Al-Kīmiyā: What is Alchemy?

What is Alchemy?

The word Alchemy comes from the arabic word Kimiya or Al-Kīmiyā; Al-Kīmiyā translating to “The Land of Khem,” “The Black Art” or “The Art of Khem.” Khem or rather “Kmt” is the name of ancient Egypt. It means “Black” or “Black Land.” When people speak of Alchemy, the word itself is typically used differently based on the surrounding context within dialogue. The word tends to get thrown around as a noun or verb, often in reference to the act of transforming/transmuting, but the most accurate definitions of the word I’ve come across are: Alchemy is the understanding of how Consciousness associates and relates to Matter. & Alchemy is the Art of Transformation; The Raising of Vibrations People tend to use it as a synonym for the words transmute & transform because the most common idea of Alchemy is the concept of transmuting lead into gold, which is not wrong, but it’s far from the whole picture. There are seemingly infinite correspondences to Alchemy, which, when understood and properly applied, can be found to be relevant to all things, all people, and areas of interest. You’ll come to see this for yourself as you explore Alchemy in depth. Alchemy is as old as history itself, some even say that Alchemy itself is the first thing to ever be. I see Alchemy as a concept and a study of the processes & movements that take place in nature. I also see Alchemy as being these very processes & movements itself. The Art of Alchemy is in essence named after the very thing it is examining. It is a foundational process that permeates everything in existence. It is important to note that although we can confirm that God is Alchemy itself, we only grasp a fraction of what God truly is when we say that it is God. Alchemy as a practice ultimately brings the practitioner back to the Truth & can be best viewed as a key or a means to filter Truth from the superfluous details surrounding it. This is where the famous maxim “The Above is of the Below. The Below is of the Above. As Within, So Without. As the Universe, So the Soul.” comes into play. So, how does Consciousness associate and relate to Matter? Simple, through Spirit. In Alchemy, there is what is known as The Philosopher’s Stone. The Philosopher’s Stone itself is an elaborate topic, but for the sake of this post I’ll break down it’s correspondence to the definition of Alchemy & Spagyria as simply as I can. The Philosopher’s Stone is often expressed as a symbol. This symbol is a key of Alchemy & map to Infinity.

The Philosopher’s Stone consists of: The Prima Materia, The Three Principles, The Four Elements, The Seven Planetary Archetypes, The Twelve Processes/Astrological Houses of the Zodiac. The Prima Materia, aka The First Thing, is God itself: Infinity The Three Principles are Sulfur, Mercury & Salt (Consciousness, Mind & Matter) The Four Elements are Fire, Air, Water & Earth The Seven Planetary Archetypes are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter & Saturn The Twelve Astrological Houses of the Zodiac from Aries to Pisces represent the 12 Alchemical Processes.

The one thing is undivided, infinite consciousness. Thoth states in the Emerald Tablet that “all things have come from this one thing.” Infinite consciousness divides itself, becomes aware and manifests as a Soul (Sulfur.) This Soul/awareness then generates thought/mind/Spirit (Mercury.) The Soul then, structures thought through Mind, to give birth to Form/Matter/Body (Salt.) This form then interacts with the material realm which is comprised of the four elements, influenced by the seven planets and to a greater degree, the 12 Astrological Houses of the Zodiac. When the Self innerstands and employs these correspondences within, in the soul & without, in the Lab work, Art and Science merge and give form to Alchemy. Then Alchemist’s creations made within their soul and in the laboratory become the tools to direct his awareness back towards divine consciousness.

The Alchemist is one that through awareness of their place in the grand scheme of it all, is able to manipulate the elements at will. Alchemy being an “art of transformation,” is the Art of understanding how consciousness creates and transforms itself into matter. Knowing alchemy as a practice and theory that recognizes the relationship of consciousness to matter, we can then unlock the general principles that structure alchemical theory (sulfur, mercury, & salt – The 4 elements – prima materia – etc.) Opening the doors to these understandings gives the power of wisdom back to every individual. Alchemy is just one of many paths that can be walked to know this and all as so. Understanding and incorporating this definition of alchemy is one step in recognizing the truths that alchemy points to and embodies. When one knows oneself & the paths to the Heart are clear, the power to change one’s life becomes radically aparent. The processess of creation are simply keys that consciousness uses to remember… in short, consciousness uses creation as a mirror to reflect the grand correspondence back to self so that it may gain insight and evolve just as the work evolves that the Alchemist is employing. The Alchemical work, within & without, is employed through the 12 Alchemical Processess. These processes reflect the motions that conscioussness moves through at different stages of work. These same internal processes correspond to the external work that the operator conducts in the laboratory. These same processess are analogous to any external work that we do. The Philosopher’s Stone is fractal in nature and as so it can be used as a lense through which we filter this experience through to uncover Truth. Alchemists practice the processes as a way to familiarize themselves with the grand correspondence found in all areas of life. This concept lends insight to the glory of the work itself and not the product of the work. When the operator overstands this, it is said that great wisdom is soon to follow.