08-23-2012, 02:09 PM
Ehe, I only happened to check out this thread and here I see it's because I've been invoked!
I suppose I could be said to have some knowledge of alchemy, let me see here.
I would first share my favourite alchemical mandala, which I find as a basic tool is indispensable for anyone who wishes to learn about the art of transformation, which is what alchemy is. Internal Alchemy as I have used it is more or less a connection to the natural refining tools of the body and mind which allow us to combine, break down, and restructure energies. In another way, it is the larger process of the development of the consciousness as it goes through its many ego deaths and awakens to its true self. In short, the alchemical process is a Microcosm, to the processes of the Macrocosm.
http://www.azothalchemy.org/azoth_ritual.htm - This is the Azoth Ritual, a good starting point. Azoth is the "First Matter", or raw material of the cosmos. Note the relationships between each of the stages of the process, and also what they fundamentally express as an energetic interaction.
For those who wish a deeper understanding of the roots of alchemy, one has to look at two things, Hermeticism, and Gnosticism. Alchemy as we know it is in many ways a survival of these two schools of thought (although Hermeticism has survived in other ways through secret societies and individuals). A good book to get a basic overview of this is The Elixer and the Stone by Michael Baigent, for an excellent introduction to Hermetic Alchemy.
On that note, it is highly recommended one reads the Hermetica which is a foundation of Hermetic thought.
http://www.gnosis.org/library/hermet.htm - This will give one a good idea of the ancient approach to expressing the Hermetic principles.
The Emerald Tablets of Thoth are also very alchemical in their nature and approach, and the "Men of Khem" seem to refer to alchemists. This is also worth reading. http://www.crystalinks.com/emerald.html
That being said, there have also been physical aspects of alchemy attempted to be expounded, and while I have not tried any of these processes, for lack of interest, I have so far found this one to be the most in line with my fundamental thoughts.
http://www.thebookofaquarius.com/
Alchemy is also very alive and active in many asian thought patterns, and is actually quite apparent in martial arts. In particular there is the Taoist Neidan (Internal Alchemy) which uses primarily the practices of Qi Gong and other internal martials to practice alchemy. This is a method I am very fond of and have been engaging the most myself.
http://www.kheper.net/topics/Taoism/Nei_Tan.htm
I have also been combining the Taoist practice with Buddhist alchemy as it comes through Dzogchen, and have been in the process of reading a great book called The Crystal and the Way of Light by Namkhai Norbu.
http://www.tealchemy.org/what/alchemists/index.html
And of course, there are myriads of other forms of alchemy, as the principle which is alchemy is universal. However the processes of alchemy can be applied to more or less any pantheon and any tradition, for all energetic interaction is alchemical.
TO supplement the ideas of alchemy, I would heavily recommend reading The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall, which is a book filled to the brim with various traditions and their fundamental details and you will begin to see how more or less every spiritual path is ultimately alchemical.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/sta/
Also, to relate this to astrology and tarot, and as such, the Disciplines of the Personality, one may see themselves as the Fool, the raw alchemist, and with each archetype you blend in to your consciousness and explore, the more you explore and expand your alchemical self. The Creation of the Self is the ultimate work of the Alchemist, and this is done through the exploration of archetypes within the self and the gradual blending, distilling and marrying of all the archetypes to produce One, the individual who has now become a God, one of the Archetypes themselves that is unlike any other Archetype.
For the greatest experiment of the Alchemist is Himself, he is his own Great Work, and the transmutation of his own soul from lead in to gold, from vulgar matter in to the pure first matter, is the work of all sages.
Hope that helped.
Oh, I will mention, that Gnostic Alchemy is what the common idea of the Alchemist has come from. If one looks through this tradition they will see it is absolutely laced with Christian concepts, of which Gnostic is the esoteric underside. Were it not for the push towards material concepts, the principles of Alchemy from the Gnostic tradition would all have been lost. Whereas the principles of Kabbalah only surfaced in the 17th century with the revealing of The Zohar, gnostic transformation survived through the dark ages by virtue of being hidden within other traditions and other concepts, all reduced to symbolism.
Agrippa's work is also very much worth looking at: http://www.esotericarchives.com/agrippa/agrippa1.htm
Oh, we would also like to mention that the numbers applied in these systems have less to do with their groupings and more to do with numerological harmonics. 12 and 7 are both powerful numbers which are tied to this system of reality which we are perceiving and there is a deeper mystery in numbers for those who seek.
We also recently posted a bit on Archetypes in our thread of questioning: http://www.bring4th.org/forums/showthrea...069&page=5
Any more direct questions to us should likely be taken there if they are outside of the realms of the alchemical understanding of archetypes.
We would also mention that to our understanding Ra rarely uses the term alchemy or alchemical, but the processes of unfoldment described are very much so.
