Alchemy
Hello beautiful souls! Welcome to Loving My Soul. This post is based on my Alchemy YouTube video. Because I occasionally talk about alchemy, I wanted to discuss what it is and what it means to me.
When I was young, possibly starting as early as grade school and definitely in high school, alchemy kept coming up for me. I would read books that would mention alchemy or that certain historical figures were, or were thought to have been alchemists, such as Sir Isaac Newton. I did a report about Newton for my high school freshman science class, and I remember reading about the "philosopher's stone" and "elixir of life", and wanted to know more. During that period, I also discovered that much of the information about alchemy was encoded and used symbols, like the Ouroboros (the snake that is eating it's own tail). I was incredibly intrigued by the cryptic nature of alchemy and what secrets it held.
Alchemy kept coming up again and again, synchronistically, and when that happens for me, I know that I may want to explore the topic further. There's something about alchemy that kept being drawn to me as part of my path. I think the more difficult part, at that time, was how much more difficult it was to find additional information about alchemy once I was hooked. Fortunately, we are now in a time where information is at our finger tips.
At a very basic level, an alchemist is described as one who is seeking to transform lead into gold or other metals into a precious metal, and the transmutation process is called alchemy. This description is what most people think of when alchemy comes to mind.
There are those who believe that alchemists converting lead to gold was really a metaphor for our souls and personal transmutation/transformation. We start out as the diamond in the rough, and we use alchemy to transmute our experiences and their effects (wounding, trauma, mental/emotional/behavioral patterns and programming, ancestral wounds), whatever is holding us back from being the full expression of who we are, into compassion and enlightenment. More people are thinking about these aspects of alchemy with the popularity of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
Related to a video where I discussed Sanskrit mantras, I would add that using alchemy is being cognizant of how we are using our energy and where we are sending it and then, in turn, being able to redirect that energy in better ways to catalyze change and growth. Using fear as an example, one of the mantras that I learned says, "I send this fear back to source to be transformed, and may the energy be returned to me to be used in other [better] ways." Initially we keep attracting some kind of relationship or situations to ourselves because we have some kind of wound or some kind of lesson we need to learn, but when we transmute such a pattern, we are then able to move forward in our lives in a healthier way with better experiences, or at least a better perspective about difficult situations. Once we finally learn that lesson, once we finally put those pieces into place, we're able to transmute that energy and integrate that lesson, and we're able to use that energy for other things. More importantly, we able to be in the driver's seat to choose how we respond to situations.
In one of my other videos, I talk about how part of my life purpose is as an alchemist, to help other people realize that they are also alchemists. To remind them that they have the power to transform and transmute themselves. We're all like caterpillars who enter into the chrysalis. Pieces of us die away so that other pieces can form and come to life. We transform; we go into the chrysalis as a caterpillar and then we emerge as a butterfly with shiny sparkly wings.
No matter what life has dealt us, we can learn how to take the lesson from it...to see the lesson in it and to see the people in our lives as teachers to us of some lesson in one way, shape, or form. When we get to that point, seeing the lesson makes it far easier to forgive, let things go, release things, release everything but the lesson, to be grateful for that experience and the lesson that it taught us and where it allows us to go in our lives and to move forward
Sometimes in the thick of things, we don't realize the path that awe are on and how we are tranforming. But Sometimes a little bit later on, it is easier for us to see that something that happened in our lives was extremely pivotal, not only the initial piece of it that wounded us or caused trauma, but when we learn to transmute it, integrate that experience, and to find the lesson in it. In some of my other videos and blog posts I talk about how there were times in my life when it was difficult for me to even face the day. I had to learn how to transmute that.
When we release that pain, anger, jealous, control, resentment, we can use that energy in other ways. Instead of using our energy to hold on to those relationships, mindsets, patterns, and sending out those negative thoughts to other people, we can use that energy in creative ways. We can use it to bring our own flavor, expression, and artistry to the world. To me, that is a high level overview of what alchemy is all about.
As always, take what speaks to you and leave the rest.
When I was young, possibly starting as early as grade school and definitely in high school, alchemy kept coming up for me. I would read books that would mention alchemy or that certain historical figures were, or were thought to have been alchemists, such as Sir Isaac Newton. I did a report about Newton for my high school freshman science class, and I remember reading about the "philosopher's stone" and "elixir of life", and wanted to know more. During that period, I also discovered that much of the information about alchemy was encoded and used symbols, like the Ouroboros (the snake that is eating it's own tail). I was incredibly intrigued by the cryptic nature of alchemy and what secrets it held.
