Alchemy is a type of speculative thought that serves various purposes, one of them being transforming base metals like copper or lead into silver or gold; to discover a cure for disease, and a way of extending life. The central artifact of Alchemy is to be able to transmute base metals into gold, create the elixir of life, and perform various other wondrous feats. According to alchemists, one way to create this is through the Magnum Opus (the Philosopher’s stone). The Magnum Opus is the main artifact of Alchemy – it is said that it can transform base metals into gold, create the elixir of life, etc.

According to alchemists, to create the Magnum Opus, one must be in possession of something called Prima Materia (First Matter), which they believed to be the original form of matter, and everything in the universe is a variation of that. You can move to Step 1, Nigredo (Blackening), when you possess that. Step 1 is a physical process that involves decay, decomposition, and breaking the Prima Materia down. Symbolically, this process represents the human spirit being broken down through great levels of hardship and misery. According to this step, one must be brought low before they can be built back up to even greater heights.

Step 2 is Albedo (Whitening). This process purifies the broken down Prima Materia – washing its impurities away, so it is in a state that can be built upon. Symbolically, this step represents the broken spirit being washed clean of vices, so it is ready to grow and learn.

The third and final step is Rubedo (Reddening). This step involves the crystallization of the awakened power in Citrinitas. Symbolically, this represents the awakened and purified spirit achieving its purest, highest form. In Alchemy the color red symbolizes completion which is why the philosopher’s stone is depicted as red.

Lady Gaga’s seventh studio album ‘Mayhem’ is about rebirth/rediscovery. In her Elle interview she states that the creation of this album is unlike her previous works – it was created with no preconceived notion of what the art would look like and what the album titled would be.

“I used to drink a lot and smoke a lot, and I was always looking for an out. I used to call it the trapdoor. I used to be like, ‘I need an escape route.’ And I stopped doing that. And I actually started feeling it. Being present. As an artist, it’s hard to go through that and not want to share that with my fans.” – Lady Gaga

During her rebirth process, Gaga had to go through the transmutation process. Her choosing to not escape her emotions through drinking and smoking is the first step of the transmutation process – Nigredo. She had to allow herself to feel these difficult emotions that she had been escaping through these outlets – thereby allowing her spirit to be broken down by embracing her hardships.

The second step of the transmutation, Albedo, is the rebuilding of the broken-down spirit through knowledge. Through her rebirth process, Gaga began to embrace emotions that she once attempted to escape (her demons), realizing that they are a part of who she is

“The chaos I thought was long gone is fully intact and ready to greet me whenever I’d like. Part of the message of even the first song on the album is that your demons are with you in the beginning and they are with you in the end, and I don’t mean it in a bleak way. Maybe we can make friends sooner with this reality instead of running all the time.” – Lady Gaga

Finally, she was achieved the last step of the transmutation process, Rubedo, by radically accepting herself in her entirety

“Well, playing with transgressive and challenging themes that make me think of my own anxiety. I couldn’t do that for a really long time. And now it’s just what I naturally want to do. It’s interesting that I could go through a period of being afraid as a person and wanting nothing to do with those themes and then feeling good now and being like, ‘Let’s do all this dark stuff.” – Lady Gaga

“I’m going to celebrate. I used to drink a lot and smoke a lot, and I was always looking for an out. I used to call it the trapdoor. I used to be like, ‘I need an escape route.’ And I stopped doing that. And I actually started feeling it. Being present. As an artist, it’s hard to go through that and not want to share that with my fans.”

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