Philip Pullman finished his trilogy of fantasy novels His Dark Materials in 2000. But I feel his epic has a lot to say about the symbolic portents of our times and the near future. I tremendously enjoyed the HBO/BBC adaptation of the novels, which ended in December last year. There is a curious personal connection between the Pullman universe and my humble blog. I had chosen the name Symbolreader a long time before I heard about the alethiometer, a.k.a. symbol-reader, which plays such an important role in Pullman’s universe. The alethiometer (from Greek – a truth-measuring device) is a compass-like device used by Lyra, the main character of the books, to gain truthful answers to her questions. The needles of the device point to images, whose interpretation is only possible when one is in a state of deep contemplation. Reading the alethiometer is a skill that can only be mastered through years of diligent studies. However, Lyra, who is still a child, has a unique gift of reading the golden symbolic compass. She accomplishes this by communicating directly with the conscious particles called Dust. Lyra’s name Belacqua is obviously an allusion to the intuitive properties of water. What is more, her nickname Lara Silvertongue links her with the alchemical Mercurius. Dust can be likened to the alchemical primal matter, with which Lyra has a very special connection. In accordance with her Mercurius credentials, at one point in the story Lyra descends to the Underworld to free the souls kept in limbo by the evil Authority.

In Lyra’s universe conscious particles are referred to as Dust. In “our” world, Dust is called Dark Matter or Shadow particles, and there is indeed a strong Jungian resonance here. Pullman conceived of Dust as conscious and sentient. Creatures made entirely of Dust were called Angels. Dust is attracted to adults, especially the creative ones. The title of Pullman’s trilogy refers to a quote from Milton’s Paradise Lost, in which God, the Almighty Maker, uses “his dark materials” to create new worlds. Pullman’s visionary undertaking is awe-inspiring in both its depth and breadth. It alludes to Gnosticism, Orthodox religions, Jungian psychology, William Blake’s cosmology, alchemy, the Kabbalah, and has been successfully interpreted in light of all of those systems, and more.

Central in Pullman’s story is the human soul and its struggle to free itself from the tyranny of orthodoxy. Organized religion is not portrayed kindly. But also the limited nature of science and rationalism are exposed. It seems that both scientists and members of the clergy strive for power and are more than happy to sacrifice individual souls if the “greater cause” of their fixed convictions demands it. Lord Asriel, a free thinker and a scientist, who opposes the Magisterium (thinly-disguised metaphor for Church) turns out to be as ruthless and close-minded as his mighty opponents. He does not stop short of child sacrifice. Yet he is still a full-blooded character, since Pullman does not limit himself to simple dichotomies of good and evil in his superb storytelling. Together with his estranged partner, Marisa Coulter, Asriel manages to defeat the Authority, thus redeeming himself to a certain extent. Both he and Marisa are marvellously-conceived tragic characters: capable of utter evil in the name of ambition but also driven by deep love and soulful striving.

In Lyra’s universe people’s souls are called daemons and take the form of an animal. The animal changes shapes multiple times until it settles for one species in adulthood. In “our” world daemons are not visible, but the chosen few can train themselves to perceive them. Daemons were normally the opposite gender to their master, which must be a hint at the Jungian concept of anima and animus being the soulful companions of respectively men and women. At the moment of physical death daemons dissolve into Dust, which is beautifully shown in the TV adaptation. The unique loving bond between human and their daemon rests upon the latter’s ability to mirror the unconscious emotions of the person, to provide them with intuitive insights as well as to warn them of any danger. Animals also provide grounding and a connection with primal instincts.

I was struck how timely Pullman’s epic is in relation to the long-announced Age of Aquarius. It seems to be a task of the individual soul to navigate their way through the dominant religious and social systems, which so often seek to mould and oppress by offering false security. Without a doubt, the most liberating factor seems to be the symbolic imagination. I think Pullman would agree with the following words from Jung’s Red Book:

“Our freedom does not lie outside us, but within us. One can be bound outside, and yet one will still feel free since one has burst inner bonds. One can certainly gain outer freedom through powerful actions, but one creates inner freedom only through the symbol.”

There is freedom in the air. Air is about freedom. Interestingly, one of the most compelling characters of the trilogy is Lee Scoresby, an aeronaut, whose balloon serves as an instrument of liberation and protection for quite a few characters. Air is heavily populated in Pullman’s universe: there are witches and angels spreading their wings over humanity in loving embrace and offering constant guidance.

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