Calcinatio

5x7 unframed
Ink on paper

This drawing marks the entry point into the alchemical journey: Calcination—the burning away of illusion, ego, and decay. A skull sits within a sealed vessel, engulfed in flame, encircled by the ouroboros. At its side, a flickering candle and sprig of aloe stand as subtle witnesses to the painful work of dissolution. Above, the all-seeing eye observes the first death required before true transmutation can begin.

This piece was created as part of a larger series exploring the alchemical stages of soul transformation. Drawn entirely in ink, it distills the harsh clarity of this phase into stark, ritualized form.

Symbolism:

• Skull in Flame: Death of the false self; spiritual combustion

• Ouroboros: The cycle of endings and beginnings held in one eternal truth

• Eye on Vessel: Divine witness to the soul’s undoing

• Scroll Banner: “Calcinatio” as declaration and warning