Wise Pagan Perspectives | Hermetic Alchemy and Personal Growth

        When people think of alchemy, they generally think of old men in tattered robes during the Renaissance trying to turn lead into gold. More importantly, though, alchemy is the father of modern chemistry (Read, 251-252). The word ‘alchemy’ comes from the Arabic “al-Khem,” which refers to Egypt, long thought the ‘motherland of chemistry’ (Read, 252).
        However, there is another side to alchemy that many in today’s society do not know about. Alchemy in its more esoteric tradition, Hermetic Alchemy, is still alive and well and is practiced today. This is where the previously stated goal of alchemy turns to metaphor. For, the alchemist seeks to take the ‘lead’ of the human soul and turn it into ‘gold’. As Mircea Eliade writes, “alchemy, as we shall see, takes its place in the same spiritual category: the alchemist takes up and perfects the work of Nature, while at the same time working to ‘make’ himself” (47). In this way, alchemy is a system that one can use for personal evolution and growth. In describing the systematic approach of alchemy, it is achieved by conditioning the mind, the practice of meditation, and in some cases the proper use of sexual energies.
            Before delving into the processes of hermetic alchemy, it is good to get a general overview of the system and gain some background information as a backdrop for this interesting mystical tradition. Alchemy was at its height in popularity during the time of the Renaissance and was studied and practiced widely in the known world—throughout “China, Tibet, central Asia, Persia, and Europe, interactions which had the Silk Road and medieval maritime routes and ports as their venue” (White 2). However, many alchemists trace the practice back to Hermes, Egypt’s greatest king, who lived 400 years before the time of Moses and the Exodus of the Israelites (Atwood 5). Furthermore, it is said that, “this prince, like Solomon, is highly celebrated by antiquity for his wisdom and skill in the secret operations of nature, and for his reputed discovery of the quintessential perfectibility of the three kingdoms in their homogeneal unity; whence he is called the Thrice Great Hermes, having the spiritual intelligence of all things in their universal law” (Atwood 6).
         Also, he is credited with creating the Smaragdine, or Emerald, Tablets (Atwood 7). So, now, it is clear where the term “Hermetic” comes from as well as the word “alchemy”. Hermes, the greatest king of Egypt, is credited with starting this mystical system of personal growth in the land of Egypt, or al-Khem. However, it was not until Alexander the Great conquered Egypt that it began to evolve towards its present form and spread throughout the civilized world. As the Greeks began to study this mystical tradition, they blended it with their own philosophy and Stoic thought (Jung 11).
            However, there is a reason other than metaphor that the ability to turn lead into gold has long been a part of the alchemical mystique. The alchemic masters have used this metaphor for thousands of years. Before the first century AD, hermetic alchemy was openly practiced and taught. Then, the practices of alchemy became secret between the first and third century AD as those taking part in studying alchemy were falsely charged with counterfeiting gold and precious metals (Jung 12). It would make sense to conclude that it was the uninitiated who started this trouble for the alchemists of the time. Also, one could surmise that it was the uninitiated scientists during the Renaissance who started mixing various compounds in attempt to make real gold not realizing that the wild tales they heard were philosophical stories.
     It can be reasoned that it is because of these alchemists that we use the term “Renaissance Man”. For, the alchemist was the one who has an insatiable hunger for knowledge, studying and reading widely such works on, “law, mathematics, medicine, military science, astronomy, and geography” (Po-tuan 1).
            The alchemists sought not only to improve themselves but also to help others. Many worked toward the goal of universal medicine. They kept the idea in mind to relieve all of mankind of their sufferings (Silberer 114). To this end as well as their own needs, they applied all of their mental faculties.
