively alchemy prepared the ground for the psychology of the unconscious, firstly by leaving behind, in its treasury of symbols, illustrative material of the utmost value for modern interpretations in this field, and secondly by indicating symbolic procedures for synthesis which we can rediscover in the dreams of our patients. Mysterium Coniunctionis (1955– 56), CW 14, para. 792."

Read more quotes by Jung on alchemy

Jung on Alchemy

Jung's books on Alchemy within the Collected Works:

Vol. 9 pt. 2. Aion: Researches into the phenomenology of the self (1968)
Books at JSTOR
EBSCO eBooks
Call number: BF23.J763 1968 v. 9, pt. II

Aion, originally published in German in 1951, is one of the major works of Jung's later years. The central theme of the volume is the symbolic representation of the psychic totality through the concept of the Self, whose traditional historical equivalent is the figure of Christ. Jung demonstrates his thesis by an investigation of the Allegoria Christi, especially the fish symbol, but also of Gnostic and alchemical symbolism, which he treats as phenomena of cultural assimilation. The first four chapters, on the ego, the shadow, and the anima and animus, provide a valuable summation of these key concepts in Jung's system of psychology.
Vol. 12: Psychology and alchemy (1968)
Books at JSTOR
EBSCO eBooks
Call number: BF23.J763 1968 v.12

A study of the analogies between alchemy, Christian dogma, and psychological symbolism. Revised translation, with new bibliography and index.
Vol. 13: Alchemical studies (1967)
Books at JSTOR
EBSCO eBooks
Call number:BF23.J763 1967 v.13

Five long essays that trace Jung's developing interest in alchemy from 1929 onward. An introduction and supplement to his major works on the subject, illustrated with 42 patients' drawings and paintings.
Vol. 14: Mysterium coniunctionis (1970)
Books at JSTOR
EBSCO eBooks
Call number: BF23 .J763 1970 v. 14

Jung's last major work, completed in his 81st year, on the synthesis of the opposites in alchemy and psychology.

See also the related book by Edinger, E. F., & Blackmer, J. D. (1995). The Mysterium Lectures: A Journey Through C.G. Jung’s Mysterium Coniunctionis.
Jung on Alchemy (Print copy) by C. G. Jung; Nathan Schwartz-Salant (Ed.)
Call Number: BF175.5.I53 J86 1995
ISBN: 0691010978
Publication Date: 1996
Read online: Internet Archive: Books to Borrow.
The ancient practice of alchemy, which thrived in Europe until the seventeenth century, dealt with the phenomenon of transformation--not only of materials (ore into gold) but also of the human spirit (self into Other). Through their work in the material realm, alchemists discovered personal rebirth as well as a linking between outer and inner dimensions. C. G. Jung first turned to alchemy for personal illumination in coping with trauma brought on by his break with Freud. Alchemical symbolism eventually suggested to Jung that there was a process in the unconscious, one that had a goal beyond discharging tension and hiding pain. In this book, Nathan Schwartz-Salant, a leading Jungian analyst with an interest in alchemy, brings together a key selection of Jung's writings on the subject. These writings expose us to Jung's fascinating reflections on the symbols of alchemy--such as the three-headed Mercurial dragon, hermaphrodites, and lions devouring the sun--and brings us closer to the spirit of his approach to the unconscious, closer than his purely scientific concepts often allow.

