Academic essay written by Zora Burden for a special edition of The Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture entitled Another Place: The esoteric symbolism of Twin Peaks. Title: Agent on the Threshold: The Taoism and Alchemy of Twin Peaks Zora Burden © August 2015 - (content of essay is all theoretical opinion of the author)
David Lynch’s Twin Peaks is a multidimensional, metaphysical, neo-noir drama. It’s a surrealist masterpiece, interwoven with darkly comedic moments of absurdity, juxtaposed against the deceptively serene sentimentality of mid-century Americana and infused with esoteric symbolism. Twin Peaks was a serial drama created by Mark Frost and David Lynch which aired for two seasons during 1990 to 1991. This award winning series resulted in a cult following and film prequel titled Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992). David Lynch and Mark Frost not only infused an exhaustive amount of arcane knowledge into the script but also obscure news stories and classic film references. The series is so informed esoterically, it is considered an initiatory process for mystery schools, of which Agent Cooper becomes an unknowing participant. The show’s protagonist is FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, who travels to Twin Peaks in the rural Pacific Northwest on special assignment when Laura Palmer is found murdered, similar to a previous murder in Washington. The show presents highly complex worlds within worlds, which overlap and collide, containing dichotomies both obvious and subtle, within a constant flux of dualistic themes. Twin Peaks esoteric symbolism is derived from many sources but with a predominant message- the unification of dualities within and finding balance in nature. Through Taoism and a form of Eastern spiritual alchemy, it's believed this non-duality can be achieved as our bodies are considered a microcosm of the cosmos, which contain the Ultimate Truth or Oneness. In Western alchemy, this truth exists here on earth, as an extension of God in the purest form, within the elements and nature. The alchemists attempted to discover this Godly perfection within using psychological shortcuts of self analysis rather than or in addition to Christlike actions and faith. This alchemical process of purification aspiring to the integration and merging of dualities displayed within Twin Peaks, is personified within Agent Cooper and his investigation throughout the series. Agent Cooper’s shaman-like journey to discover Laura Palmer’s killer and the Lodges, initiates his own dark night of the soul, a ritualistic test on the threshold, a psychic and spiritual battle that culminates at the end within the Black Lodge. (Gyamtso, 2003)
This dualism is illustrated in the introduction of the series, showing a Varied Thrush sitting on a tree branch surrounded by a scenic, tranquil landscape of still water and tall mountains suddenly juxtaposed against unnatural images of industrial machinations: violently grinding metal blades showering fiery sparks within Packard Mill. All of the characters in Twin Peaks involved in the destruction or exploitation of nature come to a violent death or slowly unravel, resulting in an evolutionary process towards environmentalism. In Twin Peaks, a tension of opposites is exemplified in The Black and White Lodges but also the corruption and subterfuge to acquire land for the development of Ghostwood Estates. The estates would have resulted in large scale destruction of the forests and habitat. In Taoism and spiritual alchemy, the teaching emphasize the importance of a fundamental equilibrium between nature and ourselves. This is displayed in the symbolism of the alchemical process, in their engravings and illuminated manuscripts. The Eastern practice of Taoist spiritual alchemy was pursued to achieve self-integration, union with the divine, enlightenment, and immortality. In the West, many Christian mystics during the middle ages practiced their own variation, known as The Great Work. The desired end result was known as the Philosopher’s Stone, the gold of enlightenment. Spiritual awakening, constructs of reality, sexual disconnect and detachment from nature in the Western world was focal in Twin Peaks.
“The language I speak must be ambiguous, must have two meanings, in order to do justice to the dual aspect of our psychic nature.” – Carl Jung (Letters: 70)
Twin Peaks message of humanity’s polarized thinking resulting in destructive behavior is referenced in Carl Jung’s book The Undiscovered Self. (Jung, 1970) He argued that many problems of modern life are caused by “man’s progressive alienation from his instinctual foundation.” The dualistic theme of Twin Peaks is displayed via twinning, mirroring, doppelgangers, double lives, psychological splintering, mimicking and the constant theme of pairs. In Taoism, seemingly contrasting forces such as night and day, male and female, good and evil, are viewed as complimentary and interdependent of one another. This is exemplified in Yin/Yang principle. Many of Twin Peaks paralleling esoteric themes are found in Alchemy, Tibetan Buddhism, Astrology, Elementals, Jungian psychology, Hermeticism, Theosophy, Numerology and Surrealist methodology. Unification is a core practice in these esoteric teachings. The worlds within worlds of Twin Peaks and archetypal dynamics of the characters is even mirrored in its own television series Invitation to Love. These concepts are presented visually through symbolism, anagrams, riddles, metaphors or euphemisms much like alchemy. Paracelsus had a very Taoist view on alchemy, noting that directly observing nature was key to the secrets of the universe and described alchemy as the voluntary action of humanity in harmony with the involuntary action of nature. (Jung, 1963)
"Balance is the key. Balance is the key to many things. Do we understand balance?" The Log Lady
Taoism is a philosophy that nature and humanity are complimentary and inseparable: two but not two. That although we perceive everything around us as separate, humanity, nature and the cosmos are one. Taoism is rooted in forms of nature worship and animism, a belief that spirits inhabit everything in nature. Both organic and inorganic matter contains the life essence of Qi, the eternal fire, the quintessence. Inner alchemy attempts to unite us with our higher self through a transformational integration of the conscious and subconscious, male and female aspects of ourselves. This transcendence creates a primordial clarity in our perceptions of reality. It is body, mind, and spirit perfected and from which all revelation of knowledge evolves. In alchemy this purification process involves the transformational element of fire. The two mountains in the Twin Peaks sign for is an alchemical cypher for strong fire. In the Taoist text Tao Te Ching, this is: “Tao generates One- Wuji, One generates Two- Taiji and Two generates Three and Three generates all things in the World.” This means that from the limitless void all of creation is derived: Yin (Earth) and Yang (Heaven). According to the Tao Te Ching, humanity follows the earth, the earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows what is natural. (Laozi, 1992)
In a syndication of Twin Peaks, Lynch added introductions to the episodes by the Log Lady, each a parable of the alchemical process and essence of the Tao. In the final episode Beyond Life and Death she says, “And now, an ending. Where there was once one, there are now two. Or were there always two? What is a reflection? A chance to see two? When there are chances for reflections, there can always be two or more. Only when we are everywhere will there be just one.” This narration refers to a completed alchemical process, the ideal state of emptiness or the mirror of heaven and earth, the Tao itself. Many Western religions promise eternal life, spiritual perfection in the afterlife, along with a complete personal transformation and state of Grace while on earth, if adhering to Christ's teachings. However those seeking what they thought was an expedient path to personal transformation, made convoluted attempts through the esoteric mysteries, what they thought were secrets to immortality and spiritual enlightenment here on earth. This led many astray from the real truths of becoming a 'new creature in Christ' and caused those who practiced spiritual alchemy to become frustrated and deceived, only to find dead ends and failed results, sometimes leading to self destruction or madness.
“It’s like I’m having most beautiful dream and the most horrible nightmare all at once.” -Donna Hayward
Carl Jung’s teachings are psychological principles of spiritual alchemy found in his dream analysis, theories on synchronicity, universal symbolism, archetypes, the union of the animus and anima and the integration of shadow self to achieve individuation. He based much of his work on Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism and Alchemy. Jung is accredited to introducing Eastern philosophies and alchemy to the Western world through his work. The catalyst for Jung’s research into Eastern philosophy and alchemy was a reoccurring dream about hidden rooms, a secret location of knowledge, reminiscent of the Lodges. Similarly, Agent Cooper’s dream became the touchstone for his obsession with Tibet. Carl Jung’s theories stated that the subconscious and dreams were the true source of self, the wellspring of creativity, and psychic energies. The Tao, like the subconscious, is the true source of self and nature of the cosmos. Huai Nau Tzu said, “The Tao of Heaven operates mysteriously and secretly, it has no fixed shape, it follows no definite rules, it is so great that you can never come to the end of it, it is so deep that you can never fathom it.” (Needham, 1984: 289)
The I Ching is a source of Taoist cosmology based on divination and its meaningful coincidences, which is referred to numerous times in Twin Peaks. Divination “presupposes that there is a synchronistic correspondence between the psychic state of the questioner and the answering hexagram.”(Jung, 1998: 95) It is known to occur when a person is intuitively or energetically aligned with nature, creating significance in experiences or phenomena that would otherwise seem random. These experiences align with living in accordance to The Path of the Tao. Taoist thought creates an openness to such synchronistic experiences because it is not limited to the boundaries of time-space realities. The Tao and the subconscious transcend time or sequential constructs, it consists of the past, present and future converging into the now. These experiences of the subconscious or alternate realities are those of the Lodges in Twin Peaks. Time does not exist in a linear concept but is abstract and boundless, yet cyclical. Agent Cooper takes note of this concept with the statement, “Gentlemen, when two separate events occur simultaneously pertaining to the same object in inquiry we must always pay strict attention.”
“All that we see in this world is based on someone's ideas. Some ideas are destructive, some are constructive. Some ideas can arrive in the form of a dream.” The Log Lady
Jung, Alchemy and Surrealists
Jung theorized that basic universal truths in humanity could be understood in the collective unconscious through the language of symbolism. The use of hidden symbolism in Twin Peaks is reminiscent of the enigmatic, lavishly illustrated alchemical texts and Surrealist art. In alchemy, as with surrealism, this metaphorical imagery full of secret, hidden knowledge contained particular elements of nature and the subconscious, many of which are used in Twin Peaks. In Taoist alchemy, animals and nature have an inherent quality and energy assigned to them and applied to enhance a desired outcome of one’s will. Fire is a key element in alchemy, as its dual has both creative and destructive forces. Originally, alchemy was an oral tradition only comprehended by initiates. The documented secrets of alchemy were closely guarded in Western culture. In the East, these texts were reserved for Emperors or monks. The symbology used within these tomes could be interpreted based on the level of knowledge the adept held. To the uniniated they appeared as lavish art, such as the 12 Keys of Basil Valentine. (Leptit, 2014)
The Surrealists studied both dreams and alchemy as a form of artistic liberation of the conscious mind. They believed the conscious mind was limiting, restrictive and staid with its rigid constructs. They focused on autonomy through the subconscious as the true source of imagination, fears and desires. Surrealists studied the techniques of psychoanalysts like Jung and psychological/spiritual alchemy. To reach this dream state and the symbiosis of the alchemists, they enacted exercises that triggered the twilight state. This existed between the two worlds of wakefulness and sleep called the hypnagogic or threshold consciousness. The goal in Taoist Alchemy is to discover secret wisdom of absolute self, hidden in subconscious and unconscious mind. (Dali, 1992)
A technique used by the Surrealists to induce lucid dreaming and access the subconscious yet still recall its images was called Hypnagogia or A Bridge to Other Realities. (Shaw, 2000) This method was used by Salvador Dali, Albert Einstein, and even Carl Jung. Giorgio de Chirico, a surrealist painter who founded the Metaphysical School of Art or Scuola Metafisica, created art that depicted dreamlike qualities which emphasized the stark dichotomy between shadow and light much like the Black and White Lodges. Some examples in de Chirico’s work containing themes of alchemy were The Philosopher’s Conquest, Nostalgia of the Infinite and Soothsayers Recompose. (Baldacci, 1997) The most relevant piece is The Red Tower, which correlates to The Red Room of the Lodges, the Red King of the divine marriage and Red Stage of alchemy. The Red Room, may also symbolize Potola Palace, the residence of the 14th Dalai Lama before fleeing Tibet. Potola Palace comprised of the White and Red Palace on the Red Mountain in Lhasa Valley. Emblematic to the Red King and White Queen of alchemy. The Tower, as with The Red Room, is the alchemist’s laboratory or retort itself for transmutation, unification and rebirth, much like a womb.
The illusory perceptions of the mind awakening to alternate dimensions or multiverses is the subtext of the Twin Peaks narrative. It was through dreams that Agent Cooper communicated with entities of the Lodges. One example is when The Giant first appears to Agent Cooper after he’s been shot and drifts between states of consciousness. The Giant is a benevolent entity (who also inhabits the body of the elderly bellhop) aids Agent Cooper’s investigation by offering significant clues. In Chinese mythology The Giant is symbolic of Pan Gu, the enormous creator god who slept in the egg of chaos and upon awakening, stood up and split heaven and earth in two. After many centuries, he died and his body created everything on earth resulting in the first being Hua Hsu, who birthed Fu Xi (male) and Nu Wa (female). These twin beings created two fires, which became so strong they merged into one. Soon after the twins wed, they used earth elements to create offspring through their divine power. (Zhang, 1994) This myth reflects the alchemical process, which births through fire and the divine spark of spirit. Fu Xi is considered the creator of the I-Ching or Book of Changes. Key texts of Taoism are the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, the Zhuangzi, and the Taoist alchemical book Can Tong Qi (Seal of the Unity of Three). In Taoist Alchemy, fire is the illumination of the mind that burns away all false truths and impurities in a person. Spiritual Alchemy was originally taught selectively and privately. “Those who know, do not speak; those who speak, do not know,” states the Tao Te Ching. This mirrors the Rosicrucian motto: To know, to will, to dare, to keep silent. (Tao Te Ching, 1992, Chapter 56)
"Sometimes nature plays tricks on us and we imagine we are something other than what we truly are. Is this a key to life in general? "In a dream, are all the characters really you? Different aspects of you?” The Log Lady Archetypes in Twin Peaks
For Jung, the Anima (feminine aspect of the male psyche) and Animus (masculine aspect of the female psyche) archetypes personify characteristics or personality attributes within an un-individuated person that manifests in dreams and translates through ego. In Spiritual Alchemy, the integration of the two or syzygy create the divine child. The goal being the individuation of a person’s psyche and embracing of the two within ones self. Archetypes are represented in the mythology of Greek gods with personal characteristics correlating to planets. For Empedolces, the dynamics of Love and Strife are personified in a romantic affair between Aphrodite or Venus (Love) and Aries (War). (Garani, 2007) In the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, Love and Strife are Poliphili’s dream within a dream, during which he loses his love and regains her at the Fountain of Venus. (Colonna, 2005) In this sense Agent Cooper and the archetypes could be his dream within a dream of Twin Peaks. Archetypes are the basis of all great dramas.
