The Path is a Spiral.
When we don't learn a lesson the first time we will come back to it...time and time again. Then there are occasional Pop Quiz's (I have to credit Jamie Sams fo that name) thrown in for good measure to make sure we haven't relapsed to our previous behaviors. You may have noticed a huge change. I've taken a break from YouTube and I've taken a break from my personal Facebook. The combination of personal drama and a small hemmorraging event (if I hadn't gone through something similar several times I'm sure I would have gone to the Emergency Room but I've learned they don't do anything but wait around to see if a person will bleed out enough to need a blood transfusion.) episode that was a part of my body healing from c-section triggered my PTSD. I stayed home, continued to take care of Michelle, tried to keep off my feet and tracked how many heavy 10 hour pads I soaked through in an hour. My husband barely noticed- I really have to freak out for him to notice stuff. Steps I Took To Heal From This Dark Night The details aren't as important as the lesson. Thanks to studying the Path Of The Seeker from different perspectives I can, thankfully, remember steps to reclaim my center when I'm knocked off balance. At first during the dark night it's hard not to sulk. A big part of experiencing that first phases, called Calcination in Alchemy, is to allow the feelings and learn from them. I always shoved down the unpleasent feelings trying to hide or ignore them hoping the situation that gave rise to them will go away. However, in psychology that's called repression and they always come back...just a lot stronger and at really inconveinant times. Naming The Cause First, I have to recognize that this is a response to feeling neglected. Now, my mom was a clean freak who obsessed over cleaning the house. She spent more time cleaning the house then with me when she was a housewife. Then when she got a job she became obsessed with it and continues to be today. She just doesn't have time for anything else in her life but her job, a little gossip and the news. So, that's the origin of the conditioned response. Over the last three or so years, my husband has neglected our relationship preferring a fellow muscian and Sunday "band" practice every week. The guy was a third wheel even through my pregnancy. They even went to a concert and comedy club together. Not only did he spend almost all day at my house every Sunday, with a meal out, but every Friday when I had an OB appointment he had to meet up with us for lunch. In truth, I felt like I was the third wheel in my own marriage. This gave rise to huge jealous issues, here I was experiencing a very important moment in my life and my husband had to drag someone else into it. To say it was an unpleasent experience is an understatement. I even went so far to demand if my husband was gay. So, that triggered my negative conditioned response from childhood. I try to not be a burden on someone elses time because, deep dowm, I hold the beliefI'm not worthy of thir time or as important as other people. Asking For Spiritual Help Naming the isue is a big step but this is the second step is the hardest for me. I don't have anyone in the flesh that I trust to help me with these issues. So, I ask for spiritual instruction and the overwhelming response was I need to stop protecting and trying to save Ross. The Core Belief/Behavior Next, is to identify the core belief that gives rise to this recurring paatern. Feeling like I'm in the back seat of my life has been a recurring event in all of my relationships. Both my parents are narcisstic, my close friends were all narcissitic and all my ex's. I'm what Lee Harris refers to as a "Rescuer Empath". With newly clear eyes I can view my relationships for what they were now that I can see this pattern. I blamed myself when Ross constantly made selfish decisions. I made my needs small and went without alot. How many girlscan say they went shopping for new clothes three times in ten years? For soe reaspn (though I know better for myself) I though if all of my husbands greatest desires were fulfilled he'd be happy. I worked my butt off going to school full time while being a full time supervervisor when we first met. Then a manager with 50+ hour weeks for three years. Then I nearly worked full time for three more years. All the while I did all of the cooking (he never liked any over the 100 dishes I made for him) and household chores except cleaning the cats litter box, and mowing the yard and taking the trash bins to the curb once a week. While I've learned for myself that material objects won't make me happy during my spiritual journey...I tend to shower those I love with presents. I was operating from that old paradigm in my relationship with my husband. I realize, because I made my needs small and was ok sacrificing my needs because I was willing to do whatever it took to get to a place where we could both be happy and start a family...I let him run amok. I realized that it began at the very beginning of our marriage. I was going to school full time and working as a supervisor full time in addition to household chores, although, at the time we lived in a two bedroom apartment so there were hardly any. I thought it was really cool his Dad offered to pay for whatever Honeymoon we wanted. Ross asked me what my dream honeymoon was and I said a Cruise around the Greek Islands. I trusted him, because he had far less on his plate because he was just a regular worker at the company he worked at doing around 40 hours a week he could plan it. I beleived him when he said that he had 'made a mistake' and didn't include the plane tickets for the trip in the amount he asked for from his Dad. We were, he said, taking our honeymoon during the peak season and he didn't want to ask his Dad for more money. So, he asked if I would mind if we spent that money on buying the motorcycle? I had a lot on my plate, as I said, and would have to do homework on the honeymoon so I decided fine...it had been a hassle to get a passport anyways. I made the best of our strictly budgeted frantic $1000 budget honeymoon but it was far from romantic. That set the trend. Since then Ross has kept me on a very small budget. I had a set amount of fun money $40, I could spend on my needs, per month. Meanwhile, his music and any tools he wanted to buy didn't have to come out of his fun money budget (he used it on food mostly) because, supposedly, they could possibly make us money. He needed the tools for his work. Nine years later and he has not even attempted to relase a song and he hasn't made a dime on his music but he's spent thousands of dollars. The past nine years have been littered with Ross meeting all of his needs while hating everything I wanted to do. When I had a little extra money that was mine for building websites for a few people I took him to Disneyland. He was miserable and the trip was pretty awful. I paid for him to get a massage, my first, along with me...and he said that the woman who gave him a massage actually hurt him. He was ungrateful for anything I tried to do for him (not entirely his fault, though, his entire family is that way). Meanwhile, every goal that he ever had has been met. I was elated when I realized that around June of last year...but of course, as we know on the Path of the Seeker, that wasn't enough. He got into a new hobby I couldn't support- guns and shooting. To the point where he was late for his cousins meeting Michelle for the first time, because he threw togeter a group of people to go shooting at the last minute. He paid thousands of dollars for guns, ammunition, cases, cleaning materials, and targets....and then even had his best friend lie. The Lesson I need to stop keeping my needs small and sacrificing what I want for my husband. He is not going to be happy even if he doesn't. I've allowed him to get away with his bad behavior for 9 years. I can honestly he has everything he ever wanted and he's not happy. I did the best I could and I am done. So if I want something. I"m going to buy it. Conclusion I had this same sork of wake up call back in 2014 but I wasn't strong enough to see it for what it was. Back then, I was pregnant and eating Healthy Choice meals at lunch and Ross would yelled at me if I went out to eat lunch with the other pregnant girl at work. He wouldn't let me quit the job even though I felt I was endangering my daughter and he held me to the strict budget because he needed my income to qualify for our house. He controlled my diet because he was concerned for the babies health...seemingly good intentions but woefully misguidede. Meanwhile, after my daughter was born prematurely I discovered during that entire time he had been going to 7/11 and buying slurpees almost every day. So, here I am back where I was in 2014. I have revisited everything that led to the crisis that led me to being on disability for a year with severe depression and panic attacks that kept me from getting out of bed. This time, I'm armed with spiritual knowledge. He is responsible for his actions and I hold him 100% accountable. I am not victim blaming by saying I have a responsiblity to see my part in the situation. What I have to do is change my behavior and our relationship will have to change. He will have to grow as an individual to accept the new status quo. The one thing I know for certain about the future is I am not going back to the person that I was and now that I see how I've been manipulated (by the way, past friends and ex's are just as guilty- the ex-husband was far worse!) everything has changed. Right now, I'm celebrating this as a victory. I am grieving for the relationship I thought I had but I'm glad I woke up and be the mother that my daughter deserves. I have no interested in ending my marriage. I beleive that my husband has it in him to be a true partner and I still love the person he is at the very core but I have to take this day by day. I'm just really enjoying my beautiful little daughter and the gifts every day brings.
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(Sorry for missing last weekend and almost missing this weekend. I was focused on a holiday family get together on the 22nd of December 2018 and with family visiting and many days of plans completely forgot to post a video. My carefully planned structure of blog and videos is comp;etely thrown off and will be further thrown off as next week I toss in an unplanned video that I recorded and edited this week. I meant to post it today but I have a cold and had plans for a date daywith the husband go sideways when an unexpected element wasthrown in...so, without further ado here is the additional thoughts on coagulation.)
