is termed the “Crow’s Head” and is indicative of putrefaction; (ii.) a white colour indicating that the Stone is now capable of converting “base” metals into silver; this passes through orange into (iii.) a red colour, which shows that the Stone is now perfect, and will transmute “base” metals into gold.  Now, what was the reason for the belief in these three colour-stages, and for their occurrence in the above order?  I suggest that no alchemist actually obtained these colours in this order in his chemical experiments, and that we must look for a speculative origin for the belief in them.  We have, I think, only to turn to religious mysticism for this origin.  For the exponents of religious mysticism unanimously agree to a threefold division of the life of the mystic.  The first stage is called “the dark night of the soul,” wherein it seems as if the soul were deserted by God, although He is very near.  It is the time of trial, when self is sacrificed as a duty and not as a delight.  Afterwards, however, comes the morning light of a new intelligence, which marks the commencement of that stage of the soul’s upward progress that is called the “illuminative life”.  All the mental powers are now concentrated on God, and the struggle is transferred from without to the inner man, good works being now done, as it were, spontaneously.  The disciple, in this stage, not only does unselfish deeds, but does them from unselfish motives, being guided by the light of Divine Truth.  The third stage, which is the consummation of the process, is termed “the contemplative life”.  It is barely describable.  The disciple is wrapped about with the Divine Love, and is united thereby with his Divine Source.  It is the life of love, as the illuminative life is that of wisdom.  I suggest that the alchemists, believing in this threefold division of the regenerative process, argued that there must be three similar stages in the preparation of the Stone, which was the pattern of all metallic perfection; and that they derived their beliefs concerning the colours, and other peculiarities of each stage in the supposed chemical process,from the characteristics of each stage in the psychological process according to mystical theology.

Moreover, in the course of the latter process many flitting thoughts and affections arise and deeds are half-wittingly done which are not of the soul’s true character; and in entire agreement with this, we read of the alchemical process, in the highly esteemed “Canons” of D’ESPAGNET:  “Besides these decretory signs [i.e. the black, white, orange, and red colours] which firmly inhere in the matter, and shew its essential mutations, almost infinite colours appear, and shew themselves in vapours, as the Rainbow in the clouds, which quickly pass away and are expelled by those that succeed, more affecting the air than the earth:  the operator must have a gentle care of them, because they are not permanent, and proceed not from the intrinsic disposition of the matter, but from the fire painting and fashioning everything after its pleasure, or casually by heat in slight moisture."[1] That D’ESPAGNET is arguing, not so much from actual chemical experiments, as from analogy with psychological processes in man, is, I think, evident.