Spiritual alchemy uses the principles of alchemy to achieve harmony and fulfillment in life. Alchemy incorporates shapes, symbols, plants, gems and elements to heighten a spiritual bond with nature and find the key to unlock the inner Philosopher's Stone.
Three and Nine
Three and Nine have significant places in the realms of traditional alchemy, history, myth, and spirituality. These numbers, deeply rooted in ancient beliefs, carry symbolic meanings. As symbols they may relate to an archetype.
Symbolism of three and nine can be traced back to early Neolithic art. Humans have a primal connection to the universe. Spiritual alchemy attunes to the essence of the elements. Focus is not just on physical properties but spiritual and metaphysical aspects.
Symbols and Shapes
Shapes such as triangle, circle or spiral have deep primal connections to spiritual balance and dynamic energy flow. Shapes and other symbols can be personal to the individual, intrinsic to the immediate environment or along the path of life in mortal and spiritual worlds.
They arise in dreams, meditation or visions. The artist Cezanne (1839–1906) said all is made of basic shapes, circle, square, triangle. From this he extrapolates spheres, cubes, pyramids and cylinders. All have meaning if recurring in the conscious or unconscious mind.
Above: Still Life with a Curtain (1895) illustrates Cézanne's increasing trend towards terse compression of forms and dynamic tension between geometric figures.
Alchemical Purpose
In spiritual alchemy no magic potions are brewed and no weird experiments concocted in the name of science. Knowing the interconnectedness of all things, the practitioner rises above the material world to the spiritual nature of life.
Alchemical practices have a rich history intertwined with that of metallurgy. The quest for transforming base metals into gold symbolizes a deeper spiritual and philosophical journey. This is where the practitioner seeks inward, sometimes tearing down to rebuild.
Plants, Resins and Gems
Over time, alchemy evolves beyond its metallurgical roots to encompass a wide array of natural elements, including plants, resins, and gems. Alchemists of old believe these materials hold hidden properties and secrets.
Alchemy has a strong medical tradition. Some alchemists specialize in the use of herbs and plants, the practice of Spagyria or botanical alchemy. Plants containing toxins are of special interest. One of the concepts of alchemy is while poison kills, a little bit of poison can heal.
The Philosopher's Stone
The Philosopher's Stone represents the ultimate goal of alchemy, embodying the alchemist's desire to transmute not just metals, but the very essence of existence. It's said the enigmatic element bestows immortality and enlightenment upon those who discover it.
Alchemy arises from early metallurgy. The practice expands considerably into other parts of the natural world such as plants, resins and gems. Alchemists seek to unveil the mysteries of the universe and gain deeper understanding of the natural world.
What's important is the essence of the object and the meaning given, interpreted or perceived by the user. One might see carbon, for instance, as the life element and bond among all living things. Someone else might see/feel this substance as heavy or obstructing.
How a certain component "feels" can help identify elements of unwanted stress, negativity or emotional blockage. In spiritual alchemy one transcends the ordinary and focusses on the transcendent qualities using a combination of media from tangible and intangible sources.
Metals and Stones
Clear gemstones can help draw out blocking factors and energies of disturbance. Wear as jewelry or keep in the surrounding environment. It is not an instant process but subtle changes may be noticed right away.
Physically, people are made up of prime or necessary ingredients. A part of spiritual alchemy explores the relationships among interactive elements. Gold and stardust are present in all living things including humans.
Other elements common to all living things include:
oxygen
carbon
hydrogen
nitrogen
A little bit of mercury is found in people, often ingested as vapor. Some with pescatarian diets have reported symptoms of mercury poisoning. While arsenic in humans helps brain function, mercury has no clear use. As a heavy metal it can build up in the body.
Mercury is one of the tria prima or Three Primes of alchemy. Ancient philosophers believe mercury and sulfur make up all metals, and changing a metal is a matter of removing or adding one or the other. In this way chrysopoeia is once considered feasible.
In ancient times mercury and sulfur are important factors in the alchemical resolution of opposites. Before the tria prima, Greek philosophers and Alexandrian alchemists see mercury as an element representing female qualities, while sulfur is male.
Mercury is mutable, silver, the moon, the yin or feminine principle, Sulfur is combustible, gold, the sun and yang or male principle. Salt, added by medieval Islamic alchemists, is the solid stable element.
Alchemists use themselves as subjects, often ingesting poisons or things most foul. This concept appears in Chinese lore. Primal god Shennong is a divine healer who teaches humans. He eats up to 70 poisons a day and has a transparent stomach to see the effects.
Colors of Alchemy
nigredo (blackness) which represents putrefaction and spiritual death
albedo (whiteness), which represents purification
citrinitas (yellowness), the solar dawn or awakening
rubedo (redness), the final and crucial stage
The Colors of Alchemy refer to phases a person traverses to reach the Magnum Opus, the Great Work. Each is a journey of discovery. The practitioner is born into new awakening and emerges with confidence, compassion and spiritual connection with the beauty of the world.
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