This question or its Sister question: “Am I transforming or transmuting?” is always present in my consciousness. I believe it is also forever present in our lives.

As an alchemist, my goal is to transmute first myself and then an element I’m working with from one of the three realms:  spiritual, mental, or physical. Alchemy is about transmutation – changing the nature of material in one of these realms into a higher form, into something new and completely different. Transformation is related to transmutation but it’s about creating a major change in an element without changing its nature.

So, why is my blog titled: Living an Alchemical Life: the Alchemy of Transformation? It was intentionally chosen to focus my posts and resulting comments or dialogue on the initial steps of transmutation because that is what I believe transformation is – the first steps.

Have questions? Confused? Look at this from Meriam-Webster online dictionary site for “transform” that you can explore here:

Synonym Discussion of transform:

Transform, metamorphose, transmute, convert, transmogrify, transfigure mean to change a thing into a different thing.

Transform implies a major change in form, nature, or function <transformed a small company into a corporate giant>.

Metamorphose suggests an abrupt or startling change induced by or as if by magic or a supernatural power <awkward girls metamorphosed into graceful ballerinas>.

Transmute implies transforming into a higher element or thing <attempted to transmute lead into gold>.

Convert implies a change fitting something for a new or different use or function <converted the study into a nursery>.

Transmogrify suggests a strange or preposterous metamorphosis <a story in which a frog is transmogrified into a prince>.

Transfigure implies a change that exalts or glorifies <joy transfigured her face>.

Still confused? Still have questions? Come back over the next several weeks and explore this issue with me and others because it lies at the heart of your personal transformation.

Fear is a trickster

It appears as a man or a woman or an animal or as Darkness itself

Fear can always surprise me because I know and understand it not

It enters me at will

Fear attacks my mind and weakens my heart

It does so to teach me who I really am

Fear tests my resolve

It does so to make me strong

Fear surrounds me

It needs my full attention

Fear wants to show me how to move forward

It whispers to me in the silence to let go

I realize I am the one who holds fear close

It defines me and gives me a reason to act

I realize I can live beyond fear

It releases me and leaves me with a yearning for my deepest self

There is a choice waiting to be made. It feels difficult because it has to do with our desire, vision and purpose. There’s a sense of wanting to put this decision off because it’s so important. Courage is required because the feelings of indecision are not from lack of information or clarity. This choice changes many parts of our lives. The windows of our perception are open and insights, feelings, and glimpses of possible futures are flooding into our consciousness. We’re surprised because the work we’ve done has seemed to take a long time with no definite results, confusion has just vanished, not yet replaced by the clarity to say: Yes, that. We thought we were able to take time off and relax. Yet, life is always in motion transforming itself in response to our thoughts and desires. So now the Wind of the Above has blown open the doors of our inner self and the choice of which one to walk through is upon us. You’ve done the work. Focus and you will experience of the pull from one of the doors and the courage to walk through. It’s your time.

“In Antimony are Mercury (in the regulus), Sulfur (in the redness) and Salt (in the black earth that sinks to the bottom), which three, corrected, separated, and finally united together in the proper manner of Art so that fixation be obtained without poison, give an opportunity to the artificer to approach the Stone of Fire.”

Issac Newton

For centuries alchemists have been ridiculed and maligned by many religions, governments and scientists as misguided, unfortunate people who’ve lost their way. The “rehabilitation” of the public attitude towards these “lost souls” is one of the purposes of this site particularly since I’m one of them. So, searching for alchemy in the news is one source of helpful and interesting information.

Today, I came across an online article: “eHealthObjects selects Elsevier/Gold Standard drug database for its HIE, EHR and CDM products – 03 May 2011.” Sounds innocuous and boring. But reading it leads to the discovery that the name of the database is Alchemy. I find it both curious and encouraging that Elsevier/Gold Standard would choose this name for its ground breaking technology that allows your health provider to quickly and effectively determine the best medication for you.

It seems to me that the choice is based on one of three characteristics of alchemy: its role as the foundation of pharmacology and modern medicine, the allure of lost knowledge yet discovered and revealed, or the acknowledgement of the usefulness of alchemical practices.

This is good news.

Read more about Alchemy here.