The final stage of Alchemy. What an amazing phase. Here, with the stage of coagulation with the Sigil uniting two opposites...representing At-one-ment. Spiritual Gold As I said in the video spiritual gold is more valuable then anything we can possess on Earth. Spiritual gold, which coincides with a spiritual maturity, is something we will have for eternity. Whenever I think of spiritual gold I think about Matthew 6:19-20: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do no destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Again, Alchemy is very reflective of ideas put forward by Yeshua. Too often people think that they can store up 'heavenly treasure' by just doing good deeds. Giving a pan handler $10, they think, will translate into $10 in heaven! Well, that's not how it works. Especially if we are giving in order to receive something later on and not out of the goodness of our hearts. Spiritual development, on the other hand, is spiritual gold. That's something your soul will actually be able to work with in the Spiritual realm. You can't take your car, your house or food...but you can take your experiences and that's what the soul cares about the most. The Sun and Moon You might have come to the part about the 4 stones and thought....what the heck? The Moon is the Supernal Binah Sephiroth on the Tree of Life. She is also the High Priestess in the Tarot Cards. We will work with this more in depth in the future. The Sun represents the Supernal Chockmah Sephiroth on the Tree of LIfe. He is the Magician in the Tarot Cards. In the Chakra system it's the Brow Chakra and Crown Chakra uniting...the glands are the Pineal and the Pituitary Glands. In Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey this is the sacred marriage stage. In The 7 Cards of the Tarot Keys on the Path of the Seeker this is the Waking Consciousness and Subconsciousness. In the 7 Cards of the Tarot Keys depicting the Path of the Seeker the Lesser stone is depicted as a child in the 6th card...Judgement. The Greater Stone, depicted in the 7 Cards of the Tarot Keys depicting the Path of the Seeker is the World Card which we will be covering next. In the language of the Hindu Kundalini it is Shiva (Sun) and Sati (Moon). In each case the moon is a part of and reflective of the Sun. Conclusion I was really thorough in the video. Also, you can check out the Subconscious Garden Blog that was published on October 31st. Congratulations on completing the journey of Alchemy! In my recent research I have come across some amazing mind blowing material. As such, I've had to stop and do some written meditations. I'm always amazed that people think concepts like the Alchemy or Tarot or Kabbalah do not apply to the Christian ethos...that it's somehow blasphemy. Of course, we've traced this to the Catholic Church who clearly just wanted power and didn't want their populace to be critical or independent thinkers.
Yet, whenever I come across this information and it explains the bible better then any preacher...I take notice. In the end, Jesus was a Jew and probably well versed in the Kabbalah. I wish I could find the non-canonical bible where the disciples had terrible dreams of their children being offered up as sacrifices (marytrydom perhaps?) and Jesus told them that meant they would fail to properly teach the populace properly...because boy does that seem to be what happened. While I was reading this in Daniela Abravenel's book I was just floored and I had to go more deeply into it...was King Solomon an Alchemist? Is this the source that inspired Alchemy? I was doing my research on the very last of the Hebrew letters....Tav. Here is what she wrote and then we'll get into further reflections. I'm still reading Abravenel's book so I haven't written a review but it's fascinating! "In the book of Proverbs King Solmon tells us that the heart, which expresses itself most intensely in prayer, must be refined just like gold and silver: The refining pot for silver and the furnace for gold, but the lord tries hearts. The Hebrew word kesef (silver) also means desire." I looked up the word for gold and it is, "Enlighten, shine or admonish," according to Strong's Dictionary. She goes on later, "We must refine the quality of our desires and our requests...." Abravenel's Candle Metaphor I couldn't blend this with the above and adequately do it justice. Above is a picture I created for you so that you can relate to it as you read this insightful bit of information that I put into my own words while taking notes. She says that the word Tikun which starts with Tav also represents the Alchemical function. Tikun means reparation or transformation. Reparation is a word that means 'to repair.' The Flame is Neshamah- the Higher Self The Wick is Insight...or the Inner Path of the Seeker to put into terms more familiar in this blog. Nefesh "animal soul" is the Candle Wax. This is the part of us that is conditioned from Karma and Conditioning (by parents, environment, society, religion, school, friends, etc.) Now here is the beautiful little quote I wrote down in my journal, "Consumption of the candle wax into flame alludes to the alchemical transformation of matter and darkness into Spirit and Light." She goes on to explain that the wick is the catalyst. Then she explains that Fire requires oxygen to burn and that this refers to proper breathing. The Fire The Secret Fire of the Alchemist is one of the core teachings when studying Alchemy. As I read about Alchemy I remembered a lecture from a long time ago that I attended by a Hindu woman who's name I don't remember. She explained that there is this practice, which I can't recall the name of either, that the proper breathing stirs the fire at the base of the spine. Above that fire is the gastric system...intestines, stomach, etc. which she compares to a great bowl that is essentially over a flame like a cooking pot. If the fire is low at the base of the spine then the metabolism will not work properly. When thinking about the metabolic system we know that if the chemicals within the stomach and the bacteria in the intestines are not working properly it can have a major effect on the person's body. Here is a little picture I created that kind of creates this idea... What little I know of Kundalini (based on John Van Auken's side information and on some information Paul Foster Case speaks about...in both cases the subject was mentioned and not explored in depth so I don't feel that I comfortably understand it...that is a topic of research on the to-do-list. I've found it hard to research because there is a lot of frauds who talk about it and wrote e-books on the subject while the actual experts who practice it in Asia are surprisingly silent)...describes a fire at the base of the spine. Through meditation and practice that fire is raised up along the path of the spine, up the neck and into the brain to the Pineal and the Pituatary Glands. The result of a Kundalini Awakening is supposed to be A Golden Mind...or a mind of 'spiritual fire.' That isn't very far from what the Alchemists believed/achieved but they use different terminology and specific meditations/experiments to help plant the seeds of their ideas for the development of the Elixir in their minds. We see the same practice, described in a different way, when working with our chakras...as we clear the different blockages in the chakra's it's far easier to do meditations similar to my Heavenly Light Meditation (https://youtu.be/CHV9uDhiTWI). Here is the first in my series of videos on the Chakras (https://youtu.be/Zv8ymcJbHqk). The Mind and Heart Connection Now, having just finished writing my videos on Alchemy this metaphor really surprised me. Unlike what most people think Alchemists were not talking about literally transforming Lead into Gold. They were talking about a meditative practice of self-transformation. Typically the 'stone' that they worked with was their own minds. However, Buddhism has a fascinating concept about how the Mind and Heart need to be working together called the Jewel in the Lotus. Here is an article on that topic that I will be referring to throughout the rest of this blog: https://jackkornfield.com/mind-heart/. As Jack Kornfield explains, "In Buddhist psychology, mind and heart are often described by one word "citta." Here in the west we tend to 'live' in our intellect. That's our logical waking conscious A to C mind that dismisses everything we cannot physically hold, weigh, measure or add. Imagination has had very little value placed upon it in the United States and has been linked to insanity. The phrase," It's just your imagination," is poison to the soul. When someone imagine's something or associates particular feelings about a subject it needs to be discussed and explored. Even if the experience is not validated by a group of people it is nonetheless real for the individual experiencing the problem. This leads to a lot of psychological problems in the United States being hidden. Eventually, the Subconscious can no longer handle all of the information and the person either explodes in rage or depression...either of which can lead to a School murder spree or suicide. You can see the effect with the suicides and school murders as well as in Hollywood that can no longer create new material...those with the imaginations have died off or can't break into the industry (aside from Marvel movies). The Heart is the home of both the emotions which is closely linked to the imagination and it is the bridge to the Subconscious. Therefore, when an Alchemist is working with the structure of 'the mind' it does purify both the heart and the mind. The structures that the Alchemist turns into ashes during the Calcination period often involve the emotions and the ideas or images we have attached to them. The idea that in order to be strong we must not cry is a prime example of a belief structure that we need to put onto the pyre of our own internal fire. When we look at what Chakra's Paul Foster Case connects to the "planets" of the Sun and Moon we also see this connection between the heart and mind. The Sun belongs to the Heart chakra...and the Moon belongs to the Third Eye Chakra. We can go further into studying these two concepts when we know that the Hebrew Letter attached to the Tarot Card Key- The Moon- Is Kuf and that the Hebrew Letter attached to the Tarot Card Key- the Sun- is Reish. Here are the YouTube videos I made exploring: The Moon Tarot Card Key: The Sun Tarot Card Key: Reish, associated with the Sun and the Heart Chakra, is the Hebrew Letter that best represents