Alchemy kept coming up again and again, synchronistically, and when that happens for me, I know that I may want to explore the topic further. There's something about alchemy that kept being drawn to me as part of my path. I think the more difficult part, at that time, was how much more difficult it was to find additional information about alchemy once I was hooked. Fortunately, we are now in a time where information is at our finger tips.
St Mark's Clock Tower in the Piazza San Marco from Kathryn's
visit to Venice, Italy, in 2010. The zodiac symbols on the clock
make Kathryn think of alchemy symbolism.
At a very basic level, an alchemist is described as one who is seeking to transform lead into gold or other metals into a precious metal, and the transmutation process is called alchemy. This description is what most people think of when alchemy comes to mind.
There are those who believe that alchemists converting lead to gold was really a metaphor for our souls and personal transmutation/transformation. We start out as the diamond in the rough, and we use alchemy to transmute our experiences and their effects (wounding, trauma, mental/emotional/behavioral patterns and programming, ancestral wounds), whatever is holding us back from being the full expression of who we are, into compassion and enlightenment. More people are thinking about these aspects of alchemy with the popularity of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
An image on the floor at the Vatican from Kathryn's visit to Rome, Italy, in
2010. The suns, moons, and stars remind Kathryn think of alchemy symbolism.
Related to a video where I discussed Sanskrit mantras, I would add that using alchemy is being cognizant of how we are using our energy and where we are sending it and then, in turn, being able to redirect that energy in better ways to catalyze change and growth. Using fear as an example, one of the mantras that I learned says, "I send this fear back to source to be transformed, and may the energy be returned to me to be used in other [better] ways." Initially we keep attracting some kind of relationship or situations to ourselves because we have some kind of wound or some kind of lesson we need to learn, but when we transmute such a pattern, we are then able to move forward in our lives in a healthier way with better experiences, or at least a better perspective about difficult situations. Once we finally learn that lesson, once we finally put those pieces into place, we're able to transmute that energy and integrate that lesson, and we're able to use that energy for other things. More importantly, we able to be in the driver's seat to choose how we respond to situations.
An image on a wall at the Vatican from Kathryn's visit to Rome,
Italy, in 2010. The dragons and angels make Kathryn think of
alchemy symbolism.
In one of my other videos, I talk about how part of my life purpose is as an alchemist, to help other people realize that they are also alchemists. To remind them that they have the power to transform and transmute themselves. We're all like caterpillars who enter into the chrysalis. Pieces of us die away so that other pieces can form and come to life. We transform; we go into the chrysalis as a caterpillar and then we emerge as a butterfly with shiny sparkly wings.
No matter what life has dealt us, we can learn how to take the lesson from it...to see the lesson in it and to see the people in our lives as teachers to us of some lesson in one way, shape, or form. When we get to that point, seeing the lesson makes it far easier to forgive, let things go, release things, release everything but the lesson, to be grateful for that experience and the lesson that it taught us and where it allows us to go in our lives and to move forward
Sometimes in the thick of things, we don't realize the path that awe are on and how we are tranforming. But Sometimes a little bit later on, it is easier for us to see that something that happened in our lives was extremely pivotal, not only the initial piece of it that wounded us or caused trauma, but when we learn to transmute it, integrate that experience, and to find the lesson in it. In some of my other videos and blog posts I talk about how there were times in my life when it was difficult for me to even face the day. I had to learn how to transmute that.
The Pons Aemilius in Rome, Italy, during Kathryn's 2010 visit. The dragons
remind Kathryn think of alchemy symbolism.
When we release that pain, anger, jealous, control, resentment, we can use that energy in other ways. Instead of using our energy to hold on to those relationships, mindsets, patterns, and sending out those negative thoughts to other people, we can use that energy in creative ways. We can use it to bring our own flavor, expression, and artistry to the world. To me, that is a high level overview of what alchemy is all about.
As always, take what speaks to you and leave the rest.
Many blessings!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kathrynpalacio1111
Instagram: lovingmysoul1111
YouTube: Kathryn Palacio
Website: www.lovingmysoul.com
Check out my:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kathrynpalacio1111
Instagram: lovingmysoul1111
YouTube: Kathryn Palacio
Website: www.lovingmysoul.com
Check out my:
- Alchemy YouTube video
- Happiness - Figuring Out Our Own Recipes - Part 1 blog post
- Happiness - Figuring Out Our Own Recipes - Part 2 blog post
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