            The alchemists through the ages practiced and studied their art in a mostly mental fashion. It was through exercising their intellect and analyzing the processes of the mind that they primarily achieved enlightenment. In The Kybalion, the Three Initiates state, “these teachings really constituted the basic principles of ‘The Art of Hermetic Alchemy,’ which, contrary to the general belief, dealt in the mastery of Mental Forces, rather than Material Elements—the Transmutation of one kind of Mental Vibrations into others, instead of the changing of one kind of metal into another.” (22) In this way, the initiate sought to perfect themselves over time. Also, it was through a long series of steps, using exercises proscribed by a master that the initiate took steps on the road to enlightenment. For, “the Principles of Truth are Seven; he who knows these, understandingly, possesses the Magic key before whose touch all the doors of the Temple fly open” (Three Initiates 25). These Seven Hermetic Principles are:
The Principle of Mentalism;
The Principle of Correspondence;
The Principle of Vibration;
The Principle of Polarity;
The Principle of Rhythm;
The Principle of Cause and Effect; and
The Principle of Gender.

      While an in-depth analysis of each of these principles is beyond the scope of this work, a brief explanation of each follows.
      The Principle of Mentalism is explained as “THE ALL is MIND; the Universe is Mental”(Three Initiates 26).
      The Principle of Correspondence is explained, “as above, so below; as below, so above” (Three Initiates 28).
      “Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates,” is the explanation for the Principle of Vibration (Three Initiates 30).
      The Principle of Polarity is briefly stated as, “everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled” (Three Initiates 32).
      The Principle of Rhythm states that, “everything flows out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right, is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates” (Three Initiates 35).
      The Principle of Cause and Effect states that, “every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause; everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law” (Three Initiates 38).
      And, finally, the Principle of Gender is explained in that, “gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles; Gender manifests on all planes” (Three Initiates 39).
      Many students of the occult (or hidden) mysteries will find these as common themes though they may differ slightly from tradition to tradition. As these lessons are learned and the initiate learns to master oneself, it is taught that the student will gradually be able to affect the environment, and even the people, around them. It is concluded that only the advanced alchemists, or masters, will be able to control the elements of nature (such as the weather) and even people (Three Initiates 46-47, 49).
            Furthermore, the initiate was taught to blend the different qualities of thinking as exhibited between what psychologists today call left-brain thinking and right-brain thinking. In this way, balance was the goal. The idea was to blend “flexibility” with “firmness”.   The qualities of firmness were seen as strength, sturdiness, decisiveness, keenness, incorruptibility, indomitability, detachment, independence, serenity, will, consistency, dedication, and objectivity. The qualities of flexibility were thought of as self-control, humility, consideration of others, simplicity, sincerity, modesty, tolerance, courtesy, self-examination, freedom from compulsive habit, contentment, absence of random thought, and imagination. With this mental control being the focus, the initiate
was able to control himself or herself and move toward the goal of enlightenment (Po-tuan 6-7).
            The focus of maintaining a balanced life as much as possible, both in living life and in mental thought, was one of the main goals for the initiate. This focus was on actively being a part of society versus being a reclusive student as well as a balanced approach to social conditioning versus getting rid of those learned actions and habits that no longer meet one’s need (Po-tuan 4). Social conditioning was viewed mostly as artificial. Through various mental exercises the initiate was to connect with what was called “the primordial celestial mind” and break through social conditioning in order to retrieve “real knowledge.” This would “replace the mundanity (or social conditioning) infecting conscious knowledge” (Po-tuan 17). For, “in sum, the aim of Complete Reality Taoism (the Chinese school of alchemy) is to be a ‘real human being’ rather than a willy-nilly product of socio-cultural accident, to be fully awake, autonomous, capable of exercising free will and of perceiving reality directly without artificial constructs” (Po-tuan 21).
            The main goal of alchemy was to evolve, improve oneself, and live up to one’s potential (Three Initiates 93). As it has been well noted, alchemy is a mental art.
