Are You An Alchemist?

Are you an alchemist?

It was a curious question out of nowhere, and at first I wasn’t sure of how to respond. I was paused on reflecting just what alchemy was in general, and of course what that flavor would be like from a Golden Dawn perspective.

Strange things, synchronicities tend to happen around the Equinox, that time a few days to a week both before and after the auspicious date, as magicians we learn to be prepared for the opportunities that may present.

I was returning some items to the library for a friend, a particular library out of my way and one that I never frequent as a framework for this telling, and after dropping off the books, a curious decision to peruse and check out what passes for the occult section in terms of books.

I’m there but a few seconds and this person walks right up to me with an inquiry.

Reflecting back after our conversation, which was pleasant enough, I suspect they were off to the side in the reading area of the library just waiting for somebody to approach.

Do you think the Philosopher’s Stone was real?

I did.

But the question was not how to achieve it, but what would one do with it if they obtained it? Was alchemy a physical operation, a spiritual path, or a combination of both?

I would have loved to get into a discussion about the alchemical diagrams imposed on the Tree of Life in the G.D., but that would not have been appropriate at this time. That is the alchemy that I often wonder about.