Transactional Analysis Journal

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Script Analysis and Change in the Rosarium

Philosophorum

John Nuttall

To cite this article: John Nuttall (2003) Script Analysis and Change in the
Rosarium�Philosophorum , Transactional Analysis Journal, 33:3, 231-245, DOI:
10.1177/036215370303300305

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 Script Analysis and Change
in the Rosarium Philosophorum
John Nuttall

Abstract that the Child can say "but this is what I want
Eric Berne (1972/1992) wrote that one aim to do, and I would rather do it my own way"
of script analysis is to free people "so that (p.131).
they can open the garden oftheir aspirations Berne followed Freud in postulating the pres-
to the world" (p.131). Such aspirations were ence of libidinal and destructive forces in peo-
conceptualized as a derivative of physis, the ple as individuals or in groups, but he also be-
growth force of nature that works against lieved that there exists alongside these drives
the limiting forces of the script. This "open- an innate aspirational tendency that is derived
ing" brings awareness of the "moving selt" from the "creative force of nature ... which
(p. 248) and the self's many ego states. The eternally strives to make things grow and to
author argues that this process is similar to make growing things more perfect" (Berne,
what Jung called "individuation" (Jung, 1947/1971, p. 98). He equated this force with
1946/1969a, p. 158). Jung believed this psy- the ancient Greek concept ofphysis. This con-
chic process was allegorized in the ancient cept was elaborated by the pre-Socratic philo-
alchemical text of the Rosarium Philoso- sopher Heraclitus, who believed nature (physis)
phorum, which he used to describe his "psy- was in a constant yet harmonious state of flux,
chology of the transference" (Jung, 1946/ "that nothing ever is, everything is becoming"
1998). This article compares the metapsy- (cited in Russell, 1946/1975, p. 63). Later phil-
chology of transactional analysis with the osophers gave the concept a more teleological
different stages of the Rosarium and illus- perspective, and "in Aristotle, the 'nature'
trates their coincidence with the use of a (Physis) of a thing is its 'end' or the good to-
case vignette. The article concludes that wards which it tends, its final cause, that state
there are curious parallels, giving transac- in which its 'natural' development culminates"
tional analysis an archetypal and transper- (Lovejoy & Boas, 1973, p. 450). At the indi-
sonal dimension perhaps not fully appre- vidual level it represents "change or growth
ciated by the psychotherapy community. which comes from the spirit within the person"
(Geurriere, 1980, p. 100). Berne believed that
physis worked in conjunction with the psychic
In What Do You Say After You Say Hello?, organs of the individual to help them fulfill
Berne (1972/1992) wrote, their aspirations and achieve a happy life.
All men and all women have their secret "Physis . . . if properly nourished in infancy
gardens, whose gates they guard against works along with the Superego" (Berne, 1947/
the profane invasion of the vulgar crowd. 1971, p. 142); he linked physis to the counter-
These are visual pictures of what they script and individual aspiration (Berne, 1972/
would do if they could do as they please. 1992, p. 56).
The lucky ones find the right time, place, According to Heraclitus, "Physis loves to
and person, and get to do it, whilst the rest hide" (cited in Kahn, 1981, p. 105). This is
must wander wistfully outside their own something that Berne (1947/1971) understood
walls. (p. 130) when he wrote, "Perhaps Physis does not exist
This was an acknowledgment by Berne that at all, but ... there are so many things which
every individual has his or her autonomous as- happen as if there were such a force, that it is
piration. He considered the aim of script analy- easier to understand human beings if we
sis to be to free people "so that they can open suppose that it does exist" (p. 99). Accordingly,
the garden oftheir aspirations to the world," so in his version ofthe script matrix (Figure 1), he

Vol. 33, No.3. July 2003 23/

JOHN NUTTALL

Father Mother

A = I Want It
My Own Way"

S = Script
=
C Counterscript
R = Release
A = Aspiration
A Hard-Working Winner =
P Pattern

Figure 1
Berne's Script Matrix

showed such organismic forces of aspiration "feeling of Self' and their "free cathexis"
rising from the depths of the Child in the Child, (Berne, 1972/1992, p. 249) from one ego state
flowing against the downward limiting forces to another as an act of will. In this way the
of script (Berne, 1972/1992, p. 128). Adult ego state learns to cathect the other ego
The ultimate aim of transactional analysis- states as and when required and as and when
to free individuals from their script and liberate appropriate to the here and now. Individuals
their aspirations-ean be seen as the emer- are freed to fulfill their aspirations and build an
gence ofphysis from hiding within the indivi- autonomous sense of self. It seems that "free
dual psyche. This view of nature's healing cathexis" and the "feeling of self" are in some
force was emphasized by Paracelsus, the 16th way connected, and both probably originate
century healer and alchemist; "the physician is from the earliest somatic or organismic experi-
only the servant of nature, not her master. ence of self. Berne originally conceptualized
Therefore it behooves medicine to follow the this "principle of the Moving Self' (see pp.
will of nature" (Moore, 1992, p. 12). This sen- 248-254) as something that sustained the script,
timent was echoed by Berne (1966) when he in which the individual moves from one ego
quoted Agnew, "We treat them, but it is God state to another, out of Adult awareness, trans-
who cures them" (p, 63). forming bound into unbound cathexis. He also
In transactional analysis, being script free is believed that this "feeling of Self is indepen-
a condition in which individuals can shift their dent ofall the other properties ofego states and

