THE SCHOOL OF ALCHEMY

LESSON ONE: BELIEF

    You are here to become an alchemist. You must believe that you can be an alchemist. You must believe in the hidden powers of the mind and soul. Otherwise the lessons printed here will be no use. Do you believe?

    The alchemist uses the 'first matter' as the beginning of his work. What is this first matter? Ah, this has escaped even the most 'brilliant' minds of our age. Let us try to discover what it is.

    When you plan to do something or start a project, what is the very first thing you do? Where does the process begin? In the mind of course. Remember, alchemy is the process of turning lead into gold. Is that a spiritual reference? Does lead into gold mean something entirely different than first appears? The debate is ongoing about that. The alchemists of old did indeed have laboratories in which they attempted to create pure gold out of the metal we know as lead. Some actually did poison themselves in attempting this. But for the purposes of this discussion, we will use the popular belief that alchemy is a spiritual process. That turning lead into gold is turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. 

    Perhaps the reader has already come to a conclusion about the first matter. It is of course - 'thought'. That is the lead of alchemy. The gold refers to success in whatever you are attempting to do. So, we could say that alchemy is taking thoughts and turning them into success in our endeavours. If we wanted to make a million dollars, our first thought is the idea or desire of the million dollars. The gold is the actual physical manifestation of that desire. Simple isn't it?

    This process of alchemy promises to open the readers eyes and show him a new world of possibility. The promise really is that whatever you desire, you can achieve, through the method of taking leaden thoughts and bringing them to fulfillment. The first matter is easy. Making gold can sometimes be difficult, if you don't know the correct elements required for success. That is what I hope to solve for you. To show you that the making of gold is indeed possible. But only if you believe!

    The word alchemy actually means, the Egyptian matter. Al = Egyptian, Chemy = Matter. Or, 'the first matter'. Why Egypt? Because that is where you start. Read the bible for information on this. The Israelites escaped Egypt to seek the promised land of Canaan. This symbolizes alchemy perfectly. The more gold you create, the more free you will be. You must exit the wilderness and go to the promised land. Only there will you find the peace, prosperity and fulfillment you seek. Of course, it's not money that you seek there, but a better life. Alchemy is one of the best tools for this. And if you make some money ( gold )  on the way, so much the better for you! But remember, the aim is not always riches. That is where many fall. Riches are fine, but mixed with greed and confusion, they are not the answer.

    So, we have discovered what the first matter is. But what is this stone of the wise the people talk of. The magic elixir. The philosopher's stone. We shall indeed discuss that as well. And it is a critical factor for understanding this chapter on belief. All belief is indeed tied to this elixir. But! the secret of the stone is not available to the profane. Seekers must search for it. Remember, knock and it shall be opened to you! Understanding the concept of the elixir is really a study in itself, but since I have said that it is critical for understanding this chapter let me say this - the stone is the base for using alchemy. Working without the stone can cause a lot of confusion. It is the port in the dark storm. It is the stone that is chained to the alchemists leg. But! we do not want to throw him into the sea! No, it is there for a reason. And once the alchemist understands, he can pick up the stone, and study it. Then things will start to become clear to him. I hope that suffices for now.

    So, what is your station in life? Are you unhappy? Do you get depressed alot? Do you feel there is no hope at times? Rest easy. If you follow the principles of alchemy I will teach you, you will no longer feel like this. Things will start to make sense for you. Things you once held dear will come back to you. You can find those places in your soul that have become darkened. Do you know what I am talking about? Do you remember the stars, and the sunset in the west? Do you remember the sun on the eastern horizon and the glades of Avalon? It is the task of the author to show you these things, if you have forgotten them. After all, it is what every seeker is looking for. The neophytes among you will probably not understand completely yet. But the desire for Avalon is there, in your soul. Atlantis is not destroyed. Only the initiated and the experienced seekers will understand what I mean by these concepts, but do not get discouraged new comers! All will be explained.

    Here is something else challenging. Do you believe in magic abilities? By abilities, I do not mean card tricks or pretending to saw people in half, but real abilities of self empowerment and change. For that is what alchemy is really used for. But when you get to the part of the process of really creating gold, you step into the supernatural. Of course, there will be those who do not believe in anything 'unreal'. Those are the skeptics of you. Well, you must believe in something to exist. It is my job to raise your level of belief. To show you that what you think is impossible, really is possible, if you follow the principles of alchemy. Let us discuss your beliefs further.

