Metal

That we project meaning onto metals is, of course, particularly prominent in alchemy, where the lowest is lead and the highest is gold; in between, the metals follow a certain hierarchy. Associating silver with the moon and gold with the sun is merely the most well-known remnant of this symbolic thinking.

The personification of metals extends beyond mystical alchemy and appears most notably in folk tales. (Other materials are, of course, also personified, such as wood and stone.) Metal represents the "material" one has to work with; it embodies psychological content. A defining characteristic of the unconscious is its tendency to personify content, which is especially evident in dreams.

Melting

The ability to melt the material for processing or examination is central—the alchemist transforms what is dry and hard into something wet and soft (dissolution, solutio). If a certain metal could not be melted, it was considered worthless. One alchemist complains about bismuth: “Not even fire can melt it—such is its earthly vulgarity and impurity.” (Quoted in The Eternal Drama, p. 77.) When applied to human psychology, this could be compared to a hopelessly rigid person, as opposed to someone who can also be playful, soft toward others, and open to inner transformation. Similarly, we can contrast a hard, cold heart with one that is warm and open. To reiterate, metal can symbolize one's prima materia, the starting point for the process.

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