Ruby and the Splendor Solis
Here comes a quick alchemy meta! Alchemy is an ancient practice, whose goal is to create the philosopher stone. This stone gives immortality, transmutes lead into gold and creates new life (homunculus). From a philosophical point of view, alchemy's aim is to nurture the spirit and to make it perfect.
As @hamliet has explained in several metas, RWBY is an alchemical story, which metaphorically illustrates the procedure to create the stone (RWBY/Ruby).
Today's post will explore Ruby and Maria's interaction in volume 6 episode 8 (Dead End):
As a matter of fact the scene references the 6th plate of the Splendor Solis.
WHAT IS THE SPLENDOR SOLIS?
The Splendor Solis is an alchemical text, which describes how to make the philosophical stone through 22 illustrated plates:
4 introductory plates present the protagonists of the alchemical journey
7 parables illustrate the alchemical death and rebirth
7 flask plates explore the alchemical process from a practical point of view
4 final plates describe the alchemical process from a spiritual point of view
How does Ruby and Maria's scene reference plate 6?
Let's begin with describing what plate 6 is like:
This plate has three philosophers under a tree with golden fruits. The tree is a metaphor for the alchemical process as whole. It is the philosophical tree and if you climb it you reach the golden fruit (perfection/the philosopher stone).
The three people embody the phases of alchemy:
The young man climbing the ladder is nigredo (black)
The man who wears white outside and red inside is albedo (white)
The man who wears red outside and white inside is rubedo (red)
Citrinitas (the yellow stage) is instead symbolized by the yellow flowers and by the golden bough the men are pursuing. The scene as a whole represents a transformation, which is why the birds that fly in the sky have some green shades. Green is, thus, the color of transformation.
How does all of this rely to Ruby and Maria?
First of all, the two silver eyed warriors speak under a tree:
Secondly, this scene frames Maria as the teacher and Ruby as the student. Maria is initiating Ruby to very important knowledge, so that our young alchemist can continue her journey.
Ruby: I don't know… I don't know anything… What do I tell Jaune and his team when we don't even have a plan? Qrow's out drinking, Ozpin hasn't come back and even if he did, I don't know if I could trust him. And there's always Jinn, but… we only have one more question we can ask her. I feel like I'm letting everyone down…
Maria: If you're tired of not knowing anything, how about we discuss those eyes of yours?
Maria embodies the archetype of the old wise woman. She is a mature version of Ruby (an older silver-eyed warrior), who comes in our protagonist's life to offer guidance. She is the more expert alchemist:
Maria grabs the golden fruit. Symbolically, this shows that she is far ahead of Ruby in the alchemical quest.
This is made clear by her:
Preflexes lets Maria sense everything better than others. Metaphorically, it means she has a better understanding of reality than others. This ties with her having wisdom.
Life and Death is made by two kamas that can be combined in a staff:
They can be separated (solvet) and united (coagula). Solvet and coagula is the mantra of alchemy, as this process aims to create the philosophical stone by separating and uniting the elements. Over and over. Until perfection is obtained. Metaphorically, it means a soul is refined through creation and destruction. Life and Death.
Ruby is young and ignorant. She doesn't know what to do and she doesn't know about her eyes. She is the alchemist apprentice, who is going through a transformation:
Differently from the Splendor Solis plate, there are no birds in the scene. However, the scenery is full of butterflies, which are another symbol of change. Of death and rebirth:
As far as the nature of Ruby's transformation is concerned, the setting gives us some hints, as Maria and Ruby are speaking in a garden full of white snow. That is because RWBY is approaching albedo (the white phase). In particular, volume 6 climax marks Ruby's passage from nigredo to albedo. This process if metaphorically foreshadowed in Ruby and Maria's conversation thanks to a specific visual cue:
Let's look at Maria's plate:
The grapes are purple/black = nigredo, the black phase
The plate is white = albedo, the white phase
The lemons/oranges are yellow = citrinitas, the yellow phase
The strawberries are red = rubedo, the red phase
The kiwis are green = transformation (plus prima materia, aka the beginning)
In short, the plate and fruits are a metaphor for the alchemical process as a whole. What's interesting is that a little butterfly flies on them:
It pauses for a little while on top of the grapes (nigredo) until Maria gently takes it and has it fly forward (towards albedo). The meaning is clear. Maria acts a mentor, who helps Ruby leave the black phase and enter the white one. She gives Ruby the knowledge she needs to face her "trial of fire":
Maria: The light will only work in the presence of Grimm. Meaning the only practice you'll get will be a trial by fire.
Ruby faces her trial by fire in the climax of volume 6, as she fights the Leviathan:
There she uses Maria's teaching and the relic of Knowledge to defeat her foe through her internal light. This moment is when Ruby and the group leave Mistral and the Black Phase once and for all. They are ready to face Atlas and the White Phase.
Still, this isn't the only trial by fire our Little Red Riding Hood has to go through. She struggles through a second one in volume 9, as she and the group leave the White Stage (Atlas) through the Yellow Stage (the Ever After), so that they can enter the Red Phase (Vacuo). Once again this passage is shown through the Splendor Solis.