“Before the visible universe was formed its mold was cast. This mold was called the Archetype, and this Archetype was in the Supreme Mind long before the process of creation began.” Hermes Trismegistus
In Twin Peaks, the characters represent personality archetypes and interact within setting or situational archetypes. Situational archetypes are generally struggles or conflicts: good and evil, death and rebirth, the initiation and journey. An example of situational archetype is Agent Cooper’s intuitive investigate techniques resulting in his agent status being revoked, is innate wisdom vs educated stupidity. Agent Cooper’s intuition is the Magic Weapon archetype and the Packard Saw Mill or Ghostwood Estates plans is Nature vs Mechanical World. There are archetypal symbols in nature as well. The ego is represented by home environments, forests and plants. The feminine archetype in nature is represented in water and earth elements, caves, holes in trees, tunnels, nests, the moon, lakes, and archways. The masculine archetype is found in fire or air elements, tall trees, the sun, stems, and mountains. The Heroic archetype is symbolized in young plants or animals, storms, and new growth. The Adversary archetype is displayed by thorny plants, storms, overgrowth, erosion and fire. The Death/Rebirth archetype is new life, seasonal cycles, perennial plants, environmental changes, border areas, intersections, and crossroads. The Journey archetype is seen in pathways, hills, mountains, rivers, wind, plant and animal growth. All these archetypes are personified in Twin Peaks. (Andrews, 2003)
"Diane, I’m holding in my hand a small box of Chocolate Bunnies.” Agent Cooper
Along with dreams, Agent Cooper utilizes methods of divination, meditation and analysis to comprehend the metaphors, riddles, anagrams, and psychic phenomena in the series. Through recitation of his various streams of consciousness into his hand held recorder, which he addresses as Diane, Agent Cooper records these noted observations and deductions about the case. It is unclear whether his mysterious secretary Diane really exists. She becomes a symbolic form of communicating with his subconscious and extension of himself. The name Diane is French for Diana, the mythological Greek goddess of wild animals and the hunt, the moon and forests. The fact she is known as the White Goddess is a clue as to the Diane’s significance. The moon is symbolic of the subconscious, intuition and his anima figure. This is an early manifestation of Cooper’s White Queen preceding the arrival of Annie Blackburn, leading to his confrontation with the Dweller on the Threshold in the Black Lodge.
"Watch and see what life teaches. There are things in life that exist, and yet our eyes cannot see them. Have you ever seen something startling that others cannot see?” The Log Lady
Other forms of intuitive deduction Agent Cooper uses is the rock throwing Tibetan Technique and coin toss inspired by the I Ching. While looking over photos of prospective residences with a real estate agent, Agent Cooper flips a coin that accidentally lands on Dead Dog Farm. This becomes a lead in the case. Coins resemble a full moon, so they symbolize the unconscious, intuition and psychic awareness. The Winged Mercury dime was commonly used in coin tosses as Mercury is the Greek god of the crossroads and communication. He is a bridge between the upper and lower worlds. Mercury is fundamental to the alchemical process. Agent Cooper embodies the archetypal planetary and alchemical properties of Mercury himself, as he is fluid in his deductive reasoning.
I am filled with questions. Sometimes my questions are answered. In my heart, I can tell if the answer is correct. I am my own judge. There’s a whole world out there, hear the other side, see the other side” The Log Lady -Agent Cooper, Shaman
Cooper describes the Tibetan Method of divination as perfecting mind-body (Qigong) coordination with deduction based on intuition. After moving the Sheriff’s offices outside among the Douglas Firs and Tao of nature, Cooper explains he received this divinatory knowledge from a dream about Tibet, its struggle from political oppression and the return of the Dalai Lama. Setting a bottle upon a tree stump, he throws a rock as each suspect’s name related to J was read. If the rock missed, they were no longer considered. If he hit the bottle, it confirmed their possible guilt. The initial J was written in Laura’s diary, as the last person she intended to meet before she was murdered. The J may reference the importance of planetary symbolism as Jupiter, which is embodied in Agent Cooper, as BOB is Saturn. BOB -the Dweller on the Threshold is Saturn, the teacher or disciplinarian and Cooper is his student Jupiter, the planet considered the son of Saturn. The color of Jupiter is blue and associated with learning the unknowable and traversing the unknown. This is represented by the blue rose and is the Great Conjunction - when the opposing Saturn and Jupiter align, the key to opening the Black Lodge.
The date of her last entry is significant, as February 23rd is the same day the 14th Dalai Lama was officially enthroned, in 1940. The rock toss is reminiscent of the Chinese divination practice in Buddhist Temples called Kau Cim. When answers required elaboration, the Jiaobei Blocks (Moon Blocks) were used. These wooden crescent shaped pieces are flat (Yin) on one side and round on the other (Yang). Through divinatory practices, geomancy, and his ability to communicate with the spirits of the Lodges, Agent Cooper acts as a kind of mystery school initiate or Chinese Fangshi shaman. (Rapinsky-Naxon, 1993)The investigation becomes a catalyst for his own spiritual journey to enlightenment, to cross the threshold into perfect being known as a Taoist Xian. It is inside the Black Lodge that Agent Cooper is tested at the Threshold, an important stage in the esoteric initiatory process. Facing the abyss, one must confront their shadow self (negative repressed memories, subconscious fears) before lifting the veil and crossing over, to ultimately find spiritual rebirth and immortality.
Agent Cooper is the magician in the quote: “Through the Darkness of future past, the Magician longs to see. One chance out between Two Worlds, Fire Walk with Me.” Within esoteric practices, it is said that what you seek, is seeking you. This was his duty to investigate the murders. One of the most important figures next to the Dali Lama was the Nechung Oracle. He interpreted divine messages from the gods, as a bridge between two worlds, heaven and earth, the living and spirits. Much like Agent Cooper communicates with the spirits of the Lodges and relates this information as he investigates. Through divination methods and understanding of his feminine mind (the subconscious, dreams, intuition), Cooper calls out between two worlds as an oracle. (Helias, 2012)
"I play my part on my stage. I tell what I can to form the perfect answer. But that answer cannot come before all are ready to hear. So I tell what I can to form the perfect answer.” The Log Lady-Revelations
It is revealed in the Sheriff’s interrogation room, that BOB, the violent spirit incarnate of collective negative energies, has possessed Leland since childhood. When the smoke alarm is set off, flooding the room Leland is held in, BOB as fire element, is overcome by the water element. BOB drives Leland into suicidal hysteria by smashing his head against the door, so BOB can exit his body. As Leland is dying, Agent Cooper becomes the shamanic psychopomp, entrusted to comfort and assist the dying transitioning into the spirit realm. In Jungian psychology the psychopomp mediates between the conscious and unconscious mind. (Jung, 1964) During this ritualistic departure, Cooper imparts a prayer inspired by the Tibetan Book of the Dead (positioning Leland in Lying Posture of a Lion) which eloquently describes the essence of the Tao: “The time has come for you to seek the Path. Your soul has set you face to face before the clear light and now you are about to experience it in its reality, wherein all things are like the void and cloudless sky, and the naked, spotless intellect is like a transparent vacuum, without circumference or center. At this moment, know yourself and abide in that state.” At one point, Deputy Hawk talks to Agent Cooper about the dream soul, which can travel to realms of the dead. Travel to dimensions outside boundaries of space-time is the shamanic skill of astral projection. (Evans-Wentz, 1957)
After discovering Maddy Ferguson (Laura’s cousin and mirror image) has been murdered, Sheriff Harry Truman makes a Taoist reference telling Cooper, “You’re on the path, you don’t need to know where it leads, just follow.” Shortly after FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield says, “Go on whatever vision quest you require, stand on the rim of a volcano, stand alone and do your dance. Just find this beast before it takes another bite.” Both acknowledge his shamanic wisdom and capabilities. The beast he refers to is the Guardian on the Threshold of the Abyss. There are biblical references in Twin Peaks so BOB could be the ‘beast’ of Revelations called Abaddon, the angel of the Abyss. The appearance of the white horse before Leland kills Maddy may reference Death of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, if related to the Black Lodge. If related to the White Lodge, the horse would be a guardian spirit and imply a Tibetan Wind Horse for prayers of protection.
MIKE speaking as Philip Gerard, explains to Cooper while he is dying, “Bob and I, when we were killing together there was a perfect relationship; appetite and satisfaction. A golden circle.” Fire is the element of alchemy that ascends, but to keep from ascension and to stay transfixed in the primal (appetite and satisfaction) BOB and MIKE distorted and denied the completion of the Great Work, through rape and destruction. If BOB is a Fire spirit, it needs to be constantly fed with its own element to exist, which requires the incantation: fire walk with me. Rosicrucians believed elementals wedded to a mortal would become immortal. This could be one reason BOB wanted to possess Laura.
BOB seeks a corrupted and expedient form of immortality. The cycle death and rebirth of samsara is a continual state of suffering, so BOB requires suffering to exist, since he is reborn in the living during possession states. He is a type of hungry ghost of the lower Bardo realms in Buddhism. He wants to cling to mortal states of carnal desires. This is the link between One Eyed Jacks and the Black Lodge, where the Red Room is mirrored in the decorative aesthetic of the brothel.
"Is life like a game of chess? Are our present moves important for future success? I think so. We paint our future with every present brush stroke. The Log Lady -A Challenge
When Agent Cooper is challenged to a deadly game of chess by Windom Earle, it is a microcosm of the Black Lodge, a preparatory stage for Cooper’s final battle. Windom’s logical mind at odds with Agent Cooper’s intuition acts as both catalyst and deterrent for Cooper. The chessboard represents the struggle between the Lodges and the pawns are Twin Peaks residents. The game contains the Lunar Queen (Yin) and the Solar King (Yang) of the Splendor Solis. (Trismosin, 2011) When Windom Earle says to Cooper: “The king must die,” this is both a threat towards Cooper if he interferes with Windom’s plans and Cooper’s inevitable ego death. As Cooper’s nemesis and antagonist to the plot, Windom Earle physically becomes the Trickster Devil archetype. The Devil, associated with Pan, is portrayed by Windom sitting on a rock playing a Japanese wind instrument before reading a list of Leo Johnson’s transgressions. This leads to his enslavement and further torments by Windom. In his perversion of the Great Work, Windom longs for the power of the Red King, searching for his Queen, as he sends segments of a Percy Shelley poem to Audrey, Donna and Shelley. This is his Invitation to Love. This invitation is part of Love’s Philosophy: “The fountains mingle with the river. And the rivers with the ocean, The winds of heaven mix forever with a sweet emotion; Nothing in the world is single, All things by a law divine, In one another’s being mingle, Why not I with thine?” He is longing for his White Queen in this poem. He seeks but does not comprehend the true alchemical wedding.
The culmination of his search for the Lodge and his Queen, transpires during the Miss Twin Peaks beauty pageant. The stage is a reconstruction of Glastonbury Grove. The twelve contestants represent the twelve trees surrounding the entrance to the Black Lodge. Glastonbury Gove and the twelve trees symbolize the twelve knights of King Arthur, as this legend is an alchemical allegory. (Hughes, 2012) This is referenced when Sheriff Truman says, “Here’s something Coop. Twelve trees in a perfect circle. There’s a place like that up in Ghostwood, it’s called Glastonbury Grove.” Cooper says, “Glastonbury. That’s the legendary burial place of King Arthur.” Pete then asks, “King Arthur's buried near here?” Cooper responds, “No, in England. This feels right, Harry, let's get up there.” Earle’s obsession to attain the glory of the Red King is evident when he says to Leo Johnson upon discovering the secret to entering the Black Lodge, “A perfect symbiosis. Oh, nature, perfect in design and aspects. You do not disappoint!” He then proceeds with, “The time has come to gather my beloved queen and embark upon our dark honeymoon.” The dark honeymoon is his distortion of the alchemical wedding upon his kidnapping of Annie Blackburn. The lore of King Arthur has similarities to the Epic of Gilgamesh, about the oldest immortal in history. The cedar forest and its mountains of Mashu, (meaning twins) may be symbolic of the Twin Peaks sign and Cooper’s journey.
"So now the sadness comes - the revelation. There is a depression after an answer is given. It was almost fun not knowing. Yes, now we know. At least we know what we sought in the beginning. But there is still the question: why? And this question will go on and on until the final answer comes. Then the knowing is so full, there is no room for questions." The Log Lady-Dweller on the Threshold
The Dweller on the Threshold is BOB in the Black Lodge. The Dweller can be a malevolent entity who acts as a catalyst of transformation or manifestation of a person’s shadow self, confronted at the threshold. The term Dweller on the Threshold was used in Edward Bulwer Lytton’s Zanoni, which states: “Be behind what there may, I raise the veil.” (Bulwer Lytton, 1942) This lifting of the veil is part of many initiation rites, signifying advancement to another level among degrees. This the crossing over between two worlds, communication between the physical and spiritual, the higher and lower realities of existence. It is symbolized each time Agent Cooper lifts the red curtains to enter another room in the Black Lodge but finds himself back in the same location. The Lodges become a ritual chamber. His stasis within the Lodge is a result of panic, his failure to confront the shadow self. Achieving the higher self can bring awareness to alternate realities, facilitating access to the astral plane. Crowley references his ego death from the dark night of the soul: “Now that there was no longer any `I' to suffer, all these ideas which had inflicted suffering became innocent. I could praise the perfection of every part; I could wonder and worship the whole." (Crowley, 1999) This is spiritual/psychological integration, the essence of the Tao- nothingness and yet the all. It is mental clarity to a perception of how things really are. It is to see realities with new eyes of wonder as if a child, to be resurrected.
When Agent Cooper asks “Who is BOB?” MIKE replies with a lyrical acronym: “He is BOB, eager for fun. When he wears a smile, everybody run!” This equates to He/We, indicating Agent Cooper’s integration process. Dion Fortune mentions the Lodges in Psychic Self Defense, stating the pure can see members (the Unseen) of the Black Lodge as they really are. The psychic or sensitive will be attracted to places (the Lodges) of concentrated energy where the Unseen dwell. (Fortune, 2011) These are the gifted and the damned of Twin Peaks. When BOB is near, his presence induces terror. Fortune states there are two ways an attacking entity (BOB) can enter a person: through intense emotions of fear or sexuality. If a person remains unemotional they’re safe from psychic invasion. Laura would not let BOB enter her, as her father Leland had.
In a comedic twist to the plot, BOB has his own doppelganger, in that of the malevolent mystery child little Nicky from the Happy Helping Hand adoption agency. Lucy Moran is pregnant and uncertain who the father is, which could be Deputy Andy Brennan or Dick Tremayne. In what becomes the ultimate test in parenting skills, Dick brings in the orphaned little Nicky as a way to show he is the superior suitor for Lucy. This test of wills mirrors the test of the Dweller on the Threshold between Agent Cooper and Windam Earle who are challenged by BOB in the Black Lodge. Both seek the role of victor as the Red King in the alchemical wedding. The pure hearted, slightly naive Deputy Andy takes on the role of Agent Cooper and the arrogant, petty con artist Dick Tremayne assumes the role of Windam Earle. As the microcosmic nature of their mirroring the larger plot in the series, their Dweller on the Threshold appears a child, a tiny version of BOB. When they soon discover all of Nicky's parents have died in questionable fires or accidents, they both start to believe Nicky may be a demon or the devil himself.
"The shadow-self of the White Lodge. The legend says that every spirit must pass through there on the way to perfection. There, you will meet your own shadow self. My people call it 'The Dweller on the Threshold' ... But it is said, if you confront the Black Lodge with imperfect courage, it will utterly annihilate your soul." –Deputy Hawk
The Lodges of Twin Peaks
The White and Black Lodges are symbolic of the phases of alchemy: the Black Phase, the White, and final Red Phase. They are also alternate dimensional planes, interconnected through the Red Room, with its entrance located in Glastonbury Grove of Ghostwood Forest. They represent a unity of opposites, a conjunction, and why entrance to the Lodges occurs during The Great Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter. Planets have great significance in alchemy, as they influence nature, the body and mind. Their relative positions affect every aspect of life on earth. An important process in alchemy is to understand the Ladder of the Planets. (Hauck, 2004) As above so below. Similar concepts of the Lodges are found in The Devils Guard by theosophist Talbot Mundy and William Burroughs’s Cities of the Red Night, Dion Fortune’s Psychic Self Defense and H. P. Blavatsky’s The Secret Doctrine.
In Blavatsky’s Secret Doctrine, the Lodges are dimensional planes not visible to humans. The White Lodge was formed from highly evolved beings (the Secret Chiefs) who helped humans evolve as part of the plan of creation. Within the Black Lodge are those opposed to the plan of creation (Dugpas). This Lodge is the photonegative of the White (Bon sect). (Blavatsky, 2010)This is identical to the story of the Lodges and Dweller on the Threshold in Twin Peaks.
The words Fire Walk With Me written in blood found at the murder scene by Agent Cooper, is not meant as an evocation or incantation but rather an invitation to join BOB in the Black Lodge. It’s a challenge to walk with fire, if Agent Cooper can discover the mysterious functions of the Lodges and access them, he is ready for the test. Agent Cooper is the archetype of Mercury; intuitive, fluid, zelator. BOB is Saturn, the beginning and end of the process, teacher and disciplinarian. This is the dynamic sophic fire and water of alchemy. Cooper’s invitation is a confrontation with his shadow self and fears. The opposite of which is love and why the paralleling subplot of the TV soap opera within Twin Peaks was called Invitation to Love. The invitation by BOB is hinted at when Windom says, “For you see, the cave painting is not only an invitation, it is also a map, a map to the Black Lodge!”
While the Lodges are considered metaphysical, extra-dimensional locations of spirit energies, it could be postulated that the Lodges exist entirely within Agent Cooper’s mind. Though the Lodges seemingly oppose one another, they are an interrelated as Yin/Yang principles, upper and lower truths. The nature of the Lodges is the basis of many esoteric belief systems: the Native American Twin Hero Myth, the Pillars of Boaz and Jachin of Solomon’s Temple, Maya and Brahman (Atman) in Hinduism, the marriage of Hieros Gamos, Yab -Yum of Tibetan Buddhism, the Pillar of Mercy or Severity of Kabbalism, the outer Channels of Nadis Yoga, the Androgyne of the Rosarium Philosophorum and the Pillars of Hermes. This is direct knowledge of creation, the art of nature, science of the stars. The entrance to the Black Lodge at Glastonbury Grove is emblematic of The Chalice Well, which in itself symbolizes the Great Work. The portal is reminiscent of the Porta Alchemica legend and Native American Sipapu.
When Windom Earle speaks of the Black Lodge, he mentions the corrupted sect of left hand path Buddhist monks called Dugpas who practiced evil magic and accumulated an extraordinary amount of psychic power. The left hand path is associated with dark magic, self-serving energetic predators. Philip Gerard (possessed by MIKE), explains he cut off his left arm to rid himself of this path and the Devilish One. The Man From Another Place is a kind a psychic manifestation of MIKE’s amputated left arm. He is an ambiguous entity of good and evil, as he aids Agent Cooper yet is amenable to BOB. The conflicting left hand path of The Black Lodge versus the right hand path of The White is evident in the last episode, when the Black Lodge is about to be opened. Various characters, including Agent Cooper, have sudden uncontrollable trembling in their right hands.
The electrical disturbances throughout Twin Peaks ominously signifying danger or death is near. In Theosophy, fire is the intelligence that moves the universe, it is electricity and magnetism. This is the psychic electrical interference BOB triggers when he is near. (Bailey, 1972) The fluxuating lights in the Black Lodge, meant to cause fear through disorientation, also emphasizes Cooper’s polarized split psyche. In theosophy, ascending the Tree of Life can be directly up the Middle Pillar, a path of intuition and integration, the synthesis of male/female. The Middle Pillar meditation is similar to the Buddhist Middle Way. The complex path ascending the Tree is The Flaming Sword, a lightning bolt zig zag pattern through the sephirot and displayed in the black and white chevron pattern on the floor of the Red Room. (Cohen, 2005) The Vajra (Sanskrit for thunderbolt) is the illumination of the psyche about to merge. (Regardie, 2011) The Black and White Lodge may simultaneously coexist within the Red Room itself.
"We live in a world where nothing is simple. Each day, just when we think we have a handle on things, suddenly some new element is introduced and everything is complicated once again. What is the secret?” The Log Lady -Alchemical Stages
Alchemy is a complex practice of chemical, psychological and spiritual transformational processes, meant to return matter or essence to its true, divine state through various refinements, whether in a laboratory or within oneself. In Twin Peaks, the focus is on spiritual/psychological alchemy. Alchemists worked with nature (plants and minerals) in the laboratory but also emphasized the connection between body, mind and spirit in their practice. The process intended to turn the lead of the soul to the gold of spirit, the Philosopher’s Stone. It reflects the perennial philosophy of Absolute Truth, the One Thing (Chi) or One Mind of the Cosmos, the incorruptible spirit. Jung in discussing Paracelsus and the Lumen Dei (light of creation) and Lumen Naturae (light of nature), stated that through alchemy, the ability to induce the process of transformation is capable of liberating the divine light imprisoned in physical creation. (Jung, 1977)
This One Thing is the First Matter or Prima Materia, which alchemist Lao Tzu considered the Tao. That from which all things came into being, which exists outside of space-time, of which nature and humanity is derived. It is black matter that is alive. The First Matter is symbolized by the Ouroboros, the cycle of eternal return, the beginning and end of the Work. From this arises the divine spark of life, the Secret Fire. (Miller, 1994) It exists within primordial chaos before manifested reality, as the anima mundi (world spirit). Alchemy is accredited to Egyptian god Thoth, scribe and god of science, astrology, religion, medicine and magic. He is the Revealer of the Hidden and Lord of Rebirth. He created the Book of the Dead and alchemical text The Emerald Tablet. The Greek name for Thoth is Hermes, so his teachings are known as Hermeticism. The remaining books of Thoth from the Alexandrian Library after it burned were guarded by The Sons of Horus, possibly inspiring the Bookhouse Boys.
The stages of alchemy are based on the colors seen during the stages of treated metals. There are three main Phases of alchemy with seven stages (Grossinger, 1970). The first stage is called Nigredo or The Black Phase, known as mortification, which reduces matter to its basic essences. Internally, this entails facing Dweller of the Threshold. Alice Bailey refers to this as fiery aspiration. In Eastern mysticism this aspiration is a burning desire for purification of the lower self into the higher, taking place on the burning ground. This charnel ground is the threshold where Agent Cooper confronts BOB the Guardian.
The symbolism for the Black Phase is decay, decapitation, or anything black. This putrefaction is Laura’s death, the dirt mounds, Donna Hayward wearing Laura’s sunglasses, Agent Cooper’s enthusiasm for black coffee: Black as midnight on a moonless night. The Nigredo is sometimes called ‘blacker than the blackest black’ (the underworld). Also the Black Jack Gum (Leland’s favorite) infamous for turning teeth black. It’s hinted at when The Man From Another Place says to Agent Cooper, “That gum you like is going to come back in style,” since it was remarketed. It is embodied in the black birds Agent Cooper notes, the Mina bird and Crow. This why a fallen, trophy deer head is in the first episode. The Black Phase’s calcination stage reduces elements to ashes to remove impurities, then cleansed during the dissolution stage. This is the black oil pooled at the portal of The Black Lodge. The calcination stage’s symbolism is fire and a constant throughout Twin Peaks. Seen in hearths, the burning of the Packard Saw Mill and death of The Log Lady’s husband from a fire on their wedding night. This proceeded her husband’s discovery of a mysterious black oil that ‘opens a gateway’ after visiting Glastonbury Grove. Her husband’s spirit now exists within a log and why she keeps her fireplace boarded up.
The Albedo or Whitening, is the second Phase, its stages are separation and conjunction. This process is symbolized when Leland’s hair turns white when facing his molestation and murder of Laura, the white fox fur found on Maddy’s dead body and Snoqualmie Falls. Its symbols: lovers, pairings, white birds, or weddings. The wedding of Lana Budding Milford represented the failed process of alchemy’s Divine Wedding. She personifies a false White Queen, symbolized by her dishonest attempts to be crowned Miss Twin Peaks. In alchemy, a crown is a symbolic of the Sacred Marriage. The Sacred Marriage manifests when The Solar Red King and Lunar White Queen unite within the alchemist, so it became associated with incest, as referenced by Leland’s molestation of Laura. It is a corruption of The Great Work. Leland’s serial rape of Laura is implied during the darkly comedic scene when he falls onto Laura’s casket being lowered into the ground.
This stage is also known as The Green Lion, symbolized in the trees of Twin Peaks or the characters Emerald and Jade, who mirror Maddy and Laura on Invitation to Love. This phase creates iridescent colors known as the Peacock's Tail, represented by the unicorn, deer or rainbow. This array of colors is referenced when Pete Martell complains his truck was stolen saying, “There were twelve rainbow trout in the bed!” The retort of the alchemist was referred to as a bed, where the King and Queen unify. Pete’s claim signifies Agent Cooper is near the final stage of the investigation and alchemical transformation. Deputy Hawk says to Agent Cooper, “One woman can make you fly like an eagle, another can give you the strength of a lion, but only one in the Cycle Of Life (Tao) can fill your heart with wonder and the wisdom that you have known a singular joy (integration).” Here he means Agent Cooper’s anima and union with his White Queen (female counterpart) Annie Blackburn.
At the end of the series a mysterious black puzzle box left by Thomas Eckhardt is given to Catherine Martell and is alluded that the opening of the box will result in some form of treasure or fortune. The box is engraved with glyphs and astrological symbols which confuse the uninitiated, so they seek to open the box by force. Upon the frustration of boxes within boxes, which contain a metal cube that is impenetrable, Andrew Packard and Pete Martell again try and destroy it in a desperate attempt to find the treasure it may contain. Andrew Packard says, "Maybe it's not a box at all, maybe it's just a block of stainless steel." What they find is a block of lead, this symbolizes a failed attempt in the process of alchemy to turn lead into the gold of enlightenment. Their base and crude understanding of spirituality through their greed and ignorance is represented in the lead. Had they become pure and succeeded in their efforts during the transmutation process this would have resulted in the noble state of gold. Once the lead block is destroyed by bullet, a key is found inside that leads to the bank vault, which is not a key to treasure but their demise.
“Matter will be called the forest, so shall we know and understand things rightly. The Unicorn stands for Spirit. The Stag answers to no other name than Soul and none can deny it. Now it is true that he, who by Art, Knows how to tame them, leading them out of the forest, yet driving them close together, would be called a Master” Book of Lambspring -The Alchemical Wedding
When Audrey Horne investigates Laura’s murder and applies to work at the perfume counter of her father’s store, gaining access to One Eyed Jacks, she is given a crystal unicorn. This alchemical allegory is referenced in the tapestries of The Lady and The Unicorn, depicting indulgence of the senses, all of which are catered to at the brothel. In the panel called À mon seul désir, the Lady paradoxes desire and purity yet chooses to remain chaste, as does Aubrey. The Lady in the panels is Audrey within the brothel. Audrey is forced to reveal her intentions after nearly being discovered by her father and rebels against the Madam, acting upon her sixth sense. The mythical unicorn in alchemy symbolizes the elusiveness of hunting wild game (the Philosopher’s Stone) and associated with virginal women. In another panel the Lady holds a mirror to the unicorn creating a double image, symbolic of psychological/spiritual integration. The stag, symbolic for the feminine (mind) is a constant throughout Twin Peaks as a deer head.
The Red Phase or Rubedo starts with the yellowing stage citrinitas, which signified near completion of the process. The creamed corn as psychic sustenance or Garmonbozia of the Black Lodge symbolized a confusion of this phase. The Rubedo is the Divine Marriage, which results as rebirth into a higher, third, perfect self. This is called the Noble Empress or Divine Child (Androgyne). The womb and blood is associated with this phase, represented by The Red Room. This is the marriage of Hermes to Aphrodite (Venus). This birthing stage is alluded to in Lucy Moran’s (fatherless) pregnancy and Agent Cooper sexual union with Annie Blackburn. The fermentation stage is similar to creating liquor. This is referenced during the humorous wine tasting benefit held at the Great Northern, hosted by Dick Tremayne. In the final episode, after the Giant warns Cooper at the Roadhouse by motioning no, scenes cut to a red light at the intersection, red neon signs, blocked hallways, and the entrance of the Black Lodge. The essence of the Androgyne is referenced with Agent Denise Bryson.
"The beautiful thing about treasure is that it exists. It exists to be found. How beautiful it is to find treasure. Where is the treasure, that when found, leaves one eternally happy? I think we all know it exists. Some say it is inside us - inside us one and all. That would be strange. It would be so near. Then why is it so hard to find, and so difficult to attain?" The Log Lady- Taoist Spiritual Alchemy
Taoist alchemy involves both internal Neidan (spiritual) and external Waidan (medicinal) practices to promote harmony within the body for prolonged life. The Chinese equivalent to the Philosopher’s Stone is the Golden Elixir. Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism and author of the Tao Te Jing, is credited with founding spiritual alchemy. Though Wei Po-Yang wrote the oldest Chinese alchemical book Ts'an T'ung Ch'i. Taoist internal alchemy focuses refining Qi, through meditation, accumulation and storage of Qi (life essence, spiritual fire) and breathing exercises for a balanced flow of Qi. In spiritual alchemy, the body itself is the crucible or retort. The practice of external alchemy consisted of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Zhong Vi) intended to create longevity. This meant ingesting elixirs of plants and minerals like gold (Yang) and cinnabar (Yin) or Jade. Mercury and Cinnabar were key to Chinese Alchemy. The red of the Cinnabar represented the heart (location of accumulated Qi), the seat of the soul, love, luck and auspiciousness. (David Lynch used a red lens when filming the pilot). The body’s twelve meridians are crucial to internal alchemy and relate organs to elements and planets, seen in the Xiuzhen Tu. The Neijing Tu diagrams explained the Cinnabar fields or dantian (tripartite division of inner space) within the body. In Twin Peaks the Red Room is symbolic of the Cinnabar Fields. In Chinese alchemy the prima materia is timeless-oneness called Hun Dun (Tao). Spiritual alchemy consists of The Three Treasures: Jing (physical), Qi (the life force or soul) and Shen (Spirit), correlating to Taoist deities The Three Pure Ones (Heaven, Humanity, and Earth). The domino of three pips Hank Jennings held during his parole hearing alludes to the power he held in his hands for rebirth symbolizing masculine energies and new beginnings. (Johnson, 2009)
In Chinese alchemy the Ladder of Planets is the Ladder of Lights, the seven stars in the Big Dipper constellation, representing the seven stages of alchemy. The Northern Dipper is the location of the Garden of Immortals and the source of the elixir. It is meditated upon for its secrets of eternal life. The Beidou or Big Dipper points to the North Star. Monks walked this celestial pattern in a ritual called Bugang, to achieve immortality. Planetary alignments during specific days or hours is crucial. (Pregadio, 2008) The goal of Chinese alchemy is Er Sheng San, meaning two creates three or Yin/Yang refined creating pure Yang energy Chunyang. This is the primordial state of oneness before its division. To Hindus it’s Cintamani, to Taoists the Jindan. Hsi Wang Mu, shamanic Goddess of Alchemy, is associated with the Big Dipper. The White Queen and Red King in Western alchemy is the Azure Dragon and White Tiger in the East. Agent Cooper’s ring symbolizes the Chinese alchemical Circulation of Light (golden flower) for immortality. (Wilhelm, 1962) The Giant takes Cooper’s ring from him until he learns the secrets of the Lodges. The ring symbolizes the eternal return, immortality, the gold of the Philosophers’ Stone. The ring is returned upon Leland’s detainment, completing the cycle of his investigation, the cycle of Tao. In Chinese alchemy creating the elixir is symbolized by the White Hare alchemist or Moon Rabbit, assistant to the Goddess Chang’e, who drank the elixir and rose up to the moon, rather than give up its secrets. (Yang, 2008) When Agent Cooper says he saw a Cottontail rabbit, Sheriff Truman tells him it’s probably a Snowshoe instead. The Snowshoe changes colors from brown in summer to white in winter (White Hare), undergoing transformation each year, signifying harmonious duality.
The most notable spiritual transformations is in Ben Horne. As the most powerful, wealthiest man in Twin Peaks, he planned the Ghostwood Estates, which would have destroyed the forests. After being accused of murdering Laura Palmer and losing his businesses, he faces his dark night of the soul, resulting in breakdown. He starts to intuitively engage in misguided Feng Shui in his office and acts out the surrender of the Union at Appomattox, representing his ego surrender. He begins to start anew by making amends and impeding Ghostwood Estates. He becomes an environmentalist, starts a campaign to save the Pine Weasel and repairs his relationship with Aubrey. He begins studying religious texts, particularly the Tao Te Ching.
"Am I being too secretive? No. One can never answer questions at the wrong moment. Life, like music, has a rhythm." The Log Lady – Atmosphere
In Twin Peaks, the low resonating sounds of Dungchen trumpets can be heard during murder scenes or the appearance of BOB. These instruments are performed during prayer ceremonies by Tibetan monks to dispel negativity and malicious spirits. This effect is felt on a deep subconscious level, stirring intense emotions. Finger snapping in Twin Peaks is also a form of Tibetan Taoist ritual during meditation. The single snap functions to trigger a state of primordial clarity and focus, as Bobby does when interrogated, and Gordon Cole’s Black Lodge doppelganger (his real life son) Pierre Chalfont when he says, “Sometimes things happen just like that.” Laura snaps her fingers inside the Red Room before she signals to Agent Cooper the hand mudra of no fear.
"The heart - it is a physical organ, we all know. But how much more an emotional organ - this we also know. Love, like blood, flows from the heart. Are blood and love related? Does a heart pump blood as it pumps love? Is love the blood of the universe?" The Log Lady- Tantric Alchemy
It is said that alchemy was a gift of communion with the gods made of fire and sexual union. This theory of ecstasy in divine manifestation is expressed most eloquently in Tantra. When Dr. Jacoby is being questioned about Laura’s murder and Agent Cooper asks, “Were her problems of a sexual nature?” Dr. Jacoby replies, “The problems of our entire society are of a sexual nature.” This is evident in Western culture. Dr. Jacoby’s character was based on psychonaut, Taoist and shaman Terrence McKenna, who has written extensively on the subjects of Tantra, psychoactive drugs, alchemy, and alternative realities. When Dougie Milford is found dead after his honeymoon, the Mayor discovers tantric books around his body, including a fictional version of My Secret Life proclaiming, “This is what killed him!”
Tantra raises kundalini energies in the body during sexual union for spiritual transformation. It is a form of what Jung called Alchemical Eros. (Jung, 1983) In Chinese alchemy, Jing accumulation. This transforms and restores Qi to the body which results in longevity, called The Joining of the Essences. The sexual union channels divine energy through the mind-body to spirit. (Chia, 1984)
In the alchemical book Aurora Consurgens, two naked figures sit together, one giving their heart to the other. The heart appears as fruit, the sacred fruit of forbidden knowledge found in sexual energy. Yogic Tantrikas or Siddhis, said to possess godlike powers, were alchemists of the flesh, impenetrable to disease or age. The forbidden fruit is in many alchemical artworks. Audrey’s tying of the cherry stem with her tongue at One Eyed Jack’s alludes to this. Erotic fruit as tantric sexuality is depicted in the alchemical tripartite the Garden of Earthly Delights. Each panel represents the three stages of alchemy, with the center being the Red Phase or divine union, ripe with fruit, retorts, sexual joyfulness, birds and creation symbolism. (Dixon, 2003) The Log Lady invokes this: “There are clues everywhere, all around us. But the puzzle maker is clever. The clues, although surrounding us, are somehow mistaken for something else. And the something else - the wrong interpretation of the clues - we call our world. Our world is a magical smoke screen. How should we interpret the happy song of the meadowlark, or the robust flavor of a wild strawberry?"
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Yet there are those who open many eyes.” Log Lady
"Shining Venus trembles afar, Earth's Higher Self, and with but one finger touches us." Buddhist proverb – The Key
Newton’s alchemical substance The Net, was inspired by the Greek mythology of the great romance between Venus and Mars. (Dobbs, 1983) The Red curtains inside the Lodge are the color of Venus (Aphrodite), goddess of love, marriage, balance and sex. In the Black Lodge are two Venuses: the objectified Venus de Milo symbolized Laura and the modest Venus Pudica, symbolic for Maddy. As Agent Cooper confronts BOB, the statues start to fade, eventually disappearing upon his failure to overcome the shadow self. Saturn, the god of time, has won. Venus is known as both the evening and morning star, the light bearer, bringing knowledge and enlightenment. Venus is Earth’s twin planet rotating backwards, reflected in the speech of the Lodge. In Chinese astrology she is associated with gold. The nature symbols for Venus are fruits and roses. In theosophy Venus is earth’s spirit.
Wagner’s Tannhäuser about the struggle between sacred and profane love at the grotto of Venus is epitomized in the two Venus of the Black Lodge. This is redemption through love of the higher self. Agent Cooper’s love for Annie lead to his possession by BOB, sacrificing himself for romantic love, of which Aphrodite is archetype. Known in mythology for love affairs ending in disaster, she is a metaphor for leading one to the threshold. Her Chinese equivalent is goddess Chuang Mu. In the final episode is a reenactment of Lady Venus’s tomb in the King’s treasury from the Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz within the bank. (Andreae, 2013) Audrey is Lady Venus, chained to the vault’s door in a mausoleum like tomb. The Rosicrucian ritual Vault of the Adepti, has a seven sided vault containing squares with drawers, as the bank has its safety deposit boxes. In the story, the Divine Wedding occurs through a death process. This scene ends after an explosion inside the vault.
"Turn your minds to our words, our ethereal words, for the words of the birds last forever.” Aristophanes - The Language of the Birds
Oracles are interpreters of the gods, as the will of heaven. Birds were oracular because they could fly between heaven and earth and carried messages from other worlds. It required the knowledge of an adept to decipher the coded language of the birds. Agent Cooper uses intuition to understand the strange language of the Lodge spirits. Spirits cannot think in logical patterns with rational minds so their communication is abstract, spoken in riddle, non-sequiturs, metaphors, or backwards, in a dreamlike state.
When The Man from Another Place gives Agent Cooper a clue about Laura’s murder, he says “Where we're from, the birds sing a pretty song and there's always music in the air.” This referred to the room Laura was held but also how they communicate with each other. Shamans use a liminal state to communicate with spirits in the twisted language, as spirits don’t exist in our limited space-time understanding. Tantric texts (Sandhyabhasa) are composed in a poetic, secret, inverted language written by Siddhas. Eliade and Max Muller described the language of the birds as an enigmatic, hidden language.
“I’ll see you and you’ll see me, in the branches that blow in the breeze, under the Sycamore Trees.” Jimmy Scott -Nature Symbolism
Trees embody the connection between heaven and earth and creation knowledge. They symbolize strength and immortality. Trees are bridges between two worlds, the lower half rooted in earth, while the upper ascends to heaven. The Taoist systems Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches of Space Time reference trees because of their longevity. (Wu, 2014) Wind is the breath of life, in which spirits speak or travel, so in Twin Peaks scenes of wind blowing through tress is an ominous sign. The rustling of leaves is said to contain ancient wisdom for those who listen. In Egyptian mythology, twin Sycamore Trees facing east formed the gateway to the afterlife, similar to the Sycamore trees surrounding the entrance to the Black Lodge. They are also grown on burial sites, on which Twin Peaks was built. Douglas trees symbolizes strength, past/future, and purification rites.
To be one with the trees is to know Life within your own spirit - Chief Sequoia
Native Americans called trees The Standing People, as they contain the Great Spirit. (Mullins, 2014) The Cherokee myth Legend of the Cedar Tree, about balance between dualities and rebirth of spirits into trees, may explain The Log Lady’s husband inside the log and Josie Packard’s spirit inhabiting the Great Northern’s mantle and drawer handle. The cave represents immortality and the Tao, as repositories of purified Qi, so monks meditated in caves. The Taoist canon is divided into sections called caves, and the caves within the body are containers of energy.
"The Owls Are Not What They Seem” the Owls
The owl is the bird of Athena and Minerva, goddesses of wisdom, strategy and magic. As nocturnal birds with silent flight and heightened senses, they represent intuition, mysticism and keepers of secrets. In some cultures they are bad omens or harbingers of death. Choctaw lore thought of the horned owl (Ishkitini) as a threatening, foreboding bird with a terrifying shriek. Owls are guardians of the underworld and the dead and can see or communicate with spirits. It is because of this they have the power to travel between two worlds. Their association with magicians and witchcraft, especially in Native American lore and The Witchery Way, Owls are an ideal form of shape shifting or Therianthropy. The Pictograph of Owl Cave had a stone protrusion in the center, engraved with an owl symbol in flight. When Windham turns this sideways, the symbol becomes the rune Inguz, meaning isolation or separation. This symbol is found on the ring associated with the Lodges. Owl’s abilities to regurgitate impurities from its digestive system is symbolic of the alchemical process itself. Their ability to see in darkness associates them with the shadows, dreams and subconscious.
“Alchemy is only that which makes the impure pure by means of fire. Though not all fires do burn, it is however only Fire and continues to be Fire that interests us.” Paracelsus
Shaman invite possession by spirits to acquire knowledge as oracles, sometimes with wrathful spirits. If BOB is a spiritual entity, Cooper may have invited himself to become possessed at the end. As an internal struggle, the mirror cracking was symbolic of his fractured psyche. But in the eternal cycles of death and rebirth, he will have another chance to begin again.
"Man, know thyself. Thou art the Flame, and thy bodies are the living altar." Manly P Hall
Fire Walk With Me.
David Lynch’s Twin Peaks is a multidimensional, metaphysical, neo-noir drama. It’s a surrealist masterpiece, interwoven with darkly comedic moments of absurdity, juxtaposed against the deceptively serene sentimentality of mid-century Americana and infused with esoteric symbolism. Twin Peaks was a serial drama created by Mark Frost and David Lynch which aired for two seasons during 1990 to 1991. This award winning series resulted in a cult following and film prequel titled Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992). David Lynch and Mark Frost not only infused an exhaustive amount of arcane knowledge into the script but also obscure news stories and classic film references. The series is so informed esoterically, it is considered an initiatory process for mystery schools, of which Agent Cooper becomes an unknowing participant. The show’s protagonist is FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, who travels to Twin Peaks in the rural Pacific Northwest on special assignment when Laura Palmer is found murdered, similar to a previous murder in Washington. The show presents highly complex worlds within worlds, which overlap and collide, containing dichotomies both obvious and subtle, within a constant flux of dualistic themes. Twin Peaks esoteric symbolism is derived from many sources but with a predominant message- the unification of dualities within and finding balance in nature. Through Taoism and a form of Eastern spiritual alchemy, it's believed this non-duality can be achieved as our bodies are considered a microcosm of the cosmos, which contain the Ultimate Truth or Oneness. In Western alchemy, this truth exists here on earth, as an extension of God in the purest form, within the elements and nature. The alchemists attempted to discover this Godly perfection within using psychological shortcuts of self analysis rather than or in addition to Christlike actions and faith. This alchemical process of purification aspiring to the integration and merging of dualities displayed within Twin Peaks, is personified within Agent Cooper and his investigation throughout the series. Agent Cooper’s shaman-like journey to discover Laura Palmer’s killer and the Lodges, initiates his own dark night of the soul, a ritualistic test on the threshold, a psychic and spiritual battle that culminates at the end within the Black Lodge. (Gyamtso, 2003)
This dualism is illustrated in the introduction of the series, showing a Varied Thrush sitting on a tree branch surrounded by a scenic, tranquil landscape of still water and tall mountains suddenly juxtaposed against unnatural images of industrial machinations: violently grinding metal blades showering fiery sparks within Packard Mill. All of the characters in Twin Peaks involved in the destruction or exploitation of nature come to a violent death or slowly unravel, resulting in an evolutionary process towards environmentalism. In Twin Peaks, a tension of opposites is exemplified in The Black and White Lodges but also the corruption and subterfuge to acquire land for the development of Ghostwood Estates. The estates would have resulted in large scale destruction of the forests and habitat. In Taoism and spiritual alchemy, the teaching emphasize the importance of a fundamental equilibrium between nature and ourselves. This is displayed in the symbolism of the alchemical process, in their engravings and illuminated manuscripts. The Eastern practice of Taoist spiritual alchemy was pursued to achieve self-integration, union with the divine, enlightenment, and immortality. In the West, many Christian mystics during the middle ages practiced their own variation, known as The Great Work. The desired end result was known as the Philosopher’s Stone, the gold of enlightenment. Spiritual awakening, constructs of reality, sexual disconnect and detachment from nature in the Western world was focal in Twin Peaks.
“The language I speak must be ambiguous, must have two meanings, in order to do justice to the dual aspect of our psychic nature.” – Carl Jung (Letters: 70)
Twin Peaks message of humanity’s polarized thinking resulting in destructive behavior is referenced in Carl Jung’s book The Undiscovered Self. (Jung, 1970) He argued that many problems of modern life are caused by “man’s progressive alienation from his instinctual foundation.” The dualistic theme of Twin Peaks is displayed via twinning, mirroring, doppelgangers, double lives, psychological splintering, mimicking and the constant theme of pairs. In Taoism, seemingly contrasting forces such as night and day, male and female, good and evil, are viewed as complimentary and interdependent of one another. This is exemplified in Yin/Yang principle. Many of Twin Peaks paralleling esoteric themes are found in Alchemy, Tibetan Buddhism, Astrology, Elementals, Jungian psychology, Hermeticism, Theosophy, Numerology and Surrealist methodology. Unification is a core practice in these esoteric teachings. The worlds within worlds of Twin Peaks and archetypal dynamics of the characters is even mirrored in its own television series Invitation to Love. These concepts are presented visually through symbolism, anagrams, riddles, metaphors or euphemisms much like alchemy. Paracelsus had a very Taoist view on alchemy, noting that directly observing nature was key to the secrets of the universe and described alchemy as the voluntary action of humanity in harmony with the involuntary action of nature. (Jung, 1963)
"Balance is the key. Balance is the key to many things. Do we understand balance?" The Log Lady
Taoism is a philosophy that nature and humanity are complimentary and inseparable: two but not two. That although we perceive everything around us as separate, humanity, nature and the cosmos are one. Taoism is rooted in forms of nature worship and animism, a belief that spirits inhabit everything in nature. Both organic and inorganic matter contains the life essence of Qi, the eternal fire, the quintessence. Inner alchemy attempts to unite us with our higher self through a transformational integration of the conscious and subconscious, male and female aspects of ourselves. This transcendence creates a primordial clarity in our perceptions of reality. It is body, mind, and spirit perfected and from which all revelation of knowledge evolves. In alchemy this purification process involves the transformational element of fire. The two mountains in the Twin Peaks sign for is an alchemical cypher for strong fire. In the Taoist text Tao Te Ching, this is: “Tao generates One- Wuji, One generates Two- Taiji and Two generates Three and Three generates all things in the World.” This means that from the limitless void all of creation is derived: Yin (Earth) and Yang (Heaven). According to the Tao Te Ching, humanity follows the earth, the earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follows what is natural. (Laozi, 1992)
In a syndication of Twin Peaks, Lynch added introductions to the episodes by the Log Lady, each a parable of the alchemical process and essence of the Tao. In the final episode Beyond Life and Death she says, “And now, an ending. Where there was once one, there are now two. Or were there always two? What is a reflection? A chance to see two? When there are chances for reflections, there can always be two or more. Only when we are everywhere will there be just one.” This narration refers to a completed alchemical process, the ideal state of emptiness or the mirror of heaven and earth, the Tao itself. Many Western religions promise eternal life, spiritual perfection in the afterlife, along with a complete personal transformation and state of Grace while on earth, if adhering to Christ's teachings. However those seeking what they thought was an expedient path to personal transformation, made convoluted attempts through the esoteric mysteries, what they thought were secrets to immortality and spiritual enlightenment here on earth. This led many astray from the real truths of becoming a 'new creature in Christ' and caused those who practiced spiritual alchemy to become frustrated and deceived, only to find dead ends and failed results, sometimes leading to self destruction or madness.
“It’s like I’m having most beautiful dream and the most horrible nightmare all at once.” -Donna Hayward
Carl Jung’s teachings are psychological principles of spiritual alchemy found in his dream analysis, theories on synchronicity, universal symbolism, archetypes, the union of the animus and anima and the integration of shadow self to achieve individuation. He based much of his work on Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism and Alchemy. Jung is accredited to introducing Eastern philosophies and alchemy to the Western world through his work. The catalyst for Jung’s research into Eastern philosophy and alchemy was a reoccurring dream about hidden rooms, a secret location of knowledge, reminiscent of the Lodges. Similarly, Agent Cooper’s dream became the touchstone for his obsession with Tibet. Carl Jung’s theories stated that the subconscious and dreams were the true source of self, the wellspring of creativity, and psychic energies. The Tao, like the subconscious, is the true source of self and nature of the cosmos. Huai Nau Tzu said, “The Tao of Heaven operates mysteriously and secretly, it has no fixed shape, it follows no definite rules, it is so great that you can never come to the end of it, it is so deep that you can never fathom it.” (Needham, 1984: 289)
The I Ching is a source of Taoist cosmology based on divination and its meaningful coincidences, which is referred to numerous times in Twin Peaks. Divination “presupposes that there is a synchronistic correspondence between the psychic state of the questioner and the answering hexagram.”(Jung, 1998: 95) It is known to occur when a person is intuitively or energetically aligned with nature, creating significance in experiences or phenomena that would otherwise seem random. These experiences align with living in accordance to The Path of the Tao. Taoist thought creates an openness to such synchronistic experiences because it is not limited to the boundaries of time-space realities. The Tao and the subconscious transcend time or sequential constructs, it consists of the past, present and future converging into the now. These experiences of the subconscious or alternate realities are those of the Lodges in Twin Peaks. Time does not exist in a linear concept but is abstract and boundless, yet cyclical. Agent Cooper takes note of this concept with the statement, “Gentlemen, when two separate events occur simultaneously pertaining to the same object in inquiry we must always pay strict attention.”
“All that we see in this world is based on someone's ideas. Some ideas are destructive, some are constructive. Some ideas can arrive in the form of a dream.” The Log Lady
Jung, Alchemy and Surrealists
Jung theorized that basic universal truths in humanity could be understood in the collective unconscious through the language of symbolism. The use of hidden symbolism in Twin Peaks is reminiscent of the enigmatic, lavishly illustrated alchemical texts and Surrealist art. In alchemy, as with surrealism, this metaphorical imagery full of secret, hidden knowledge contained particular elements of nature and the subconscious, many of which are used in Twin Peaks. In Taoist alchemy, animals and nature have an inherent quality and energy assigned to them and applied to enhance a desired outcome of one’s will. Fire is a key element in alchemy, as its dual has both creative and destructive forces. Originally, alchemy was an oral tradition only comprehended by initiates. The documented secrets of alchemy were closely guarded in Western culture. In the East, these texts were reserved for Emperors or monks. The symbology used within these tomes could be interpreted based on the level of knowledge the adept held. To the uniniated they appeared as lavish art, such as the 12 Keys of Basil Valentine. (Leptit, 2014)
The Surrealists studied both dreams and alchemy as a form of artistic liberation of the conscious mind. They believed the conscious mind was limiting, restrictive and staid with its rigid constructs. They focused on autonomy through the subconscious as the true source of imagination, fears and desires. Surrealists studied the techniques of psychoanalysts like Jung and psychological/spiritual alchemy. To reach this dream state and the symbiosis of the alchemists, they enacted exercises that triggered the twilight state. This existed between the two worlds of wakefulness and sleep called the hypnagogic or threshold consciousness. The goal in Taoist Alchemy is to discover secret wisdom of absolute self, hidden in subconscious and unconscious mind. (Dali, 1992)
A technique used by the Surrealists to induce lucid dreaming and access the subconscious yet still recall its images was called Hypnagogia or A Bridge to Other Realities. (Shaw, 2000) This method was used by Salvador Dali, Albert Einstein, and even Carl Jung. Giorgio de Chirico, a surrealist painter who founded the Metaphysical School of Art or Scuola Metafisica, created art that depicted dreamlike qualities which emphasized the stark dichotomy between shadow and light much like the Black and White Lodges. Some examples in de Chirico’s work containing themes of alchemy were The Philosopher’s Conquest, Nostalgia of the Infinite and Soothsayers Recompose. (Baldacci, 1997) The most relevant piece is The Red Tower, which correlates to The Red Room of the Lodges, the Red King of the divine marriage and Red Stage of alchemy. The Red Room, may also symbolize Potola Palace, the residence of the 14th Dalai Lama before fleeing Tibet. Potola Palace comprised of the White and Red Palace on the Red Mountain in Lhasa Valley. Emblematic to the Red King and White Queen of alchemy. The Tower, as with The Red Room, is the alchemist’s laboratory or retort itself for transmutation, unification and rebirth, much like a womb.
The illusory perceptions of the mind awakening to alternate dimensions or multiverses is the subtext of the Twin Peaks narrative. It was through dreams that Agent Cooper communicated with entities of the Lodges. One example is when The Giant first appears to Agent Cooper after he’s been shot and drifts between states of consciousness. The Giant is a benevolent entity (who also inhabits the body of the elderly bellhop) aids Agent Cooper’s investigation by offering significant clues. In Chinese mythology The Giant is symbolic of Pan Gu, the enormous creator god who slept in the egg of chaos and upon awakening, stood up and split heaven and earth in two. After many centuries, he died and his body created everything on earth resulting in the first being Hua Hsu, who birthed Fu Xi (male) and Nu Wa (female). These twin beings created two fires, which became so strong they merged into one. Soon after the twins wed, they used earth elements to create offspring through their divine power. (Zhang, 1994) This myth reflects the alchemical process, which births through fire and the divine spark of spirit. Fu Xi is considered the creator of the I-Ching or Book of Changes. Key texts of Taoism are the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, the Zhuangzi, and the Taoist alchemical book Can Tong Qi (Seal of the Unity of Three). In Taoist Alchemy, fire is the illumination of the mind that burns away all false truths and impurities in a person. Spiritual Alchemy was originally taught selectively and privately. “Those who know, do not speak; those who speak, do not know,” states the Tao Te Ching. This mirrors the Rosicrucian motto: To know, to will, to dare, to keep silent. (Tao Te Ching, 1992, Chapter 56)
"Sometimes nature plays tricks on us and we imagine we are something other than what we truly are. Is this a key to life in general? "In a dream, are all the characters really you? Different aspects of you?” The Log Lady Archetypes in Twin Peaks
For Jung, the Anima (feminine aspect of the male psyche) and Animus (masculine aspect of the female psyche) archetypes personify characteristics or personality attributes within an un-individuated person that manifests in dreams and translates through ego. In Spiritual Alchemy, the integration of the two or syzygy create the divine child. The goal being the individuation of a person’s psyche and embracing of the two within ones self. Archetypes are represented in the mythology of Greek gods with personal characteristics correlating to planets. For Empedolces, the dynamics of Love and Strife are personified in a romantic affair between Aphrodite or Venus (Love) and Aries (War). (Garani, 2007) In the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, Love and Strife are Poliphili’s dream within a dream, during which he loses his love and regains her at the Fountain of Venus. (Colonna, 2005) In this sense Agent Cooper and the archetypes could be his dream within a dream of Twin Peaks. Archetypes are the basis of all great dramas.