    From the day you were born, you were making observations and learning about the world. Your beliefs would of been radically different from what they are now. But somewhere along the line, you become a skeptic. You stopped believing in the magical universe. Of course, not everyone is a complete skeptic, but when growing up on earth, one does tend to become very cynical. I am here to change that. I am here to make you believe again. Why am I so confident that I can do this? Because I understand the principles of alchemical transmutation. I believe in the supernatural. I believe in powers latent in human beings that can astound non-believers. You probably already believe in, or suspect that there are things above the ordinary levels of life. Whether it be aliens, conspiracy theories where secret societies are in charge of the financial world, or in extrasensory perception of some kind. These are the patterns of thought that you have not lost. You are not fully skeptical. You have to admit, that you are not omniscient. You don't have, in your mind, complete knowledge of the universe. You believe in certain things. But you still have doubts about certain topics. This is where you must start in your alchemical training.

   Let's say, you believe in alien beings. Or you at least have some inclination to believe that there are planets far away that may have civilization of some sort on them. Why do you believe that? Was there a time in your childhood when you were certain there were aliens out there. I would say you probably did, if even for a few weeks when you were six years old and in the school library you found a book on space creatures. That is the power of your imagination. Are there really aliens existing somewhere in our universe? A skeptic will laugh. Someone else might say that it is almost certain that aren't, but they will admit that they cannot truly know for sure. That is the freedom of the imagination. No one has control over it. Or do they?

    You see, most people have been conditioned by our society today. We are bombarded by stimuli from the environment. By the time you are 18 you have pretty much thrown away all imagination and magical ideas. You eventually become a cog in the system. In the end, your conditioning will destroy you. If you don't believe my, visit a nursing home. It takes along time for you to be destroyed, but there is increasing pain along the way. It's not much fun, so why not break out of that conditioning? Why not become an alchemist. Someone who looks for the magic in life. Who won't be talked out of his or her dreams and fantasies. Become like an artist or visionary. Dare to believe again. Believe in what is possible. The limitations are only in your mind!

    Everyone has dreams. No one is without someone incredible ideal of what their life could be like, or what they could achieve....if only. The 'if only's' abound. It is the task of the alchemist to take these 'if only's' and work them out. This is of course, an alchemical process. These 'if only's' are what is standing in the way of your dreams. You must abandon that way of thinking and become an alchemist. An alchemist is always looking toward the great dream, the great work. If you have ideas in your mind of achieving something great, that is your lead. It is the stone chained to your leg, that you cannot let go. You can make all sorts of excuses, but in the end, your dreams stay with you. They are seeking fulfillment! They are desires for your ideal life. By the way, desire is really 'de-sire', de meaning 'of' and 'sire' meaning father. Those dreams have been given to you. They are not silly or stupid. They are the substance of your future...if you believe.

    Now, there are many places you could start to create your gold. But you will always start with the first matter - thought. I can hear the readers say - "How do I start? What do I do?". The first thing is to recognize your dreams and find out why you want them. Are they appropriate? Your dreams must not harm others, that is a given. But! Alchemy can also be about war. The alchemists in olden days created things for armies to use in battle. So it's not all flowers and daisy's. There is a more serious side to alchemy. But more on that later. For now, you must get started in your alchemical work in a peaceful manner. You must work out what it is you're truly pursuing. You must come to the realization that you truly want to be an alchemist. You must realize that you are not where you desire to go. You must tap into the consciousness of your culture and the global culture, and find out what your purpose is. Then you can truly call yourself a alchemist, wizard, magus, magician, sorcerer or whatever you choose as a magical identity.

    Once you have made that decision, that you are a magic-user you are ready to begin. And there is so much to explore! But for now, you need some magical items. You need to think like an alchemist, and an alchemist uses objects, tools and weapons ( not guns or knives ) for his workings. But basically, you will need some books to acquire knowledge and you will need things in your immediate environment to keep you on track. Perhaps you could place a picture of a sorcerer on your wall, or something Egyptian to remind yourself of your new identity ( Egyptian referring to the first matter). Create an environment for yourself that constantly redirects your focus to who you are, and your newly acquired knowledge. Whether you live in a big house, a modest apartment or live basically in a small room, which is the only place you can alter, begin where you are! You can gather more space and equipment as you go along. For now, get started. Things you can acquire are things like statues of magical creatures or beings, posters of mystical places etc. You must create your 'temple' or your 'tower'.

