Herbal Alchemy

What will be dealt with in this chapter is the extraction of the essential properties of a herb by distillation. Actual extraction with the use of laboratory equipment is chemistry it is the added variables that make it alchemy , which will be explained in the following chapter. 

Three basic substances which are dealt with by the alchemist—and without which nothing could be accomplished—are  

The Mercury symbol is the same symbol for the planet Mercury, but we are not talking about the same thing. These are the substances found in the three kingdoms of vegetable, animal and mineral but they are not the same in each kingdom, for they each work on a different vibratory level. 

Our main concern here is the vegetable kingdom, so our discussion will evolve around this particular kingdom. 

From your extraction the oily substance is a combination of Mercury and Sulphur, the ashes from the remaining herb (which is calcined) is the Salt. The Sulphur can be separated from the Mercury by further distillation, but in herbal alchemy this further separation is not as essential as in mineral alchemy. In the forming of the alchemical spagyric medicine or elixir, the oil extract and the final product of the ashes are joined. But for other uses, i.e. oils and incense, the combinations vary along with any points of conjunction necessary in the recipe. All in all, the end result is the same—where Sulphur, Salt and Mercury make up the final product. 

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Sumner, Alex. Herbal alchemy on a budget. J Western Mystery Tradition 1, no. 9 (Autumnal Equinox 2005). [http //www. iwmt.org./vln9/prima.htmll. 

Hurley, Philip. Herbal alchemy. Rev. ed ed. 1977 reprint, Wheelock (VT) Maithuna Publications, 2001. 104p. ISBN 0971012504... 

In herbal alchemy, most common uses of distillation are in the preparation of the Sulfur and Mercury. Earlier we described the steam distillation of the essential oils from a plant. Live steam is injected into a plant / water mush and the essential oils are carried over with the steam to form a layer on top of the distilled water. We can also simply distil the plant / water mush and collect the oil as it forms a layer at the top of the distillate. The collected oil can be mixed with water and distilled again to bring it to a higher state of purity. 

The distillation of alcohol is perhaps the most frequent operation in herbal alchemy and this distillation is repeated anywhere from six to twelve times in order to make it pure enough. This process is called Rectification. However we cannot produce 100% alcohol by simple distillation no matter how often you repeat the process. The best we can do is about 95% unless we use some new tricks. Most often a drying agent is used such as potassium carbonate or calcium oxide (quicklime). These materials are not soluble in alcohol but have a voracious affinity for water, which they absorb from the alcohol. In many instances, the distillations are repeated not so much to increase the purity but to elevate or spiritualize the matter. 

In Herbal Alchemy, we use the alcohol as our volatile solvent and produce what is called an unfixed tincture. If instead, we extract our plant with vinegar, we will obtain a fixed tincture because we used a fixed solvent—vinegar. 

Hurley, Phillip. Herbal Alchemy. Lotus Publications, 1977. 

The alchemy section is a brief summary of some methods of herbal alchemy. The Z2 ritual has been included to give an idea of the application of ritual magic in alchemy. This method can be designed as a quick or slow method. Some may take up to three years on an experiment while others up to six months or less—maybe only seven days. It all depends on the practitioner and the desired elTect. A great deal has not been added for specific reasons, but what has been provided should be a satisfactory springboard for the reader. Simplicity is the key. 

The Laboratory method—herbal alchemy—is to use the distillation train, which will be explained in Chapter 7. 

Working alchemically with a plant is vastly different from working with a metal. Each has it own level of contact, but the plant is possibly the more accessible for the budding alchemist and gives the adept a chance to expand and experiment with his or her sensitivity, which can be carried over into metal work at a later stage. While it is not proposed that all who work with metals should study herbal alchemy, it is very handy if this is done because one has the opportunity to use the alchemical equipment in safety. 

The Book of Alchemy teaches its readers how to penetrate the obscure symbolic language of the alchemists. . . understand how alchemical transformation can initiate a profound change of consciousness, claimed by practitioners to bring eventual union with the Divine. . . practice traditional meditations and exercises. . . prepare herbal alchemical elixirs to benefit the body. . . and discover how the alchemists search for purity can become a twenty-first- century model for spiritual development"... 

Mahdihassan, S. Alchemy as descending from herbalism or Kimiya versus Soma. Scientia (Jul 1964) 1-5. 

Zalewski, C. L. Herbs in magic and alchemy techniques from ancient herbal lore. Bridport Prism P, 1990. 149p. ISBN 1853270466... 

Paracelsus (1493-1541), one of the greatest alchemists and the founder of modern medicine, defined alchemy as the transformation of one natural substance into another, one fit for a new use. He created non-herbal medicines, which he considered the main physical goal of alchemy. However, he was equally strong in his belief that the true quest of the alchemist was his own spiritual transformation. The students of Paracelsus tended to split in two directions those who developed the science of medication, which led to modern medicine and then chemistry and those who abandoned the laboratory to search for spiritual gold within, a course which led to mystical philosophies like Rosicrucianism, a mystical brotherhood that emerged in the seventeenth century. 

The practice of Real Alchemy is inherently dangerous. Formal laboratory training is encouraged. Consulting a licensed physician is encouraged before consuming herbal preparations. Familiarize yourself with the laws that may apply to you in your jurisdiction and act accordingly. 

In the following pages, we re going to explore alchemy—the Real Alchemy. This means we will be exploring Practical Laboratory Alchemy. We will include here the history, theory, and simple practices that anyone can use to prepare herbal and mineral extracts in the ancient tradition. 

The basics of Mineral alchemy are the same as outlined in the herbal work— separation and purification of the Three Essentials followed by their reunion and revivification. The methods are similar but tend to be longer, more complex and at higher temperatures. 

In the following text I have endeavoured to lay out guidelines and instructions on how one goes about using herbs in magic and alchemy. Spagyric medicine includes the use of herbs, but I have not included spagyric herbal medicine in this text as the subject is so vast that, to do it justice, more than one volume would need to be written, and there are current publications on herbs and homoeopathy which already cover the subject adequately. 

Paracelsus was one of the most notable scientific figures of the 15th century. From his knowledge of alchemy he was able to introduce a whole new range of medicines for medical treatment. Until that time remedies had been almost exclusively herbal. 

The sciences of medicine and herbalism developed with Hippocrates and Theophrastus, whilst Alexander the Great, tutored by Aristotle, conquered half the known world, acquiring a love of fragrance from the defeated Persian kings. But it was Aristotle who, in the third century bc, arguably advanced the cause of alchemy. It was he who observed the production of pure water from the evaporation of seawater. He... 

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