A primordial unity in which male and female are
unconsciously conjoined. Among many images, the UROBOROS is
strikingly symbolic of such an undifferentiated state.
Although the term is applied to a bisexual state, and alchemically
it is frequently referred to as ‘that for which the opus is undertaken’,
the final transformation, though hermaphroditic, is better defined as
androgynous (see ANDROGYNE). As the initial substance, called the

prima materia by alchemists, is one in which masculine-spiritual and
feminine-corporeal aspects are merged, the end of the process, the
lapis, will also contain the two but in differentiated form, co-existent
and co-equal.
lung found the figure of the hermaphrodite monstrous and felt
that in no way did it do justice to the ideal and goal of the art of
ALCHEMY. That such a lofty spiritual aim could be expressed by this
crude SYMBOL he attributed to the fact that the alchemist was unable
to free himself from the grip of unconscious and instinctive sexuality
because he was separated from either a psychological or religious
frame of reference. When we consider ALCHEMY as a projection of
the modern processes of the UNCONSCIOUS, however, the extraordinary
fascination and continuing emphasis upon the symbolism of the
hermaphrodite provides a parallel for the difficulties of work with
this particular pair of OPPOSITES, male and female, during the initial
stages of ANALYSIS.