Air...it is the letter that starts the word for Holy Spirit and Breath...but it is also the word for Noise and Evil. As they say, there is a thin line between Love and Hate. I call the letter Kuf, associated with the Moon and The Third Eye Chakra, the Hebrew letter of Paradox. Here are the YouTube videos I made exploring: Reish: Kuf: Now that you are a bit more familiar with the connections it becomes clear why you have to purify both of these....and it also connects with the Hopi Prophecy Rock discussing the Two Hearts...as long as our hearts our divided between good and evil we cannot think straight....and as long as we continue to see the Moon or Third Eye Chakra as a paradox we're going to have very confused lives. The reconciling and purification of these two centers it is what creates a person of One Heart and One mind...it allows us to cultivate the Jewel in the Lotus. Proverbs Now, that we have shown that the Heart and Mind are one in many ways we can take a look at the context of what Solomon was saying in Proverbs. I will not quote the entire song but here is a link to the lyrics/passage: (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+16&version=NIV). There are two points in this song that I want to point out because we're looking to see the references to Silver and Gold: Proverbs 16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver! This goes exactly along with Alchemy. The Moon, or Silver, is the Subconscious. The Sun, or Gold, is the Waking Consciousness. Here, Solomon is pointing out that the True Silver of Insight and True Gold of Wisdom are valuable! Later in Proverbs 17: 3: The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart. A crucible is what is used to calcinate an item and it looks like this: Of course, most of us know that a furnace for heating metal looks like this... This tells us a bit of how we purify the Mind and the Heart. To release the essence of the Heart we have to follow the Alchemical process of Calciniation, Dissolution, Separation, Conjunction, Putrefaction, Distillation, and Coagulation. A few of these steps require physical fire...Calcination, Dissolution, Separation....eventually, however, when we reach Putrefaction the process starts to work on it's own. I use the example of making a compost in another blog that I will be posting in a couple of weeks. Once you add the hot mess of stuff in a compost pile, provided you have created a nice place for it (some people use buckets, some people just cover it with cardboard and still others make more elaborate containers) it heats upon on it's own at this point...and aside from an occasional stirring to make that everything putrefies evenly...Mother Nature does the rest. Since the alchemists relate this process entirely to the mind...I think it does make sense that the 7 steps of the Alchemical process involves purifying both the heart and Mind. Conclusion There are many times that there is a hint of Alchemy in the the Visions of the Bible. In many cases it's in the visions such as Ezekial's vision and Revelations (which is one big vision). The only reason Alchemy continues to be cast in the light of being 'forbidden' and not based on religious pricinpal's that can be connected to the the Bible (and actually make sense of them) is because the Catholic Church saw the practice as competition. However, it seems that the Alchemists were in many ways emulating the teachings of the bible. There is one more insight that I want to add here that I found very interesting. Alchemy is connected to a few traditions. The First word is Al which Arabic meaning "The" and Chemy on the other hand might come from different sources. One is the Kemet connection I made in my Introduction to Alchemy video () and the another is a Chinese word meaning, "Golden Juice." Interestingly, the Hebrew word for prophet, Navi, also means, "To Pour." Hmmm...makes you wonder what the Prophet's were pouring. I found this very interesting.
This weeks video was a little short. I've noticed with Alchemy it's pretty easy to sum up the steps. There is no reason to make it too complicated. Especially since we are working with this 4 fold system.
A Tranquil Mind This is the first time where our thoughts become truly quiet. We've reached a point where there are lest restless thoughts. Although, for me, this was the goal because I wanted to quiet all of the negative 'what if' racing thoughts that I had on a daily bases. I knew those were tied to my anxiety. What I didn't expect was that it would be uncomfortable at first! I was so used to thinking...well, over thinking, really, because I'm a planner and my mind was used to racing around imagining every possible outcome for an event...mostly focusing and planning for the worst case scenarios. My husband calls this, "Hoping for the best but planning for the worst." I knew from my studies, however, that this was not a healthy practice...because what we focus on is usually what we get. In some ways, I'm still not completely over this lesson but... I noticed my mind was silent. There were no more intrusive 'what ifs' or the sound of my mothers voice warning me against something. To think at all I had to summon up the thoughts and focus them like a laser beam on whatever subject I wanted to explore. This has been an extremely