• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-60
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• 2024

This thesis originated from a dream of a young man clad in green, suspended like Christ on the stair landing. This dream reminded me of Jung's vision of the Christ on the Cross, bathed in a greenish gold aurum viriditas. Jung associated the analogy of Christ and aurum non vulgi, aurum viriditas of alchemy from this vision. I was fascinated by Jung's words that originally there were four alchemical stages, but by the 15th-16th century they were reduced to three (nigredo-albedo-rubedo); and that viriditas used to exist after nigredo had vanished. This thesis is about the process of unraveling these mysteries through amplification. In the realm of alchemy, viriditas (verdigris) was an old and humble substance, yet it would eventually metamorphose into pure gold under the supervision of alchemists. It was the prima materia of alchemical work and the ultimate product, mercurius itself. It was the celestial spirit, concealed beneath the earth, and the embodiment of transformation, enriching the earth, sprouting a myriad of buds and flowers, turning the land green. I examined the dreams, visions, and pictures of Hildegard of Bingen, C.G. Jung, my analysands, and my own to figure out whether viriditas was the fourth that leads to wholeness that engaged in the whole process of individuation. While working on this thesis, I learned that for our personalities to mature, we must include the lower, the secular, the feminine, the chtonic, and even the evil. To achieve this, we cannot avoid our opposite, the fourth, but to wait and persevere until we can walk together. Then, our lives will be fresh and blossoming.