Unfortunately, this has not led to a deeper understanding of alchemy itself, but rather to a mere plundering it for material to fit into an existing mindset and structure. Another group of people see alchemy as a part of depth psychology. Though this can be a persuasive and seductive idea, not everyone is able to accept such a view. The philosophical basis for this is a belief system that developed in the middle of the 20th century, and although it is contemporary and seemingly relevant to our lives today, this is, by its very nature, not something that can be proved, or even argued about, as it is essentially a belief driven system.
Alchemical imagery is often used, almost as decoration, in books and on many websites, often associated with things and ideas to which these images have absolutely no connection. However, the emblematic imagery remains vital and inspiring, and is one of the main ways in which people enter into some appreciation of alchemy.
A few modern artists have been inspired by alchemical material. A small group of people prefer to read the original writings of the alchemists, rather than relying on the many secondary sources, pseudo-histories and interpretations which flooded the bookstores in the latter part of the 20th century.
Although alchemical writings are obscure and difficult it is very rewarding to try to read the orginal material in its proper context, freed from later interpretations and distorting commentaries. Alchemy can be seen as an important part of cultural history and can be explored in an exact and scholarly way. In the early and middle parts of the 20th century, alchemy was often a no-go area for scholars, however, the work of some key scholars in various disciples during the 's and 70's broke down the barrier of prejudice and nowadays many scholars study alchemy as they would any other cultural phenomenon.
There is an active publishing of scholarly articles and books, and a number of key academic conferences have been held on alchemy in the past few decades. This website tries to reflect these and other views on alchemy. Alchemy is such a multi-faceted subject, that many different perspectives must be taken into account before one can come to any clear understanding of it. You will find many of these different threads explored on the alchemy web site.
Read More. The ability to predict the future is a controversial art. Some would rather not know if artificial intelligence will take over th We often turn to faith, spirituality and religion when we consider our mortality. Sometimes, religion can even help us cope with So, you want to make soap and turn it into a life-changing business? You have come to the right place! Soap has a long and rich h Centre of Excellence uses browser cookies to give you the best possible experience. To make Centre of Excellence work, we log user data and share it with processors.
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Part 1: Why was Alchemy Invented? Module 3: Alchemy and Other Philosophies. Module 4: Alchemy and You. Module 5: Misconceptions About Alchemy. Module 6: Egyptian Alchemy. Module 7: Indian Alchemy.
Module 8: Alchemy in the Muslim World. Module 9: East Asian Alchemy. Module European Alchemy. Module Magnum Opus. Module Signs and Symbols of Alchemy. Module Modern Alchemy. Module Alchemy in Medicines.
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Engage in calcination. Calcination was, traditionally, the process of breaking a substance down by heating it in a crucible. Consider your old self the "lead" that is going to be transformed. Instead of literally heating lead over an open flame, you will be breaking down your sense of self to transmute yourself into your "gold" potential. Set aside at least 20 minutes every day to reflect on your day and contemplate your life.
Any life transformation begins with recognizing that a change is necessary for whatever reason. One of the best ways to reach that conclusion on your own is to practice daily self-reflection. The important thing is to make a habit of being alone and reflecting on your life each day. The insights will come if you give yourself the time and space to practice. Whatever method of self-reflection you find most appealing, make a habit of doing it every day.
Practice dissolution. Dissolution derived from the word "dissolve" involves turning a calcinated broken down solid into a liquid, typically by dissolving the ashes in water. Some people consider this step to require engaging in "flow," the process of engaging in something so wholeheartedly that we lose track of time, forgetting ourselves and our surroundings. Enter the separation stage. In traditional alchemy, separation is the process of filtering the results of dissolution to isolate the individual components and discard the baser, undesirable materials.
In terms of personal transformation, separation involves rediscovering who you are at your core - the visionary "gold" of your life that was previously muddied by the baser, "lead"-like elements of your life. It requires a conscious choice of what is worth getting rid of and what is worth reincorporating into your new, refined personality.
Try thinking about what characteristics you respect most in someone you admire, and why those characteristics are important. Writing in a journal is a great way to gain insight and become more self-aware.
It allows you to catalog your thoughts and make connections between the way you think and the way you behave. Recognizing your own negative qualities is probably the most profound realization one can have, but sometimes we need help in realizing our shortcomings. If you ask a few trusted friends to give you an honest assessment, though, you'll probably gain some valuable insight into what aspects of your personality or demeanor could stand to change.
Part 2. Practice conjunction. Alchemically, conjunction involves assembling the saved elements from the separation stage into something new and different.
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