Many people still to this day ask the question, what is alchemy? To say it was a mysterious affair conducted by our ancestors is almost offensive. An ancient science conducted in secret for centuries because outlawed by both church and state, alchemy is a science that watches and observes nature. And it is not just referring to the external nature surrounding us, although it is just as much a part of us and a reflection of our own inner nature. Alchemy attempts to answer nature’s many mysteries by first understanding the source of nature and, finally, the outcome of natural processes. From Plato to Pythagoras, from ancient Greece, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, our ancestors knew, wrote, and discussed this mystery, which then flowed into the underground streams of esoteric Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Now, the goal was to apply the mysteries of Alchemy to one’s daily life and not simply entertain them intellectually.

Although it is generally believed that alchemy was practiced by men in their basements, crazed by mercury vapors, trying to change lead into gold in a vain attempt to get rich quick, it is everything but that. Alchemy is a science that looks into the holistic aspects of our existence. Science, as we know it today, breaks things down into its smallest form. Alchemy, on the other hand, looks at the whole and tries to bring the whole down. Science looks down into matter. Alchemy looks up into Spirit. Fundamentally, alchemists believed that life, what we are here on this planet, is really a wedding or a marriage between the lower forces of material and the upper forces of Spirit, and the human being is the ultimate construct in this marriage between these forces.

INRI, a latin inscription on Jesus’s cross, Igne Natura Renovatur Integra. By fire, nature is renewed whole. Fulcanelli says, “For it is by fire, and in fire, that our hemisphere will soon be tried. And just as by means of fire, gold is separated from impure metals, so the scriptures say the good will be separated from the wicked on the great day of Judgment.” Judgment, in more esoteric and mystical terms, represents our awakening or realization of that which we thought was dead but never fully resolved within ourselves. Although many are waiting on God to descend from the heavenly clouds, possibly on a golden throne, and separate the good from the wicked, this is not going to happen because we, ourselves, are the representation of God incarnate in the flesh. Because not only are things made by God but all things are made of God. The absolute cannot contain something within itself that is not itself. While you are waiting on God, God is waiting on you. Therefore “Judgment” is an individual and internal process that happens in different cycles throughout our personal evolution. We are not physical beings on a spiritual journey but rather spiritual beings on a physical journey. If you are looking for practical tips on soul growth and expansion of consciousness, I highly recommend my book, How to Get on the Good Side of Life.

Judgment represents an awakening to a deeper truth about ourselves. To separate the impure metals from the pure, as indicated in the science of alchemy, is the internal process of purification, the transmutation of instinctual patterns or attitudes toward self and the outer world. It is our understanding of the conditioned mind bound and limited by time and space from the eternal nature of Spirit, the divine spark within. The conditioned mind represents the subconscious, all the impure metals we are not aware of, in other words, our own neurosis, which can easily be reflected when we fall in love, all our negative thought forms toward self, self-esteem issues, and distorted impressions or beliefs adopted in our childhood. Judgment helps us realize what we aren’t from what we are. Judgment is a self-initiated process, as it should be, and helps us get out of victimhood as we awaken and begin to take responsibility for the part we’ve played in our story too, whether conscious or unconscious. And hopefully, as we move into 2023 and beyond, we’ll demonstrate the grace to exercise self-reflection and self-judgment before extending it to anyone else. Judgment helps transform the lead of the personality into the gold of Spirit. And this can be done by fire. Surrendering to fire is surrendering to that higher calling and initiation.

Castlevania – Netflix

Now, what prompted me to write this post in the first place? Why am I even attempting to bring this ancient science of alchemy from the dead? There are so many different interpretations and esoteric books written on the subject of alchemy that you could easily fill up the entire New York Public Library if you wanted to. Well, you’d be surprised to know it was a beautifully written adult animated television series by Warren Ellis and available on Netflix. Castlevania! If you’re an Anime nerd and share a Peter Pan syndrome, much like myself, you must check out Castlevania. I watched this adult Anime dark fantasy action horror recently, and saying I was impressed is an understatement. What truly inspired me to link the science of alchemy with our own inner journey toward self-realization is, indeed, the Rebis, the great alchemical work that Warren Ellis brilliantly used for the ending of the series.

If you are not familiar with the characters in Castlevania, I’d suggest watching the show first before reading this post for a deeper revelation and understanding of the key to eternal life given by Count Saint Germain. What really struck me in this series is Count Saint Germains’ attempt to save Lisa and Dracula’s souls from hell so that they are reborn and able to rule their kingdom again together as one, by becoming one flesh, male and female, as indicated in the Rebis. This shows a deeper meaning behind what is actually occurring in the show. The process of purification as one visits their own inner hell, dying to the old self, meaning the conditioned mind, and being born again by ruling one’s kingdom while consciously integrating both male and female principles in the psyche. This is the final or end product of the great alchemical work, as the Red King and White Queen represent a reconciliation of matter and Spirit and the ultimate goal in alchemy for the spiritual evolution of the soul. Now let’s continue deciphering what the Rebis indicates in more psychological terms, both male and female qualities consciously integrated and applied in one’s life.

Male & Female Principles | Alchemy & The Rebis

To encompass all qualities of both principles in one post is impossible. But I will try my best to be as concise and as helpful as possible to get a general understanding of both. Male and female qualities are as much a part of how we engage with life as they are in the psyche. For instance, when we are determined about what we want and take action, we are more in our masculine energy or aspect of the self. On the other hand, when we are more relaxed and contemplative, we are in our feminine energy. Now both principles are a lot more complex and have various complex qualities about them, which I will discuss further. Carl Jung referred to these aspects of the psyche as the Anima (female) and Animus (masculine). We can also correlate these two principles to the right and left hemispheres of the brain, or intuition and reason. Both female and masculine principles do not necessarily come naturally to us based on gender, and this is partly because of the models or prototypes we had throughout our upbringing, which were our parents, and because of various traumas and unconscious dispositions passed down through the family line. Our mother being the female principle, and our father being the masculine.

For the most part, our understanding or integration of these two forces or principles in the psyche is somewhat corrupted, distorted, incomplete, and even unconscious. For instance, we all have met very feminine men or very masculine women, and some are not even aware of which aspect of the self they mostly abide in. Or we could meet women who play the part, dress, and look very feminine, but inwardly and how they engage with life is very masculine, and vice versa with men. Now both these principles extend beyond appearance and behavior. I have talked about this in other posts and in my book that I mentioned previously. These principles rule everything in life, from art to politics, to music, etc. And we are not here to judge or say that one or the other is wrong because this is a constant effort for harmony, especially when one is unconscious of the two principles and hasn’t yet healed or consciously integrated them. This is a conversation about becoming whole within self so that we fully understand both aspects and become conscious by neither denying nor identifying with one or the other. But integrate them equally to then apply and learn to consciously direct both in everyday life.

Let’s start by saying that the feminine principle or aspect of the self represents more of the collective energy. Esoterically, it’s the womb where all archetypes and life are possible and can be born. This is the part of us that is ready to self-sacrifice for the greater good. This is that part of us that is willing to surrender through empathy and love. To some people, this comes easy, and to others, not so much. And it is all due to our childhood programming and how we learned to cope with what life had to offer us then as we began to form ideas and concepts about love and the outer world. It’s neither right nor wrong. Both scales need adjustment. Now, both male and female aspects, yin and yang, can become toxic or detrimental when unconscious and when they lead to extremes. One can self-destruct with great excuses and well-intended ideas. I can say, well, because I am empathic, I choose to be understanding and sacrifice my needs for that other person while I am being abused or not having my needs and core values met. This is an excuse one makes for their lack of accountability, self-understanding, and personal responsibility to make better decisions for themselves. To become the protagonist in their own story, learn to think for themselves and take action in accordance with their core values. This is when one hasn’t yet learned how to consciously integrate the masculine aspect of the self so that they understand, analyze, articulate, and make sense of their emotions and what is really going on inside them.