Additional resources on Alchemy

Alchemical Active Imagination by Marie-Louise von Franz
Call Number: BF175.F73 1997
ISBN: 9780877735892
Publication Date: 1997
"A leading Jungian psychologist reveals the relationship between alchemy and the concepts of techniques of analytical psychology, delving into the visionary work of a sixteenth-century alchemist. Although alchemy is popularly regarded as the science that sought to transmute base physical matter, many of the medieval alchemists were more interested in developing a discipline that would lead to the psychological and spiritual transformation of the individual. C. G. Jung discovered in his study of alchemical texts a symbolic and imaginal language that expressed many of his own insights into psychological processes. In this book, Marie-Louise von Franz examines a text by the sixteenth-century alchemist and physician Gerhard Dornin order to show the relationship of alchemy to the concepts and techniques of analytical psychology. In particular, she shows that the alchemists practiced a kind of meditation similar to Jung's technique of active imagination, which enables one to dialogue with the unconscious archetypal elements in the psyche. Originally delivered as a series of lectures at the C. G. Jung Institute in Zurich, the book opens therapeutic insights into the relations among spirit, soul, and body in the practice of active imagination."
The alchemical Mercurius by Mathew Mather
Publication Date: 2014
"The figure of the alchemical Mercurius features ubiquitously and radically in Jung's later works, but despite this, there has been little research concerning Mercurius in Jungian studies to date. In this book, Mathew Mather explores the figure of the alchemical Mercurius and contextualises and clarifies its significance in Jung's life and works. Placing the alchemical Mercurius as a central concern reveals a Jungian interpretation in which the grail legend, alchemy and precessional astrology, as three thematic threads, converge. In such a treatment, Jung's belief in the dawning of a new platonic month emerges as a central consideration and an esoteric perspective on Jung's life and works is brought more fully to light, constructing a life-myth interpretation. The book is comprised of three parts: Aurea Catena: locating the figure of the alchemical Mercurius within the Western esoteric tradition Daimonic Encounter: the relevance of this figure in Jung's personal life Magnum Opus: Jung's portrayal of this figure in key texts such as Synchronicity, Aion, Mysterium Coniunctionis; and Emma Jung and von Franz's The Grail Legend. The Alchemical Mercurius is a unique contribution to analytical psychology, substantially revealing 'esoteric Jung' and providing valuable perspectives on the theme of his myth for our times."
Alchemy and psychotherapy by Dale Mathers (Editor)
Call Number: BF175 .A5494 2014
Publication Date: 2014
"Alchemy and Psychotherapy explores the issue of alchemy in the consulting room and its application to social and political issues. This book argues against the dominant discourse in contemporary psychotherapy - scientific materialism - and for the discovery of spiritual meaning. ... Alchemy and Psychotherapy is illustrated throughout with clinical examples, alchemical pictures and poetry which emphasise that alchemy is both a creative art and a science. Bringing together contributors from a wide range of disciplines, [the authors] show that therapy is both art and science, that the consulting room is the alchemical laboratory, and that their research is their creative engagement."
Alchemy, Jung, and Remedios Varo by Dennis Pottenger; Rebecca Livingston Pottenger (Editor)
ISBN: 9781000377477
Publication Date: 2021
"Alchemy, Jung, and Remedios Varo offers a depth psychological analysis of the art and life of Remedios Varo, a Spanish surrealist painter. The book uses Varo's paintings in a revolutionary way: to critique the patriarchal underpinnings of Jungian psychology, alchemy, and Surrealism, illuminating how Varo used painting to address cultural complexes that silence female expression. The book focuses on how the practice of alchemical psychology, through the power of imagination and the archetypal Feminine, can lead to healing and transformation for individuals and culture. Alchemy, Jung, and Remedios Varo offers the first in-depth psychological treatment of the role alchemy played in the friendship between Varo and Leonora Carrington--a connection that led to paintings that protest the pitfalls of patriarchy. This unique book will be of great interest for academics, scholars, and post-graduate students in the fields of analytical psychology, art history, Surrealism, cultural criticism, and Jungian studies."
