Black madonna
The transmutation of matter
November 13th 2023
The existence of Black Madonnas is linked to the alchemical secrets of the transmutation of matter. The base material, which alchemists seek to transform, is said to be black, unorganized, raw matter: chaos. The Black Madonnas are related to this original alchemical substance. This is why these statues were usually placed underground in caves or crypts, because the matter they symbolize is extracted from the primitive virgin earth; this is what the term ‘black’ expresses. Alchemists used to say that just as the Virgin Mary suffered when giving birth to Christ, so matter has to be cooked for a long time in fire before giving birth to the philosopher’s stone.*
* Related reading:
