What Does Spiritual Alchemy Mean

Do you consider yourself a Spiritual Alchemist? Alchemy is about much more than turning metal into gold. It is the act of transforming oneself from the inside out. By aligning our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors with our best and most true selves, we can all alter our lives. The search for spirit in matter was the ancient art of alchemy. It is a technique of improving your own relationship with the divine component of existence in modern living. The greatest achievement of alchemy is the creation of a link between our inner and outward worlds. While physical alchemy is concerned with changing and modifying physical properties, spiritual alchemy is concerned with liberating your spiritual self from anxieties, restrictive belief systems, and a lack of self-acceptance. Alchemy is the art of change, transformation, and inner emancipation.

In our yoga practice, we are taught about gaining enlightenment. The ultimate stage of change – the gold – in spiritual alchemy is to be in a state of enlightenment, or soulful consciousness. One can release themselves from fundamental wounds, restricting core beliefs, and other thinking processes and behaviors that hurt the soul through introspection and self-meditation.

1. Calcination: Reconnecting to our natural state of being by breaking down our egos, self-doubt, self-sabotaging conduct, and pride.

2. Dissolution: Taking a step back and seeing oneself, both positive and negative aspects, and refusing to let either determine our sense of self.

3. Distancing: Distinguishing our true thoughts and emotions from those we've been taught to think and feel. This allows us to perceive ourselves more clearly and explore our shadow work in more depth.

4. Conjunction: Allowing our unconscious thoughts to arise so that we can view them with conscious awareness is the fourth step.

5. Fermentation: Fermentation is the initial step in the regeneration process. Through inner calm, stillness, and introspection, it is both the death of our old thoughts, patterns, and beliefs and the early stages of the birth of our highest self.

6. Distillation: A higher level of purification requires us to seek inner calm in the ordinary events of our lives. The state of illumination is another name for this stage.

7. Coagulation: The universe is no longer independent from the inner thought or spiritual reality, but rather a reflection of it in this state. We produce what we think.

Gold

The Sun is the celestial body that Gold represents. Ancient Egyptians, Irish, Romans, Asians, Africans, and Central Americans all prized this metal. It was thought to symbolize perfection and purity. Gold was frequently utilized as a god's offering and for ceremonial purposes. Gold has long been seen as a sign of wealth, prosperity, authority, and allure over the world. Healing, protection, growth, and knowledge are all things that it can help with.

Copper

Venus is the planet that governs copper. It is one of humanity's oldest metals, and it has long been revered in cultures as diverse as Native American, Asian, European, South American, and Middle Eastern. Copper represents women's nurturing qualities as well as their divine feminine energy. It represents charisma, beauty, creative inventiveness, tenderness, kindness, and equilibrium, and is related with love and lust.

Silver

The Moon is associated with silver. It is one of the oldest and most versatile metals known to man. It's linked to intuition, self-reflection, and inner wisdom as philosophical attributes. It's a feminine metal that's associated with divine goddesses and feminine spirits, and it's a symbol of purity. Protection, emotional healing, love and heart healing, ancient wisdom, lucid dreams, luck, and money are some of its potent healing properties. Clarity, awareness, focus, persistence, and internal knowing and strength are all aided by it.

What are the 7 stages of spiritual alchemy?

Because no two soul experiences are alike, there are no universal phases of alchemy. However, I've compiled a list of the stages I've personally experienced.

Calcination

Calcination entails dismantling aspects of ourselves that obstruct our enjoyment. In today's world, we would frequently want to be “perfect” by society's standards rather than be truly happy. This is why we often overlook true self-exploration. These calcination stages symbolize the point in our lives when we start to let go of our self-doubts, self-destructive actions, stubbornness, fear, pride, arrogance, and egos. Then we'll be able to figure out what's behind it all.

Dissolution

We enter the process of dissolution, which is the beginning of not associating with our false sense of self, after we have broken down all of our own personality qualities that were stopping us from self discovery. We can objectively observe our positive and negative features after we are free of our own worries, self-doubt, and pride.

