Axiom of Maria
Encyclopedia
Axiom of Maria is a precept in alchemy
: "One becomes two, two becomes three, and out of the third comes the one as the fourth." It is attributed to 3rd century alchemist Maria Prophetissa
, also called the Jewess, sister of Moses, or the Copt. Marie-Louise von Franz
gives an alternative version thus: "Out of the One comes Two, out of Two comes Three, and from the Third comes the One as the Fourth."
Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung
(1875 – 1961) used the axiom as a metaphor for the process of individuation
. One is unconscious wholeness; two is the conflict of opposites; three points to a potential resolution; the third is the transcendent function, described as a "psychic function that arises from the tension between consciousness and the unconscious and supports their union"; and the one as the fourth is a transformed state of consciousness, relatively whole and at peace.
Jung speaks of the axiom of Maria as running in various forms through the whole of alchemy like a leitmotiv. In "The Psychology of the Transference" he writes of the fourfold nature of the transforming process using the language of Greek alchemy:
The Axiom of Maria may be interpreted as an alchemical analogy of the process of individuation from the many to the one, from undifferentiated unconsciousness to individual consciousness.
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
: "One becomes two, two becomes three, and out of the third comes the one as the fourth." It is attributed to 3rd century alchemist Maria Prophetissa
Mary the Jewess
Maria the Jewess is estimated to have lived anywhere between the first and third centuries AD...
, also called the Jewess, sister of Moses, or the Copt. Marie-Louise von Franz
Marie-Louise von Franz
Marie-Louise von Franz was a Swiss Jungian psychologist and scholar.-Early life and education:Von Franz was born in Munich, Germany, the daughter of an Austrian baron. In Switzerland, she was known by a pet form of her Christian name, Marlus.-Career:Von Franz worked with Carl Jung, whom she met in...
gives an alternative version thus: "Out of the One comes Two, out of Two comes Three, and from the Third comes the One as the Fourth."
Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as "by nature religious" and make it the focus of exploration. Jung is one of the best known researchers in the field of dream analysis and...
(1875 – 1961) used the axiom as a metaphor for the process of individuation
Individuation
Individuation is a concept which appears in numerous fields and may be encountered in work by Arthur Schopenhauer, Carl Jung, Gilbert Simondon, Bernard Stiegler, Gilles Deleuze, Henri Bergson, David Bohm, and Manuel De Landa...
. One is unconscious wholeness; two is the conflict of opposites; three points to a potential resolution; the third is the transcendent function, described as a "psychic function that arises from the tension between consciousness and the unconscious and supports their union"; and the one as the fourth is a transformed state of consciousness, relatively whole and at peace.
Jung speaks of the axiom of Maria as running in various forms through the whole of alchemy like a leitmotiv. In "The Psychology of the Transference" he writes of the fourfold nature of the transforming process using the language of Greek alchemy:
- "It begins with the four separate elements, the state of chaos, and ascends by degrees to the three manifestations of Mercurius in the inorganic, organic, and spiritual worlds; and, after attaining the form of Sol and Luna (i.e., the precious metal gold and silver, but also the radiance of the gods who can overcome the strife of the elements by love), it culminates in the one and indivisible (incorruptible, ethereal, eternal) nature of the anima, the quinta essentia, aqua permanens, tincture, or lapis philosophorum. This progression from the number 4 to 3 to 2 to 1 is the 'axiom of Maria'..."
The Axiom of Maria may be interpreted as an alchemical analogy of the process of individuation from the many to the one, from undifferentiated unconsciousness to individual consciousness.
Related works
- Edinger, Edward F. Anatomy of the Psyche: Alchemical Symbolism in Psychotherapy. Open Court, Chicago, 1994. ISBN 0-8126-9009-5
- von Franz, Marie-Louise. Alchemical Active Imagination. Spring Publications, Dallas, 1979. ISBN 0-88214-114-7
- von Franz, Marie-Louise. Alchemy: An Introduction to the Symbolism and the Psychology. Inner City Books, Toronto, 1980. ISBN 0-919123-04-X (pbk.)
- von Franz, Marie-Louise. On Divination and Synchronicity: The Psychology of Meaningful Chance. Inner City Books, Toronto, 1980. ISBN 0-919123-02-3