Like vegetation, human beings must inwardly pass through all the phases of the alchemical process: they die, then they are reborn

"Why do alchemists describe the transformation of matter in the Great Work as a sequence of colours? Because they have observed this sequence in the world of vegetation. Think of fruit trees, for example: except for some nuances – for nature is rich in variety – they pass through a series of colours, and always in the same order. In winter, the trees are black and bare. In spring, they become white with flowers and green with leaves. Then comes summer, and the ripening fruits turn yellow and red. In autumn the foliage turns red and gold, and with red and gold the process is finished. It is the end of the cycle, as it is in the work of alchemy.

Like vegetation, human beings must inwardly pass through all the phases of the alchemical process: they die, then they are reborn, resurrecting with new virtues and powers: new colours."