On the Alchemical Process of Dissolution

D i s s o l u t i o n

…is the stage in alchemy in which a solid substance turns into liquid.

At a psyche/soul level, it is the process of letting those parts of ourselves that have served their purpose and now cause more harm than good be released, “melt”, dissolve into their original substance -the ‘prima materia’.

Dissolution is associated with water. And that makes a lot of sense, because the parts we are called to let go of have often become quite rigid, “hard”. They have lost their flexibility and adaptability.

For transformation to happen, we need to let those “stiff”, hardened parts of ourselves and our bodies, what is known as our ‘body armor’, become undone, get liquified.

We initially create those inner structures (patterns, stories & identities) with the best of intentions; to protect ourselves, to cope with life when we most need it. We may have learned, for instance, that being small and not taking up space will keep us safe. So we contract the body and retreat within ourselves -over time, chronically so. Or, we may have been shown that achievement and productivity are above all else -so, anytime a need or desire comes up from our bodies and souls, we unconsciously tighten around it and rise above it, moving up and out of the body, toward the head.

These ways of being may be limiting, but they are familiar and they feel safe. So, letting them dissolve is, to say the least, scary. It can feel a lot like death -the world as we knew it coming to an end, while having no idea what a new world would look like. In it, not much is clear or solid. And that’s exactly why we resist it so much.

Yet, in my experience, much more pain is caused by our resistance to it than by the actual process. When we do eventually allow ourselves to melt, there is often a deep sense of relief, as if we can finally put down something heavy we’d been carrying for too long -quite literally so.

In dissolution, there is

p o s s i b i l i t y

Possibility for a new combination of those primary elements, the different energies and qualities within ourselves… for a more whole and authentic structure in our psyches to emerge.

It may sound incredibly cliche, but we all know it’s true: we need to let the old and outdated die, for something new to be born in its place.

Dissolution is the gateway to Freedom.

And what can make the fear of dissolving more manageable? Having a strong container that can hold you as you unravel. Whether one-on-one or in a community/circle setting, the presence of (a) loving witness(es) becomes the ground that can hold the deep waters of your psyche, just like the grassy edges around the waterfall do in the picture above.

I’ve been deep in the waters of dissolution this whole past month, both personally and with clients. And it’s been such a beautiful thing:

witnessing the immersion

intuiting the emergence

and holding space for the in-between

-as well as receiving the same, in my own spaces of support.

Like Nietzsche has said, “you need to have chaos within to give birth to a dancing star”.

What are you being called to let soften and melt within your body and soul, friend? I invite you to find a solid container you can trust and allow yourself to dive in…

I am preparing such a container right now, for several of us to gather and move through all the stages of soul/body transformation together, and my heart is overflowing with warmth and excitement for it! You will hear more about it very soon.

In depth and flow <3