Once again, Ruby is given guided by an older and wiser woman under a tree. This time she has to make a choice to go through a transformation. A process of death and rebirth:
In volume 6 Ruby learns about her internal light, whereas in volume 9 she discovers her inner shadows. In volume 6 she is given knowledge, while in volume 9 she is offered a choice. At the same time, in volume 6 the Splendor Solis reference is focused on a single meaningful scene, while in volume 9 it is more pervasive and present throughout the entirety of the season. In volume 6 the Splendor Solis comments Ruby's journey (the microchosm). In volume 9 this alchemical texts conveys RWBY's adventure (the macrochosm).
However, this isn't the only difference between the two transformative trials.
Volume 6 has Ruby become an ideal:
Volume 9 has Ruby grow into herself:
Similarly, in volume 6 she latches on an idealistic idea of Summer (the Huntress), whereas in volume 9 she accepts Summer as a person (the Mother):
This passage from ideal to real isn't something unique to our heroine's arc, but it ties to everyone's story. Here come two examples.
In volume 6 Jaune is inspired by Pyrhha to push forward no matter what:
He wants to become more like Pyrrha, his ideal self.
In volume 9 Jaune is taught by Weiss to stop and accept a loss:
He realizes he is good as he is, despite his flaws.
In volume 6, Bumbleby goes through their second chemical wedding, where they kill Adam. The focus of Yang and Blake's relationship is that both girls have to become "worthy" of the other:
And now I know I'm worthy of you
(Oh can't you see, you could be with me)
With every smile you told me, "I love you"
(I am your dream, I love you)
They push each other to grow and to become their ideal selves. Yang has to overcome her anger and abandonement issues to stay with Blake. Blake has to stop running away to be by Yang's side. Their fight with Adam tests their progress on their respective flaws.
In volume 9, White Knight has their second chemical wedding, where Jaune dies and is reborn thanks to Weiss. Their bond is about letting go of childish fantasies (the charming prince and the beautiful princess) and to accept the other for who they are:
Weiss: I think you’re asking too much of yourself. We’ve been telling ourselves that failing means we’re no good. But I can guarantee even the best Huntsmen in history… they’ve all lost. But they were still incredibly brave… and good.
They let go of paragons and come to love their real selves with both strengths and flaws. Their conversation in front of the Genial Gems conveys exactly this.
Interestingly, Bumbleby and White Knight foil each other in another way, when it comes to alchemical symbolism.
Bumbleby focuses on death and separation. They represent the "solvet" part of the process.
White Knight is linked to rebirth and union. They explore the "coagula" part of the process.
To be clear, the solvet and coagula parts are present in both relationships. Yang and Blake go through destruction to come back stronger and more beautiful than ever. Similarly, Weiss and Jaune have to face death, so they can be reborn.
Still, the focus of BB's weddings is on death/destruction:
Adam cuts Yang's arm and impales Blake
Whereas WK's weddings climax in resurrection/creation:
Jaune and Ruby are reborn
This is because the two relationships are complementary and illustrate different sides of the alchemical process. However, there is a third ship meant to embody both parts.
RUBY AND OSCAR = SOLVET AND COAGULA
Ruby and Oscar's wedding is kicked off by their first meeting, when Qrow (a bird) brings Oscar to Ruby and unites the Solar King and the Lunar Queen:
Ruby and Oscar's wedding references the imagery above.
It is a union of opposites. The scenery of their first scene together has Ruby marked as fire and air, whereas Oscar is associated with earth and water. Moreover, both the moon and sun are present.
In general, Ruby is moon, silver, red and air, while Oscar is sun, gold, green and earth. They complement each other and are perfectly balanced. So, they don't need a specific focus on neither death nor rebirth because theis arcs are gonna explore both the solvet and the coagula. They are the whole.
This complementarity shows also in Oscar paralleling Ruby during the trials of fire.
While Ruby is talking with Maria and going through an internal transformation, Oscar goes through an external transformation (he changes clothes). Ruby connects with Summer (coagula), while Oscar is free from Ozpin (solvet). Both their transformations are tested in volume 6 climax, where Ruby grows into a leader (macrochosm), whereas Oscar grows into himself (microchosm).
While Ruby struggles with herself in the Ever After, Oscar struggles with Ozpin in Vacuo. Ruby separates her perception of the self from Summer (solvet), whereas Oscar is merging with Ozpin (coagula). Ruby is in a fantastical world symbolic of the inside (microchosm). Oscar is in the real world, which is going through big changes (macrochosm).
Right now, Ruby and Oscar are bound to meet again through Raven (another bird), which might kick off their second alchemical wedding. Not only that, but Raven herself might play the part of the Nevermore, as she wears a Nevermore mask and her name alludes to The Raven, Poe's famous poem and the inspiration for the Nevermore Grimm. If so, this meeting might be Rosegarden nevermore wedding, which for RWBY ships is about overcoming grief and death through love. Another declination of solvet and coagula.
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