Alchemy

astreathewitch:

Hello witchy friends! 🌙

I’ve been looking a lot into alchemy lately. I have always been interested in it but I’ve never actually studied it until recently, and I’ve found a lot of interesting ideas.
First of all – what is alchemy? There are many definitions of it. Superficially, alchemy is said to be the art of transmuting less valuable metals into gold. But after looking a bit deeper, we find that alchemy is much more than that. The alchemist’s work, referred to as the opus, is to find what is called the “philosopher’s stone”, a substance which allows the alchemist to transmute any kind of matter at their own will. At this point we see how alchemy is closer to modern magick than it is to a rudimentary form of chemistry: it is the idea that consciousness (or, for the ancient alchemists, soul) is capable of influencing the material world.
Alchemy is not just about working in a laboratory and observing chemical reactions; the ancient alchemists themselves have made it very clear in many of their manuscripts that the greatest and most important part of the alchemical opus is to transmute oneself, and be reborn. 

“The soul, however, has absolute and independent power to do other things than those the body can grasp. But, when it so desires, it has the greatest power over the body, for otherwise our philosophy would be in vain. Thou canst conceive the greater, for we have opened the gates unto thee.”

Excerpt From: Jung, C. G., Hull, R. F.C., Adler, Gerhard. “Collected Works of C.G. Jung, Volume 12: Psychology and Alchemy.” 

What the alchemists were seeking was not a mere material object or substance. The ultime goal of alchemy is the deification of oneself. 

The alchemical transmutation goes through four stages. 

• Nigredo: the most chaotic and primordial state of matter. To obtain this, the alchemist must go through a process of decomposition and putrefaction, facing the darkest aspects of themselves.
• Albedo: light emerges from the darkness. This stage is strongly associated with the moon and it’s a phase of purification and enlightenment.
• Citrinitas: the light becomes strong and powerful. This stage is connected with the energy of the sun. In this moment, the alchemist understands their own godlike power.
• Rubedo: the ultimate goal of the opus. This stage represents the coagulation of consciousness and matter: the alchemist is able to apply their power and transform reality to their own will.

These four stages and their meaning will probably appear mysterious and unclear to most people. My suggestion to anyone who wants to look deeper into these concepts is to do their own research and to spend some time meditating on them. I think that when it comes to magick, especially alchemy, it’s crucial to find our own personal meaning to the things we study.

This is a very complex subject and to those who are interested I also recommend reading C. J. Jung’s Psychology and Alchemy. It contains a very in-depth analysis of these concepts, presented from a psychoanalytic point of view. 

So here’s some practical suggestions if you’re interested in practicing alchemy:

• Practice meditation and visualisation. This is so important for any kind of magick! Learning to control your own thoughts and imagination is crucial for the alchemical work.
• Think about the four stages of alchemical transmutation and what they mean to you personally. Alchemy is a process of personal growth.
• Love and cherish who you are. Alchemy is not about the worship of any God, it’s about awakening the God within yourself. 
• Be curious and aware of the many different forms of matter in the world. Study the physical, chemical and spiritual qualities of stones, crystals, metals, plants and animals.
• Think of the universe as a cyclical, never-ending process. Be aware that your perception of time is relative and not absolute. 
• Experiment and have fun! Don’t be discouraged by how difficult and mysterious alchemy appears to be. Alchemists spent most of their lives in their laboratories because alchemy is not just philosophy, it is a practical knowledge.