lucrative ability when working on these systems of seven....because it allows for really clear thinking. Yet, it can be disturbing and you might want to revert back to that chatty mind. I noticed that I have a little less tolerance for constant noise. I prefer silence to the television running or the sound of music playing in the background. I find all of thta extremely distracting and unnecessary. I realized that most people need that constant droning in the background because it drowns out all of the chatter in their heads. I was the same way for a long time...especially when I was younger. I had to go to sleep with the music playing or else I couldn't sleep...fearful thoughts would just keep racing through my mind causing insomnia..but music or the television could drown them out. Change In Metabolism As I explained in the video this one really surprised me. I do admit that I bought a nutrition book by Edgar Cacye. Part of the reason I had a psychological breakdown was because I wasn't eating the right food while working out too much. So, I wanted to fix that and I put some of the guidelines in place but I wasn't really strict about them. The next thing I knew my metabolism had become regular with almost no effort from me. I also started craving vegetables more then I did meat. Now, I am a meat eater. I do love my red meat and my chicken. Yet, I found I can't have them too often and not in large quantities. I prefer to have small amounts of protein and usually at lunch if I can manage and if I can't then I have them for dinner. I keep meat to a minimum of 4ozs- about the size of the palm of my hand. I keep grains, which are harder for the body to breakdown, to the morning. I will indulge in pasta for lunch and try not to have it for dinner because I notice that it weighs heavy on the stomach. Aside from those guidelines I don't really think about nutrition all that much. These are simply habits that I have adopted and they work perfectly for me. I can no longer stomach fatty fried foods. I can have french fries occasionally but a full fast food meal will give me an extreme stomach ache. I have to be very careful when I go out to eat to select items that won't upset my stomach...usually sticking to salads or vegetarian sandwiches. Mind and Body Balance To me it makes sense that the body responds positively to a balanced Mind. The Brain, after all, produces chemicals that travel throughout our body as a result of our state of mind. Those chemicals will either lead to more chaos in the body (adrenaline) or have a healing effect (endorphins). An unbalanced mind that goes to extremes leads to the brain releasing extreme doses of these compounds...especially adrenaline. This, in turn, leads to an extreme reaction throughout the body, and in particular, a breakdown of certain structures...particularly the muscles and organs because of this contradictory set of instructions...should they be active and build up the body or should they remain in starvation mode holding everything in reserve because of uncertainty? Even in the modern world where we are not running for physical tigers...we can find 'tigers' in the form of aggressive people in every action that we undertake...the key is the reaction that we have to them. Being in a constant or near constant state of fear does not allow the body to heal itself. Adding to that a poor diet of fat foods (which have a calming effect or induces, as my husband calls it, a 'food coma') can lead to a complete body disaster! Conclusion In Distillation we start to see the results of our work. Here the mind reaches that point where we can tell the difference as it becomes more refined and tranquil. We are less likely to have knee jerk emotional reactions because the subconscious and the conscious waking mind are working in union. With both aspects of ourselves working together we experience less chaos. Also, when meditating we can reach a deeper state which is really relaxing. I admit, I thought this point was the end. Yet, this stage of Distillation has lasted over a year for me. I think, perhaps, it is because I've had some stubborn attachments (which I wrote about in a blog called Releasing Stubborn Attachments that you can find in the side bar). I also still have that tendency to 'plan for the worse' and focus on that... At the same time, I've noticed after a year of releasing these attachments that it's now the slightest residues that remain. They're more like an empty reflexive habit then a state of mind that I remain in for long periods of time...and they're more noticeable because that type of thinking no longer feels natural. I find myself wondering, why I am I even thinking this strange thought that does not serve me? I then do what I would in meditation- I examine the thought, label it thinking and then let it go. Our entire life can be a form of meditation if we let it...all it takes is discipline and practice. The rewards are immeasurable. Who doesn't want to have a quiet mind, razor sharp focus and concentration or a healthier body?
One of the most fascinating aspects of studying Alchemy is that it confirmed a lot of information I suspected. Prior to reading about Alchemy and the Tarot I had the idea that water symbolized the subconscious and emotions but I really didn't have any proof.