C. G. Jung and the alchemical imagination by Stanton Marlan
ISBN: 9780367405281
Publication Date: 2021
"Stanton Marlan brings together writings which span the course of his career, examining Jungian psychology and the alchemical imagination as an opening to the mysteries of psyche and soul. This volume challenges any tendency to literalism and essentialism, and contributes to an integration between Jung's classical vision of a psychology of alchemy and Hillman's Alchemical Psychology. C.G. Jung and the Alchemical Imagination will be a valuable resource for academics, scholars, and students of Jungian and post-Jungian studies, Jungian analysis, and psychotherapy. It will also be of great interest to Jungian psychologists and Jungian analysts in practice and in training"
Black sun: The alchemy and art of darkness by Stanton Marlan
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Call Number: BF175 .M28345 2005
Publication Date: 2005
"Marlan looks at the intrinsic importance of the black sun to the human psyche and the meaning of darkness in Western culture. Using clinical cases, the literature of Goethe and Dante, and the art of Rothko and Reinhardt, he explores the influence of light and shadow on the fundamental structures of modern thought as well as the contemporary practice of analysis. The Black Sun offers insight into modernity, the act of imagination, and the work of analysis in understanding depression, trauma, and transformation of the soul."
The Mystery of Coniunctio by E. Edinger; J. Blackmer (Ed.)
ISBN: 0919123678
Publication Date: 1994
"Two concise essays on the union of opposites: "Introduction to Jung's Mysterium Coniunctionis" and "A Psychological Interpretation of the Rosarium Pictures" -- the alchemical drawings on which Jung based The Psychology of the Transference."
The mystery of human relationship by Nathan Schwartz-salant
Call Number: BF175.S387 1998
ISBN: 9780415089715
Publication Date: 1998
"All human relationships are containers of emotional life, but what are the structures underlying them? Nathan Schwartz-Salant looks at all kinds of relationships through an analyst's eye. By analogy with the ancient system of alchemy he shows how states of mind that can undermine our relationships - in marriage, in creative work, in the workplace - can become transformative when brought to consciousness. It is only by learning how to access the interactive field of our relationships that we can enter this transformative process and explore its mysterious potential for self-realization."
Transformation of the psyche by J. Henderson; D. Sherwood
Publication Date: 2003
"... this book is a striking and unique contribution to the resurgence of interest in alchemy for its way of representing the phenomenology of creative experience. Transformation of the Psyche is organized around 22 illuminated paintings from the early Renaissance alchemical manuscript the Splendor Solis, and is further illustrated by over 50 colour figures. The images of the Splendor Solis are possibly the most beautiful and evocative alchemical paintings to be found anywhere, and they are widely known to students of alchemy. Jung reproduced several Splendor Solis images in his works, yet prior to this book no one has explored the symbolism of the paintings as a series in relation to the process of depth psychological transformation. This book is the first scholarly study of the paintings in their entirety, and of the mythological and historical allusions contained within the images. Transformation of the Psyche does not simply explain or analyze the pictures, but invites the reader to participate in the creative and transforming process evoked by these images."
A critical appraisal of C. G. Jung’s psychological alchemy by Ann Casement
ISBN: 9781000554229
Publication Date: 2022
"This chapter is an in-depth exposition of one of Jung’s major contributions to psychology. The chapter includes a comparison of the model with the Rosarium Philosophorum pictures, followed by an exploration of Wolfgang Giegerich’s revisionist thinking on psychological alchemy."

