Extract from Chapter 1 - The Gift of Strong Roots:
“The alchemist‘s goal or Gold lies in experiencing the Unity of Life, in feeling part of the interconnected Web of energy that is the Essence of Life. Essentially we are all alchemists and we all possess the Gold, the Elixir of Life and the Philosophers Stone – as soon as we recognise it. It may only be a fleeting glimpse, but each time we find our connection to this Gold, this Unity within us, we know how it feels and we can find it again.
All alchemist’s work as individuals within the Unity of all life and alchemy is about honouring our own originality and responsibility to ourselves as well as our responsibility to the whole, the Web of Life around us. In this way it leads us to explore where we are separated from this wholeness and to heal our past and therefore our present and our future. For they are One, the same Unity.
Alchemy is about trusting ourselves. It is non judgemental, accepting that we grow, change and learn through our experiences. It is not about completion but the journey. We bring to it our own perspectives, emotions and who we are at this point in time. It is a journey of self discovery that asks of us the courage to be truly honest with ourselves. This leads naturally to change and transformation. The alchemy happens inside us first and spreads outwards from there.
Alchemy encourages the use of intuition, meditation and the imagination to balance our reliance on logical thinking. It encourages the deep parts of ourselves to come to the surface so that we truly experience our wholeselves.
Alchemy investigates the creative energy released through Union, especially the union of opposite forces or opposite parts of ourselves. Out of union comes new energy and movement, new life, new beginnings. It is this place, this interface where new beginnings are forming, that interests the alchemist and healer, for it is here that we can join the dance and consciously participate in the energy and spirit of transformation.
“Alchemy is the conscious use of energy. I believe that every thing that exists is an interconnected stream of energy and we do nothing in isolation. We are connected to all of life always and the energy of life is always cyclic. What we send, we receive.
As an alchemist I become the Unity that I seek. I consciously send out Unity, and therefore draw it towards myself, opening up the connection to the Web or Matrix, the Essence and the Source of Life. I use the word ‘Matrix’ to create a link to understanding life as a circuit of interconnected energy from which all matter takes form, and in its ancient context, from the Latin ‘mater’, meaning “mother’ and ‘womb’, the Creatress, Mother of Life.
As an alchemist I consciously create loving energy, which is the source of my happiness and well being, and strengthens my Life Force or Chi, my ‘Gold’ and ‘Elixir of Life’. By sending out Love I contribute to the increase of Love circulating in the world. I am convinced that what ever we put our attention towards increases. In this way Love creates more Love, harmony creates more harmony. This also links us to all the Love and happiness that we have ever experienced. We sustain the energy by becoming One with the Universal flow of Love available to us all. One act of goodwill links us to the whole. We pass Love on in cycles of goodwill and kindness and bring increase with every positive and loving action we make. By the same token, the reverse is true…… We are all therefore responsible for the world we create, not just in our personal lives but as contributors to the energy that is at large in the world.” - Glennie Kindred 2005
Extract from Chapter 2 - The Gift of Fire:
The Mid Summer Solstice is a transition point in the Earth’s Solar year, which corresponds in energy to the alchemical process of Calcination.
In both systems Sol, the Sun, Yang, outer expansion, is at its height. It has reached the furthest boundary of its power and at this point it is at it’s most potent. At the point of transition it fires up its opposite, Luna, the Moon, Yin, which brings reflection and receptivity, and a new inner expansion.
The alchemy of Calcination and the Summer Solstice lies in this transition, between the completion of the outer cycle and the beginning of the inner cycle. There is both an acknowledgement of the journey so far and a desire to take these experiences within, to make sense of them on another level, to find the alchemy held within them.
The Alchemical Experience of Calcination
Calcination is the chemical reaction and alchemical metaphor that relates to the alchemist’s use of Fire. Chemically the Calcination process involves heating a substance in an open vessel until it is reduced to ashes. The alchemist uses the element Fire, to consciously energize new paths forward, to burn away the things that are finished with and in doing so transform their energy to an experience of the wisdom held within them.
Calcination is the alchemist choice to activate the inner journey and in this choice the ego, the Self and the will power, becomes integrated with the desire for spiritual understanding and spiritual growth. Through this choice the ego essentially begins a journey to transform itself, to transcend beyond its limitations, attachments and boundaries, and expand into the Limitless, the Infinite, Eternal Spirit.
The Calcination experience can be consciously chosen and it is also thrust upon us through all of life’s trials and tribulations, known as ‘Trial by Fire’. Although not easy at the time, these are our life lessons, the growth experiences from which we learn and develop our spiritual awareness and inner wisdom. The Ego is humbled in the process and this helps us to develop integrity.
The Salamander is a mythical creature that lives in Fire; it thrives in it and revels in the transformation and change it creates. Symbolically it represents the alchemy of spiritual transformation, the experience of Calcination. This is known as ‘Trial by Fire’, our inner Truth is tested and refined, our attachments and limitations are burnt away, creating a death of an old way of being. At the heart of this experience is a rebirth, renewal and regeneration into a new more refined state and a connection to our deep inner wisdom.
The Calcination experience helps me to function in both the outer material world and the inner Spirit world at the same time. The more I jump into life’s experiences, the more I embrace and experience my potential to refine my spiritual understanding and live it as a natural part of my life.
Through Calcination I am changed, transformed on the inside. I experience myself in a new and different way as I consciously choose to activate the inner journey and my spiritual path. My rational mind lets go of its need to control, and seeks to activate the alchemy of integration and connection to the Universal Flow.
I become aware of what I wish to change or draw towards my self, establishing new patterns and therefore new futures and new openings in my life.
The Alchemy of Fire
Fire is an energetic quality as well as a physical quality. It is a transformative force, creating action, energy and expansion. The dynamic and energetic use of Fire sets things in motion with commitment, boldness and passion.
I celebrate the living energy of Fire to generate energy, expansion and growth. It is the active power of response and release. Fire gets things moving and is a catalyst for change and transformation. Fire is associated with will power, and conscious choice. Fire inspires me to take risks, to act on the strength of my convictions and to tap into my courage and inner strength.
Fire is in the spark of inspiration, the spark of the imagination, the inner spark of my Love and my passion and my desire for happiness. These are generated from within me and inspire my actions in the world.
As an alchemist, I seek Secret Fire, Hidden Fire or Sacred Fire, the Fire that lives within me that helps me to be in touch with what is truly important to my spiritual journey. As an alchemist, I aim to unite my inner Fire with my outer Fire, so that everything I do, in my everyday life, and in the world, is a reflection of this union.
By uniting the two I create a doorway, an interface where my inner and outer Fire can fuse together. Their union releases spontaneity and trust in myself, a clarity of inner strength and true integrity. I picture the opening this united Fire energy brings and jump right in. A new part of my journey has begun.
REVIEWS OF THE ALCHEMIST'S JOURNEY:
"In this account of 12 months in her life, much-loved author Glennie Kindred explores the powerful fusion of alchemy with the eight Celtic festivals, and shows us how to tap in to the natural energy of transformation inherent in the earth's cycles. Full of practical ideas to encourage us to be open to the power of transformation, and written in an inspiring and accessible style, this book brings the ancient alchemical processes into a fresh, clear light. Glennie shows us how each season is an opportunity to develop, adapt, and experience ourselves in a new way. This inspires us to unlock the love that brings healing to ourselves and our relationship to the earth. She reveals how we can find this true alchemical gold and become a powerful force for positive change in the world." - Hay House Publishers
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