“Before the visible universe was formed its mold was cast. This mold was called the Archetype, and this Archetype was in the Supreme Mind long before the process of creation began.” Hermes Trismegistus
In Twin Peaks, the characters represent personality archetypes and interact within setting or situational archetypes. Situational archetypes are generally struggles or conflicts: good and evil, death and rebirth, the initiation and journey. An example of situational archetype is Agent Cooper’s intuitive investigate techniques resulting in his agent status being revoked, is innate wisdom vs educated stupidity. Agent Cooper’s intuition is the Magic Weapon archetype and the Packard Saw Mill or Ghostwood Estates plans is Nature vs Mechanical World. There are archetypal symbols in nature as well. The ego is represented by home environments, forests and plants. The feminine archetype in nature is represented in water and earth elements, caves, holes in trees, tunnels, nests, the moon, lakes, and archways. The masculine archetype is found in fire or air elements, tall trees, the sun, stems, and mountains. The Heroic archetype is symbolized in young plants or animals, storms, and new growth. The Adversary archetype is displayed by thorny plants, storms, overgrowth, erosion and fire. The Death/Rebirth archetype is new life, seasonal cycles, perennial plants, environmental changes, border areas, intersections, and crossroads. The Journey archetype is seen in pathways, hills, mountains, rivers, wind, plant and animal growth. All these archetypes are personified in Twin Peaks. (Andrews, 2003)
"Diane, I’m holding in my hand a small box of Chocolate Bunnies.” Agent Cooper
Along with dreams, Agent Cooper utilizes methods of divination, meditation and analysis to comprehend the metaphors, riddles, anagrams, and psychic phenomena in the series. Through recitation of his various streams of consciousness into his hand held recorder, which he addresses as Diane, Agent Cooper records these noted observations and deductions about the case. It is unclear whether his mysterious secretary Diane really exists. She becomes a symbolic form of communicating with his subconscious and extension of himself. The name Diane is French for Diana, the mythological Greek goddess of wild animals and the hunt, the moon and forests. The fact she is known as the White Goddess is a clue as to the Diane’s significance. The moon is symbolic of the subconscious, intuition and his anima figure. This is an early manifestation of Cooper’s White Queen preceding the arrival of Annie Blackburn, leading to his confrontation with the Dweller on the Threshold in the Black Lodge.
"Watch and see what life teaches. There are things in life that exist, and yet our eyes cannot see them. Have you ever seen something startling that others cannot see?” The Log Lady
Other forms of intuitive deduction Agent Cooper uses is the rock throwing Tibetan Technique and coin toss inspired by the I Ching. While looking over photos of prospective residences with a real estate agent, Agent Cooper flips a coin that accidentally lands on Dead Dog Farm. This becomes a lead in the case. Coins resemble a full moon, so they symbolize the unconscious, intuition and psychic awareness. The Winged Mercury dime was commonly used in coin tosses as Mercury is the Greek god of the crossroads and communication. He is a bridge between the upper and lower worlds. Mercury is fundamental to the alchemical process. Agent Cooper embodies the archetypal planetary and alchemical properties of Mercury himself, as he is fluid in his deductive reasoning.
I am filled with questions. Sometimes my questions are answered. In my heart, I can tell if the answer is correct. I am my own judge. There’s a whole world out there, hear the other side, see the other side” The Log Lady -Agent Cooper, Shaman
Cooper describes the Tibetan Method of divination as perfecting mind-body (Qigong) coordination with deduction based on intuition. After moving the Sheriff’s offices outside among the Douglas Firs and Tao of nature, Cooper explains he received this divinatory knowledge from a dream about Tibet, its struggle from political oppression and the return of the Dalai Lama. Setting a bottle upon a tree stump, he throws a rock as each suspect’s name related to J was read. If the rock missed, they were no longer considered. If he hit the bottle, it confirmed their possible guilt. The initial J was written in Laura’s diary, as the last person she intended to meet before she was murdered. The J may reference the importance of planetary symbolism as Jupiter, which is embodied in Agent Cooper, as BOB is Saturn. BOB -the Dweller on the Threshold is Saturn, the teacher or disciplinarian and Cooper is his student Jupiter, the planet considered the son of Saturn. The color of Jupiter is blue and associated with learning the unknowable and traversing the unknown. This is represented by the blue rose and is the Great Conjunction - when the opposing Saturn and Jupiter align, the key to opening the Black Lodge.
The date of her last entry is significant, as February 23rd is the same day the 14th Dalai Lama was officially enthroned, in 1940. The rock toss is reminiscent of the Chinese divination practice in Buddhist Temples called Kau Cim. When answers required elaboration, the Jiaobei Blocks (Moon Blocks) were used. These wooden crescent shaped pieces are flat (Yin) on one side and round on the other (Yang). Through divinatory practices, geomancy, and his ability to communicate with the spirits of the Lodges, Agent Cooper acts as a kind of mystery school initiate or Chinese Fangshi shaman. (Rapinsky-Naxon, 1993)The investigation becomes a catalyst for his own spiritual journey to enlightenment, to cross the threshold into perfect being known as a Taoist Xian. It is inside the Black Lodge that Agent Cooper is tested at the Threshold, an important stage in the esoteric initiatory process. Facing the abyss, one must confront their shadow self (negative repressed memories, subconscious fears) before lifting the veil and crossing over, to ultimately find spiritual rebirth and immortality.
Agent Cooper is the magician in the quote: “Through the Darkness of future past, the Magician longs to see. One chance out between Two Worlds, Fire Walk with Me.” Within esoteric practices, it is said that what you seek, is seeking you. This was his duty to investigate the murders. One of the most important figures next to the Dali Lama was the Nechung Oracle. He interpreted divine messages from the gods, as a bridge between two worlds, heaven and earth, the living and spirits. Much like Agent Cooper communicates with the spirits of the Lodges and relates this information as he investigates. Through divination methods and understanding of his feminine mind (the subconscious, dreams, intuition), Cooper calls out between two worlds as an oracle. (Helias, 2012)
"I play my part on my stage. I tell what I can to form the perfect answer. But that answer cannot come before all are ready to hear. So I tell what I can to form the perfect answer.” The Log Lady-Revelations
It is revealed in the Sheriff’s interrogation room, that BOB, the violent spirit incarnate of collective negative energies, has possessed Leland since childhood. When the smoke alarm is set off, flooding the room Leland is held in, BOB as fire element, is overcome by the water element. BOB drives Leland into suicidal hysteria by smashing his head against the door, so BOB can exit his body. As Leland is dying, Agent Cooper becomes the shamanic psychopomp, entrusted to comfort and assist the dying transitioning into the spirit realm. In Jungian psychology the psychopomp mediates between the conscious and unconscious mind. (Jung, 1964) During this ritualistic departure, Cooper imparts a prayer inspired by the Tibetan Book of the Dead (positioning Leland in Lying Posture of a Lion) which eloquently describes the essence of the Tao: “The time has come for you to seek the Path. Your soul has set you face to face before the clear light and now you are about to experience it in its reality, wherein all things are like the void and cloudless sky, and the naked, spotless intellect is like a transparent vacuum, without circumference or center. At this moment, know yourself and abide in that state.” At one point, Deputy Hawk talks to Agent Cooper about the dream soul, which can travel to realms of the dead. Travel to dimensions outside boundaries of space-time is the shamanic skill of astral projection. (Evans-Wentz, 1957)
After discovering Maddy Ferguson (Laura’s cousin and mirror image) has been murdered, Sheriff Harry Truman makes a Taoist reference telling Cooper, “You’re on the path, you don’t need to know where it leads, just follow.” Shortly after FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield says, “Go on whatever vision quest you require, stand on the rim of a volcano, stand alone and do your dance. Just find this beast before it takes another bite.” Both acknowledge his shamanic wisdom and capabilities. The beast he refers to is the Guardian on the Threshold of the Abyss. There are biblical references in Twin Peaks so BOB could be the ‘beast’ of Revelations called Abaddon, the angel of the Abyss. The appearance of the white horse before Leland kills Maddy may reference Death of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, if related to the Black Lodge. If related to the White Lodge, the horse would be a guardian spirit and imply a Tibetan Wind Horse for prayers of protection.
MIKE speaking as Philip Gerard, explains to Cooper while he is dying, “Bob and I, when we were killing together there was a perfect relationship; appetite and satisfaction. A golden circle.” Fire is the element of alchemy that ascends, but to keep from ascension and to stay transfixed in the primal (appetite and satisfaction) BOB and MIKE distorted and denied the completion of the Great Work, through rape and destruction. If BOB is a Fire spirit, it needs to be constantly fed with its own element to exist, which requires the incantation: fire walk with me. Rosicrucians believed elementals wedded to a mortal would become immortal. This could be one reason BOB wanted to possess Laura.
BOB seeks a corrupted and expedient form of immortality. The cycle death and rebirth of samsara is a continual state of suffering, so BOB requires suffering to exist, since he is reborn in the living during possession states. He is a type of hungry ghost of the lower Bardo realms in Buddhism. He wants to cling to mortal states of carnal desires. This is the link between One Eyed Jacks and the Black Lodge, where the Red Room is mirrored in the decorative aesthetic of the brothel.
"Is life like a game of chess? Are our present moves important for future success? I think so. We paint our future with every present brush stroke. The Log Lady -A Challenge
When Agent Cooper is challenged to a deadly game of chess by Windom Earle, it is a microcosm of the Black Lodge, a preparatory stage for Cooper’s final battle. Windom’s logical mind at odds with Agent Cooper’s intuition acts as both catalyst and deterrent for Cooper. The chessboard represents the struggle between the Lodges and the pawns are Twin Peaks residents. The game contains the Lunar Queen (Yin) and the Solar King (Yang) of the Splendor Solis. (Trismosin, 2011) When Windom Earle says to Cooper: “The king must die,” this is both a threat towards Cooper if he interferes with Windom’s plans and Cooper’s inevitable ego death. As Cooper’s nemesis and antagonist to the plot, Windom Earle physically becomes the Trickster Devil archetype. The Devil, associated with Pan, is portrayed by Windom sitting on a rock playing a Japanese wind instrument before reading a list of Leo Johnson’s transgressions. This leads to his enslavement and further torments by Windom. In his perversion of the Great Work, Windom longs for the power of the Red King, searching for his Queen, as he sends segments of a Percy Shelley poem to Audrey, Donna and Shelley. This is his Invitation to Love. This invitation is part of Love’s Philosophy: “The fountains mingle with the river. And the rivers with the ocean, The winds of heaven mix forever with a sweet emotion; Nothing in the world is single, All things by a law divine, In one another’s being mingle, Why not I with thine?” He is longing for his White Queen in this poem. He seeks but does not comprehend the true alchemical wedding.
The culmination of his search for the Lodge and his Queen, transpires during the Miss Twin Peaks beauty pageant. The stage is a reconstruction of Glastonbury Grove. The twelve contestants represent the twelve trees surrounding the entrance to the Black Lodge. Glastonbury Gove and the twelve trees symbolize the twelve knights of King Arthur, as this legend is an alchemical allegory. (Hughes, 2012) This is referenced when Sheriff Truman says, “Here’s something Coop. Twelve trees in a perfect circle. There’s a place like that up in Ghostwood, it’s called Glastonbury Grove.” Cooper says, “Glastonbury. That’s the legendary burial place of King Arthur.” Pete then asks, “King Arthur's buried near here?” Cooper responds, “No, in England. This feels right, Harry, let's get up there.” Earle’s obsession to attain the glory of the Red King is evident when he says to Leo Johnson upon discovering the secret to entering the Black Lodge, “A perfect symbiosis. Oh, nature, perfect in design and aspects. You do not disappoint!” He then proceeds with, “The time has come to gather my beloved queen and embark upon our dark honeymoon.” The dark honeymoon is his distortion of the alchemical wedding upon his kidnapping of Annie Blackburn. The lore of King Arthur has similarities to the Epic of Gilgamesh, about the oldest immortal in history. The cedar forest and its mountains of Mashu, (meaning twins) may be symbolic of the Twin Peaks sign and Cooper’s journey.
"So now the sadness comes - the revelation. There is a depression after an answer is given. It was almost fun not knowing. Yes, now we know. At least we know what we sought in the beginning. But there is still the question: why? And this question will go on and on until the final answer comes. Then the knowing is so full, there is no room for questions." The Log Lady-Dweller on the Threshold
The Dweller on the Threshold is BOB in the Black Lodge. The Dweller can be a malevolent entity who acts as a catalyst of transformation or manifestation of a person’s shadow self, confronted at the threshold. The term Dweller on the Threshold was used in Edward Bulwer Lytton’s Zanoni, which states: “Be behind what there may, I raise the veil.” (Bulwer Lytton, 1942) This lifting of the veil is part of many initiation rites, signifying advancement to another level among degrees. This the crossing over between two worlds, communication between the physical and spiritual, the higher and lower realities of existence. It is symbolized each time Agent Cooper lifts the red curtains to enter another room in the Black Lodge but finds himself back in the same location. The Lodges become a ritual chamber. His stasis within the Lodge is a result of panic, his failure to confront the shadow self. Achieving the higher self can bring awareness to alternate realities, facilitating access to the astral plane. Crowley references his ego death from the dark night of the soul: “Now that there was no longer any `I' to suffer, all these ideas which had inflicted suffering became innocent. I could praise the perfection of every part; I could wonder and worship the whole." (Crowley, 1999) This is spiritual/psychological integration, the essence of the Tao- nothingness and yet the all. It is mental clarity to a perception of how things really are. It is to see realities with new eyes of wonder as if a child, to be resurrected.
When Agent Cooper asks “Who is BOB?” MIKE replies with a lyrical acronym: “He is BOB, eager for fun. When he wears a smile, everybody run!” This equates to He/We, indicating Agent Cooper’s integration process. Dion Fortune mentions the Lodges in Psychic Self Defense, stating the pure can see members (the Unseen) of the Black Lodge as they really are. The psychic or sensitive will be attracted to places (the Lodges) of concentrated energy where the Unseen dwell. (Fortune, 2011) These are the gifted and the damned of Twin Peaks. When BOB is near, his presence induces terror. Fortune states there are two ways an attacking entity (BOB) can enter a person: through intense emotions of fear or sexuality. If a person remains unemotional they’re safe from psychic invasion. Laura would not let BOB enter her, as her father Leland had.
