Potential: The Alchemical Egg

I've been really drawn to painting eggs lately. The geometry of the egg is beautifully simple and elegant, yet profound in my mind and soul. The egg is a universal and self-explanatory symbol because it holds the seed from which the whole of manifestation will spring. The notion that the universe was born from an egg is shared by nearly all ancient civilizations and cultures. Primordial man/woman also originates from an egg, The egg also signifies the polarization of the Hermaphrodite, the union of the masculine and feminine energies in alchemical terms.  The egg is a primordial reality containing the seeds that will give rise to multiple beings. 

In The Upanishads, an Indian text, the Egg springs from the Non-Being and gives birth to the Elements: the two halves of the shell, one of gold and the other of silver, become, respectively, Heaven and Earth. The outer membrane gives birth to the mountains; the inner one becomes clouds; the veins give rise to the rivers and the ocean stems from the liquid.

According to Tibetan tradition, the egg is the origin of the ancestors. In Chinese tradition, before Heaven and Earth became separated, Chaos resembled a hen’s egg. After 18,000 years – a number reflecting a long, undetermined length of time – the egg broke open; the heavy elements formed the Earth (Yin) and the light ones became the Heavens (Yang).

The egg represents the creative power of Light. It confirms the promise of resurrection as a return. In Beotia, figures of Dionysus holding an egg in his hand have been found. Orphic tradition prohibited the eating of eggs. Eggs were offered to the dead as food and token of rebirth. The egg is also linked to the symbolic qualities of quietude like the home, the nest, the shell or the mother’s womb. The egg is also associated with the idea of the seed of spiritual life, by the alchemical tradition of the Philosopher’s Egg, a hermetically sealed flask containing matter proper to terrestrial work.

Lately I have been very drawn to painting the egg. It feels as though there is a rebirth happening in my work, and life. I think it's interesting that I lost the mailing list just when I was about to post about the egg! As though something had to leave in order for something new to be reborn. It also feels like a sign to go within, to nest a little bit and become one with creativity in that quiet space.

What does the egg symbolise to you? What seed of potentiality in you is waiting to be hatched? Meditating on the egg is quite a beautiful thing to do, and brings up much awareness within.

This painting measures 80cm x 80cm, acrylic on deep edge canvas. I love working on deep edge canvases as they don't necessarily need to be framed. It costs €690 and as always, I am open to people paying in instalments if that is something that works best. If you are interested, just mail me at [email protected]