Integration of Masculine & Feminine Principles

Let’s look at another example. I choose to follow the masses because I am driven by media sensationalism rather than intuition and reason. This is unhealed masculine energy, a lack of individuation, accountability on one’s part, and the inability to create our own perspective. Most people do this unconsciously. They choose to remain ignorant and are unwilling to think for themselves and live by others’ expectations. These are the people that will terrorize and shame you for not believing in a common narrative sold by the masses. At that point, you become the black sheep. I don’t know about you, but especially in these times, I’d rather be the black sheep and gladly take pride in it too. And I’m not only talking about the media, politics, art, etc. I’m talking about my specific field of personal development as well as I am not here to conform to anyone’s idea or image of what I should look like or how I should lead my life. And that is because I have consciously integrated the masculine aspect of the self. I know when and how to apply these qualities of the self when I am confronted with different fears and challenges, which help me get closer to my truth and self-realize a little more each time. Our inability to see the bigger picture, a lack of discipline, vagueness, indecision, and lack of direction also shows an unintegrated masculine aspect of self. Looking to external authority figures for guidance instead of asking what do I want and what do I need is another indication of a disintegrated masculine principle. Remember, it is a constant effort in conscious movement. Nothing stays still in the world of appearances. Everything is constantly moving, and so the goal is to be able to switch perspectives as we integrate both principles consciously.

Now emotions belong to the feminine principle, and they carry wisdom. I’ve talked about this in my book, How to Get on the Good Side of Life, available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. In esotericism, the feminine principle, the Anima, or the Yin principle, is represented by wisdom. The integration of the feminine principle helps us become whole, ground ourselves, and find emotional mastery as we access the unconscious mind and the shadow. The unconscious and the shadow is a place in the psyche where all of the fragmented parts of ourselves that we have rejected because of our identity or because of various traumas and unmet needs end up and act autonomously without our conscious participation to get their needs met. And one way they do that is by manipulating our conscious personality without our awareness of it. Without the integration of the feminine, we won’t be able to surrender to them and bring them back to light and into our awareness. Without the integration of the masculine, we will be unable to understand and conceptualize their agendas which will be different from our conscious personality. When the feminine qualities are developed, we are able to let go of disempowering beliefs, read our own emotions well, connect to our instincts, and not escape from that part of us that carries deeper wisdom. It helps us find personal sovereignty, which leads to a greater knowing of where our boundaries lie and which direction we want to take in life. We can read others’ emotions well too, which helps us connect with our intuition and find more intimacy with friends and romantic relationships. 

When it comes to self-mastery and alchemy, emotional regulation is an essential part of the journey. Our nervous system is our survival and coping mechanism, and when we don’t know how to emotionally regulate, we will either detach by disintegrating from the feminine principle and deal with them unconsciously at a later time or drown and numb them down by self-medicating , alcohol or drugs. But if you have a deep awareness of what is going on in the emotions, you’ve shined a light, and nothing’s in the dark anymore, which leads to less fear and taking conscious action based on love rather than fear. When we detach from our emotions, we can become manipulative to get our needs met because they don’t actually go anywhere. They simply lurk in the shadow, and we become vague in the way that we express ourselves because we don’t know ourselves. To integrate the feminine principle is to be able to confront our deepest fears. Remember that both these principles do not necessarily come naturally to us based on gender. I’m sure that somewhere along your journey, you’ve possibly met a woman that was more rational, detached, and cold in her demeanor. To obtain self-mastery, we must integrate both. The feminine principle will lead us to vulnerability, but that same vulnerability will be the key to our strength, freedom, and dignity. 

Spiritual Love | Alchemy & The Rebis

What can mystics and sacred texts teach us about love? For one, it is fundamentally spiritual and not physical. It certainly will not relate to the same conventional theory of Darwinism, Freudianism, and social evolution, which teaches us that love is simply a biological need to procreate and maintain the human species alive. However, we can’t deny that some attractions can be based purely on that. It might be unconscious on our part, but nonetheless, it is real and based on the lower chakras linked to survival and power. But that kind of attraction is simply a trick of nature to bring two people together to breed. I would not call that romantic love or the essence of love. So mystics teach us that love is not based on biological factors alone, such as breeding, pleasure, and sexuality, but rather on a fundamental concept called connection and unity. It is the life of intimacy and not the act of intimacy alone. It is a state of being.