However, there is more to it. Many metaphysical students have been plied by their teachers, “you cannot go up if you do not go within” (Gold). This was certainly true of alchemy as well. More specifically, meditation was one of the tools a master would teach his or her students. The Chinese alchemical perspective was to seek out ultimate reality as a way to reach enlightenment. They used a more extroverted approach to understanding the reality of the world around them and how they fit in it. “Generally speaking, the most pervasive practical concern in Complete Reality Taoism appears to
be the purification and deautomization of the mind so as to make it sensitive to reality; and it is well known that practitioners commonly practiced quiet sitting as an aid in accomplishing this” (Po-tuan 19).
            Meditation was used so that the initiate would learn to maintain constant lucid awareness. The Tao Te Ching was a work used by many Chinese master alchemists. Meditation was exemplified in the Tao Te Ching when it stated, “‘empty the mind, fill the belly,’ which is interpreted to mean cleaning the human mind of its ramblings and preoccupations, and filling the center of the being—representing the focus of life—with the direct awareness of reality ” (Po-tuan 5-6).
            In contrast to the Chinese system of alchemy, the European system was more introverted. The Western masters taught their students to find their own version of reality as opposed to society’s reality, “the highest wisdom consists in this, for man to know himself” (Silberer 153).
            Moreover, meditation was a tool used to generate internal heat. This heat was not only used for physical application, it was also used for mental clearing. The Indian alchemical masters taught that this heat was transformative and could aid the student in clearing the mind and ridding unwanted thoughts and mental processes. For the Indian initiate, this was an important process to shorten the cycle of rebirths, or reincarnation (White 185).
            There is one more tool at the master’s disposal that was used primarily in the East, and that was the application of sexual energy. Sexual energy was not used just for fun or entertainment. Sexual energy as a potent force, can be used as a magical tool to achieve many different ends (Fra.: Apfelmann).
            In India, the tantric system was practiced. The word ‘tantra’ means ‘the warp of reality’ (White 1). As it was stated previously, reality, or ultimate reality was the conquest of the alchemist. The height of popularity for Tantric Alchemy was during the 12th & 13th centuries CE (White 2). Sexual energy was considered an essence, and this concept was tied with other concepts that lead to “the mythic liquor of immortality” (White 184).
            The use of sexual energy as a catalyst was also practiced in Chinese alchemy. While the Indians called it ‘tantra’, the Chinese called it the ‘waterwheel’, or ho-ch’e (Po-tuan 15). The alchemical masters in China taught their initiates to generate inner heat through sexual arousal. This heat was then circulated through the body in a circular pattern, up the spine, through the head, and down the center line of the front of the torso. Other metaphysical traditions call this pattern of channeling energy the microcosmic orbit (Gold). “An abbreviated version of this exercise, using the active channel up the spine to the brain, is called ‘returning the vitality to repair the brain’ (huan ching pu nao) . . . ejaculation is suppressed, either by muscular contraction or external pressure, creating an extremely intense and prolonged orgasm, the heat of which is then conducted by concentration up the spine into the brain, where it ‘burns’ away mundane thoughts and feelings by bliss” (Po-tuan 15).
            So then, the alchemy tradition comes together. One can see how this system has evolved over time. While the metaphors and stories may be interesting and entertaining, it is quite clear that alchemy is a system and process for self-growth and self-improvement. Whether we look at the spiritual and religious practices in India, China, Europe, or the rest of the world for that matter, alchemy has made its impact.
            Mr. David Gordon White says it best when he states, “the latter Siddha movements proposed the following working principle: Mere humans could, through their tantric, yogic, and alchemical practice, climb the ladder of being and accede to the ranks of the semidivine Siddhas. … a trace of the notion of a primordial ontological difference between those born perfect and those who made themselves perfect . . .” (White 3). In following this tradition, one must ultimately apply the higher spiritual laws and meditate to burn away the chaff of lower human thought. In this way, one can hope to evolve.
            One last thought, “according to Hermetic Alchemy, the physical sciences, as opposed to the metaphysical sciences, are in the process of catching up with what alchemists know to be true” (Three Initiates 189-192). The only logical response to this is that time will tell. However, it is curious that what many of the masters have taught through the ages has come forth to be known as scientific or philosophical truth today.