Things rise to the surface to be released at this stage, enabling us to become aware of how our own behaviors affect not only ourselves but others. We suddenly realize that we've been avoiding traumatic memories and situations, as well as our incapacity to accept responsibility for our own acts, for a long time. This is the beginning of our spiritual maturation when we return to ourselves. This stage is sometimes prompted by major life events such as divorce, illness, job loss, bankruptcy, death, or misfortunes. This causes us to “smell the roses” and start paying attention to what we're doing. We often utilize patterns like addictions to alcohol, drugs, sex, codependency, workaholism, gambling, social media use, and TV binge to avoid ourselves and our problems.

Separation

We separate our emotions and thoughts from other emotions and thoughts at this stage. When we forgive someone, for example, we are releasing our own hearts from previous suffering and bitterness. Being aware of our genuine feelings for ourselves or another person is part of the separation process. We honestly investigate our irritation, disappointment, or anger towards oneself or another person, rather than retreating to our old behaviors of trying to “forgive and forget” because it is socially acceptable and comfortable to do so. Separation is linked to our own shadow work since it requires us to allow our inner ideas and feelings to arise. We may isolate our character traits in this way, allowing us to examine and see them for what they truly are.

Conjunction

We enter the conjunction phase after the first three steps, where we appropriately merge the remaining elements within ourselves. The conjunction phase allows us to dig deep within our inner space in order to accept all aspects of our true nature.

All of our unconscious sentiments and thoughts bubble up to the surface and into our conscious awareness while we are in this state of spiritual alchemy.

Fermentation

The beginning of our rebirth is stage five. For instance, this can be compared to a grape dying and then turning into wine. During the fermenting phase, we start to see glimpses of our “refined” real selves.

This phase is divided into two parts: putrefaction and spiritization. The first is an inner death in which the old elements of our unconscious and conscious minds decay and decompose. This stage is also known as the “dark night of the soul,” and it is frequently accompanied by spiritual sadness.

In the second level, we learn to see the world through spiritual eyes. We learn to let go of all areas of our lives and ourselves that no longer serve a purpose in our lives when we perform our own inner work and listen to our own inner guidance. For example, at this point, I said goodbye to my narcissistic family members: my mother, father, and sister, who were impeding my evolution. Here, we have periods of silence and inner serenity.

Distillation

To become permanent, we must incorporate all of these spiritual realizations into our life during this phase. Distillation is a level of purification that we can achieve inside ourselves.

Here, we go through a profound and powerful inner metamorphosis of calm and happiness. In the East, this is known as enlightenment or self-realization.

Coagulation

Coagulation is the moment at which we have finally broken free from the mind and made contact with our higher awareness, or soul, in order to make contact with the spirit.

This is when two extremes collide, such as heaven and hell, life and death, black and white, and the yin and yang. Our existence becomes self-aware at this stage, free of dualism, where we become spirit and the spirit is us.

The physical cosmos is not separate from our mind, body, soul, or spiritual reality at this stage of coagulation. It's nothing more than a reflection of it. The mirror system is another name for this.

Creating an interrelationship between myself and the cosmos, as well as mind and matter, through alchemy is my greatest achievement!

What is alchemy of the soul?

Soul Alchemy is a method of self-transformation that acknowledges one's unique contribution to the whole. Soul Alchemy is the process of transforming oneself through Soul Work. We can learn to listen to the advice of Soul as Inner Wisdom by using both traditional and modern healing and inquiry tools.

Is alchemy biblical?

The link between alchemy and eschatology appears to have been particularly strong: alchemy not only confirmed biblical and other prophecies about the operations of nature and the unfolding of earthly time, but it also provided true Christians with tools with which to engage the impending Last Days, either by enduring the tribulations of the End Times or by restoring the world in its final moments. Even Martin Luther saw how alchemical labor may, in a sense, confirm prophecies about the world's fate.

