The Alchemy of Political Tribalism

Kenneth R Lakritz, Ph.D

11-12-2020

Awareness is sharpening that we coexist in a society increasingly polarized by

tribal division, information ecosystem bubbles, and socioeconomic stratification-

intensified by conscious agendas to actively reinforce the chasm between sections of

society. These divisions continue to impact psychological development in ways that

impede the alchemical processes necessary for the unfolding of consciousness. My

thesis contends that the undermining of intellectual, social, and emotional development

arrests the deepening of awareness necessary to discern the broader implications of

social and political reality. Furthermore, stratified access to socioeconomic and

educational resources differentially create bubbles or fields of consciousness that

impact how we assess and interpret “reality.” These differing bubbles of consciousness

have become so distinct and self contained that they cannot be fathomed by another

operating within an alternative field or “universe” of perception. In a highly charged

political environment, the implications of these broad divisions of understanding, of

consciousness, are highly consequential. We are experiencing the galvanization of dis-

unity at a moment in time that requires a unified, global effort if we to survive the grave

threats that face human existence.

Accordingly, I would like to call upon the ancient, perennial wisdom of alchemy to

help us achieve some modicum of understanding of the deeper roots of the differing

tribal sensibilities that shape our political dispositions. All human consciousness begins

in an unformed, undifferentiated state, a prima materia (first matter) that holds the

potential of unfolding and evolving in progressive differentiation and integration. The

processes that underlie human transformation literally reconfigure us from one state

into another that is radically different. These transfigurations, reflecting a birthing into

newly expanded ways of being and perceiving, are a result of specific, intentional

technologies that have been used throughout human history to facilitate the

transmutation and evolution of consciousness.

Alchemical technologies have been embedded in many traditions and sacred

contexts that maintain the ritual space or container necessary for transformative

energies to catalyze the birth of larger consciousness. These traditions and

relationships have core principles in common. They provide a vessel or container, the

constant heat of attention and intention, and the capacity to midwife the powerful

awakenings that emerge from within the mysterious, circular transitions of death and

rebirth. From the womb of these processes emerge distinct phases of consciousness

that reflect a spiraling, vertical depth opening to yet to be born levels awareness. The

alchemists referred to these distinct, relatively self-contained levels or qualities of

awareness as metals or colors that reflects a continuum of differentiation and

awakening.

We begin with the prima materia, the metal lead and the color black.

Undifferentiated, unborn, gestating, unconscious, we exist in the garden, the womb of

life, having yet to eat of the apple of good and evil. With a secure sense of unity,egocentric, yet to know and be known to ourselves, we incubate until we are naturally

pushed and called to leave the unconscious, oceanic state of being to enter the birth

canal, a state of perceived duality. The dissolution of any organized or crystallized state

of being is highly terrifying and experienced as a process of dismembering and death.

We naturally resist death with all of our might to shore up our state of cohesiveness

and protect the homeostasis of the only reality we have known. The Sisyphean project

of the ego is well known for its refusal to accept the coming of death, as well its

willingness to remain stagnant, forever rolling the rock up and down the hill, rather than

acceding to surrender of known reality. The price of remaining unconscious is steep

and stultifying, but the price of transformation into new awareness is a leap of faith that

requires the death and dismantling of the known and the surrendered birthing into the

mystery of the unknown. While we are not meant to remain in the undifferentiated state

of lead, we do not transform to the next metal, silver, without the alchemical conditions

necessary to safely contain the intense heat of dissolution, a process that is required if

we are to release the inner “pure” substance that lies hidden within the Prima Materia.

The emerging silver qualities of consciousness that becomes exposed as intense

alchemical heat burns away the outer dross of ego is like the Phoenix rising from the

ashes of the dissolution of lead. The burning away of the dross of the conditioned,

lesser personality reveals the expanse of the Greater Personality that lies within our

fathomless depths. This so called “spiritual emergence” of deeper being, of authentic

Self, gives rise to new awareness of the essential, authentic core of who we are. The

door begins to open from an egocentric relationship to life to a realization of

interdependence and the necessity of cooperation. Crossing the river from the lesser to

the greater, from the conditioned to the unconditioned, from Identification with ego to

alignment with authentic being, is nothing short of a hero’s journey requiring radical

courage and tolerance as the bubble of known reality dissipates and enlarges

awareness. The suffering of the dark night of dissolution is long and tormenting, a road

less traveled that, as C.G. Jung said, is almost impossible to endure without a deeply

felt sense of purpose and meaning. The transformation from lead to silver is hard won

and not inevitable; it is the light, the grace, that finally comes as one faces and endures

the the dark night suffering of deepening awareness.

As Robert Bly so aptly contended, we have devolved into a “sibling society”

devoid of intentful intergenerational dialogue and rites of passage. The technologies of

the alchemical processes that have always assisted with vertical deepening are no

longer culturally held by the elder, by rituals enacting rites of passage, of initiation; they

have now become relegated to therapists, mentors, spiritual teachers, gurus, and

religious leaders. Furthermore, access to quality education and the sacred contexts

that hold spaces for vertical, transformative process are often socioeconomically and

culturally determined, and out of reach for large factions of society. Lack of access to

psychological and spiritual alchemy not only segregates people into tribal factions, but

disrupts the realization of our maturing connection to deeper being. We must ask,

however, whether there is intention in depriving large populations of individuals access

to the resources needed to facilitate the maturation consciousness. This is particularly

critical given that those who endure transformation from lead to silver are more capable

of discerning truth from falsehood, conspiracy theory from fact, and exploitation from

authentic leadership.

