The essence of alchemy lies in the profound question of transforming the existing. In the Asian perspective, it holds a special significance, symbolizing the process of breaking something into parts and reassembling it into a whole with even higher value and complexity. The Morph Crystal Bowls beautifully reflect this quality, echoing energies of transformation.
The Definition
Alchemy is the meticulous study and observation of transformation processes. It is a spiritual discipline and a science rooted in the spiritual traditions of prehistoric indigenous cultures. Over time, various cultures added their symbols, myths, and unique attributes to this ancient practice. Since the 17th century, these ideas have faded into obscurity due to the rational methods of modern science.
One goal of alchemy is to reverse entropy, suggesting that energetic systems, including ourselves, can escape the trend of decay. The symbolic transformation of metal into gold represents alchemization. While alchemists were fervently engaged in transforming matter, their ultimate pursuit was immortality – the metamorphosis of an ordinary person into a wise sage, resonating with the Taoist concept of a sage who has returned to their original wholeness, integrating the dualities of life on Earth.
In the Western world, the idea of the alchemist may seem like a naive tale, resistant to logical explanations within the linear dimensions we navigate. However, in the realms of the psyche, governed by synchronicity – the law of meaningful connections and non-causal relationships – experiences often transcend the law of cause and effect. In alchemized states of consciousness, such as in dreams, sound baths, or the subconscious, time and space lose meaning, offering access to inner wholeness and an identity unknown in the external world.
On the soul levels, the concept of alchemized consciousness makes complete sense. In Chinese medicine and Reiki, for example, the idea of alchemization of our being is the underlying concept of healing. The flow of Ki, Qi, the transformation of elements, and our hearts are deeply connected to the fundamental alchemical consciousness.
Alchemy is Unifying
Just as the Crystal Bowls blend different elements, different energetic frequencies, and their respective effects into something whole and new, alchemical sounds also act as unifying and transformative agents. Alchemization is more about the process than the result, focusing on the relationship between phenomena and energetic processes.
The term "alchemy" originates from the Arabic "al-kymiya" and was adopted from the Greek "χυμεία" (chymeia). The interpretation of the word is as multifaceted as alchemy itself. "Al" is an Arabic article, and "Kemet" or "Chemi" is the Egyptian term for "the Black," signifying the black fertile soil of the Nile Delta. The Greek "chymeia" means "melting"; thus, alchemy can be translated as the "art of casting." The etymology reflects its origins in ancient Egypt or Hellenistic Greece, with Hermes Trismegistos contributing to the Hermetic Principles.
The Path of the Alchemist
As practicing alchemists and alchemical sound practitioners, we dedicate ourselves to the idea of wholeness. Wholeness represents our true state and the coming together of all parts to find healing. Alchemization, the synthesis of body, mind, and spirit, perceives the world as vibrant with spirit, intention, and wisdom. The alchemist's task is to find ways to balance the diminishing or lost by blending it with what is whole, what is emerging, what is multiplying. It involves a commitment to what is, expressing gratitude for everything. Alchemists understand that energy changes, diminishes in our human experience, but alchemy allows this process to be reversed within the closed system of our own being, our body.
The aging process, the weakening of the human body is inevitable, but alchemy, within the closed system of our being, allows us to reverse this process. This is achieved by embracing the qualities of Yin, silence, receiving, and surrendering to prevent the depletion of energy but to increase its quality. This happens by turning towards our hearts, surrendering our ego-will to the wholeness of our essence.
The more we open ourselves to receptive Yin, surrendering the Yang pursuit of our ego to the wisdom of the whole, the more vitality, joy, compassion, and mindfulness emerge. Thus, our ability to be, to recognize, to enlighten, and to manifest grows in this transformative path of alchemization.