232 Transactional Analysis Journal

 SCRIPT ANALYSIS AND CHANGE IN THE ROSARJUM PHlLOSOPHORUM

of what the ego state is doing or experiencing" In 1946 Jung published The Psychology of
(p. 249). I think the metaphor of the moving the Transference wherein he connected the
self is equally appropriate for the healthy per- psychotherapeutic process to an ancient al-
sonality, except that in such cases the Adult is chemical text called the Rosarium Philoso-
able "to remember and to take full responsi- phorum [The Philosopher's Rosary]. Although
bility for the actions of all the real Selves" (p. he wrote "that this venture must be regarded as
254). Thus, the moving self may be thought of a mere experiment" (Jung, 1946/1998, p. 159),
as something that transcends or embraces a it represented an important contribution to con-
number ofego states and something that the in- temporary psychology. It brought attention to
dividual aspires to understand and be aware of. the historical and universal nature of the trans-
The idea that the ego is just one facet (or ferential relationship, and Jung (1961/1995)
complex) within a greater self is similar to the believed "that analytical psychology coincided
psyche conceptualized by Jung (1969b): in a most curious way with alchemy" (p. 231).
The ego stands to the self as the moved to I believe that transactional analysis also
the mover, or as object to subject, because coincides in a most curious way with the Ro-
the determining factors which radiate out sarium and that both describe a psychology of
from the self surround the ego on all sides growth and integration of the self. The various
and are therefore supraordinate to it. The characters and symbols in the Rosarium seem
self, like the unconscious, is an a priori illustrative of the various parts of the self, or
existent out of which the ego evolves. (p. ego states. These, when integrated during the
259) course of therapy, result in what the alchemists
In the same way, release from the script and the called "the new birth," what Jung referred to as
freeing of aspiration seems similar to what an individuated self, and what in transactional
Jung called "individuation," meaning "a move- analysis we might conceptualize as a healthy
ment towards wholeness by means of an inte- moving self.
gration of conscious and unconscious parts of There are strong similarities in the charac-
the personality" (Samuels, 1986, p. 102). teristics of the psyche that Jung and Berne
Jung (1946/1998) discovered that this pro- described, possibly because of a similarity in
cess of finding some kind of" 'wholeness,' their personalities. "This similarity in person-
'self,' 'consciousness,' 'higher ego,' or what ality types accounts for much in the two men's
you will' "(p. 157) was the subject of many of work," wrote Merlin (1977, p. 234); both de-
the ancient alchemical texts. He wrote of al- scribe the inner world as consisting of psychic
chemy, "I had stumbled upon the historical entities and relationships that are externalized
counterpart of my psychology of the uncon- in different ways of feeling, thinking, and be-
scious" (Jung, 1961/1995, p. 231), and it con- having. This was something that Jung (1961/
tributed significantly to the development of his 1995) became aware of in himself as a young
ideas on archetypes and the importance ofsym- boy when he recognized what he called his
bolism. Archetypes have been defined as "the number one and number two personalities (pp.
inherited part of the psyche; a hypothetical en- 35-50) and something Berne (1977) discovered
tity irrepresentable in itself and evident only in his early work on intuition and ego states.
through its manifestation" (Samuels, Shorter, Berne described these psychic entities as dis-
& Plaut, 1986, p. 26). Jung believed them to be torted copies and replays ofreal objects, which
derived from human experiences that have sometimes take on demonic characteristics like
been embossed on the minds of humanity by those of the magical Parent in the Child. Jung,
repetition throughout history, and they may be on the other hand, visualized his internal ob-
considered as innate psychological representa- jects as personalized precipitates of the arche-
tions of the instincts (Franz, 1980, p. 60). Phy- types of the collective unconscious. In his ac-
sis has been described as an archetype (Clark- count of his self-analysis, Jung (1961/1995)
son, 1996) and has probably several well- wrote ofseemingly hallucinatory conversations
known synonyms from the traditional "Great with his particular archetypal images of the
Mother Earth" to the postmodern "Big Bang." good and bad Anima and the Wise Old Man he