Just as the transformative journey from lead to silver involves the dismantling

dark night descent that births us into new consciousness, the perennial wisdom of

alchemy understands that each phase of consciousness evolution is self-terminating

and pregnant with the seeds of new, deepening awareness. This means that just as

there is a birth that opens us to new consciousness, there is a death that transitions us

to deeper layers being and closer to the essence of who we are. The transformation

from silver to gold opens us to a yellowing, maturing phase of consciousness. It is the

metal of the grounded elder, the sober-eyed individual who has outgrown the inflated

idealizations of the silver phase. A humble realist aware of the miraculous graces of life,

gold can responsibly sustain the sufferings of the open heart, the tension of opposites,

in the face of the deep sadness and complexity of life. The transition of silver to gold is

like the hubristic Icarus’ flying too close to the sun only to have his wings melt, causing

him to fall heavily and rapidly to the ground. The ecstatic, transcendent openings of

silver are contrasted by the the grounded, humbled, earthbound wisdom of gold. I

once heard a saying, “never trust a man without a little of sadness in his eye.” It is the

felt knowledge of suffering in gold consciousness that deepens the compassion and

empathy that ultimately binds us in brother and sisterhood with all beings.

Each level of differentiation and re-integration evolves and expands awareness in

such a way as to eventually to give birth to an experience of conscious unity with all of

life. As I have stated before, this intense and difficult process does not occur without

the alchemical prerequisites necessary to provide the circumstance for transformation

to occur. Nonetheless, we live in a world in which large sections of society are deprived

of both the horizontal (standard, school based) and vertical ( emotional/ spiritual,

depth-based) education necessary for the broader consciousness we have been

discussing. The socioeconomics of educational disadvantage has been clear for some

time, dispossessing many of the opportunity to develop the scope awareness

necessary to to discern fact from fiction in social/ political discourse. Acceptance of a

post-fact environment is a clear consequence of the inability to differentiate truth from

lies, and is also the result of conscious tactics to weaponize distortions of reality

among vulnerable populations for the purposes of political exploitation.

The resulting lack of access to both horizontal and vertical education has,

consequently, relegated growing factions of society to leadened conscious, states of

awareness that suffer from considerable limitations of the fundamental abilities to

evaluate nuanced and subtle levels of information. The tribal sensibilities that develop

from Lead consciousness tend to lean toward ego-centricity (what can they do for me),

result in polarized, fear-based, pro-individualist conservative thinking, and are prone to

populist rhetoric and the persuasive leadership of demagogues and authoritarians.

Lead operates on a zero sum mentality in which there are only winners and losers. The

sensibility of Silver tends to swing more toward a realization of global interdependency,

progressive idealism, an awareness interpersonal responsibilities and ethics, and are

prone to persuasion by more liberal rhetoric and policies. Silver operates on the

mindset of a win-win perspective and tends to be attracted to participative, inclusive

leadership styles. Gold sensibilities, I would argue, tend to be more integrationist and

unity-based, holding a greater capacity to work within a dialectic of opposites, and to

welcome all sides into the tent - as opposed to the lead tendency to split or dividefactions into irreconcilable polarities. Gold is aligned with the transpersonal dimension

that understands the we are all derive from one source, one family, and does not

demonize the other in such a way as to reinforce zero sum tactics that leave only one

side as the winner and the other the loser. Those with Gold sensibilities tend to

gravitate toward enlightened leadership, holding empathy and compassion as among

its highest virtues, and seeks the greater well being of all life rather than only those who

drink at the well of power and wealth.

Two fundamental pedagogues must be addressed for continued social evolution

to occur without burning down the house of democracy. These include, first, the

expansion of exterior, horizontal pedagogues that provides a level playing field

socioeconomically in order to advance opportunities for and prevent exclusion from

quality education. Second, we must make efforts to reclaim what has been forgotten

regarding the interior, vertical pedagogy that was woven into the fabric of social

structures of indigenous communities. This so called “pedagogy of interiority”

continues to live, structurally, today in some indigenous cultures, and, in fragmented,

less organized ways throughout the world through more secular teachings and rituals.

The heat of social revolution often burns either too low or too high, tending to result

either in a frustrating stagnancy or an irruptive dismantling of social and political

structures that are no longer aligned with a sustainable future. For Vertical and

Horizontal pedagogy to flourish and take hold, we need a sustained, alchemical heat

that is not too high nor too low, as well as the wider availability of this crucial education

to the critical masses. Moreover, the relationship between all alchemical metals or

phases are not to be conceived of as hierarchical. An effective dialectic of opposing

energies (like the two party system) requires a respectful, dynamic relationship for

social progress to sustain. We must understand that we are immersed in a continuous

evolutionary struggle to recognize our oneness as a world community, sometimes, at

best, pulled by the wisdom of intention and vision, and at worst by the powerful

erupting forces of ignored and denied emerging consciousness that is fighting to be

known. We have deep choices to consider if we are to survive as a species. Will our

better angels prevail?

Metals	Political Learning	Psychological Orientation	Leadership Attraction
Lead	Conservative/ conventional	Ego centric self-centered	Pro-individualism/ exclusive/ fear-based
Silver	Progressive/ revolutionary	Interpersonal Social centered	Participative/ Inclusive Hope-based
Gold	Integrative, individuated (undivided)	Transpersonal Unity centered	Visionary/ collective Wisdom-based