    It also helps to have a set of shelves for your alchemical library. And by alchemical library, I don't mean just books on the actual subject, but any book which helps you gather your power and confidence in magical workings. Hear I will bring up the issue of the Stone of the Wise again. Without it, you are bound to run into trouble. You see, the magical world is entirely different from the ordinary one. There are a host of beings who want to see you fail. But take heart, it's not all bad, and the more powerful you get, the less these beings bother you. To begin with, however, you will need some good books that keep you grounded. You cannot always be thinking in the mystical realms, or you may drift too far from the earthen side of life. It is critical to have something on the different religions of the world. Something that pulls you back from a too fanciful view of the world. I stress again, you need to stay grounded. Having said that, and with the knowledge that you will stay grounded, you will be ready for all the greater powers that await the carefully trained alchemist.

    Do you believe yet? You will. You must be open to new ideas. Lose the negative skepticism, but keep the positive skepticism which will keep you grounded. If you don't believe in yourself and those who will help you, you will have trouble navigating the waters of transmutation. It is critical to have faith in yourself, and your dreams. Don't let others sway you from a healthy imagination and positive belief system. But at the same time, don't get too fanciful in your mystical ponderings. I stress once more, stay grounded. And also, beware of religious groups that seek your membership. Stay focused on your own path and you will find a new world opening up to you. Let go of the past and create your future!

    Do you believe yet? You will, in time. You see, the mind is the great enemy of the mystic. One must battle with one's mind constantly. It must be overcome by the spirit of the magus. And this can only be done by conditioning of some kind. It is rare that a quantum leap in awareness comes along. If it does, then fine, but in reality, most magical and spiritual awareness takes time. It requires a steady build up of ideas and training in repetitive drills. You must begin a task and see it to it's end. All the great qualities of a person who works hard and thinks for him/herself are necessary in alchemy. And through diligence, one comes to believe in what he/she is doing. One focus's on a thing, and one gets involved in the details. Soon the subject of study becomes an obsession, or an occupation. This is the path to success in alchemy. It cannot be shirked off.

    Eventually, one will find oneself practically and theoretical skilled in alchemy. But don't be put off by the constant study and work. For, all along the path, you will discover new things and have an immensely good time. It is not all drills and patience. It is excitement and fascination as well. The main aim is a lifting from the mundane to the profound. But ever the mundane must, in part, be with you. The significance of this has been emphasized repeatedly in this first lesson, so I trust that you have absorbed it. You must have your feet in hell, before you can raise your eyes to heaven. The good student will understand this statement well.

    Do you believe yet? You will. I encourage the student to earnestly study the great works of literature, especially the holy bible. It's knowledge will give you a thorough ground in spiritual wisdom and practice. No one ever got far without biblical knowledge. It is mandatory for spiritual life in the west. Those who abandon the wisdom in it's pages are left on the rocks of the shore. They never get to the port. Don't be one of these unfortunate people. Study the book well, it is a light unto you. And it is critical in understanding the philosopher's stone. 

    You must overcome your disbelief. That is your greatest obstacle in magical training. You must ever strive against the mind, dismantling the horrible conditioning of those who seek to pull you down. But while you dismantle, you must recreate. And this can be done with any good spiritual book of wisdom. I cannot over emphasize the need for diligent study of the holy scriptures. Combined with a healthy imaginative and creative personality, it balances one out. There will of course be those who are atheist and do not want any part of the scriptures. To these I say, if you really want to become an alchemist, you may have to bite the bullet and get into regular study of the bible. Even if you detest the church, find ministers hypocritical and find it's pages boring, you must drill yourself to study it and absorb it's wisdom. Otherwise, you may find alchemy very difficult to understand. The most significant reason for this will come in a future lesson.

    So...I don't know what is in your mind right now, but hopefully you are getting a taste of what alchemy is really about. I hope to really enliven the reader's mind over the coming lessons. I have been a student of alchemy and it's branches for many years. So I do have a few distinctions for new-comers. And I can teach one where not to tread and where to soak up wisdom. But, it is the suspension of disbelief that the neophyte needs most. The fighting of one's conditioning. This is the road to success in magical ambitions. But how does an author really get into the reader's mind and begin to show him the light? It is no easy task, as you may well know if you have ever tried to influence a rusted mind or convince someone of something you are chiefly interested in, but in which they had little interest. However, I am sure that I can make leeway with you. I have faith that you are not a dabbler, but that you really are interested in achieving dreams and making your earthen life resemble more closely that which you ponder on while you sleep.

