Laboratory 5 - the Growth beyond the Petrie Dish
Recently in a Facebook group I found myself being called a Chemist due to the fact that I dont write symbolic references in my work or perhaps because I am a Chemist.Interestingly, I had left this blog open for other people to interpret as each person's viewpoint will be different .Yet this is the beauty of ideas is it not? That our ability to disagree only makes us desire to expand our perspective more towards or away from the expressed concepts but always moving- always expanding ,always learning. I sincerely believe this is precisely how my Alchemic process evolved. How many steps do I use ? As many as I need !
The traditional 7 steps of Alchemy
Some say there are 12 steps fascinating to know there are 5 steps in the Scientific Method unlike Alchemy the numbers don't intentionally reflect anything. However, the 5 steps may unintentionally be representative of the Quintessence.
12 steps is related to the 12 houses of the months/signs of the year 7 days pertains to the Days of the Week (though there are many other ways to interpret the symbology- right?)
Earth , Air , Fire, Water , Quintessence
5 Elements not 4 another idea gets illuminated. Certainly some would say that the Fifth Element is not an actual element per se but a sort of Qlipphotic reflection of the others or perhaps just an illumination of the 4 combined. Anyway the point I'm trying to make here isn't which one is right or wrong but to point out
But I do want to highlight some very significant things here today and now
You see I learned from a very wise man many years ago that you only require to understand one key concept that is "Infinite Temporal Space" Nebo Agrippa
This idea stuck with me for many many years :once I realized it applied to everything -I stopped seeing the need to constrain myself to the writings of long dead philosophers. I am purposely writing this piece in my own words because it is my Alchemy it is my own transmutation.
I am not saying that the old writings have no value they certainly do. They are there to give you insight to give you a foundation to build upon- you'll gain knowledge but to attain any degree of Mastery you need wisdom. The difference: practicality.
I don't mean in the "I have a multi tool " kind of practicality I mean in the "this actually means something to me and I can use it to help myself/others".
So learn Traditional Alchemy but don't get stuck in it don't be afraid to change.
Here's one thing I can say makes it across all barriers old/new. If you put thought into the transformations and think about yourself in relation to the work before you and how you are being transformed meditate on it as long as your desire is pure you will find a revelation.
The 5 Elements - a universal truth
Everyone in any branch or offshoot of Alchemy will agree as far as the 4 Elements.
This consistently shows in experimental workings and therefore there is no need to get to far into it. We all agree with it-it works. There are many other parallels in many other symbols but the cool thing is you can come up with your own and that will work best because it will be unique to you. You don't have to rely on old symbols and systems once you've attained mastery of them - attaining mastery is only part of perfecting yourself you might climb the mountain but there is always more to see
I have studied Alchemy extensively - there are many who have studied it much longer than me! But what I found was not consistent with my ability as a chemist , biologist,physicist. My abilities required that the symbology I choose be revealed by my own workings -- unique to my experience. My other problem was a matter of dogma. To study the Hermetic Art is to accept the Divine Creator well that's fine as long as it's me and as long as the Sephirot represent aspects of me.
Well they do . . .
Great right? Nope
Here's my dilemma:
When I do something I do it 100% there is no room for interpretation because I don't do guesswork the scientist in my brain just won't do it ! If I learn a spiritual concept I learn all of its parts and then some. If I dont agree with it I still try to learn as much as i can and discard the rest. some would call this egotistical perhaps vain but let's not lose track that this is the story of One Persons Oddyssey for Truth and so I'd have to agree that when it comes to my journey I'm pretty damn selfish.
Let me explain - I'm not a religious person but I'm perfectly happy that other people are so long as nobody gets hurt in the process. There are spiritual ideas in Alchemy that are tied into other mystic systems - I won't name them because to be truthful if I hadn't learned them I wouldn't have been able to transcend them. So I am not stating don't learn Traditional Alchemy learn it grow from it and beyond it !
The Crucible Exercise I invented simple and yet fundamentally necessary for my development, helped me to rid my Inner Temple of its debris and preconceptions . Including the things that I'd learned spiritually about the occult, witchcraft , yep Alchemy too.
I have no alterior motives in mind for getting this information out there. I desire no profit from teaching it or any other exchange of money. Yet , there are many who profit from Alchemy are there not? Do they do it out of practicality -- possibly .
They do it out of desire to sustain themselves with their Art - well that's fine with me. On the other hand if were looking at it this way one of the side effects of this capitalist mentality is innovation and new ideas to make things more affordable but still profitable for the producer. If you're doing it for money don't forget charity - Nicolas Flammel didn't. How do we discern greed from sincerity? How do we know what's being taught is accurate? Experimentation of course.
Do it yourself and apply skepticism
If an alchemy text told you to drink mercury would you do it ?
Of course you wouldn't but you might google the health effects out of curiosity. Just saying .
Don't take anyone's word for it not even mine do look into things! Be thorough!
My alchemical practice derives from my own inner symbolism and I have learned much in terms of the physical operations and about my philosophy of the Universe in general. After I performed the Crucible Exercise I recall:
"
For a time I floated in the Void of my sub conscious not knowing where to turn I felt trapped in a sense by my new found freedom years of conditioning in the Esoteric Arts I was stripped bare before the Gates of the Unknown of Ganzir.
Through meditation and through psychological research I came back and started fresh. "
I began to see things in a different way a way that allowed both logic and creativity to flow like never before.