According to alchemy and ancient texts, it is said that true love is only possible when Spirit dominates over matter because, essentially, materialism divides and spirituality unites. If I am taking time to write this post for you, I am making less time for me to give to you. This is how it works with all things in the material world of time and space. In spirituality, we can be in two separate places, but we care about each other, and so that transcends time and space. So according to mystics, love is the transcendence of the material. Love essentially equals transcendence. This does not mean that our needs are not met but that love does not begin and end with our needs. It is the soul of love. Two bodies can’t love each other, but two souls can. When you hug or kiss someone you love, the love doesn’t begin with the hug, but it begins when you connect on a soulful level. Therefore, you hug because you want to manifest it physically too.

Another thing we can learn from mystics and alchemy is that love is a journey. Once you reach it, it doesn’t mean that is it. In other words, love is a state of being, and that state of being is constantly going through a journey. It’s the journey of souls, souls intersecting, souls connecting. Ultimately it is the journey from fragmentation to unity, from being splintered to being attached and connected. When you add these elements or replace the elements of love with these concepts, you get a whole different reality. So one of the reasons we fail so much when it comes to love is not because we are incapable but because we haven’t been taught properly about what it is. Most people don’t know what they’re aspiring for when it comes to love. Some do but may be unconscious and can’t really understand or explain what their soul is yearning for.

If love is simply a need to validate ourselves, a pleasure for the moment, sexual or other forms of pleasure, or even companionship, it cannot begin and end. Alchemy and mystics teach us that if love is a spiritual sense of connection, a transcendence in our life, then it changes everything. Love does not begin and end with needs, although psychologically speaking, we are wired to get out needs met through the opposite sex in relationships. Most people don’t even know what their needs are because they lack self-knowledge, and if we do get to understand our needs, then we must learn to meet them ourselves and create a better relationship with ourselves first. Love is a certain element of giving more than receiving. It’s about getting out beyond yourself and not filling up yourself. And when you get beyond yourself, you actually become more, not less.

So according to alchemy and ancient mystics, a true relationship is reciprocal. But it is not only about my needs and your needs being met like a business transaction. And this is not anyone’s fault. Our poor understanding of love is based on societal and familial conditions where we’re taught a very biological and selfish life looking for fulfillment, and part of that fulfillment is through love. Now a very different approach is when the selfless soul is looking for expression and transcendence. But remember, transcendence is only possible when you can get beyond yourself. And I’m not talking about becoming a doormat or annihilating yourself when selfless. It’s about growing to a place that’s greater than yourself and climbing a mountain that you couldn’t achieve on your own. That’s what another person offers with a different personality and different interests.

Each of us begin with the same story since we are conceived, and it is a story of connection and attachment in our mother’s womb to then get separated. The separation continues to accelerate or decelerate to the point that we lose our sense of self and dignity—the need to feel that we matter and then seeking to reconnect or reattach. And if unhealthy attachments come around, we attach to unhealthy behaviors because fundamentally, we’re craving attachment, craving love. We’re actually craving transcendence. The problem is the object of desire, the object of unhealthy attachment or addiction is a destructive one. It’s controlling us instead of us controlling it. It is an act of love, however, misplaced and completely misdirected. The question is can we channel the same passion and love and direct it toward something healthy?

Now the soul craves love just as much as the lungs crave air, and the body craves food. It craves connection, transcendence, and soulfulness. According to mystics and alchemy, the soul is compared to a flame. Two flames come together and melt into one. Material objects don’t do that. It’s something soulful that two things can be absorbed into one. Yes, there are alloys and chemical combinations that you can make, but ultimately still remain separate entities. Our souls are compared to a flame, and love, too, is flaming fiery passion, and it is our birthright. There is watery love too, but that is not what we are talking about in this post. We are talking about transcendent connections that make us more and greater than we could ever be. The key is to find that love within ourselves first, that connection and attachment to who we are and our calling and mission, and by extension, finding our soulmate or soul flame.