Alchemy

"The science and art of transformation, the secret science of illumination and inner liberation”. 

The process of change can be likened to the process of alchemy, the transformation of base into gold; the transformation of old habits, destructive behaviours and self-limiting beliefs into new patterns of being that liberate us from bondage and set us free to grow and evolve. But much like the alchemy of old self transformation is filled with many fallacies, dead ends and false prophets

Carl Jung understood that the language of alchemy was the language of psyche; he was an adept and understood the power of symbols on the apparatus of human consciousness. Much of Jung’s work can be understood to be the re-imagining of alchemy for the modern world.

There is an undercurrent that underpins much of esoteric, spiritual, occult and religious knowledge, hidden just beneath the surface. Many of the same symbols and imagery would appear to repeat themselves again and again regardless of time, geography or culture. The reason for this is that regardless of the costume or the language the principle and the desired outcome is the same; mastery. Mastery of self, mastery of others or mastery of the way. The symbols, ceremonies, techniques and methods are simply tools intended to perform a specific task.  

Man is in microcosm a reflection of the macrocosm, a mirror of the natural universe and in this we find the embodiment of the hermetic principle “as above, so below”. “Change your perception and change the universe” and “be the change you wish to see in the world” are two phrases that are familiar to most of us. The purpose of magic is to utilise techniques in order to bring about a change in consciousness in order to bring about change in the material world, exactly like using affirmations or ‘manifesting’ or even mantra’s and to some degree yantra’s. But here’s the rub, hum, recite and chant all you like, it ain’t going to make the slightest bit of difference. The Amish have a saying, “say your prayers and move your feet”. Once you change the way you think and perceive through repetition or affirmation you then need to put the rubber to the road through the application of technique. This is where a lot of self-improvement falls down. Another problem with “the power of belief” is this; you can believe as hard as you want that you are a bird soaring on the breeze but a brief interaction with a tall cliff will soon clear up that delusion. Wisdom concerns itself with what is real, what can be applied in the flesh upon the earth.

So what is the technique that we may apply in order to transform? Answer,” correction”. How? Through discipline. Look, the thoughts and beliefs in your head are not what are important, no one else can hear them, it is your actions that create the ripples in the universe that come back to you. It is through self-correction that we manifest change through the application of discipline.