Millennial Alchemy

[ethsnafu]

Please forgive the length of this and the ramble contained herein....

When Chris Carter chose the Ouroboros (Greek: “tail-eater") as the cypher of the Millennium group the alchemical symbolism of this image would not be lost on him or his team, it is unlikely that this image was chosen flippantly, that is not who he is. The Ourobrous was the alchemical symbol of the great work, in texts it was depicted bearing the words 'en to pan' - 'all is one'. This inscription was vibrant to the alchemists beyond its literal meaning as it was a formula as well as a motto. 'En to pan' consists of seven words of three letters: 7 + 3 = 10. 1 + 0 = 1. The numerology confirmed the meaning, the 'all' being the seven stages of alchemy leading untimately to unification with the One. Seven and One. It was this seeming link to an episode title that made me wonder if Carter's research into alchemy had someone created an unconscious alchemical resonance that permeated Millennium throughout it's seasons.

Alchemy was the protoscience that gave birth to all sciences. A quasi-mystical 'art' that sought to transform the impure into the spiritual. It was the work of a cult-like group of learned men, united in their faith, divided by their science but unilateral in their repudiation of evil. Transformation was the heart of Alchemy, as it was in the Millennium Group, and the science of this transformation was communicated to group members via lessons and allegory - a similar observation of Millennium was made by Lara Means. If the Group and the Alchemists share similarities it cannot be a surprise considering that the symbols of one become the symbols of the other when 'transformed' by Chris Carter's pen.

The Millennium Group's obsession with the Apocalypse is another trait shared with its alchemical ancestors. To them the Apocalypse was the culmination of their aspirations: the ravaging of the impure and a new spiritual rebirth. This spiritual formula of destructive rebirth was symbolised by them as an 'egg'. Cornelius Agrippa wrote, of his alchemical brethren, "...and as hens brood over eggs we keep the warmth up night and day, expecting to produce forthwith, enormous golden chicks."

In Millennium's own Apocalypse,'The Fourth Horseman', Morgan and Wong opened this chapter of the story with the seemingly incongruent image of two eggs and peppered it with slaughtered chickens as a foreboding of what was to unfold.

Fourth Horseman Opening Shot

In alchemy, almost comically, chickens were not expected to survive spiritual destruction as they "coveted the midden not the sky..." All coincidence? Maybe......

Much pervasive in alchemical thought was the 'mock death', one of the seven stages of transformation in which the initiate is 'turned in on himself' undergoing a mystical death identified by adepts as a state of helpless dejection in which the divine spark abandons the body. Today this would be a case for Prozac but ultimately this 'depression' inspired philosophy, inspiration and things "...which no man knoweth save him which perceive it..." A rather poignant description of this concept was written by Agrippa, he noted that "This melancholic state is so powerful that, according to scientists and doctors, it can attract demons to the body, even to such an extent that one can get into mental confusion or get visions." Text book Frank Black biography anyone? And just to add more to the recipe this alchemical stage was called the Nigredo, The Ethiopian or more commonly the 'black' man.

If this seems rather vague then there are blatant alchemical analogies and references in 'Bardo Thodol': not merely in Takahashi's essay entitled 'Science as the New Alchemy. The core of this episode is transmutation, the forging of organic matter at the hand of man and its subtext is the schism between science and spirit harmonised in a mercurial figure, in this instance represented by Frank, this chemical marriage of science and soul was the cornerstone of Alchemy and the mercurial archetype such a vast, significant emblem that books have been devoted to it alone. Bardo Thodol was the story of the transformation of earthly impurity to spiritual transcendence, the episode could have been called 'Alchemy' and no harm would have been done. The most interesting scene is when Peter Watts describes to Emma Hollis the process of making the red lacquer bowl. His description of the base metals used is an alchemical formula and he describes their transformation by earthly means into a receptacle for God's grace. Transubstantiation of metals into spirit: no further explanation necessary.

One of the more elusive components of Millennium is the episode title 'Saturn Dreaming of Mercury' - to render it into its alchemical meaning gives it sense that other interpretations do not. It is literally an alchemical formula for prophecy. Saturn (Man) Dreaming of Mercury (Spirit) an apt description of an episode that deals with Jordan's developing abilities and the somewhat mediumistic talents she also displays. Just another coincidence?

THE REBIS

On a darker note..