Vol. 33. No.3. July 2003 233

JOHN NUTTALL

called Philemon (p. 207). Arguably, these were The psychological aspect of the process is
variations of the Fairy Godmother, the Witch emphasized by Morienus, an early alchemist
Parent, and the Nurturing Parent ego states de- who wrote that knowledge about alchemy "is
scribed by Berne. lung's introspection became not to be acquired through force or passion. It
more meaningful when he began to study al- is to be won only by patience and humility and
chemy and discovered that "the experiences of by a determined and most perfect love" (cited
the alchemists were, in a sense, my experi- in Jung, 1944/1981, p. 272). This description
ences, and their world was my world" (p. 231). illustrates the mystical and spiritual quality of
In the following sections of this article I the search for the Philosopher's Stone or lapis,
compare the metapsychology of transactional which Jung believed was a synonym for the in-
analysis with that of the Rosarium opus and dividuated self.
highlight some of the common structural ele- In his study of the Latin alchemical texts,
ments. I also show how the various stages of lung came across one particular account of the
the Rosarium seem analogous to the concepts alchemical opus called the Rosarium Philoso-
of decontamination and redecision, which are phorum. It contains a series of pictures and as-
central to the change process in transactional sociated text that ostensibly describe the dubi-
analysis. ous marriage of a king and queen whose copu-
lation mystically produces a hermaphrodite that
The Rosarium Philosophorum represents a union of opposites. Jung believed
lung's fascination with alchemy began in the it offered the most lucid-albeit symbolic and
early 1930s when he first acquired a Chinese overtly sexual-representation of the psychic
alchemical text called The Golden Flower and experiences that the alchemists projected onto
then later a Latin text, the Artis Auriferae Vol- the chemical process (Stevens, 1990, p. 192).
umina Duo, dated 1593. He wrote in his auto- He saw in alchemy a symbol of the archetype
biography that understanding these texts "was of relationship, of the mysterium coniuctionis,
a task that kept me absorbed for more than a and felt the Rosarium offered the fullest ac-
decade" (Jung, 1961/1995, p. 231). "On one count of this process. The original treatise on
level, alchemy was an early form of chemistry which it was based probably dates from the 13th
and an attempt to make gold. On another, it century (Fabricius, 1994, p. 216), but it was ac-
was a mystical quest for God, immortality and tually written by an anonymous author around
a' golden' state ofspiritual perfection" (Caven- 1550 and describes the alchemical opus with
dish, 1980, p. 167), which the alchemists called the help of 20 woodcuts. Jung (1946/1998)
aurum philosophicum (philosophical gold) or used the first ten of these to illustrate his Psy-
the philosopher's stone. Jung discovered that chology ofthe Transference and wrote, "Every-
all the alchemical texts referred to one central thing that the doctor discovers and experiences
dilemma, that of the synthesis of opposites that when analysing the unconscious of his patient
the alchemists referred to as the mysterium coincides in the most remarkable way with the
coniunctionis. These texts symbolized the content ofthese pictures" (p. 36). I have shown
chemical transformation that took place during how this archetypal imagery might even mani-
the chemical experiments. However, Jung fest itself in social artifact such as architectural
(1944/1981) also believed that "while working design (Nuttall, 2002), and I will now discuss
on his chemical experiments the operator had how I believe it relates to the core concepts of
certain psychic experiences which appeared to transactional analysis.
him as the particular behaviour of the chemical
process" (p. 245). He understood these experi- The Mercurial Fountain
ences to be unconscious intrapersonal proces- This first picture (Figure 2) "goes straight to
ses that were projected partly onto the exper- the heart of alchemical symbolism" (Jung,
imentation itself and partly onto the intense 1946/1998, p. 41). It represents the vas Herme-
relationship that existed between the alchemist ticum, theplace were transformationtakes place.
and his assistant or soror mystica (Jung, 1946/ It depicts the opus in toto in that it contains all
1998, p. 57). the elements of the process in one picture. For

234 Transactional Analysis Journal

 SCRIPT ANALYSIS AND CHANGE IN THE ROSARIUM PHILOSOPHORUM

the script matrix. The top might represent the

more conscious influence of the Parent ego
ROSARIVM state, whereas the bottom-where smoke from
the dragon's fire descends-represents the
more unconscious relics of the past that con-
stitute the Child ego state, from which the
waters ofthe fountain emerge. The two-headed
serpent signifies the dual nature ofego states as
being both libidinal and destructive. This is
also emphasized by the sun and moon on either
side of the picture and signifies the dual nature
of script messages, which originate from both
the masculine (sun) and feminine (moon) par-
ental objects. Thus, the quaternity of stars rep-
resents the splitting of ego states into benevo-
lent and malevolent aspects at both the Parent
and Child level. The fifth star or quinta essen-
tia, positioned between the sun and moon, is
analogous, therefore, to the Adult ego state,
which through therapy becomes the integrating
and mediating aspect of the self.
The fountain itself represents the core and
dynamic nature of the human mind, which in
transactional analysis is seen as emerging from
the Child ego state. The three pipes ofthe foun-
Figure 2 tain are labeled lac virginis (virgin's milk),
The Mercurial Fountain acetumfontis (vinegar), and aqua vitae (water
of life), three of the innumerable synonyms
given to the Mercurial spirit, which "stands for
example, the four stars, contained by the the mysterious psychic substance which nowa-
squareness of the picture, represent the uninte- days we would call the unconscious psyche"
grated aspect of the four ancient elements. The (1946/1998, p. 79). Continuing the analogy,
fifth star in the center is the quinta essentia, they represent the different nature ofthe energy
"the 'One' derived from the four" (p. 41); it flows from the three psychic organs postulated
represents the integration and synergy of the by Berne. The archeopsychic forces are natural
process and is situated importantly between the and naive (lac virginis); the exteropsychic
sun and moon, symbols of light and darkness, probably more mature, critical, and sour (ace-
male and female. The roundness ofthe fountain tum fontis); and the neopsychic are free and
itself represents the perfect form into which sentient (aqua vitae). They might equally sym-
this square must be changed. It is a closed bolize the three kinds of cathexis postulated by
dynamic system in which the three pipes pour Berne as unbound, bound, and free, respec-
back into the pool. The waters of the fountain tively.
are one of the manifestations of the spirit of As the opening picture, The Mercurial Foun-
Mercurius, "the wily god of revelation" (p. 24). tain is a montage of the dynamic process of al-
He is otherwise known as Hermes Trismegis- chemy and the environment of transformation,
tus, the mysterious originator of alchemy, with which in transactional analysis starts with the
whose ubiquitous mediation the alchemists treatment contract. Equally, it is symbolic of
believed transformation took place. the cyclic or repetitive nature of the psyche,
This picture is analogous to Berne's model typically manifested in the script and racket
of the psyche with the squareness representing system (Erskine & Zalcman, 1979), which can
the structural characteristics of ego states and often be observed in the first therapy session.

