Alchemy - Uniting the Polarities
By Andrew Rutajit
Alchemy. This mysterious word has eluded many great thinkers throughout
antiquity. Alchemy has often been explained away as the transmutation
of metals; one of the oldest scientific methods known. Some alchemists
claim(ed) the ability to make gold and claim(ed) this ability to be the
key to Alchemy. However, these alchemists were not alchemists at all;
they were/are con artists using slight of hand to persuade the wealthy
to invest their money in large laboratories and extravagant lifestyles
for the Alchemist, who by no means could actually make gold from base
metals. Any Alchemist worth his stones will tell you, Alchemical gold
and the gold you wear around your finger are not comparable.
The transmutation of attitude and mind-set is one of the oldest
spiritual practices known; some believe this is the key to Alchemy.
While the transmutation of metals is an important aspect of Alchemy,
the transmutation of attitudes is the key. One must become a clear
conduit for this data to flow through them. Alchemy is the
transmutation of ignorance into knowledge; from Darkness to Light. This
is why, in my other writings, I mention the cardinal sin of hindering
or impeding someone’s quest for truth. I believe the quest for
knowledge to be one of the most important aspects of the human
experience…so few are called, even fewer answer the call, and of those
who answer, one in a million will actually complete this great work
within himself.
The word Alchemy comes from the words Al (or El) and Chemy (Chemistry).
More traditionally, it is said to come from Al-Khem, Khem being the
Egyptians name for their country. I've written about the word EL in a
previous article, but just for a reminder, it was an ancient name for a
deity. Those who worshiped this deity were the Elders; they were a
spiritual group, seeking enlightenment. The EL-Chemists or AL-Chemists
were practicing divine chemistry. Those thinking that the Alchemists
were merely interested in making gold should think again.
Physical transmutation is nothing new to us; science does this every
day in our modern world. Mother Nature practices alchemical
transmutation each and every moment; these physical transmutations are
exogenous and endogenous. Digestion of food is a common example of
endogenous Alchemy; we convert food into energy and reject the waste.
Furthermore, every six months, we have an entirely new bloodstream.
Every eleven months, we have a new cell structure, and we get a new set
of bones every two years. Except for our brain and certain parts of the
nervous system, we actually regenerate an entirely new body every seven
years. Our bodies are in a constant state of alchemical transmutation;
so is the earth. Are we not a part of the earth and a part of
evolution? The earth is our garden, we are her gardener; but in whose
field does evolution grow? Perhaps these questions should remain
unanswered.
If Alchemical gold is not the gold worn on your finger, then this gold
must be a symbol for something. Alchemical gold is a synonym for the
human soul or spirit. It is truth. It is love. It is the combination of
many elements. I like to tell people that the answer to the mystery of
life is not a word or a phrase; one must become the correct answer
physically and mentally...you must make your own gold. In a sentence -
Alchemical gold is a symbol of the human being and the transformation
of this human being into a divine power.
Psalm 82:6
I said, 'You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.'
So, how is this alchemical gold made from salt, sulfur, and mercury as the Alchemists say? Obviously, like the alchemical gold itself, these things are symbolic as well - Salt being symbolic of the human body, sulfur being the symbol of human spirit and mercury being the symbol for the binding substance, which is capable of transmuting one to another. For my deeper thoughts on Mercury, you will need to read my book, Astrotheology and Shamanism. On a larger scale, Mercury is that link between heaven and the earth...Mercury is the Stairway to Heaven; Mercury is Jack's beanstalk and Jacob's ladder. Mercury is the bridge of light uniting the macrocosm and microcosm. Your spirit belongs to eternity, your body belongs to Mother Earth, but your mind is your own; this inner mercury (discussed in detail in my article discussing occult anatomy of the third eye, titled The Serpent – Climbing the Tree of Knowledge) is the bridge that connects the body to the spirit. Shamans who fast, spend days in meditation, practice light and sensory deprivation, or ingest plants that evoke a near death experience, see that experience as a bridge between this life and whatever it is that waits for all of us on the other side. Proper diet and exercise can be a bridge between ease and disease. Problem and solution; for every polarity, there is a bridge that will guide you safely from one side to the other (even if that other side is death itself). Alchemy serves as a compass when seeking these bridges.
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