The Way of Alchemy
Flow of Life
The opportunity the old alchemists pointed to involves developing the sensitivity to notice the currents that move our life: the subtle impulses of direction and attraction that arise in our own hearts. So that we can choose intentions that align with who we are: so that the flow of our life is aligned with the harmony of the universe and the integrity of our true nature. So that we don’t waste time trying to get something or pursuing some second-hand goal that isn’t a good match for who we are and who we’re becoming.
Once our intention becomes more clear, the second opportunity is using alchemical techniques to help manifest the intention into form. That might mean using spiritual practice to expose and work through unconscious energies that obstruct the intention. It might mean structuring a commitment around the intention, to keep it as a central pilar of our lives, and to protect it against the forces of distraction and disintegration. Or - maybe it unfolds that you form a structure of support around the intention: involving the support of friends, teachers, deities, elemental energies or cosmic forces of nature. Maybe you strategically invoke the placebo power of belief to more fully commit your mind to making something happen. Or maybe you use ritual to involve imagination and body sensation in manifesting. And more. On and on it goes.