I suppose I could be said to have some knowledge of alchemy, let me see here.
I would first share my favourite alchemical mandala, which I find as a basic tool is indispensable for anyone who wishes to learn about the art of transformation, which is what alchemy is. Internal Alchemy as I have used it is more or less a connection to the natural refining tools of the body and mind which allow us to combine, break down, and restructure energies. In another way, it is the larger process of the development of the consciousness as it goes through its many ego deaths and awakens to its true self. In short, the alchemical process is a Microcosm, to the processes of the Macrocosm.
http://www.azothalchemy.org/azoth_ritual.htm - This is the Azoth Ritual, a good starting point. Azoth is the "First Matter", or raw material of the cosmos. Note the relationships between each of the stages of the process, and also what they fundamentally express as an energetic interaction.
For those who wish a deeper understanding of the roots of alchemy, one has to look at two things, Hermeticism, and Gnosticism. Alchemy as we know it is in many ways a survival of these two schools of thought (although Hermeticism has survived in other ways through secret societies and individuals). A good book to get a basic overview of this is The Elixer and the Stone by Michael Baigent, for an excellent introduction to Hermetic Alchemy.
On that note, it is highly recommended one reads the Hermetica which is a foundation of Hermetic thought.
http://www.gnosis.org/library/hermet.htm - This will give one a good idea of the ancient approach to expressing the Hermetic principles.
The Emerald Tablets of Thoth are also very alchemical in their nature and approach, and the "Men of Khem" seem to refer to alchemists. This is also worth reading. http://www.crystalinks.com/emerald.html
That being said, there have also been physical aspects of alchemy attempted to be expounded, and while I have not tried any of these processes, for lack of interest, I have so far found this one to be the most in line with my fundamental thoughts.
http://www.thebookofaquarius.com/
Alchemy is also very alive and active in many asian thought patterns, and is actually quite apparent in martial arts. In particular there is the Taoist Neidan (Internal Alchemy) which uses primarily the practices of Qi Gong and other internal martials to practice alchemy. This is a method I am very fond of and have been engaging the most myself.
http://www.kheper.net/topics/Taoism/Nei_Tan.htm
I have also been combining the Taoist practice with Buddhist alchemy as it comes through Dzogchen, and have been in the process of reading a great book called The Crystal and the Way of Light by Namkhai Norbu.
http://www.tealchemy.org/what/alchemists/index.html
And of course, there are myriads of other forms of alchemy, as the principle which is alchemy is universal. However the processes of alchemy can be applied to more or less any pantheon and any tradition, for all energetic interaction is alchemical.
TO supplement the ideas of alchemy, I would heavily recommend reading The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall, which is a book filled to the brim with various traditions and their fundamental details and you will begin to see how more or less every spiritual path is ultimately alchemical.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/sta/
Also, to relate this to astrology and tarot, and as such, the Disciplines of the Personality, one may see themselves as the Fool, the raw alchemist, and with each archetype you blend in to your consciousness and explore, the more you explore and expand your alchemical self. The Creation of the Self is the ultimate work of the Alchemist, and this is done through the exploration of archetypes within the self and the gradual blending, distilling and marrying of all the archetypes to produce One, the individual who has now become a God, one of the Archetypes themselves that is unlike any other Archetype.
For the greatest experiment of the Alchemist is Himself, he is his own Great Work, and the transmutation of his own soul from lead in to gold, from vulgar matter in to the pure first matter, is the work of all sages.
Hope that helped.
Oh, I will mention, that Gnostic Alchemy is what the common idea of the Alchemist has come from. If one looks through this tradition they will see it is absolutely laced with Christian concepts, of which Gnostic is the esoteric underside. Were it not for the push towards material concepts, the principles of Alchemy from the Gnostic tradition would all have been lost. Whereas the principles of Kabbalah only surfaced in the 17th century with the revealing of The Zohar, gnostic transformation survived through the dark ages by virtue of being hidden within other traditions and other concepts, all reduced to symbolism.
Agrippa's work is also very much worth looking at: http://www.esotericarchives.com/agrippa/agrippa1.htm
Oh, we would also like to mention that the numbers applied in these systems have less to do with their groupings and more to do with numerological harmonics. 12 and 7 are both powerful numbers which are tied to this system of reality which we are perceiving and there is a deeper mystery in numbers for those who seek.
We also recently posted a bit on Archetypes in our thread of questioning: http://www.bring4th.org/forums/showthrea...069&page=5
Any more direct questions to us should likely be taken there if they are outside of the realms of the alchemical understanding of archetypes.
We would also mention that to our understanding Ra rarely uses the term alchemy or alchemical, but the processes of unfoldment described are very much so.
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