What is alchemy?
I was listening to tarot readers on the internet and they always talk about the alchemical process. What does this mean?
It's a medieval chemical science of transforming base metals into gold. Practitioners can transform and change something in mysterious, impressive ways.
"Gold" is thought of as spiritual perfection, while the lesser "base" metals such as lead are impure states of the spirit, unenlightened and full of the problems of one's moral life.
Practical alchemy is studying and manipulating properties of matter to get what you want out of the universe.
Alchemy is an ancient tradition, the primary objective of which was the creation of the mythical "philosopher's stone," which was said to be capable of turning base metals into gold or silver, and also act as an elixir of life that would confer youth and immortality upon its user.
There are 7 steps to the alchemical process:
1. Calcination: Heating a substance over a flame until it turns into ash. Breaking down the ego and attachment to the material world.
2. Dissolution: Letting ashes dissolve in water. Immersing into the unconscious realm of experience where the conscious mind releases control which allows the emergence of parts which are hidden about ourselves.
3. Separation - isolating and filtering products from the dissolution. Review resurfaced material and decide what to separate or integrate. What parts of our unconscious shadow can we learn from or be hindered by.
4. Conjunction - Form a new substance from separated elements that were kept. Merge the unconscious and conscious materials to form a new self. Union of dualities allow a true self to emerge.
5. Fermentation - Induce chemical breakdown of substance with bacteria. Initiation of spiritual consciousness through testing of the new solution. Suffering will bring resilience.
6. Distillation - Boil and condense solution to increase purity. Purification of spirit so the ego no longer has control over the self.
7. Coagulation - Transmutation into a solid state. The union of spirit and matter allows an openness to perceive the world without duality from all states of consciousness.
Alchemy is an ancient philosophical and proto-scientific practice that originated during the Hellenistic period and continued to evolve over centuries. It was primarily concerned with transforming and purifying substances, with an ultimate goal of achieving spiritual enlightenment or creating the philosopher's stone, which was believed to possess extraordinary properties.
The alchemical process is often symbolized by the phrase "solve et coagula," meaning "dissolve and coagulate." It describes the process of breaking down and separating the components of a substance (solve) and then recombining them to create something new and refined (coagula). This process was seen as a metaphor for personal transformation and spiritual growth.
To understand the alchemical process better, it is helpful to delve into the symbolic language used by alchemists. They employed various symbols and allegories to represent different stages of transformation, such as the blackening, whitening, and reddening processes. These stages symbolized the purification of both physical and spiritual elements.
Although alchemy is often associated with attempts to transmute base metals into gold, it had broader implications. Alchemists sought to discover the underlying principles and secrets of nature, exploring concepts like the four elements (earth, air, fire, water), the three principles (sulfur, mercury, salt), and the idea of the microcosm/macrocosm relationship (the belief that the universe is reflected in miniature within the human being).
It is worth noting that while alchemy contributed to the development of modern chemistry, it was also intertwined with spiritual and mystical pursuits. As you mentioned, tarot readers often refer to the alchemical process because it aligns with the idea of personal growth and transformation, as reflected in the symbolism of the tarot cards.
In summary, alchemy was an ancient practice that focused on the transformation and purification of substances to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Understanding the alchemical process involves deciphering the symbolic language employed by alchemists to represent different stages of transformation and exploring the broader philosophical concepts it encompasses.