On 13 January 1404, King Henry IV created a law making it a criminal offence to create gold and silver out of thin air, of course, this didn’t stop anyone from trying! But try as they might, they just couldn’t succeed in discovering the spirit within these metals and objects that would bring about the transformation of turning base metals into gold and silver, cure diseases or even grant the power of immortality. Nowadays, even with mankind’s vast scientific knowledge, this magical transformation is still out of reach. But what about Spiritual Alchemy? Where, rather than using metals, we bring about a transformation within our own lives that allows us to become aligned with our Higher Self and Source to create a Oneness?
Each one of us has the potential to bring about a powerful and life changing transformation that will allow us to fully access and join both our physical world and the Source/Universe. This joining of the physical to the spiritual realms can help us to overcome and release our self-limiting beliefs and fears and instead bring us acceptance and understanding in their place. Spiritual Alchemy brings both change and freedom and is probably the most powerful form of transformation we can experience in the physical realm. How you achieve this is very much your own personal choice. Some will meditate, whilst others practice yoga, but the ultimate goal is the same, to free ourselves from any trauma, hurt and wounds we have experienced that have impacted our core beliefs and behaviours and have stopped us from living the life that we so truly deserve. There are 7 Stages to go through in order to achieve Spiritual Alchemy, so let’s take a look at them.
Finding Your Hidden ‘Inner Gold’ – The 7 Stages of Spiritual Alchemy:
Stage One
Calcination: This first stage in Spiritual Alchemy is when we break down the parts of ourselves that are in the way of our own happiness. We would rather be right or fulfil our own perception of “perfection” than allow ourselves to face the fears we have in order to be truly happy. This involves breaking down our egos, self-doubt, stubbornness, self-sabotaging behaviour, pride and arrogance, and put it aside so we can discover what is hidden underneath.
Stage Two
Dissolution: By completing the Calcination stage, and breaking down all of our personality characteristics that were in the way, we are left with the process of Dissolution which is the beginning of feeling less aligned with our false sense of self. Once we are free from our pride or self-doubt, we can take one step back and honestly and objectively observe both our positive and negative qualities. In this stage, our inability to take responsibility for our faults, our avoidance of traumatic memories and other inner tensions, will rise to the surface and we can become aware of how our own behaviours and beliefs might be affecting others. This second stage is the beginning of our spiritual maturity and the signifies beginning of developing emotional intelligence.
Stage 3
Separation: The Separation stage of becoming aware of our authentic feelings for ourselves or another person, is the stage where we make our thoughts and emotions more defined by isolating them from other thoughts and emotions that we have been conditioned to think and feel. For example, now when we try to forgive someone, we are attempting to free ourselves from resentment rather than reverting back to our old habit of trying to forgive or forget just because it is the ‘right’ and expected thing to do. In this stage, we choose to experience our anger, frustration or disappointment towards others or ourselves, helping us to isolate particular facets of our character in order to honestly see and assess them from an entirely objective perspective.
Stage 4
Conjunction: When we have experienced the purification and clarification of the first three stages, we can then begin to combine the remaining elements within us through the process of Conjunction. In Stage 3 we separated and learned to distinguish all the separate feelings and thoughts within us, and now Conjunction provides the inner space and the ‘melting pot; that is required to enable us to accept all the parts of our authentic self. When we experience this stage of Spiritual Alchemy, all of our unconscious thoughts and feelings may bubble up to the surface and into the light of our conscious awareness where we can observe them more clearly. Meditation and journaling are both useful tools for enabling this stage of the Spiritual Alchemy process.
Stage 5
Fermentation: This is the first stage in the process of our ‘rebirth’. It is both the death of our old thoughts, behavioural patterns and beliefs, and the first stage of the rebirth of our highest self through practising inner peace, stillness, and introspection. While the first four stages involved working with aspects of our old personality, in the stage of Fermentation we begin to experience moments of our more “refined” Higher-Self. The Fermentation stage occurs in two parts: Putrefaction and Spiritisation. Putrefaction is the decomposition of our old former selves; and is the process of ‘inner death’ by which the old ingrained elements of our conscious and unconscious minds are allowed to rot and decompose. The Putrefaction stage is sometimes referred to as the ‘Dark Night of the Soul’, as it can be followed by feeling mentally low and unhappy. Conversely, Spiritisation is the stage where we begin to look at the world in a new light. With the right guidance and some hard work on our inner selves, Spiritisation involves us letting go of all the aspects of ourselves and our lives that no longer serve or contribute to our spiritual transformation. It is at this stage where we may begin to experience moments of great inner peace and stillness.
Stage 6
Distillation: Once on the path of Spiritisation, we must continue to find ways to integrate all of these spiritual realisations into our everyday lives in order to allow them to become permanent and ingrained in our thought patterns and behaviours until they become second nature to us. Distillation is the level of further purification and involves us finding new ways to live from a daily place of inner peace. Like any new positive habit this can only be achieved through regular practice that sees the old version of ourselves being reborn into the present moment leaving behind us the old habits, beliefs and cycles of our pre-transformation. Eastern philosophies often refer to this stage as being self-realisation or enlightenment as this deeper level of purification asks us to look for inner peace even in the mundane events of our daily lives. Practices such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and self-inquiry are useful tools in this stage of the Spiritual Alchemy process.
Stage 7
Coagulation: Just as our blood is able to coagulate – form clots – to stop bleeding, the Coagulation Stage is considered to be the stage where we become free from the mind. It is the time when we finally allow our consciousness, higher-self or Soul to connect with Spirit. When we achieve this stage, the Universe is no longer separate from our inner mind or spiritual reality, but rather a reflection of it. What we think, we create and Spiritual Alchemy has been performed. Working our way through all 7 Stages of Spiritual Alchemy is essential in order to allow us to take all of the inner-elements of our past and transform them into a tool that can be used to allow us to reach our highest and very best self. Each stage must be worked through before moving onto the next. It may be a difficult and painful road at times, as we are looking to heal a lifetime of self-limiting beliefs, trauma and fear. By taking this transformational and life changing journey we can come away having learned how to change the negative energies that were created by our own pain, into positive, constructive and life changing lessons that will not only improve our own lives, but allow us in turn to transform the lives of others. It is only then that we will have achieved what was once thought impossible – Alchemy.
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If you’re ready to experience the power of spiritual alchemy that will not only transform your own life, but will empower you to transform the lives of others, you can find details of our courses here.
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