Upcoming Lecture : Body, Spirit and Soul
Later this month, I will be presenting a lecture at the International Alchemy Conference in Los Angeles, October 23-25. The title is “Body, Spirit, and Soul: an Alchemical Philosophy of Nature”, and we will be discussing the three levels of being in Alchemical and Spagyric philosophy as well as our own work.
Modern science and philosophy draws a line through Nature’s creation: on one side is the human realm of spirited and ensouled beings, while across the divide lives everything else in a state of purely physical existence.
But this was not always the way we looked at the world, and it doesn’t have to be our worldview now, especially as we begin to realize the price that our environment pays for a philosophy that holds most of the world to be inert and unintelligent.
Alchemical and Spagyric philosophy is rooted in a time when all of Nature was understood to contain body, spirit, and soul just as we do, from the active world of animals down through plants and even to the quieter mineral kingdom. All that Nature created was seen as ensouled, alive, aware, and intelligent; in the plant realm, this intelligence was understood as the true source of healing.
In this talk, I will discuss the three levels of being in plants from both an historical and personal perspective, drawing on my studies of Hermetic and alchemical philosophy and my own work as a gardener, herbalist, and Spagyric practitioner. Alchemy and Spagyrics offer powerful ways of connecting with our forgotten Western lineage of vitalist and magical connection to nature, as well as giving us ways of moving that lineage forward into a re-enchantment of matter itself.
This lecture will also be a great opportunity to experience the type of material we will be teaching in our Alchemical School, as well as getting to know us as teachers, so if you are considering the School, we hope you’ll come to the conference and my talk.
For more information about the International Alchemy Conference, click here.
Alchemical School Survey
Many people have responded to our survey about the Alchemical School, and we are very grateful for the input we’ve received so far. The data and numbers are very helpful in the planning we are doing now, as are all of the extra suggestions and ideas offered.
The survey has ended, and next we will begin meeting in earnest to plan the school and create a vision that meets all of our needs. We will keep this site section updated with our responses, ideas, and plans based on the survey results, but for now, here is a report of the responses so far.
Have you studied or practiced any Alchemy before?
- None: 27.7%
- History or Theoretical Study: 51.4%
- Psychological or Inner Alchemy: 50.9%
- Basic Laboratory Work: 22.5%
- Advanced Laboratory Work: 1.2%
Why do you want to study Alchemy?
- General personal enrichment: 78.6%
- To care for friends and family: 66.5%
- As a spiritual path: 79.2%
- To use in a healing practice: 80.3%
- To create a business: 26.0%
What applications of Alchemy are you interested in studying?
- Inner (non-laboratory) work: 85.0%
- Plant Alchemy: 96.5%
- Mineral & Metal Alchemy: 82.1%
Do you have a suitable space for a lab?
- Yes: 71.7%
- No: 20.8%
- I’m not interested in lab work: 7.5%
How many hours a week can you commit to pursue your studies in Alchemy?
- less than 1: 0%
- 1 to 4: 41.0%
- 5 to 9: 31.8%
- 10 to 15: 16.2%
- 15 or more: 11.0%
Per year, what could you budget for equipment?
- $0: 0.6%
- $100 to $300: 22.0%
- $300 to $500: 29.5%
- $500 to $1000: 23.1%
- more than $1000: 17.9%
- I’m not interested in lab work: 6.9%
Which scheduling structure would you prefer?
- Long guided course: 71.7%
- Intensives only: 17.9%
- Another system: 10.4%
How many times a year are you free to travel to an intensive in Oregon?
- None: 9.8%
- Once a year: 50.3%
- Twice a year: 39.9%
What is your budget for yearly tuition?
- $500 to $1000: 52.0%
- $1000 to $2000: 25.4%
- $2000 to $3000: 10.4%
- $3000 to $4000: 1.7%
- Other: less than 500: 2%