In a comedic twist to the plot, BOB has his own doppelganger, in that of the malevolent mystery child little Nicky from the Happy Helping Hand adoption agency. Lucy Moran is pregnant and uncertain who the father is, which could be Deputy Andy Brennan or Dick Tremayne. In what becomes the ultimate test in parenting skills, Dick brings in the orphaned little Nicky as a way to show he is the superior suitor for Lucy. This test of wills mirrors the test of the Dweller on the Threshold between Agent Cooper and Windam Earle who are challenged by BOB in the Black Lodge. Both seek the role of victor as the Red King in the alchemical wedding. The pure hearted, slightly naive Deputy Andy takes on the role of Agent Cooper and the arrogant, petty con artist Dick Tremayne assumes the role of Windam Earle. As the microcosmic nature of their mirroring the larger plot in the series, their Dweller on the Threshold appears a child, a tiny version of BOB. When they soon discover all of Nicky's parents have died in questionable fires or accidents, they both start to believe Nicky may be a demon or the devil himself.
"The shadow-self of the White Lodge. The legend says that every spirit must pass through there on the way to perfection. There, you will meet your own shadow self. My people call it 'The Dweller on the Threshold' ... But it is said, if you confront the Black Lodge with imperfect courage, it will utterly annihilate your soul." –Deputy Hawk
The Lodges of Twin Peaks
The White and Black Lodges are symbolic of the phases of alchemy: the Black Phase, the White, and final Red Phase. They are also alternate dimensional planes, interconnected through the Red Room, with its entrance located in Glastonbury Grove of Ghostwood Forest. They represent a unity of opposites, a conjunction, and why entrance to the Lodges occurs during The Great Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter. Planets have great significance in alchemy, as they influence nature, the body and mind. Their relative positions affect every aspect of life on earth. An important process in alchemy is to understand the Ladder of the Planets. (Hauck, 2004) As above so below. Similar concepts of the Lodges are found in The Devils Guard by theosophist Talbot Mundy and William Burroughs’s Cities of the Red Night, Dion Fortune’s Psychic Self Defense and H. P. Blavatsky’s The Secret Doctrine.
In Blavatsky’s Secret Doctrine, the Lodges are dimensional planes not visible to humans. The White Lodge was formed from highly evolved beings (the Secret Chiefs) who helped humans evolve as part of the plan of creation. Within the Black Lodge are those opposed to the plan of creation (Dugpas). This Lodge is the photonegative of the White (Bon sect). (Blavatsky, 2010)This is identical to the story of the Lodges and Dweller on the Threshold in Twin Peaks.
The words Fire Walk With Me written in blood found at the murder scene by Agent Cooper, is not meant as an evocation or incantation but rather an invitation to join BOB in the Black Lodge. It’s a challenge to walk with fire, if Agent Cooper can discover the mysterious functions of the Lodges and access them, he is ready for the test. Agent Cooper is the archetype of Mercury; intuitive, fluid, zelator. BOB is Saturn, the beginning and end of the process, teacher and disciplinarian. This is the dynamic sophic fire and water of alchemy. Cooper’s invitation is a confrontation with his shadow self and fears. The opposite of which is love and why the paralleling subplot of the TV soap opera within Twin Peaks was called Invitation to Love. The invitation by BOB is hinted at when Windom says, “For you see, the cave painting is not only an invitation, it is also a map, a map to the Black Lodge!”
While the Lodges are considered metaphysical, extra-dimensional locations of spirit energies, it could be postulated that the Lodges exist entirely within Agent Cooper’s mind. Though the Lodges seemingly oppose one another, they are an interrelated as Yin/Yang principles, upper and lower truths. The nature of the Lodges is the basis of many esoteric belief systems: the Native American Twin Hero Myth, the Pillars of Boaz and Jachin of Solomon’s Temple, Maya and Brahman (Atman) in Hinduism, the marriage of Hieros Gamos, Yab -Yum of Tibetan Buddhism, the Pillar of Mercy or Severity of Kabbalism, the outer Channels of Nadis Yoga, the Androgyne of the Rosarium Philosophorum and the Pillars of Hermes. This is direct knowledge of creation, the art of nature, science of the stars. The entrance to the Black Lodge at Glastonbury Grove is emblematic of The Chalice Well, which in itself symbolizes the Great Work. The portal is reminiscent of the Porta Alchemica legend and Native American Sipapu.
When Windom Earle speaks of the Black Lodge, he mentions the corrupted sect of left hand path Buddhist monks called Dugpas who practiced evil magic and accumulated an extraordinary amount of psychic power. The left hand path is associated with dark magic, self-serving energetic predators. Philip Gerard (possessed by MIKE), explains he cut off his left arm to rid himself of this path and the Devilish One. The Man From Another Place is a kind a psychic manifestation of MIKE’s amputated left arm. He is an ambiguous entity of good and evil, as he aids Agent Cooper yet is amenable to BOB. The conflicting left hand path of The Black Lodge versus the right hand path of The White is evident in the last episode, when the Black Lodge is about to be opened. Various characters, including Agent Cooper, have sudden uncontrollable trembling in their right hands.
The electrical disturbances throughout Twin Peaks ominously signifying danger or death is near. In Theosophy, fire is the intelligence that moves the universe, it is electricity and magnetism. This is the psychic electrical interference BOB triggers when he is near. (Bailey, 1972) The fluxuating lights in the Black Lodge, meant to cause fear through disorientation, also emphasizes Cooper’s polarized split psyche. In theosophy, ascending the Tree of Life can be directly up the Middle Pillar, a path of intuition and integration, the synthesis of male/female. The Middle Pillar meditation is similar to the Buddhist Middle Way. The complex path ascending the Tree is The Flaming Sword, a lightning bolt zig zag pattern through the sephirot and displayed in the black and white chevron pattern on the floor of the Red Room. (Cohen, 2005) The Vajra (Sanskrit for thunderbolt) is the illumination of the psyche about to merge. (Regardie, 2011) The Black and White Lodge may simultaneously coexist within the Red Room itself.
"We live in a world where nothing is simple. Each day, just when we think we have a handle on things, suddenly some new element is introduced and everything is complicated once again. What is the secret?” The Log Lady -Alchemical Stages
Alchemy is a complex practice of chemical, psychological and spiritual transformational processes, meant to return matter or essence to its true, divine state through various refinements, whether in a laboratory or within oneself. In Twin Peaks, the focus is on spiritual/psychological alchemy. Alchemists worked with nature (plants and minerals) in the laboratory but also emphasized the connection between body, mind and spirit in their practice. The process intended to turn the lead of the soul to the gold of spirit, the Philosopher’s Stone. It reflects the perennial philosophy of Absolute Truth, the One Thing (Chi) or One Mind of the Cosmos, the incorruptible spirit. Jung in discussing Paracelsus and the Lumen Dei (light of creation) and Lumen Naturae (light of nature), stated that through alchemy, the ability to induce the process of transformation is capable of liberating the divine light imprisoned in physical creation. (Jung, 1977)
This One Thing is the First Matter or Prima Materia, which alchemist Lao Tzu considered the Tao. That from which all things came into being, which exists outside of space-time, of which nature and humanity is derived. It is black matter that is alive. The First Matter is symbolized by the Ouroboros, the cycle of eternal return, the beginning and end of the Work. From this arises the divine spark of life, the Secret Fire. (Miller, 1994) It exists within primordial chaos before manifested reality, as the anima mundi (world spirit). Alchemy is accredited to Egyptian god Thoth, scribe and god of science, astrology, religion, medicine and magic. He is the Revealer of the Hidden and Lord of Rebirth. He created the Book of the Dead and alchemical text The Emerald Tablet. The Greek name for Thoth is Hermes, so his teachings are known as Hermeticism. The remaining books of Thoth from the Alexandrian Library after it burned were guarded by The Sons of Horus, possibly inspiring the Bookhouse Boys.
The stages of alchemy are based on the colors seen during the stages of treated metals. There are three main Phases of alchemy with seven stages (Grossinger, 1970). The first stage is called Nigredo or The Black Phase, known as mortification, which reduces matter to its basic essences. Internally, this entails facing Dweller of the Threshold. Alice Bailey refers to this as fiery aspiration. In Eastern mysticism this aspiration is a burning desire for purification of the lower self into the higher, taking place on the burning ground. This charnel ground is the threshold where Agent Cooper confronts BOB the Guardian.
The symbolism for the Black Phase is decay, decapitation, or anything black. This putrefaction is Laura’s death, the dirt mounds, Donna Hayward wearing Laura’s sunglasses, Agent Cooper’s enthusiasm for black coffee: Black as midnight on a moonless night. The Nigredo is sometimes called ‘blacker than the blackest black’ (the underworld). Also the Black Jack Gum (Leland’s favorite) infamous for turning teeth black. It’s hinted at when The Man From Another Place says to Agent Cooper, “That gum you like is going to come back in style,” since it was remarketed. It is embodied in the black birds Agent Cooper notes, the Mina bird and Crow. This why a fallen, trophy deer head is in the first episode. The Black Phase’s calcination stage reduces elements to ashes to remove impurities, then cleansed during the dissolution stage. This is the black oil pooled at the portal of The Black Lodge. The calcination stage’s symbolism is fire and a constant throughout Twin Peaks. Seen in hearths, the burning of the Packard Saw Mill and death of The Log Lady’s husband from a fire on their wedding night. This proceeded her husband’s discovery of a mysterious black oil that ‘opens a gateway’ after visiting Glastonbury Grove. Her husband’s spirit now exists within a log and why she keeps her fireplace boarded up.
The Albedo or Whitening, is the second Phase, its stages are separation and conjunction. This process is symbolized when Leland’s hair turns white when facing his molestation and murder of Laura, the white fox fur found on Maddy’s dead body and Snoqualmie Falls. Its symbols: lovers, pairings, white birds, or weddings. The wedding of Lana Budding Milford represented the failed process of alchemy’s Divine Wedding. She personifies a false White Queen, symbolized by her dishonest attempts to be crowned Miss Twin Peaks. In alchemy, a crown is a symbolic of the Sacred Marriage. The Sacred Marriage manifests when The Solar Red King and Lunar White Queen unite within the alchemist, so it became associated with incest, as referenced by Leland’s molestation of Laura. It is a corruption of The Great Work. Leland’s serial rape of Laura is implied during the darkly comedic scene when he falls onto Laura’s casket being lowered into the ground.
This stage is also known as The Green Lion, symbolized in the trees of Twin Peaks or the characters Emerald and Jade, who mirror Maddy and Laura on Invitation to Love. This phase creates iridescent colors known as the Peacock's Tail, represented by the unicorn, deer or rainbow. This array of colors is referenced when Pete Martell complains his truck was stolen saying, “There were twelve rainbow trout in the bed!” The retort of the alchemist was referred to as a bed, where the King and Queen unify. Pete’s claim signifies Agent Cooper is near the final stage of the investigation and alchemical transformation. Deputy Hawk says to Agent Cooper, “One woman can make you fly like an eagle, another can give you the strength of a lion, but only one in the Cycle Of Life (Tao) can fill your heart with wonder and the wisdom that you have known a singular joy (integration).” Here he means Agent Cooper’s anima and union with his White Queen (female counterpart) Annie Blackburn.
At the end of the series a mysterious black puzzle box left by Thomas Eckhardt is given to Catherine Martell and is alluded that the opening of the box will result in some form of treasure or fortune. The box is engraved with glyphs and astrological symbols which confuse the uninitiated, so they seek to open the box by force. Upon the frustration of boxes within boxes, which contain a metal cube that is impenetrable, Andrew Packard and Pete Martell again try and destroy it in a desperate attempt to find the treasure it may contain. Andrew Packard says, "Maybe it's not a box at all, maybe it's just a block of stainless steel." What they find is a block of lead, this symbolizes a failed attempt in the process of alchemy to turn lead into the gold of enlightenment. Their base and crude understanding of spirituality through their greed and ignorance is represented in the lead. Had they become pure and succeeded in their efforts during the transmutation process this would have resulted in the noble state of gold. Once the lead block is destroyed by bullet, a key is found inside that leads to the bank vault, which is not a key to treasure but their demise.
“Matter will be called the forest, so shall we know and understand things rightly. The Unicorn stands for Spirit. The Stag answers to no other name than Soul and none can deny it. Now it is true that he, who by Art, Knows how to tame them, leading them out of the forest, yet driving them close together, would be called a Master” Book of Lambspring -The Alchemical Wedding
When Audrey Horne investigates Laura’s murder and applies to work at the perfume counter of her father’s store, gaining access to One Eyed Jacks, she is given a crystal unicorn. This alchemical allegory is referenced in the tapestries of The Lady and The Unicorn, depicting indulgence of the senses, all of which are catered to at the brothel. In the panel called À mon seul désir, the Lady paradoxes desire and purity yet chooses to remain chaste, as does Aubrey. The Lady in the panels is Audrey within the brothel. Audrey is forced to reveal her intentions after nearly being discovered by her father and rebels against the Madam, acting upon her sixth sense. The mythical unicorn in alchemy symbolizes the elusiveness of hunting wild game (the Philosopher’s Stone) and associated with virginal women. In another panel the Lady holds a mirror to the unicorn creating a double image, symbolic of psychological/spiritual integration. The stag, symbolic for the feminine (mind) is a constant throughout Twin Peaks as a deer head.