Vol. 33. No.3. July 2003 235

JOHN NUTTALL

which are identified with the sun and moon at

the base of the picture. These are analogous,
perhaps, to the dual nature of Parent and Child
ego states, which can be critical or nurturing
and adapted or free, respectively. Equally, it
may represent the kind of unhealthy symbiosis
sometimes present in adult relationships
(Schiff, 1977), and overall it seems symbolic of
the life position. As in the previous picture, the
quintessential star represents the Adult ego
state, identified here with the dove of the Holy
Ghost, which attempts to mediate the three
types of psychic energy and the dual nature of
the ego states. The meaning of the dove is
made clear in the following picture by the in-
scription' Spiritus est qui vivicat' (it is the spir-
it that vivifies) and represents physis, the force
of nature working along with the forces of
personality. As Berne (1947/1971) wrote, "We
may regard this as a fourth force ofpersonality
besides the Ego, Superego and Id" (p. 98).
Jung thought this picture illustrated uncon-
scious aspects of the self. Both king and queen
are fully clothed and disguised, and "the fig-
Figure 3 ures represent contents which have been pro-
The King and Queen jected from the unconscious of the adept (and
his soror mystica)" (Jung, 1946/1998, p. 57).
This corresponds to the transferential relation-
The King and Queen ship between client and therapist (pp. 58-62),
This picture (Figure 3) illustrates the union which is typically exhibited in ulterior trans-
of opposites and shows the king and queen actions, games, and racketeering.
coming together in marriage; it "depicts a hu-
man encounter where love plays the decisive The Naked Truth
part" (Jung, 1946/1998, p. 55). However, con- The Naked Truth (Figure 4) shows that the
trary to marriage custom, they give their left relationship has "developed into a stark en-
hands to each other, an indication of the "in- counter with reality with no false veils or
auspicious and awkward" nature of the union, adornments of any kind" (Jung, 1946/1998, p.
which Jung believed represented an incestuous 77). Jung felt this was the state in which the
relationship similar to that of the Oedipus individual shows his or her shadow and in so
myth. The left represents the dark, unconscious doing moves toward wholeness. The text
side, "the side of the heart, from which comes alongside this woodcut says:
not only love but all the evil thoughts con- He who would be initiated into this art and
nected with it" (p. 49). The right hands hold secret wisdom must put away the vice of
branches that cross with a third branch held by arrogance, must be devout, righteous,
the dove of the Holy Ghost descending from deep-witted, humane towards his fellows,
the quintessential star. Jung believed that the of cheerful countenance and a happy dis-
three branches continue the theme of the Mer- position, and respectful withal. (p. 74)
curial triplex nomine represented by the three This is a good description of the person-to-
pipes of the fountain, which signify the dyna- person relationship that is a feature ofAdult-to-
mics of the psyche. Thus, the king and queen Adult relating. The two figures now face each
symbolize dubiously related parts of the self, other, and the contact of the left hands has

236 Transactional Analysis Journal

 SCRIPT ANALYSIS AND CHANGE IN THE ROSARIUM PHILOSOPHORUM

ceased. From here on the figures are naked,

which suggests that this stage is the beginning
of a real relationship that continues to playa
role throughout the process. In transactional
analysis therapy, it represents the beginning of
the decontamination of the Adult ego state
from Parent and Child influences. However,
the presence of the three branches indicates
that the script is stilI immanent, and further
self-reflection and exploration into the uncon-
scious is required. In fact, this is the subject of
the next picture.

Immersion in the Bath

The Immersion in the Bath (Figure 5) takes
us back to the mercurial fountain and "is
clearly a descent into the unconscious" (lung,
1946/1998, p. 83). lung (1944/1981) likened it
to "a return to the dark initial state, to the am-
niotic fluid of the gravid uterus" (p. 79), a re-
pressed state that might be likened to what
Grof (1996) has called the "perinatal level of
the unconscious" (p, 497). Here we find the
young king and queen (the Child ego state) im-
Figure 4 mersed in the unconscious, leaving the Adult
The Naked Truth ego (identified with the dove) relatively con-
scious. This descent into the unconscious rep-
resents the further process ofself-reflection and
benign regression that occurs in therapy when
the split aspects of the Parent in the Child can
be experienced again and faced in a safe and
conducive setting. This picture signals the be-
ginning of a reparative relationship in which
the therapist offers the potency of a new Adult
paradigm for relating to the world.

