I am firstly stuck looking at both the English and French titles of this book. In English, The Abyss, and in French L’Oeuvre au Noir, which translates more directly as the “Black Work,” which is a cool title. So maybe it’s the more contemporary use of the concept of the abyss ala Nietzsche that throws me. When you look up the phrase “the black work” in French, you come across articles discussing the steps of alchemy (the steps the soul takes when taking on alchemy) […]