What is an alchemist personality?

The INTP Alchemist is a situational rescuer who excels at deciphering the complexities of details and the potential of data; a never-ending source of new ideas to improve things. They investigate details and devise answers by spotting plot gaps in real life and asking the questions that others would never consider. And, despite their pleasure in their precision and application, they have an off-the-wall, childlike eccentricity and a protective love for those whose issues they are earnestly attempting to address.

Young INTPs are enthralled by possibilities from an early age. INTPs, the ultimate “Idea-Guys,” are energized by new methods of doing things and new ways of interacting with the world around them. Whereas their ENTP colleagues approach the world with the question, “What can I do with myself?” they approach the world with the question, “What can I do with myself?” INTPs are constantly on the lookout for fresh and intriguing ways to respond to the inquiry, “What can I do with this?”

An INTP's universe is ablaze with materials that can be learned and explored in their billions of applications. Little INTPs can sometimes feel like the world around them doesn't match the excitement of the concepts their minds can offer, as they frequently find fascinating ideas in the realms of science fiction or inventions that can reach the pinnacle of their imagination when it comes to what possibilities could be. Because others may not understand the wonderful alternatives that a tiny INTP sees all around them, the INTP may withdraw, preferring to enjoy their valued ideas on their own rather than share them with others who may not recognize their worth.

INTPs prefer depth of knowledge to breadth, and they want to know everything there is to know about their chosen field. Because their minds prioritize knowing the specifics of what works in hypothetical circumstances, they like studying and understanding *everything* there is to know about a given topic, so that no imagined situation would overwhelm them. Every situation is different for an INTP, and they need to know all of the possible tools they might need. However, the world is simply too big for them to know everything about *everything*, so their minds naturally choose the fields they care about the most, and they learn *everything* about some things.

INTPs excel at scrutinizing the precise bullet bits of facts and data that make up the world around them, but they fail to grasp how those bullet points add up to build a holistic picture of the world and how it works. An INTP may find the cosmos to be a frightening place, as they believe that attempting to pin down zoomed-out concepts usually leads to either oversimplified generalizations or a chaotic reality in which they can never expect to do the same thing twice. INTPs may develop Moriarty Fear, a dislike of the world beyond their specialization, feeling that they will be deemed obsolete unless they specialize in *all* sorts of information.

This provides INTPs their first option: to try to indicate that any knowledge or expertise outside of their area of specialty is useless, irrelevant, or not truly intelligent. INTPs who pursue this first path feel compelled to uphold the cultural stereotype that intelligence is limited to being competent with specialized conceptual data and situational analysis, in order to avoid feeling inferior to those with other specializations.

However, the cultural expectation that INTPs are the “smartest” of the types (whether or not people recognize the letters) is as harmful to INTPs as it is to all the other kinds. Each type is the “smartest” in its own Type Speciality, and expecting INTPs to be smart in all areas places unnecessary pressure on them when they truly want to focus on what they enjoy and shouldn't be expected to be strong in every type's specialization.

At the same time, our culture's emphasis on INTPs being mentally powerful, an area that our culture associates with INTPs' favorite type of data, culturally prohibits them from exploring, experiencing, and improving in other areas. When facial type revealed that basketball icon Michael Jordan had the facial structure of an INTP, my INFJ and I were taken aback, but it was amazing to read his words and reevaluate his approach to sports, realizing that INTP is indeed the way he cognizes. He was a game-changer because, rather than having innate physical talent, he was always trying new things and specializing in figuring out how to make basketball work. Despite being dismissed from his sophomore squad for being too little and often bragging about how many shots he missed, he used basketball ideals to change the game and become a role model for millions of people. INTPs should feel free to specialize in *anything*, rather than believing that they can only be good at specific forms of specialization.