The Coniunctio
The theme of therapeutic potency is con-
firmed in this picture (Figure 6), which repre-
sents not a release of the unconscious gratifi-
cation of instincts, but a mystical union, which
"brings to birth something, that is one and
united" (lung, 1946/1998, p. 86). The coitus
takes place in water and is symbolic of the
chemical combination of the prima materia in
the mercurial medium. Psychologically, this
represents the beginning of integration of con-
scious and unconscious parts ofthe self; as part
Figure 5 of the text confirms, "They that were two are
Immersion in the Bath made one, as though of one body" (p. 85). The
dove and the three branches have disappeared

Vol. 33. No.3. July 2003 237

JOHN NUTTALL

Death
In this picture (Figure 7) and the following
woodcut, the "vas hermeticum, fountain and
sea, have become sarcophagus and tomb"
(lung, 1946/1998, p. 95), confirmation that the
Parent and Child ego states are decathected and
without energy. The alchemists called this part
of the process the nigredo because it signifies
the dead and burnt out nature of the prima
materia. Psychologically, it corresponds to the
depression that clients feel at the loss of their
internal objects and the parts ofthemselves that
identified with them. It was considered a
dangerous stage for the alchemists because the
chemical fumes were at their worst and explo-
sion was possible (Stevens, 1990, p. 235); the
psychic equivalent would be deep melancholia
Figure 6 or psychosis.
The Coniunctio The chemical results of this stage seem to be
a black mass of combined material in a state of
flux. Thus, from here on the pictures depict the
as if the forces they represent are no longer couple as a joined hermaphroditic being. lung
manifest. This equates to the point in transac- wrote (1946/1998), "Not that the new person-
tional analysis therapy when the Parent and ality is a third thing between conscious and un-
Child ego states cease to be experienced as conscious, it is both together ... it can no long-
anomalous but are remembered and recognized er be called 'ego' but must be given the name
states that can be cathected at will. Thus, phy- of 'self' "(p. 103).
sis has triumphed, and the three forces of per-
sonality now integrated are no longer apparent. The Ascent of the Soul
There is at this stage a synthesis of the sense of The Ascent of the Soul (Figure 8) suggests
self under the control of the Adult and the start that something is relinquished during this
of decathexis of aberrant Parent and Child ego chemical process, as a homunculus is released
states. from the combined couple. lung suggested that
the soul "is a function of relationship" (lung,
1946/1998, p. 105) and is the vinculum that
binds body and spirit. Thus, what is being re-
linquished in the alchemist's experiment is the
old chemical relationship ofthe prima materia.
This can be likened to the loss of symbiotic
relationships and familiar ways of relating
(games, rackets, etc). The picture illustrates the
relinquishing of the script and bad object rela-
tionships in the form of the homunculus and
the consequent putrefaction of the old person-
ality in the form of the tomb. This often results
in a "dark state of disorientation" (p. 105), and
it is at this stage in psychotherapy that the cli-
ent needs a potent and protective therapist
Figure 7 (Crossman, 1966) to support a fragile ego dur-
Death ing a period of self-reflection and working
through.

238 Transactional Analysis Journal

 SCRIPT ANALYSIS AND CHANGE IN THE ROSARIUM PHiLOSOPHORUM

Purification
Here (Figure 9) the tomb and body are
cleansed with the "waters of wisdom" (lung,
1946/1998, p. 112). In alchemy, this is the
stage of whitening or albedo; it represents the
process of adding water or other liquids to the
burnt out substance, thus distilling away the
impurities to leave some form of new com-
pound that might have use. This corresponds to
the therapeutic process of uncovering all the
different levels and origins of the script and
counterscript and confronting games and racke-
teering. It involves the dissolution of Parental
programming and a process of"taking back our
projections" through which "one becomes quiet
and can look at the thing from an objective
angle" (Franz, 1980, p. 222). The result is a
lifting of the depression of the nigredo and an
emergence into a brighter state of well-being
(Fabricius, 1994, p. 115). This stage represents
the decontamination and strengthening of the
Adult ego state in therapy, which allows the
Figure 8 client to begin to see reality with some objec-
The Ascent of the Soul tivity and clarity. The therapist can now be per-
ceived as a real person and not the bad or idea-
lized object of the transference.

Return of the Soul

The theme mentioned with regard to Figure
8 continues in the Return of the Soul (Figure
10), wherein the homunculus dives from
heaven to breathe life into the dead body. Ac-
cording to Jung, the homunculus represents the
combination of body and spirit, of life and
meaning, and the newly integrated self is rep-
resented by the hermaphrodite. The return of
the soul therefore represents what Berne (1961/
1987) described as the "reclamation of the
Child' (p. 246). "At a certain point ... he is ca-
pable of breaking out of his script entirely and
putting his own show on the road, with new
characters, new roles and a new plot and pay-
off' (Berne, 1972/1992, p. 362). This is a point
of redecision (Goulding & Goulding, 1976)
when splits in the personality are healed and
the internal world has a new model on which to
base its future relationships.

Figure 9 The New Birth

Purification
This picture (Figure 11) shows a somewhat
ecstatic rebirth of the united king and queen

