Schism (by Tool) | Dig Interpretations
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witch's brew, seasoned to taste
Schism (by Tool)
Posted on July 28, 2012 by Jim
The primary, identifiable theme going on in Schism appears to be the alchemical concept most commonly known as "squaring the circle". Hence, the interlude..
The poetry that comes from the squaring off between<br>And the circling is worth it, finding beauty in the dissonance
Squaring the circle is a subject that can’t easily be summed up in a small article, but I’ll provide some quotes to start with:
"The ‘squaring of the circle’ is one of the many archetypal motifs which form the basic patterns of our dreams and fantasies. But it is distinguished by the fact that it is one of the most important of them from the functional point of view. Indeed, it could even be called the archetype of wholeness."
-Carl Jung from Mandalas (1955)
"The intent behind alchemy and the alchemical work is personal individuation, which is wholeness. In order to attain wholeness, it is said, one must square the circle… To square the circle is to see equally in the four directions, and so to be whole… To find a new equilibrium where inner, outer, above, and below are balanced and in harmony, is to be One… The viscous flame of oneness comes burning away all division of spirit and flesh, and the diamond body becomes the eternal fuel of this emancipative, destructive union."
-Jack Haas from OM, Baby! (2005)
Squaring the circle is also referred to as "quaternity" or "quadratura circuli", and is represented in countless artistic works going back to ~1000 AD (and probably before then). It is, as Jung and Haas point out, a symbol of wholeness and balance between the inner portion of the Self (i.e. the spirit), the outer portion of the Self (i.e. the body), the heavens above, and the Earth below.
A Mandala is a visual representation of the concept of ‘squaring the circle’, most notably pointed out by Jung in his works.<br>" data-large-file="https://diginterpretations.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/mandalaexample1.jpg?w=598" class=" wp-image-317 " title="MandalaExample" src="https://diginterpretations.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/mandalaexample1.jpg" alt="" width="419" height="419" srcset="https://diginterpretations.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/mandalaexample1.jpg?w=419&h=420 419w, https://diginterpretations.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/mandalaexample1.jpg?w=150&h=150 150w, https://diginterpretations.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/mandalaexample1.jpg?w=300&h=300 300w, https://diginterpretations.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/mandalaexample1.jpg 598w" sizes="(max-width: 419px) 100vw, 419px" />A Mandala is a visual representation of the concept of ‘squaring the circle’, most notably pointed out by Jung in his works.
The video for Schism, in particular, brings out this theme in a way that the song by itself cannot. It takes us through the process of purifying the mind and the body, in order to allow "the viscous flame of oneness" to dissolve the boundaries between spirit and matter, between male and female, between good and evil. This is visualized in the final moments of the video.
In the beginning, we see a circular shaped metronome that bounces up from the floor and becomes suspended in the air, where it starts to oscillate back and forth. This is symbolizing a spirit that is in a state of confusion and uncertainly, thus it sways to and fro because it cannot reach a state of calm equilibrium. In other words, the circle has not yet been squared.
We then fade into a room that’s very square-like and gray. This represents the world of matter.. the physical realm where the spirit is held within a body. You’ll also notice there are wires that stretch across the room, symbolizing the lines of communication that are gray and stale (meaning they are not working properly, as described in the lyrics).
The circular metronome (left), symbolizes the spiritual Self. The square room (right), symbolizes the physical/material Self.<br>" data-large-file="https://diginterpretations.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/metronomeandsquareroom1.png?w=690" class=" wp-image-299 " title="MetronomeAndSquareRoom" src="https://diginterpretations.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/metronomeandsquareroom1.png" alt="" width="837" height="213" srcset="https://diginterpretations.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/metronomeandsquareroom1.png?w=837&h=214 837w, https://diginterpretations.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/metronomeandsquareroom1.png?w=150&h=38 150w, https://diginterpretations.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/metronomeandsquareroom1.png?w=300&h=77 300w, https://diginterpretations.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/metronomeandsquareroom1.png?w=768&h=196 768w,...