Lucy Butler is depicted with powers of transformation, it is hinted that she is capable of appearing as both man and woman. The hermaphrodite or androgyne was another pivotal component of alchemy known as the 'Rebis'. The Rebis symbolised the alchemical marriage of polar opposites - the unification of science and spirit. In 'Antipas' Lucy is portrayed as a satanic 'Mary Poppins' intent upon the corruption of the Saxum family. Interestingly Saxum is the Latin word for rock/stone, the daughter Divina meaning Divine, the ultimate receptacle for Lucy's machinations is the 'Divine Stone' - it is not necessary to point out the inexplicable links between alchemists and divine stones: the two go hand in hand. In Antipas there is, yet again, a sexual, regenerative undercurrent to Lucy Butler with her sexual manipulation of John Saxum, her demon rape of Frank, her subsequent pregnancy claims and her assertion that the Divine Stone of the story is really her offspring. In Alchemy the action of spirit needed to make a divine stone was viewed as impregnation and its birth described as hatching. The 16th century alchemist Orthelius wrote "...the spirit brooded upon the waters of old, impregnated them and hatched a spirit within them..." - this action was viewed as impossible in the corrupt, that impregnation and hatching would not be successful in the impure. Lucy is later to tell Frank that the union of their offspring had been lost: she suffered a miscarriage.

I shall leave off now to save you all from morbid catalepsy. I don't claim that all references, and there are more, are intentional but some surely are. If Chris Carter began his Millennium research with an alchemical symbol, some of the allegory and symbolism may have found its way into his work.

Of course it may just be me rambling, which is not uncommon. Next week: "Lara Means' Hairstyle and its Gnostic Significance."

Till then,

ethsnafu

[Raven Wolf]

WOW! I'm impressed!!!! You could be a Millennium professor!

Next week: "Lara Means' Hairstyle and its Gnostic Significance."

[Guest arcanamundi]

Please forgive the length of this and the ramble contained herein....

Are you kidding?! Wow! That was great! That, my friends, is a keeper of a post!

There's enough there to contemplate for an aeon.

Please, ethsnafu, keep posting brilliantly!

En to pan!

[Walkabout]

fascinating information!! many of these shows employ people who do nothing but research for the writers. Stargate was another one !!

[ethsnafu]

Thanks for your kind words, all of you. I'm hardly a professor at anything and it is a true mark of Chris Carter et. al. that those of us with 'those' sorts of interests can see so many levels in his work. I do wonder, often, if I see things that aren't there though.

A prime example being this:

In 'Human Essence' when T remarks that the three female characters' names are all letters: M, E and T (or EM, E and T) - it doesn't seem too profound on the face of it but in Hebrew the letters aleph, mem, tav, which is 'EMET' means "truth," erase the aleph and you are left with mem and tav, which is MET, meaning "DEATH." Not only does this seem to be relevant to the tone of the story (Emma searching for the truth behind the death of addicts) but it was also used in the X-Files episode 'Kaddish'. See what I mean, you never know just how much you think you see or how much you really were meant to see.? Like that inkblot thing that I cannot recall the name of.

Here's something for Aracanamundi who I know is an Lara-maniac as I am. Have you seen 'Is this who she was?" A post by Moderndaymoriaty in General MillenniuM Related Discussion on 30th July 2004 - 01:52 AM (Sorry, couldn't work out how to link to it.) I am giddy with the possibility that there may be some truth in this, I am going to have a Lara marathon in the week to confirm or deny this theory: and what a theory it is. Have a look, if you can find it, and let me know what you think.

Once again,

Thanks for your praise, and I promise the hair thesis soon...

ethsnafu

[Guest arcanamundi]

Here's something for Arcanamundi who I know is an Lara-maniac as I am. Have you seen 'Is this who she was?" A post by Moderndaymoriaty in General MillenniuM Related Discussion on 30th July 2004 - 01:52 AM (Sorry, couldn't work out how to link to it.) I am giddy with the possibility that there may be some truth in this, I am going to have a Lara marathon in the week to confirm or deny this theory: and what a theory it is. Have a look, if you can find it, and let me know what you think.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks, Ethsnafu, for the tip on MDM's post - I hadn't read it before, and it is a clever, thrilling spin on Lara's character. Perhaps I love her too much: my first thought while reading was, 'Who cares if she was Odessa - she was hot!'

Your idea of a Larathon is a good one -- I'll try to have one too!

Did you say somewhere on the board that you are a theology student? And a kabbalist, too! You cleared up a puzzle for me with the meaning of the the title of 'Saturn Dreaming of Mercury' - well, maybe 'cleared' isn't quite the right word, but you certainly catalyzed my mind on the matter. I don't know much about alchemy, but your alchemical analyses of the show's symbolism was fascinating. I look forward to more of your esoteric posts. Not for nothin' do I use the handle 'arcanamundi'...

[ethsnafu]

Sadly I am not a theology student though I have had a fascination with the occult for nearly a decade. There are few subjects I haven't delved into at some time (though for all my fascination I have never practiced) or other but my student years were all medical I'm afraid, sounds so glamorous when you're young and foolish. I have just finished the Larathon and there are some strange contradictions, I mean blatantly strange and the The Old Man's death scene......I'm beginning to wonder. Kommandant Lara eh? I'll get back to you on this one.

Till then arcane one,

ethsnafu