Vol. 33, No.3. July 2003 239

JOHN NUTTALL

with outstretched wings, denoting triumph and

spirituality (Jung, 1946fl998, p. 152). It repre-
sents a rather grotesque ending for the opus-
"a hideous abortion and a perversion ofnature"
that Jung felt was due to the limited under-
standing of the alchemists of the Middle Ages,
who were overtaken by their instinctive sexu-
ality. "Nature could say no more than that the
combination ofsupreme opposites was a hybrid
thing" (pp. 154-155). I think the picture gives
a sense of the celebration of the integrated self.
First, it represents the strengthening of the
Adult over the "moving self," represented by
the three-headed mercurial serpent (the bound
cathexis of the three ego states) on the left,
which becomes a one-headed serpent (the free
cathexis ofa healthy moving self) on the right.
Second, it celebrates the mastery ofthe process
itself, which is signified by the blossoming of
the sun and moon tree-s-the arborphilosophica.
Decontamination (purification) and redeci-
sion (return of the soul) have given the indivi-
Figure 10 dual the strength to accept the good and bad of
Retum of the Soul real life, with the sense that the new self will
prevail and that the process will continue.
However, the grotesque nature of the hybrid
might suggest that the process is not complete,
that in a therapeutic sense there is still much
more working through and self-reflection to be
done. Jung did not elaborate this in The Psy-
chology ofthe Transference, but the Rosarium
does consist of another ten woodcuts, and "its
entire structure is thus seen to form a long pro-
cess of transformation including four stages of
conjunction and four traumatic acts of rebirth"
(Fabricius, 1994, p. 233).

The Final Rebirth

The last of the 20 woodcuts (Figure 12) de-
picts the resurrected being as the glorified body
of Christ, the alchemical lapis philosophorum,
which Jung felt was a synonym for a fully indi-
viduated self. In transactional analysis, this
would equate to a state of self-development
wherein free cathexis-in which the feeling of
selfresides-is mediated by the Adult ego state
and can cathect at will other ego states appro-
priate to reality (Berne, 1966, p. 306).
Figure 11 This picture summarizes the alchemical pro-
The New Birth
cess, which illustrates a continuous cycle of
coniunctio and rebirth that constitutes an opus

240 Transactional Analysis Journal

 SCRIPT ANALYSIS AND CHANGE IN THE ROSARIUM PHILOSOPHORUM

he needed to make. I saw him weekly for about

6 months, during which time he explored his
relationships, cognitively reassessed their in-
fluence, and revealed a spiritual core self that
wanted to be assertive and free.
Born in Gibralter to middle-aged parents,
Stephen has much older brothers and sisters
and felt like an only child. His father, an army
officer, died when Stephen was in his teens,
and his mother died some years later after a
long illness. After a short period in the army
himself, he went to live with his sister, during
which time he met his girlfriend and business
partner, Philipa. A few years later Philipa died
and the business collapsed, leaving a huge void
in Stephen's life. He wanted to rebuild his life
and find some meaning to things.
The following are salient excerpts from the
early sessions.
After Philipa 's death I had to fight to sur-
vive, one thing after another; now I am
faced with choices. I need to find some
Figure 12 meaning, yet I'm scared and pissed off.
The Final Rebirth My family care very much, but they don't
understand. I like things to be simple. I
like structure and things to be under con-
circulatorum. This is a state in which nature trol. I don't want to become bitter, angry,
finds itself and that we would today refer to as and sad like my mother after my father
evolution (Murray, 1955, p. 215). This cyclical died.
change is symbolized in alchemy by the mythi- There seemed to be a part of Stephen that had
cal uroboros, the snake or dragon eating its to try to be perfect and please others. He ex-
own tail. It "is an emblem of the eternal, cyclic plained anxiously that this was not the case, but
nature of the universe" (Klossowski de Rola, 1 felt he was trying hard to please me by seem-
1973, p. 32) and is one of the many synonyms ing perfectly balanced.
for physis (Clarkson, 1996). The symbolism I'm more organized than last time, and
and narrative of the Rosarium suggest that more composed. I think you are right, I do
change of a transpersonal, inexplicable, and try hard to make things, and myself, per-
spiritual nature was taking place in the minds fect. I suppose I just need time and pa-
of the adept and his soror during the chemical tience. I don't know where I belong. We
experimentation. Jung brought this analogy to moved so much when I was a child. My
psychology, but Berne also believed that a sim- jlatmate has reacted to my overwhelming
ilar process is at work in the client and in the him. I've been doing everything for him
client/therapist relationship. As Berne (1947/ and the jlat, and he just doesn't want it.
1971) wrote, "It is easier to understand human I'll have to move soon, before our friend-
beings if we suppose that it (Physis) does exist" ship is damaged. I'mfrightened I will dis-
(p.99). appoint someone. (I asked what would
happen if he did.) I'd be sad, and also
Clinical Vignette frightened. (Pause.) My mother was so
Stephen, a single man in his thirties, pre- proud ofme, I was a real mummy's boy.
sented with acute anxiety, depression, and an But Ifeared her wrath-just her look! I'm
inability to cope with the life decisions he felt lazy and had it too easy; now I'm out in