Of course, I shouldn't have to describe how other types feel when INTP's smart is the “only” sort of smart. The cunning of ESTPs and the analytical brilliance of ENFJs are both underrated. What ISFPs bring to IP situations and what ENFPs sense in people's potential. When each kind is in good health, it is the *smartest* at what it enjoys. The types work as a team, and if any one of them fails, the whole thing falls apart.

An INTP who chooses this first option will be constantly afraid of being usurped or passed, their denial of the validity of knowledge outside their area of expertise will cause them to lose perspective, and constant comparison with others will spread them thin to the point where they won't be able to excel in their own area of specialization. This INTP will not feel like the smartest kid on the block, but rather will be caught up in a never-ending power struggle that makes them feel less valuable than before.

The INTP's second option is to accept others dismissing their specializations as insignificant, impractical, or unimportant, and to believe that perhaps the things that mattered to them weren't as important as they thought or felt, while attempting to avoid bothering others with the possibilities and options they see all around them. It's all too easy for an INTP to limit their Type Specialization to the data they work with instead of the things they may do with that knowledge and insight. The INTP who allows themselves to belittled in their own importance can become very depressed, not realizing how much they have to contribute.

When an INTP instead gives themselves permission to delve deep into their favorite area of specific information, enjoying exploring the worlds of potential available through the information they love, when they're willing to stand up and realize how big the universe is and enjoy the fact that there's still so much to learn, when they're willing to stand up for the heroism inherent in fixing things, the INTP transforms into a possibility-revealing problem-solver, quick to fling open doors to new possibilities. The Alchemist is an INTP personality type.

Though they can stand on their own as protagonists—often in idea stories as the wise scientist or librarian thrust into the action, forced to use their knowledge of ancient runes or local customs to navigate situations—the Alchemist is most often found as part of a team, where they can bounce ideas off of teammates. The Alchemist doesn't believe in fakery and is quick to point out errors in situational conclusions without sugar-coating them. They have a dry, sardonic sense of humor and a buried childish enthusiasm for their prized concepts. Though the Alchemist may regret this quality, there is something refreshing about a character that is willing to tell it how it is, even to their friends, as an audience. The Alchemist, on the other hand, makes up for their lack of tact with commitment. When an Alchemist's team needs their answers, no one can tear them away from their self-driven purpose, no matter how much time or effort is required.

Dark Alchemists are nihilists by nature. Though many INTPs lose perspective on the world's meaning, which is their weakest area (Principles via Fe), an INTP becomes a villain when they feel threatened because of their efforts to understand the world's meaning to the point where they want to destroy that meaning for others. Dark Alchemists have a principle bone to pick with the protagonist, determined on showing that the universe truly does operate in the dark, meaningless way they strive to illustrate. They are usually profoundly dangerous in their capacity to ingeniously and adaptively break the environment around them. They'll always be trying to prove “That's what people *do!” or other simplistic universal truths, whether they don't want anyone to be special, want to prove that all people are animals, or wish to destroy the cosmos itself.

However, INTPs must recognize that the topics that seem insurmountable to them, concerns of universal scope and importance, may come naturally to other types whose minds prioritize the workings of the cosmos, and INTPs must remember that they don't have to accomplish it all. An INTP requires a good infrastructure of friends that recognize and value their skills but still giving different strengths to support a healthy Alchemist to avoid feeling like the world and life are pointless.

A powerful INTP, whether an Alchemist or a Dark Alchemist, will be brilliantly good at anything they choose to pursue, with the capacity to identify possible openings and solutions everywhere they look.

Do you want to learn more about INTP, the Alchemist?

Here is a link to their Cognitive Orientation Guidebook.

What are the 3 main goals of alchemy?

In a nutshell, the alchemists wanted to uncover the Stone of Knowledge (The Philosophers' Stone), discover the medium of Eternal Youth and Health, and learn how to transmute metals.

What does alchemist mean in astrology?

Alchemists used astrology to determine when to start a process in their alchemical work. This allowed the alchemist to be in the best possible alignment with the energy he or she was attempting to change. The planets and metals have the following correspondences: Gold is the color of the sun.