    Do you believe in a Utopia? Do you believe it is possible to have a perfect world? If you do, that's good. If you do not, what's the reason? I certainly believe it's possible to have a suffering-free world. That's what technology and and charity is all about. To stop suffering. So wouldn't the goal be to end all suffering? Alchemy offers this and more. It is the great light for the children of the night. They are drawn to it from the depths of the earth. It offers hope and the promise of leaving the wilderness. Don't believe those who try to hold you back. Only you know your limitations, and even those are lies. Do you believe for example, that angels exist? Do you believe that heaven exists? Do you believe that there was once a paradise on earth? That is true. Long ago the earth and the universe functioned in perfect harmony. But it was all destroyed. Was there really a big bang? If you find time to be a constant, then you maybe believe that theory. But the school of alchemy does not hold this view paramount. Having said that, the school of alchemy does understand the view that a big bang was possible. Anything is possible. However, the author states categorically that the secrets of the universe are in possession of the adepts. There was a time of paradise and perfection. And it was all ruined by one being during the fall. More on this can be studied in genesis, but the author will now explain briefly the circumstances that led to the fall.

    Lucifer was a beautiful and powerful angel. He had all a being ever wanted. He had helped create the paradise. But why would he seek the destruction of it? And how long did the paradise last before it was so painfully destroyed? These are the beginning questions of the diligent seeker. The answers are of course, kept secret by the 'invisible college'. But the student's curiosity must be entertained. Lucifer had a life beyond what any human could imagined. And for the length of the existence of paradise, he had all he wanted. The universe was completely populated, and still it was expanding. Every being lived in complete happiness, security, freedom and fulfillment. Anything imaginable existed. All the stars had beings tending to them. And Lucifer was at the core of the planning and creation. All that had to happen, was for Lucifer to request something, and it materialized. He indeed was the creator. This may come as a shock to some, I full realize this. Each is entitled to his own opinion.

    So there was utopia, not only for earth, but for the entire universe. The exact workings and governing of it cannot be fully given here, but for interest's sake, the place was beautiful and magnificent. But Lucifer found the need to bring it to an end. He came up with the idea of destroying the universe, and met in a council with the other angels. He stated that eternity was eternal, and that it would be nice to destroy everything and then rebuild it. The rebuilding would be incredibly long and painful, but at the end, the celebration would outmatch even paradise! The intelligent reader will be wondering now, is this a cycle that keeps happening. Is there always destroying and recreating. Does paradise get boring. The answer is no. Beyond the realm of time, there is no cycles. This destruction could happen once, and that's the end. It is really in the hands of Lucifer, if he rises again. If he is saved from his eternal hell, the universe could become the utopia again. If not, humanity will be born and then die repeatedly, if you believe in reincarnation of course.

    So the fate of the universe really depends of Lucifer. Will he be forgiven? Will he be given the chance to change the fate of the universe. That is up to the council of angels, to an extent. Lucifer has power of his own within him to destroy the angels. One note of care here, the reader should understand that this is an allegory of sorts. The author does not mean that Lucifer is the supreme deity. Perhaps Lucifer is really God? And it wasn't an angel that fell, but God himself! That would explain alot wouldn't it? God decided, with the council of angels, to rebuild the world in it's entirety. A bit like a game resetting. "Let's start all over again with blank canvas". Now this theory is new to most, but not to the supreme council of alchemists that exists on this planet. And it will be difficult for some to understand. But to the intelligent student, it is music to the ears.

    Now then, the question is, if God caused this intense suffering which occurs on earth, shouldn't we all be very angry with him? Most are! Even if they don't believe in him! The answer is of course, that every being has chosen to suffer and rebuild the universe, even if they don't believe that is so. And this must be rectified if we are to move on, so we will investigate it abit further. 

    The main argument here is that there is no God, so all of this is rubbish. Well, that's one way of thinking I suppose. But the theme does make sense doesn't it? It explains why God would allow people to suffer. We are just moving through lessons we need for the future journey of our souls. And we are participants in the great game that we all agreed to. So if you believe in God, but hate him, hate no further! I have give the reasons for the great suffering or 'dhukka'. It was a choice made by all. Read Genesis and you will come to the same realization. And relax, with the progress made by alchemists, the great suffering will quickly abate, as we recreate the universe together. Each being a vital part to the recreation and final utopia.

    Do you believe yet? What other questions do you have? A great many I can imagine. They will all be answered in these lessons. We will uncover more of the origins of the universe and discover much more about the deity - God. But this is the end of the first lesson - belief. The author has endeavored to enliven the students mind and prepare him for the advanced knowledge that he must come to possess! No more practical jokes for him/her!