Vol. 33. No.3, July 2003 241

JOHN NUTTALL

the world on my own and I don't know my things. It's not the right place. I re-
how to put things right. I need goals and member a conversation with a friend
objectives. I'm just like my dad in this re- about demons and angels. Ifeel like I have
gard. We weren't close, but I loved his lec- a demon inside, my laziness at getting to
tures about how to handle things in life; he the bottom ofthings. I feel there is some-
used to like people to like him. He was in thing deeper-a spiritual core that could
the forces, but he didn't make it, not like be assertive, confident, and free. There's
my uncles who were big achievers. a curtain between thisperson and me, who
Stephen was describing his mercurial foun- fears responsibility, rejection, and being
tain. First, there was his counterscript of trying misunderstood.
hard to be in control, to please others, and gen- I suggested that he protected this frightened yet
erally to be compliant. These attributes pre- spiritual selfby his compliance and asked with
sented in his attitude toward me and seemed to whom he felt he needed to be this way.
have been copied from an idealized father. Sec- Oh mum, I always had to please her; I
ond, there were some indications of the under- needed her approval! She was very' ma-
lying script messages of Don't Be You, Don't nipulative, and just a look would kill. She
Belong, and Don't Make It, injunctions rein- didn't let me be me.
forced by his mother's "look ofwrath." He felt In the third session, Stephen said, "I like to
compelled to "put things right" in case "friend- feel I'm on the right path, and there's a feeling
ship is damaged." His life position (the king I get when things are right." I thought this
and queen) seemed to be something like "I'm might be a reflection of his counterscript, but
OK (or I can belong, etc.) if I try hard and then he said, "I'd like to talk to you about my
please others, who are sometimes OK and spirituality. I want to know more about me-
sometimes not OK." This life position was re- where does it come from, and where I want to
inforced by the game "See How Hard I've go." He said that he had become more spiritual
Tried," in which he tries hard to please only to in the last few months. These desires seemed
find that his efforts are never good enough script free and more representative of the kind
-just like his father, who "didn't make it." of aspirational drive Berne wrote about.
Stephen was quick to recognize his counter- As he got in touch with the many aspects of
script and how it supported his fragile and his self, Stephen began to feel lonely, confused,
angry inner self or Child that wanted to be rec- unfocused, and scared and considered his new
ognized. With this came awareness ofhis anger flat to be soulless. What followed this immer-
toward his impinging mother and the fact that sion in the bath and ascent ofthe soul was the
part of his childhood was suppressed and un- emergence of another selfthat wanted to be as-
happy (the naked truth). Working through this sertive, confident, and free. This was different
"I'm not OK" position seemed to be what the from the compliant self that feared responsi-
next stage of the counsel ing was about (the im- bility, rejection, and being misunderstood. As
mersion in the bath). these two selves became more integrated, he
I want to change, to be better, to know said pensively, "That makes me feel stronger;
more about me! There are parts that are just recognizing that makes a difference al-
very strong and parts that are weak. There ready. They are both there all the time, but I
is something inside that wants to be more think there's a third person in between the one
confident and to find peace and be who is strong and the one in touch with the
recognized. I always feel I don't belong. esoteric."
Maybe I will move back to my hometown. I felt this was a turning point for Stephen, the
Everything is hard, nothing's easy. I just return of the soul. In the subsequent sessions
want a peaceful life; I'm not trying to hide he made decisions to move close to old friends
away. How do I stop feeling lonely, con- and to dispose of his memorabilia. This repre-
fused, unfocused, and scared? My newflat sented his new ability to remain in touch with
is bleak, even in the summer. It's so soul- the many parts of himselfbut to deal with them
less and cold. I still haven 't unpacked all appropriately. This was an indication that his

242 Transactional Analysis Journal

 SCRIPT ANALYSIS AND CHANGE IN THE ROSARJUM PHILOSOPHORUM

sense of self was more freely cathected and This is usually accompanied by ... striv-
able to move about his many ego states free ing towards connectedness with spiritual,
from Parental programming. Extracts from the religious or transcendental values .... The
closing sessions show how this new birth pre- core self can be conceptualised as the or-
sented itself: ganising principle ofPhysis. (p. 197)
I'd like to know more about life, under-
stand things. There's something beautiful Conclusion
about lift and living things. I'm feeling so lung (1946/1998) wrote, "The theoria of al-
well, and I've made my mind up to go cherny ... is for the most part a projection of
back. I'm gradually selling some of my unconscious contents, of those archetypal
memorabilia, silly things that remind me forms which are characteristic ofall pure phan-
ofPhilip a and my parents. I know Philipa tasy products, such as are to be met with in
and my mum would be pleased with my myths and fairy tales" (p. 159). Berne (1961/
decision. I'm leaving the more precious 1987) also recognized such archetypal residues
things with my sister. I'll take some with in scripts, which he felt had "awesome proto-
me; others I've dumped, some I'll sell. types in Greek literature" (p. 129). lung (1946/
Seeming at peace, he recounted a scene as a 1998) believed that the Rosarium, "whose sub-
boy of swimming in the sea and looking up at stance derives from centuries of mental effort"
the sky. He remembered its spiritual meaning (p. 159), was such a prototype, a metaphor for
for him and how he felt so much a part of the the internal process ofpersonality development
"father sun, mother sea and earth." or change to a fully individuated self. Berne
It seemed Stephen was prepared to let go of believed that such psychic change was ener-
the strong, needy attachment he had for his gized by physis, the mysterious force of nature
mother and girlfriend, acknowledging some of that helps the individual to develop an autono-
the anger and frustration he felt in these rela- mous sense of self free of archaic influence but
tionships. He was thus able to mourn the loss nevertheless able to call on experience when
of these love objects more thoroughly and let needed-in other words, a healthy moving self
them go (the ascent of the soul). This allowed that is able to travel freely around a variety of
a Free Child to emerge that trusted the Nurtur- ego states under Adult functioning. Although
ing Parent and the belief that his mother and he did not suggest this was a transcendental
girlfriend would have supported his move to an state, Berne (1972/1992) wrote of his theory of
easier life, away from London. He realized he structural analysis:
did not have to try hard always or to please oth- It does not deal, formally at least, with the
ers; a new self emerged that could please itself essence of being, the Self. It deliberately
(the return of the soul). In the last two sessions provides a concept which is beyond its
Stephen expressed sadness and fear but also province, the construct of free cathexis,
excitement and hope, which I felt was authentic wherein that self resides, and thereby sets
(the new birth). Ofcourse, I wondered whether aside a whole field ... for philosophers,
his show of health was an acting out of the metaphysicians, theologians and poets to
game "See How Hard I'm Trying," but I do deal with as they see fit. (p. 396)
believe he took with him the ability to examine Psychic energy can be viewed as a derivative
his script and games as well as the example of ofphysis, and "without the experience ofPhy-
an Adult-to-Adult relationship that would allow sis there is not the energy, the belief, or the ca-
him increased autonomy and reflectivity. pacity to even use help" (Clarkson, 1992, p.
As Clarkson (1992) wrote, 209). In the case of Stephen, the release from
In psychotherapy we discover over and script influence gave him the energy, the free
over again that as clients get closer to their cathexis, to take control of his life, to let go of
true self ... (which always involves a the past, and to aspire to new things. In the Ro-
sense ofsomatic and organismic integrity), sarium this energy seems to be ubiquitous and
they connect more profoundly with an takes many forms, from the waters of the foun-
inner healing and actualising drive.... tain, to the dove of the Holy Ghost, and finally