The Red Phase or Rubedo starts with the yellowing stage citrinitas, which signified near completion of the process. The creamed corn as psychic sustenance or Garmonbozia of the Black Lodge symbolized a confusion of this phase. The Rubedo is the Divine Marriage, which results as rebirth into a higher, third, perfect self. This is called the Noble Empress or Divine Child (Androgyne). The womb and blood is associated with this phase, represented by The Red Room. This is the marriage of Hermes to Aphrodite (Venus). This birthing stage is alluded to in Lucy Moran’s (fatherless) pregnancy and Agent Cooper sexual union with Annie Blackburn. The fermentation stage is similar to creating liquor. This is referenced during the humorous wine tasting benefit held at the Great Northern, hosted by Dick Tremayne. In the final episode, after the Giant warns Cooper at the Roadhouse by motioning no, scenes cut to a red light at the intersection, red neon signs, blocked hallways, and the entrance of the Black Lodge. The essence of the Androgyne is referenced with Agent Denise Bryson.
"The beautiful thing about treasure is that it exists. It exists to be found. How beautiful it is to find treasure. Where is the treasure, that when found, leaves one eternally happy? I think we all know it exists. Some say it is inside us - inside us one and all. That would be strange. It would be so near. Then why is it so hard to find, and so difficult to attain?" The Log Lady- Taoist Spiritual Alchemy
Taoist alchemy involves both internal Neidan (spiritual) and external Waidan (medicinal) practices to promote harmony within the body for prolonged life. The Chinese equivalent to the Philosopher’s Stone is the Golden Elixir. Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism and author of the Tao Te Jing, is credited with founding spiritual alchemy. Though Wei Po-Yang wrote the oldest Chinese alchemical book Ts'an T'ung Ch'i. Taoist internal alchemy focuses refining Qi, through meditation, accumulation and storage of Qi (life essence, spiritual fire) and breathing exercises for a balanced flow of Qi. In spiritual alchemy, the body itself is the crucible or retort. The practice of external alchemy consisted of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Zhong Vi) intended to create longevity. This meant ingesting elixirs of plants and minerals like gold (Yang) and cinnabar (Yin) or Jade. Mercury and Cinnabar were key to Chinese Alchemy. The red of the Cinnabar represented the heart (location of accumulated Qi), the seat of the soul, love, luck and auspiciousness. (David Lynch used a red lens when filming the pilot). The body’s twelve meridians are crucial to internal alchemy and relate organs to elements and planets, seen in the Xiuzhen Tu. The Neijing Tu diagrams explained the Cinnabar fields or dantian (tripartite division of inner space) within the body. In Twin Peaks the Red Room is symbolic of the Cinnabar Fields. In Chinese alchemy the prima materia is timeless-oneness called Hun Dun (Tao). Spiritual alchemy consists of The Three Treasures: Jing (physical), Qi (the life force or soul) and Shen (Spirit), correlating to Taoist deities The Three Pure Ones (Heaven, Humanity, and Earth). The domino of three pips Hank Jennings held during his parole hearing alludes to the power he held in his hands for rebirth symbolizing masculine energies and new beginnings. (Johnson, 2009)
In Chinese alchemy the Ladder of Planets is the Ladder of Lights, the seven stars in the Big Dipper constellation, representing the seven stages of alchemy. The Northern Dipper is the location of the Garden of Immortals and the source of the elixir. It is meditated upon for its secrets of eternal life. The Beidou or Big Dipper points to the North Star. Monks walked this celestial pattern in a ritual called Bugang, to achieve immortality. Planetary alignments during specific days or hours is crucial. (Pregadio, 2008) The goal of Chinese alchemy is Er Sheng San, meaning two creates three or Yin/Yang refined creating pure Yang energy Chunyang. This is the primordial state of oneness before its division. To Hindus it’s Cintamani, to Taoists the Jindan. Hsi Wang Mu, shamanic Goddess of Alchemy, is associated with the Big Dipper. The White Queen and Red King in Western alchemy is the Azure Dragon and White Tiger in the East. Agent Cooper’s ring symbolizes the Chinese alchemical Circulation of Light (golden flower) for immortality. (Wilhelm, 1962) The Giant takes Cooper’s ring from him until he learns the secrets of the Lodges. The ring symbolizes the eternal return, immortality, the gold of the Philosophers’ Stone. The ring is returned upon Leland’s detainment, completing the cycle of his investigation, the cycle of Tao. In Chinese alchemy creating the elixir is symbolized by the White Hare alchemist or Moon Rabbit, assistant to the Goddess Chang’e, who drank the elixir and rose up to the moon, rather than give up its secrets. (Yang, 2008) When Agent Cooper says he saw a Cottontail rabbit, Sheriff Truman tells him it’s probably a Snowshoe instead. The Snowshoe changes colors from brown in summer to white in winter (White Hare), undergoing transformation each year, signifying harmonious duality.
The most notable spiritual transformations is in Ben Horne. As the most powerful, wealthiest man in Twin Peaks, he planned the Ghostwood Estates, which would have destroyed the forests. After being accused of murdering Laura Palmer and losing his businesses, he faces his dark night of the soul, resulting in breakdown. He starts to intuitively engage in misguided Feng Shui in his office and acts out the surrender of the Union at Appomattox, representing his ego surrender. He begins to start anew by making amends and impeding Ghostwood Estates. He becomes an environmentalist, starts a campaign to save the Pine Weasel and repairs his relationship with Aubrey. He begins studying religious texts, particularly the Tao Te Ching.
"Am I being too secretive? No. One can never answer questions at the wrong moment. Life, like music, has a rhythm." The Log Lady – Atmosphere
In Twin Peaks, the low resonating sounds of Dungchen trumpets can be heard during murder scenes or the appearance of BOB. These instruments are performed during prayer ceremonies by Tibetan monks to dispel negativity and malicious spirits. This effect is felt on a deep subconscious level, stirring intense emotions. Finger snapping in Twin Peaks is also a form of Tibetan Taoist ritual during meditation. The single snap functions to trigger a state of primordial clarity and focus, as Bobby does when interrogated, and Gordon Cole’s Black Lodge doppelganger (his real life son) Pierre Chalfont when he says, “Sometimes things happen just like that.” Laura snaps her fingers inside the Red Room before she signals to Agent Cooper the hand mudra of no fear.
"The heart - it is a physical organ, we all know. But how much more an emotional organ - this we also know. Love, like blood, flows from the heart. Are blood and love related? Does a heart pump blood as it pumps love? Is love the blood of the universe?" The Log Lady- Tantric Alchemy
It is said that alchemy was a gift of communion with the gods made of fire and sexual union. This theory of ecstasy in divine manifestation is expressed most eloquently in Tantra. When Dr. Jacoby is being questioned about Laura’s murder and Agent Cooper asks, “Were her problems of a sexual nature?” Dr. Jacoby replies, “The problems of our entire society are of a sexual nature.” This is evident in Western culture. Dr. Jacoby’s character was based on psychonaut, Taoist and shaman Terrence McKenna, who has written extensively on the subjects of Tantra, psychoactive drugs, alchemy, and alternative realities. When Dougie Milford is found dead after his honeymoon, the Mayor discovers tantric books around his body, including a fictional version of My Secret Life proclaiming, “This is what killed him!”
Tantra raises kundalini energies in the body during sexual union for spiritual transformation. It is a form of what Jung called Alchemical Eros. (Jung, 1983) In Chinese alchemy, Jing accumulation. This transforms and restores Qi to the body which results in longevity, called The Joining of the Essences. The sexual union channels divine energy through the mind-body to spirit. (Chia, 1984)
In the alchemical book Aurora Consurgens, two naked figures sit together, one giving their heart to the other. The heart appears as fruit, the sacred fruit of forbidden knowledge found in sexual energy. Yogic Tantrikas or Siddhis, said to possess godlike powers, were alchemists of the flesh, impenetrable to disease or age. The forbidden fruit is in many alchemical artworks. Audrey’s tying of the cherry stem with her tongue at One Eyed Jack’s alludes to this. Erotic fruit as tantric sexuality is depicted in the alchemical tripartite the Garden of Earthly Delights. Each panel represents the three stages of alchemy, with the center being the Red Phase or divine union, ripe with fruit, retorts, sexual joyfulness, birds and creation symbolism. (Dixon, 2003) The Log Lady invokes this: “There are clues everywhere, all around us. But the puzzle maker is clever. The clues, although surrounding us, are somehow mistaken for something else. And the something else - the wrong interpretation of the clues - we call our world. Our world is a magical smoke screen. How should we interpret the happy song of the meadowlark, or the robust flavor of a wild strawberry?"
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Yet there are those who open many eyes.” Log Lady
"Shining Venus trembles afar, Earth's Higher Self, and with but one finger touches us." Buddhist proverb – The Key
Newton’s alchemical substance The Net, was inspired by the Greek mythology of the great romance between Venus and Mars. (Dobbs, 1983) The Red curtains inside the Lodge are the color of Venus (Aphrodite), goddess of love, marriage, balance and sex. In the Black Lodge are two Venuses: the objectified Venus de Milo symbolized Laura and the modest Venus Pudica, symbolic for Maddy. As Agent Cooper confronts BOB, the statues start to fade, eventually disappearing upon his failure to overcome the shadow self. Saturn, the god of time, has won. Venus is known as both the evening and morning star, the light bearer, bringing knowledge and enlightenment. Venus is Earth’s twin planet rotating backwards, reflected in the speech of the Lodge. In Chinese astrology she is associated with gold. The nature symbols for Venus are fruits and roses. In theosophy Venus is earth’s spirit.
Wagner’s Tannhäuser about the struggle between sacred and profane love at the grotto of Venus is epitomized in the two Venus of the Black Lodge. This is redemption through love of the higher self. Agent Cooper’s love for Annie lead to his possession by BOB, sacrificing himself for romantic love, of which Aphrodite is archetype. Known in mythology for love affairs ending in disaster, she is a metaphor for leading one to the threshold. Her Chinese equivalent is goddess Chuang Mu. In the final episode is a reenactment of Lady Venus’s tomb in the King’s treasury from the Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz within the bank. (Andreae, 2013) Audrey is Lady Venus, chained to the vault’s door in a mausoleum like tomb. The Rosicrucian ritual Vault of the Adepti, has a seven sided vault containing squares with drawers, as the bank has its safety deposit boxes. In the story, the Divine Wedding occurs through a death process. This scene ends after an explosion inside the vault.
"Turn your minds to our words, our ethereal words, for the words of the birds last forever.” Aristophanes - The Language of the Birds
Oracles are interpreters of the gods, as the will of heaven. Birds were oracular because they could fly between heaven and earth and carried messages from other worlds. It required the knowledge of an adept to decipher the coded language of the birds. Agent Cooper uses intuition to understand the strange language of the Lodge spirits. Spirits cannot think in logical patterns with rational minds so their communication is abstract, spoken in riddle, non-sequiturs, metaphors, or backwards, in a dreamlike state.
When The Man from Another Place gives Agent Cooper a clue about Laura’s murder, he says “Where we're from, the birds sing a pretty song and there's always music in the air.” This referred to the room Laura was held but also how they communicate with each other. Shamans use a liminal state to communicate with spirits in the twisted language, as spirits don’t exist in our limited space-time understanding. Tantric texts (Sandhyabhasa) are composed in a poetic, secret, inverted language written by Siddhas. Eliade and Max Muller described the language of the birds as an enigmatic, hidden language.
“I’ll see you and you’ll see me, in the branches that blow in the breeze, under the Sycamore Trees.” Jimmy Scott -Nature Symbolism
Trees embody the connection between heaven and earth and creation knowledge. They symbolize strength and immortality. Trees are bridges between two worlds, the lower half rooted in earth, while the upper ascends to heaven. The Taoist systems Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches of Space Time reference trees because of their longevity. (Wu, 2014) Wind is the breath of life, in which spirits speak or travel, so in Twin Peaks scenes of wind blowing through tress is an ominous sign. The rustling of leaves is said to contain ancient wisdom for those who listen. In Egyptian mythology, twin Sycamore Trees facing east formed the gateway to the afterlife, similar to the Sycamore trees surrounding the entrance to the Black Lodge. They are also grown on burial sites, on which Twin Peaks was built. Douglas trees symbolizes strength, past/future, and purification rites.
To be one with the trees is to know Life within your own spirit - Chief Sequoia
Native Americans called trees The Standing People, as they contain the Great Spirit. (Mullins, 2014) The Cherokee myth Legend of the Cedar Tree, about balance between dualities and rebirth of spirits into trees, may explain The Log Lady’s husband inside the log and Josie Packard’s spirit inhabiting the Great Northern’s mantle and drawer handle. The cave represents immortality and the Tao, as repositories of purified Qi, so monks meditated in caves. The Taoist canon is divided into sections called caves, and the caves within the body are containers of energy.
"The Owls Are Not What They Seem” the Owls
The owl is the bird of Athena and Minerva, goddesses of wisdom, strategy and magic. As nocturnal birds with silent flight and heightened senses, they represent intuition, mysticism and keepers of secrets. In some cultures they are bad omens or harbingers of death. Choctaw lore thought of the horned owl (Ishkitini) as a threatening, foreboding bird with a terrifying shriek. Owls are guardians of the underworld and the dead and can see or communicate with spirits. It is because of this they have the power to travel between two worlds. Their association with magicians and witchcraft, especially in Native American lore and The Witchery Way, Owls are an ideal form of shape shifting or Therianthropy. The Pictograph of Owl Cave had a stone protrusion in the center, engraved with an owl symbol in flight. When Windham turns this sideways, the symbol becomes the rune Inguz, meaning isolation or separation. This symbol is found on the ring associated with the Lodges. Owl’s abilities to regurgitate impurities from its digestive system is symbolic of the alchemical process itself. Their ability to see in darkness associates them with the shadows, dreams and subconscious.
“Alchemy is only that which makes the impure pure by means of fire. Though not all fires do burn, it is however only Fire and continues to be Fire that interests us.” Paracelsus
Shaman invite possession by spirits to acquire knowledge as oracles, sometimes with wrathful spirits. If BOB is a spiritual entity, Cooper may have invited himself to become possessed at the end. As an internal struggle, the mirror cracking was symbolic of his fractured psyche. But in the eternal cycles of death and rebirth, he will have another chance to begin again.
"Man, know thyself. Thou art the Flame, and thy bodies are the living altar." Manly P Hall
Fire Walk With Me.