To put it simply, Alchemy is the science of changing one substance into another.
... What makes Alchemy different from Tarot, Astrology, Kabbalah, or any other.
Initiation into Alchemy © 2012 Mark Mandrake To put it simply, Alchemy is the science of changing one substance into another. It is the uniting of internal and external forces working in unison towards a process of continuous evolution. What makes Alchemy different from Tarot, Astrology, Kabbalah, or any other system is that it is a system about processes and changes, instead of classifications of energies or archetypes. If the above systems are nouns, then Alchemy would be a verb. Alchemy is also a Hermetic art that looks towards a reconciliation of the Universe of Spirit & Matter. When the internal balance of all forces is met, we become the Philosopher’s Stone, capable of affecting change in the greater world around us. The origins of Alchemy are lost to the legends of time, but we can see key influences in Egypt (philosophy), Greece (four elements), China & India (internal Alchemy), and Europe (external Alchemy). Alchemy can be a 3, 4, 7, or even a 12 stage process- depending on what was the favorite correspondence system (elements, planets, astrology, etc) of the alchemist. Below is an overview of the 7 step process. Alchemy Stage
Description
Hero's Journey
Calcination
Burning of the Ego
The Birth
Dissolution
Releasing Emotions
The Call
Separation
Evaluating Body, Mind, & Spirit
The Threshold
Conjunction
Connecting Body, Mind, & Spirit
The Challenge
Fermentation
Honesty & Evaluation
The Transformation
Distillation
Vision of the Highest Self
The Treasure
Coagulation
Integration of Highest Self
The Return
These changes are said to occur on all levels of our being with all living things possessing three bodies: Mercury- Soul, Lunar; Sulfur- Spirit, Solar; and Salt- Body, Terrestrial. Spiritual experience can be said to be a “terrain”, and if that is the case then Alchemy and other systems are “maps”. To get more information we can combine two or more systems and look at the correspondences to gain more insights into those systems and ourselves as spiritual seekers. This is a very brief over view of a larger tool where the possibilities are endless. If one can see where they are in a process, then they can understand it and become the midwives to their own change. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me at www.markmandrake.com