Vol. 33. No.3. July 2003 243

JOHN NUTTALL

to the three-headed serpent. lung recognized Psychotherapy, has just submitted his Ph.D.,
these as representations of the spirit of Mer- and has written a number ofarticles on man-
curius, the mythical first alchemist otherwise agement andpsychotherapy. He is chair ofthe
known as Hermes Trismegistus (Hermes the West London Centre for Counselling and a
Thrice Greatest). His mystical characteristics visiting lecturer in integrativepsychotherapy at
are derived from the Greek god Hermes and his Regent's College, London. Please send reprint
Egyptian analogue Thoth, and he "stands as an requests to him at 6 Vaughan Ave., London,
archetype oftransformation through reconcilia- W6 OXS, England; email: johnnuttall@-
tion of the opposites" (HoeJler, 1996, p. 27). tinyworld.co.uk.
Hermes was the son of Zeus, whom Heraclitus
believed was the embodiment of physis. In REFERENCES
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Hermaphroditus, who later became one body Berne, E. (1971). A layman's guide to psychiatry and
with the nymph Salmacis. Thus, it seems that psychoanalysis. London: Penguin Books. (Original
Berne's acknowledgment of physis (and its work published 1947 as The mind in action)
Berne, E. (1977). Intuition and ego states (P. McCor-
"new birth" by Clarkson [1992, 1996]) offers
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and the Rosarium. This connection brings with therapy: A systematic individual and social psychi-
it the possibility of an "enhanced awareness of atry. New York: Ballantine Books. (Original work
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Berne, E. (1992). What do you say after you say hello?:
dimension to our endeavours" (Clarkson, 1992, The psychology of human destiny. London: Corgi
p.208). Books. (Original work published 1972)
Berne's theories of ego states, scripts, and Cavendish, R. (1980). Christianity. In R. Cavendish
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156-169). London: Orbis Publishing.
with the Rosarium Philosophorum. They offer Clarkson, P. (1992). Transactional analysis psycho-
transactional analysis a mystical and archetypal therapy: An integrated approach. London: Routledge.
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Of course, this is my story about alchemy and Journal/or Jungian Studies. 42(1), 70-93.
Crossman, P. (1966). Permission and protection. Trans-
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Franz, M. von (1980). Alchemy. Toronto: Inner City
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clitus (pp. 86-134). Tuscaloosa: University of Ala-
some respects is mysterious; that things happen bama Press.
and can be experienced which remain inexplic- Goulding, R. L., & Goulding, M. M. (1976). Injunctions,
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tion theory, he followed a management career Jung, C. G. (1969a). On the nature ofthe psyche (R. F. C.
and was director ofa number ofcompanies in Hull, Trans.). London: Routledge. (Original work pub-
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Jung, C. G. (1969b). Transformation in the mass. In H.
Chartered Marketer and a member of the Read, M. Fordham, & G. Adler (Eds.), C. G. Jung:
Chartered Management Institute. He has a The collected works (Vol. II, Psychology and reli-
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Kahn, C. (1981). The art and thought of Heraclitus. don: Allen and Unwin. (Original work published
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Klossowski de Rola, S. (1973). Alchemy: The secret art. Samuels, A. (1986). Jung and the post Jungians. Lon-
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Lovejoy, A., & Boas, G. (1973). Primitivism and related Samuels, A., Shorter, 8., & Plaut, F. (1986). A critical
areas in antiquity. New York: Farrar, Straus, & dictionary ofJungian analysis. London: Routledge &
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(pp. 217-238). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Perspectives in Transactional Analysis

by Muriel James
Includes 20 essays covering a wide range of topics, including basic transactional analysis
principles/techniques, fascinating accounts of Muriel's own life and her relationship with
Eric Berne, the drama of cultural scripts, techniques for personality structural change,
spirituality and the human spirit, and special applications of transactional analysis in clinical
and organizational settings. Previously published and edited for this volume, many of these
papers are no longer available elsewhere.

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Vol. 33. No.3. July 2003 245