That's the strange thing about Alchemy and the Tarot. Both really get to the heart of Universal Symbolism. Nothing I have studied can compare to these two systems, so closely intertwined, when it comes to Universal Symbolism. Now, in a lot of ways this stage of Alchemy is letting go of Attachments. Calcination made us let go of many of our attachments by reducing them to ashes. Often, this is through some sort of crisis such as being fired from work or getting a divorce. Both of these events can force us to let go of attachments. In Buddhisim holding onto attachments that exist within PMR (physical matter reality) is called Raga and it's considered one of the three poisons. The only way to correct these three poisons is the Eight Fold Path. So, you can see, this releasing of attachments to Physical Matter Reality transcends all religions. In Christianity this is the essence of the statement, "Be in this world but not of it." Yeshua never formed attachments to PMR. He didn't own anything. He did have a family. He didn't own a house. He never asked people for money to support his cause. (You might say his life is the exact opposite of the Catholic Church and all subsequent churches). Letting go of attachments and working with our emotions is paramount. I've said a lot about working with emotions but in essence when you acknowledge your emotions, appreciate them as messengers informing you of present circumstances, and let them go life just becomes easier. Emotions are like little mysteries and until we get to the bottom of what they are saying to us we really don't know ourselves. Once you become familiar with working with your emotions you begin to see how your emotions and your subconscious work in conjunction to create that 'sixth sense' or 'all seeing eye'. Once you cultivate that flexible mind that works with the emotions and subconscious life changes. Sometimes, as I have discovered, you can be thrown off. However, the recovery time becomes faster and faster once you know how to work with these elements of your own consciousness. Once you achieve this level of inner Alchemy you perceive life very differently. For me personally, right now, the very last of my ego attachments are dissolving in a brilliant fashion as I circle around to the same curve in the Path that I have visited many times in the last seven years as a new 7 year cycle begins. Things that I never expected to give up have left my life- a best friend that I vented to and talked to every day (I was becoming closer to her then my husband and that relationship was not a positive one), my Ford Ranger truck (I've known that was coming for a while but it was a symbol for my independence back in 2006 so I had a very strong personal attachment to it), the dog I considered 'mine' (my husband considered her mine too and not really his I've discovered because she was never the type of dog he would have chosen and I got her back in 2006 too), and even my personal bank account. There are more levels to it but these are the ones that come to mind right now (I closed my personal bank account today and it was entirely unplanned...I discovered that they had changed the contract without notifying me- other then a message to my online bank account- so that they were charging a very expensive maintanence fee because a one year 'trial period' had come to an end). All of the stuff that made me a seperate independent entity from my husband and my daughter are gone. Which ties into the the seperation phase that was supposed to be next in this play list but was accidently published in June (oops). At this point in time I've realized that I'm going into a 7 year cycle that will focus on community and family unit group work but I'll cover that in a future blog (that won't be published until March...I'm sorry. I've written a lot of content and it's all planned through next year). Anyhow, thank you for joining me in exploring this avenue on the Path of the Seeker Brave Soul. Sorry about the mix up between Alchemy level's 2 and 3...I hope you've learned something and you can check out the videos below to understand the dissolution process a bit better (especially the melting chocolate one which makes me hungry for some yummy chocolate peppermint cookies since that's the one recipe I use this method of cooking for all of the time!!). Melting Chocolate In A Baine Marie: https://youtu.be/mNIXOm_-U-8 Soda Ash in Water Experiment: https://youtu.be/8EvLjimlXZ8
This video was a bit spotty to make. The sound was a challenge for reasons I don't know. I have recorded the audio for many other videos and didn't have this challenge but sometimes...these things happen.
The connection that Paul Foster Case makes with the 7 chakra's is fascinating. I will eventually sit down and map all of of these systems out together because they correlate. I am always amazed when I receive confirmation when embarking on these journey's. The entertaining thing is that I just finished writing and recording the audio for all of the Alchemy videos. So, as I post this I can look back at the journey that I have made..and there are always startling connections. There will be a nice tie in between my initial thoughts on Alchemy and my final metaphorical summary which was completely unintentional. When weeks go by and I haven't seen what I wrote or what I recorded it can sometimes be a little bit of a shock to see it again. I sometimes forget what I wrote. I do that with video's too, sometimes. I'll go back and listen to a YouTube video I made and go, "Wow, that was really well done. I don't think I can improve it." When studying each stage and correlating Paul Foster Case's book with D.W. Hauck's I was so engrossed in each step that I lost track of the bigger picture. Instead, I focused on providing a succient summary on each one while leaving lots of room for you to explore on your own. When I saw the Introductory Video after having just written and recorded the final one I was a little startled that they tied in together. I will be creating sound meditations for these vidoes. I will focus on the 7 ascending ciphers that are depicted in the main