Print books available from the library:

Alchemy (Print copy) by Marie-Louise Von Franz
Call Number: QD26 .F7
Publication Date: 1980
"It was the genius of C. G. Jung to discover in the 'holy technique' of alchemy a parallel to the psychological individuation process. This book, by Jung's long-time friend and co-worker, completely demystifies the subject. Designed as an introduction to Jung's more detailed studies, and profusely illustrated, here is a lucid and practical account of what the alchemists were really looking for--emotional balance and wholeness"
Anatomy of the Psyche (print copy) by E. Edinger
Call Number: BF175.E297 1985
Publication Date: 1985
"Edinger has greatly enriched my understanding of psychology through the avenue of alchemy. No other contribution has been as helpful as this for revealing, in a word, the anatomy of the psyche and how it applies to where one is in his or her process. This is a significant amplification and extension of Jung's work. Two hundred years from now, it will still be a useful handbook and an inspiring aid to those who care about individuation". -- Psychological Perspectives
Jung on Alchemy (print copy) by C. G. Jung; N. Schwartz-Salant (Ed.)
Call Number: BF175.5.I53 J86 1995
Publication Date: 1996
The ancient practice of alchemy, which thrived in Europe until the seventeenth century, dealt with the phenomenon of transformation--not only of materials (ore into gold) but also of the human spirit (self into Other). Through their work in the material realm, alchemists discovered personal rebirth as well as a linking between outer and inner dimensions. C. G. Jung first turned to alchemy for personal illumination in coping with trauma brought on by his break with Freud. Alchemical symbolism eventually suggested to Jung that there was a process in the unconscious, one that had a goal beyond discharging tension and hiding pain. [This book] brings together a key selection of Jung's writings on the subject. These writings expose us to Jung's fascinating reflections on the symbols of alchemy--such as the three-headed Mercurial dragon, hermaphrodites, and lions devouring the sun--and brings us closer to the spirit of his approach to the unconscious."

Anderson, D. (2018). The alchemy of play. Psychological Perspectives, 61(2), 241–256. https://doi.org/10.1080/00332925.2018.1461506

PsycINFO

Cavalli, T. F. (2016). The alchemical Osiris: From Ra to radium. Psychological Perspectives, 59(1), 46–70.

PsycINFO

Chadwick, E. (2010). The emergence of gold in alchemy and in Jungian analysis. Harvest, 2010, 107–121.

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Fischer, T. (2011). The alchemical rare book collection of C. G. Jung. International Journal of Jungian Studies, 3(2), 169–180. https://doi.org/10.1080/19409052.2011.592726

Brill Journals

Fontelieu, S. (2015). Metaphorical use of alchemy’s retort, prima materia, and the philosopher’s stone in psychotherapy. Journal of Jungian Scholarly Studies, 10, 1–14.

Open Access

Fordham, M. (1960). The Relevance of analytical theory to alchemy, mysticism, and theology. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 5(2), 113.

PsycINFO

Gad, I. (1999). Alchemy: The Language of the Soul. Psychological Perspectives 39(1), 92–103. 1960). The Relevance of analytical theory to alchemy, mysticism, and theology. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 5(2), 113.

EBSCO E-Journals

Haaning, A. (2014). Jung’s quest for the Aurora consurgens. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 59(1), 8–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5922.12052

PsycINFO

Henderson, J. L. (1978). Practical application of alchemical theory. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 23(3), 248. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1465-5922.1978.00248.x

Academic Search Premier

Holt, D. (1987). Alchemy: Jung and the historians of science. Harvest, 33, 40–60.

Library Archives

Hubback, J. (1983). Depressed patients and the coniunctio. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 28(4), 313–327. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1465-5922.1983.00313.x

PsycINFO

Jaffé, A. (1967). The influence of alchemy on the work of C. G. Jung. Spring, 1967, 7–26.

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Odorisio, D. M. (2014). The alchemical heart: A Jungian approach to the heart center in the Upaniṣads and in Eastern Christian prayer. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 33(1), 27–38.

ATLA Religion

Odorisio, D. M. (2015). Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras and the alchemical process of individuation. Philosophy East & West, 65(4), 717–730. https://doi.org/10.1353/pew.2015.0063

Academic Search Premier

Odajnyk, V. W. (1990). Images of the goal in east and west. Psychological Perspectives, 22(1), 43–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/00332929008408090

Taylor & Francis

Robertson, R. (2017). Alchemy as a psychological model. Psychological Perspectives, 60(2), 240–254.

PsycINFO

Shamdasani, S. (2012). After Liber Novus. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 57(3), 364–377. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5922.2012.01975.x

PsycINFO

Zabriskie, B. D. (1995) Exiles and orphans: Jung, Paracelsus, and the healing images of alchemy. Quadrant, 26(1-2), 9-32.

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