One of the challenges in the stage of calcination — the psychological work with the element of fire and our strong passions – is learning to contain frustration when things do not unfold as quickly as we would like. Life in a material body comes with limitations, not only in space, but also in time, but these limitations carry their own spiritual significance.
Marie-Louise von Franz, in her analysis of the fairy tale The Black Princess, reveals what this significance is. The tale tells the story of a black princess who is buried behind the altar of a church. At night, she emerges from her iron coffin and devours the soldier who guards her. The hero who manages to survive her destructive flames does so by respecting time. He has been warned that the princess’s power vanishes after midnight, so he keeps his distance until the clock strikes twelve.
“This cage of time and space can also be helpful. In the case of the clock striking midnight, the solder is saved by time. Thus, a man should fight his impatience, which is an anima trick. He should accept the boundaries of time and space. If he would take the attitude that this is a helpful thing, this prison of time and space, then just waiting, putting off, using time as an element, sometimes helps to bring about an increase in consciousness.
When a man is possessed by the anima, then he feels that he must immediately do something about the situation – it is terribly urgent to send off a letter, for instance, or telephone and speak his mind. The tip-off to this state of possession is often just this feeling of urgency that it has to be done this minute.
If one doesn’t allow such a panic or rush to get the better of oneself, then the figure in the unconscious will begin to change. This happens in our story when the soldier gets into the coffin and plays dead; he won’t listen or answer or pay any attention to the black princess’s threats… If one can contain the excitement, delay acting on it, one finally becomes tired, which is a good way of dealing with such a destructive emotional outburst. Therefore time is a terribly important factor in dealing with the anima.”
— Marie-Louise von Franz, Animus and Anima in Fairy Tales
The delay in the fulfilment of our desires brings to the surface a childish, immature part of ourselves – one that wants everything instantly. This is also the ego, which loves to keep everything under its control. When things do not go according to our plan, we become irritable and explosive. We become servants to the black princess, who bursts into flames every time she encounters an obstacle.
When we recognize this pattern in ourselves, it is helpful to remind ourselves of this fairy tale and cultivate patience. The attitude which we should adopt to support us in this case is trust in the flow of life, remembering that everything moves, everything changes, and that sooner or later we will reach the desired shore. What matters most is to maintain our direction.
If this message has come to you through the “games of synchronicity,” it carries a clear reminder: time is a powerful ally. You may, of course, feel at times that it is your enemy, but it is only an enemy to the impatient, narrow-minded part of yourself that tries to force life into its own rigid plans instead of allowing it to unfold. Right now, you are learning to calm the fiery, irritable black princess within, and the outcome of this struggle will reveal who truly holds the power – you or the black princess.
Kameliya Hadzhiyska