screenshot for the YouTube video. I was not very good at explaining each of the ciphers in the video's. However, as they will be the focus of the Meditation I think perhaps it's a good thing. I don't want to be too repetitive. I'm not sure D.W. Hauck explained all of the Ciphers but I will be getting out that Workbook again and look at it to ensure to include what he said if he did. This is one of those subjects I think I could probably read the books several times and not get bored because there are so many little bits of insight. I will probably buy additional books by D.W. Hauk simply to get a more in depth feel for his work. I bought his Workbook about a year ago and it's amazing how much more I was able to get out of it this time. There is an entire section on the Azoth Mandela that I chose not to cover in the videos that Hauk has in his workbook. So, you'll just have to check out his YouTube videos on the subject or buy the workbook. You can find all of his books here: http://dwhauck.com/books1.htm and he does have a YouTube channel that you can check out here: https://www.youtube.com/user/alchemergist There were a lot of breakthroughs for me on concepts when working on these Alchemy video's. I think this is the first time I really see the connection between western systems and Egypt. If you read John Van Auken's book on Ancient Egyptian Mysticisim it just starts to make sense...the Egyptians were the first to create beautiful complex images that conveyed a story instead of just writing it out. Each image held symbolic weight. John Van Auken speaks about this in the YouTube video I put in the link of my video but I will place here as well: https://youtu.be/48T4Z80qUfY?t=14m16s The idea to alternate between the Tarot, Alchemy and the Hebrew Letters is one I stand by now more then ever after having explored each aspect of Alchemy and the Tarot Cards in detail so far. The Hebrew letter videos will shed even more light onto the subject. My hope is that you will take time to think about or meditate on the interconnections between these systems. instead of working through each subject because I hope you make a connection between the three. There is a very nice overlap of ideas in this system. I know some will say, "You should stick to one system and that's it," but it's served me to be inclusive. The teachings of many teachers come together to form a more complete picture of what D.W. Hauk refers to as, "The One Mind." On a side note, and I do not think I made this connection when writing any of these videos (and assuming you have read my Book Reviews on Thomas Campbell's Big Theory of Everything (T.O.E.) you are familiar with these terms which I think sums up the concepts best since they are not tied to deep seated superstitions because of dogma and the fanatical Catholic Church wiping out every form of spirituality it deemed competitive. The One Mind of Alchmey seems to be congruent to Thomas Campbell's Absolute Unbounded Oneness (A.U.O.). The One Thing of Alchemy seems to be congruent to Thomas Campbell's Absolute Unbounded Multiplicity (A.U.M.). Coincidence? I think not. Intentional on the part of Thomas Campbell? I think not. Unless you believe that there is true chaos in this world and that we are at the whim of those unseen chaotic forces...you should know that there is a Divine Pattern and Order throughout the cosmos. Laird Scranton and Thomas Campbell in particular seem to have picked it out. Laird focuses more on proving the Hard Science Qualities and Thomas Campbell ties it all up with Soft Science...but there is objective enough evidence now for me to speak with absolute certainty that this Order does exist, was known by some of the ancients (Shaman's, Healers, Early Scientists- who still believed there could be a Theory of Everything before the sciences were divided into niche groups-, Artists and Musicians). I'm very excited to share these video's with you. May you experience Profound Peace as a result of these explorations Brave Soul! Today I'm reviewing the Alchemy Workbook by Dennis William Hauck.
I've always been interested in alchemy as it pops up every now and then in the esoteric studies that I enjoy as a hobby. I was really impressed by Dennis William Hauck's YouTube video and I could tell he was holding back a little bit becuase it's so hard to present it all in a presentation. I really enjoyed the book. The book isn't really about handling chemicals. Instead it explains how Alchemy is not about mastery over the material world where a person can turn lead into gold...but a spiritual trnsformation. The process of Alchmey does follow a chemical process. There are seven stages. Calcination, Dissolution, Seperation, Conjunction, Fermentation, Distillation and Coagulation. I can compare these easily with the 7 chakras. As always, the different systems from the various disciplines carry the same story at it's heart. The excercises in the book consist of meditations based on the seven steps of the alchemy process. They are absolutely fascinating and fun meditations. With his simple and common sense descriptions of the inner Alchemy process makes so much sense that this book is super easy to read. There is no smoke or mirrors in this book but bare bones (calcination) sharing of the heart of the spiritual transformation the path of Alchemy offers. If you curious about he esoteric symbolisim and meaning to alchemy references I highly recommend The Alchemy Workbook Exercises In Transformation by Dennis William Hauck. |
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Brave Soul! May Your Journey On The Path Of The Seeker Bring You Joy and Peace! I'm currently posting every Saturday. With a new addition the family I have pre-scheduled most posts through December 2022. Full Moon Posts will contain up-to-date content when I can get to them. Thank you so much for your support and understanding! This is a place where you can encounter new spiritual ideas that have helped me develop as an Individual On The Path of the Seeker. Take or Leave this information as you see fit. Archives
April 2024
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