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The Four Phases in Alchemy.
Nigredo, or "blackness" in latin, is referred to as the first step in the process to create the "Elixir of Life". In laboratory work, the "Nigredo" is a time when the subject begins to decompose or rot. This phase, symbolized by the black raven, is considered to be the most time consuming and difficult phase of the Magnum Opus. Nigredo from a psychological view refers to a time when we must let all the impurities drop away. It is described as a time when we are forced to confront all that is dark within ourselves, and ultimately to let go all that is false, inauthentic, and releasing the past. In short, the Nigredo is about getting lost.
Following the Nigredo stage, alchemists performed a purification process in Albedo (= whiteness) phase, where they washed away all "impurities". In this process of "separation" we are tasked with determining which parts of our shadow (cfr. Nigredo) are worth saving. Albedo, symbolised by the white queen, is also referred to the the stage of "illumination". According to Jung, this stage is where, through our darkness, we begin to see light.
The third Amaro, or "Yellow" stage, represents the process of transformation and growth. This is considered as a phase in which a person's soul has become wise. Alchemists used the "wise old man" as a symbol for this process. In laboratories it involved the union of the purified elements and involved the ascent of the 'subject' to a higher, more refined state.
The fourth and final stage of the Magnum Opus is called "Rubedo" (Redness). This stage, often associated with the color red, was symbolised by the Phoenix. Rubedo signaled "a state of unity" and "alchemical success". It is often associated with achieving the ultimate goal — creation of the "philosopher's stone" or "elixir of life".
